Dietary Glucoraphanin Prevents the Onset of Psychosis in Adult Offspring After Maternal Immune Activation

In the study from February 2018, researchers found that dietary glucoraphanin (GF), a precursor to the antioxidant sulforaphane, when consumed during juvenile and adolescent stages, could prevent cognitive deficits and the loss of parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex of adult offspring following maternal immune activation (MIA). MIA was shown to cause abnormal expression of centrosome-related genes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which was improved by GF intake. Specifically, MIA increased the expression of Sfi1 mRNA, which was prevented by GF consumption. The study also noted altered expression of SFI1 in the brains and hair follicle cells of schizophrenia patients. These findings suggest that centrosome-related genes may be involved in the development of psychosis following MIA and that consuming GF-rich vegetables might prevent the onset of psychosis in individuals at high risk. The number of participants or subjects used in the study was not provided in the summary.