Maternal immune activation in rats induces dysfunction of placental leucine transport and alters fetal brain growth.

ABSTRACT: Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the offspring risk of developing a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including schizophrenia. While the mechanisms remain unclear, dysregulation of placental function is implicated. We hypothesised that maternal infection, leading to maternal immune activation and stimulated cytokine production, alters placental and yolk sac amino acid transport, affecting fetal brain development and thus NDD risk. Using a rat model of maternal immune activation induced by the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), we investigated placental and yolk sac expression of system L amino acid transporter subtypes which transport several essential amino acids including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), maternal and fetal BCAA concent

SUBMITTER: Kowash HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9366863 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature