OP02.09: Maternal brain structural and metabolite changes preceding the onset of pre‐eclampsia

Abstract The growing fetus depends upon transfer of glucose from maternal blood to fetal tissues. Insulin and glucocorticoid impact maternal glucose metabolism, but the effects of these hormones on fetal glucose assimilation in vivo are understudied. We thus used positron emission tomography imaging to determine the disposition of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in rats on gestational d 20, quantifying the kinetic competition of maternal tissues and fetus for glucose. Three fasting maternal states were studied: after 2-d dexamethasone (DEX), during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp insulin receiving (INS), and control (CON). In CON and DEX mothers, FDG accumulation in fetuses and placentae was substantial, rivaling that of maternal brain. By contrast, FDG accumulation was reduced in INS fetuses, placentae, and maternal brain by approximately 2-fold, despite no diminution in FDG extraction kinetics from maternal blood into these structures. The reduced FDG accumulation was due to more rapid clearance of FDG from the circulation in INS mothers, related to increased FDG avidity in INS select maternal tissues, including skeletal muscle, brown adipose tissue, and heart. DEX treatment of mothers reduced fetal weight by nearly 10%. Nonetheless, the accumulation of FDG into placentae and fetuses was similar in DEX and CON mothers. In our rat model, fetal growth restriction induced by DEX does not involve diminished glucose transport to the fetus. Maternal insulin action has little effect on the inherent avidity of the fetal-placental unit for glucose but increases glucose utilization by maternal tissues, thus indirectly reducing the glucose available to the fetus.

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The expectant brain: Being pregnant causes changes in brain morphology in the early postpartum period

10.1101/2021.06.29.450283 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Chechko ◽

Juergen Dukart ◽

Svetlana Tchaikovski ◽

Christian Enzensberger ◽

Irene Neuner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Research ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Brain Morphology ◽

Cortical Thinning ◽

Nulliparous Women ◽

Maternal Brain ◽

Multiparous Women ◽

The Right

There is growing evidence that pregnancy may have a significant impact on the maternal brain, causing changes in its structure. However, the patterns of these changes have not yet been systematically investigated. Using voxel-based (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM), we compared a group of healthy primiparous women (n = 40) with healthy multiparous mothers (n = 37) as well as nulliparous women (n = 40). Compared to the nulliparous women, the young mothers showed decreases in gray matter volume in the bilateral hippocampus/amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex/subgenual prefrontal area, the right superior temporal gyrus, the right insula, and the cerebellum. However, these pregnancy-related changes in brain structure did not predict the quality of mother-infant attachment at either 3 or 12 weeks postpartum, nor were they more pronounced among the multiparous women. SBM analyses showed significant cortical thinning especially in the frontal and parietal cortices, with the parietal cortical thinning likely potentiated by multiple pregnancies. We conclude, therefore, that the widespread morphological changes seen in the brain shortly after childbirth reflect substantial neuroplasticity. Also, the experience of pregnancy alone may not be the underlying cause of the adaptations for mothering and caregiving. As regards the exact biological function of the changes in brain morphology as well as the long-term effect of pregnancy on the maternal brain, further longitudinal research with larger cohorts will be needed to draw any definitive conclusions.

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Maternal brain response to own baby-cry is affected by cesarean section delivery

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01963.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 49 (10) ◽

pp. 1042-1052 ◽

Cited By ~ 135

Author(s):

James E. Swain ◽

Esra Tasgin ◽

Linda C. Mayes ◽

Ruth Feldman ◽

R. Todd Constable ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cesarean Section ◽

Brain Response ◽

Cesarean Section Delivery ◽

Maternal Brain

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Cortical thickness variation of the maternal brain in the first 6 months postpartum: associations with parental self-efficacy

Brain Structure and Function ◽

10.1007/s00429-018-1688-z ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 223 (7) ◽

pp. 3267-3277 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Pilyoung Kim ◽

Alexander J. Dufford ◽

Rebekah C. Tribble

Keyword(s):

Cortical Thickness ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Thickness Variation ◽

Maternal Brain

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Epigenetics and Maternal Brain Evolution

Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease - Epigenetics and Human Health ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-36827-1_1 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 3-20

Author(s):

Eric B. Keverne

Keyword(s):

Brain Evolution ◽

Maternal Brain

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Corticotropin-releasing factor infusion in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of lactating mice alters maternal care and induces behavioural phenotypes in offspring

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77118-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kerstin Camile Creutzberg ◽

Érika Kestering-Ferreira ◽

Thiago Wendt Viola ◽

Luis Eduardo Wearick-Silva ◽

Rodrigo Orso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Locomotor Activity ◽

Maternal Care ◽

Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽

Maternal Behaviour ◽

Stria Terminalis ◽

Bed Nucleus ◽

Plus Maze ◽

Maternal Brain ◽

Nesting Material ◽

Peripartum Period

AbstractThe peripartum period is accompanied by numerous physiological and behavioural adaptations organised by the maternal brain. These changes are essential for adequate expression of maternal behaviour, thereby ensuring proper development of the offspring. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a key role in a variety of behaviours accompanying stress, anxiety, and depression. There is also evidence that CRF contributes to maladaptations during the peripartum period. We investigated the effects of CRF in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) of lactating mice during maternal care and analysed locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviour in the offspring. The BNST has been implicated in anxiety behaviour and regulation of the stress response. The effects of intra-BNST CRF administration were compared with those induced by the limited bedding (LB) procedure, a model that produces altered maternal behaviour. BALB/cJ dams were exposed to five infusions of CRF or saline into the BNST in the first weeks after birth while the LB dams were exposed to limited nesting material from postnatal days (P) 2–9. Maternal behaviour was recorded in intercalated days, from P1-9. Offspring anxiety-like behaviour was assessed during adulthood using the open-field, elevated plus-maze, and light/dark tests. Both intra-BNST CRF and LB exposure produced altered maternal care, represented by decreased arched-back nursing and increased frequency of exits from the nest. These changes in maternal care resulted in robust sex-based differences in the offspring’s behavioural responses during adulthood. Females raised by CRF-infused dams exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviour, whereas males presented a significant decrease in anxiety. On the other hand, both males and females raised by dams exposed to LB showed higher locomotor activity. Our study demonstrates that maternal care is impaired by intra-BNST CRF administrations, and these maladaptations are similar to exposure to adverse early environments. These procedures, however, produce distinct phenotypes in mice during young adulthood and suggest sex-based differences in the susceptibility to poor maternal care.

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Corticotropin-releasing hormone programs the fetal and maternal brain

Future Neurology ◽

10.2217/fnl.09.8 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 257-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Curt A Sandman ◽

Laura M Glynn

Keyword(s):

Corticotropin Releasing Hormone ◽

Releasing Hormone ◽

Maternal Brain

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Prolactin-Induced Mitogenesis in the Subventricular Zone of the Maternal Brain during Early Pregnancy Is Essential for Normal Postpartum Behavioral Responses in the Mother

Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/en.2009-1385 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 151 (8) ◽

pp. 3805-3814 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Caroline M. Larsen ◽

David R. Grattan

Keyword(s):

Early Pregnancy ◽

Maternal Behavior ◽

Subventricular Zone ◽

Prolactin Secretion ◽

Neural Progenitors ◽

Postpartum Anxiety ◽

Maternal Behaviors ◽

Maternal Brain ◽

Normal Expression ◽

Normal Increase

High prolactin during pregnancy, which is essential for normal postpartum maternal behavior, increases neurogenesis in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle (SVZ) of the maternal brain. Because SVZ mitogenesis generates new olfactory neurons and may contribute to perception of novel odorants, we hypothesized that the prolactin-induced increase in SVZ mitogenesis during pregnancy might be important for normal maternal interactions with pups. To investigate this hypothesis, prolactin secretion was suppressed for 3 d early in pregnancy in mice, using a carefully timed dose of bromocriptine. The bromocriptine-induced reduction in prolactin prevented the normal increase in generation of neural progenitors in the SVZ of the maternal brain. Another group of bromocriptine-treated animals were allowed to continue their pregnancy until term, and then maternal behaviors were evaluated postpartum. Low prolactin during early pregnancy, and the consequent suppression of mitogenesis in the SVZ of the maternal brain, was subsequently followed by increased postpartum anxiety and markedly impaired maternal behavior. In another group of pregnant females, injections of the mitotic inhibitor methylazoxymethanol to specifically suppress neurogenesis in the mother during early pregnancy without affecting prolactin secretion also caused postpartum anxiety and impaired maternal behavior. These data demonstrate that prolactin-induced increase in generation of neural progenitors in the SVZ of the maternal brain during early pregnancy is required for normal expression of postpartum maternal behaviors.

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