There are new discoveries that could help protect children from prenatal stress through a neuroprotective compound administered during pregnancy. The research from the University of Iowa and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is based on tests with mice, but experts say it could have a profound effect on humans.

Rachel Schroeder, a student in the UI Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, discovered the connection based on work done by UI Associate Professor of Psychiatry Hanna Stevens, MD, Ph.D., Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Ida P. Haller, and Morley-Mather Chair of Neuropsychiatry at Case Western Reserve University Andrew A. Pieper, MD, Ph.D.

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The data, published online this week in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, detailed the studies of how stress during pregnancy produces a long-lasting impact. This, in turn, can lead to neuropsychiatric impairment for offspring early in life and onward into adulthood. Another set of research led to the discovery of neuroprotective treatments, showcased by the pharmacologic agent, P7C3-A20, and has already shown an ability to protect adult brains from injury.

Schroeder worked in both labs during her graduate school career. This is what brought her to the realization that they could work in conjunction for a greater cause. She began investigating the potential reaction that P7C3-A20 could cause in protecting an embryonic brain from trauma in pregnancy. Rachel's research is the first of its kind to explore potential therapeutic properties of prenatal exposure with P7C3 compounds.

"Prenatal stress increases the risk for offspring to have neurodevelopmental problems," Schroeder explained in the published work . "We wanted to know whether the P7C3-A20 compound protected the embryonic brain from damage. Our results show that offspring are protected from the negative effects of stress when the mothers are treated with P7C3-A20 during the same time."

The results demonstrated that chronic prenatal stress within mice led to a disruption in the embryonic brain's NAD+-synthesis machinery. This then caused degeneration of nerve cell axons, eventual learning deficits, and even depression-like behavior into the subject's adulthood. Schroeder further showed that when prenatally-stressed pregnant mice had been treated with P7C3-A20, their offspring were protected from these negative results.

"By stabilizing critical NAD+-producing mechanisms, we enabled the developing embryonic brain to continue developing normally despite the stress," she detailed.

This study is a key piece of information for more than just prenatal development but for the prevention and treatment of adult issues before they become prevalent. It is a step forward to combat an issue before it becomes an issue, rather than dealing with the problems as they present themselves.

The issue was best summed up by Professor Hanna Stevens, as she said, "Neuropsychiatric problems are the most common chronic illnesses of young people, which means we need many more ways to protect the brain as it develops. Our lab is focused on mechanisms of brain development prenatally, a critical time when we could make a difference."

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Sources: Big News NetworkMedical Xpress