Are Anxiety and Depression in Offspring Caused by an Induced Immune- Response in Mothers During Pregnancy?

Clarke, Margaret

Are Anxiety and Depression in Offspring Caused by an Induced Immune- Response in Mothers During Pregnancy?

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/42925

Author(s)

Clarke, Margaret

Date Issued

May 9, 2017

Abstract

Influenza infections cause thousands of fatalities per year around the world. The offspring of mothers who contract the virus during pregnancy may be at a higher risk of developing psychological disorders due to the mothers’ immune-response causing detrimental effects to their fetus. Psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression are commonly diagnosed disorders. Using C57 mice as a model system, (1) I induced a flu-like immune- response in pregnant females using a flu-like immunostimulant , polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC), and observed the offspring in an open-field test for depressive and anxious-like symptoms using four indicators of anxiety and/or depression: locomotion and exploratory behavior, defecation, urination, and sucrose anhedonia. I then, (2) re-tested for depressive and/or anxious-like symptoms by performing an identical open-field test with the same individuals after treatment with the anxiolytic drug benzodiazepine alprazolam, which is often used to reduce severity of psychological symptoms. Results suggest that poly IC injection in pregnant females significantly increased locomotion and exploratory activity (number of grid lines crossed) and significantly reduced sucrose consumed in their pups. There were no significant effects of poly IC injection on fecal pellet count and urination. Alprazolam treatment had no significant effect on any of the behavioral traits. Further research should be conducted to explore and expand upon the detrimental effects that maternal immune-responses may cause during pregnancy and what behavioral changes may occur in offspring. It is also important to explore what drugs may be beneficial in treatment of offspring of immune-challenged mothers.

Major

Biology

First Reader(s)

Mumme, Ronald L.