Guenoun, D. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2024

Long-term disruption of glucose homeostasis in a rodent model of preterm birth.

Around 1 of every 10 babies is born preterm, and the incidence of preterm birth has been rising. The long-term consequences of preterm survivors are not fully understood. Preterm birth is proven to be associated with metabolic diseases and related disorders later in life. Preterm newborns are susceptible to perinatal inflammatory events such as chorioamnionitis, hypoxia-ischemia, and sepsis. We hypothesized that perinatal inflammation has a role in the developmental programming of metabolic diseases and related disorders. In the present study, perinatal inflammation was modeled by systemic administration of IL-1{beta} in mice. We observed a pronounced sexual dimorphism where only the males presented significant insulin resistance and glucose intolerance accompanied by leptin resistance in the long term following perinatal inflammation exposure. Adiposity and energy homeostasis were intact. It showed that perinatal inflammation selectively contributes to the long-term dysregulation of glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent manner. The underlying mechanism might be linked with hypothalamic inflammation and upregulated circulating CCL5. Metformin treatment might be optional to treat insulin resistance resulting from perinatal inflammation. HighlightsO_LIPerinatal inflammation is common in preterm infants, often leading to perinatal brain injuries. However, the long-term metabolic outcomes of these infants are not fully revealed. C_LIO_LIWe explored the long-term metabolic outcomes in mice with perinatal IL-1{beta} exposure and sought its association with inflammation. C_LIO_LIPerinatal inflammation has a profound and deleterious role in glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent and time-dependent manner. C_LIO_LIPerinatal inflammation might be a risk factor for metabolic disorders in preterm survivors. C_LI

physiology↗

bioRxiv2023

C-section and systemic inflammation synergize to disrupt the neonatal gut microbiota and brain development in a model of prematurity

Infants born very preterm (below 28 weeks of gestation) are at high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual deficiency, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit. Preterm birth often occurs in the context of perinatal systemic inflammation due to chorioamnionitis and postnatal sepsis (Dammann, O. and Leviton, A., Intermittent or sustained systemic inflammation and the preterm brain. Pediatr Res, 2014. 75(3): p. 376-80). In addition, C-section is often performed for very preterm neonates to avoid hypoxia during a vaginal delivery (Luca, A.,et al., Birth trauma in preterm spontaneous vaginal and cesarean section deliveries: A 10-years retrospective study. PloS one,2022, 17(10), e0275726.) We have developed and characterized a mouse model based on intraperitoneal injections of IL-1{beta} between postnatal days one and five to reproduce perinatal systemic inflammation (Favrais, G.,et al., Systemic inflammation disrupts the developmental program of white matter. Ann Neurol,2011. 70(4): p. 550-65). This model replicates several neuropathological, brain imaging, and behavioral deficits observed in preterm infants. We hypothesized that C-sections could synergize with systemic inflammation to induce more severe brain abnormalities. We observed that C-sections significantly exacerbated the deleterious effects of IL-1{beta} on reduced gut microbial diversity, increased levels of circulating peptidoglycans, abnormal microglia/macrophage reactivity, impaired myelination, and reduced functional connectivity in the brain relative to vaginal delivery plus intraperitoneal saline. These data demonstrate the deleterious synergistic effects of C-section and neonatal systemic inflammation on brain maldevelopment and malfunction, two conditions frequently observed in very preterm infants, who are at high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. Significance StatementIn a well-established mouse model of the encephalopathy of prematurity, we observed that C-section exacerbates the deleterious effects of neonatal systemic inflammation (intraperitoneal injections of IL-1{beta} between postnatal days one and five) on reduced gut microbial diversity, increased levels of circulating peptidoglycans, abnormal microglia/macrophage reactivity, impaired myelination, and reduced brain functional connectivity. These data demonstrate the deleterious synergistic effects of C-section and neonatal systemic inflammation, two conditions frequently observed in very preterm infants, who are at high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders.

neuroscience↗