Early prenatal inflammatory conditions are thought to be a risk factor for different neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal interleukin-6 (IL-6) elevation during pregnancy causes abnormal behavior in offspring, but whether these defects result from altered synaptic developmental trajectories remains unclear. Here we showed that transient IL-6 elevation via injection into pregnant mice or developing embryos enhanced glutamatergic synapses and led to overall brain hyperconnectivity in offspring into adulthood. IL-6 activated synaptogenesis gene programs in glutamatergic neurons and required the transcription factor STAT3 and expression of the RGS4 gene. The STAT3-RGS4 pathway was also activated in neonatal brains during poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation, which mimics viral infection during pregnancy. These findings indicate that IL-6 elevation at early developmental stages is sufficient to exert a long-lasting effect on glutamatergic synaptogenesis and brain connectivity, providing a mechanistic framework for the association between prenatal inflammatory events and brain neurodevelopmental disorders.

Prenatal interleukin 6 elevation increases glutamatergic synapse density and disrupts hippocampal connectivity in offspring

Mirabella, Filippo;Rasile, Marco;Lodato, Simona;Matteoli, Michela;Pozzi, Davide
2021-01-01

Abstract

Early prenatal inflammatory conditions are thought to be a risk factor for different neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal interleukin-6 (IL-6) elevation during pregnancy causes abnormal behavior in offspring, but whether these defects result from altered synaptic developmental trajectories remains unclear. Here we showed that transient IL-6 elevation via injection into pregnant mice or developing embryos enhanced glutamatergic synapses and led to overall brain hyperconnectivity in offspring into adulthood. IL-6 activated synaptogenesis gene programs in glutamatergic neurons and required the transcription factor STAT3 and expression of the RGS4 gene. The STAT3-RGS4 pathway was also activated in neonatal brains during poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation, which mimics viral infection during pregnancy. These findings indicate that IL-6 elevation at early developmental stages is sufficient to exert a long-lasting effect on glutamatergic synaptogenesis and brain connectivity, providing a mechanistic framework for the association between prenatal inflammatory events and brain neurodevelopmental disorders.
2021
IL-6
RGS4
STAT3
brain connectivity
glutamatergic transmission
maternal immune activation
neurodevelopmental disorder
neuroinflammation
pro-inflammatory cytokines
synaptic development
Animals
Cytokines
Disease Models, Animal
Disease Susceptibility
Female
Hippocampus
Inflammation Mediators
Interleukin-6
Mice
Neurons
Pregnancy
Signal Transduction
Synapses
Synaptic Transmission
Maternal Exposure
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11699/64861
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