Transcriptomic analyses and leukocyte telomere length measurement in subjects exposed to severe recent stressful life events

Stressful life events occurring in adulthood have been found able to affect mood and behavior, thus increasing the vulnerability for several stress-related psychiatric disorders. However, although there is plenty of clinical data supporting an association between stressful life events in adulthood and an enhanced vulnerability for psychopathology, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly investigated. Thus, in this study we performed peripheral/whole-genome transcriptomic analyses in blood samples obtained from 53 adult subjects characterized for recent stressful life events occurred within the previous 6 months. Transcriptomic data were analyzed using Partek Genomics Suite; pathway and network analyses were performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and GeneMANIA Software. We found 207 genes significantly differentially expressed in adult subjects who reported recent stressful life experiences (n=21) compared with those without such experiences (n=32). Moreover, the same subjects exposed to such stressful experiences showed a reduction in leukocyte telomere length. A correlation analyses between telomere length and transcriptomic data indicated an association between the exposures to recent stressful life events and the modulation of several pathways, mainly involved in immune-inflammatory-related processes and oxidative stress, such as natural killer cell signaling, interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling, MIF regulation of innate immunity and IL-6 signaling. Our data suggest an association between exposures to recent stressful life events in adulthood and alterations in the immune, inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways, which could be also involved in the negative effect of stressful life events on leukocyte telomere length. The modulation of these mechanisms may underlie the clinical association between the exposure to recent Stressful life events in adulthood and an enhanced vulnerability to develop psychiatric diseases in adulthood.

In the eye of the beholder: Assessing the water quality of shoreline parks around the Island of Montreal through citizen science

As a part of the FreshWater Watch project aiming to promote volunteers' water monitoring in 25 cities around the world, St. Lawrence River water quality was characterized at 28 public shoreline parks around Montreal Island, Quebec, Canada. This involved training of 69 citizen scientists by researchers of the Université de Montréal in five one-day sessions. Shoreline sampling yielded 174 data points over three summers (May 2013 to November 2015). Water turbidity, nitrate and phosphate concentrations were measured in situ, together with the thickness and type of beach-cast vegetation, and the relative abundance of different types of beach litter. Data generated by citizen scientists provided 1) an overview of the water quality of the St. Lawrence and Des Prairies rivers around the Island of Montreal, 2) an estimation of the quantity and types of beach-cast aquatic plants and filamentous algae, and 3) novel insights into the distribution of the nuisance cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei. Overall, half of the sites were classified as "good" being characterized by low turbidity, nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and little deposition of beach-cast vegetation. Lyngbya wollei was found at 57% of the sites, revealing a more frequent occurrence than initially anticipated. The amount of litter recorded along the shoreline was generally small, comprising items related to picnicking (cans/bottles), smoking, and fishing activities in most parks. Wind exposure and rain events explained a significant fraction of the variability in nutrient concentration and turbidity among sites and dates. Shoreline condition assessed from water quality and vegetation data from this study was not correlated, however, with the most serious problem of faecal coliform counts gathered by the City of Montreal. This assessment of the quality and utilization of shoreline parks provides additional information to support planning and management activities of municipalities.

Stress-induced mechanisms in mental illness: A role for glucocorticoid signalling

Stress represents the main environmental risk factor for mental illness. Exposure to stressful events, particularly early in life, has been associated with increased incidence and susceptibility of major depressive disorders as well as of other psychiatric illnesses. Among the key players in these events are glucocorticoid receptors. Dysfunctional glucocorticoid signalling may indeed contribute to psychopathology through a number of mechanisms that regulate the response to acute or chronic stress and that affect the function of genes and systems known to be relevant for mood disorders. Indeed, exposure to chronic stress early in life as well as in adulthood has been shown to reduce the expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), also through epigenetic mechanisms, and to up-regulate the expression of the co-chaperone gene FKBP5, which restrains GR activity by limiting the translocation of the receptor complex to the nucleus. Another mechanism that contributes to changes in GR responsiveness is the state of receptor phosphorylation that controls activation, subcellular localization as well as its transcriptional activity. Moreover, GR phosphorylation may represent an important mechanism for the cross talk between neurotrophic signalling and GR-dependent transcription, bridging two important players for mood disorders. One gene that lies downstream from GR and may contribute to stress-related changes is serum glucocorticoid kinase-1 (SGK1). We have demonstrated that the expression of SGK1 is significantly increased after exposure to chronic stress in rodents as well as in the blood of drug-free depressed patients. We have also shown that SGK1 up-regulation may ultimately reduce hippocampal neurogenesis and contribute to the structural abnormalities that have been reported to occur in depressed patients. In summary, GR signalling may represent a point of convergence as well as of divergence for defects associated with pathologic conditions characterized by heightened vulnerability to stress. The characterization of these abnormalities is crucial to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention that may counteract more effectively stress-induced neurobiological abnormalities.

Effectiveness of the Baby Friendly Community Initiative in Italy: a non-randomised controlled study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) on exclusive breast feeding at 6 months.

DESIGN

Controlled, non-randomised trial.

SETTING

18 Local Health Authorities in 9 regions of Italy.

PARTICIPANTS

5094 mother/infant dyads in 3 cohorts were followed up to 12 months after birth in 3 rounds of data collection: at baseline, after implementation of the intervention in the early intervention group and after implementation in the late intervention group. 689 (14%) dyads did not complete the study.

INTERVENTION

Implementation of the 7 steps of the BFCI.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The rate of exclusive breast feeding at 6 months was the primary outcome; breast feeding at discharge, 3 and 12 months was also measured.

RESULTS

The crude rates of exclusive breast feeding at discharge, 3 and 6 months, and of any breast feeding at 6 and 12 months increased at each round of data collection after baseline in the early and late intervention groups. At the end of the project, 10% of infants were exclusively breast fed at 6 months and 38% were continuing to breast feed at 12 months. However, the comparison by adjusted rates and logistic regression failed to show statistically significant differences between groups and rounds of data collection in the intention-to-treat analysis, as well as when compliance with the intervention and training coverage was taken into account.

CONCLUSIONS

The study failed to demonstrate an effect of the BFCI on the rates of breast feeding. This may be due, among other factors, to the time needed to observe an effect on breast feeding following this complex intervention.

Advertisements of follow-on formula and their perception by pregnant women and mothers in Italy

OBJECTIVE

To assess how follow-on formula milks for infants aged 6-12 months are presented to and understood by mothers.

DESIGN

A quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study including (1) an analysis of advertisements in three magazines for parents; (2) in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews to pregnant women on their perception of two advertisements for follow-on formula and (3) self-administered questionnaires for mothers to explore their exposure to and perception of formula advertisements.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty pregnant women 32-36 weeks of gestation with no previous children and 562 mothers of children <3 years old.

SETTING

Maternal and child health centres in eight cities of Italy.

RESULTS

Advertisements of formula (n=89) represented about 7% of all advertisements in the three magazines, the majority (58%) being for follow-on formula. Advertisements were parent-oriented, aimed at helping parents solve health problems of their babies or at eliciting good feelings, or both. The qualitative interviews to pregnant women showed inability to define the advertised products at first glance due to the ambiguity of the numeral 2 and the presumed age of the portrayed baby; this inability did not disappear after carefully viewing the advertisements and reading the text. When asked in the self-administered questionnaires whether they had ever come across advertisements of infant formula, 81% of mothers reported that they had, despite the legal inexistence of such advertisements, and 65% thought that it was for a product to be used from birth.

CONCLUSIONS

Advertisements of follow-on formula are perceived by pregnant women and mothers as promoting infant formula.

Ozone-initiated terpene reaction products in five European offices: replacement of a floor cleaning agent

Cleaning agents often emit terpenes that react rapidly with ozone. These ozone-initiated reactions, which occur in the gas-phase and on surfaces, produce a host of gaseous and particulate oxygenated compounds with possible adverse health effects in the eyes and airways. Within the European Union (EU) project OFFICAIR, common ozone-initiated reaction products were measured before and after the replacement of the regular floor cleaning agent with a preselected low emitting floor cleaning agent in four offices located in four EU countries. One reference office in a fifth country did not use any floor cleaning agent. Limonene, α-pinene, 3-carene, dihydromyrcenol, geraniol, linalool, and α-terpineol were targeted for measurement together with the common terpene oxidation products formaldehyde, 4-acetyl-1-methylcyclohexene (4-AMCH), 3-isopropenyl-6-oxo-heptanal (IPOH), 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one, (6-MHO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), and dihydrocarvone (DHC). Two-hour air samples on Tenax TA and DNPH cartridges were taken in the morning, noon, and in the afternoon and analyzed by thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and HPLC/UV analysis, respectively. Ozone was measured in all sites. All the regular cleaning agents emitted terpenes, mainly limonene and linalool. After the replacement of the cleaning agent, substantially lower concentrations of limonene and formaldehyde were observed. Some of the oxidation product concentrations, in particular that of 4-OPA, were also reduced in line with limonene. Maximum 2 h averaged concentrations of formaldehyde, 4-AMCH, 6-MHO, and IPOH would not give rise to acute eye irritation-related symptoms in office workers; similarly, 6-AMCH, DHC and 4-OPA would not result in airflow limitation to the airways.

Patterns of nutrients' intake at six months in the northeast of Italy: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Adequate complementary feeding is recognized as an important predictor of health later in life. The objective of this study was to describe the feeding practices and nutrients' intake, and their association with breastfeeding at six months of age, in a cohort of infants enrolled at birth in the maternity hospital of Trieste, Italy.

METHODS

Out of 400 infants enrolled at birth, 268 (67%) had complete data gathered through a 24-hour feeding diary on three separate days at six months, and two questionnaires administered at birth and at six months. Data from feeding diaries were used to estimate nutrients' intakes using the Italian food composition database included in the software. To estimate the quantity of breastmilk, information was gathered on the frequency and length of breastfeeds.

RESULTS

At six months, 70% of infants were breastfed and 94% were given complementary foods. The average daily caloric intake was higher in non-breastfed (723 Kcal) than in breastfed infants (547 Kcal, p < 0.001) due to energy provided by complementary foods (321 vs. 190 Kcal, p < 0.001) and milk (363 vs. 301 Kcal, p = 0.007). Non-breastfed infants had also higher intakes of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The mean intake of macronutrients was within recommended ranges in both groups, except for the higher protein intake in non-breastfed infants. These consumed significantly higher quantities of commercial baby foods than breastfed infants.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to what is recommended, 94% of infants were not exclusively breastfed and were given complementary foods at six months. The proportion of daily energy intake from complementary foods was around 50% higher than recommended and with significant differences between breastfed and non-breastfed infants, with possible consequences for future nutrition and health.

Ketamine: synaptogenesis, immunomodulation and glycogen synthase kinase-3 as underlying mechanisms of its antidepressant properties

Major depressive disorder is an extremely debilitating condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Nevertheless, currently available antidepressant medications still have important limitations, such as a low response rate and a time lag for treatment response that represent a significant problem when dealing with individuals who are vulnerable and prone to self-harm. Recent clinical trials have shown that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, ketamine, can induce an antidepressant response within hours, which lasts up to 2 weeks, and is effective even in treatment-resistant patients. Nonetheless, its use is limited due to its psychotomimetic and addictive properties. Understanding the molecular pathways through which ketamine exerts its antidepressant effects would help in the developing of novel antidepressant agents that do not evoke the same negative side effects of this drug. This review focuses specifically on the effects of ketamine on three molecular mechanisms that are relevant to depression: synaptogenesis, immunomodulation and regulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 activity.

Baby-friendly hospitals and cesarean section rate: a survey of Italian hospitals

BACKGROUND

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative aims at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. Cesarean section is known to represent an obstacle to breastfeeding. In this observational study we compared Baby-Friendly and non-Baby-Friendly hospitals (BFHs and non-BFHs, respectively) in terms of cesarean section rate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Italian BFHs were compared with non-BFHs located in the same regions. Data used for analysis were type of hospital, annual deliveries, annual cesarean section deliveries, region of location, and BFH status. The primary outcome was a cesarean section rate below a threshold specific for the identified regions; because of skewed distribution, the median rate was chosen. Descriptive and comparative univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out.

