Maternal-fetal signal relay via placenta regulates the formation of blood-brain barrier in fetal brain cortex

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09732
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Medical University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMADA Hiroki 金沢医科大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (60278108)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HATTA Toshihisa 金沢医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20238025)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 脳発生 / 血液脳関門 / 胎盤 / 白血病抑制因子(LIF) / 副腎皮質刺激ホルモン(ACTH) / 透明化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We previously reported that the materna-fetal signal relay pathway of maternal leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-fetal LIF via the placenta (maternal-fetal LIF signal relay) leaded finally to neurogenesis in the cerebrum of the fetus. In this study, we investigated the role of the signal relay in the formation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) in fetal brain cortex.
Injection of polyriboinosinicpolyribocytidylic acid into dams, which induced maternal immune activation and suppressed maternal-fetal LIF signal relay,　accelerated formation of tight junction in BBB and suppressed the transition of interleukin-6 from mother to fetal cerebrospinal fluid. These results indicated that maternal-fetal LIF signal relay regulates BBB formation in fetal brain cortex.

Free Research Field

発生学