LPS alters placental inflammatory and endocrine mediators and inhibits fetal neurite growth in affected offspring during late gestation.

INTRODUCTION: During pregnancy, maternal infection at different stages of gestation increases the risk of developing several psychiatric and neurological disorders later in life for affected offspring. As placental health is intrinsically linked to neurodevelopmental outcome, maternal infection may adversely affect the placenta at or before the gestational stages it affects fetal neurodevelopment. Here we examined this premise. METHODS: Pregnant-Sprague Dawley rats were administered saline or lipopolysaccharide by intraperitoneal injection on embryonic days 12-18. We then examined a number of key placental inflammatory and endocrine mediators, along with fetal, birth and neuronal characteristics at different stages of development. RESULTS: Maternal exposure to lipopolysaccharide at later gestational ages significantly increased pro-inflammatory IL-1ß expression and reduced placental HSD11B2 expression. This was accompanied by a reduction in placental weight and embryo number without an effect on embryo weight or crown-rump length. In utero lipopolysaccharide exposure at later gestational ages also impaired the growth of neurons from affected offspring. DISCUSSION: These data show that maternal infection at later gestational ages modifies placental inflammatory and endocrine mediators that may adversely affect the growth of developing neurons in affected offspring.

A comparison of sperm morphology and silver nitrate staining characteristics in the domestic ferret and the black-footed ferret.

Ejaculated sperm from the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) and the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) were compared for differences in morphological abnormalities and argentophilic protein distribution. Thawed domestic ferret sperm was also compared to fresh sperm to determine whether there were any effects on cell morphology due to cryopreservation. There were statistically significant differences between the two species of ferret in two of the categories scored. The domestic ferret had a higher frequency of cells that were bent in the midpiece and in the principal piece, and a higher frequency of headless and tailless cells when compared to the black-footed ferret. There were no statistically significant differences in cell morphology between the fresh and cryopreserved ejaculates of the domestic ferret employing a standard egg yolk cryoextender. Silver nitrate staining distribution was different between the two species in both the head and tail region.