Variability in PolyIC induced immune response: Implications for preclinical maternal immune activation models

Milo Careaga; Sandra L Taylor; Carolyn Chang; Alex Chiang; Katherine M Ku; Robert F Berman; Judy A Van de Water; Melissa D Bauman

doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.06.014

Variability in PolyIC induced immune response: Implications for preclinical maternal immune activation models

J Neuroimmunol. 2018 Oct 15:323:87-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.06.014. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Authors

Milo Careaga¹, Sandra L Taylor², Carolyn Chang³, Alex Chiang¹, Katherine M Ku¹, Robert F Berman⁴, Judy A Van de Water⁵, Melissa D Bauman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA.
² Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA.
³ The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA.
⁴ The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, USA.
⁵ The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California, Davis, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA. Electronic address: mdbauman@ucdavis.edu.

Abstract

Maternal infection during pregnancy may increase the risk of offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. The preclinical Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (PolyIC) model has become one of the most widely used approaches in maternal immune activation (MIA) research. However, variability in molecular weight may impact the immune activating potential of PolyIC. Nulliparous rats injected with high molecular weight PolyIC exhibit pronounced cytokine response and sickness behavior that was not observed in rats injected low molecular weight PolyIC. Although an essential next step is to extend these studies to pregnant animals, the preliminary results suggest that PolyIC molecular weight is an important experimental design consideration.

Keywords: Cytokine; Immune; Maternal immune activation; PolyIC; Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid; Sickness behavior.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cytokines / blood*
Cytokines / immunology*
Female
Immunity, Cellular / drug effects*
Immunity, Cellular / physiology*
Poly I-C / toxicity*
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

Cytokines
Poly I-C

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding