Prenatal stress alters mouse offspring dorsal striatal development and placental function in sex-specific ways.

Prenatal stress is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, how early stress modification of brain development contributes to this pathophysiology is poorly understood. Ventral forebrain regions such as dorsal striatum are of particular interest: dorsal striatum modulates movement and cognition, is altered in NDDs, and has a primarily GABAergic population.

Long-term, cell type-specific effects of prenatal stress on dorsal striatum and relevant behaviors in mice.

Maternal stress during pregnancy, or prenatal stress, is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In ASD, dorsal striatum displays abnormalities correlating with symptom severity, but there is a gap in knowledge about dorsal striatal cellular and molecular mechanisms that may contribute. Using a mouse model, we investigated how prenatal stress impacted striatal-dependent behavior in adult offspring.

Altered offspring neurodevelopment in an arginine vasopressin preeclampsia model.

Preeclampsia is a severe gestational hypertensive condition linked to child neuropsychiatric disorders, although underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used a recently developed, clinically relevant animal model of preeclampsia to assess offspring. C57BL/6J mouse dams were chronically infused with arginine vasopressin (AVP) or saline (24 ng/h) throughout pregnancy.

Correction: Chronic maternal interleukin-17 and autism-related cortical gene expression, neurobiology, and behavior.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Chronic maternal interleukin-17 and autism-related cortical gene expression, neurobiology, and behavior.

Chronic inflammation during pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, diabetes) is linked to increased risk for offspring neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Epigenetics of Delirium and Aging: Potential Role of DNA Methylation Change on Cytokine Genes in Glia and Blood Along With Aging.

Delirium in elderly patients is common and dangerous. Major risk factors include aging and exogenous insults, such as infection or surgery. In animal models, aging enhances pro-inflammatory cytokine release from microglia in response to exogenous insults.