Abstract #1260

Do Maternally Produced Cytokines Contribute to Fetal Neuroinflammation? MR Perspectives

Sylvie Girard¹, Luc Tremblay², Melanie Archambault², Guillaume Sebire¹, Martin Lepage²

¹Dept of Pediatrics, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada; ²Sherbrooke Molecular Imaging Center and Dept of Nuclear Medecine and Radiobiology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada

Perinatal brain damages are thought to be induced by hypoxia-ischemia and/or infections, mainly through their activation of inflammatory pathways and cytokines production. Using an animal model of uterine inflammation leading to neonatal brain damages, we studied the potential materno-fetal transfer of cytokines. In vivo contrast-enhanced MRI studies showed that the inflammation leads to a decreased placental perfusion combined to the transfer of the contrast agent to the fetus. Those results were confirmed by histological analysis of the placentas and the use of radiolabeled cytokine. This suggest that both dam and newborn should be targeted by neuroprotective anti-inflammatory treatment.