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Sex and Age Influence in The Effects of Perinatal Immune Activation in Animals

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Perinatal Inflammation and Adult Psychopathology

Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR,volume 84))

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Abstract

Biological sex is an important risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders (ND), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Indeed, sex influences the incidence, onset, and clinical course of ND. For example, schizophrenia is diagnosed in men at younger ages when compared to women. However, postmenopausal women diagnosed with schizophrenia present more severe symptoms and worse prognosis when compared to men. Regarding ASD, the male-to-female ratio is close to 3:1. Notably in ASD, a diagnostic gender bias seems to occur. Preclinical models based on maternal immune activation (MIA) or neonatal immune activation (NIA) were developed for a better understanding of neurobiological alterations underlying the development of schizophrenia and ASD. Importantly, MIA models relate to immune challenges on the first and second trimesters of human pregnancy, whereas NIA models to immune challenge at the end of the third trimester in humans. Despite the importance of perinatal infections for the pathogenesis of ND and for a better understanding of sex influences in the neurobiology of these disorders, preclinical studies evaluating sex-related alterations in animal models of perinatal immune activation (PIA) are still limited. This chapter summarizes the current findings on sex influences in PIA models and brings some perspectives for novel studies in this field.

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Abbreviations

ASD:

Autism spectrum disorder

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

DA:

Dopamine

ED:

Embryonic day

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

MIA:

Maternal immune activation

mPFC:

Medial prefrontal cortex

NIA:

Neonatal immune activation

PAMP:

Pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules

PIA:

Perinatal immune activation

PN:

Postnatal day

Poly IC:

Polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

    Danielle S. Macedo, Manuel Alves Santos Júnior, Aline Santos Monte, Germana Silva Vasconcelos, Tatiane da Silva Araújo & Silvânia Maria Mendes Vasconcelos

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  1. Danielle S. Macedo
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  2. Manuel Alves Santos Júnior
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  3. Aline Santos Monte
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  4. Germana Silva Vasconcelos
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  5. Tatiane da Silva Araújo
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  6. Silvânia Maria Mendes Vasconcelos
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UT Health Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Antonio L. Teixeira

  2. Physiology and Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil

    Danielle Macedo

  3. Psychiatry, University of Munster, Munster, Germany

    Bernhard T. Baune

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Macedo, D.S., Santos Júnior, M.A., Monte, A.S., Vasconcelos, G.S., Araújo, T.d.S., Vasconcelos, S.M.M. (2020). Sex and Age Influence in The Effects of Perinatal Immune Activation in Animals. In: Teixeira, A.L., Macedo, D., Baune, B.T. (eds) Perinatal Inflammation and Adult Psychopathology. Progress in Inflammation Research, vol 84. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39335-9_10

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