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Timing of Maternal Stress Differentially Affects Immune and Stress Phenotypes in Progeny

Cassidy Reddout-Beam1, Lily P Hernandez1, Janeen L Salak-Johnson1

  • 1Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|November 9, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Gestational stress timing impacts offspring. Mid-gestation stress reduced immunity, while late-gestation stress altered the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response and promoted inflammation in piglets.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental programming
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Maternal stress during pregnancy can influence offspring's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and immune system development.
  • The timing and nature of prenatal stressors may differentially impact offspring outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how the timing of gestational stress (mid vs. late gestation) affects the stress responsiveness, immune function, and behavioral phenotypes of piglets.
  • To characterize the differential effects of prenatal stress exposure based on gestational stage.

Main Methods:

  • Pregnant sows were administered hydrocortisone acetate (stress) or placebo (control) during mid or late gestation.
  • Offspring (piglets) were monitored for stress responses, immune markers (immunoglobulins, cytokines like IL-4, IL-17, TNF-α), and HPA axis activity via ACTH challenge.
  • Blood and colostrum samples were collected for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Piglets from mid-gestation stressed sows showed reduced humoral immunity (immunoglobulins, IL-4).
  • Piglets from late-gestation stressed sows exhibited a delayed/dampened stress response to weaning and ACTH challenge.
  • Late-gestation stress led to a pro-inflammatory phenotype (increased IL-17, TNF-α) in offspring.

Conclusions:

  • The gestational stage at which maternal stress occurs has distinct effects on offspring's HPA axis and immune development.
  • Prenatal stress timing influences offspring's stress reactivity and immune profiles, leading to varied long-term phenotypes.

Keywords:
gestational stressimmunematernal influencepassive immunitystress

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