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Gumusoglu SB. The role of the placenta-brain axis in psychoneuroimmune programming. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100735. [PMID: 38420039 PMCID: PMC10900837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposures have enduring impacts on brain and neuroimmune development and function. Perturbations of pregnancy leading to placental structure/function deficits, cell stress, immune activation, and endocrine changes (metabolic, growth factors, etc.) all increase neuropsychiatric risk in offspring. The existing literature links obstetric diseases with placental involvement to offspring neuroimmune outcomes and neurodevelopmental risk. Psychoneuroimmune outcomes in offspring brain include changes to microglia, cytokine/chemokine production, cell stress, and long-term immunoreactivity. These outcomes are altered by structural, anti-angiogenic/hypoxic, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases of the placenta. This fetal programming occurs via direct placental passage or production of factors which can act directly on fetal brain substrates, or indirectly via action of circulating factors on intermediates in the placenta. Placental neuroendocrine, vascular/angiogenic, immune, and extracellular vesicular mechanisms are detailed. These mechanisms interact within various placental and pregnancy conditions. An increased understanding of the placental origins of psychoneuroimmunology will yield dividends for human health. Identifying maternal and placental biomarkers for fetal neuroimmune health may also revolutionize early diagnosis and precision psychiatry, empowering patients to make the best healthcare decisions for their families. Targeting placental mechanisms may be a valuable approach for the prevention and mitigation of intergenerational, lifelong neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena B. Gumusoglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr. Iowa City, IA, 52327, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Chen HJ, Bischoff A, Galley JD, Peck L, Bailey MT, Gur TL. Discrete role for maternal stress and gut microbes in shaping maternal and offspring immunity. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100480. [PMID: 36532381 PMCID: PMC9755033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is prevalent during pregnancy, and is associated with immune dysfunction, both for the mother and the child. The gut microbiome has been implicated as a potential mechanism by which stress during pregnancy can impact both maternal and offspring immune function; however, the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and the immune system is not well-understood. Here, we leverage a model of antimicrobial-mediated gut microbiome reduction, in combination with a well-established model of maternal restraint stress, to investigate the independent effects of and interaction between maternal stress and the gut microbiome in shaping maternal and offspring immunity. First, we confirmed that the antimicrobial treatment reduced maternal gut bacterial load and altered fecal alpha and beta diversity, with a reduction in commensal microbes and an increase in the relative abundance of rare taxa. Prenatal stress also disrupted the gut microbiome, according to measures of both alpha and beta diversity. Furthermore, prenatal stress and antimicrobials independently induced systemic and gastrointestinal immune suppression in the dam with a concomitant increase in circulating corticosterone. While stress increased neutrophils in the maternal circulation, lymphoid cells and monocytes were not impacted by either stress or antimicrobial treatment. Although the fetal immune compartment was largely spared, stress increased circulating neutrophils and CD8 T cells, and antibiotics increased neutrophils and reduced T cells in the adult offspring. Altogether, these data indicate similar, but discrete, roles for maternal stress and gut microbes in influencing maternal and offspring immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen J. Chen
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Allison Bischoff
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Galley
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lauren Peck
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael T. Bailey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA,Biosciences Division, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Tamar L. Gur
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Corresponding author. 120A Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research Building, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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Gerlinskaya LA, Litvinova EA, Kontsevaya GV, Feofanova NA, Achasova KM, Anisimova MV, Maslennikova SO, Zolotykh MA, Moshkin YM, Moshkin MP. Phenotypic variations in transferred progeny due to genotype of surrogate mother. Mol Hum Reprod 2020; 25:88-99. [PMID: 30445548 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gay052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does the genotype of the surrogate mother modulate the body composition and immunity of her offspring? SUMMARY ANSWER C57BL/6J (B6) progenies carried by immunodeficient NOD SCID (NS) mothers had increased adaptive but decreased innate, immune responsiveness in comparison with the same genotype offspring carried by immunocompetent mothers, B6 and BALB/c (C); the B6 progenies carried by the same genotype mothers also showed higher body fat than the others. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Differences in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes between mother and foetus is considered as an important factor in prenatal embryo development, whereas the impact of such dissimilarity on the phenotype of the mature progeny is unclear. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Transplantation of two-cell mouse embryos into recipient females of the different MHC (H2) genotypes was used as an approach to simulate three variants of the immunogenic mother-foetus interaction: (i) bidirectional immunogenic dialogue between B6 (H2b haplotype) embryos and C (H2d haplotype) surrogate mother; (ii) one-way immunogenic interaction between B6 embryos and immunodeficient NS (H2g7 haplotype) surrogate mother and (iii) reduced immunogenetic dialogue between embryos and surrogate mother of the same H2b haplotype resulting in only a maternal response to HY antigens of male foetuses. Delivered by Caesarean section, pups were fostered by lactating B6 females and weighed after weaning (n = 171). Body mass and composition and innate and adaptive immunity were assessed in selected progeny groups at 9-11 weeks of age. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The study was performed on the specific pathogen-free mouse, inbred strains C57BL/6J, NOD SCID and BALB/c. Plasma progesterone in pregnant females was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Body composition was determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy using a low-field NMR spectrometer (EchoMRI, USA). To assess peritoneal macrophage responses (innate immunity) to anthrax, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and interleukin-1 (IL-1β) were measured in a culture medium 24 h after the addition of both anthrax-lethal factor and anthrax-protective antigen. To assess adaptive immunity, 9-10 males in experimental groups were infected with Helicobacter hepaticus. Faeces collected 2 and 4 weeks after infection was used for quantitative assessment of the H. hepaticus DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction. IgA, interferon (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor (TNFα), interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in colon tissue and IgG in serum were determined in samples collected 4 weeks after gavage with H. hepaticus using ELISA. For statistical analyses, ANCOVA, post hoc least significant difference (LSD) test, Student's t-test, Spearman rank correlations and χ2 test were performed. P-value <0.05 was considered as a statistically significant difference. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE ANCOVA with litter size and age as covariates revealed significant effects of the surrogate mother genotype on body mass and percent of fat in their adult progeny (F2149 = 15.60, P < 0.001 and F2149 = 5.02, P = 0.007, respectively). Adult B6 mice carried by B6 surrogate mothers were characterized by a higher percentage of body fat in comparison with offspring that were carried by NS and C females. In comparison with the male offspring carried by the B6 and C mothers, male B6 progenies carried by immunodeficient NS mothers had a higher humoral immune response (serum IgG) against oral infection with H. hepaticus, but lower in vitro macrophage IL-1β reaction to the anthrax. Four weeks after the infection of offspring, concentrations of serum IgG and colon IL-10 correlated positively with maternal progesterone on Day 4 after embryo transfer and negatively with DNA of H. hepaticus. One-way ANOVA confirmed a statistically significant impact of surrogate mother genotype on adaptive (IgG) and innate (IL-1β) immunity (F2.26 = 26.39, P < 0.001 and F2.27 = 5.89, P = 0.008, respectively). LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The main limitation of our study is the number of combinations of mother and foetus interactions, in particular, transfer of only one embryo genotype was used. Also, it is a descriptive study, which requires further analysis of the epigenetic mechanisms of the observed phenotypic effects of surrogate mother genotype. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our experimental data demonstrate that the transfer of inbred embryos to surrogate mothers of the different genotypes is a prospective experimental model for the study of epigenetic effects of the immunogenetic interactions between mother and foetus. The experimental approach tested in our study will be in demand for the development of criteria for choosing surrogate mothers. In particular, immunocompetence of the surrogate mother along with genetic distance of her MHC alleles to the transferred embryos have a significant impact on offspring development. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the Russian FPI (6/099/2017), budget projects (0324-2016-0002 and 0324-2018-0016) and implemented using the equipment of the Centre for Genetic Resources of Laboratory Animals at ICG SB RAS, supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia (Unique project identifier RFMEFI62117X0015). The authors report no conflicts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila A Gerlinskaya
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Litvinova
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Galina V Kontsevaya
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Natalia A Feofanova
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Laboratory of clinical immunopathology, Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ksenia M Achasova
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Margarita V Anisimova
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana O Maslennikova
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maria A Zolotykh
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Yuri M Moshkin
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Moshkin
- Department of Experimental Animal Genetic Resources, Laboratory of the Genetics of Experimental Animals, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Chen MX, Liu Q, Cheng S, Lei L, Lin AJ, Wei R, K Hui TC, Li Q, Ao LJ, Sham PC. Interleukin-18 levels in the hippocampus and behavior of adult rat offspring exposed to prenatal restraint stress during early and late pregnancy. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:1748-1756. [PMID: 32209782 PMCID: PMC7437598 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.276358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to maternal stress during prenatal life is associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, in offspring. It has also been increasingly observed that prenatal stress alters the phenotype of offspring via immunological mechanisms and that immunological dysfunction, such as elevated interleukin-18 levels, has been reported in cultures of microglia. Prenatal restraint stress (PRS) in rats permits direct experimental investigation of the link between prenatal stress and adverse outcomes. However, the majority of studies have focused on the consequences of PRS delivered in the second half of pregnancy, while the effects of early prenatal stress have rarely been examined. Therefore, pregnant rats were subjected to PRS during early/middle and late gestation (days 8-14 and 15-21, respectively). PRS comprised restraint in a round plastic transparent cylinder under bright light (6500 lx) three times per day for 45 minutes. Differences in interleukin-18 expression in the hippocampus and in behavior were compared between offspring rats and control rats on postnatal day 75. We found that adult male offspring exposed to PRS during their late prenatal periods had higher levels of anxiety-related behavior and depression than control rats, and both male and female offspring exhibited higher levels of depression-related behavior, impaired recognition memory and diminished exploration of novel objects. Moreover, an elevated level of interleukin-18 was observed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of male and female early- and late-PRS offspring rats. The results indicate that PRS can cause anxiety and depression-related behaviors in adult offspring and affect the expression of interleukin-18 in the hippocampus. Thus, behavior and the molecular biology of the brain are affected by the timing of PRS exposure and the sex of the offspring. All experiments were approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee at Kunming Medical University, China (approval No. KMMU2019074) in January 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo-Xian Chen
- School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Shu Cheng
- Department of Rehabilitation, China Resources & WISCO General Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ai-Jin Lin
- School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Ran Wei
- Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Tomy C K Hui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Li-Juan Ao
- School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Centre for Genomic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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5
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Du SY, Cao YF, Nie XH, Wu Y, Bian JH. The synergistic effect of density stress during the maternal period and adulthood on immune traits of root vole (Microtus oeconomus) individuals-a field experiment. Oecologia 2015; 181:335-46. [PMID: 26373286 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3445-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The literature reveals that stress in early life or adulthood can influence immune function. As most studies on this are from the laboratory, there is a need for replicated studies in wild animals. This study aims to examine the effects of density stress during the maternal period and adulthood on immune traits of root vole (Microtus oeconomus) individuals. Four replicated high- and low-density parental populations were established, from which we obtained offspring and assigned each into four enclosures, two for each of the two density treatments used in establishing parental populations. The F1 offspring fecal corticosterone metabolite response to acute immobilization stress, anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin immunoglobulin G (anti-KLH IgG) level, phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-delayed hypersensitivity and hematology at the end of the first breeding season, and prevalence and intensity of coccidial infection throughout the two breeding seasons, were tested. Density-induced maternally stressed offspring had delayed responses to acute immobilization stress. Density-stressed offspring as adults had reduced anti-KLH IgG levels and PHA responses, and the effects further deteriorated in maternally stressed offspring, leading to higher coccidial infection in the first breeding season than in the second. No correlations were found between immune traits or coccidial infection and survival over winter. These findings indicated that the combined density stresses during the maternal period and adulthood exhibited negative synergistic effects on immune traits. The synergistic effects lead to higher coccidial infection; however, this consequently reduced the risk of subsequent infection. The increased coccidial infection mediated by the synergistic effects may have an adaptive value in the context of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou-Yang Du
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yi-Fan Cao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China
| | - Xu-Heng Nie
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Life and Environment Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
| | - Jiang-Hui Bian
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China.
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Schmidt KL, Kubli SP, MacDougall-Shackleton EA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Early-Life Stress Has Sex-Specific Effects on Immune Function in Adult Song Sparrows. Physiol Biochem Zool 2015; 88:183-94. [DOI: 10.1086/680599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Abstract
Complex interactions between biological, behavioral and environmental factors are involved in mediating individual differences in health and disease. In this review, we present evidence suggesting that increased vulnerability to infectious disease may be at least, in part, due to long-lasting effects of early life psychosocial adversities. Studies have shown that maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy is associated with long lasting changes in immune function and disease resistance in the offspring. Studies further indicated that harsh environmental conditions during the neonatal period may also cause lasting changes in host response to infectious disease. Although the mechanisms involved in these effects have not been fully examined, several potential mediators have been described, including changes in the development of the offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, alterations in epigenetic pathways, stress-related maternal health risk behavior and infection during pregnancy. Although there are ample literature indicating that perinatal psychosocial stress increases vulnerability to disease, other reports suggest that mild predictable stressors may benefit the organism and allow better coping with future stressors. Thus, understanding the possible consequences of perinatal adversities and the mechanisms that are involved in immune regulation is important for increasing awareness to the potential outcomes of early negative life events and providing insight into potential therapies to combat infection in vulnerable individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Avitsur
- a School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo , Yaffo , Israel
| | - Sigal Levy
- a School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo , Yaffo , Israel
| | - Naama Goren
- a School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo , Yaffo , Israel
| | - Rachel Grinshpahet
- a School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo , Yaffo , Israel
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Ferreira M, Veiga-Fernandes H. Pre-birth world and the development of the immune system: mum's diet affects our adult health: new insight on how the diet during pregnancy permanently influences offspring health and immune fitness. Bioessays 2014; 36:1213-20. [PMID: 25382781 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Secondary lymphoid organs form in utero through an inherited and well-established developmental program. However, maternal non-heritable features can have a major impact on the gene expression of the embryo, hence influencing the future health of the offspring. Recently, maternal retinoids were shown to regulate the formation of immune structures, shedding light on the role of maternal nutrition in the genetic signature of emergent immune cells. Here we highlight evidence showing how the maternal diet influences the establishment of the immune system, and we also discuss how unbalanced maternal diets may set the response to infection and vaccination in the progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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King S, Dancause K, Turcotte-Tremblay AM, Veru F, Laplante DP. Using natural disasters to study the effects of prenatal maternal stress on child health and development. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 96:273-88. [PMID: 24203917 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 11/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Research on the developmental origins of health and disease highlights the plasticity of the human fetus to a host of potential teratogens. Experimental research on laboratory animals has demonstrated a variety of physical and behavioral effects among offspring exposed to prenatal maternal stress (PNMS). However, these studies cannot elucidate the relative effects of the objective stress exposure and the subjective distress in a way that would parallel the stress experience in humans. PNMS research with humans is also limited because there are ethical challenges to designing studies that involve the random assignment of pregnant women to varying levels of independent stressors. Natural disasters present opportunities for natural experiments of the effects of pregnant women's exposure to stress on child development. In this review, we present an overview of the human and animal research on PNMS, and highlight the results of Project Ice Storm which has been following the cognitive, behavioral, motor and physical development of children exposed in utero to the January 1998 Quebec Ice Storm. We have found that both objective degree of exposure to the storm and the mothers' subjective distress have strong and persistent effects on child development, and that these effects are often moderated by the timing of the ice storm in pregnancy and by the child's sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne King
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Psychosocial Research Division, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Abstract
The intra-uterine environment provides the first regulatory connection for the developing fetus and shapes its physiological responses in preparation for postnatal life. Psychological stress acts as a programming determinant by setting functional parameters to abnormal levels, thus inducing postnatal maladaptation. The effects of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) on the developing immune system have been documented mostly through animal studies, but inconsistent results and methodological differences have hampered the complete understanding of these findings. As the immune system follows a similar ontogenic pattern in all mammals, a translational framework based on the developmental windows of vulnerability proposed by immunotoxicology studies was created to integrate these findings. The objective of this review is to examine the available literature on PNMS and immune function in the offspring through the above framework and gain a better understanding of these results by elucidating the moderating influence of the stressor type, timing and duration, and the offspring species, sex and age at assessment. The evaluation of the literature through this framework showed that the effects of PNMS are parameter specific: the moderating effects of timing in gestation were relevant for lymphocyte population numbers, Natural Killer cell function and mitogen-induced proliferation. The presence of an important and directional sexual dimorphism was evident and the influence of the type or duration of PNMS paralleled that of stress in non-pregnant animals. In conclusion, PNMS is a relevant factor in the programming of immune function. Its consequences may be related to disorders with an important immune component such as allergies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Veru
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, QC , Canada and
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Pascuan CG, Rubinstein MR, Palumbo ML, Genaro AM. Prenatal stress induces up-regulation of glucocorticoid receptors on lymphoid cells modifying the T-cell response after acute stress exposure in the adult life. Physiol Behav 2014; 128:141-7. [PMID: 24518864 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that a short-duration stress (acute stress) may result in immunopreparatory or immunoenhancing physiological conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to prenatal restraint stress (PRS) influences the impact of acute stress on the T-cell response in the adult life. We found that female mice exposed to PRS (PS mice) did not exhibit changes in the T-cell-dependent IgG antibody production with respect to prenatally non-stressed mice (no-PS mice). However, no-PS mice exposed to acute stress showed an increase of antibody production after antigen stimulation. In contrast, PS mice exhibited a decreased response after an acute situation. Spleen catecholamines and plasma corticosterone levels were increased in acute stress in both PS and no-PS mice. Nevertheless, lymphocyte response to hormones was altered in PS mice. Particularly, inhibitory effect of corticosterone was higher on lymphocytes from PS mice. In addition, an increase in protein levels and mRNA expression of glucocorticoid receptor was found in lymphoid cells from PS mice. These results show that prenatal stress alters the immune intrinsic regulatory mechanism that in turn induces an increased vulnerability to any stressful situation able to modify immune homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mara Roxana Rubinstein
- CEFYBO-CONICET, 1ª. Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Laura Palumbo
- CEFYBO-CONICET, 1ª. Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana María Genaro
- CEFYBO-CONICET, 1ª. Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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12
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Maternal immune activation affects litter success, size and neuroendocrine responses related to behavior in adult offspring. Physiol Behav 2013; 119:175-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Revised: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Uetake K, Akiyama K, Tanaka T. Relationship between stress levels of the antepartum cow and her newborn calf. Anim Sci J 2013; 85:81-4. [DOI: 10.1111/asj.12078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katsuji Uetake
- School of Veterinary Medicine; Azabu University; Sagamihara Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Akiyama
- Livestock Industry Technology Station; Kanagawa Agricultural Technology Center; Ebina Japan
| | - Toshio Tanaka
- School of Veterinary Medicine; Azabu University; Sagamihara Japan
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Toumi ML, Merzoug S, Baudin B, Tahraoui A. Quercetin alleviates predator stress-induced anxiety-like and brain oxidative signs in pregnant rats and immune count disturbance in their offspring. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 107:1-10. [PMID: 23541492 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study was performed in rats to investigate the effect of a psychogenic stress during late gestation on the immediate behavior and brain oxidative status in dams as well as on the immune cell counts in their offspring up to weaning. Besides, the ability of quercetin (a natural flavonoid) to prevent stress effects was evaluated. Quercetin was orally administered for 6 consecutive days before the pregnant rats were acutely exposed to predator stress on gestational day 19. Post-stress corticosterone level, brain oxidative stress parameters and anxiety-like behavior were assessed in dams, whereas immune cell counts were postnatally determined in both male and female pups. Predator stress caused an oxidative stress in the brain and elicited an elevation in plasma corticosterone with concomitant behavioral impairment in dams. Prenatally-stressed pups mainly showed a decrease in total leukocytes and lymphocytes along with monocytosis and granulocytosis, but these changes were sex-dependent throughout the postnatal period studied. Quercetin pretreatment blocked the stress-induced corticosterone release and alleviated the brain oxidative stress with the maternal anxiety measures being slightly attenuated, whereas its effects on the offspring immune cell counts were mostly revealed at birth. Our findings suggest that late gestational exposure to traumatic events may cause anxiety symptoms in dams, in which corticosterone and brain oxidative stress play a certain role, and trigger negative immune changes in the early postnatal life of progeny. Notably, quercetin intake before such adverse events seems to be beneficial against negative outcomes in both dams and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Lamine Toumi
- Laboratoire de Neuro-endocrinologie Appliquée, Département de Biologie, Université Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria.
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Abstract
Adverse environments during the fetal and neonatal development period may permanently program physiology and metabolism, and lead to increased risk of diseases in later life. Programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the key mechanisms that contribute to altered metabolism and response to stress. Programming of the HPA axis often involves epigenetic modification of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene promoter, which influences tissue-specific GR expression patterns and response to stimuli. This review summarizes the current state of research on the HPA axis and programming of health and disease in the adult, focusing on the epigenetic regulation of GR gene expression patterns in response to fetal and neonatal stress. Aberrant GR gene expression patterns in the developing brain may have a significant negative impact on protection of the immature brain against hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in the critical period of development during and immediately after birth.
