1
|
Martinez GJ, Appleton M, Kipp ZA, Loria AS, Min B, Hinds TD. Glucocorticoids, their uses, sexual dimorphisms, and diseases: new concepts, mechanisms, and discoveries. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:473-532. [PMID: 37732829 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00021.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The normal stress response in humans is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis through heightened mechanisms during stress, raising blood levels of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol. Glucocorticoids are quintessential compounds that balance the proper functioning of numerous systems in the mammalian body. They are also generated synthetically and are the preeminent therapy for inflammatory diseases. They act by binding to the nuclear receptor transcription factor glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which has two main isoforms (GRα and GRβ). Our classical understanding of glucocorticoid signaling is from the GRα isoform, which binds the hormone, whereas GRβ has no known ligands. With glucocorticoids being involved in many physiological and cellular processes, even small disruptions in their release via the HPA axis, or changes in GR isoform expression, can have dire ramifications on health. Long-term chronic glucocorticoid therapy can lead to a glucocorticoid-resistant state, and we deliberate how this impacts disease treatment. Chronic glucocorticoid treatment can lead to noticeable side effects such as weight gain, adiposity, diabetes, and others that we discuss in detail. There are sexually dimorphic responses to glucocorticoids, and women tend to have a more hyperresponsive HPA axis than men. This review summarizes our understanding of glucocorticoids and critically analyzes the GR isoforms and their beneficial and deleterious mechanisms and the sexual differences that cause a dichotomy in responses. We also discuss the future of glucocorticoid therapy and propose a new concept of dual GR isoform agonist and postulate why activating both isoforms may prevent glucocorticoid resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genesee J Martinez
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Malik Appleton
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Zachary A Kipp
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Analia S Loria
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Booki Min
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Terry D Hinds
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Myers AM, Bowen SE, Brummelte S. Maternal care behavior and physiology moderate offspring outcomes following gestational exposure to opioids. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22433. [PMID: 38010303 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has resulted in a drastic increase in gestational exposure to opioids. Opioid-dependent pregnant women are typically prescribed medications for opioid use disorders ("MOUD"; e.g., buprenorphine [BUP]) to mitigate the harmful effects of abused opioids. However, the consequences of exposure to synthetic opioids, particularly BUP, during gestation on fetal neurodevelopment and long-term outcomes are poorly understood. Further, despite the known adverse effects of opioids on maternal care, many preclinical and clinical studies investigating the effects of gestational opioid exposure on offspring outcomes fail to report on maternal care behaviors. Considering that offspring outcomes are heavily dependent upon the quality of maternal care, it is important to evaluate the effects of gestational opioid exposure in the context of the mother-infant dyad. This review compares offspring outcomes after prenatal opioid exposure and after reduced maternal care and integrates this information to potentially identify common underlying mechanisms. We explore whether adverse outcomes after gestational BUP exposure are due to direct effects of opioids in utero, deficits in maternal care, or a combination of both factors. Finally, suggestions for improving preclinical models of prenatal opioid exposure are provided to promote more translational studies that can help to improve clinical outcomes for opioid-dependent mothers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Myers
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Scott E Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Farber C, Renteria K, Ritter J, Muraida JD, Rivers C, McKenzie A, Zhu J, Koh GY, Lane MA. Comparison of maternal versus postweaning ingestion of a high fat, high sucrose diet on depression-related behavior, novelty reactivity, and corticosterone levels in young, adult rat offspring. Behav Brain Res 2023; 455:114677. [PMID: 37734488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of a Western-type diet, high in fat and sugar, by mothers as well as maternal weight gain and obesity during gestation and lactation may impact offspring risk for mood and cognitive disorders. The objective of this study was to determine if ingestion of a high fat, high sucrose (HFS) diet by rat dams during gestation and lactation or by their pups after weaning impacted these behaviors and stress responsivity in young, adult offspring. To accomplish this, dams consumed either a 45% fat/high sucrose (HFS) diet or the AIN93G control diet during gestation and lactation. At weaning, pups from dams that consumed the HFS diet were weaned to the control diet. Pups from dams assigned to the control diet were weaned to either the control or HFS diet. Pup behavioral testing began at 10 weeks of age. Pups whose dams consumed the HFS diet during gestation and lactation exhibited increased depression-related behavior and baseline serum corticosterone levels, but no difference in peak levels in response to stress. Male pups of these dams displayed increased working memory during acquisition of the holeboard task and tended to exhibit more anxiety-related behavior in the elevated O-maze test. Regardless of when consumed, the HFS diet increased novelty reactivity in the open field test. These data indicate that diet but not maternal weight gain during gestation impacts offspring behavior and elevates stress hormone levels. Also, regardless of when consumed, the HFS diet increases novelty reactivity, a risk factor for depression and addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Farber
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Karisa Renteria
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Jordan Ritter
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - J D Muraida
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Carley Rivers
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Avery McKenzie
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Jie Zhu
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Gar Yee Koh
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
| | - Michelle A Lane
- Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yong R, Chai H, Ran L, Li Y, An B. Depression in the next generation is related with maternal behaviors: A cross-comparison by alternating rat's mother care. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291952. [PMID: 37733756 PMCID: PMC10513200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the potential impacts of depressive rats' maternal behavior as an early life stress on the outcome of offspring as an adulthood. Offspring from the same mother were divided into two groups, half of them were fostered or remained by a depressive mother, and the other half remained or fostered by a control mother, respectively. The results showed that offspring fostered by depressive mothers presented significant depressive behaviors. Meanwhile, depressive mothers engaged in more grooming during the light cycle, but less off-the-pup behavior during the dark phase. In conclusion, offspring exposed to a postnatal depressive maternal environment developed a depressive-like behavior. Contrarily, postpartum maternal behaviors play an essential role, which might determine the outcome of the next generation. Furthermore, the appropriate timing of postpartum maternal caring sequences, which might eliminate prenatal stressful influences, was recognized and might be a promising approach for reducing children's predisposition to mental disorders in their life time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Yong
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxia Chai
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lei Ran
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bei An
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Léger DS, Luengo GS. The human touch: A connected neuro-cellular skin-brain network. Skin Res Technol 2023; 29:e13278. [PMID: 37113087 PMCID: PMC10234176 DOI: 10.1111/srt.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
|
6
|
Walker SC, Cavieres A, Peñaloza-Sancho V, El-Deredy W, McGlone FP, Dagnino-Subiabre A. C-low threshold mechanoafferent targeted dynamic touch modulates stress resilience in rats exposed to chronic mild stress. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:2925-2938. [PMID: 32852872 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Affiliative tactile interactions buffer social mammals against neurobiological and behavioral effects of stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the cutaneous mechanisms underlying such beneficial consequences of touch by determining whether daily stroking, specifically targeted to activate a velocity/force tuned class of low-threshold c-fiber mechanoreceptor (CLTM), confers resilience against established markers of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS). Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to 2 weeks of CMS. Throughout the CMS protocol, some rats were stroked daily, either at CLTM optimal velocity (5 cm/s) or outside the CLTM optimal range (30 cm/s). A third CMS exposed group did not receive any tactile stimulation. The effect of CMS on serum corticosterone levels, anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in these three groups was assessed in comparison to a control group of non-CMS exposed rats. While stroking did not mitigate the effects of CMS on body weight gain, CLTM optimal velocity stroking did significantly reduce CMS-induced elevations in corticosterone following an acute forced-swim. Rats receiving CLTM optimal stroking also showed significantly fewer anxiety-like behaviors (elevated plus-maze) than the other CMS exposed rats. In terms of depressive-like behavior, whereas the same velocity-specific resilience was observed in a forced-swim test and social interaction test both groups of stroked rats spent significantly less time interacting than control rats, though they also spent significantly less time in the corner than non-stroked CMS rats. Together, these findings support the theory CLTMs play a functional role in regulating the physiological condition of the body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susannah C Walker
- Research Centre for Brain & Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Antonia Cavieres
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Center for Integrative Neurobiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Valentín Peñaloza-Sancho
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Center for Integrative Neurobiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Center for Research and Development in Health Engineering, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Francis P McGlone
- Research Centre for Brain & Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alexies Dagnino-Subiabre
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Center for Integrative Neurobiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Trotter PD, Smith SA, Moore DJ, O’Sullivan N, McFarquhar MM, McGlone FP, Walker SC. Acute tryptophan depletion alters affective touch perception. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2771-2785. [PMID: 35554625 PMCID: PMC9385795 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Affiliative tactile interactions help regulate physiological arousal and confer resilience to acute and chronic stress. C-tactile afferents (CTs) are a population of unmyelinated, low threshold mechanosensitive cutaneous nerve fibres which respond optimally to a low force stimulus, moving at between 1 and 10 cm/s. As CT firing frequencies correlate positively with subjective ratings of touch pleasantness, they are hypothesised to form the first stage of encoding affiliative tactile interactions. Serotonin is a key modulator of social responses with known effects on bonding. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of acutely lowering central serotonin levels on perceptions of CT-targeted affective touch. METHODS In a double blind, placebo-controlled design, the effect of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on 25 female participants' ratings of directly and vicariously experienced touch was investigated. Psychophysical techniques were used to deliver dynamic tactile stimuli; some velocities were targeted to optimally activate CTs (1-10 cm/s), whereas other, faster and slower strokes fell outside the CT optimal range. Discriminative tactile function, cold pain threshold and tolerance were also measured. RESULTS ATD significantly increased pleasantness ratings of both directly and vicariously experienced affective touch, increasing discrimination of the specific hedonic value of CT targeted velocities. While ATD had no effect on either tactile or cold pain thresholds, there was a trend for reduced tolerance to cold pain. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with previous reports that depletion of central serotonin levels modulates neural and behavioural responsiveness to appetitive sensory signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula D. Trotter
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sharon A. Smith
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - David J. Moore
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Martyn M. McFarquhar
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Francis P. McGlone
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK ,Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Susannah C. Walker
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Van Puyvelde M, Staring L, Schaffers J, Rivas-Smits C, Groenendijk L, Smeyers L, Collette L, Schoofs A, Van den Bossche N, McGlone F. Why do we hunger for touch? The impact of daily gentle touch stimulation on maternal-infant physiological and behavioral regulation and resilience. Infant Ment Health J 2021; 42:823-838. [PMID: 34752649 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We report the impact of a Gentle Touch Stimulation (GTS) program. Forty-three mothers provided daily 10-min GTS with C-tactile (CT) afferent optimal stroking touch, for 4 weeks to their 3-12 weeks old infants. CT-afferents are cutaneous unmyelinated, low-threshold mechanosensitive nerves hypothesized to underly the regulatory impact of affective touch. We compared physiological and behavioral responses during a no-touch-baseline (BL), static-touch-baseline (BL-T), intervention/control (GTS/CTRL), Still Face (SF) and Reunion (RU) condition for GTS-infants versus a control-group (CTRL) at the start (T1) and end of (T2) of the program. We collected mother-infant ECG, respiration, cortisol, video-recordings, and diary-reports. At T1, physiological arousal significantly increased during SF in both groups, that is, decreased respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and R-R interval (RRI). At T2, GTS-infants showed significantly increased RSA, RRI, decreased respiration during GTS, buffering SF-arousal and allowing complete recovery during RU; CTRL-infants showed higher SF-arousal and small recovery, under initial BL-levels. Maternal cardio-respiratory showed a metabolic investment during RU. Cortisol and behavioral analyses showed higher arousal in CTRL-infants than GTS-infants at T2. We suggest that the combination of phasic short-term and tonic long-term responses to CT-optimal stroking touch, delivered in a structured daily manner, contribute to the building of infant stress regulation and resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martine Van Puyvelde
- VIPER Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium.,Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Louise Staring
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jana Schaffers
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cristina Rivas-Smits
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leysa Groenendijk
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laura Smeyers
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Collette
- Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anneke Schoofs
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nora Van den Bossche
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical & Lifespan Psychology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francis McGlone
- School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Popescu A, Marian M, Drăgoi AM, Costea RV. Understanding the genetics and neurobiological pathways behind addiction (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:544. [PMID: 33815617 PMCID: PMC8014976 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.9976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis issued by modern medicine states that many diseases known to humans are genetically determined, influenced or not by environmental factors, which is applicable to most psychiatric disorders as well. This article focuses on two pending questions regarding addiction: Why do some individuals become addicted while others do not? along with Is it a learned behavior or is it genetically predefined? Recent data suggest that addiction is more than repeated exposure, it is the synchronicity between intrinsic factors (genotype, sex, age, preexisting addictive disorder, or other mental illness), extrinsic factors (childhood, level of education, socioeconomic status, social support, entourage, drug availability) and the nature of the addictive agent (pharmacokinetics, path of administration, psychoactive properties). The dopamine-mesolimbic motivation-reward-reinforcement cycle remains the most coherent physiological theory in addiction. While the common property of addictive substances is that they are dopamine-agonists, each class has individual mechanisms, pharmacokinetics and psychoactive potentials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Popescu
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Maria Marian
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Miruna Drăgoi
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radu-Virgil Costea
- Department of General Surgery, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Feola B, Dougherty LR, Riggins T, Bolger DJ. Prefrontal cortical thickness mediates the association between cortisol reactivity and executive function in childhood. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107636. [PMID: 33045229 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress hormones, such as cortisol, on the brain is proposed to contribute to differences in executive function of school-age children from impoverished backgrounds. However, the association between cortisol reactivity, prefrontal cortex, and executive function is relatively unexplored in young children. The current longitudinal study examined whether 63 children's early preschool-age (3-5 years, Time 1) and concurrent school-age (5-9 years, Time 2) salivary cortisol reactivity were associated with executive function and prefrontal cortical thickness at school-age. Two measures of cortisol reactivity were calculated: area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg; total cortisol release) and with respect to increase (AUCi; total change in cortisol). Results demonstrated that Time 2 total cortisol release was negatively associated with executive function, Time 1 total cortisol release positively related to right middle frontal cortical thickness, and Time 2 total cortisol change was negatively associated with right inferior frontal cortical thickness. Moreover, greater right middle frontal cortical thickness mediated the association between greater Time 1 total cortisol release and lower executive function. This study provides support for an early adversity framework in which individual differences in executive function in childhood are directly related to the variations of cortisol-release and the effects on the prefrontal cortex thickness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandee Feola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA; Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, USA.
