Maternal Zika Infection: Effects on Neutrophil Dynamics in Mouse Offspring

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Presentation Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Poster Board Number: B1007
Abstract ID: 5576

Presenting Author:
Jiahui Ding , Assistant Professor at Wayne State Univ. Sch. of Med.

Abstract:

Fetal immune system development begins in utero and is significantly shaped by the maternal immune status during pregnancy. Notably, the repercussions of maternal infection extend beyond the perinatal period, resulting in persistent immunity changes in newborns. However, the specific immune changes in the mother and their impact on fetal immune system development are still unclear. Our objective is to investigate how maternal Zika virus infection influences offspring immunity.

We infected C57BL/6J pregnant mice on embryonic day 8.5 with ZIKV (1*10⁵ PFU) or control vehicle. The pups were delivered and re-challenged with LPS (0.8mg/kg) or saline on postnatal day 35. 4hr and 24hrs after treatment, offspring serum and tissues were collected for the evaluation of immune response. 

Our observations reveal distinct cytokine and chemokine profiles in male offspring born to Zika-infected mothers compared to control male offspring following LPS challenge. Additionally, at the basal level, neutrophilia is observed in Zika male offspring within the bone marrow, after LPS treatment, there is a significant increase of neutrophil migration to the spleen. However, it is important to highlight that these observations are not observed in the female offspring, indicating a gender-specific response to maternal Zika infection. Collectively, we present the finding that maternal Zika infection during pregnancy leads to abnormal neutrophil immune response to LPS only in male Zika offspring.