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Contreras YM, Yu X, Hale MA, Callaway CW, Bareyan D, McKnight RA, Joss-Moore LA, Enioutina EY, Lane RH. Intrauterine growth restriction alters T-lymphocyte cell number and dual specificity phosphatase 1 levels in the thymus of newborn and juvenile rats. Pediatr Res 2011; 70:123-9. [PMID: 21505375 DOI: 10.1203/pdr.0b013e31821f6e75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) infants have increased susceptibility to infection associated with higher risk of illness and death. Dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), which is transcribed in the thymus, increases in quantity as T cells mature and differentiate into CD4+ cells. Little is known about how IUGR affects DUSP1 levels and T-cell subpopulations over time. We hypothesized that IUGR would decrease cell count, CD4+ and CD8+ subpopulations of T lymphocytes, and DUSP1 levels in IUGR rat thymus and spleen. Bilateral uterine artery ligation produced IUGR rats. Thymus and spleen were harvested at P0 and P21. Flow cytometry was used to compare CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte populations. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to determine DUSP1 quantity. IUGR significantly decreased total cell count in P0 and P21 IUGR male and female thymus. IUGR significantly increased CD4+ cells in IUGR P0 males and females, significantly decreased CD4+ cells in P21 female thymus, and significantly altered DUSP1 levels in the IUGR female thymus at P0 and P21, although it is not yet known whether the change in DUSP1 levels is due to a change in the level per cell or to a change in cellular composition of the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne M Contreras
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158, USA
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Asiaei M, Solati J, Salari AA. Prenatal exposure to lps leads to long-lasting physiological consequences in male offspring. Dev Psychobiol 2011; 53:828-38. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.20568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Prager G, Stefanski V, Hudson R, Rödel HG. Family matters: maternal and litter-size effects on immune parameters in young laboratory rats. Brain Behav Immun 2010; 24:1371-8. [PMID: 20654710 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.07.240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2010] [Revised: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A functional immune system is important for the survival of mammalian young, particularly at weaning when they lose the immunological support provided by the mother's colostrum and milk. In altricial mammals, litter size and maternal characteristics are important components of an animal's early environment, which affect postnatal growth and development. In a study of unculled litters of Long-Evans laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus), we asked whether such parameters are also associated with the immune status of the young shortly before weaning. On postnatal day 17, we assessed numbers of several leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, the activity of the complement system, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations in the serum. Averaging the values of all pups per litter, we found negative correlations between litter size and lymphocyte counts, complement system activity and IgG concentration. Maternal effects were seen in the positive correlation between maternal postpartum body mass and granulocyte and monocyte counts. In addition, lymphocyte and monocyte counts as well as complement activity were lower for the young of multiparous than of primiparous mothers. This suggests a trend towards a better developed immune system in such offspring, which may be relevant for their immediate and long-term survival. The effects described here have potential implications for the design and interpretation of biomedical studies of immune parameters in laboratory rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Prager
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Loria AS, Pollock DM, Pollock JS. Early life stress sensitizes rats to angiotensin II-induced hypertension and vascular inflammation in adult life. Hypertension 2009; 55:494-9. [PMID: 20026758 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.109.145391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Maternal separation during early life is an established chronic behavioral model of early life stress in rats. It is known that perinatal adverse environments increase activity of the renin-angiotensin (Ang) system, specifically Ang II, in adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the effects of early life stress augment the sensitivity of the Ang II pathway. Using Wistar Kyoto rats, the maternal separation (MS) protocol was performed by separating approximately half of the male pups from their mother 3 h/d from days 2 to 14 of life. Pups remaining with the mother at all times were used as controls. Maternal separation did not influence the plasma basal parameters, such as blood glucose, insulin, Ang II, Ang 1-7 and plasma renin activity. Furthermore, body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate were similar in MS and control rats. The acute pressor response to Ang II was not different in anesthetized MS and control rats. However, the chronic infusion of Ang II (65 ng/min SC) elicited an exaggerated hypertensive response in MS compared with control rats (P<0.05). Surprisingly, HR was dramatically increased during the second week of Ang II infusion in MS compared with control rats (P<0.05). This enhanced Ang II sensitivity was accompanied by a greater vascular inflammatory response in MS versus control rats. Chronic Ang II infusion increased vascular wall structure in both groups similarly. These data indicate that early life stress sensitizes rats to an increased hemodynamic and inflammatory response during Ang II-induced hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analia S Loria
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Ga 30912, USA
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Couret D, Jamin A, Kuntz-Simon G, Prunier A, Merlot E. Maternal stress during late gestation has moderate but long-lasting effects on the immune system of the piglets. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2009; 131:17-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2008] [Revised: 01/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Couret D, Prunier A, Mounier AM, Thomas F, Oswald IP, Merlot E. Comparative effects of a prenatal stress occurring during early or late gestation on pig immune response. Physiol Behav 2009; 98:498-504. [PMID: 19686768 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2009] [Revised: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 08/06/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to investigate the immune effects of prenatal stress (PNS) in pigs, when maternal stressor is applied during early or late gestation. In two separate experiments, gilts were submitted to a social-stress routine between either days 24 and 48 (stress (S) group, n=8 vs. control (C) group, n=6) or days 79 and 103 of gestation (S group, n=10 vs. C group, n=7). During the first month of life of the piglets, their cortisol levels were assessed in basal state and after stressful events (castration, new environment, and weaning). Piglets were immunized against ovalbumin (OVA) at 7 (D7) and 19 (D19) days of age. Lymphocyte proliferation in response to OVA and mitogens was investigated in blood in both sexes from D5 to D29 as well as in the spleen, thymus and crural lymph nodes from females euthanized on D5 and D26. On D27, the cytokine response of male piglets to an injection of lipopolysaccharide was investigated. Special care was taken to minimize the stress at blood sampling and euthanasia. We found that early gestational stress only affected the relative weight of adrenals on D5 (S<C, P<0.05). On the contrary, late gestational stress increased the proliferation index of blood cells regardless of the age, in both sexes in response to PHA (P=0.06), and in females only in response to ConA (P<0.01) and PWM (P<0.05). Overall, the effects of PNS in pigs seem to depend on the stage of gestation, gender and the immune compartment.
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Bellinger DL, Lubahn C, Lorton D. Maternal and early life stress effects on immune function: relevance to immunotoxicology. J Immunotoxicol 2009; 5:419-44. [PMID: 19404876 DOI: 10.1080/15476910802483415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is triggered by a variety of unexpected environmental stimuli, such as aggressive behavior, fear, forced physical activity, sudden environmental changes, social isolation or pathological conditions. Stressful experiences during very early life (particularly, maternal stress during fetal ontogeny) can permanently alter the responsiveness of the nervous system, an effect called programming or imprinting. Programming affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, brain neurotransmitter systems, sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and the cognitive abilities of the offspring, which can alter neural regulation of immune function. Prenatal or early life stress may contribute to the maladaptive immune responses to stress that occur later in life. This review focuses on the effect of maternal and early life stress on immune function in the offspring across life span. It highlights potential mechanisms by which prenatal stress impacts immune functions over life span. The literature discussed in this review suggests that psychosocial stress during pre- and early postnatal life may increase the vulnerability of infants to the effects of immunotoxicants or immune-mediated diseases, with long-term consequences. Neural-immune interactions may provide an indirect route through which immunotoxicants affect the developing immune system. A developmental approach to understanding how immunotoxicants interact with maternal and early life stress-induced changes in immunity is needed, because as the body changes physiologically across life span so do the effects of stress and immunotoxicants. In early and late life, the immune system is more vulnerable to the effects of stress. Stress can mimic the effects of aging and exacerbate age-related changes in immune function. This is important because immune dysregulation in the elderly is more frequently and seriously associated with clinical impairment and death. Aging, exposure to teratogens, and psychological stress interact to increase vulnerability and put the elderly at the greatest risk for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise L Bellinger
- Department of Human Anatomy and Pathology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92352, USA.
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Entringer S, Kumsta R, Nelson EL, Hellhammer DH, Wadhwa PD, Wüst S. Influence of prenatal psychosocial stress on cytokine production in adult women. Dev Psychobiol 2009; 50:579-87. [PMID: 18683180 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the association between prenatal stress and immune function in human adults. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 34 healthy young women whose mothers experienced major negative life events during their pregnancy (Prenatal Stress, PS group, mean age 25, SD +/- 4.34 years), and from a female comparison group (n = 28, CG, mean age 24 +/- 3.40 years), were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and subsequent cytokine production was measured. A bias for T-helper 2 (Th2) cytokine production due to an overproduction of IL-4 relative to IFN-gamma after PHA stimulation was observed in PS subjects. In addition, IL-6 and IL-10 were also significantly elevated. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to suggest a direct association between prenatal stress exposure and alterations in immune parameters in adult women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Entringer
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, Trier, Germany
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25
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Götz AA, Wolf M, Stefanski V. Psychosocial maternal stress during pregnancy: Effects on reproduction for F0 and F1 generation laboratory rats. Physiol Behav 2008; 93:1055-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2007] [Revised: 01/03/2008] [Accepted: 01/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Merlot E, Couret D, Otten W. Prenatal stress, fetal imprinting and immunity. Brain Behav Immun 2008; 22:42-51. [PMID: 17716859 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Revised: 05/17/2007] [Accepted: 05/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive number of epidemiological and animal studies suggests that prenatal and early life events are important determinants for disorders later in life. Among them, prenatal stress (i.e. stress experienced by the pregnant mother with impact on the fetal ontogeny) has programming effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, brain neurotransmitter systems and cognitive abilities of the offspring. This review focuses on the impact of maternal stress during gestation on the immune function in the offspring. It compares results from different animal species and highlights potential mechanisms for the immune effects of prenatal stress, including maternal glucocorticoids and placental functions. The existence of possible windows of increased vulnerability of the immune system to prenatal stress during gestation is discussed. Several gaps in the present knowledge are pointed out, especially concerning the time when prenatal stress effects are expressed during postnatal life, why this expression is delayed after birth and whether prenatal stress predisposes to immune-related pathologies later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Merlot
- INRA, UMR1079, Systèmes d'Elevage, Nutrition Animale et Humaine, F-35590 Saint Gilles, France.
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Vanbesien-Mailliot CCA, Wolowczuk I, Mairesse J, Viltart O, Delacre M, Khalife J, Chartier-Harlin MC, Maccari S. Prenatal stress has pro-inflammatory consequences on the immune system in adult rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2007; 32:114-24. [PMID: 17240075 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2006] [Revised: 11/20/2006] [Accepted: 11/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The in utero environment is critical for initiating the ontogeny of several physiological systems, including the immune surveillance. Yet, little is known about adverse early experiences on the offspring's immunity and vulnerability to disease. The present work aimed at investigating the impact of restraint prenatal stress (PS) on the development and responsiveness of in vitro and in vivo cellular and humoral immunity of male progeny aged 7 weeks and 6 months. In adult 6-month-old rats, we detected increased circulating CD8(+)-expressing and NK cells in PS rats as compared to controls, associated with higher mRNA expression of IFN-gamma. In addition, in vitro stimulation with phytohemagglutinin-A induced an increase in both the proliferation of T lymphocytes and the secretion of IFN-gamma in PS rats. Interestingly, these alterations were undetectable in younger PS rats (7-week old), except for a slight increase in the mRNA expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Moreover, in vivo neutralization of IFN-gamma in young rats had no effects in PS group. In conclusion, we report for the first time long-lasting pro-inflammatory consequences of PS in rats.
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Götz AA, Stefanski V. Psychosocial maternal stress during pregnancy affects serum corticosterone, blood immune parameters and anxiety behaviour in adult male rat offspring. Physiol Behav 2007; 90:108-15. [PMID: 17067641 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2006] [Revised: 09/05/2006] [Accepted: 09/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress can impair the behavioural and hormonal development in mammals. However, the consequences for the immune system are rarely investigated and there is only limited evidence that naturalistic prenatal stressors do also have the potential to affect the offspring. Thus, by using a social conflict model in female Long-Evans rats, we investigated the effects of prenatal social stress on several behavioural, hormonal and immunological parameters. Offspring from stressed and non-stressed pregnant females were housed in pairs after weaning, and tested at an age of 4-6 months. Prenatally stressed (PS) males were more active in the elevated plus-maze test as indicated by significantly more frequent entries into the open arms compared to prenatal control males (PC). In addition, PS males had significantly lower serum corticosterone concentrations under basal conditions as well as after ACTH-challenge. The basal number of total leukocytes was significantly lower in the PS group due to significantly lower lymphocyte counts. In particular, the CD4+ T-helper cell subset was affected. The lymphocyte proliferation to pokeweed mitogen was lower in PS males. Because some of the present findings do not correspond to previous studies using conventional stressors, we assume that the nature of the stressor plays an important role for pregnancy outcome and behaviour and physiology of the offspring in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Götz
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Stefanski V, Grüner S. Gender difference in basal and stress levels of peripheral blood leukocytes in laboratory rats. Brain Behav Immun 2006; 20:369-77. [PMID: 16376519 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2005.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2005] [Revised: 10/31/2005] [Accepted: 11/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate gender differences in numbers and function of blood immune cells in stressed and non-stressed laboratory rats. Psychosocial stress in adult male or female rats was induced by social confrontation of an intruder rat with a resident opponent for 2 h. Behavioral analysis indicated that intruders of both sexes were clearly defeated and had markedly higher plasma corticosterone concentrations than unstressed home cage controls at the end of the confrontation. Lower numbers of CD4, CD8, and B cells as well as a reduced proliferative response of lymphocytes to ConA were observed in stressed groups of either sex. However, some important gender differences were also observed. Stressed males had higher granulocyte numbers than controls, while granulocyte numbers remained unchanged in stressed females. Similarly, stressed males had higher phagocytic activity than stressed females. Second, there was a gender difference in some basal values. Female controls had lower NK cell numbers than control males. Interestingly, NK numbers in stressed males decreased considerably, reaching the same low levels as in (stressed and control) females. In addition, females exhibited higher basal corticosterone concentrations than males. To summarise, these data do not indicate a superior blood cellular immune function in female rats, neither for the control nor the stress condition. However, the data clearly suggest that male and female rats should not be considered as a uniform group with respect to their immunological response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Stefanski
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Pechnick RN, Kariagina A, Hartvig E, Bresee CJ, Poland RE, Chesnokova VM. Developmental exposure to corticosterone: behavioral changes and differential effects on leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene expression in the mouse. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 185:76-83. [PMID: 16416158 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0258-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2005] [Accepted: 11/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cytokines are found in both the peripheral and central nervous system. There has been increasing interest in their potential role in some of the behavioral features of depressive disorders. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a proinflammatory cytokine, produces stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion in response to emotional and inflammatory stress and recently has been linked to depressive-type behavior. Both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the immune system, including cytokine-mediated responses, appear to be susceptible to long-term programming during fetal and neonatal development. OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to characterize the effects of perinatal exposure to corticostereone on behavior, hypothalamic LIF and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression, and basal plasma corticosterone levels in adult female mice. METHODS Corticosterone was added to the drinking water beginning the last week of gestation and continued until weaning. Behavior in the open field and forced swim tests, baseline plasma corticosterone levels, and hypothalamic LIF and CRH gene expression were evaluated in the adult offspring. RESULTS Mice exposed to perinatal corticosterone showed increased immobility in the forced swim test and increased locomotor activity in the open field test. Although there were no differences between treatment groups in terms of basal plasma levels of corticosterone or hypothalamic CRH mRNA, LIF mRNA expression was increased in the hypothalamus. CONCLUSIONS These results show that perinatal exposure to glucocorticoids can produce long-term behavioral changes and upregulation of central LIF mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Pechnick
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8730 Alden Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
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Reiche EMV, Morimoto HK, Nunes SMV. Stress and depression-induced immune dysfunction: implications for the development and progression of cancer. Int Rev Psychiatry 2005; 17:515-27. [PMID: 16401550 DOI: 10.1080/02646830500382102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The persistent activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axes in chronic stress response and in depression impairs the immune response and contributes to the development and progression of some types of cancer. This overview presents results from experimental animal models, human studies, and clinical evidence that various cellular and molecular immunological parameters are compromised in chronic stress and depression. At the cellular level, stressed and depressed patients had overall leukocytosis, high concentrations of circulating neutrophils, reduced mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation and neutrophil phagocytosis. At the molecular level, high levels of serum basal cortisol, acute phase proteins, specific antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 and Epstein Barr virus, plasma concentration of interleukins IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, and a shift in the balance of Th1 and Th2 immune response were observed. Both stress and depression were associated with the decreased cytotoxic T-cell and natural killer cell activities affecting the processes of the immune surveillance of tumours, and the events that modulate the development and the accumulation of somatic mutations and genomic instability. DNA damage, growth and angiogenic factors, proteases, matrix metalloproteinases, and reactive oxygen species were also related to the chronic stress response and depression. Behavioural strategies, psychological, and psychopharmacotherapeutic interventions that enhance effective coping and reduce affective distress showed beneficial effects in cancer patients. A better understanding of the bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems could contribute to novel clinical and treatment strategies in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edna Maria Vissoci Reiche
- Department of Pathology, Clinical Analysis and Toxicology, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
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Kaiser S, Sachser N. The effects of prenatal social stress on behaviour: mechanisms and function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2005; 29:283-94. [PMID: 15811499 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we summarise experimental animal studies on the effects of the social environment during pregnancy on the offsprings' behaviour, brain, and neuroendocrine function. We show that in non-human mammals the stability of the social environment in which the pregnant females live is critical for the offsprings' social and sexual behaviour later in life as well as for reproductive functioning, endocrine state and androgen and estrogen receptor distribution in specific parts of the brain. Based on these findings, we discuss different neuroendocrine mechanisms mediating the influence of the social environment during pregnancy on the offsprings' behaviour. We conclude that maternal steroids play a decisive role in shaping foetal brain development. However, a pituitary adrenocortical pathway need not always be involved. At least in some cases an involvement of the sympathetic adrenomedullary system seems to be possible. Concerning function, we favour the hypothesis that the behavioural effects of prenatal social stress are not necessarily the 'pathological' consequences of adverse social conditions (non-adaptive explanation). Contrarily, mothers could be adjusting their offspring to the environment in which they live during pregnancy in an efficient way (adaptive explanation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestrasse 13, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Abstract
The in utero environment plays a critical role in initiating the normal ontogeny of many physiological systems. As a consequence, disturbances during prenatal life can affect the baby's maturational trajectory and sometimes cause chronic alterations that influence health postpartum. Our review summarizes a series of studies in rhesus monkeys supporting these conclusions. Psychological disturbance or pharmacological stimulation of the gravid female's pituitary-adrenal axis affected the infant's neurological development: monkeys evinced immature neuromotor reflexes at birth, greater emotionality during the first year of life, and a smaller hippocampus as juveniles. Immune responses of the infants were also affected: lymphocyte proliferation, natural killer activity and cytokine production were reduced. Several mediating pathways were implicated, including the placental transfer of hormones and nutrients, and a differential response of the infant monkey to the rearing environment. For example, the establishment of beneficial types of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract was significantly reduced, which was associated with a greater risk for enteric infection. These findings indicate that events during fetal life can persistently influence physiology after birth and tilt the balance away from health and toward illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Coe
- Department of Psychology, Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 22 North Charter, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
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Fonseca ESM, Sakai M, Carvalho-Freitas MIR, Palermo Neto J. Naloxone treatment prevents prenatal stress effects on peritoneal macrophage activity in mice offspring. Neuroendocrinology 2005; 81:322-8. [PMID: 16210866 DOI: 10.1159/000088759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2005] [Accepted: 08/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study analyzed the effects of maternal stress (PS) and/or naloxone treatment on the activity of peritoneal macrophage in male and female Swiss mice offspring. Pregnant female rats received a daily footshock (0.2 mA) and/or a naloxone injection from gestational day 15 to 19. Experiments were performed on postnatal day 30 on male and female pups. The following results were obtained in male offspring: (1) PS decreased both the index and the percentage of phagocytosis, this decrement being reversed by naloxone treatment, and (2) naloxone alone decreased the percentage of phagocytosis. The following results were obtained in female offspring: (1) PS decreased spontaneous and phorbol myristate acetate-induced macrophage oxidative burst, this decrement being reversed by naloxone pretreatment, and (2) PS decreased both the index and percentage of the phagocytosis, this effect was prevented by naloxone treatment. These data are discussed focussing on a putative neuroimmune interaction involving opioidergic systems during the ontogeny of the central nervous and immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelise S M Fonseca
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Hougaard KS, Andersen MB, Hansen AM, Hass U, Werge T, Lund SP. Effects of prenatal exposure to chronic mild stress and toluene in rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2005; 27:153-67. [PMID: 15681129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2004.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2003] [Revised: 08/02/2004] [Accepted: 08/02/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether prenatal chronic stress, in combination with exposure to a developmental neurotoxicant, would increase effects in the offspring compared with the effects of either exposure alone. Development and neurobehavioral effects were investigated in female offspring of pregnant rats (Mol:WIST) exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS) during gestational days (GD) 9-20, or 1500 ppm toluene, 6 h/day during gestational days 7-20, or a combination of the two. Prenatal CMS was associated with decreased thymic weight and increased auditory startle response. The corticosterone response to restraint seemed modified by prenatal exposure to toluene. Lactational body weight was decreased in offsprings subjected to CMS, primarily due to effects in the combined exposure group. Cognitive function was investigated in the Morris water maze, and some indications of improved function due to CMS were observed. In the present experimental setting, there was no indication of the two exposures potentiating each other with respect to adverse effects on the nervous system. However, the effects of prenatal CMS indicate that stress during fetal life may interfere with the development of the thymus and increase the reactivity (startle reflex) of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin S Hougaard
- National Institute of Occupational Health, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
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36
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Laviola G, Rea M, Morley-Fletcher S, Di Carlo S, Bacosi A, De Simone R, Bertini M, Pacifici R. Beneficial effects of enriched environment on adolescent rats from stressed pregnancies. Eur J Neurosci 2004; 20:1655-64. [PMID: 15355333 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03597.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The capacity of an early environmental intervention to normalize the behavioural and immunological dysfunctions produced by a stressed pregnancy was investigated. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats underwent three 45-min sessions per day of prenatal restraint stress (PS) on gestation days 11-21, and their offspring were assigned to either an enriched-environment or standard living cages throughout adolescence [postnatal days (pnd) 22-43]. Juvenile rats from stressed pregnancies had a prominent depression of affiliative/playful behaviour and of basal circulating CD4 T lymphocytes, CD8 T lymphocytes and T4/T8 ratio. They also showed increased emotionality and spleen and brain frontal cortex levels of pro-inflammatory interleoukin-1beta (IL-1beta) cytokine. A more marked response to cyclophosphamide (CPA: two 2 mg/kg IP injections) induced immunosuppression was also found in prenatal stressed rats. Enriched housing increased the amount of time adolescent PS rats spent in positive species-typical behaviours (i.e. play behaviour), reduced emotionality and reverted most of immunological alterations. In addition to its effects in PS rats, enriched housing increased anti-inflammatory IL-2 and reduced pro-inflammatory IL-1beta production by activated splenocytes, also producing a marked alleviation of CPA-induced immune depression. In the brain, enriched housing increased IL-1beta values in hypothalamus, while slightly normalizing these values in the frontal cortex from PS rats. This is a first indication that an environmental intervention, such as enriched housing, during adolescence can beneficially affect basal immune parameters and rats response to both early stress and drug-induced immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Laviola
- Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy.
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Abstract
The links between the psychological and physiological features of cancer risk and progression have been studied through psychoneuroimmunology. The persistent activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the chronic stress response and in depression probably impairs the immune response and contributes to the development and progression of some types of cancer. Here, we overview the evidence that various cellular and molecular immunological factors are compromised in chronic stress and depression and discuss the clinical implications of these factors in the initiation and progression of cancer. The consecutive stages of the multistep immune reactions are either inhibited or enhanced as a result of previous or parallel stress experiences, depending on the type and intensity of the stressor and on the animal species, strain, sex, or age. In general, both stressors and depression are associated with the decreased cytotoxic T-cell and natural-killer-cell activities that affect processes such as immune surveillance of tumours, and with the events that modulate development and accumulation of somatic mutations and genomic instability. A better understanding of the bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems could contribute to new clinical and treatment strategies.
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Yorty JL, Bonneau RH. Impact of maternal stress on the transmammary transfer and protective capacity of herpes simplex virus-specific immunity. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2004; 287:R1316-24. [PMID: 15308492 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00685.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In adults, psychological stress regulates immune responsiveness in part via the increased levels of corticosterone that are produced as a result of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation. However, there is a lack of knowledge as to the role such regulation may play in the neonate. Neonates are severely compromised in their ability to generate an immune response to pathogens encountered after birth and therefore rely heavily on maternally derived antibody acquired postnatally through the milk. This passive transfer of antibody is critical for protection of the neonate from severe herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and mortality. Using a well-established postnatal restraint/light stress model, we determined whether maternal stress and the associated increases in corticosterone would affect the transmammary transfer of antibody and subsequent neonate susceptibility to HSV-associated mortality. Serum corticosterone levels were markedly increased in lactating mice subjected to the restraint/light stress, and increased levels of corticosterone were transferred through the milk of these stressed mothers to their neonates. Despite these increases in corticosterone, the transmammary transfer and accumulation of total and HSV-specific IgG in neonate serum remained intact. This milk-derived, HSV-specific antibody alone protected the neonate from systemic viral spread. Interestingly, postnatal maternal stress significantly increased neonate survival after HSV-2 infection despite no apparent alteration in viral spread. These studies demonstrate that although the transmammary transfer of antibody is unaffected by maternal stress, stress may be enhancing components of antiviral immunity that are effective in protecting neonates from HSV-associated mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Yorty
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Integrative Biosciences Program, Immunobiology Option, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 Univ. Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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Novak MFSX. Fetal-maternal interactions: prenatal psychobiological precursors to adaptive infant development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2004; 59:37-60. [PMID: 14975246 DOI: 10.1016/s0070-2153(04)59002-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F S X Novak
- Section on Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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40
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Kaiser S, Kruijver FPM, Swaab DF, Sachser N. Early social stress in female guinea pigs induces a masculinization of adult behavior and corresponding changes in brain and neuroendocrine function. Behav Brain Res 2003; 144:199-210. [PMID: 12946610 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-4328(03)00077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to investigate, in guinea pigs, the effects of pre- and early postnatal social stress on the functioning of hormonal-, autonomic-, behavioral-, and limbic-brain systems. Dams had either lived in groups with a constant composition (i.e. stable social environment) or in groups with changing compositions, that means every 3 days two females were transferred from one group to another (i.e. unstable social environment). The subjects studied were female offspring of dams who had either lived in a stable social environment during pregnancy and lactation (i.e. control daughters, CF) or in an unstable social environment during this period of life (i.e. early stressed daughters, SF). After weaning, each five groups of CF and SF, consisting of two females each, were established. The spontaneous behavior of the females was recorded, blood samples were taken to determine cortisol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and estrogen levels, the adrenals were prepared to determine tyrosinehydroxylase (TH) activities and the brains to investigate the distribution of sex hormone receptors. SF showed not only a behavioral and endocrine masculinization, but also an upregulation of androgen receptor and estrogen receptor-alpha in the medial preoptic area and the nucleus arcuatus of the hypothalamus, the nucleus paraventricularis of the thalamus, and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. These findings corresponded with distinctly elevated serum-concentrations of testosterone and increased activities of the adrenal TH. In conclusion, early social stress caused by an unstable social environment induces in female guinea pigs a permanent behavioral masculinization that is accompanied by changes in the endocrine and autonomic system as well as by changes in the distribution of sex hormone receptors in the limbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 9, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
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41
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Kaiser S, Kruijver FPM, Straub RH, Sachser N, Swaab DF. Early social stress in male Guinea-pigs changes social behaviour, and autonomic and neuroendocrine functions. J Neuroendocrinol 2003; 15:761-9. [PMID: 12834437 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2826.2003.01055.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of pre- and early postnatal social stress on the functioning of hormonal, autonomic and behavioural systems, by studying the distribution of sex hormone receptors in limbic brain systems. Dams had either lived in groups with a constant composition (= stable social environment) or in groups with changing compositions, i.e. every third day, two females from different groups were exchanged (= unstable social environment). The subjects were male offspring of dams who had either lived in a stable social environment during pregnancy and lactation (= control males) or in an unstable social environment during this period of life (= early stressed males). From days 20-80, the spontaneous behaviour of control males and early stressed males was recorded in their home cages. Five control males and five early stressed males were killed at 75 days, and five control males and five early stressed males at 120 days. Blood samples were taken to determine serum concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and oestrogen. The adrenals were prepared to determine tyrosine hydroxylase activities and the brains were used to investigate the distribution of sex-hormone receptors in specific hypothalamic and hippocampal brain areas. Early stressed males showed a behavioural infantilization that was accompanied by significantly decreased adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activities and dehydroepiandrosterone levels. Furthermore, early stressed males showed a down-regulation of androgen receptors in the medial preoptic area and the nucleus arcuatus of the hypothalamus, as well as of oestrogen receptor alpha in the hippocampus compared to control males. Thus, the present study provides clear evidence that early social stress induces changes in endocrine, autonomic and limbic brain function, which is mirrored by changes in male social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kaiser
- University of Münster, Department of Behavioural Biology, Münster, Germany.
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42
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Yorty JL, Bonneau RH. Transplacental transfer and subsequent neonate utilization of herpes simplex virus-specific immunity are resilient to acute maternal stress. J Virol 2003; 77:6613-9. [PMID: 12767981 PMCID: PMC156180 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.77.12.6613-6619.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonates are severely compromised in the ability to generate an immune response to pathogens and thus rely heavily on maternally derived immunity that is acquired by transplacental and transmammary means. The passive transfer of maternal herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific antibody is critical in determining the outcome of neonatal HSV infection. In adults, psychological stress alters immune responsiveness via the increased level of corticosterone that is produced as a result of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. Although the behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of pre- and postnatal stress-induced increases in corticosterone are well documented, the effects of maternal stress on the efficacy of prenatally transferred and neonatally developed viral immunity has yet to be addressed. By using a well-established prenatal restraint-and-light stress mouse model, we investigated the effects of increased maternal corticosterone on the passive transfer of total and HSV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody and subsequent neonatal susceptibility to HSV infection. Serum corticosterone levels in pregnant mice were significantly increased in response to restraint-and-light stress, and fetuses derived from these stressed mice had significantly elevated levels of corticosterone. Despite the increases in corticosterone, the passive transfer of total and HSV-specific IgG antibody persisted and, in turn, protected the neonate from systemic viral spread. Therefore, prenatal stress did not increase the susceptibility of neonates to HSV type 2-associated mortality. These findings demonstrate the resiliency of the passive transfer of protective HSV-specific immunity under conditions of acute psychological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Yorty
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Integrative Biosciences Program in Immunobiology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
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43
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Fonseca ESM, Massoco CO, Palermo-Neto J. Effects of prenatal stress on stress-induced changes in behavior and macrophage activity of mice. Physiol Behav 2002; 77:205-15. [PMID: 12419396 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(02)00812-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The present study analyzed the effects of maternal stress on behavior and macrophage activity of mice. Pregnant mice received a daily footshock (0.2 mA) from gestational days 15 (GD15) to 19. Experiments were performed on male offspring, challenged or not with another footshock (0.2 mA) on postnatal day 30 (PND30) or 60. The following results were obtained for maternal stress: (1) increment in locomotor activity of juvenile but not of adult mice observed in both open-field and plus-maze; (2) increment in rearing frequency of juvenile but not of adult mice observed in the open-field; (3) decrement in macrophage spreading of adult but not of juvenile mice; (4) abolishment of postnatal footshock effects in both macrophage spreading on PND30 and macrophage nitric oxide (NO) production on PND60; (5) reversion of postnatal footshock effects on H(2)O(2) spontaneous and PMA-induced release by macrophage on PND30; (6) modification of postnatal stress effects on macrophage phagocytosis on PND60. These changes were unrelated to differences in gestational parameters and did not reflect altered maternal-pup interactions or nutritional factors. The observed data provide experimental evidence that maternal stress alters behavior, and macrophage activity at the same time and in the same litter. These data were discussed in the light of possible neuroimmune interactions that involve catecholaminergic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S M Fonseca
- Applied Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
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44
