Efeitos da administração da inulina sobre alterações comportamentais relacionadas a depressão, sociabilidade e memória em camundongos fêmeas filhas de mães tratadas com antígenos solúveis de toxoplasma gondii (STAg)

Abstract

Studies have increasingly shown the influence of the microbiota on mental health through neuronal, immune, and endocrine pathways, with several mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety being related to the composition of the microbiota. Maternal immune activation (MI) is an experimental model in which a challenge to the maternal immune system induces behavioral changes in the offspring. Prebiotics are non-digestible substrates that promote symbiosis by increasing beneficial microbiota, with potential use in treatments. This study aimed to investigate whether the induction of MI using soluble T. gondii antigens (STAg) in pregnant female mice of the C57BL/6 lineage causes depressive- type changes in offspring behavior and social behavior. The study also aimed to analyze whether inulin promotes neuroprotection in adult offspring through modulation of the microbiota. Pregnant females were injected with STAg to induce MI or PBS at E16. The pups were treated by gavage from P3 to P21, with the experimental groups being G1- mother received PBS; offspring water; G2- mother received PBS; inulin offspring; G3- mother received STAg; offspring water; G4- mother received STAg; inulin offspring. In adulthood (P60), behavioral tests were carried out: “Splash test” which assesses depressive-type behavior, and the Crawley Sociability Test and Preference for Social Novelty to assess social behavior. In the sociability test, animals in groups G1 and G2 spent more time interacting with the unknown animal than with the empty cage. In the other groups, there was no significant difference in interaction time. Regarding the preference for social novelty, only the G2 group showed a significant difference, with the animals spending more time interacting with the familiar animal than with the unfamiliar animal. For the splash test, we found a greater number of grooming in G4 animals compared to G2 and G4 compared to G3, demonstrating a possible neuroprotective effect of inulin.