Defective Hippocampal Primary Ciliary Function and Aberrant LKB1/AMPK Signaling Pathway Are Associated With the Inhibition of Autophagic Activity in Offspring Born to Mothers of Advanced Maternal Age

Abstract

Advanced maternal age (AMA) negatively influences the development and cognitive functions of offspring. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. As hippocampal autophagy and primary cilia play a crucial role in learning and memory abilities, this study aimed to investigate the effects of AMA on hippocampal autophagy and primary cilia, and to explore their relationship with the changes of LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway in offspring rats. The whole brains and hippocampus of offspring born to 12‐month‐old (AMA) and 3‐month‐old (control) Sprague–Dawley (SD) female rats were collected on post‐natal days (P) 14, 28, and 60. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to count the number of autophagosomes. The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and Western blotting were used to quantify gene expression, and immunofluorescence was used to measure primary cilia. The results revealed that autophagic activity was inhibited from childhood to adulthood in the AMA group. Furthermore, in the early developmental stage, primary ciliogenesis and growth in the hippocampus in the AMA group were impaired, with astrocytes being more severely affected. In addition, the AMA group exhibited an abnormal activation of the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, in offspring born to mothers of AMA, impaired hippocampal primary ciliary function and aberrant activation of the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway are associated with inhibited autophagic activity.