Prenatal maternal vaginal inflammation increases anxiety and alters HPA axis signalling in adult male mice.

Background: Maternal infection during pregnancy is known to adversely affect foetal development, but previous studies have rarely investigated the impact of gynaecological diseases during pregnancy on offspring during adulthood. Vaginitis is one of the most prevalent gynaecological diseases during pregnancy.

Methods: The effect of maternal vaginal inflammation on offspring was simulated by inducing maternal vaginal infection.