Abstract WP237: Maternal Dietary Choline Deficiencies During Pregnancy And Lactation Reduce Cerebral Blood Flow In 3-month-old Female Mice Offspring Following Ischemic Stroke To The Sensorimotor Cortex

A maternal diet that provides adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation is vital to the neurodevelopment of offspring. One-carbon metabolism plays an important role in the closure of the neural tube of the developing embryo; however, the impact of maternal one-carbon dietary deficiencies on offspring neurological function later in life remains relatively unknown. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death globally, and its prevalence is expected to increase in younger age groups as the incidence of various risk factors for stroke increases. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of maternal nutritional deficiencies on cerebral flow and peripheral hemodynamics after ischemic stroke in adult offspring. Adult female C57BL/6J mice were placed on either control (CD), choline (ChDD) or folic acid (FADD) deficient diets for four weeks to deplete stores prior to mating and were maintained on the assigned diet during pregnancy and lactation. Female offspring were weaned on to a CD for the duration of the study. Ischemic stroke was induced in the sensorimotor cortex of 2- and 10-month-old female offspring using the photothrombosis model. Six weeks after induction of stroke, cerebral and peripheral blood flow was measured using the Vevo2100 Pulse Wave Doppler tracing modality. Three and half-month-old female offspring from a ChDD mothers had reduced blood flow in the posterior cerebral artery compared to CD mice, this effect disappeared in 11.5-month-old offspring. In 11.5-month-old females we observed changes in peripheral hemodynamics, but not in young animals. The findings of our study suggest that a maternal dietary deficiency in choline results in reduced blood flow in adult female offspring after ischemic stroke, but the long-term effects are not present. This result points to the key role of the maternal diet in early life neuro-programming, while emphasizing its effects on both fetal development and long-term cerebrovascular health.