Region Specific-Alteration of Blood-Brain Barrier Development Caused by Prenatal Exposure to Inflammation

Sylvie Girard¹, Luc Tremblay², Guillaume Sebire¹, Martin Lepage²

Perinatal inflammation affects brain development and could modify the permeability of the developing blood-brain barrier (BBB). This can have an impact on the accessibility of both inflammatory mediators and therapeutics drugs, to the brain. This study aimed at evaluating the postnatal variations of permeability of the developing BBB. Using a contrast agent, we observed a decreased permeability of the BBB during normal development. However, prenatal exposure to a pro-inflammatory agent led to a region-specific increased permeability during the first 30 days after birth. This provides new insights into the mechanisms explaining the vulnerability to aggressions in newborns causing brain damage.