title: Maternal immunomodulation of the offspring's immunological system.
abstract: The mother's and the offspring's immunological system are closely related thus one can influence the other. This hypothesis drove our aim to study the impact of the mother's immunological status over the immunological response of their offspring. For this, female mice tolerant or allergic to peanuts were exposed or not to a challenge diet containing peanuts during the gestation-lactation period (TEP/AEP; TNEP/ANEP, respectively). After weaning the offspring was submitted to the peanut allergy or peanut tolerization protocol and then challenged with a peanut diet. Our results showed that when the offspring is submitted to the allergy induction protocol, they behave differently depending on their mother's immunological status. Offspring born to TEP mothers produced the lowest antibody titters while those born to AEP mothers produced the highest antibody titters compared to mice born to TNEP and ANEP. On the other hand when the offspring was submitted to the tolerization protocol all groups presented low antibody titers with no significant difference between groups, independent of the mothers immunological status and/or contact with peanuts during the gestation-lactation period. The analysis of the histological profile of the offspring correlates well to the serological response. In other words, offspring born to TEP mothers and submitted to the allergy induction protocol presented a normal histological profile, while the offspring born to AEP mothers produced the worst gut inflammation. These results indicate that mothers, exposed to the antigen (by the oral route) during gestation, actively influence the immune response of their offspring. This work sheds some light on the importance of the immunomodulation induced by dietary antigens during gestation and their influence on the immunological response of their offspring. However, more work is needed to elucidate the molecular and cellular components of this regulatory phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Programa de Pos-Graduação em Patologia, Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, UFF, Av. Marques do Paraná 303, 4° andar Prédio principal, sala 1, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24033-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sylvia M N
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vivian L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lessa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio Botelho
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, UFF, Alameda Barros Terra s/n, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24020-510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Programa de Pos-Graduação em Patologia, Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, UFF, Av. Marques do Paraná 303, 4° andar Prédio principal, sala 1, Centro, Niterói, CEP 24033-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: Gerlinde_teixeira@id.uff.br.
authors.forename: Gerlinde Agate Platais Brasil
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D010367:Arachis; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Food allergy; Gut inflammation; Offspring; Oral tolerance; Peanuts