| | - Lea R Dougherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Donald J Bolger
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Scarna H. Genesis of the Heroin-Induced Addictive Process: Articulation Between Psychodynamic and Neurobiological Theories. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:524764. [PMID: 33362589 PMCID: PMC7755881 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.524764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychotherapeutic consultations of drug addict's patients in a Care, Support and Prevention Center in Addictology led us to propose several hypotheses on the genesis of addiction and its articulation with currently available neurobiological data. This care center dispenses both pharmacological maintenance medications for heroin dependence, such as methadone or buprenorphine, and psychological support. Our first hypothesis posits that the addictive process is driven by the narcissistic vulnerability of these patients, its neurobiological foundations being mainly mediated by the activation of endogenous opioid systems. Drug use/abuse could be a way to make arise the "True Self," therefore overcoming the defensive system's set up to protect oneself from early traumas. The neurobiological impact of traumas is also developed and articulated with psychodynamic concepts, particularly those of Winnicott. Additionally, functions of addiction such as defensive, anti-depressant roles and emotional regulation are discussed in relationship with their currently known neuroscientific bases. Although the experience in the psychodynamic clinic is at a level of complexity much higher than what is currently accessible to the neurosciences, most of the research in this domain stays in line with our psychological understanding of the addictive process. Finally, we outline some critically sensitive points regarding the therapeutic support.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Scarna
- Centre de Recherche en Psychopathologie et Psychologie Clinique, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France.,Laboratoire de Psychologie EA 3188, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France.,Centre de Soin, d'Accompagnement et de Prévention en Addictologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lezama-García K, Mariti C, Mota-Rojas D, Martínez-Burnes J, Barrios-García H, Gazzano A. Maternal behaviour in domestic dogs. Int J Vet Sci Med 2019; 7:20-30. [PMID: 31620484 PMCID: PMC6776987 DOI: 10.1080/23144599.2019.1641899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian parental care, in most of the cases, is given by the female, who provides food, warmth, and protection. In domestic dogs, maternal behaviour shown by the dam mainly consists of contact, nursing, grooming/licking, play, punishment, thermoregulation, and motion. Peer-reviewed literature published between 1952 and 2018 was retrieved from CAB Abstracts, PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and book chapters. Keywords for this search included the following terms: behaviour, bonding, altricial, precocial, offspring, maternal, whelping, nursing, domestic dogs, female dog, aggression, puppies, anogenital licking. In this review, we reported and discussed scientific information about maternal behaviour in domestic bitches, comparing altricial vs precocial species; the importance of the bonding, grooming/licking and nursing, and their impacts on puppies' behaviour; altered maternal behaviours such as aggression, cannibalism, rejection, and also the relation between hormones and maternal care behaviours. We concluded that the level of interactions between the dam and the puppies influences the physiological, cognitive and behavioural development of the litter, and the main hormones in the bitch for inducing maternal care behaviours are estradiol, oxytocin, prolactin and progesterone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Chiara Mariti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Graduate and Research Department, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria, Mexico
| | - Hugo Barrios-García
- Graduate and Research Department, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria, Mexico
| | - Angelo Gazzano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Yam K, Schipper L, Reemst K, Ruigrok SR, Abbink MR, Hoeijmakers L, Naninck EFG, Zarekiani P, Oosting A, Van Der Beek EM, Lucassen PJ, Korosi A. Increasing availability of ω‐3 fatty acid in the early‐life diet prevents the early‐life stress‐induced cognitive impairments without affecting metabolic alterations. FASEB J 2019; 33:5729-5740. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802297r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kit‐Yi Yam
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Kitty Reemst
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Silvie R. Ruigrok
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Maralinde R. Abbink
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Lianne Hoeijmakers
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Eva F. G. Naninck
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Parand Zarekiani
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Eline M. Van Der Beek
- Danone Nutricia Research Utrecht The Netherlands
- Department of PediatricsUniversity Medical Centre GroningenUniversity of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Centre for NeuroscienceSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Blankenship SL, Chad-Friedman E, Riggins T, Dougherty LR. Early parenting predicts hippocampal subregion volume via stress reactivity in childhood. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:125-140. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology; University of Maryland; College Park Maryland
| | - Lea R. Dougherty
- Department of Psychology; University of Maryland; College Park Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Xu H, Ye Y, Hao Y, Shi F, Yan Z, Yuan G, Yang Y, Fei Z, He X. Sex differences in associations between maternal deprivation and alterations in hippocampal calcium-binding proteins and cognitive functions in rats. Behav Brain Funct 2018; 14:10. [PMID: 29759084 PMCID: PMC5952636 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-018-0142-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Adverse early-life experiences have been suggested as one of the key contributors to neurodevelopmental disorders, such that these experiences influence brain development, cognitive ability and mental health. Previous studies indicated that hippocampal levels of the calcium-binding proteins calretinin (CALR) and calbindin-D28k (CALB) changed in response to maternal deprivation (MD), a model for adverse early-life experiences. We investigated the effects of MD on hippocampal CALR and CALB protein levels and cognitive behaviors, and explored whether these effects were sex-related. Methods From postnatal day 2 (PND-2) to PND-14, rat pups in the MD group were separated from their mothers for 3 h/day for comparison with pups raised normally (control). To determine hippocampal CALR and CALB levels, fluorescent immunostaining of hippocampal sections and Western blot analysis of hippocampal tissues were employed at various timepoints (PND-21, -25, -30, -35 and -40). Behavioral and cognitive changes were determined by open field test (PND-21) and Morris water maze (PND-25). Results Western blot analysis showed changes in the hippocampal CALR and CALB levels in both male and female MD groups, compared with controls. The open field test showed reduced exploration only in male MD groups but not female MD groups. The Morris water maze tests indicated that MD caused spatial memory impairment both in male and female rats, but there was a sex difference in CALR and CALB levels. Conclusions Male rats are relatively more vulnerable to MD stress than female rats, but both male and female rats demonstrate spatial learning impairment after exposure to MD stress. Sex difference in CALR and CALB levels may reveal the different mechanisms behind the behavioral observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuqin Ye
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yelu Hao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fei Shi
- Faculty of Space and Aviation, Fourth Military Medicine University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guohao Yuan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuefan Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhou Fei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Xiaosheng He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Di Segni M, Andolina D, Ventura R. Long-term effects of early environment on the brain: Lesson from rodent models. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 77:81-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
17
|
Abstract
Altricial infants (i.e., requiring parental care for survival), such as humans and rats, form an attachment to their caregiver and receive the nurturing and protections needed for survival. Learning has a strong role in attachment, as is illustrated by strong attachment formed to non-biological caregivers of either sex. Here we summarize and integrate results from animal and human infant attachment research that highlights the important role of social buffering (social presence) of the stress response by the attachment figure and its effect on infant processing of threat and fear through modulation of the amygdala. Indeed, this work suggests the caregiver switches off amygdala function in rodents, although recent human research suggests a similar process in humans and nonhuman primates. This cross-species analysis helps provide insight and unique understanding of attachment and its role in the neurobiology of infant behavior within attachment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Child Study Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Spencer RL, Deak T. A users guide to HPA axis research. Physiol Behav 2016; 178:43-65. [PMID: 27871862 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol and corticosterone - CORT) are the effector hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis neuroendocrine system. CORT is a systemic intercellular signal whose level predictably varies with time of day and dynamically increases with environmental and psychological stressors. This hormonal signal is utilized by virtually every cell and physiological system of the body to optimize performance according to circadian, environmental and physiological demands. Disturbances in normal HPA axis activity profiles are associated with a wide variety of physiological and mental health disorders. Despite numerous studies to date that have identified molecular, cellular and systems-level glucocorticoid actions, new glucocorticoid actions and clinical status associations continue to be revealed at a brisk pace in the scientific literature. However, the breadth of investigators working in this area poses distinct challenges in ensuring common practices across investigators, and a full appreciation for the complexity of a system that is often reduced to a single dependent measure. This Users Guide is intended to provide a fundamental overview of conceptual, technical and practical knowledge that will assist individuals who engage in and evaluate HPA axis research. We begin with examination of the anatomical and hormonal components of the HPA axis and their physiological range of operation. We then examine strategies and best practices for systematic manipulation and accurate measurement of HPA axis activity. We feature use of experimental methods that will assist with better understanding of CORT's physiological actions, especially as those actions impact subsequent brain function. This research approach is instrumental for determining the mechanisms by which alterations of HPA axis function may contribute to pathophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Spencer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Terrence Deak
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kommers D, Oei G, Chen W, Feijs L, Bambang Oetomo S. Suboptimal bonding impairs hormonal, epigenetic and neuronal development in preterm infants, but these impairments can be reversed. Acta Paediatr 2016; 105:738-51. [PMID: 26519107 DOI: 10.1111/apa.13254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED This review aimed to raise awareness of the consequences of suboptimal bonding caused by prematurity. In addition to hypoxia-ischaemia, infection and malnutrition, suboptimal bonding is one of the many unnatural stimuli that preterm infants are exposed to, compromising their physiological development. However, the physiological consequences of suboptimal bonding are less frequently addressed in the literature than those of other threatening unnatural stimuli. CONCLUSION This review found that suboptimal bonding significantly impaired hormonal, epigenetic and neuronal development, but these impairments could be reversed by bonding interventions. This suggests that neonatal intensive care units should focus more on interventions that optimise bonding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Kommers
- Department of Neonatology; Máxima Medical Centre Veldhoven; Veldhoven The Netherlands
- Department of Industrial Design; Eindhoven University of Technology; Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - G Oei
- Department of Electrical Engineering; Eindhoven University of Technology; Eindhoven The Netherlands
- Department of Gynaecology; Máxima Medical Centre Veldhoven; Veldhoven The Netherlands
| | - W Chen
- Department of Industrial Design; Eindhoven University of Technology; Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - L Feijs
- Department of Industrial Design; Eindhoven University of Technology; Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - S Bambang Oetomo
- Department of Neonatology; Máxima Medical Centre Veldhoven; Veldhoven The Netherlands
- Department of Industrial Design; Eindhoven University of Technology; Eindhoven The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
The influence of maternal care on stress-related behaviors in domestic dogs: What can we learn from the rodent literature? J Vet Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
21
|
Lowe JR, Coulombe P, Moss NC, Rieger RE, Aragón C, MacLean PC, Caprihan A, Phillips JP, Handal AJ. Maternal touch and infant affect in the Still Face Paradigm: A cross-cultural examination. Infant Behav Dev 2016; 44:110-20. [PMID: 27362780 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Touch between mother and infant plays an important role in development starting from birth. Cross-cultural differences surrounding rearing practices have an influence on parent-infant interaction, including types of touch used and the development of emotional regulation. This study was designed to investigate maternal touch and infant emotional regulation in infant-mother dyads from Ecuador (n=25) and Hispanic dyads from the United States (US) (n=26). Mothers and their 4-month-old full-term infants participated in the Still Face Paradigm. Second-by-second coding of maternal touch and infant affect was completed. Overall the analyses showed that Ecuadorian mothers used more nurturing and accompaniment touch and less attention seeking touch than US Hispanic mothers during the pre-stressor (baseline) episode. Lagged multilevel models were used to investigate the effect of the different types of touch on infant emotional regulation in the groups for the episodes. The data suggest that playful touch had a significant increase in infant affect, whereas accompaniment and attention-seeking touch had a significant decrease in infant affect. Overall, this study provides support for the role of touch in mother-infant synchronicity in relation to infant's emotional regulation. Identifying touch that is more calming is important to foster emotional regulation in infancy, which can have important implications for development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean R Lowe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.
| | - Patrick Coulombe
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Natalia C Moss
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Rebecca E Rieger
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Crystal Aragón
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Peggy C MacLean
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | | | - John P Phillips
- Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, 87131, United States
| | - Alexis J Handal
- Department of Family Community Medicine, Public Health Program, University of New Mexico, 87131, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
McLaughlin RJ, Verlezza S, Gray JM, Hill MN, Walker CD. Inhibition of anandamide hydrolysis dampens the neuroendocrine response to stress in neonatal rats subjected to suboptimal rearing conditions. Stress 2016; 19:114-24. [PMID: 26552023 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1117448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during early development can exert profound effects on the maturation of the neuroendocrine stress axis. The endocannabinoid (ECB) system has recently surfaced as a fundamental component of the neuroendocrine stress response; however, the effect of early-life stress on neonatal ECB signaling and the capacity to which ECB enhancement may modulate neonatal stress responses is relatively unknown. The present study assessed whether exposure to early-life stress in the form of limited access to nesting/bedding material (LB) from postnatal (PND) day 2 to 9 alters neuroendocrine activity and hypothalamic ECB content in neonatal rats challenged with a novel immobilization stressor. Furthermore, we examined whether inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme responsible for the degradation of anandamide (AEA) affects neuroendocrine responses in PND10 pups as a function of rearing conditions. Neonatal rats showed a robust increase in corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) secretion in response to immobilization stress, which was significantly blunted in pups reared in LB conditions. Accordingly, LB pups exhibited reduced stress-induced Fos immunoreactivity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, with no significant differences in hypothalamic ECB content. Administration of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 (0.3 mg/kg, ip) 90 min prior to immobilization stress significantly dampened stress-induced CORT release, but only in pups reared in LB conditions. These results suggest that rearing in restricted bedding conditions dampens the neuroendocrine response to stress, while augmenting AEA mitigates stress-induced alterations in glucocorticoid secretion preferentially in pups subjected to early-life stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Joseph McLaughlin
- a Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University , Montreal , QC , Canada
- b Department of Integrative Physiology & Neuroscience , College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University , Pullman , WA , USA , and
| | - Silvanna Verlezza
- a Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University , Montreal , QC , Canada
| | - Jennifer Megan Gray
- c Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Psychiatry , Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , AB , Canada
| | - Matthew Nicholas Hill
- c Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Psychiatry , Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , AB , Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cadet JL. Epigenetics of Stress, Addiction, and Resilience: Therapeutic Implications. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 53:545-560. [PMID: 25502297 PMCID: PMC4703633 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-9040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent. SUDs involve vicious cycles of binges followed by occasional periods of abstinence with recurrent relapses despite treatment and adverse medical and psychosocial consequences. There is convincing evidence that early and adult stressful life events are risks factors for the development of addiction and serve as cues that trigger relapses. Nevertheless, the fact that not all individuals who face traumatic events develop addiction to licit or illicit drugs suggests the existence of individual and/or familial resilient factors that protect these mentally healthy individuals. Here, I give a brief overview of the epigenetic bases of responses to stressful events and of epigenetic changes associated with the administration of drugs of abuse. I also discuss the psychobiology of resilience and alterations in epigenetic markers that have been observed in models of resilience. Finally, I suggest the possibility that treatment of addiction should involve cognitive and pharmacological approaches that enhance resilience in at risk individuals. Similar approaches should also be used with patients who have already succumbed to the nefarious effects of addictive substances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, DHHS/NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Stress is an integral part of life. Activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the adult can be viewed as mostly adaptive to restore homeostasis in the short term. When stress occurs during development, and specifically during periods of vulnerability in maturing systems, it can significantly reprogram function, leading to pathologies in the adult. Thus, it is critical to understand how the HPA axis is regulated during developmental periods and what are the factors contributing to shape its activity and reactivity to environmental stressors. The HPA axis is not a passive system. It can actively participate in critical physiological regulation, inducing parturition in the sheep for instance or being a center stage actor in the preparation of the fetus to aerobic life (lung maturation). It is also a major player in orchestrating mental function, metabolic, and cardiovascular function often reprogrammed by stressors even prior to conception through epigenetic modifications of gametes. In this review, we review the ontogeny of the HPA axis with an emphasis on two species that have been widely studied-sheep and rodents-because they each share many similar regulatory mechanism applicable to our understanding of the human HPA axis. The studies discussed in this review should ultimately inform us about windows of susceptibility in the developing brain and the crucial importance of early preconception, prenatal, and postnatal interventions designed to improve parental competence and offspring outcome. Only through informed studies will our public health system be able to curb the expansion of many stress-related or stress-induced pathologies and forge a better future for upcoming generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Wood
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Claire-Dominique Walker
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Sullivan EL, Riper KM, Lockard R, Valleau JC. Maternal high-fat diet programming of the neuroendocrine system and behavior. Horm Behav 2015; 76:153-61. [PMID: 25913366 PMCID: PMC4619177 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Maternal obesity, metabolic state, and diet during gestation have profound effects on offspring development. The prevalence of neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders has risen rapidly in the last several decades in parallel with the rise in obesity rates. Evidence from epidemiological studies indicates that maternal obesity and metabolic complications increase the risk of offspring developing behavioral disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and schizophrenia. Animal models show that a maternal diet high in fat similarly disrupts behavioral programming of offspring, with animals showing social impairments, increased anxiety and depressive behaviors, reduced cognitive development, and hyperactivity. Maternal obesity, metabolic conditions, and high fat diet consumption increase maternal leptin, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, and inflammatory cytokines. This leads to increased risk of placental dysfunction, and altered fetal neuroendocrine development. Changes in brain development that likely contribute to the increased risk of behavioral and mental health disorders include increased inflammation in the brain, as well as alterations in the serotonergic system, dopaminergic system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elinor L Sullivan
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA; Division of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
| | - Kellie M Riper
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rachel Lockard
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jeanette C Valleau
- Division of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Pollock KE, Stevens D, Pennington KA, Thaisrivongs R, Kaiser J, Ellersieck MR, Miller DK, Schulz LC. Hyperleptinemia During Pregnancy Decreases Adult Weight of Offspring and Is Associated With Increased Offspring Locomotor Activity in Mice. Endocrinology 2015. [PMID: 26196541 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Pregnant women who are obese or have gestational diabetes mellitus have elevated leptin levels and their children have an increased risk for child and adult obesity. The goals of this study were to determine whether offspring weights are altered by maternal hyperleptinemia, and whether this occurs via behavioral changes that influence energy balance. We used 2 hyperleptinemic mouse models. The first was females heterozygous for a leptin receptor mutation (DB/+), which were severely hyperleptinemic, and that were compared with wild-type females. The second model was wild-type females infused with leptin (LEP), which were moderately hyperleptinemic, and were compared with wild-type females infused with saline (SAL). Total food consumption, food preference, locomotor activity, coordinated motor skills, and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed in wild-type offspring from each maternal group at 3 postnatal ages: 4-6, 11-13, and 19-21 weeks. Half the offspring from each group were then placed on a high-fat diet, and behaviors were reassessed. Adult offspring from both groups of hyperleptinemic dams weighed less than their respective controls beginning at 23 weeks of age, independent of diet or sex. Weight differences were not explained by food consumption or preference, because female offspring from hyperleptinemic dams tended to consume more food and had reduced preference for palatable, high-fat and sugar, food compared with controls. Offspring from DB/+ dams were more active than offspring of controls, as were female offspring of LEP dams. Maternal hyperleptinemia during pregnancy did not predispose offspring to obesity, and in fact, reduced weight gain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Pollock
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Damaiyah Stevens
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Kathleen A Pennington
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Rose Thaisrivongs
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Jennifer Kaiser
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Mark R Ellersieck
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Dennis K Miller
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Laura Clamon Schulz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.E.P., K.A.P., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Department of Animal Sciences (K.E.P., M.R.E., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Health Sciences (D.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; School of Medicine (R.T.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212; Division of Biological Sciences (J.K., L.C.S.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; and Department of Psychological Sciences (D.K.M.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Futro A, Masłowska K, Dwyer CM. Ewes Direct Most Maternal Attention towards Lambs that Show the Greatest Pain-Related Behavioural Responses. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26217942 PMCID: PMC4517774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although neonatal farm animals are frequently subjected to painful management procedures, the role of maternal behaviour in pain coping, has not been much studied. We investigated whether ewes were able to distinguish between lambs in pain and those that were not, and whether their behaviour altered depending on the severity of lamb pain. Eighty male lambs were allocated to one of 4 pain treatments within 24 hours of birth. Lambs were either handled only (C), bilaterally castrated with tight rubber rings (RR), as for RR but with the application of a Burdizzo clamp immediately proximal to the ring (Combined) or subjected to short scrotum castration (SSC) where the testicles were retained within the abdomen and only the scrotum removed. The behaviour of the ewe, treated lamb and untreated sibling where present (n = 54) were recorded for 30 minutes after treatment. Castration treatment increased the expression of abnormal standing and lying postures, specific pain-related behaviours (head-turning, stamping/kicking, easing quarters, tail wagging) and composite pain scores (P<0.001 for all). The greatest expression of pain-related behaviours was shown by lambs in the RR group, which were the only group to show rolling responses indicative of severe pain, followed by the SSC group. Ewes expressed more licking/sniffing responses to the RR and SSC lambs than towards the Combined and C lambs (P<0.05), and oriented most to RR lambs and least to C lambs (P<0.001). Ewes with two lambs also directed more attention towards the treated than the untreated lamb (P<0.001). The quantity of maternal care directed towards the lamb was positively correlated with the expression of active pain behaviours. The data demonstrate that ewes are able to discriminate between lambs in pain and those that are not, and that their response is increased with a greater severity of pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Futro
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Masłowska
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Cathy M. Dwyer
- SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Salmaso N, Dominguez M, Kravitz J, Komitova M, Vaccarino FM, Schwartz ML. Contribution of maternal oxygenic state to the effects of chronic postnatal hypoxia on mouse body and brain development. Neurosci Lett 2015. [PMID: 26222256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
1-2% of live births are to very low birth weight, premature infants that often show a developmental trajectory plagued with neurological sequelae including ventriculomegaly and significant decreases in cortical volume. We are able to recapitulate these sequelae using a mouse model of hypoxia where early postnatal pups are exposed to chronic hypoxia for one week. However, because the timing of hypoxic exposure occurs so early in development, dams and pups are housed together in the hypoxic chamber, and therefore, dams are also subjected to the same hypoxic conditions as the pups. To understand the relative contribution of hypoxia directly on the pups as opposed to the indirect contribution mediated by the effects of hypoxia and potential alterations in the dam's care of the pups, we examined whether reducing the dams exposure to hypoxia may significantly increase pup outcomes on measures that we have found consistently changed immediately following chronic hypoxia exposure. To achieve this, we rotated dams between normoxic and hypoxic conditions, leaving the litters untouched in their respective conditions and compared gross anatomical measures of normoxic and hypoxic pups with non-rotating or rotating mothers. As we expected, hypoxic-rearing decreased pup body weight, brain weight and cortical volume. Reducing the dam's exposure to hypoxic conditions actually amplified the effects of hypoxia on body weight, such that hypoxic pups with rotating mothers showed significantly less growth. Interestingly, rotation of hypoxic mothers did not have the same deleterious effect on brain weight, suggesting the presence of compensatory mechanisms conserving brain weight and development even under extremely low body weight conditions. The factors that potentially contribute to these compensatory changes remain to be determined, however, nutrition, pup feeding/metabolism, or changes in maternal care are important candidates, acting either together or independently to change pup body and brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalina Salmaso
- Child Study Center, and Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Moises Dominguez
- Child Study Center, and Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Jacob Kravitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mila Komitova
- Child Study Center, and Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Flora M Vaccarino
- Child Study Center, and Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Michael L Schwartz
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Stanton MA, Heintz MR, Lonsdorf EV, Santymire RM, Lipende I, Murray CM. Maternal Behavior and Physiological Stress Levels in Wild Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). INT J PRIMATOL 2015; 36:473-488. [PMID: 26213430 PMCID: PMC4512756 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9836-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in maternal behavior toward, and investment in, offspring can have lasting consequences, particularly among primate taxa characterized by prolonged periods of development over which mothers can exert substantial influence. Given the role of the neuroendocrine system in the expression of behavior, researchers are increasingly interested in understanding the hormonal correlates of maternal behavior. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal behavior and physiological stress levels, as quantified by fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, in lactating chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, at Gombe National Park, Tanzania. After accounting for temporal variation in FGM concentrations, we found that mothers interacted socially (groomed and played) with and nursed their infants more on days when FGM concentrations were elevated compared to days when FGM concentrations were within the range expected given the time of year. However, the proportion of time mothers and infants spent in contact did not differ based on FGM concentrations. These results generally agree with the suggestion that elevated GC concentrations are related to maternal motivation and responsivity to infant cues and are the first evidence of a hormonal correlate of maternal behavior in a wild great ape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A. Stanton
- Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Matthew R. Heintz
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois 60614; and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604
| | - Rachel M. Santymire
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois 60614; and Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | | | - Carson M. Murray
- Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lloyd DM, McGlone FP, Yosipovitch G. Somatosensory pleasure circuit: from skin to brain and back. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:321-4. [PMID: 25607755 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The skin senses serve a discriminative function, allowing us to manipulate objects and detect touch and temperature, and an affective/emotional function, manifested as itch or pain when the skin is damaged. Two different classes of nerve fibre mediate these dissociable aspects of cutaneous somatosensation: (i) myelinated A-beta and A-delta afferents that provide rapid information about the location and physical characteristics of skin contact; and (ii) unmyelinated, slow-conducting C-fibre afferents that are typically associated with coding the emotional properties of pain and itch. However, recent research has identified a third class of C-fibre afferents that code for the pleasurable properties of touch - c-tactile afferents or CTs. Clinical application of treatments that target pleasant, CT-mediated touch (such as massage therapy) could, in the future, provide a complementary, non-pharmacological means of treating both the physical and psychological aspects of chronic skin conditions such as itch and eczema.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donna M Lloyd
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Yam KY, Naninck EFG, Schmidt MV, Lucassen PJ, Korosi A. Early-life adversity programs emotional functions and the neuroendocrine stress system: the contribution of nutrition, metabolic hormones and epigenetic mechanisms. Stress 2015; 18:328-42. [PMID: 26260665 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1064890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and pre-clinical studies have shown that early-life adversities, such as abuse or neglect, can increase the vulnerability to develop psychopathologies and cognitive decline later in life. Remarkably, the lasting consequences of stress during this sensitive period on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and emotional function closely resemble the long-term effects of early malnutrition and suggest a possible common pathway mediating these effects. During early-life, brain development is affected by both exogenous factors, like nutrition and maternal care as well as by endogenous modulators including stress hormones. These elements, while mostly considered for their independent actions, clearly do not act alone but rather in a synergistic manner. In order to better understand how the programming by early-life stress takes place, it is important to gain further insight into the exact interplay of these key elements, the possible common pathways as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms that mediate their effects. We here review evidence that exposure to both early-life stress and early-life under-/malnutrition similarly lead to life-long alterations on the neuroendocrine stress system and modify emotional functions. We further discuss how the different key elements of the early-life environment interact and affect one another and next suggest a possible role for the early-life adversity induced alterations in metabolic hormones and nutrient availability in shaping later stress responses and emotional function throughout life, possibly via epigenetic mechanisms. Such knowledge will help to develop intervention strategies, which gives the advantage of viewing the synergistic action of a more complete set of changes induced by early-life adversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kit-Yi Yam
- a Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam , XH Amsterdam , The Netherlands and
| | - Eva F G Naninck
- a Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam , XH Amsterdam , The Netherlands and
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- b Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics , Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry , Munich , Germany
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- a Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam , XH Amsterdam , The Netherlands and
| | - Aniko Korosi
- a Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam , XH Amsterdam , The Netherlands and
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wendland BE, Atkinson L, Steiner M, Fleming AS, Pencharz P, Moss E, Gaudreau H, Silveira PP, Arenovich T, Matthews SG, Meaney MJ, Levitan RD. Low maternal sensitivity at 6 months of age predicts higher BMI in 48 month old girls but not boys. Appetite 2014; 82:97-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
33
|
Sasaki A, de Vega W, Sivanathan S, St-Cyr S, McGowan PO. Maternal high-fat diet alters anxiety behavior and glucocorticoid signaling in adolescent offspring. Neuroscience 2014; 272:92-101. [PMID: 24791714 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2014] [Revised: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Maternal obesity and overconsumption of saturated fats during pregnancy have profound effects on offspring health, ranging from metabolic to behavioral disorders in later life. The influence of high-fat diet (HFD) exposure on the development of brain regions implicated in anxiety behavior is not well understood. We previously found that maternal HFD exposure is associated with an increase in anxiety behavior and alterations in the expression of several genes involved in inflammation via the glucocorticoid signaling pathway in adult rat offspring. During adolescence, the maturation of feedback systems mediating corticosteroid sensitivity is incomplete, and therefore distinct from adulthood. In this study, we examined the influence of maternal HFD on several measures of anxiety behavior and gene expression in adolescent offspring. We examined the expression of corticosteroid receptors and related inflammatory processes, as corticosteroid receptors are known to regulate circulating corticosterone levels during basal and stress conditions in addition to influencing inflammatory processes in the hippocampus and amygdala. We found that adolescent animals perinatally exposed to HFD generally showed decreased anxiety behavior accompanied by a selective alteration in the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor and several downstream inflammatory genes in the hippocampus and amygdala. These data suggest that adolescence constitutes an additional period when the effects of developmental programming may modify mental health trajectories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Sasaki
- Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Room SW548, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - W de Vega
- Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Room SW548, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - S Sivanathan
- Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Room SW548, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - S St-Cyr
- Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Room SW548, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - P O McGowan
- Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Room SW548, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Wang L, Zhang W, Wu R, Kong L, Feng W, Cao Y, Tai F, Zhang X. Neuroendocrine responses to social isolation and paternal deprivation at different postnatal ages in Mandarin voles. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1214-28. [PMID: 24464494 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal isolation and paternal deprivation have long lasting effects on the behavior and neuroendocrine system at adulthood. Whether these effects at adulthood are induced by neonatal changes in relevant neuroendocrine parameters lead by these early-life social experiences is not well understood. Whether monogamous rodents exhibit a stress hypo-responsive period (SHRP) also remains unclear. Using the monogamous mandarin vole, we found that 30 min of isolation did not affect levels of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) at postnatal days 8, 10, and 12 displaying a SHRP, but increased these at postnatal days 4, 14, 16, and 18. Isolation increased vasopressin (AVP)-ir neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) from postnatal days 4 to 12, and up-regulated oxytocin (OT)-ir neurons in the PVN at postnatal days 4 and 8 and SON at postnatal day 4. Paternally deprived pups showed increase in ACTH and CORT after 30 min of social isolation from postnatal days 8 to 14, increase in AVP-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14, reduction in OT-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14 and in the SON at postnatal days 12 and 14. These results indicate that monogamous mandarin voles display a short SHRP which can be disrupted by paternal deprivation. Central AVP and OT levels may also be altered by paternal deprivation and social isolation. We propose that changes in these neuroendocrine parameters induced by early-life social experiences such as those tested here persist and result.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China; Key laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Rincón-Cortés M, Sullivan RM. Early life trauma and attachment: immediate and enduring effects on neurobehavioral and stress axis development. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:33. [PMID: 24711804 PMCID: PMC3968754 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Over half a century of converging clinical and animal research indicates that early life experiences induce enduring neuroplasticity of the HPA-axis and the developing brain. This experience-induced neuroplasticity is due to alterations in the frequency and intensity of stimulation of pups' sensory systems (i.e., olfactory, somatosensory, gustatory) embedded in mother-infant interactions. This stimulation provides "hidden regulators" of pups' behavioral, physiological, and neural responses that have both immediate and enduring consequences, including those involving the stress response. While variation in stimulation can produce individual differences and adaptive behaviors, pathological early life experiences can induce maladaptive behaviors, initiate a pathway to pathology, and increase risk for later-life psychopathologies, such as mood and affective disorders, suggesting that infant-attachment relationships program later-life neurobehavioral function. Recent evidence suggests that the effects of maternal presence or absence during this sensory stimulation provide a major modulatory role in neural and endocrine system responses, which have minimal impact on pups' immediate neurobehavior but a robust impact on neurobehavioral development. This concept is reviewed here using two complementary rodent models of infant trauma within attachment: infant paired-odor-shock conditioning (mimicking maternal odor attachment learning) and rearing with an abusive mother that converge in producing a similar behavioral phenotype in later-life including depressive-like behavior as well as disrupted HPA-axis and amygdala function. The importance of maternal social presence on pups' immediate and enduring brain and behavior suggests unique processing of sensory stimuli in early life that could provide insight into the development of novel strategies for prevention and therapeutic interventions for trauma experienced with the abusive caregiver.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sackler Institute for Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, NY, USA
- New York University Child Study Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- *Correspondence: Millie Rincón-Cortés, Sullivan Laboratory, New York University Child Study Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA e-mail:
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sackler Institute for Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, NY, USA
- New York University Child Study Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Kuhlman KR, Olson SL, Lopez-Duran NL. Predicting developmental changes in internalizing symptoms: examining the interplay between parenting and neuroendocrine stress reactivity. Dev Psychobiol 2013; 56:908-23. [PMID: 24009085 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined whether parenting and HPA-axis reactivity during middle childhood predicted increases in internalizing symptoms during the transition to adolescence, and whether HPA-axis reactivity mediated the impact of parenting on internalizing symptoms. The study included 65 children (35 boys) who were assessed at age 5, 7, and 11. Parenting behaviors were assessed via parent report at age 5 and 11. The child's HPA-axis reactivity was measured at age 7 via a stress task. Internalizing symptoms were measured via teacher reports at age 5 and 11. High maternal warmth at age 5 predicted lower internalizing symptoms at age 11. Also, high reported maternal warmth and induction predicted lower HPA-axis reactivity. Additionally, greater HPA-axis reactivity at age 7 was associated with greater increases in internalizing symptoms from age 5 to 11. Finally, the association between age 5 maternal warmth and age 11 internalizing symptoms was partially mediated by lower cortisol in response to the stress task. Thus, parenting behaviors in early development may influence the physiological stress response system and therefore buffer the development of internalizing symptoms during preadolescence when risk for disorder onset is high.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate R Kuhlman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St. Suite 2250, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103; International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course, http://www.imprs-life.mpg.de/en.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Perinatal programming of adult hippocampal structure and function; emerging roles of stress, nutrition and epigenetics. Trends Neurosci 2013; 36:621-31. [PMID: 23998452 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Early-life stress lastingly affects adult cognition and increases vulnerability to psychopathology, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this Opinion article, we propose that early nutritional input together with stress hormones and sensory stimuli from the mother during the perinatal period act synergistically to program the adult brain, possibly via epigenetic mechanisms. We hypothesize that stress during gestation or lactation affects the intake of macro- and micronutrients, including dietary methyl donors, and/or impairs the dam's metabolism, thereby altering nutrient composition and intake by the offspring. In turn, this may persistently modulate gene expression via epigenetic programming, thus altering hippocampal structure and cognition. Understanding how the combination of stress, nutrition, and epigenetics shapes the adult brain is essential for effective therapies.
Collapse
|
38
|
Anders S, Tanaka M, Kinney DK. Depression as an evolutionary strategy for defense against infection. Brain Behav Immun 2013; 31:9-22. [PMID: 23261774 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent discoveries relating depression to inflammation and immune function may help to solve an important evolutionary puzzle: If depression carries with it so many negative consequences, including notable costs to survival and reproduction, then why is it common and heritable? What countervailing force or compensatory advantage has allowed susceptibility genes for depression to persist in the population at such high rates? A priori, compensatory advantages in combating infection are a promising candidate, given that infection has been the major cause of mortality throughout human history. Emerging evidence on deeply rooted bidirectional pathways of communication between the nervous and immune systems further supports this notion. Here we present an updated review of the "infection-defense hypothesis" of depression, which proposes that moods-with their ability to orchestrate a wide array of physical and behavioral responses-have played an adaptive role throughout human history by helping individuals fight existing infections, as well as helping both individuals and their kin avoid new ones. We discuss new evidence that supports several key predictions derived from the hypothesis, and compare it with other major evolutionary theories of depression. Specifically, we discuss how the infection-defense hypothesis helps to explain emerging data on psychoimmunological features of depression, as well as depression's associations with a diverse array of conditions and illnesses-including nutritional deficiencies, seasonal changes, hormonal fluctuations, and chronic diseases-that previous evolutionary theories of depression have not accounted for. Finally, we note the potential implications of the hypothesis for the treatment and prevention of depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sherry Anders
- Clinical Psychologist in Independent Practice, Boxborough, MA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Milagro F, Mansego M, De Miguel C, Martínez J. Dietary factors, epigenetic modifications and obesity outcomes: Progresses and perspectives. Mol Aspects Med 2013; 34:782-812. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2012.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
40
|
Haley S, Neff K, Gulliver K, Gough G, Slater H, Lane RH, Moyer-Mileur LJ. Mechanical-tactile stimulation (MTS) intervention in a neonatal stress model alters adult adipose tissue deposition and prevents hyperinsulinemia in male rats. Early Hum Dev 2013; 89:387-92. [PMID: 23290636 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Preterm infants are exposed to numerous stressors during hospitalization and by term corrected gestational age they have lower body weight but a greater proportion of total body as well as abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation. Greater abdominal VAT stores have a known association with metabolic syndrome. Mechanical-tactile stimulation (MTS) improves modulation of stress response in both humans and rodents. We hypothesize that MTS, administered during an established model of neonatal stress, would decrease stress-driven adiposity and prevent associated metabolic imbalances in adult rats. Neonatal stress, administered to rat pups from postnatal days 5 to P9, consisted of needle puncture and hypoxic/hyperoxic challenge during 60 min of maternal separation (STRESS; n=20). Mechanical-tactile stimulation (MTS; n=20) was administered to rat pups for 10 min during maternal separation in the stress protocol. Control animals received standard care (CTL; n=20). MRI measured adult (P120) abdominal total fat mass, subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Body weight and fasting serum adiponectin, leptin, glucose, insulin, and corticosterone were also measured. STRESS results in elevated VAT/SAT ratio compared to CTL but lower abdominal total fat mass and abdominal SAT. STRESS males experience hyperinsulinemia. Both STRESS and MTS had elevated leptin with lower adiponectin and corticosterone compared to CTL. In summary, neonatal stress promotes greater abdominal VAT accumulation and, in males, caused hyperinsulinemia and hypoadiponectinemia. Importantly, MTS normalized the VAT/SAT ratio and prevented hyperinsulinemia. We speculate that MTS ameliorates some of the negative metabolic consequences of early life perturbations due to neonatal stress exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Haley
- Center for Pediatric Nutrition Research, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Viana L, Lima C, Oliveira M, Borges R, Cardoso T, Almeida I, Diniz D, Bento-Torres J, Pereira A, Batista-de-Oliveira M, Lopes A, Silva R, Abadie-Guedes R, Amâncio dos Santos A, Lima D, Vasconcelos P, Cunningham C, Guedes R, Picanço-Diniz C. Litter size, age-related memory impairments, and microglial changes in rat dentate gyrus: Stereological analysis and three dimensional morphometry. Neuroscience 2013; 238:280-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2012] [Revised: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
42
|
Voigt B, Brandl A, Pietz J, Pauen S, Kliegel M, Reuner G. Negative reactivity in toddlers born prematurely: indirect and moderated pathways considering self-regulation, neonatal distress and parenting stress. Infant Behav Dev 2012; 36:124-38. [PMID: 23274535 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2012] [Revised: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
High negative reactivity in early childhood interferes with later academic and behavioral adjustment. Thus, investigating the origins of high negative affectivity in early childhood is of high relevance for understanding emotional morbidity after preterm birth. The present work explored (1) direct prematurity-related consequences for negative reactivity, (2) self-regulatory deficits as a mechanism indirectly relating prematurity to negative affectivity and (3) the implications of the interplay between procedural distress in the neonatal period and parenting stress for preterm children's negative reactivity. The sample was comprised of 146 preterm children (very vs. moderately to late preterm) and 86 healthy full-term children, both free of major neurological impairment. Assessment involved negative affect and parenting stress (parent-report; 12, 24 months corrected age, CA), effortful control (behavioral battery, parent report; 24 months CA) and the number of potentially distressing neonatal intensive care procedures as well as severity of illness during the neonatal period (retrospective chart review). There was no direct link from prematurity to a disposition for high negative reactivity in early childhood nor was prematurity indirectly associated with higher negative reactivity through lower levels of effortful control. The relation between neonatal pain and distress and negative affectivity depended on the level of parenting stress with low parenting stress at the end of the first year of children's life buffering the negative influence of neonatal distress. The present findings underscore the importance of complex interactions among environmental factors in processes of emotional plasticity after preterm birth thereby providing critical suggestions for follow-up care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Babett Voigt
- Children's Hospital, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Sullivan EL, Nousen EK, Chamlou KA. Maternal high fat diet consumption during the perinatal period programs offspring behavior. Physiol Behav 2012; 123:236-42. [PMID: 23085399 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The environment that a developing offspring experiences during the perinatal period is markedly influenced by maternal health and diet composition. Evidence from both epidemiological studies and animal models indicates that maternal diet and metabolic status play a critical role in programming the neural circuitry that regulates behavior, resulting in long-term consequences for offspring behavior. Maternal diet and metabolic state influence the behavior of offspring directly by impacting the intrauterine environment and indirectly by modulating maternal behavior. The mechanisms by which maternal diet and metabolic profile shape the perinatal environment remain largely unknown, but recent research has found that increases in inflammatory cytokines, nutrients (glucose and fatty acids), and hormones (insulin and leptin) affect the environment of the developing offspring. Offspring exposed to maternal obesity and high fat diet consumption during development are more susceptible to developing mental health and behavioral disorders such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. Recent evidence suggests that this increased risk for behavioral disorders is driven by modifications in the development of neural pathways involved in behavioral regulation. In particular, research indicates that the development of the serotonergic system is impacted by exposure to maternal obesity and high fat diet consumption, and this disruption may underlie many of the behavioral disturbances observed in these offspring. Given the high rates of obesity and high fat diet consumption in pregnant women, it is vital to examine the influence that maternal nutrition and metabolic profile have on the developing offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elinor L Sullivan
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
|
45
|
Baram TZ, Solodkin A, Davis EP, Stern H, Obenaus A, Sandman CA, Small SL. Fragmentation and unpredictability of early-life experience in mental disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2012; 169:907-15. [PMID: 22885631 PMCID: PMC3483144 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11091347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Maternal sensory signals in early life play a crucial role in programming the structure and function of the developing brain, promoting vulnerability or resilience to emotional and cognitive disorders. In rodent models of early-life stress, fragmentation and unpredictability of maternally derived sensory signals provoke persistent cognitive and emotional dysfunction in offspring. Similar variability and inconsistency of maternal signals during both gestation and early postnatal human life may influence development of emotional and cognitive functions, including those that underlie later depression and anxiety.
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal-neonate separation (MNS) in mammals is a model for studying the effects of stress on the development and function of physiological systems. In contrast, for humans, MNS is a Western norm and standard medical practice. However, the physiological impact of this is unknown. The physiological stress-response is orchestrated by the autonomic nervous system and heart rate variability (HRV) is a means of quantifying autonomic nervous system activity. Heart rate variability is influenced by level of arousal, which can be accurately quantified during sleep. Sleep is also essential for optimal early brain development. METHODS To investigate the impact of MNS in humans, we measured HRV in 16 2-day-old full-term neonates sleeping in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers and sleeping alone, for 1 hour in each place, before discharge from hospital. Infant behavior was observed continuously and manually recorded according to a validated scale. Cardiac interbeat intervals and continuous electrocardiogram were recorded using two independent devices. Heart rate variability (taken only from sleep states to control for level of arousal) was analyzed in the frequency domain using a wavelet method. RESULTS Results show a 176% increase in autonomic activity and an 86% decrease in quiet sleep duration during MNS compared with skin-to-skin contact. CONCLUSIONS Maternal-neonate separation is associated with a dramatic increase in HRV power, possibly indicative of central anxious autonomic arousal. Maternal-neonate separation also had a profoundly negative impact on quiet sleep duration. Maternal separation may be a stressor the human neonate is not well-evolved to cope with and may not be benign.
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Stress is a known precipitant for metabolic and neurological diseases, with sensitive periods identified across the developmental continuum from conception to old age. However, the effects of stress may vary depending on the point or points along the developmental trajectory when adversity strikes. Past research has emphasized the consequences of stress on fully developed physiological systems in the brain and periphery, but more recent studies have explored the impact of stress on systems at different stages of maturation, with differential effects being revealed. This review provides an overview of the diverse effects of stress at critical developmental stages and the potential outcomes that may be associated with experiencing environmental adversity during ontogeny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James I Koenig
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Laborie C, Molendi-Coste O, Breton C, Montel V, Vandenbulcke F, Grumolato L, Anouar Y, Vieau D. Maternal perinatal undernutrition has long-term consequences on morphology, function and gene expression of the adrenal medulla in the adult male rat. J Neuroendocrinol 2011; 23:711-24. [PMID: 21564351 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02159.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal undernutrition sensitises to the development of chronic adult diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Although the physiological mechanisms involved in this 'perinatal programming' remain largely unknown, alterations of stress neuroendocrine systems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathoadrenal axes might play a crucial role. Despite recent reports showing that maternal perinatal undernutrition disturbs chromaffin cells organisation and activity in male rats at weaning, its long-term effects on adrenal medulla in adult animals are unknown. Using a rat model of maternal perinatal 50% food restriction (FR50) from the second week of gestation until weaning, histochemistry approaches revealed alterations in noradrenergic chromaffin cells aggregation and in cholinergic innervation in the adrenal medulla of 8-month-old FR50 rats. Electron microscopy showed that chromaffin cell granules exhibited ultrastructural changes in FR50 rats. These morphological changes were associated with reduced circulating levels and excretion of catecholamines. By contrast, catecholamine plasma levels were significantly increased after a 16 or 72 h of fasting, indicating that the responsiveness of the sympathoadrenal system to food deprivation was accentuated in FR50 adult rats. Among 384 pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-sensitive genes, we identified 129 genes (33.6%) that were under expressed (ratio < 0.7) in FR50 animals. A large number of these genes are involved in cytoskeleton remodelling and vesicle trafficking. Taken together, our results show that maternal perinatal undernutrition programmes adrenomedullary function and gene expression in adult male rats. Because catecholamines contribute to metabolic homeostasis, as well as arterial blood pressure regulation, the alterations observed in the adrenal medulla of adult male FR50 rats may participate in the programming of chronic adult diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Laborie
- Unité Environnement Périnatal et Croissance, EA 4489, Université Lille Nord de France, Equipe Dénutritions Remplace by Maternelles Périnatales, Université Lille1, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Stern JM, Weinberg J, Hennessy MB. From Freud to a modern understanding of behavioral, physiological, and brain development. Dev Psychobiol 2011; 52:609-15. [PMID: 20882587 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Seymour Levine's first "early experience" experiments were inspired by Freud. Yet, Levine's lifetime of work, and the work of his colleagues and scientists who followed, unveiled a myriad of early experience effects that even Freud himself could not have imagined. Related to and extending beyond his work on early experience, Levine also made important, often seminal, contributions to overlapping and related areas, such as early maternal separation and deprivation, maternal behavior and physiology, sexual differentiation, perinatal malnutrition, attachment in non-human primates, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress reactivity and its adaptive significance, and the development of the HPA system. Moreover, his work spawned new lines of research by investigators active today. The papers contained in this special issue provide a sampling of research demonstrating some of the important directions in which those earliest experiments have led, many with clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith M Stern
- Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|