Chemerin is highly expressed in the serum, placenta tissue, and umbilical cord blood of diabetic mother; however, the impact of chemerin on cognitive disorders of offspring from mothers with diabetes in pregnancy remains unclear.

A diabetic phenotype in pregnant mice dams was induced by streptozocin (STZ) injection or intraperitoneal injection of chemerin. Behavioral changes in offspring of diabetic dams and nondiabetic controls were assessed, and changes in chemerin, two receptors of chemerin [chemerin receptor 23 (ChemR23) and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor-like 2 (CCRL2)], macrophages, and neurons in the brain tissue were studied to reveal the underlying mechanism of the behavioral changes.

Chemerin treatment mimicked the STZ-induced symptom of maternal diabetes in mice along with the altered behavior of offspring in the open field test (OFT) assay. In the exploring process for potential mechanism, the brain tissues of offspring from chemerin-treated dams were observed with an increase level of macrophage infiltration and a decrease number of neuron cells. Moreover, an increased level of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and apoptosis-associated speck-like (Asc) protein as well as pyroptosis [characterized by increased active caspase-1 content and secretion of cytokines such as interleukin (IL) 1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-18] more activated in macrophages is also observed in the brain of these diabetic dam’s offspring, in the presence of ChemR23. In vitro, it was found that pyroptosis activation was increased in macrophages separated from the abdominal cavity of normal mice, after chemerin treatment. However, depletion of CCRL2 decreased the level of chemerin in the brain tissues of diabetic dams’ offspring; depletion of ChemR23 decreased macrophage pyroptosis, and depletion of either receptor reversed chemerin-mediated neurodevelopmental deficits and cognitive impairment of offspring of diabetic pregnant dams.

Chemerin induced diabetic pregnant disease and CCRL2 were required to enrich chemerin in the brain of offspring. Aggregation of chemerin could lead to macrophage recruitment, activation of pyroptosis, the release of inflammatory cytokines, a decrease in the number of neurons, and cognitive impairment in offspring in a ChemR23-dependent manner. Targeting CCRL2 and/or ChemR23 could be useful for treating neuropsychological deficits in offspring of dams with diabetes in pregnancy.