Disturbance in Maternal Environment Leads to Abnormal Synaptic Instability during Neuronal Circuitry Development

Time Perspective as a Mediator of Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic endocrinopathy characterized by oligo- or anovulation, clinical and/or biochemical markers of hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries, and it is associated with an increased prevalence of depression. Research conducted on psychiatric patients has shown correlations between depression and decreased cognitive function. The aim of this study was to examine the possible mediation of the time perspective (TP) in the development of depressive symptoms in patients with PCOS. Methods: A study was conducted on 83 patients with PCOS and 65 healthy women. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory—BDI-II) and time perspective (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory—ZTPI). Results: Our study revealed an indirect influence of depressive symptoms on PCOS through the positive future time perspective. In the logistic regression model, which included depression and a given time perspective as predictors of PCOS, only the future TP (β = −0.004, p < 0.003, OR = 1.004, 95% CI [1.001, 1.008]) was significantly independently related to the occurrence of PCOS. Conclusions: Our result is another argument for the role of psychoeducation and appropriate communication with a patient from the risk group in a way that builds hope and allows to regain influence on life situation.

Dynamic changes in spatiotemporal transcriptome reveal maternal immune dysregulation of autism spectrum disorder

Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy is known to be an environmental risk factor for neurodevelopment and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is unclear at which fetal brain developmental windows and regions MIA induces ASD-related neurodevelopmental transcriptional abnormalities. The non-chasm differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in MIA inducing ASD during fetal brain developmental windows were identified by performing the differential expression analysis and comparing the common DEGs among MIA at four different gestational development windows, ASD with multiple brain regions from human patients and mouse models, and human and mouse embryonic brain developmental trajectory. The gene set and functional enrichment analyses were performing to identify MIA dysregulated ASD-related the fetal neurodevelopmental windows and brain regions and function annotations. Additionally, the networks were constructed using Cytoscape for visualization. MIA at E12.5 and E14.5 increased the risk of distinct brain regions for ASD. MIA-driven transcriptional alterations of non-chasm DEGs, during the coincidence brain developmental windows between human and mice, involving ASD-relevant synaptic components, as well as immune- and metabolism-related functions and pathways. Furthermore, a great number of non-chasm brain development-, immune-, and metabolism-related DEGs were overlapped in at least two existing ASD-associated databases, suggesting that the others could be considered as the candidate targets to construct the model mice for explaining the pathological changes of ASD when environmental factors (MIA) and gene mutation effects co-occur. Overall, our search supported that transcriptome-based MIA dysregulated the brain development-, immune-, and metabolism-related non-chasm DEGs at specific embryonic brain developmental window and region, leading to abnormal embryonic neurodevelopment, to induce the increasing risk of ASD.

The Disparity in the Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome between Obstetrician-Gynecologists in Different-Level Hospitals under the Hierarchical Medical System

Background

PCOS is a prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorder in women characterized by abnormal blood glucose, dyslipidemia, and abnormal mental health. To improve patient care, the goal of our study is to find out if there are differences in how PCOS patients are treated at different hospital levels within the hierarchical medical system.

Methods

Obstetricians and gynecologists from primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals were the participants in the survey. The responses provided and collected were analyzed using various statistical techniques like the chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression with multiple variables.

Results

The investigation examined 2298 survey replies (13.1% primary hospitals, 52.4% secondary hospitals, and 34.5% tertiary hospitals). As hospital grade increases, more participants inquire about a patient's history of unfavorable pregnancies concerning hormone evaluation; the better the hospital's grade, the greater the number of participants who would undergo AMH and androgen-related tests. The higher the hospital level, the more participants would pick the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to determine insulin resistance, the BMI Asian criteria for defining obesity, and blood lipids. Participants in primary (odds ratio (OR) = 0.383, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.282-0.520) and secondary (OR = 0.607, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.481-0.765) hospitals were significantly less likely to select OGTT than those in tertiary hospitals. Comparatively, fewer primary hospitals chose to do lipid profiling than tertiary hospitals (OR 0.689, 95% CI 0.523-0.909). With the increase in hospital level, participants were more knowledgeable about the multiple efficacies and dose alternatives of metformin and selected letrozole and assisted reproduction more frequently.

Conclusion

Our study uncovered differences in the endocrine evaluation, metabolic screening, and management of PCOS patients across obstetrics and gynecology at various hospital levels. Simultaneously, it underlines the need to improve the hierarchical medical system and close the knowledge gap across hospitals.

A population-based follow-up study shows high psychosis risk in women with PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting up to 18% of women. Besides metabolic and fertility aspects, attention has lately been directed towards the detrimental effect of PCOS on psychological health. The objective of the study was to investigate whether women with PCOS are at higher risk for psychotic disorders. The study population derives from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (N = 5889 women). The women with PCOS were identified by two simple questions on oligo-amenorrhea and hirsutism at age 31. Women reporting both symptoms were considered PCOS (N = 124) and asymptomatic women as controls (N = 2145). The diagnosis of psychosis was traced using multiple national registers up to the year 2016. Symptoms of psychopathology were identified using validated questionnaires at age 31. Women with PCOS showed an increased risk for any psychosis by age 50 (HR [95% CI] 2.99, [1.52-5.82]). Also, the risk for psychosis after age 31 was increased (HR 2.68 [1.21-5.92]). The results did not change after adjusting for parental history of psychosis, nor were they explained by body mass index or hyperandrogenism at adulthood. The scales of psychopathology differed between women with PCOS and non-PCOS controls showing more psychopathologies among the affected women. PCOS cases were found to be at a three-fold risk for psychosis, and they had increased psychopathological symptoms. PCOS should be taken into consideration when treating women in psychiatric care. More studies are required to further assess the relationship between PCOS and psychotic diseases.

Progranulin improves neural development via the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway in the cerebellum of a VPA-induced rat model of ASD

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease featuring social interaction deficits and repetitive/stereotyped behaviours; the prevalence of this disorder has continuously increased. Progranulin (PGRN) is a neurotrophic factor that promotes neuronal survival and differentiation. However, there have not been sufficient studies investigating its effect in animal models of autism. This study investigated the effects of PGRN on autistic phenotypes in rats treated with valproic acid (VPA) and assessed the underlying molecular mechanisms. PGRN was significantly downregulated in the cerebellum at postnatal day 14 (PND14) and PND35 in VPA-exposed rats, which simultaneously showed defective social preference, increased repetitive behaviours, and uncoordinated movements. When human recombinant PGRN (r-PGRN) was injected into the cerebellum of newborn ASD model rats (PND10 and PND17), some of the behavioural defects were alleviated. r-PGRN supplementation also reduced cerebellar neuronal apoptosis and rescued synapse formation in ASD rats. Mechanistically, we confirmed that PGRN protects neurodevelopment via the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway in the cerebellum of a rat ASD model. Moreover, we found that prosaposin (PSAP) promoted the internalisation and neurotrophic activity of PGRN. These results experimentally demonstrate the therapeutic effects of PGRN on a rat model of ASD for the first time and provide a novel therapeutic strategy for autism.

A feature of maternal sleep apnea during gestation causes autism-relevant neuronal and behavioral phenotypes in offspring

Mounting epidemiologic and scientific evidence indicates that many psychiatric disorders originate from a complex interplay between genetics and early life experiences, particularly in the womb. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the precise prenatal and perinatal experiences that increase susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders remains incomplete. Sleep apnea (SA) is increasingly common during pregnancy and is characterized by recurrent partial or complete cessations in breathing during sleep. SA causes pathological drops in blood oxygen levels (intermittent hypoxia, IH), often hundreds of times each night. Although SA is known to cause adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, the long-term consequences of maternal SA during pregnancy on brain-based behavioral outcomes and associated neuronal functioning in the offspring remain unknown. We developed a rat model of maternal SA during pregnancy by exposing dams to IH, a hallmark feature of SA, during gestational days 10 to 21 and investigated the consequences on the offspring's forebrain synaptic structure, synaptic function, and behavioral phenotypes across multiples stages of development. Our findings represent a rare example of prenatal factors causing sexually dimorphic behavioral phenotypes associated with excessive (rather than reduced) synapse numbers and implicate hyperactivity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in contributing to the behavioral aberrations. These findings have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders typified by superfluous synapse maintenance that are believed to result, at least in part, from largely unknown insults to the maternal environment.

Mood Disorders Induced by Maternal Overnutrition: The Role of the Gut-Brain Axis on the Development of Depression and Anxiety

Since the first evidence suggesting that maternal nutrition can impact the development of diseases in the offspring, much has been elucidated about its effects on the offspring’s nervous system. Animal studies demonstrated that maternal obesity can predispose the offspring to greater chances of metabolic and neurodevelopmental diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses are not well established. In recent years, the role of the gut-brain axis in the development of anxiety and depression in people with obesity has emerged. Studies investigating changes in the maternal microbiota during pregnancy and also in the offspring demonstrate that conditions such as maternal obesity can modulate the microbiota, leading to long-term outcomes in the offspring. Considering that maternal obesity has also been linked to the development of psychiatric conditions (anxiety and depression), the gut-brain axis is a promising target to be further explored in these neuropsychiatric contexts. In the present study, we review the relationship between maternal obesity and anxious and depressive features, exploring the gut-brain axis as a potential mechanism underlying this relationship.

Neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorders: Exercise as a "pharmacological" tool

The worldwide prevalence of ASD is around 1%. Although the pathogenesis of ASD is not entirely understood, it is recognized that a combination of genetic, epigenetics, environmental factors and immune system dysfunction can play an essential role in its development. It has been suggested that autism results from the central nervous system derangements due to low-grade chronic inflammatory reactions associated with the immune system activation. ASD individuals have increased microglial activation, density, and increased proinflammatory cytokines in the several brain regions. Autism has no available pharmacological treatments, however there are pedagogical and psychotherapeutic therapies, and pharmacological treatment, that help to control behavioral symptoms. Recent data indicate that exercise intervention programs may improve cognitive and behavioral symptoms in children with ASD. Exercise can also modify inflammatory profiles that will ameliorate associated metabolic disorders. This review highlights the involvement of neuroinflammation in ASD and the beneficial effects of physical exercise on managing ASD symptoms and associated comorbidities.

Update on PCOS: Consequences, Challenges, and Guiding Treatment

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive endocrine disorders in women and despite this, diagnostic challenges, delayed diagnosis, and less-than-optimal treatment regimens plague the condition. The International PCOS network, consisting of geographically diverse international experts in PCOS as well as consumers, engaged in a multi-year international evidence-based guideline development process that was jointly sponsored by the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). The guideline was published in 2018 and endorsed by more than 40 international societies involved in PCOS. Translation of this evidence-based guideline to medical practice and consumer groups remains a priority. However, there remain many challenges to both understanding the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS. Evidence suggests that both clinicians and consumers are not satisfied with the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment options. This review summarizes the important findings for diagnosis and treatment from the guidelines and expands on recent developments in the literature since its publication. Special attention to diagnosis at the ends of the reproductive spectrum are discussed and remaining areas of controversy are noted. Additionally, the review highlights some of the remaining challenges in the understanding and management of PCOS to help guide clinicians and investigators in this perplexing condition.

Fetal-Derived Immune Cells at the Roots of Lifelong Pathophysiology

Tissue-resident innate immune cells exert a wide range of functions in both adult homeostasis and pathology. Our understanding of when and how these cellular networks are established has dramatically changed with the recognition that many lineages originate at least in part from fetal sources and self-maintain independently from hematopoietic stem cells. Indeed, fetal-derived immune cells are found in most organs and serous cavities of our body, where they reside throughout the entire lifespan. At the same time, there is a growing appreciation that pathologies manifesting in adulthood may be caused by adverse early life events, a concept known as “developmental origins of health and disease” (DOHaD). Yet, whether fetal-derived immune cells are mechanistically involved in DOHaD remains elusive. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of fetal hematopoiesis and its contribution to adult immune compartments, which results in a “layered immune system.” Based on their ontogeny, we argue that fetal-derived immune cells are prime transmitters of long-term consequences of prenatal adversities. In addition to increasing disease susceptibility, these may also directly cause inflammatory, degenerative, and metabolic disorders. We explore this notion for cells generated from erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMP) produced in the extra-embryonic yolk sac. Focusing on macrophages and mast cells, we present emerging evidence implicating them in lifelong disease by either somatic mutations or developmental programming events resulting from maternal and early environmental perturbations.

