Prenatal activation of maternal TLR3 receptors by viral-mimetic poly(I:C) modifies GluN2B expression in embryos and sonic hedgehog in offspring in the absence of kynurenine pathway activation

Activation of the immune system during pregnancy is believed to lead to psychiatric and neurological disorders in the offspring, but the molecular changes responsible are unknown. Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) is a viral-mimetic double-stranded RNA complex which activates Toll-Like-Receptor-3 and can activate the metabolism of tryptophan through the oxidative kynurenine pathway to co…