Prenatal Maternal Immune Activation with Lipopolysaccharide Accelerates the Developmental Acquisition of Neonatal Reflexes in Rat Offspring Without Affecting Maternal Care Behaviors.

ABSTRACT: Maternal immune activation (MIA)-infection with an immunogen during pregnancy-is linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in offspring. Both MIA and NDDs are associated with developmental delays in offsprings' motor behavior. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of MIA on neonatal reflex development in male and female offspring. Sprague Dawley rats were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50 μg/mL/kg, i.p.) or saline on embryonic day (E)15 of gestation. The offspring were then tested daily from postnatal day (P)3-P21 to determine their neonatal reflex abilities. The maternal care behaviors of the dam were also quantified on P1-P5, P10, and P15. We found that, regardless of sex, the E15 LPS offspring were able to forelimb grasp, cliff avoid, and righ

SUBMITTER: Hall MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11940702 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature