Prenatal lipopolysaccharide exposure affects maternal behavior and male offspring sexual behavior in adulthood.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the effects of prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure on the maternal behavior of pregnant rats and the physical development and sexual behavior of their male offspring in adulthood.


METHODS
For two experiments, pregnant rats were injected with LPS (250 microg/kg, i.p.) on gestation day (GD) 21. In the first experiment, the maternal behavior (postnatal day, PND, 6) and the dam's open-field general activity (PND7) were evaluated. In the second experiment, the maternal pre- and postnatal parameters, the pup's development, the offspring's sexual behavior in adulthood, and the pup's organ weights were assessed.


RESULTS
Compared to the control group, the LPS-treated dams presented reduced maternal behavior, decreased general activity, a smaller body weight difference between GD21 and PND1, a greater number of perinatal deaths, and smaller litters. For the male pups, LPS treatment resulted in a decreased body weight on PND2, whereas the anogenital distance and the day of testis descent were not modified. The male sexual behavior was impaired by prenatal LPS. Particularly the number of ejaculating animals was reduced. The testis weight was also lower in the prenatally LPS-treated rats than in the control rats.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that prenatal LPS exposure on GD21 acts as an imprinting factor that interferes with the programming of brain sexual determination in offspring.
Bernardi
Maria M
MM
Department of Pathology, Neuroimmunomodulation Research Group, School of Veterinary Medicine, Paulista University, São Paulo, Brazil.
Kirsten
Thiago B
TB
Matsuoka
Suzana M
SM
Teodorov
Elizabeth
E
Habr
Soraya F
SF
Penteado
Sandra H W N
SH
Palermo-Neto
João
J
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007173:Imprinting, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D018836:Inflammation Mediators