Maternal dietary patterns are associated with susceptibility to a depressive-like phenotype in rat offspring

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Modified maternal diet influences offspring behavior and the brain transcriptome.

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Maternal HFD provokes depressive-like behavior in male and female offspring.

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In utero exposure to HFD leads to transcriptomics alterations within the offspring’s frontal cortex.

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Maternal HFD changes expression of markers specific to excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons.

Environmental factors such as maternal diet, determine the pathologies that appear early in life and can persist in adulthood. Maternally modified diets provided through pregnancy and lactation increase the predisposition of offspring to the development of many diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and neurodevelopmental and mental disorders such as depression. Fetal and early postnatal development are sensitive periods in the offspring’s life in which maternal nutrition influences epigenetic modifications, which results in changes in gene expression and affects molecular phenotype. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal modified types of diet, including a high-fat diet (HFD), high-carbohydrate diet (HCD) and mixed diet (MD) during pregnancy and lactation on phenotypic changes in rat offspring with respect to anhedonia, depressive- and anxiety-like behavior, memory impairment, and gene expression profile in the frontal cortex. Behavioral results indicate that maternal HFD provokes depressive-like behavior and molecular findings showed that HFD leads to persistent transcriptomics alterations. Moreover, a HFD significantly influences the expression of neuronal markers specific to excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons. Collectively, these experiments highlight the complexity of the impact of maternal modified diet during fetal programming. Undoubtedly, maternal HFD affects brain development and our findings suggest that nutrition exerts significant changes in brain function that may be associated with depression.

Relationship of maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation to offspring health

A balanced maternal diet is essential for proper fetal development, and the consumption of a nutritionally inadequate diet during intrauterine development and early childhood is associated with a significantly increased risk of metabolic and brain disorders in offspring. The current literature indicates that maternal exposure to a high-fat diet exerts an irreversible influence on the general health of the offspring. This review of preclinical research examines the relationship between a maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy or lactation and metabolic changes, molecular alterations in the brain, and behavioral disorders in offspring. Animal models indicate that offspring exposed to a maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation manifest increased depressive-like and aggressive behaviors, reduced cognitive development, and symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Recently, epigenetic and molecular studies have shown that maternal nutrition during pregnancy and the suckling period modifies the development of neurotransmitter circuits and many other factors important to central nervous system development. This finding confirms the importance of a balanced maternal diet for the health of offspring.

Fetal brain and placental programming in maternal obesity: A review of human and animal model studies

Both human epidemiologic and animal model studies demonstrate that prenatal and lactational exposure to maternal obesity and high-fat diet are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Neurodevelopmental outcomes described in offspring of obese women include cognitive impairment, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, disordered eating, and propensity for reward-driven behavior, among others. This review synthesizes human and animal data linking maternal obesity and high-fat diet consumption to abnormal fetal brain development, and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric morbidity in offspring. It highlights key mechanisms by which maternal obesity and maternal diet impact fetal and offspring development, and sex differences in offspring programming. In addition, we review placental effects of maternal obesity, and the role the placenta might play as an indicator vs mediator of fetal programming.

The Notch signaling pathway inhibitor Dapt alleviates autism-like behavior, autophagy and dendritic spine density abnormalities in a valproic acid-induced animal model of autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a number of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental diseases. Recent studies suggest that the abnormal transmission of neural signaling pathways is associated with the pathogenesis of autism. The aim of this study was to identify a link between the Notch signaling pathway and the pathogenesis of autism. In this study, we demonstrated that prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) resulted in autistic-like behaviors in offspring rats and that the expression of the Notch signaling pathway-related molecules Notch1, Jagged1, Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and Hes1 increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HC) and cerebellum (CB) of VPA rats compared to those of controls. However, inhibiting the Notch pathway with (3,5-Difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl-S-phenylglycine-2-butyl Ester (Dapt) reduced the overexpression of Notch pathway-related molecules in offspring rats. Notably, Dapt improved autistic-like behaviors in a VPA-exposed rat model of autism. Furthermore, we investigated whether Dapt improved autistic-like behavior in a VPA rat model by regulating autophagy and affecting the morphology of dendritic spines. We found that the expression of the autophagy-related proteins Beclin 1, LC3B and phospho-p62 in the PFC, HC and CB of VPA model rats increased after Notch signal activation and was inhibited by Dapt compared to those of controls. Moreover, postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) protein expression also increased significantly compared to that of VPA model rats. The density of dendritic spines decreased in the PFC of VPA rats treated with Dapt compared to that of VPA model rats. Our present results suggest that VPA induces an abnormal activation of the Notch signaling pathway. The inhibition of excessive Notch signaling activation by Dapt can alleviate autistic-like behaviors in VPA rats. Our working model suggests that the Notch signaling pathway participates in the pathogenesis of autism by regulating autophagy and affecting dendritic spine growth. The results of this study may help to elucidate the mechanism underlying autism and provide a potential strategy for treating autism.

NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and core behaviours related to autism disorders in mice

Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental conditions with diverse aetiologies, all characterized by common core symptoms such as impaired social skills and communication, as well as repetitive behaviour. Cell adhesion molecules, receptor tyrosine kinases and associated downstream signalling have been strongly implicated in both neurodevelopment and autism spectrum disorders. We found that downregulation of the cell adhesion molecule NEGR1 or the receptor tyrosine kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) similarly affects neuronal migration and spine density during mouse cortical development in vivo and results in impaired core behaviours related to autism spectrum disorders. Mechanistically, NEGR1 physically interacts with FGFR2 and modulates FGFR2-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) signalling by decreasing FGFR2 degradation from the plasma membrane. Accordingly, FGFR2 overexpression rescues all defects due to Negr1 knockdown in vivo. Negr1 knockout mice present phenotypes similar to Negr1-downregulated animals. These data indicate that NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and suggest a role for defective NEGR1-FGFR2 complex and convergent downstream ERK and AKT signalling in autism spectrum disorders.

Maternal Adiposity Influences Neonatal Brain Functional Connectivity

The neural mechanisms associated with obesity have been extensively studied, but the impact of maternal obesity on fetal and neonatal brain development remains poorly understood. In this study of full-term neonates, we aimed to detect potential neonatal functional connectivity alterations associated with maternal adiposity, quantified via body-mass-index (BMI) and body-fat-mass (BFM) percentage, based on seed-based and graph theoretical analysis using resting-state fMRI data. Our results revealed significant neonatal functional connectivity alterations in all four functional domains that are implicated in adult obesity: sensory cue processing, reward processing, cognitive control, and motor control. Moreover, some of the detected areas showing regional functional connectivity alterations also showed global degree and efficiency differences. These findings provide important clues to the potential neural basis for cognitive and mental health development in offspring of obese mothers and may lead to the derivation of imaging-based biomarkers for the early identification of risks for timely intervention.

Association between maternal overweight or obesity and cerebral palsy in children: A meta-analysis

CONTEXT

There is no consensus regarding the association between maternal obesity or overweight and cerebral palsy (CP) in children.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether maternal obesity or overweight is associated with CP and identify the factors that explain the differences in the study results.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a meta-analysis of studies published in English with titles or abstracts that discussed the relationships between maternal obesity or overweight and CP before August 23, 2017, using Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science.

STUDY SELECTION

Of 2699 initially identified studies, 8 studies that addressed the association between maternal obesity and CP met our final inclusion criteria.

DATA EXTRACTION

Information from the individual studies was abstracted using standardized forms by 2 independent observers who were blinded to the authors' names and journal titles.

DATA SYNTHESIS

According to a random effects model, maternal overweight was significantly associated with CP in offspring [RR = 1.29 (95% CI, 1.04-1.60), heterogeneity (I2 = 45.5%, P = 0.103)]; maternal obesity was significantly associated with CP in offspring [RR = 1.45 (95% CI, 1.25-1.69), heterogeneity (I2 = 24.1%, P = 0.253)]; and maternal obesity III was significantly associated with CP in offspring [RR = 2.25 (95% CI, 1.82-2.79), heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, P = 0.589)]. However, maternal underweight was not significantly associated with CP in offspring [RR = 1.11 (95% CI, 0.88-1.38), low heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, P = 0.435)]. Factors that explained the differences in the meta-analysis results included study design, study location, and whether individual studies adjusted for potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that maternal obesity and overweight increase the risk of CP in offspring. Further studies are required to confirm these results and determine the influence of variables across studies.

Maternal pre-pregnancy weight and autistic-like traits among offspring in the general population

There is an emerging body of evidence demonstrating that maternal obesity at the time of conception increases the risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among offspring. We explored whether pre-pregnancy weight was related to autistic-like traits among offspring not diagnosed with ASD. A large sample of women, recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy, had their height measured and reported their pre-pregnancy weight. These measurements were then converted to a Body Mass Index (BMI) using the formula: (weight in kilograms)/(height in metres² ). At 19-20 years of age, 1238 offspring of these women completed a measure of autistic-like traits, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Regression analyses identified a positive association between increasing maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and increasing AQ Total Score amongst offspring; this association was maintained even after controlling for a range of variables including maternal/obstetric factors (age at conception, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertensive diseases, diabetes, threatened abortion), paternal BMI at pregnancy, and child factors (parity, sex) (P < .01, R² =.03). Chi-square analyses found that women with pre-pregnancy obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were more likely to have offspring with high scores (≥26) on the AQ (P = .01). Follow-up binary logistic regression analyses also accounting for the same obstetric and sociodemographic variables found that the offspring of women with pre-pregnancy obesity were at a statistically significantly increased risk of having high scores (≥26) on the AQ (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.06, 7.43). This study provides further evidence that maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with autism-like behaviors in offspring. Autism Research 2019, 12: 80-88. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The current study explored whether pre-pregnancy weight was related to autistic-like traits among offspring not diagnosed with ASD. We found that pre-pregnancy body mass index in women is associated with the amount of autistic-like traits in their children in early adulthood. Specifically, women who were obese at the time of conception were more likely to have a child who had high levels of autistic-like traits in early adulthood.

Circadian alignment in a foster mother improves the offspring's pathological phenotype

KEY POINTS

In mammals, the mother-offspring interaction is essential for health later in adulthood. The impact of altered timing and quality of maternal care on the offspring's circadian system was assessed using a cross-strain fostering approach. Better maternal care facilitated the development of amplitudes of Bmal1 clock gene expression in the central clock, as well as the clock-driven activity/rest rhythm, and also its entrainment to the external light/dark cycle. Worse maternal care impaired entrainment of the central clock parameters in the Wistar rat during the early developmental stages. Better maternal care remedied the dampened amplitudes of the colonic clock, as well as cardiovascular functions. The results provide compelling evidence that the circadian phenotype of a foster mother may affect the pathological symptoms of the offspring, even if they are genetically programmed.

ABSTRACT

In mammals, the mother-offspring interaction is essential for health later in adulthood. Maternal care is determined by the circadian phenotype of the mother. The impact of altered timing and quality of maternal care on the circadian system was assessed using a cross-strain fostering approach, with 'abnormal' (i.e. circadian misaligned) care being represented by spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and 'normal' care by Wistar rats. The SHR mothers worsened synchrony of the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei with the light/dark cycle in Wistar rat pups, although this effect disappeared after weaning. The maternal care provided by Wistar rat mothers to SHR pups facilitated the development of amplitudes of the Bmal1 expression rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus, as well as the clock-driven activity/rest rhythm and its entrainment to the external light/dark cycle. The peripheral clocks in the liver and colon responded robustly to cross-strain fostering; the circadian phenotype of the Wistar rat foster mother remedied the dampened amplitudes of the colonic clock in SHR pups and improved their cardiovascular functions. In general, the more intensive maternal care of the Wistar rat mothers improved most of the parameters of the abnormal SHR circadian phenotype in adulthood; conversely, the less frequent maternal care of the SHR mothers worsened these parameters in the Wistar rat during the early developmental stages. Altogether, our data provide compelling evidence that the circadian phenotype of a foster mother may positively and negatively affect the regulatory mechanisms of various physiological parameters, even if the pathological symptoms are genetically programmed.

