GELIFES Seminars - Jocelien Olivier

Jocelien Olivier (GELIFES-NeuBio)

Mom's gut feeling

Antidepressant treatment and offspring brain development and behaviour

Serotonin plays a crucial role in early development in vertebrates. Perturbations of maternal milieu are conveyed to the embryo via placental interactions. In addition, about 90% of the body’s serotonin is synthesized in the gut. Gut microbiota control serotonergic transmission and is part of a complex bidirectional communication network between the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. Because the use of serotonergic antidepressant treatment (SSRI) during pregnancy is increasing, we investigated how fetal placenta and maternal microbiota adapt during pregnancy and lactation due to maternal SSRIs use and how this influences social behavioral outcome in the offspring. To have a translational approach “depressed” rats were treated with either SSRIs or placebo during pregnancy and lactation and maternal fecal samples were taken during this period to study microbiota composition and metabolites. I will discuss the maternal microbiome and metabolomics, placental gene expression and the behavioral outcome in the offspring.

Biosketch
Our translational animal research is focused on the neurodevelopmental outcomes due to early life alterations. Interactions between genes and the environment play an important role in the development of psychopathology. It is our main goal to address the developmental role of serotonin in developing psychopathology later in life using an advanced animal model for depression (serotonin transporter knockout rat). To address the fundamental issues that underlie alterations due to early life events, we attempt to identify molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations.

Link to seminar