18613
Developmental, Behavioral, and Neurobiological Consequences of Maternal Allergic Asthma: A Mouse Model in Support of Clinical Findings
Objectives: Develop an animal model to test the causal link between maternal allergic asthma and offspring brain and behavior development.
Methods: Mothers were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) by injection with emulsification of OVA and (Al)OH3 prior to pregnancy then repeatedly exposed to either aerosolized OVA or vehicle during gestation. Offspring were assessed for changes in ASD-relevant developmental, behavioral and neurobiological measures.
Results: Both male and female mice born to mothers exposed to aerosolized OVA during gestation exhibited altered developmental trajectories in weight and length, decreased sociability, and increased marble burying behavior. Moreover, offspring of OVA-exposed mothers were observed to have increased serotonin transporter protein levels in the cortex.
Conclusions: Behavioral and neurobiological alterations can be elicited following early fetal priming with maternal allergic asthma. These data provide support that maternal allergic asthma may, in some cases, be a contributing factor to neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD.