AUTHOR=Ishida Eri , Furusho Hisako , Renn Ting-Yi , Shiba Fumie , Chang Hung-Ming , Oue Hiroshi , Terayama Ryuji , Ago Yukio , Tsuga Kazuhiro , Miyauchi Mutsumi 

TITLE=Mouse maternal odontogenic infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis induces cognitive decline in offspring

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1203894

DOI=10.3389/fped.2023.1203894

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Porphyromonas gingivalis</italic> (<italic>P. gingivalis</italic>), a major periodontal pathogen, causes intrauterine infection/inflammation. Offspring exposed to intrauterine infection/inflammation have an increased risk of neurological disorders, regardless of gestational age. However, the relationship between maternal periodontitis and offspring functional/histological changes in the brain has not yet been elucidated.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In this study, we used a gestational mouse model to investigate the effects of maternal odontogenic infection of <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> on offspring behavior and brain tissue.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The step-through passive avoidance test showed that the latency of the acquisition trial was significantly shorter in the <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05), but no difference in spontaneous motor/exploratory parameters by open-field test. <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> was diffusely distributed throughout the brain, especially in the hippocampus. In the hippocampus and amygdala, the numbers of neuron cells and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein-positive cells were significantly reduced (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05), whereas the number of ionized calcium binding adapter protein 1-positive microglia was significantly increased (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05). In the hippocampus, the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes was also significantly increased (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>The offspring of <italic>P. gingivalis</italic>-infected mothers have reduced cognitive function. Neurodegeneration/neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and amygdala may be caused by <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> infection, which is maternally transmitted. The importance of eliminating maternal <italic>P. gingivalis</italic>-odontogenic infection before or during gestation in maintenance healthy brain function in offspring should be addressed in near future.</p></sec>