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Differential Expression of Endogenous Retroviruses and Inflammatory Mediators in Female and Male Offspring in a Mouse Model of Maternal Immune Activation.

ABSTRACT: Maternal infections during pregnancy and the consequent maternal immune activation (MIA) are the major risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Epidemiological evidence is corroborated by the preclinical models in which MIA leads to ASD-like behavioral abnormalities and altered neuroinflammatory profiles, with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial markers. In addition to neuroinflammatory response, an abnormal expression of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) has been identified in neurodevelopmental disorders and have been found to correlate with disease severity. Our aim was to evaluate the transcriptional profile of several ERV families, ERV-related genes, and inflammatory mediators (by RT real-time PCR) in mouse offspring of both sexes, prenatally exposed to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), a synthetic double-stranded RNA molecule targeting TLR-3 that mimics viral maternal infection during pregnancy. We found that prenatal exposure to Poly I:C deregulated the expression of some ERVs and ERV-related genes both in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, while no changes were detected in the blood. Interestingly, sex-related differences in the expression levels of some ERVs, ERV-related genes, and inflammatory mediators that were higher in females than in males emerged only in PFC. Our findings support the tissue specificity of ERV and ERV-related transcriptional profiles in MIA mice.

SUBMITTER: Cipriani C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9695919 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Differential Expression of Endogenous Retroviruses and Inflammatory Mediators in Female and Male Offspring in a Mouse Model of Maternal Immune Activation.

Cipriani Chiara C Tartaglione Anna Maria AM Giudice Martina M D'Avorio Erica E Petrone Vita V Toschi Nicola N Chiarotti Flavia F Miele Martino Tony MT Calamandrei Gemma G Garaci Enrico E Matteucci Claudia C Sinibaldi-Vallebona Paola P Ricceri Laura L Balestrieri Emanuela E

International journal of molecular sciences 20221111 22

Maternal infections during pregnancy and the consequent maternal immune activation (MIA) are the major risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Epidemiological evidence is corroborated by the preclinical models in which MIA leads to ASD-like behavioral abnormalities and altered neuroinflammatory profiles, with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial markers. In addition to neuroinflammatory response, an abnormal expression of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) has been ident ...[more]

PMID: 36430402

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Project description:BackgroundMaternal obesity (MO) impairs maternal and offspring health. Mechanisms and interventions to prevent adverse maternal and offspring outcomes need to be determined. Human studies are confounded by socio-economic status providing the rationale for controlled animal data on effects of maternal exercise (MEx) intervention on maternal (F0) and offspring (F1) outcomes in MO.HypothesisMO produces metabolic and endocrine dysfunction, increases maternal and offspring glucocorticoid exposure, oxidative stress and adverse offspring outcomes by postnatal day (PND) 36. MEx in part prevents these outcomes.MethodsF0 female rats ate either control or obesogenic diet from weaning through lactation. Half of each group wheel ran (from day 90 of life through pregnancy beginning day 120) providing four groups (n=8/group)--(i) controls, (ii) obese, (iii) exercised controls and (iv) exercised obese. After weaning, PND 21, F1 offspring ate a control diet. Metabolic parameters of F0 prepregnancy and end of lactation and F1 offspring at PND 36 were analyzed.ResultsExercise did not change maternal weight. Before breeding, MO elevated F0 glucose, insulin, triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, fat and oxidative stress. Exercise completely prevented the triglyceride rise and partially increases glucose, insulin, cholesterol and oxidative stress. MO decreased fertility, recovered by exercise. At the end of lactation, exercise returned all metabolic variables except leptin to control levels. Exercise partially prevented MO elevated corticosterone. F1 offspring weights were similar at birth. At PND 36, MO increased F1 male but not female offspring leptin, triglycerides and fat mass. In controls, exercise reduced male and female offspring glucose, prevented the offspring leptin increase and partially the triglyceride rise.ConclusionsMEx before and during pregnancy has beneficial effects on the maternal and offspring metabolism and endocrine function occurring with no weight change in mothers and offspring indicating the importance of body composition rather than weight in evaluations of metabolic status.

Project description:PurposeMaternal obesity has emerged as an important risk factor for the development of metabolic disorders in the offspring. The hypothalamus as the center of energy homeostasis regulation is known to function based on complex neuronal networks that evolve during fetal and early postnatal development and maintain their plasticity into adulthood. Development of hypothalamic feeding networks and their functional plasticity can be modulated by various metabolic cues, especially in early stages of development. Here, we aimed at determining the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to disturbed hypothalamic network formation in offspring of obese mouse dams.MethodsFemale mice were fed either a control diet (CO) or a high-fat diet (HFD) after weaning until mating and during pregnancy and gestation. Male offspring was sacrificed at postnatal day (P) 21. The hypothalamus was subjected to gene array analysis, quantitative PCR and western blot analysis.ResultsP21 HFD offspring displayed increased body weight, circulating insulin levels, and strongly increased activation of the hypothalamic insulin signaling cascade with a concomitant increase in ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) expression. At the same time, the global gene expression profile in CO and HFD offspring differed significantly. More specifically, manifest influences on several key pathways of hypothalamic neurogenesis, axogenesis, and regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity were detectable. Target gene expression analysis revealed significantly decreased mRNA expression of several neurotrophic factors and co-factors and their receptors, accompanied by decreased activation of their respective intracellular signal transduction.ConclusionTaken together, these results suggest a potential role for disturbed neurotrophin signaling and thus impaired neurogenesis, axogenesis, and synaptic plasticity in the pathogenesis of the offspring's hypothalamic feeding network dysfunction due to maternal obesity.

Dataset Information

Differential Expression of Endogenous Retroviruses and Inflammatory Mediators in Female and Male Offspring in a Mouse Model of Maternal Immune Activation.

Publications

Differential Expression of Endogenous Retroviruses and Inflammatory Mediators in Female and Male Offspring in a Mouse Model of Maternal Immune Activation.

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