Effects of Assisted Reproductive Technologies on the Behavior and Brain Development in the Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

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Abstract

This study investigated the long-term effects of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), i.e. in vitro embryo culture and embryo transfer, on behavior and brain development in B6.Cg-Tg mice, a model of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Male offspring obtained using ART were compared with naturally conceived offspring. At six months of age, mice were assessed for anxiety in the elevated plus maze test; body and brain weights were measured as well. The results of the study demonstrated that naturally conceived B6.Cg-Tg mice exhibited lower anxiety levels and larger brain weights compared to wild-type mice. Using ART resulted in a decreased brain weight in B6.Cg-Tg offspring, as well as significantly decreased anxiety levels compared to the control groups. In wild-type C57BL/6 mice, ART did not cause significant changes in brain weight or anxiety levels. The results demonstrate effects of ART on behavior and brain development in offspring, particularly in those genetically predisposed to neurodegenerative diseases. These results demonstrate that further studies of the long-term effects of ART are warrant, particularly in the context of its impact on neurodevelopment and behavior, which has important medical implications.

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About the authors

I. N. Rozhkova

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

V. S. Kozeneva

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

E. Yu. Brusentsev

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

T. A. Rakhmanova

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

N. A. Shavshaeva

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

S. G. Afanasova

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

T. N. Igonina

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

S. V. Okotrub

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

V. A. Naprimerov

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

S. Ya. Amstislavsky

Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: amstis@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

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2. Fig. 1. Experimental design. ART - assisted reproductive technologies; B6.Cg-Tg mice - transgenic model of Parkinson's disease; C57BL/6 mice - C57BL/6 line, or wild type; C57BL CTL group - naturally-derived C57BL/6 males; B6. Cg-Tg CTL - naturally produced B6.Cg-Tg males; C57BL ET group - C57BL/6 males produced by ART; B6.Cg-Tg ET group - B6.Cg-Tg males produced by ART.

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3. Fig. 2. Body and brain weights of offspring obtained with and without reproductive technologies. * - p < 0.05 compared to C57BL CTL group, # - p < 0.05 compared to C57BL ET group, + - p < 0.05 compared to B6.Cg-Tg CTL group.

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