Gestational Exposure to a Viral Mimetic Poly(I-C) Results in Long-Lasting Changes in Mitochondrial Function by Leucocytes in the Adult Offspring

Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a potential risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ). The present study reports for the first time that MIA activation by poly(I:C) at early gestation, which can lead to behavioral impairments in the offspring similar to SZ and ASD, leads to long-lasting effects in the bioenergetics of splenocytes of adult offspring.

Abstract. Mediators of inflammation 2013; 2013():609602