title: Maternal supply of BDNF to mouse fetal brain through the placenta.
abstract: Gastrointestinal peptides and hormones are known to penetrate through the utero-placental barrier and regulate fetal development. In the present study, we tested permeation of maternal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to fetuses, using BDNF-gene deficient mice and exogenous BDNF administration. At embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5)-14.5, BDNF protein concentrations in the fetal brain of BDNF homozygous null mutant (bdnf (-/-)) were comparable to the levels seen in wild-type fetuses. After E17.5, BDNF protein levels in bdnf (-/-) fetal brain were still detectable but its levels were significantly decreased below those in wild-type brain. When recombinant BDNF protein was injected into pregnant wild-type mice carrying E14.5 embryos, BDNF protein levels in fetal brain were elevated dose-dependently. These findings suggest that maternal BDNF reaches the fetal brain through utero-placental barrier and might contribute to its development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kodomari
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005838:Genotype; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins