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White TA, Miller SL, Sutherland AE, Allison BJ, Camm EJ. Perinatal compromise affects development, form, and function of the hippocampus part two; preclinical studies. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:1709-1719. [PMID: 38519795 PMCID: PMC11245392 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03144-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The hippocampus is a vital brain structure deep in the medial temporal lobe that mediates a range of functions encompassing emotional regulation, learning, memory, and cognition. Hippocampal development is exquisitely sensitive to perturbations and adverse conditions during pregnancy and at birth, including preterm birth, fetal growth restriction (FGR), acute hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), and intrauterine inflammation. Disruptions to hippocampal development due to these conditions can have long-lasting functional impacts. Here, we discuss a range of preclinical models of prematurity and FGR and conditions that induce hypoxia and inflammation, which have been critical in elucidating the underlying mechanisms and cellular and subcellular structures implicated in hippocampal dysfunction. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic targets to reduce the burden of these perinatal insults on the developing hippocampus. IMPACT: The review explores the preclinical literature examining the association between pregnancy and birth complications, and hippocampal form and function. The developmental processes and cellular mechanisms that are disrupted within the hippocampus following perinatal compromise are described, and potential therapeutic targets are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan A White
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Suzanne L Miller
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy E Sutherland
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Beth J Allison
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Emily J Camm
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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Chincarini G, Walker DW, Wong F, Richardson SJ, Cumberland A, Tolcos M. Thyroid hormone analogues: Promising therapeutic avenues to improve the neurodevelopmental outcomes of intrauterine growth restriction. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 38742992 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a pregnancy complication impairing fetal growth and development. The compromised development is often attributed to disruptions of oxygen and nutrient supply from the placenta, resulting in a number of unfavourable physiological outcomes with impaired brain and organ growth. IUGR is associated with compromised development of both grey and white matter, predisposing the infant to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including long-lasting cognitive and motor difficulties. Cerebral thyroid hormone (TH) signalling, which plays a crucial role in regulating white and grey matter development, is dysregulated in IUGR, potentially contributing to the neurodevelopmental delays associated with this condition. Notably, one of the major TH transporters, monocarboxylate transporter-8 (MCT8), is deficient in the fetal IUGR brain. Currently, no effective treatment to prevent or reverse IUGR exists. Management strategies involve close antenatal monitoring, management of maternal risk factors if present and early delivery if IUGR is found to be severe or worsening in utero. The overall goal is to determine the most appropriate time for delivery, balancing the risks of preterm birth with further fetal compromise due to IUGR. Drug candidates have shown either adverse effects or little to no benefits in this vulnerable population, urging further preclinical and clinical investigation to establish effective therapies. In this review, we discuss the major neuropathology of IUGR driven by uteroplacental insufficiency and the concomitant long-term neurobehavioural impairments in individuals born IUGR. Importantly, we review the existing clinical and preclinical literature on cerebral TH signalling deficits, particularly the impaired expression of MCT8 and their correlation with IUGR. Lastly, we discuss the current evidence on MCT8-independent TH analogues which mimic the brain actions of THs by being metabolised in a similar manner as promising, albeit underappreciated approaches to promote grey and white matter development and improve the neurobehavioural outcomes following IUGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginevra Chincarini
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - David W Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Newborn Health, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Flora Wong
- Monash Newborn Health, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Angela Cumberland
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mary Tolcos
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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Dhume SH, Balogun K, Sarkar A, Acosta S, Mount HTJ, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Serghides L. Perinatal exposure to atazanavir-based antiretroviral regimens in a mouse model leads to differential long-term motor and cognitive deficits dependent on the NRTI backbone. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1376681. [PMID: 38646101 PMCID: PMC11027900 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1376681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in pregnancy has been pivotal in improving maternal health and reducing perinatal HIV transmission. However, children born HIV-exposed uninfected fall behind their unexposed peers in several areas including neurodevelopment. The contribution of in utero ART exposure to these deficits is not clear. Here we present our findings of neurocognitive outcomes in adult mice exposed in utero to ART. Methods Dams were treated with a combination of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir with either abacavir plus lamivudine (ABC/3TC + ATV/r) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC + ATV/r), or water as a control, administered daily from day of plug detection to birth. Offspring underwent a battery of behavioral tests that investigated motor performance and cognition starting at 6-weeks of age and ending at 8 months. Changes in brain structure were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistochemistry. Expression of genes involved in neural circuitry and synaptic transmission were assessed in the hippocampus, a region strongly associated with memory formation, using qPCR. Findings Pups exposed to TDF/FTC + ATV/r showed increased motor activity and exploratory drive, and deficits in hippocampal-dependent working memory and social interaction, while pups exposed to ABC/3TC + ATV/r showed increased grooming, and deficits in working memory and social interaction. Significant volumetric reductions in the brain were seen only in the ABC/3TC + ATV/r group and were associated with reduced neuronal counts in the hippocampus. Altered neurotransmitter receptor mRNA expression as well as changes in expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF and its receptors were observed in both ART-exposed groups in a sex-dependent manner. Interpretation In our model, in utero ART exposure had long-term effects on brain development and cognitive and motor outcomes in adulthood. Our data show that neurological outcomes can be influenced by the type of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone of the regimen and not just the base drug, and display sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya H. Dhume
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kayode Balogun
- Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ambalika Sarkar
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sebastian Acosta
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Howard T. J. Mount
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Psychiatry and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Ahmadzadeh E, Polglase GR, Stojanovska V, Herlenius E, Walker DW, Miller SL, Allison BJ. Does fetal growth restriction induce neuropathology within the developing brainstem? J Physiol 2023; 601:4667-4689. [PMID: 37589339 PMCID: PMC10953350 DOI: 10.1113/jp284191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a complex obstetric issue describing a fetus that does not reach its genetic growth potential. The primary cause of FGR is placental dysfunction resulting in chronic fetal hypoxaemia, which in turn causes altered neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory development, some of which may be pathophysiological, particularly for neonatal life. The brainstem is the critical site of cardiovascular, respiratory and autonomic control, but there is little information describing how chronic hypoxaemia and the resulting FGR may affect brainstem neurodevelopment. This review provides an overview of the brainstem-specific consequences of acute and chronic hypoxia, and what is known in FGR. In addition, we discuss how brainstem structural alterations may impair functional control of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Finally, we highlight the clinical and translational findings of the potential roles of the brainstem in maintaining cardiorespiratory adaptation in the transition from fetal to neonatal life under normal conditions and in response to the pathological environment that arises during development in growth-restricted infants. This review emphasises the crucial role that the brainstem plays in mediating cardiovascular and respiratory responses during fetal and neonatal life. We assess whether chronic fetal hypoxaemia might alter structure and function of the brainstem, but this also serves to highlight knowledge gaps regarding FGR and brainstem development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Ahmadzadeh
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Graeme R. Polglase
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Vanesa Stojanovska
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Eric Herlenius
- Department of Women's and Children's HealthKarolinska InstitutetSolnaSweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children´s HospitalKarolinska University Hospital StockholmSolnaSweden
| | - David W. Walker
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Neurodevelopment in Health and Disease Research Program, School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)MelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Suzanne L. Miller
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Beth J. Allison
- The Ritchie CentreHudson Institute of Medical ResearchClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
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Ahmadzadeh E, Dudink I, Walker DW, Sutherland AE, Pham Y, Stojanovska V, Polglase GR, Miller SL, Allison BJ. The medullary serotonergic centres involved in cardiorespiratory control are disrupted by fetal growth restriction. J Physiol 2023. [PMID: 37641535 DOI: 10.1113/jp284971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with cardiovascular and respiratory complications after birth and beyond. Despite research showing a range of neurological changes following FGR, little is known about how FGR affects the brainstem cardiorespiratory control centres. The primary neurons that release serotonin reside in the brainstem cardiorespiratory control centres and may be affected by FGR. At two time points in the last trimester of sheep brain development, 110 and 127 days of gestation (0.74 and 0.86 of gestation), we assessed histopathological alterations in the brainstem cardiorespiratory control centres of the pons and medulla in early-onset FGR versus control fetal sheep. The FGR cohort were hypoxaemic and asymmetrically growth restricted. Compared to the controls, the brainstem of FGR fetuses exhibited signs of neuropathology, including elevated cell death and reduced cell proliferation, grey and white matter deficits, and evidence of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. FGR brainstem pathology was predominantly observed in the medullary raphé nuclei, hypoglossal nucleus, nucleus ambiguous, solitary tract and nucleus of the solitary tract. The FGR groups showed imbalanced brainstem serotonin and serotonin 1A receptor abundance in the medullary raphé nuclei, despite evidence of increased serotonin staining within vascular regions of placentomes collected from FGR fetuses. Our findings demonstrate both early and adaptive brainstem neuropathology in response to placental insufficiency. KEY POINTS: Early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) was induced in fetal sheep, resulting in chronic fetal hypoxaemia. Growth-restricted fetuses exhibit persistent neuropathology in brainstem nuclei, characterised by disrupted cell proliferation and reduced neuronal cell number within critical centres responsible for the regulation of cardiovascular and respiratory functions. Elevated brainstem inflammation and oxidative stress suggest potential mechanisms contributing to the observed neuropathological changes. Both placental and brainstem levels of 5-HT were found to be impaired following FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Ahmadzadeh
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ingrid Dudink
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David W Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy E Sutherland
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yen Pham
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vanesa Stojanovska
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme R Polglase
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suzanne L Miller
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Beth J Allison
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Kühne BA, Gutierrez-Vázquez L, Sánchez Lamelas E, Guardia-Escote L, Pla L, Loreiro C, Gratacós E, Barenys M, Illa M. Lactoferrin/sialic acid prevents adverse effects of intrauterine growth restriction on neurite length: investigations in an in vitro rabbit neurosphere model. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1116405. [PMID: 37180944 PMCID: PMC10169722 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1116405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a well-known cause of impaired neurodevelopment during life. In this study, we aimed to characterize alterations in neuronal development underlying IUGR and discover strategies to ameliorate adverse neurodevelopment effects by using a recently established rabbit in vitro neurosphere culture. Methods IUGR was surgically induced in pregnant rabbits by ligation of placental vessels in one uterine horn, while the contralateral horn remained unaffected for normal growth (control). At this time point, rabbits were randomly assigned to receive either no treatment, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), melatonin (MEL), or lactoferrin (LF) until c-section. Neurospheres consisting of neural progenitor cells were obtained from control and IUGR pup's whole brain and comparatively analyzed for the ability to differentiate into neurons, extend neurite length, and form dendritic branching or pre-synapses. We established for the very first time a protocol to cultivate control and IUGR rabbit neurospheres not only for 5 days but under long-term conditions up to 14 days under differentiation conditions. Additionally, an in vitro evaluation of these therapies was evaluated by exposing neurospheres from non-treated rabbits to DHA, MEL, and SA (sialic acid, which is the major lactoferrin compound) and by assessing the ability to differentiate neurons, extend neurite length, and form dendritic branching or pre-synapses. Results We revealed that IUGR significantly increased the neurite length after 5 days of cultivation in vitro, a result in good agreement with previous in vivo findings in IUGR rabbits presenting more complex dendritic arborization of neurons in the frontal cortex. MEL, DHA, and SA decreased the IUGR-induced length of primary dendrites in vitro, however, only SA was able to reduce the total neurite length to control level in IUGR neurospheres. After prenatal in vivo administration of SAs parent compound LF with subsequent evaluation in vitro, LF was able to prevent abnormal neurite extension. Discussion We established for the first time the maintenance of the rabbit neurosphere culture for 14 days under differentiation conditions with increasing complexity of neuronal length and branching up to pre-synaptic formation. From the therapies tested, LF or its major compound, SA, prevents abnormal neurite extension and was therefore identified as the most promising therapy against IUGR-induced changes in neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Anna Kühne
- Grup de Recerca en Toxicologia (GRET) i INSA-UB, Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lara Gutierrez-Vázquez
- Grup de Recerca en Toxicologia (GRET) i INSA-UB, Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Estela Sánchez Lamelas
- Grup de Recerca en Toxicologia (GRET) i INSA-UB, Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Guardia-Escote
- Grup de Recerca en Toxicologia (GRET) i INSA-UB, Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Pla
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Loreiro
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacós
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Barenys
- Grup de Recerca en Toxicologia (GRET) i INSA-UB, Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Illa
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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Fung CM. Effects of intrauterine growth restriction on embryonic hippocampal dentate gyrus neurogenesis and postnatal critical period of synaptic plasticity that govern learning and memory function. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1092357. [PMID: 37008232 PMCID: PMC10064986 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1092357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) complicates up to 10% of human pregnancies and is the second leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality after prematurity. The most common etiology of IUGR in developed countries is uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI). For survivors of IUGR pregnancies, long-term studies consistently show a fivefold increased risk for impaired cognition including learning and memory deficits. Among these, only a few human studies have highlighted sex differences with males and females having differing susceptibilities to different impairments. Moreover, it is well established from brain magnetic resonance imaging that IUGR affects both white and gray matter. The hippocampus, composed of the dentate gyrus (DG) and cornu ammonis (CA) subregions, is an important gray matter structure critical to learning and memory, and is particularly vulnerable to the chronic hypoxic-ischemic effects of UPI. Decreased hippocampal volume is a strong predictor for learning and memory deficits. Decreased neuron number and attenuated dendritic and axonal morphologies in both the DG and CA are additionally seen in animal models. What is largely unexplored is the prenatal changes that predispose an IUGR offspring to postnatal learning and memory deficits. This lack of knowledge will continue to hinder the design of future therapy to improve learning and memory. In this review, we will first present the clinical susceptibilities and human epidemiology data regarding the neurological sequelae after IUGR. We will follow with data generated using our laboratory’s mouse model of IUGR, that mimics the human IUGR phenotype, to dissect at the cellular and molecular alterations in embryonic hippocampal DG neurogenesis. We will lastly present a newer topic of postnatal neuron development, namely the critical period of synaptic plasticity that is crucial in achieving an excitatory/inhibitory balance in the developing brain. To our knowledge, these findings are the first to describe the prenatal changes that lead to an alteration in postnatal hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, a mechanism that is now recognized to be a cause of neurocognitive/neuropsychiatric disorders in at-risk individuals. Studies are ongoing in our laboratory to elucidate additional mechanisms that underlie IUGR-induced learning and memory impairment and to design therapy aimed at ameliorating such impairment.
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Benítez Marín MJ, Blanco Elena JA, Marín Clavijo J, Jiménez López J, Lubián López DM, González Mesa E. Neurodevelopment Outcome in Children with Fetal Growth Restriction at Six Years of Age: A Retrospective Cohort Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11043. [PMID: 36078758 PMCID: PMC9518559 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe neurodevelopment in fetal growth restriction children at the age of six. Secondly, we tried to demonstrate influencing factors that can improve or exacerbate this development, as well as predictive factors that might select a population at risk to assist with early childhood support. METHOD It was a study of 70 children affected with FGR. FGR was based on these definitions: birth weight below the 3rd percentile or birth weight below the 10th percentile with an abnormal hemodynamic Doppler study. Neurodevelopment was assessed at 6 years old by means of Batelle Development Inventory. A global development quotient under a 100 score was considered a neurodevelopment delay. All variables regarding pregnancy care, delivery episode, postpartum, neonatal care, sociodemographic issues, and the need for support in the first years were studied. RESULTS The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 33.14 weeks (standard deviation (SD = 4.31), with 32.9% of early-onset diagnoses. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35.61 (SD = 3.21), and the cesarean rate was 64.3%. The average age of the children at the moment of the evaluation was 76.20-month-old (SD = 3.70). The mean global development quotient was 97.28 (SD = 13.97). We were able to record a 57.1% of global development delay. In the cases of cognition, only 17.1% of the children registered a delay. Motor and communication skills were the most frequently affected. We discovered that socioeconomic status was positively related to the global development quotient, as well as both gestational age at delivery and middle cerebral artery pulsatility index was positively related to the global development quotient. CONCLUSIONS We found a higher neurodevelopment delay rate (57.1%). We could relate a higher gestational age at delivery and a higher MCA percentile with better global neurodevelopment quotients.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Benítez Marín
- Medicine School, Malaga University, 29071 Málaga, Spain
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Blanco Elena
- Medicine School, Malaga University, 29071 Málaga, Spain
- General Surgery Service, Infanta Margarita Hospital, 14940 Córdoba, Spain
| | | | - Jesús Jiménez López
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Regional University Hospital of Malaga, 29011 Málaga, Spain
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Málaga University, 29071 Málaga, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA) Research Group in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Epigenetics, Women’s Diseases and Reproductive Health, 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Daniel María Lubián López
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Jerez de la Frontera, University of Cadiz, 11407 Cadiz, Spain
| | - Ernesto González Mesa
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Regional University Hospital of Malaga, 29011 Málaga, Spain
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Málaga University, 29071 Málaga, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA) Research Group in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Epigenetics, Women’s Diseases and Reproductive Health, 29071 Málaga, Spain
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Fang Q, Liu J, Chen L, Chen Q, Wang Y, Li Z, Fu W, Liu Y. Taurine supplementation improves hippocampal metabolism in immature rats with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) through protecting neurons and reducing gliosis. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:2077-2088. [PMID: 35048325 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00896-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Taurine as an essential amino acid in the brain could play an important role in protecting the fetal brain of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The hippocampus with IUGR showed neural metabolic disorder and structure changed that affected memory and learning ability. This study was aimed to identify the effect of taurine supplementation on the metabolism alterations and cellular composition changes of the hippocampus in IUGR immature rats. Metabolite concentrations were determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the hippocampus of juvenile rats with IUGR following taurine supplementation with antenatal or postnatal supply. The composition of neural cells in the hippocampus was observed by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and western blotting (WB). Antenatal taurine supplementation increased the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) /creatine (Cr) and glutamate (Glu) /Cr of the hippocampus in the IUGR immature rats, but reduced the ratios of choline (Cho) /Cr and myoinositol (mI) /Cr. At the same time, the protein expression of NeuN in the IUGR rats was increased through intrauterine taurine supplementation, and the GFAP expression was reduced. Especially the effect of antenatal taurine was better than postpartum. Furthermore, there existed a positive correlation between the NAA/Cr ratio and the NeuN protein expression (R = 0.496 p < 0.001 IHC; R = 0.568 p < 0.001 WB), the same results existed in the relationship between the mI/Cr ratio and the GFAP protein expression (R = 0.338 p = 0.019 IHC; R = 0.440 p = 0.002 WB). Prenatal taurine supplementation can better improve hippocampal neuronal metabolism by increasing NAA / Cr ratio related to the number of neurons and reducing Cho / Cr ratio related to the number of glial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Fang
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Chaoyang District Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, No. 25 Huaweili, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1023-1063, Shatai South Road, Baiyun district, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qiaobin Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Zuanfang Li
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Wei Fu
- Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Chaoyang District Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, No. 25 Huaweili, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Chaoyang District Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, No. 25 Huaweili, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
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10
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Dudink I, White TA, Ardalan M, Mallard C, Ballerin G, Creed SJ, Pham Y, Sutherland AE, Castillo-Melendez M, Allison BJ, Miller SL. An optimized and detailed step-by-step protocol for the analysis of neuronal morphology in golgi-stained fetal sheep brain. Dev Neurosci 2022; 44:344-362. [DOI: 10.1159/000524055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antenatal brain development during the final trimester of human pregnancy is a time when mature neurons become increasingly complex in morphology, through axonal and dendritic outgrowth, dendritic branching, and synaptogenesis, together with myelin production. Characterizing neuronal morphological development over time is of interest to developmental neuroscience and provides the framework to measure grey matter pathology in pregnancy compromise. Neuronal microstructure can be assessed with Golgi staining, which selectively stains a small percentage (1-3%) of neurons and their entire dendritic arbor. Advanced imaging processing and analysis tools can then be employed to quantitate neuronal cytoarchitecture. Traditional Golgi staining protocols have been optimized and commercial kits are readily available offering improved speed and sensitivity of Golgi staining to produce consistent results. Golgi stained tissue is then visualized under light microscopy and image analysis may be completed with several software programs for morphological analysis of neurons, including freeware and commercial products. Each program requires optimization, whether semi-automated or automated, requiring different levels of investigator intervention and interpretation, which is a critical consideration for unbiased analysis. Detailed protocols for fetal ovine brain tissue are lacking and therefore, we provide a step-by-step workflow of computer software analysis for morphometric quantification of Golgi-stained neurons. Here, we utilized the commonly applied FD Rapid GolgiStain kit (FD NeuroTechnologies) on ovine fetal brains collected at 127 days (0.85) gestational age for the analysis of CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. We describe the step-by-step protocol to retrieve neuronal morphometrics using Imaris imaging software to provide quantification of apical and basal dendrites for measures of dendrite length (μm), branch number, branch order and Sholl analysis (intersections over radius). We also detail software add-ons for data retrieval of dendritic spines including the number of spines, spine density and spine classification, which are critical indicators of synaptic function. The assessment of neuronal morphology in the developing brain using Rapid-Golgi and Imaris software is labour-intensive, particularly during the optimization period. The methodology described in this step-by-step description is novel, detailed, and aims to provide a reproducible, working protocol to quantify neuronal cytoarchitecture with simple descriptions that will save time for the next users of these commonly used techniques.
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11
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Chen W, Liu N, Shen S, Zhu W, Qiao J, Chang S, Dong J, Bai M, Ma L, Wang S, Jia W, Guo X, Li A, Xi J, Jiang C, Kang J. Fetal growth restriction impairs hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition via Tet1 in offspring. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109912. [PMID: 34731622 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) increases the risk for impaired cognitive function later in life. However, the precise mechanisms remain elusive. Using dexamethasone-induced FGR and protein restriction-influenced FGR mouse models, we observe learning and memory deficits in adult FGR offspring. FGR induces decreased hippocampal neurogenesis from the early post-natal period to adulthood by reducing the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs). We further find a persistent decrease of Tet1 expression in hippocampal NSCs of FGR mice. Mechanistically, Tet1 downregulation results in hypermethylation of the Dll3 and Notch1 promoters and inhibition of Notch signaling, leading to reduced NSC proliferation. Overexpression of Tet1 activates Notch signaling, offsets the decline in neurogenesis, and enhances learning and memory abilities in FGR offspring. Our data indicate that a long-term decrease in Tet1/Notch signaling in hippocampal NSCs contributes to impaired neurogenesis following FGR and could serve as potential targets for the intervention of FGR-related cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Nana Liu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shijun Shen
- Institute of Translational Research, Tongji Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jing Qiao
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shujuan Chang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jianfeng Dong
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Mingliang Bai
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Li Ma
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Wenwen Jia
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xudong Guo
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ang Li
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jiajie Xi
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- Institute of Translational Research, Tongji Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jiuhong Kang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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12
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Dudink I, Hüppi PS, Sizonenko SV, Castillo-Melendez M, Sutherland AE, Allison BJ, Miller SL. Altered trajectory of neurodevelopment associated with fetal growth restriction. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113885. [PMID: 34627856 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is principally caused by suboptimal placental function. Poor placental function causes an under supply of nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus, restricting development of individual organs and overall growth. Estimated fetal weight below the 10th or 3rd percentile with uteroplacental dysfunction, and knowledge regarding the onset of growth restriction (early or late), provide diagnostic criteria for fetuses at greatest risk for adverse outcome. Brain development and function is altered with FGR, with ongoing clinical and preclinical studies elucidating neuropathological etiology. During the third trimester of pregnancy, from ~28 weeks gestation, neurogenesis is complete and neuronal complexity is expanding, through axonal and dendritic outgrowth, dendritic branching and synaptogenesis, accompanied by myelin production. Fetal compromise over this period, as occurs in FGR, has detrimental effects on these processes. Total brain volume and grey matter volume is reduced in infants with FGR, first evident in utero, with cortical volume particularly vulnerable. Imaging studies show that cerebral morphology is disturbed in FGR, with altered cerebral cortex, volume and organization of brain networks, and reduced connectivity of long- and short-range circuits. Thus, FGR induces a deviation in brain development trajectory affecting both grey and white matter, however grey matter volume is preferentially reduced, contributed by cell loss, and reduced neurite outgrowth of surviving neurons. In turn, cell-to-cell local networks are adversely affected in FGR, and whole brain left and right intrahemispheric connections and interhemispheric connections are altered. Importantly, disruptions to region-specific brain networks are linked to cognitive and behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Dudink
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Translational Research Facility, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Petra S Hüppi
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane V Sizonenko
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Margie Castillo-Melendez
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Translational Research Facility, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy E Sutherland
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Translational Research Facility, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Beth J Allison
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Translational Research Facility, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suzanne L Miller
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Translational Research Facility, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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13
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Yeste N, Gómez N, Vázquez-Gómez M, García-Contreras C, Pumarola M, González-Bulnes A, Bassols A. Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Hydroxytyrosol Affect the Development and Neurotransmitter Profile of the Hippocampus in a Pig Model. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:1505. [PMID: 34679640 PMCID: PMC8532848 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10101505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) refers to poor growth of a fetus during pregnancy due to deficient maternal nutrition or oxygen supply. Supplementation of a mother's diet with antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol (HTX), has been proposed to ameliorate the adverse phenotypes of IUGR. In the present study, sows were treated daily with or without 1.5 mg of HTX per kilogram of feed from day 35 of pregnancy (at 30% of the total gestational period), and fetuses were sampled at day 100 of gestation. Fetuses were classified as normal body weight (NBW) or low body weight (LBW) as a consequence of IUGR, constituting four groups: NBW-Control, NBW-HTX, LBW-Control, and LBW-HTX. The brain was removed, and the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex were rapidly dissected. Neuronal markers were studied by immunohistochemistry, and a decrease in the number of mature neurons in the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis subfield 1 (CA1) and the Dentate Gyrus (DG) regions was observed in LBW fetuses together with a higher number of immature neurons and other alterations in neuronal morphology. Furthermore, IUGR conditions altered the neurotransmitter (NT) profile, since an increase in the serotonin (5-HT) pathway was observed in LBW fetuses. Supplementation with HTX was able to reverse the morphological and neurochemical changes, leading both characteristics to values similar to those of NBW fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Yeste
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (N.Y.); (N.G.)
| | - Néstor Gómez
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (N.Y.); (N.G.)
| | - Marta Vázquez-Gómez
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, UCM, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.-G.); (A.G.-B.)
| | | | - Martí Pumarola
- Unitat de Patologia Murina i Comparada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Antonio González-Bulnes
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, UCM, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.-G.); (A.G.-B.)
- Comparative Physiology Group, INIA, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Tirant lo Blanc, 7, Alfara del Patriarca, 46115 Valencia, Spain
| | - Anna Bassols
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (N.Y.); (N.G.)
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14
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Intrauterine Growth Restriction Causes Abnormal Embryonic Dentate Gyrus Neurogenesis in Mouse Offspring That Leads to Adult Learning and Memory Deficits. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0062-21.2021. [PMID: 34544755 PMCID: PMC8503959 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0062-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human infants who suffer from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which is a failure to attain their genetically predetermined weight, are at increased risk for postnatal learning and memory deficits. Hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) granule neurons play an important role in memory formation; however, it is unknown whether IUGR affects embryonic DG neurogenesis, which could provide a potential mechanism underlying abnormal postnatal learning and memory function. Using a mouse model of the most common cause of IUGR, induced by hypertensive disease of pregnancy, we first assessed adult learning and memory function. We quantified the percentages of embryonic hippocampal DG neural stem cells (NSCs) and progenitor cells and developing glutamatergic granule neurons, as well as hippocampal volumes and neuron cell count and morphology 18 and 40 d after delivery. We characterized the differential embryonic hippocampal transcriptomic pathways between appropriately grown and IUGR mouse offspring. We found that IUGR offspring of both sexes had short-term adult learning and memory deficits. Prenatally, we found that IUGR caused accelerated embryonic DG neurogenesis and Sox2+ neural stem cell depletion. IUGR mice were marked by decreased hippocampal volumes and decreased doublecortin+ neuronal progenitors with increased mean dendritic lengths at postnatal day 18. Consistent with its known molecular role in embryonic DG neurogenesis, we also found evidence for decreased Wnt pathway activity during IUGR. In conclusion, we have discovered that postnatal memory deficits are associated with accelerated NSC differentiation and maturation into glutamatergic granule neurons following IUGR, a phenotype that could be explained by decreased embryonic Wnt signaling.
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15
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Fung C, Zinkhan E. Short- and Long-Term Implications of Small for Gestational Age. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 2021; 48:311-323. [PMID: 33972068 DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) describes a fetus' inability to attain adequate weight gain based on genetic potential and gestational age and is the second most common cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality after prematurity. Infants who have suffered fetal growth restriction are at the greatest risks for short- and long-term complications. This article specifically details the neurologic and cardiometabolic sequalae associated with fetal growth restriction, as well as the purported mechanisms that underlie their pathogenesis. We end with a brief discussion about further work that is needed to gain a more complete understanding of fetal growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Fung
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA.
| | - Erin Zinkhan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
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16
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Brain Sparing Effect on Neurodevelopment in Children with Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Systematic Review. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8090745. [PMID: 34572177 PMCID: PMC8471063 DOI: 10.3390/children8090745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Background: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a pregnancy complication. Multiple studies have connected FGR to poor cognitive development, behavior disorders, and academic difficulties during childhood. Brain sparing has traditionally been defined as an adaptive phenomenon in which the brain obtains the blood flow that it needs. However, this adaptive phenomenon might not have a complete protective effect. This publication aims to systematically review the consequences of brain redistribution on neurodevelopment in children who presented with placental intrauterine growth restriction. Methods: We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines. It included studies on intrauterine growth restriction or small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses, which middle cerebral artery was measured, and neurodevelopment assessed during childhood. PUBMED and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant published studies. Results: Of the 526 studies reviewed, only 12 were included. Brain sparing was associated with poor cognitive function and lower scores in IQ. Cerebral redistribution was related to better executive function and better behavior at 4 years old but not at 12 years old. Conclusions: We can assume that fetal brain sparing could not be a fully protective phenomenon. We could not find clinical differences in behavioral and executive functions because the results were heterogeneous. Some cognitive abilities could be affected in FGR brain sparing fetuses.
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17
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Tveden-Nyborg P. Vitamin C Deficiency in the Young Brain-Findings from Experimental Animal Models. Nutrients 2021; 13:1685. [PMID: 34063417 PMCID: PMC8156420 DOI: 10.3390/nu13051685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe and long-term vitamin C deficiency can lead to fatal scurvy, which is fortunately considered rare today. However, a moderate state of vitamin C (vitC) deficiency (hypovitaminosis C)-defined as a plasma concentration below 23 μM-is estimated to affect up to 10% of the population in the Western world, albeit clinical hallmarks in addition to scurvy have not been linked to vitC deficiency. The brain maintains a high vitC content and uniquely high levels during deficiency, supporting vitC's importance in the brain. Actions include both antioxidant and co-factor functions, rendering vitamin C deficiency likely to affect several targets in the brain, and it could be particularly significant during development where a high cellular metabolism and an immature antioxidant system might increase sensitivity. However, investigations of a non-scorbutic state of vitC deficiency and effects on the developing young brain are scarce. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the complex mechanisms that regulate vitC homeostasis in vivo and in the brain in particular. Functions of vitC in the brain and the potential consequences of deficiency during brain development are highlighted, based primarily on findings from experimental animal models. Perspectives for future investigations of vitC are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Tveden-Nyborg
- Section of Experimental Animal Models, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
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18
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Pla L, Illa M, Loreiro C, Lopez MC, Vázquez-Aristizabal P, Kühne BA, Barenys M, Eixarch E, Gratacós E. Structural Brain Changes during the Neonatal Period in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Dev Neurosci 2021; 42:217-229. [PMID: 33677448 DOI: 10.1159/000512948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with abnormal neurodevelopment, but the associated structural brain changes are poorly documented. The aim of this study was to describe in an animal model the brain changes at the cellular level in the gray and white matter induced by IUGR during the neonatal period. METHODS The IUGR model was surgically induced in pregnant rabbits by ligating 40-50% of the uteroplacental vessels in 1 horn, whereas the uteroplacental vessels of the contralateral horn were not ligated. After 5 days, IUGR animals from the ligated horn and controls from the nonligated were delivered. On the day of delivery, perinatal data and placentas were collected. On postnatal day 1, functional changes were first evaluated, and thereafter, neuronal arborization in the frontal cortex and density of pre-oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia in the corpus callosum were evaluated. RESULTS Higher stillbirth in IUGR fetuses together with a reduced birth weight as compared to controls was evidenced. IUGR animals showed poorer functional results, an altered neuronal arborization pattern, and a decrease in the pre-oligodendrocytes, with no differences in microglia and astrocyte densities. CONCLUSIONS Overall, in the rabbit model used, IUGR is related to functional and brain changes evidenced already at birth, including changes in the neuronal arborization and abnormal oligodendrocyte maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pla
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Illa
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, .,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain,
| | - Carla Loreiro
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mari Carmen Lopez
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Vázquez-Aristizabal
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Britta Anna Kühne
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,GRET, INSA-UB and Toxicology Unit, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Barenys
- GRET, INSA-UB and Toxicology Unit, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Eixarch
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacós
- BCNatal
- Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Gilchrist CP, Cumberland AL, Kondos-Devcic D, Hill RA, Khore M, Quezada S, Reichelt AC, Tolcos M. Hippocampal neurogenesis and memory in adolescence following intrauterine growth restriction. Hippocampus 2020; 31:321-334. [PMID: 33320965 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with hippocampal alterations that can increase the risk of short-term memory impairments later in life. Despite the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in learning and memory, research into the long-lasting impact of IUGR on these processes is limited. We aimed to determine the effects of IUGR on neuronal proliferation, differentiation and morphology, and on memory function at adolescent equivalent age. At embryonic day (E) 18 (term ∼E22), placental insufficiency was induced in pregnant Wistar rats via bilateral uterine vessel ligation to generate IUGR offspring (n = 10); control offspring (n = 11) were generated via sham surgery. From postnatal day (P) 36-44, spontaneous location recognition (SLR), novel object location and recognition (NOL, NOR), and open field tests were performed. Brains were collected at P45 to assess neurogenesis (immunohistochemistry), dendritic morphology (Golgi staining), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression (BDNF; Western blot analysis). In IUGR versus control rats there was no difference in object preference in the NOL or NOR, the similar and dissimilar condition of the SLR task, or in locomotion and anxiety-like behavior in the open field. There was a significant increase in the linear density of immature neurons (DCX+) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG), but no difference in the linear density of proliferating cells (Ki67+) in the SGZ, nor in areal density of mature neurons (NeuN+) or microglia (Iba-1+) in the DG in IUGR rats compared to controls. Dendritic morphology of dentate granule cells did not differ between groups. Protein expression of the BDNF precursor (pro-BDNF), but not mature BDNF, was increased in the hippocampus of IUGR compared with control rats. These findings highlight that while the long-lasting prenatal hypoxic environment may impact brain development, it may not impact hippocampal-dependent learning and memory in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney P Gilchrist
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angela L Cumberland
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Delphi Kondos-Devcic
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachel A Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Madhavi Khore
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sebastian Quezada
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy C Reichelt
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mary Tolcos
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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Choi MS, Chung YY, Kim DJ, Kim ST, Jun YH. Immunoreactivity of MAPK Signaling in a Rat Model of Intrauterine Growth Retardation Induced by Uterine Artery Ligation. In Vivo 2020; 34:649-657. [PMID: 32111765 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.11819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) causes very low birth weight and is related to the morbidity and mortality of the newborn. In our previous study, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was found reduced in the cerebral cortex and dentate gyrus of fetuses with IUGR. BDNF protected cortical neurons against hypoxic injury via activation of the extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway. The aim of the current study was to observe the immunoreactivity of ERK in mature neurons and proliferating cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Uterine artery ligation was performed at 17 days of gestation (dg). Rat fetuses were obtained at 21 dg using cesarean section. Fetuses were designated either to the growth retardation (GR) group when removed from the horn with uterine artery ligation, or to the control group when removed from the other horn with the untied artery. Immunohistochemistry was performed with primary antibodies on paraffin-embedded forebrain sections. RESULTS The density and proportion of cells expressing PCNA, ERK, and phosphate ERK in the subventricular zone (SVZ) was not different between the control and GR group. The density and proportion of NeuN- and phosphate ERK-positive cells in the cerebral parietal cortex was lower in the GR group, compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Although IUGR had no effect on the proliferation of cells in the SVZ, it reduced neuronal survival in the cerebral parietal cortex, which was associated with the decrease of pERK-positive cell density and proportion in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Seon Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Chosun University Hospital, Gwang-ju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Young Chung
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwang-ju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Joon Kim
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chosun University Hospital, Gwang-ju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Taeck Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chosun University Hospital, Gwang-ju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Hyun Jun
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwang-ju, Republic of Korea
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21
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Dong Q, Wang Z, Jiang M, Sun H, Wang X, Li Y, Zhang Y, Cheng H, Chai Y, Shao T, Shi L, Wang Z. Transcriptome analysis of the response provided by Lasiopodomys mandarinus to severe hypoxia includes enhancing DNA repair and damage prevention. Front Zool 2020; 17:9. [PMID: 32256671 PMCID: PMC7106638 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00356-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Severe hypoxia induces a series of stress responses in mammals; however, subterranean rodents have evolved several adaptation mechanisms of energy metabolisms and O2 utilization for hypoxia. Mammalian brains show extreme aerobic metabolism. Following hypoxia exposure, mammals usually experience irreversible brain damage and can even develop serious diseases, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and brain edema. To investigate mechanisms underlying the responses of subterranean rodents to severe hypoxia, we performed a cross-species brain transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the subterranean rodent Lasiopodomys mandarinus and its closely related aboveground species L. brandtii under severe hypoxia (5.0% O2, 6 h) and normoxia (20.9% O2, 6 h). Results We obtained 361 million clean reads, including 69,611 unigenes in L. mandarinus and 69,360 in L. brandtii. We identified 359 and 515 DEGs by comparing the hypoxic and normoxia groups of L. mandarinus and L. brandtii, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that upregulated DEGs in both species displayed similar terms in response to severe hypoxia; the main difference is that GO terms of L. brandtii were enriched in the immune system. However, in the downregulated DEGs, GO terms of L. mandarinus were enriched in cell proliferation and protein transport and those of L. brandtii were enriched in nuclease and hydrolase activities, particularly in terms of developmental functions. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that upregulated DEGs in L. mandarinus were associated with DNA repair and damage prevention as well as angiogenesis and metastasis inhibition, whereas downregulated DEGs were associated with neuronal synaptic transmission and tumor-associated metabolic pathways. In L. brandtii, upregulated KEGG pathways were enriched in the immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems and particularly in cancer-related pathways, whereas downregulated DEGs were associated with environmental information processing and misregulation in cancers. Conclusions L. mandarinus has evolved hypoxia adaptation by enhancing DNA repair, damage prevention, and augmenting sensing, whereas L. brandtii showed a higher risk of tumorigenesis and promoted innate immunity toward severe hypoxia. These results reveal the hypoxic mechanisms of L. mandarinus to severe hypoxia, which may provide research clues for hypoxic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Dong
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Zishi Wang
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Mengwan Jiang
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Hong Sun
- 2College of Physical Education (main campus), Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province China
| | - Xuqin Wang
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Yangwei Li
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China.,3Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008 Henan Province China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Han Cheng
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Yurong Chai
- 4School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Tian Shao
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Luye Shi
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- 1School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001 Henan Province China
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Morrison JL, Botting KJ, Darby JRT, David AL, Dyson RM, Gatford KL, Gray C, Herrera EA, Hirst JJ, Kim B, Kind KL, Krause BJ, Matthews SG, Palliser HK, Regnault TRH, Richardson BS, Sasaki A, Thompson LP, Berry MJ. Guinea pig models for translation of the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis into the clinic. J Physiol 2018; 596:5535-5569. [PMID: 29633280 PMCID: PMC6265540 DOI: 10.1113/jp274948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 30 years ago Professor David Barker first proposed the theory that events in early life could explain an individual's risk of non-communicable disease in later life: the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. During the 1990s the validity of the DOHaD hypothesis was extensively tested in a number of human populations and the mechanisms underpinning it characterised in a range of experimental animal models. Over the past decade, researchers have sought to use this mechanistic understanding of DOHaD to develop therapeutic interventions during pregnancy and early life to improve adult health. A variety of animal models have been used to develop and evaluate interventions, each with strengths and limitations. It is becoming apparent that effective translational research requires that the animal paradigm selected mirrors the tempo of human fetal growth and development as closely as possible so that the effect of a perinatal insult and/or therapeutic intervention can be fully assessed. The guinea pig is one such animal model that over the past two decades has demonstrated itself to be a very useful platform for these important reproductive studies. This review highlights similarities in the in utero development between humans and guinea pigs, the strengths and limitations of the guinea pig as an experimental model of DOHaD and the guinea pig's potential to enhance clinical therapeutic innovation to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna L. Morrison
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health ResearchUniversity of South AustraliaAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Kimberley J. Botting
- Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jack R. T. Darby
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health ResearchUniversity of South AustraliaAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Anna L. David
- Research Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Institute for Women's HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Rebecca M. Dyson
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health and Centre for Translational PhysiologyUniversity of OtagoWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Kathryn L. Gatford
- Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Clint Gray
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health and Centre for Translational PhysiologyUniversity of OtagoWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Emilio A. Herrera
- Pathophysiology Program, Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBM), Faculty of MedicineUniversity of ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Jonathan J. Hirst
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, School of Biomedical Sciences and PharmacyUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Bona Kim
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Karen L. Kind
- School of Animal and Veterinary SciencesUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Bernardo J. Krause
- Division of Paediatrics, Faculty of MedicinePontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | | | - Hannah K. Palliser
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, School of Biomedical Sciences and PharmacyUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Timothy R. H. Regnault
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Physiology and PharmacologyWestern University, and Children's Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research InstituteLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Bryan S. Richardson
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Physiology and PharmacologyWestern University, and Children's Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research InstituteLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Aya Sasaki
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Loren P. Thompson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive SciencesUniversity of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Mary J. Berry
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health and Centre for Translational PhysiologyUniversity of OtagoWellingtonNew Zealand
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Intrauterine growth restriction and development of the hippocampus: implications for learning and memory in children and adolescents. THE LANCET CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2018; 2:755-764. [PMID: 30236384 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(18)30245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is often the result of compromised placental function and suboptimal uteroplacental blood flow. Children born with IUGR have impaired cognitive functioning and specific memory deficits, indicating long-lasting impairments in hippocampal functioning; indeed, hippocampal volume is reduced in infants with IUGR. Animal studies have provided valuable insight into the nature of deficits in hippocampal-dependent functions observed in children born with IUGR; outcomes of experimental IUGR reveal reduced neuron numbers and morphological alterations in the cornu ammonis fields 1 and 3 and dentate gyrus subregions of the hippocampus. However, whether such early and ongoing structural changes in the hippocampus could account for deficits in spatial memory reported in adolescent rats with IUGR is yet to be established. Understanding the association between hippocampal structural and functional alterations in IUGR will aid in the development of interventions to minimise the effect of IUGR on the hippocampus and long-term cognitive outcomes.
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Georgieff MK, Tran PV, Carlson ES. Atypical fetal development: Fetal alcohol syndrome, nutritional deprivation, teratogens, and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1063-1086. [PMID: 30068419 PMCID: PMC6074054 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that the fetal environment plays an important role in brain development and sets the brain on a trajectory across the life span. An abnormal fetal environment results when factors that should be present during a critical period of development are absent or when factors that should not be in the developing brain are present. While these factors may acutely disrupt brain function, the real cost to society resides in the long-term effects, which include important mental health issues. We review the effects of three factors, fetal alcohol exposure, teratogen exposure, and nutrient deficiencies, on the developing brain and the consequent risk for developmental psychopathology. Each is reviewed with respect to the evidence found in epidemiological and clinical studies in humans as well as preclinical molecular and cellular studies that explicate mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phu V Tran
- University of Minnesota School of Medicine
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25
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Influence of catch up growth on spatial learning and memory in a mouse model of intrauterine growth restriction. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177468. [PMID: 28542302 PMCID: PMC5443512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and rapid postnatal weight gain or catch up growth (CUG) increase the susceptibility to metabolic syndrome during adult life. Longitudinal studies have also revealed a high incidence of learning difficulties in children with IUGR. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of nutrition and CUG on learning memory in an IUGR animal model. We hypothesized that synaptic protein expression and transcription, an essential mechanism for memory consolidation, might be affected by intrauterine undernutrition. Methods IUGR was induced by 50% maternal caloric undernutrition throughout late gestation. During the suckling period, dams were either fed ad libitum or food restricted. The pups were divided into: Normal prenatal diet-Normal postnatal diet (NN), Restricted prenatal diet- Normal postnatal diet + catch up growth (RN+), Normal prenatal diet-Restricted postnatal diet (NR) and Restricted prenatal diet-Restricted postnatal diet (RR). At 4 weeks of age, memory was assessed via a water maze test. To evaluate synaptic function, 2 specific synaptic proteins (postsynaptic density-95 [PSD95], synaptophysin) as well as insulin receptors (IR) were tested by Western Blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serum insulin levels were also studied. Results and conclusions The RN+ group presented a learning curve similar to the NN animals. The RR animals without CUG showed learning disabilities. PSD95 was lower in the RR group than in the NN and RN+ mice. In contrast, synaptophysin was similar in all groups. IR showed an inverse expression pattern to that of the PSD95. In conclusion, perinatal nutrition plays an important role in learning. CUG after a period of prenatal malnutrition seems to improve learning skills. The functional alterations observed might be related to lower PSD95 activity and a possible dysfunction in the hormone regulation of synaptic plasticity.
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Effects of combined IUGR and prenatal stress on the development of the hippocampus in a fetal guinea pig model. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2017; 8:584-596. [PMID: 28502262 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174417000307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and maternal stress during pregnancy are two compromises that negatively impact neurodevelopment and increase the risk of developing later life neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and behavioural disorders. Neurosteroids, particularly allopregnanolone, are important in protecting the developing brain and promoting many essential neurodevelopmental processes. Individually, IUGR and prenatal stress (PS) reduce myelination and neurogenesis within affected fetal brains, however less information is available on the combined effects of these two disorders on the term fetal brain. This study aimed to investigate how IUGR and PS impairs the neurosteroid pathway when combined using a guinea pig model, and how these then disrupt the neurodevelopment of the fetus. Uterine artery blood flow restriction was performed at GA30-35 to induce growth restriction, whilst PS was induced by exposure of the dam to a strobe light during gestation commencing GA40 and repeated every 5 days. Exposure in this model caused reductions in hippocampal CA1 MBP immunostaining of male fetuses in both IUGR alone and IUGR+PS paradigms but only by IUGR in the subcortical white mater, compared with control males. Plasma allopregnanolone was reduced by both stressors irrespective of sex, whereas GFAP or MAP2 expression were not affected by either stressor. Female neurodevelopment, as assessed by these markers, was unimpeded by these compromises. The addition of prenatal stress did not further compound these deficits.
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27
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Camprubí Camprubí M, Balada Caballé R, Ortega Cano JA, Ortega de la Torre MDLA, Duran Fernández-Feijoo C, Girabent-Farrés M, Figueras-Aloy J, Krauel X, Alcántara S. Learning and memory disabilities in IUGR babies: Functional and molecular analysis in a rat model. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00631. [PMID: 28293472 PMCID: PMC5346519 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION 1Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is the failure of the fetus to achieve its inherent growth potential, and it has frequently been associated with neurodevelopmental problems in childhood. Neurological disorders are mostly associated with IUGR babies with an abnormally high cephalization index (CI) and a brain sparing effect. However, a similar correlation has never been demonstrated in an animal model. The aim of this study was to determine the correlations between CI, functional deficits in learning and memory and alterations in synaptic proteins in a rat model of IUGR. METHODS 2Utero-placental insufficiency was induced by meso-ovarian vessel cauterization (CMO) in pregnant rats at embryonic day 17 (E17). Learning performance in an aquatic learning test was evaluated 25 days after birth and during 10 days. Some synaptic proteins were analyzed (PSD95, Synaptophysin) by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS 3Placental insufficiency in CMO pups was associated with spatial memory deficits, which are correlated with a CI above the normal range. CMO pups presented altered levels of synaptic proteins PSD95 and synaptophysin in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS 4The results of this study suggest that learning disabilities may be associated with altered development of excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Although interspecific differences in fetal response to placental insufficiency should be taken into account, the translation of these data to humans suggest that both IUGR babies and babies with a normal birth weight but with intrauterine Doppler alterations and abnormal CI should be closely followed to detect neurodevelopmental alterations during the postnatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Camprubí Camprubí
- Neonatology Service Sant Joan de Déu BCNatal Hospital Sant Joan de Déu i Clínic University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Rafel Balada Caballé
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics School of Medicine University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Juan A Ortega Cano
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics School of Medicine University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain; Present address: Department of Neurology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago IL 60611 USA
| | | | | | | | - Josep Figueras-Aloy
- Neonatology Service Sant Joan de Déu BCNatal Hospital Sant Joan de Déu i Clínic University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Xavier Krauel
- Neonatology Service Sant Joan de Déu BCNatal Hospital Sant Joan de Déu i Clínic University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Soledad Alcántara
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics School of Medicine University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
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Hunter DS, Hazel SJ, Kind KL, Owens JA, Pitcher JB, Gatford KL. Programming the brain: Common outcomes and gaps in knowledge from animal studies of IUGR. Physiol Behav 2016; 164:233-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Miller SL, Huppi PS, Mallard C. The consequences of fetal growth restriction on brain structure and neurodevelopmental outcome. J Physiol 2016; 594:807-23. [PMID: 26607046 PMCID: PMC4753264 DOI: 10.1113/jp271402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 351] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a significant complication of pregnancy describing a fetus that does not grow to full potential due to pathological compromise. FGR affects 3-9% of pregnancies in high-income countries, and is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Placental insufficiency is the principal cause of FGR, resulting in chronic fetal hypoxia. This hypoxia induces a fetal adaptive response of cardiac output redistribution to favour vital organs, including the brain, and is in consequence called brain sparing. Despite this, it is now apparent that brain sparing does not ensure normal brain development in growth-restricted fetuses. In this review we have brought together available evidence from human and experimental animal studies to describe the complex changes in brain structure and function that occur as a consequence of FGR. In both humans and animals, neurodevelopmental outcomes are influenced by the timing of the onset of FGR, the severity of FGR, and gestational age at delivery. FGR is broadly associated with reduced total brain volume and altered cortical volume and structure, decreased total number of cells and myelination deficits. Brain connectivity is also impaired, evidenced by neuronal migration deficits, reduced dendritic processes, and less efficient networks with decreased long-range connections. Subsequent to these structural alterations, short- and long-term functional consequences have been described in school children who had FGR, most commonly including problems in motor skills, cognition, memory and neuropsychological dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne L Miller
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, and The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Petra S Huppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Pediatrics, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carina Mallard
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Prenatal Systemic Hypoxia-Ischemia and Oligodendroglia Loss in Cerebellum. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 949:333-345. [PMID: 27714697 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-40764-7_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury is an important cause of death and disabilities. Despite all improvements in neonatal care, the number of children who suffer some kind of injury during birth has remained stable in the last decade. A great number of studies have shown alterations in neural cells and many animal models have been proposed in the last 5 decades. Robinson et al. (2005) proposed an HI model in which the uterine arteries are temporarily clamped on the 18th gestation day. The findings were quite similar to the ones observed in postmortem studies. The white matter is clearly damaged, and a great amount of astrogliosis takes place both in the gray and white matters. Motor changes were also found but no data regarding the cerebellum, an important structure related to motor performance, was presented. Using this model, we have shown an increased level of iNOS at P0 and microgliosis and astrogliosis at P9, and astrogliosis at P23 (up to 4 weeks from the insult). NO is important in migration, maturation, and synaptic plasticity, but in exacerbated levels it may also contribute to cellular and tissue damage. We have also evaluated oligodendroglia development in the cerebellum. At P9 in HI animals, we found a decrease in the number of PDGFRα+ cells and an apparent delay in myelination, suggesting a failure in oligodendroglial progenitors migration/maturation and/or in the myelination process. These results point to an injury in cerebellar development that might help to explain the motor problems in HI.
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Murray E, Matijasevich A, Santos IS, Barros AJD, Anselmi L, Barros FC, Stein A. Sex differences in the association between foetal growth and child attention at age four: specific vulnerability of girls. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015; 56:1380-8. [PMID: 25879754 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that impaired foetal growth may provide an early indication of increased risk of child attention problems. However, despite both foetal growth and child attention problems differing by sex, few studies have examined sex differences in this association. Furthermore, no studies have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries, where there are higher rates of perinatal problems. This study aimed to test for sex differences in the association between foetal growth indices and attention problems at age four, in a large, prospective birth cohort from a middle-income country. METHODS A total of 3,749 neonates from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort (Brazil) with foetal growth indices collected at birth [low birthweight (LBW), small-for-gestational age (SGA), head circumference (HC), head circumference-to-abdominal circumference ratio (HC/AC) and ponderal index (PI)], were assessed for attention problems using the Child Behaviour Checklist at age four. Ordinal logistic regression with successive adjustment for maternal, demographic, gestational, perinatal and child nutrition/mother-child morbidity, was conducted separately for girls and boys. RESULTS In girls, attention difficulties were associated with being born SGA (OR = 1.40, CI = 1.08-1.82, p = .012), with a small HC (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.11-2.08, p = .009), or with a low PI (OR = 1.29, CI = 1.08-1.54, p = .005). There were no associations identified between attention difficulties and any foetal growth indices in boys. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that girls with impaired foetal growth may be particularly at risk of attention difficulties in childhood. This is consistent with emerging research that female foetuses may be more vulnerable to certain suboptimal intrauterine environments, inducing epigenetic changes that lead to disturbed growth and long-term developmental impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicia Matijasevich
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,Department of Preventive Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iná S Santos
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Aluísio J D Barros
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Luciana Anselmi
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Fernando C Barros
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Alan Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
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Murray E, Fernandes M, Fazel M, Kennedy SH, Villar J, Stein A. Differential effect of intrauterine growth restriction on childhood neurodevelopment: a systematic review. BJOG 2015; 122:1062-72. [DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E Murray
- Department of Psychiatry; Warneford Hospital; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - M Fernandes
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology; Oxford Maternal & Perinatal Health Institute; Green Templeton College; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - M Fazel
- Department of Psychiatry; Warneford Hospital; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - SH Kennedy
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology; Oxford Maternal & Perinatal Health Institute; Green Templeton College; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - J Villar
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology; Oxford Maternal & Perinatal Health Institute; Green Templeton College; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - A Stein
- Department of Psychiatry; Warneford Hospital; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
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Basilious A, Yager J, Fehlings MG. Neurological outcomes of animal models of uterine artery ligation and relevance to human intrauterine growth restriction: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol 2015; 57:420-30. [PMID: 25330710 PMCID: PMC4406147 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AIM This review explores the molecular, neurological, and behavioural outcomes in animal models of uterine artery ligation. We analyse the relevance of this type of model to the pathological and functional phenotypes that are consistent with cerebral palsy and its developmental comorbidities in humans. METHOD A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted for research using the uterine artery ligation model published between 1990 and 2013. From the studies included, any relevant neuroanatomical and behavioural deficits were then summarized from each document and used for further analysis. RESULTS There were 25 papers that met the criteria included for review, and several outcomes were summarized from the results of these papers. Fetuses with growth restriction demonstrated a gradient of reduced body weight with a relative sparing of brain mass. There was a significant reduction in the size of the somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and corpus callosum. The motor cortex appeared to be spared of identifiable deficits. Apoptotic proteins were upregulated, while those important to neuronal survival, growth, and differentiation were downregulated. Neuronal apoptosis and astrogliosis occurred diffusely throughout the brain regions. White matter injury involved oligodendrocyte precursor maturation arrest, hypomyelination, and an aberrant organization of existing myelin. Animals with growth restriction demonstrated deficits in gait, memory, object recognition, and spatial processing. INTERPRETATION This review concludes that neuronal death, white matter injury, motor abnormalities, and cognitive deficits are important outcomes of uterine artery ligation in animal models. Therefore, this is a clinically relevant type of model, as these findings resemble deficits in human cerebral palsy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerome Yager
- Department of Pediatrics, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Michael G Fehlings
- Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoToronto, ON, Canada,Toronto Western Research Institute and Krembil Neuroscience Centre, University Health NetworkToronto, ON, Canada,Department of Surgery, University of TorontoToronto, ON, Canada,
Correspondence to Michael Fehlings, Toronto Western Hospital 4WW449, 399 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 2S8. E-mail:
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Immunoreactivity of neurogenic factor in the guinea pig brain after prenatal hypoxia. Ann Anat 2015; 200:66-72. [PMID: 25794637 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Chronic prenatal hypoxia is considered to cause perinatal brain injury. It can result in neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy or learning disabilities. These neurological problems are related to chronic placental insufficiency (CPI), which leads to chronic hypoxemia and hypoglycemia. The effects of hypoxia on neurogenesis during development have been a matter of controversy. We therefore investigated the effect of chronic prenatal hypoxia in the brain of the fetal guinea pig using the guinea pig CPI model. Chronic placental insufficiency was induced by unilateral uterine artery ligation at 30-32 days of gestation (dg: with term defined as ∼67dg). At 50 and 60dg, fetuses were sacrificed and assigned to either the growth-restricted (GR) or control (no ligation) group. Immunohistochemistry was performed with HIF-1α, PCNA, NeuN and BDNF antibodies in the cerebral cortex and dentate gyrus. The number of NeuN-IR and BDNF-IR cells was lesser in GR fetuses than in controls in the cerebral cortex and dentate gyrus at 60dg (p<0.05). The growth of the developing brain is dependent upon the availability of growth factors such as BDNF. The reduction in the number of neuronal cells observed in our GR group was associated with the observed reduction in BDNF protein found at 60dg. There was no significant difference between control and GR fetuses in the densities of PCNA-IR cells in the subventricular zone and subgranular zone at 50 and 60dg. These findings suggest that the survival of neurons in the cerebral cortex is decreased by chronic prenatal hypoxia at 60dg.
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Tolcos M, Markwick R, O'Dowd R, Martin V, Turnley A, Rees S. Intrauterine Growth Restriction: Effects on Neural Precursor Cell Proliferation and Angiogenesis in the Foetal Subventricular Zone. Dev Neurosci 2015; 37:453-63. [PMID: 25720426 DOI: 10.1159/000371344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adverse prenatal factors can result in abnormal brain development, contributing to the aetiology of several neurological disorders. Intrauterine insults could occur during neurogenesis and gliogenesis, disrupting these events. Here we investigate the effects of chronic placental insufficiency (CPI) on cell proliferation and the microenvironment in the subventricular zone (SVZ). At 30 days of gestation (DG; term ∼67 DG), CPI was induced in pregnant guinea pigs via unilateral uterine artery ligation to produce growth-restricted (GR) foetuses (n = 7); controls (n = 6) were from the unoperated horn. At 60 DG, foetal brains were stained immunohistochemically to identify proliferating cells (Ki67), immature neurons (polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule), astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein), microglia (ionised calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1, Iba-1) and the microvasculature (von Willebrand factor) in the SVZ. There was no overall difference (p > 0.05) in the total number of Ki67-immunoreactive (IR) cells, the percentage of SVZ occupied by blood vessels or the density of Iba-1-IR microglia in control versus GR foetuses. However, regression analysis across both groups revealed that both the number of Ki67-IR cells and the percentage of SVZ occupied by blood vessels in the ventral SVZ were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with brain weight. Furthermore, in the SVZ (dorsal and ventral) the density of blood vessels positively correlated (p < 0.05) with the number of Ki67-IR cells. Double-labelling immunofluorescence suggested that the majority of proliferating cells were likely to be neural precursor cells. Thus, we have demonstrated an association between angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the foetal neurogenic niche and have identified a window of opportunity for the administration of trophic support to enhance a neuroregenerative response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Tolcos
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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Giusti SA, Vogl AM, Brockmann MM, Vercelli CA, Rein ML, Trümbach D, Wurst W, Cazalla D, Stein V, Deussing JM, Refojo D. MicroRNA-9 controls dendritic development by targeting REST. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25406064 PMCID: PMC4235007 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are conserved noncoding RNAs that function as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. miR-9 is one of the most abundant miRNAs in the brain. Although the function of miR-9 has been well characterized in neural progenitors, its role in dendritic and synaptic development remains largely unknown. In order to target miR-9 in vivo, we developed a transgenic miRNA sponge mouse line allowing conditional inactivation of the miR-9 family in a spatio-temporal-controlled manner. Using this novel approach, we found that miR-9 controls dendritic growth and synaptic transmission in vivo. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-9-mediated downregulation of the transcriptional repressor REST is essential for proper dendritic growth. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02755.001 Messages are sent back and forth in our brains by cells called neurons that connect to each other in complex networks. Neurons develop from stem cells in a complicated process that involves a number of different stages. In one of the final stages, tree-like structures called dendrites emerge from the neurons and connect with neighboring neurons via special junctions called synapses. A group of small RNA molecules called microRNAs have roles in controlling the development of neurons. One microRNA, called miR-9, is abundant in the brain and is known to be involved in the early stages of neuron development. However, its role in the formation of dendrites and synapses remains unclear. Giusti et al. studied this microRNA in mice. A length of DNA, coding for an RNA molecule that binds to miR-9 molecules and stops them performing their normal function, was inserted into the mice. These experiments showed that miR-9 is involved in controlling dendrite growth and synaptic function. To enable a neuron to produce dendrites, miR-9 binds to and interferes with the RNA molecules that are needed to make a protein called REST. This protein is a transcription factor that switches off the expression of other genes so, in effect, miR-9 allows a set of genes that are needed for dendrite growth to be switched on. The methodology developed by Giusti et al. could be used to study the functions of other microRNAs. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02755.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Giusti
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Annette M Vogl
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Marisa M Brockmann
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia A Vercelli
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin L Rein
- Department of Neurobiology of Stress and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Dietrich Trümbach
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wurst
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Demian Cazalla
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Valentin Stein
- Institute of Physiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Neurobiology of Stress and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Damian Refojo
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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Czikk MJ, Totten S, Hammond R, Richardson BS. Microtubule-associated protein 2 and synaptophysin in the preterm and near-term ovine fetal brain and the effect of intermittent umbilical cord occlusion. Reprod Sci 2014; 22:367-76. [PMID: 24700051 DOI: 10.1177/1933719114529371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We have determined the change in immunoreactivity (IR) for microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and synaptophysin (SYN) as markers for dendritic and presynaptic nerve development, respectively, in the ovine fetal brain with advancing gestation and in response to intermittent umbilical cord occlusion (UCO), which might then contribute to adverse neurodevelopment. Fetal sheep (control and experimental groups preterm at 111-115 and near term at 132-138 days of gestation; term = 145 days) were studied over 4 days with UCOs performed by inflation of an occluder cuff for 90 seconds every 30 minutes for 3 to 5 hours each day. Animals were then euthanized and fetal brains assessed for IR of MAP-2 and SYN. In control animals, the IR of SYN increased in the gray matter with advancing gestation consistent with a developmental increase in presynaptic vesicles and/or nerve terminals as expected; however, the IR of MAP-2 decreased in all brain regions studied, suggesting concurrent refinement in dendritic branching and spine development. Intermittent UCO as studied with marked but limited hypoxemia resulted in a decrease in IR of SYN for the brain regions of the preterm animals when protein turnover is higher and indicates decreased presynaptic vesicle formation; whereas, MAP-2 IR was selectively increased in the hippocampus CA1 and thalamus of the near-term animals, consistent with reactive dendritic change and heightened vulnerability for neuronal injury. As such, intermittent cord compressions in the ovine fetus can impact protein markers for dendritic and presynaptic nerve development depending on their timing, which might then lead to alterations in synapse formation and neuronal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie J Czikk
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephanie Totten
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Robert Hammond
- Department of Pathology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Bryan S Richardson
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Piorkowska K, Thompson J, Nygard K, Matushewski B, Hammond R, Richardson B. Synaptic Development and Neuronal Myelination Are Altered with Growth Restriction in Fetal Guinea Pigs. Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:465-76. [DOI: 10.1159/000363696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Drury PP, Bennet L, Booth LC, Davidson JO, Wassink G, Gunn AJ. Maturation of the mitochondrial redox response to profound asphyxia in fetal sheep. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39273. [PMID: 22720088 PMCID: PMC3376132 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 05/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal susceptibility to hypoxic brain injury increases over the last third of gestation. This study examined the hypothesis that this is associated with impaired mitochondrial adaptation, as measured by more rapid oxidation of cytochrome oxidase (CytOx) during profound asphyxia. Methods: Chronically instrumented fetal sheep at 0.6, 0.7, and 0.85 gestation were subjected to either 30 min (0.6 gestational age (ga), n = 6), 25 min (0.7 ga, n = 27) or 15 min (0.85 ga, n = 17) of complete umbilical cord occlusion. Fetal EEG, cerebral impedance (to measure brain swelling) and near-infrared spectroscopy-derived intra-cerebral oxygenation (ΔHb = HbO2 – Hb), total hemoglobin (THb) and CytOx redox state were monitored continuously. Occlusion was associated with profound, rapid fall in ΔHb in all groups to a plateau from 6 min, greatest at 0.85 ga compared to 0.6 and 0.7 ga (p<0.05). THb initially increased at all ages, with the greatest rise at 0.85 ga (p<0.05), followed by a progressive fall from 7 min in all groups. CytOx initially increased in all groups with the greatest rise at 0.85 ga (p<0.05), followed by a further, delayed increase in preterm fetuses, but a striking fall in the 0.85 group after 6 min of occlusion. Cerebral impedance (a measure of cytotoxic edema) increased earlier and more rapidly with greater gestation. In conclusion, the more rapid rise in CytOx and cortical impedance during profound asphyxia with greater maturation is consistent with increasing dependence on oxidative metabolism leading to earlier onset of neural energy failure before the onset of systemic hypotension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul P. Drury
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Laura Bennet
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lindsea C. Booth
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joanne O. Davidson
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Guido Wassink
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alistair J. Gunn
- Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
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Neonatal neurobehavior and diffusion MRI changes in brain reorganization due to intrauterine growth restriction in a rabbit model. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31497. [PMID: 22347486 PMCID: PMC3275591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 01/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) affects 5–10% of all newborns and is associated with a high risk of abnormal neurodevelopment. The timing and patterns of brain reorganization underlying IUGR are poorly documented. We developed a rabbit model of IUGR allowing neonatal neurobehavioral assessment and high resolution brain diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of the study was to describe the pattern and functional correlates of fetal brain reorganization induced by IUGR. Methodology/Principal Findings IUGR was induced in 10 New Zealand fetal rabbits by ligation of 40–50% of uteroplacental vessels in one horn at 25 days of gestation. Ten contralateral horn fetuses were used as controls. Cesarean section was performed at 30 days (term 31 days). At postnatal day +1, neonates were assessed by validated neurobehavioral tests including evaluation of tone, spontaneous locomotion, reflex motor activity, motor responses to olfactory stimuli, and coordination of suck and swallow. Subsequently, brains were collected and fixed and MRI was performed using a high resolution acquisition scheme. Global and regional (manual delineation and voxel based analysis) diffusion tensor imaging parameters were analyzed. IUGR was associated with significantly poorer neurobehavioral performance in most domains. Voxel based analysis revealed fractional anisotropy (FA) differences in multiple brain regions of gray and white matter, including frontal, insular, occipital and temporal cortex, hippocampus, putamen, thalamus, claustrum, medial septal nucleus, anterior commissure, internal capsule, fimbria of hippocampus, medial lemniscus and olfactory tract. Regional FA changes were correlated with poorer outcome in neurobehavioral tests. Conclusions IUGR is associated with a complex pattern of brain reorganization already at birth, which may open opportunities for early intervention. Diffusion MRI can offer suitable imaging biomarkers to characterize and monitor brain reorganization due to fetal diseases.
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Palliser HK, Yates DM, Hirst JJ. Progesterone receptor isoform expression in response to in utero growth restriction in the fetal guinea pig brain. Neuroendocrinology 2012; 96:60-7. [PMID: 22508316 DOI: 10.1159/000335138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a significant in utero complication that can have profound effects on brain development including reduced myelination and deficits that can continue into adulthood. Progesterone increases oligodendrocyte proliferation and myelin expression, an action that may depend on the expression of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms A (PRA) and B (PRB). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of IUGR on PR isoform expression in the brain of male and female fetuses and whether effects were associated with a reduction in myelination. We used a guinea pig model that involves selective reduction in maternal perfusion to the placenta at midgestation (35 days, term 70 days). This resulted in a significant reduction in body weight with marked sparing of brain weight. PRA, PRB and myelin basic protein (MBP) expression were measured in the brains of male and female growth-restricted and control fetuses at late gestation. MBP, as a measure of myelination, was found to decrease in association with IUGR in the CA1 hippocampal region with no change observed in the cortical white matter. There was a marked increase in PRA, PRB and total PR expression in the IUGR fetal brain. Control female fetuses demonstrated significantly higher PRA:PRB ratios than males; however, this sex difference was abolished with IUGR. These data suggest the central nervous system effects of clinical use of progesterone augmentation therapy in late pregnancy should be carefully evaluated. The overall upregulation of PR isoforms in association with IUGR suggests increased progesterone action and a possible neuroprotective mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Palliser
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, N.S.W., Australia. hannah.palliser @ newcastle.edu.au
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De Bie HMA, Oostrom KJ, Boersma M, Veltman DJ, Barkhof F, Delemarre-van de Waal HA, van den Heuvel MP. Global and regional differences in brain anatomy of young children born small for gestational age. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24116. [PMID: 21931650 PMCID: PMC3172224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 08/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In children who are born small for gestational age (SGA), an adverse intrauterine environment has led to underdevelopment of both the body and the brain. The delay in body growth is (partially) restored during the first two years in a majority of these children. In addition to a negative influence on these physical parameters, decreased levels of intelligence and cognitive impairments have been described in children born SGA. In this study, we used magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain anatomy in 4- to 7-year-old SGA children with and without complete bodily catch-up growth and compared them to healthy children born appropriate for gestational age. Our findings demonstrate that these children strongly differ on brain organisation when compared with healthy controls relating to both global and regional anatomical differences. Children born SGA displayed reduced cerebral and cerebellar grey and white matter volumes, smaller volumes of subcortical structures and reduced cortical surface area. Regional differences in prefrontal cortical thickness suggest a different development of the cerebral cortex. SGA children with bodily catch-up growth constitute an intermediate between those children without catch-up growth and healthy controls. Therefore, bodily catch-up growth in children born SGA does not implicate full catch-up growth of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrica M A De Bie
- Department of Pediatrics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Tolcos M, Bateman E, O'Dowd R, Markwick R, Vrijsen K, Rehn A, Rees S. Intrauterine growth restriction affects the maturation of myelin. Exp Neurol 2011; 232:53-65. [PMID: 21867703 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Revised: 05/21/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth-restriction (IUGR) can lead to adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae in postnatal life. Our objective was to determine whether IUGR, induced by chronic placental insufficiency (CPI) in the guinea pig results in long-term deficits in brain myelination and could therefore contribute to altered neural function. CPI was induced by unilateral ligation of the uterine artery at mid-gestation (term~67 days of gestation; dg), producing growth-restricted (GR) foetuses (60 dg), neonates (1 week) and young adults (8 week); controls were from the unligated horn or sham-operated animals. In GR foetuses (n=8) and neonates (n=7), white matter (WM) volume was reduced (p<0.05); this reduction did not persist in young adults (n=11) however the corpus callosum width was reduced (p<0.05). Immunoreactivity (IR) for myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and myelin proteolipid protein (PLP), all markers of myelinating oligodendrocytes (OL), was reduced in GR foetuses compared to controls. MBP was the most markedly affected with an abnormal retention of protein in the OL soma and a reduction of its incorporation into the myelin sheath. MAG-IR OL density was reduced (p<0.05), while the density of OLs immunoreactive for Olig-2, a transcription factor expressed throughout the entire OL lineage, was increased (p<0.05). MBP-, MAG- and PLP-IR recovered to control levels postnatally. These results suggest that IUGR transiently delays OL maturation and myelination in utero but that myelination and WM volume are restored to control levels postnatally. Long-term deficits in myelination are therefore unlikely to be the major factor underlying the altered neurological function which can be associated with IUGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Tolcos
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
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Chronic fetal hypoxia produces selective brain injury associated with altered nitric oxide synthases. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011; 204:254.e16-28. [PMID: 21272843 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Revised: 10/18/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of chronic hypoxia on the nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes in specific brain structures. STUDY DESIGN Time-mated pregnant guinea pigs were exposed to 10.5% molecular oxygen for 14 days (animals with chronic fetal hypoxia; HPX) or room air (control animals; NMX); L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL; an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 1 mg/kg/d) was administered to HPX group for 14 days (L-NIL + HPX). Fetal brains were harvested at term. Multilabeled immunofluorescence was used to generate a brain injury map. Laser capture microdissection and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were applied; cell injury markers, apoptosis activation, neuron loss, total nitric oxide, and the levels of individual nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes were quantified. RESULTS Chronic hypoxia causes selective fetal brain injury rather than global. Injury is associated with differentially affected nitric oxide synthases in both neurons and glial cells, with inducible macrophage-type nitric oxide synthase up-regulated at all injury sites. L-NIL attenuated the injury, despite continued hypoxia. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate that chronic hypoxia selectively injures the fetal brain in part by the differential regulation of nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes in an anatomic- and cell-specific manner.
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Brown AS. The environment and susceptibility to schizophrenia. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 93:23-58. [PMID: 20955757 PMCID: PMC3521525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2010.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 451] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Revised: 09/22/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the present article the putative role of environmental factors in schizophrenia is reviewed and synthesized. Accumulating evidence from recent studies suggests that environmental exposures may play a more significant role in the etiopathogenesis of this disorder than previously thought. This expanding knowledge base is largely a consequence of refinements in the methodology of epidemiologic studies, including birth cohort investigations, and in preclinical research that has been inspired by the evolving literature on animal models of environmental exposures. This paper is divided into four sections. In the first, the descriptive epidemiology of schizophrenia is reviewed. This includes general studies on incidence, prevalence, and differences in these measures by urban-rural, neighborhood, migrant, and season of birth status, as well as time trends. In the second section, we discuss the contribution of environmental risk factors acting during fetal and perinatal life; these include infections [e.g. rubella, influenza, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)], nutritional deficiencies (e.g., famine, folic acid, iron, vitamin D), paternal age, fetal/neonatal hypoxic and other obstetric insults and complications, maternal stress and other exposures [e.g. lead, rhesus (Rh) incompatibility, maternal stress]. Other putative neurodevelopmental determinants, including cannabis, socioeconomic status, trauma, and infections during childhood and adolescence are also covered. In the third section, these findings are synthesized and their implications for prevention and uncovering biological mechanisms, including oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation, are discussed. Animal models, including maternal immune activation, have yielded evidence suggesting that these exposures cause brain and behavioral phenotypes that are analogous to findings observed in patients with schizophrenia. In the final section, future studies including new, larger, and more rigorous epidemiologic investigations, and research on translational and clinical neuroscience, gene-environment interactions, epigenetics, developmental trajectories and windows of vulnerability, are elaborated upon. These studies are aimed at confirming observed risk factors, identifying new environmental exposures, elucidating developmental mechanisms, and shedding further light on genes and exposures that may not be identified in the absence of these integrated approaches. The study of environmental factors in schizophrenia may have important implications for the identification of causes and prevention of this disorder, and offers the potential to complement, and refine, existing efforts on explanatory neurodevelopmental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan S Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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O'Grady SP, Caprau D, Ke XR, Contreras Y, Haley S, Ermini F, Penn A, Moyer-Mileur L, McKnight R, Lane R. Intrauterine growth restriction alters hippocampal expression and chromatin structure of Cyp19a1 variants. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2010; 56:292-302. [PMID: 20662593 DOI: 10.3109/19396368.2010.490871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the impact of uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI), and subsequent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), on serum testosterone and hippocampal expression of Cyp19a1 variants and aromatase in rats. Additionally, we determined UPI induced histone modification of the promoter regions of Cyp19a1 variants using chromatin immunoprecipitation. Cyp19a1 is the gene encoding the protein aromatase, that catalyzes the biosynthesis of estrogens from androgens and is necessary for masculinization of the brain. IUGR was induced via bilateral uterine artery. UPI increased serum testosterone in day of life 0 (D(0)) and day of life 21 (D(21)) IUGR males to 224% and 299% of control values, respectively. While there was no significant impact of UPI on testosterone in D(0) females, testosterone in D(21) IUGR females was 187% of controls. Cyp19a1 variant 1.f and variant II are expressed in the rat hippocampus at D(0) and D(21). UPI significantly reduced expression of Cyp19a1 variant 1.f in D(0) males, with no impact in females. Similarly at D(0), UPI reduced expression of aromatase, the protein encoded by Cyp19a1, in males. Dimethylation of H3K4 was increased in the promoter region of variant 1.f (P1.f) and trimethylation of H3K4 was decreased in the promoter region of variant II (PII). At D(21), dimethylation of H3K4 is significantly reduced in PII of IUGR males. We conclude that UPI increases serum testosterone and reduces Cyp19a1 variant 1.f expression in the hippocampus of D(0) IUGR males. Additionally, UPI alters the chromatin structure of CYP19a1 at both D(0) and D(21).
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Buhl ES, Jensen TK, Jessen N, Elfving B, Buhl CS, Kristiansen SB, Pold R, Solskov L, Schmitz O, Wegener G, Lund S, Petersen KF. Treatment with an SSRI antidepressant restores hippocampo-hypothalamic corticosteroid feedback and reverses insulin resistance in low-birth-weight rats. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2010; 298:E920-9. [PMID: 20103738 PMCID: PMC2867376 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00606.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with type 2 diabetes and depression, which may be related to prenatal stress and insulin resistance as a result of chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity. We examined whether treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [escitalopram (ESC)] could downregulate HPA axis activity and restore insulin sensitivity in LBW rats. After 4-5 wk of treatment, ESC-exposed LBW (SSRI-LBW) and saline-treated control and LBW rats (Cx and LBW) underwent an oral glucose tolerance test or a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp to assess whole body insulin sensitivity. Hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) mRNA expression and red skeletal muscle PKB Ser(473) phosphorylation were used to assess tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. mRNA expression of the hypothalamic mineralocorticoid receptor was fivefold upregulated in LBW (P < 0.05 vs. Cx), accompanied by increased corticosterone release during restraint stress and total 24-h urinary excretion (P < 0.05 vs. Cx), whole body insulin resistance (P < 0.001 vs. Cx), and impaired insulin suppression of hepatic PEPCK mRNA expression (P < 0.05 vs. Cx). Additionally, there was a tendency for reduced red muscle PKB Ser(473) phosphorylation. The ESC treatment normalized corticosterone secretion (P < 0.05 vs. LBW), whole body insulin sensitivity (P < 0.01) as well as postprandial suppression of hepatic mRNA PEPCK expression (P < 0.05), and red muscle PKB Ser(473) phosphorylation (P < 0.01 vs. LBW). We conclude that these data suggest that the insulin resistance and chronic HPA axis hyperactivity in LBW rats can be reversed by treatment with an ESC, which downregulates HPA axis activity, lowers glucocorticoid exposure, and restores insulin sensitivity in LBW rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esben S Buhl
- Department of Pharmacology, Wilhelm Meyers Allé, Bldg. 1240, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Meyer U, Feldon J. Epidemiology-driven neurodevelopmental animal models of schizophrenia. Prog Neurobiol 2010; 90:285-326. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 261] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2009] [Revised: 09/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Karagianni P, Kyriakidou M, Mitsiakos G, Chatzioanidis H, Koumbaras E, Evangeliou A, Nikolaides N. Neurological outcome in preterm small for gestational age infants compared to appropriate for gestational age preterm at the age of 18 months: a prospective study. J Child Neurol 2010; 25:165-70. [PMID: 19372094 DOI: 10.1177/0883073809333538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the neurological outcome of premature small for gestational age infants at the corrected age of 18 months by the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination. A prospective trial was conducted comparing 41 preterm infants being small for gestational age with 41 appropriate for gestational age infants. Birth weight was significantly lower in small for gestational age infants compared with appropriate for gestational age infants (1724.6 +/- 433 versus 1221 +/- 328 g). There were no significant differences regarding the median gestational age and Apgar scores. Median global scores differ significantly between both groups: 75 (47-78) versus 76 (72-78) for the small for gestational age and appropriate for gestational age infants, respectively. Both groups had optimal scores. In conclusion, although the small for gestational age group scored lower in the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination, median global score in both groups was within optimal range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Karagianni
- 2nd NICU and Neonatology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Papageorgiou Hospital, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Abstract
The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia asserts that the underlying pathology of schizophrenia has its roots in brain development and that these brain abnormalities do not manifest themselves until adolescence or early adulthood. Animal models based on developmental manipulations have provided insight into the vulnerability of the developing fetus and the importance of the early environment for normal maturation. These models have provided a wide range of validated approaches to answer questions regarding environmental influences on both neural and behavioral development. In an effort to better understand the developmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, animal models have been developed, which seek to model the etiology and/or the pathophysiology of schizophrenia or specific behaviors associated with the disease. Developmental models specific to schizophrenia have focused on epidemiological risk factors (e.g., prenatal viral insult, birth complications) or more heuristic models aimed at understanding the developmental neuropathology of the disease (e.g., ventral hippocampal lesions). The combined approach of behavioral and neuroanatomical evaluation of these models strengthens their utility in improving our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and developing new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan B Powell
- University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA.
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