Activation of the maternal immune system induces endocrine changes in the placenta via IL-6.

ABSTRACT: Activation of the maternal immune system in rodent models sets in motion a cascade of molecular pathways that ultimately result in autism- and schizophrenia-related behaviors in offspring. The finding that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a crucial mediator of these effects led us to examine the mechanism by which this cytokine influences fetal development in vivo. Here we focus on the placenta as the site of direct interaction between mother and fetus and as a principal modulator of fetal development. We find that maternal immune activation (MIA) with a viral mimic, synthetic double-stranded RNA (poly(I:C)), increases IL-6 mRNA as well as maternally-derived IL-6 protein in the placenta. Placentas from MIA mothers exhibit increases in CD69+ decidual macrophages, granulocytes and uterine NK cells, i

SUBMITTER: Hsiao EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3081363 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature