Two-hit immune activation induced autism-like phenotypes in mice: The underlying mechanism may involve the lung-brain...

Neuroinflammation plays important roles in the pathogenesis and development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the mechanism by which peripheral organ inflammation affects neuroinflammation is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate that the interaction between the lungs and the brain as a potential mechanism underlying this effect. Ovalbumin (OVA) can induce neuroinflammation and cause neurotoxicity, leading to tissue damage or cognitive memory impairment. OVA - induced maternal immune activation (MIA) provides a stable animal model for studying ASD and other human neurodevelopmental disorders. Postnatal reinfection is an additional risk factor for ASD and may lead to pathological and physiological changes. Here we compared the expression of cytokines in the hippocampus and lung tissues of MIA offspring after the second acute immune stimulation at three times post birth, as well as the correlation between cytokines and autism-like phenotypes.Interestingly, our research findings suggest that maternal and postpartum OVA-induced immune activation and lung injury may produce an autistic phenotype, with potential mechanisms involving the lung- brain axis.