Pathological Features of Staphylococcus aureus Induced Mastitis in Dairy Cows and Isobaric-Tags-for-Relative-and-Absolute-Quantitation Proteomic Analyses

In part as a result of the production of an enterotoxin, Staphylococcus aureus is a highly infectious pathogen and is a considerable threat to food hygiene and safety. Clinical mastitis models were established by S. aureus nipple-tube perfusion. The influence of mastitis on the mammary-gland-tissue proteomic profile was investigated using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. In this study, healthy and mastitic tissues from different mammary-gland areas of the same dairy cows were screened, and differentially expressed proteins were identified. Bioinformatic analysis identified proteins related to the inflammation and immunization of dairy cows. Histology, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemical-staining analyses were used to determine the expression of PGLYRP1 and PTX3 proteins in the acquired mammary-gland-tissue samples. PGLYRP1 and PTX3 in mastitic mammary glands may be associated with tissue damage and immune responses to late stages of infection. This further contributes to the understanding of the molecular theory of the treatment of mastitis caused by S. aureus.

Interplay Between Peripheral and Central Inflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Possible Nutritional and Therapeutic Strategies

Pre- and post-natal factors can affect brain development and function, impacting health outcomes with particular relevance to neurodevelopmental diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Maternal obesity and its associated complications have been related to the increased risk of ASDs in offspring. Indeed, animals exposed to maternal obesity or high fat diets are prone to social communication impairment and repetitive behavior, the hallmarks of autism. During development, fatty acids and sugars, as well as satiety hormones, like insulin and leptin, and inflammatory factors related to obesity-induced low grade inflammation, could play a role in the impairment of neuroendocrine system and brain neuronal circuits regulating behavior in offspring. On the other side, post-natal factors, such as mode of delivery, stress, diet, or antibiotic treatment are associated to a modification of gut microbiota composition, perturbing microbiota-gut-brain axis. Indeed, the interplay between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system not only occurs through neural, hormonal, and immune pathways, but also through microbe-derived metabolic products. The modification of unhealthy perinatal and postnatal environment, manipulation of gut microbiota, nutritional, and dietary interventions could represent possible strategies in preventing or limiting ASDs, through targeting inflammatory process and gut microbiota.

A Review of the Impact of Maternal Obesity on the Cognitive Function and Mental Health of the Offspring

Globally, more than 20% of women of reproductive age are currently estimated to be obese. Children born to obese mothers are at higher risk of developing obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and asthma in adulthood. Increasing clinical and experimental evidence suggests that maternal obesity also affects the health and function of the offspring brain across the lifespan. This review summarizes the current findings from human and animal studies that detail the impact of maternal obesity on aspects of learning, memory, motivation, affective disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and neurodegeneration in the offspring. Epigenetic mechanisms that may contribute to this mother–child interaction are also discussed.

Experimental Models of Maternal Obesity and Neuroendocrine Programming of Metabolic Disorders in Offspring

Evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies have clearly shown that disease risk in later life is increased following a poor early life environment, a process preferentially termed developmental programming. In particular, this work clearly highlights the importance of the nutritional environment during early development with alterations in maternal nutrition, including both under- and overnutrition, increasing the risk for a range of cardiometabolic and neurobehavioral disorders in adult offspring characterized by both adipokine resistance and obesity. Although the mechanistic basis for such developmental programming is not yet fully defined, a common feature derived from experimental animal models is that of alterations in the wiring of the neuroendocrine pathways that control energy balance and appetite regulation during early stages of developmental plasticity. The adipokine leptin has also received significant attention with clear experimental evidence that normal regulation of leptin levels during the early life period is critical for the normal development of tissues and related signaling pathways that are involved in metabolic and cardiovascular homeostasis. There is also increasing evidence that alterations in the epigenome and other underlying mechanisms including an altered gut-brain axis may contribute to lasting cardiometabolic dysfunction in offspring. Ongoing studies that further define the mechanisms between these associations will allow for identification of early risk markers and implementation of strategies around interventions that will have obvious beneficial implications in breaking a programmed transgenerational cycle of metabolic disorders.