Maternal care modulates the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide through differences in glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity in the rat

Abstract

Early life adversity increases the risk for later infection. The febrile response is a potent mechanism to combat infection. We found that variations in maternal care influence the febrile response to 50µg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in adult male rats. Offspring from low-licking/grooming (LG) mothers had an increased febrile response compared to offspring from high-LG mothers challenged with LPS. Low-LG offspring had reduced plasma IL-6 at one and two hours post challenge compared to high-LG offspring. IL-6 gene expression in the anterior hypothalamus was induced following LPS challenge in low-LG offspring but not in high-LG offspring at two hours post challenge. Occupancy of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) to the IL-6 promoter region in the anterior hypothalamus was greater in low-LG offspring treated with LPS than in high-LG offspring. These findings suggest greater activation of thermoregulatory neurons in the anterior hypothalamus of low-LG compared to high-LG offspring following LPS challenge. Low-LG offspring had greater plasma corticosterone levels following LPS challenge and they had enhanced glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the spleen compared to high-LG offspring. Enhanced glucocorticoids and glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity associated with reduced IL-6 induction early post challenge in low-LG offspring. Challenge with RU-486 prior to LPS challenge eliminated differences in the febrile response between offspring of high and low-LG mothers. Individual differences in GR sensitivity may modulate differences in the febrile response to LPS challenge, exerting a long-term influence on the capacity to recover from infection.