title: Prenatal immune challenge in rats increases susceptibility to seizure-induced brain injury in adulthood.
abstract: Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental injury. Our aim was to investigate whether prenatal immune challenge could alter susceptibility to seizure-induced brain injury in adulthood. Pregnant Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or normal saline (NS) at days 15 and 16 of gestation. At postnatal day 45, seizure susceptibility was assessed in response to lithium-pilocarpine (LiPC) in adult offspring. Four groups were studied, including normal control (NS-NS), prenatal inflammation (LPS-NS), adult seizure (NS-LiPC), and "two-hit" (LPS-LiPC) groups. Our results demonstrated that adult rat offspring of LPS-exposed dams showed significantly greater susceptibility to LiPC-induced seizures, as well as enhanced hippocampal neuronal injury after seizures. Furthermore, animals in the "two-hit" group performed significantly worse than those from the NS-LiPC group in the open field test and Morris water maze. Our findings suggest that prenatal immune activation can cause a long-lasting increase in seizure susceptibility and predispose the brain to the damaging effect of seizures later in life.
authors: Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, #107 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, China.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Yin
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Ying-Yan
authors: YY
authors: Wang
authors: Na-Na
authors: NN
authors: Qiao
authors: Shan-Ying
authors: SY
authors: Huang
authors: Bao-Min
authors: BM
authors: Li
authors: Ruo-Peng
authors: RP
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000150:complications*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D010862:Pilocarpine; D018021:Lithium Chloride