Maternal Influenza Infection Causes Marked Behavioral and Pharmacological Changes in the Offspring

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-01-00297.2003
• Publication Date: 2018-04-13T22:30:28Z
• Authors: Limin Shi; S. Hossein Fatemi; Robert W. Sidwell; Paul H. Patterson
• Keywords: 570; ketamine; Chlorpromazine; autism; 610; Anxiety; Motor Activity; mental retardation; Antiviral Agents; acoustic startle; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Animals; chlorpromazine; Clozapine; novel object; open field; Mice, Inbred BALB C; prepulse inhibition; clozapine; Behavior, Animal; Immunity; 3. Good health; schizophrenia; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Poly I-C; Acoustic Stimulation; Animals, Newborn; Maternal-Fetal Relations; Exploratory Behavior; Female; Ketamine; poly(I:C); Antipsychotic Agents

Maternal viral infection is known to increase the risk for schizophrenia and autism in offspring. Using this observation an animal model, we find that respiratory of pregnant mice (both BALB/c C57BL/6 strains) with human influenza virus yields offspring display highly abnormal behavioral responses as adults. As autism, these deficits prepulse inhibition (PPI) acoustic startle response. Compared control mice, infected also striking acute administration antipsychotic (clozapine chlorpromazine) psychomimetic (ketamine) drugs. Moreover, are deficient exploratory behavior both open-field novel-object tests, they social interaction. At least some changes likely attributable maternal immune response itself. That is, injection synthetic double-stranded RNA polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid causes a PPI deficit absence virus. Therefore, has profound effect on adult offspring, probably via fetus.