Prenatal Immune Challenge in Mice Leads to Partly Sex-Dependent Behavioral, Microglial, and Molecular Abnormalities Associated with Schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: Epidemiological studies revealed that environmental factors comprising prenatal infection are strongly linked to risk for later development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Considering strong sex differences in schizophrenia and its increased prevalence in males, we designed a methodological approach to investigate possible sex differences in pathophysiological mechanisms. Prenatal immune challenge was modeled by systemic administration of the viral mimic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) to C57BL/6 mice at embryonic day 9.5. The consequences on behavior, gene expression, and microglia-brain immune cells that are critical for normal development-were characterized in male vs. female offspring at adulthood. The cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, region

SUBMITTER: Hui CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5809492 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature