Maternal LPS induces cytokines in the amniotic fluid and corticotropin releasing hormone in the fetal rat brain.
Perinatal infections are a risk factor for fetal neurological pathologies, including cerebral palsy and schizophrenia. Cytokines that are produced as part of the inflammatory response are proposed to partially mediate the neurological injury. This study investigated the effects of intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to pregnant rats on the production of cytokines and stress markers in the fetal environment. Gestation day 18 pregnant rats were treated with LPS (100 microg/kg body wt i.p.), and maternal serum, amniotic fluid, placenta, chorioamnion, and fetal brain were harvested at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h posttreatment to assay for LPS-induced changes in cytokine protein (ELISA) and mRNA (real-time RT-PCR) levels. We observed induction of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as well as the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the maternal serum within 6 h of LPS exposure. Similarly, proinflammatory cytokines were induced in the amniotic fluid in response to LPS; however, no significant induction of IL-10 was observed in the amniotic fluid. LPS-induced mRNA changes included upregulation of the stress-related peptide corticotropin-releasing factor in the fetal whole brain, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 in the chorioamnion, and TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 in the placenta. These findings suggest that maternal infections may lead to an unbalanced inflammatory reaction in the fetal environment that activates the fetal stress axis.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor-University of California Los Angleles Medical Center and Research and Education Institute, Torrance, CA 90502, USA. dgayle@ucla.edu
Dave A
DA
Gayle
Ron
R
Beloosesky
Mina
M
Desai
Fataneh
F
Amidi
Sonia E
SE
Nuñez
Michael G
MG
Ross
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone