Prenatal Lipopolysaccharide Reduces Social Behavior in Male Offspring

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between maternal sickness behavior during pregnancy and offspring development and behavior. Methods: Pregnant Wistar rats were administered with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 µg/kg, i.p.) on gestation day (GD) 9.5. Dams’ sickness behavior was analyzed, and at birth, offspring number and weight were evaluated. Male offspring was evaluated through physical development, play behavior, adult social interaction, plus maze studies and morphological analysis of the brain. Results: Results, with respect to the control group, showed that: (1) LPS decreased general activity, food intake, and weight gain in dams, but no pyrexia was observed following treatment; (2) LPS reduced litter size, but no alterations in physical development were observed; (3) LPS reduced play behavior parameters in baby rats; (4) LPS decreased adult social interaction; (5) no alterations were observed between groups on plus maze studies; (6) no differences were observed between groups on morphological analyses of the brain. Conclusion: These data reveal that LPS administered on GD 9.5 impaired male offspring’s social behavior in infancy and adulthood. These results may be related to an alteration in motivational states or/and increased anxiety.

Neonatal lipopolysaccharide exposure induces sexually dimorphic sickness behavior in adult rats.

“…Fifty-two rats (13 from each group; i.e., males and females from the control and LPS groups) were evaluated in the elevated plus maze 2 h after the LPS challenge on PND60-70. The test was performed as previously described (Kirsten, Taricano, Maiorka, et al, 2010). Briefly, the apparatus consisted of two opposing open arms (50 cm long, 10 cm wide) and two opposing closed arms (50 cm long, 10 cm wide, (Hogg, 1996).…”

“…For example, prenatal treatment with LPS (100 µg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p. ], on gestational day [GD] 9.5) in rats impairs social behavior (play behavior) in both infancy and adulthood in male but not female offspring (Kirsten et al, 2012;Kirsten, Taricano, Maiorka, Palermo-Neto, & Bernardi, 2010).…”

Can gestational exercise have a positive effect on cognitive functions resulting from brain injury A rat study

“…On the contrary, the offspring of mothers forced to exercise during gestation demonstrated an increased entry to the open arms in elevated plus maze test indication a reduced anxiety behavior [9]. LPS treatment has been previously shown to decrease the social behaviors, however, no effects has been reported on elevated plus maze test [10]. In the present study, offspring of LPS treated and exercised mothers demonstrated increased amount of time spent at the closed arms in elevated plus maze test compared to the offspring of PLS treated sedentary mothers.…”

<b>Influência do LPS e do zinco na interação mãe e filhote</b>

“…O estudo das proles destas mães mostrou que os mesmos apresentavam alterações comportamentais compatíveis com aquelas descritas para o autismo, sugerindo que este poderia ser um modelo animal de autismo ( KIRSTEN et al, 2010;KIRSTEN et al, 2011;KIRSTEN et al, 2012;). O tratamento com zinco uma hora após a administração da endotoxina preveniu estas alterações (KIRSTEN et al, 2015a).…”

“…Para a injeção do LPS, foi escolhido o dia 9,5 da gestação a partir dos estudos de Kirsten et al (KIRSTEN et al, 2010;KIRSTEN et al, 2011) mostrando que a endotoxina prenatal administrada neste dia promove comportamento autista-simile na prole de ratas.…”