(193) Maternal Probiotic Supplementation Effects on the Placenta-Brain Axis

Maternal Probiotic Supplementation Effects on the Placenta-Brain Axis

Rosalind T.B. Herrington^1,2, David T. Ellenberger^1,3, Sarah E. Seda^1,4, Alyssa N. Lambert^1,4, Noah J. Lentz^1,4, and Cheryl S. Rosenfeld^1,5,6,7

¹Biomedical Sciences. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

²Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

³Microbiology, University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

⁴MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

⁵Department of Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

⁶Department of Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of 13 Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. USA

Abstract Text: Pregnant women face a myriad of mental and physical health problems with dramatic fluctuations in hormones, demands of the conceptus, and the general toll it takes on their bodies, including increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), other cardiometabolic disorders, stress, and depression. The rate of probiotic usage by pregnant women in the US and Canada ranges from 1.3 to 3.6 %. Probiotic supplements are available without a prescription and have gained currency in treating a variety of ailment ranging from reducing risk of constipation, diarrhea, other gastrointestinal conditions, eczema, pre-term birth, and prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and depression/anxiety. The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of probiotics refers to any “living microorganism that, when administered in adequate quantities, have a health benefit to the host”. Probiotics are consumed by individuals with the potential premise that beneficial bacteria colonize the host’s gut microbiome where the micro-organisms produce factors that yield advantageous health effects. Most of these supplements are comprised of two presumptive beneficial bacteria, Lactobacilli spp. and Bifidobacteria spp. While probiotic consumption might confer health benefits to pregnant mothers, it is uncertain how such supplements affect the fetus and placenta. Three possible mechanisms by which maternal probiotic supplementation might influence the placenta are through 1) directly impacting possible bacteria residing in the placenta (placenta microbiome), 2) altering bacterial metabolites produced by gut microbiota within the mother that induce placental changes, and 3) maternal probiotics might affect the composition of the bacteria within the maternal gut that affects her immune cells and their responses to the heterologous placenta. For the second potential mechanism, bacterial metabolites that might influence placenta include short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), polyamines (PAs), and Vitamins B9 (Folic Acid) and 12 (Cobalamin), among others. This project aims to determine the effects maternal probiotic supplementation in mice might have on the fetal placenta. The experimental group was provided a probiotic supplement daily through the drinking water, whereas controls did not receive this treatment. RNAseq is currently being performed on placental and fetal brain samples from male and female conceptuses from dams who received a probiotic supplement and controls. We are also in the process of analyzing short-chained fatty acid, polyamines, and other bacterial metabolites in the stool of probiotic and control dams, as well as in the placenta and fetal brain of male and female offspring to determine if probiotic-induced alterations in these metabolites might impact the placenta-brain axis. With the number of women taking over probiotic supplements increasing, further research is needed to determine how these bioactive agents may affect the placenta and health of the offspring. Current studies will address this critical issue and might help guide obstetricians as to whether they should advise or discourage their use in pregnant women.