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Sex differences in offspring risk and resilience following 11β-hydroxylase antagonism in a rodent model of maternal immune activation

ABSTRACT: Maternal immune activation (MIA)puts offspring at greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders associated with impaired social behavior. While it is known that immune signaling through the maternal, placental, and fetal compartments contribute to these phenotypical changes, it is unknown to what extent the stress response to illness is involved and how it can be harnessed for potential interventions. To this end, pregnant rat dams were treated with the clinically available 11β-hydroxylase inhibitor metyrapone, alongside administration of the bacterial mimetic lipopolysaccharide (LPS), on gestational day 15. Maternal, placental, and fetal CNS levels of corticosterone and placental 11ßHSD enzymes type 1 and 2 were measured 3-hrs post treatment. Subsequently, offspring social behaviors were measured across critical phases of development. MIA was associated with increased maternal, placental, and fetal CNS corticosterone concentrations that were diminished with metyrapone exposure. Metyrapone protected against reductions in placental 11ßHSD2 in males only, suggesting that less corticosterone was inactivated in female placentas. Behaviorally, metyrapone-exposure protected against MIA-induced social disruptions in juvenile, adolescent, and adult males, while females were unaffected or performed worse. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that metyrapone-exposure triggered opposing effects on gene expression to combat MIA-exposure in males, but not among females. Taken together, these findings illustrate that MIA-induced HPA responses act alongside the immune system to produce behavioral deficits. As a clinical drug already provided to pregnant people and neonates for the treatment of hypercortisolism, the sex-specific benefits and constraints of metyrapone should be investigated further as a potential means of reducing neurodevelopmental risks due to gestational MIA.

ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus

PROVIDER: GSE240604 | GEO | 2023/08/15

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Activation of the maternal immune system during pregnancy can fetal development, which can lead to postnatal susceptibility to a wide range of diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic and psychiatric disorders. During maternal immune activation (MIA), the maternal body must balance its ressources between mounting an immune response and investing resources into continued metabolism and growth : both essential for survival of the fetus and a successful pregnancy. How the placenta responds to MIA over time and how it can protect the fetus is not well understood, and neither are the fetal consequences of MIA. Here, we characterised the response to an induced acute inflammation in maternal lungs over time across maternal and fetal organs, using a combination of omics-methods, imaging and integrative computational analysis. We found that the placenta, unlike other maternal organs, did not react by inducing a typical inflammatory response, but instead initially induced genes associated to strengthen tissue integrity and simultaneously reduced growth to prevent exposure to potential infections. Afterwards, a return to homeostasis was observed, with heightened biosynthesis and expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress genes. This mechanism likely protects the fetus from inflammation, as we observed no immune response in the fetal liver transcriptome. Instead, we observed metabolic adaptations in the fetus, including a release of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Notably, DHA has a crucial function for fetal brain development , and levels of triglyceride and phosphatidylcholine lipids that are necessary for transportation of DHA to the brain were also increased. This metabolic response is likely a combination of the placental MIA response and temporary maternal fasting, caused by MIA-induced fever and lack of nutrient intake. Our study shows, for the first time, the temporal and systemic response to MIA in lungs across maternal and fetal organs.

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Sex differences in offspring risk and resilience following 11β-hydroxylase antagonism in a rodent model of maternal immune activation

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