Low or high dose of kynurenine (KYN) administration significantly
increased the levels of tryptophan (TRP) metabolites in maternal serum,
placenta, fetal plasma and brain. We measured TRP metabolites 90 minutes
after final intraperitoneal injection in pregnant mice on embryonic day
18.5 (E18.5) with either PBS (vehicle), low (100 mg/kg), or high
(300 mg/kg) dose of kynurenine (KYN). The concentrations of TRP, KYN,
kynurenic acid (KYNA) and the ratio of KYN/TRP in maternal serum (a)
(N = 6-8), placenta (b) (N = 11-16, 3 independent experiments), fetal
plasma (c) (N = 4-5 pooled plasma per group), and fetal brain region of
subpallium (d) and pallium (e) (N = 22-30, 3 independent experiments).
Data are presented as means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). One-way
analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison
test, *P < .05, **P < .01,
***P < .001, ****P < .0001,
versus + PBS mice, #P < .05,
##P < .01,
###P < .001,
####P < .0001, versus + KYN 100 mg/kg
mice.