RESULTS

In 2009, in Italy, there were 20 BFHs located in eight regions. Compared with the 207 non-BFHs with more than 200 annual deliveries located in the same regions, BFHs had a cesarean section rate below the median of the eight regions (30.4%; interquartile range 14.6%), even after adjustment for confounders (adjusted odds ratio, 12.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.84, 87.72). In addition, being a public hospital, performing a higher number of deliveries, and being located in specific regions also predicted a cesarean section rate below the median. Overall, the regions with at least one BFH showed a lower cesarean section rate, compared with regions without BFHs.

DISCUSSION

In Italy there are few BFHs, but regions with at least one BFH show a cesarean section rate below the national median. Several factors impact on the cesarean section rate, causing huge variation among regions. Nevertheless, within the same region, BFHs have a lower cesarean section rate compared with non-BFHs.

A controlled study on baby-friendly communities in Italy: methods and baseline data

AIM

This study reports the research methods and baseline data of a project aimed at assessing the effect of an intervention based on the 7 Steps of the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) on the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months in Italy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In this controlled, nonrandomized study, nine Local Health Authorities were assigned to an early and nine to a late intervention group. Data on breastfeeding in infants followed up from birth to 12 months were gathered at baseline and in two subsequent rounds, after the 7 Steps were implemented in the early and late intervention groups, respectively. Step-down logistic regression analysis, corrected for the cluster effect, was used to compare breastfeeding rates between groups.

RESULTS

At baseline, there were no significant differences in breastfeeding rates at birth (n=1,781) and at 3 (n=1,854), 6 (n=1,601), and 12 (n=1,510; loss to follow-up, 15.2%) months between groups. At birth, 96% of mothers initiated breastfeeding, 72% exclusively (recall from birth). At 3 months, 77% of infants were breastfed, 54% exclusively with 24-hour and 46% with 7-day recall. At 6 months, the rate of any breastfeeding was 62%, with 10% and 7% exclusive breastfeeding with 24-hour and 7-day recall, respectively. At 12 months, 31% of the children continued to breastfeed.

CONCLUSIONS

The project is ongoing and will allow estimation of the effect of the BFCI.

Intrabodies for protein interference in Alzheimer’s disease

Several open questions call for new studies on pathogenic mechanisms leading to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), with the search for upstream drivers of the neurodegeneration cascade, such as neurotrophic deficits, early misfolding events of AD-related proteins (Abeta and tau) and understanding the multifactorial basis of AD pathogenesis. Since seminal immunosympathectomy experiment which represents the first example of a knock out experiment (albeit a protein knock-out), antibodies have had a long and successful history as a tool to selectively interfere with the function of proteins in cells and in organisms and antibody technologies represent a major weapon in the set of target validation techniques. Here, we describe a technology, pioneered by our group, based on recombinant antibody domains exploited as intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) whereby antibodies are used as genes, rather than as proteins. We discuss several applications and new promising developments of the intrabody approach for protein interference, especially in the field of AD research.

ProNGF\NGF imbalance triggers learning and memory deficits, neurodegeneration and spontaneous epileptic-like discharges in transgenic mice

ProNGF, the precursor of mature nerve growth factor (NGF), is the most abundant form of NGF in the brain. ProNGF and mature NGF differ significantly in their receptor interaction properties and in their bioactivity. ProNGF increases markedly in the cortex of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and proNGF\NGF imbalance has been postulated to play a role in neurodegeneration. However, a direct proof for a causal link between increased proNGF and AD neurodegeneration is lacking. In order to evaluate the consequences of increased levels of proNGF in the postnatal brain, transgenic mice expressing a furin cleavage-resistant form of proNGF, under the control of the neuron-specific mouse Thy1.2 promoter, were derived and characterized. Different transgenic lines displayed a phenotypic gradient of neurodegenerative severity features. We focused the analysis on the two lines TgproNGF#3 and TgproNGF#72, which shared learning and memory impairments in behavioral tests, cholinergic deficit and increased Aβ-peptide immunoreactivity. In addition, TgproNGF#3 mice developed Aβ oligomer immunoreactivity, as well as late diffuse astrocytosis. Both TgproNGF lines also display electrophysiological alterations related to spontaneous epileptic-like events. The results provide direct evidence that alterations in the proNGF/NGF balance in the adult brain can be an upstream driver of neurodegeneration, contributing to a circular loop linking alterations of proNGF/NGF equilibrium to excitatory/inhibitory synaptic imbalance and amyloid precursor protein (APP) dysmetabolism.