Prenatal two-hit stress affects maternal and offspring pregnancy outcomes and uterine gene expression in rats: match or mismatch?

ABSTRACT: Maternal stress and inflammation excesses can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes and offspring development. We evaluated whether distinct prenatal stressors affect pregnancy, maternal and offspring outcomes, and uterine gene expression differently when combined than either alone. Long-Evans dams were exposed to psychological or/and (two-hit) immune stress (interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β]), on gestational days 12-18 and 17-delivery, respectively. Gestational length, maternal weight gain, glycaemia and corticosterone levels, offspring weight, and gender effects were recorded. Maternal and offspring uteri were collected at weaning and on postnatal day 160 correspondingly. Uterine expression of genes involved in local progesterone metabolism, neuroendocrine and immune systems were analyzed using qu

SUBMITTER: Verstraeten BSE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6335212 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature