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Maternal diet-induced inflammation alters fetal serotonin levels and offspring behavior

A maternal high-fat diet (mHFD) alters behavior in offspring in a sex-specific manner. We demonstrate that mHFD increases endotoxin levels in fetal tissues and decreases long-term serotonin bioavailability in male offspring owing to removal of serotonin neurons by microglia in the embryonic brain.

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Fig. 1: Decreased fetal brain 5-HT levels in mice and humans in response to maternal high-fat diet.

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This is a summary of: Ceasrine, A. M. et al. Maternal diet disrupts the placenta–brain axis in a sex-specific manner. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00693-8 (2022)

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Maternal diet-induced inflammation alters fetal serotonin levels and offspring behavior. Nat Metab 4, 1630–1631 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00696-5

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