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Llorente E, Brito ML, Machado P, González MC. Effect of prenatal stress on the hormonal response to acute and chronic stress and on immune parameters in the offspring. J Physiol Biochem 2002; 58:143-9. [PMID: 12603008 DOI: 10.1007/bf03179851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The effect of prenatal stress on the time course of the corticosterone response to acute and chronic stress and on hematological and immunological parameters in the offspring were analized in the present study. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were stressed daily for 2 hours during the last week of gestation, and female and male off-spring were studied during adulthood. Corticosterone response to acute immobilization stress was not significantly different in either control or prenatally stressed rats. However, after 10 days of immobilization stress the corticosterone response completely disappeared in the control animals but not in the prenatally stressed group: high levels of corticosterone were found during the first hour of stress, although they were lower than those found in acutely stressed rats. Adrenal hypertrophy in response to prenatal stress was observed in females but not in male offspring, and chronic stress only increased adrenal weights in the male control group. Prenatal stress decreased the total peripheral leukocyte count, altered its diferential count decreasing lymphocytes and increasing neutrophil and eosinhophil counts, and significantly reduced the percentage of peripheral lymphocyte T CD8+ subset in male offspring. Chronic stress also reduced the percentage of the peripheral T CD8+ lymphocyte subset in the control group but not in the prenatally stressed group. These results suggest that the exposure to stress during pregnancy alters the adaptative response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis to chronic stress and presumably the immune competence in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Llorente
- Departament of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
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45
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Tuchscherer M, Kanitz E, Otten W, Tuchscherer A. Effects of prenatal stress on cellular and humoral immune responses in neonatal pigs. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2002; 86:195-203. [PMID: 12007885 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-2427(02)00035-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated the effects of a daily 5 min restraint stress of pregnant sows in the last five gestational weeks on the development and reactivity of the immune system of the offspring. Maternal stress resulted in significant decreased serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations in suckling piglets at 1 and 3 days of age. Furthermore, the stress treatment of the sows had an immunosuppressive effect on lymphocyte proliferation in response to the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A (ConA) at postnatal days 1 and 7. A suppressive effect was also found in response to the B-cell mitogens lipopolysaccharid (LPS) at days 1 and 35 and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) at day 1 of life, whereas natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity was not altered by prenatal stress. The relative thymus weights were significantly reduced in prenatally stressed piglets on the first and 35th day of life and the morbidity and mortality during the suckling period were significantly increased in prenatally stressed litters, as shown by a higher frequency of diseased and died piglets per litter. In addition, the ConA-, LPS- and PWM-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation at the age of 7, 21 and 35 days, and the NK cell cytotoxicity at the age of 21 and 35 days decreased in prenatally stressed and in control piglets 1h after a corticotropin (ACTH) injection. However, the cellular immunity was always higher in the control piglets which might be a result of the weaker stress hormone reactivity in prenatally stressed animals. In conclusion, the results provide first experimental evidence that prenatal maternal stress during late gestation is able to impair both humoral and cellular immune function in suckling piglets. The data also suggest that gestational stress in pigs may affect the ontogeny of the foetal immune system with consequences on the susceptibility to diseases and immune responsiveness to stressful stimuli of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tuchscherer
- Research Unit Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
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46
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Coe CL, Kramer M, Kirschbaum C, Netter P, Fuchs E. Prenatal stress diminishes the cytokine response of leukocytes to endotoxin stimulation in juvenile rhesus monkeys. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002; 87:675-81. [PMID: 11836303 DOI: 10.1210/jcem.87.2.8233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated whether exposing the fetal primate to repeated episodes of maternal stress would have long-lasting effects on the endotoxin-induced cytokine response and corticosteroid sensitivity of peripheral blood cells in juvenile animals. Pregnant rhesus monkeys were acutely aroused on a daily basis for 6 wk using an acoustical startle protocol, either early or late in the 24-wk pregnancy. To quantify cytokine responses and corticosteroid sensitivity in their offspring at 2 yr of age, whole blood cultures were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and incubated with dexamethasone (DEX). TNFalpha and IL-6 levels were determined in the culture supernatants. The blood samples were collected from undisturbed monkeys under baseline conditions, as well as in an aroused state induced by a 2 h social separation. Juvenile monkeys from stressed pregnancies had significantly lower cellular cytokine responses compared with the undisturbed controls. When DEX was added to the cell cultures, it systematically inhibited TNFalpha and IL-6 production, bringing the values for control animals down into the range of the prenatally stressed animals. Lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production was also markedly suppressed by the experience of acute stress, reducing cytokine responses of controls to the levels found for prenatally disturbed monkeys under baseline conditions. Therefore, this study has demonstrated that prenatal disturbance can induce a lasting change in cytokine biology, which persists well beyond the fetal and infant stage. Further, these effects may be due to elevated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in the prenatally stressed animals, because both DEX and acute arousal made the cells from control monkeys appear more similar to those from disturbed pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Coe
- Division of Neurobiology, German Primate Center, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
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47
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Shanks N, Lightman SL. The maternal-neonatal neuro-immune interface: are there long-term implications for inflammatory or stress-related disease? J Clin Invest 2001; 108:1567-73. [PMID: 11733549 PMCID: PMC200999 DOI: 10.1172/jci14592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- N Shanks
- University Research Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkins-Crowfoot Laboratories, Bristol, United Kingdom.
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48
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Shanks N, Lightman SL. The maternal-neonatal neuro-immune interface: Are there long-term implications for inflammatory or stress-related disease? J Clin Invest 2001. [DOI: 10.1172/jci200114592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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49
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Palermo Neto J, Massoco CO, Fávare RC. Effects of maternal stress on anxiety levels, macrophage activity, and Ehrlich tumor growth. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2001; 23:497-507. [PMID: 11711253 DOI: 10.1016/s0892-0362(01)00164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study analyzed the effects of maternal stress on behavior and immune function of mice. Pregnant mice received a daily footshock (0.4 mA) from gestational day 15 (GD 15) to GD 19. Experiments were performed on male offspring aged 2 months. The following results were obtained for offspring from dams stressed during pregnancy: (1) decreased locomotor activity observed in the open-field central zone; (2) decreased number of entries into the open arms of the plus-maze and decreased time spent in the exploration of these arms; (3) decreased macrophage spreading and phagocytosis, but no changes in macrophage NO(2)(-) production; (4) increased growth of both the ascitic and solid forms of Ehrlich tumor. These changes were unrelated to differences in gestational parameters and did not reflect altered maternal-pup interactions or nutritional factors. The observed data provide experimental evidence that maternal stress alters stress/anxiety levels, macrophage activity and Ehrlich tumor growth at the same time and in the same litter. The data were discussed in the light of possible neuroendocrine-immune system interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Palermo Neto
- Applied Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil.
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50
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Kaiser S, Sachser N. Social stress during pregnancy and lactation affects in guinea pigs the male offsprings' endocrine status and infantilizes their behaviour. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2001; 26:503-19. [PMID: 11337134 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4530(01)00009-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of the social environment during pregnancy and lactation on the male offsprings' endocrine parameters and behaviour in guinea pigs. The subjects studied were sons whose mothers had either lived in a stable social environment during pregnancy and lactation or in an unstable social environment during this period of life. The stable social environment was made by keeping the group composition (one male, five females) constant; in the unstable social environment situation every third day, two females from different groups were exchanged. After weaning, seven groups of sons, whose mothers had lived in an unstable social environment and seven groups of sons, whose mothers had lived in a stable social environment, consisting of two males each, were established. From their 20th through their 100th day of age the spontaneous behaviour of the males was recorded in their home cages. On the endocrine level, cortisol- and testosterone-concentrations in serum as well as adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activities were determined. Sons, whose mothers had lived in an unstable social environment, showed significantly higher amounts of resting with bodily contact than sons, whose mothers had lived in a stable social environment. Additionally, they displayed this behaviour to an older age than the latter sons. Further on, sons, whose mothers had lived in an unstable social environment, displayed significantly higher frequencies of courtship behaviour than sons, whose mothers had lived in a stable social environment, which was integrated into play behaviour. These behavioural data point to an infantilization of sons, whose mothers had lived in an unstable social environment. The behavioural patterns corresponded with a delayed development of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical-axis and a lower activity of the sympathetic-adrenomedullary-system compared to sons whose mothers had lived in a stable social environment. Testosterone did not differ between both categories of males. Thus, the instability of the social environment during pregnancy and lactation had distinct and not yet described effects on the behaviour and endocrine system of the male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kaiser
- University of Münster, Institute for Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, Department of Behavioural Biology, Badestr. 9, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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