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Iribarne J, Brachetta V, Kittlein M, Schleich C, Zenuto R. Effects of acute maternal stress induced by predator cues on spatial learning and memory of offspring in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1997-2008. [PMID: 37632596 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01822-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the main selection pressures to which animals are exposed in nature is predation, which affects a wide variety of biological traits. When the mother experiences this stressor during pregnancy and/or lactation, behavioral and physiological responses may be triggered in the offspring as well. Thus, in order to broaden and deepen knowledge on the transgenerational effects of predation stress, we evaluated how maternal stress experienced during pregnancy and/or lactation affects the spatial abilities of progeny at the onset of adulthood in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. The results showed that, contrary to what was observed in other rodent species, maternal exposure to predator cues during pregnancy and lactation did not negatively affect the spatial abilities of the offspring, even registering some minor positive effects. Concomitantly, no effects of predatory cues on physiological parameters associated with stress were observed in the progeny. This difference in results between the present study and previous works on maternal stress highlights the importance of considering the species to be evaluated (strain, age and origin-wild or captive-) and the type of stressor used (artificial or natural, intensity of exposure) in the evaluation of the possible transgenerational effects of maternal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Iribarne
- Grupo de Ecologia Fisiologica y del Comportamiento, Departamento Biologia, FCEyN, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - V Brachetta
- Grupo de Ecologia Fisiologica y del Comportamiento, Departamento Biologia, FCEyN, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - M Kittlein
- Grupo de Ecologia y Genetica de Poblacion de Mamiferos, Departamento Biologia, FCEyN, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - C Schleich
- Grupo de Ecologia Fisiologica y del Comportamiento, Departamento Biologia, FCEyN, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - R Zenuto
- Grupo de Ecologia Fisiologica y del Comportamiento, Departamento Biologia, FCEyN, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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Gedzun VR, Khukhareva DD, Sarycheva NY, Kotova MM, Kabiolsky IA, Dubynin VA. Perinatal Stressors as a Factor in Impairments to Nervous System Development and Functions: Review of In Vivo Models. NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 53:61-69. [PMID: 36969360 PMCID: PMC10006566 DOI: 10.1007/s11055-023-01391-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
The human body is faced with stress throughout ontogeny. At the stage of intrauterine development, the mother’s body serves as a source of resources and most of the humoral factors supporting the development of the fetus. In normal conditions, maternal stress-related humoral signals (e.g., cortisol) regulate fetal development; however, distress (excessive pathological stress) in the perinatal period leads to serious and sometimes irreversible changes in the developing brain. The mother being in an unfavorable psychoemotional state, toxins and teratogens, environmental conditions, and severe infectious diseases are the most common risk factors for the development of perinatal nervous system pathology in the modern world. In this regard, the challenge of modeling situations in which prenatal or early postnatal stresses lead to serious impairments to brain development and functioning is extremely relevant. This review addresses the various models of perinatal pathology used in our studies (hypoxia, exposure to valproate, hyperserotoninemia, alcoholization), and assesses the commonality of the mechanisms of the resulting disorders and behavioral phenotypes forming in these models, as well as their relationship with models of perinatal pathology based on the impact of psychoemotional stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. R. Gedzun
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - D. D. Khukhareva
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - N. Yu. Sarycheva
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - M. M. Kotova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - I. A. Kabiolsky
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - V. A. Dubynin
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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3
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Zoubovsky SP, Williams MT, Hoseus S, Tumukuntala S, Riesenberg A, Schulkin J, Vorhees CV, Campbell K, Lim HW, Muglia LJ. Neurobehavioral abnormalities following prenatal psychosocial stress are differentially modulated by maternal environment. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:22. [PMID: 35039487 PMCID: PMC8764031 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01785-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) is associated with increased vulnerability to affective disorders. Transplacental glucocorticoid passage and stress-induced maternal environment alterations are recognized as potential routes of transmission that can fundamentally alter neurodevelopment. However, molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant emotional outcomes or the individual contributions intrauterine stress versus maternal environment play in shaping these mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we report anxiogenic behaviors, anhedonia, and female hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity as a consequence of psychosocial PS in mice. Evidence of fetal amygdala programming precedes these abnormalities. In adult offspring, we observe amygdalar transcriptional changes demonstrating sex-specific dysfunction in synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter systems. We find these abnormalities are primarily driven by in-utero stress exposure. Importantly, maternal care changes postnatally reverse anxiety-related behaviors and partially rescue gene alterations associated with neurotransmission. Our data demonstrate the influence maternal environment exerts in shaping offspring emotional development despite deleterious effects of intrauterine stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra P. Zoubovsky
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Center for the Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Michael T. Williams
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Sarah Hoseus
- grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Center for the Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Shivani Tumukuntala
- grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Center for the Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Amy Riesenberg
- grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- grid.213910.80000 0001 1955 1644Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Charles V. Vorhees
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Kenneth Campbell
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Hee-Woong Lim
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Louis J. Muglia
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Center for the Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.239573.90000 0000 9025 8099Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA ,grid.427464.70000 0000 8727 8697Office of the President, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
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Roshan-Milani S, Seyyedabadi B, Saboory E, Parsamanesh N, Mehranfard N. Prenatal stress and increased susceptibility to anxiety-like behaviors: role of neuroinflammation and balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission. Stress 2021; 24:481-495. [PMID: 34180763 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1942828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity during the prenatal period allows neurons to regenerate anatomically and functionally for re-programming the brain development. During this critical period of fetal programming, the fetus phenotype can change in accordance with environmental stimuli such as stress exposure. Prenatal stress (PS) can exert important effects on brain development and result in permanent alterations with long-lasting consequences on the physiology and behavior of the offspring later in life. Neuroinflammation, as well as GABAergic and glutamatergic dysfunctions, has been implicated as potential mediators of behavioral consequences of PS. Hyperexcitation, due to enhanced excitatory transmission or reduced inhibitory transmission, can promote anxiety. Alterations of the GABAergic and/or glutamatergic signaling during fetal development lead to a severe excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in neuronal circuits, a condition that may account for PS-precipitated anxiety-like behaviors. This review summarizes experimental evidence linking PS to an elevated risk to anxiety-like behaviors and interprets the role of the neuroinflammation and alterations of the brain GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission in this phenomenon. We hypothesize this is an imbalance in GABAergic and glutamatergic circuits (as a direct or indirect consequence of neuroinflammation), which at least partially contributes to PS-precipitated anxiety-like behaviors and primes the brain to be vulnerable to anxiety disorders. Therefore, pharmacological interventions with anti-inflammatory activities and with regulatory effects on the excitatory/inhibitory balance can be attributed to the novel therapeutic target for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Roshan-Milani
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Saboory
- Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Negin Parsamanesh
- Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Nasrin Mehranfard
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Reduced Motivation in Perinatal Fluoxetine-Treated Mice: A Hypodopaminergic Phenotype. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2723-2732. [PMID: 33536200 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2608-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life is a sensitive period, in which enhanced neural plasticity allows the developing brain to adapt to its environment. This plasticity can also be a risk factor in which maladaptive development can lead to long-lasting behavioral deficits. Here, we test how early-life exposure to the selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine, affects motivation, and dopaminergic signaling in adulthood. We show for the first time that mice exposed to fluoxetine in the early postnatal period exhibit a reduction in effort-related motivation. These mice also show blunted responses to amphetamine and reduced dopaminergic activation in a sucrose reward task. Interestingly, we find that the reduction in motivation can be rescued in the adult by administering bupropion, a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used as an antidepressant and a smoke cessation aid but not by fluoxetine. Taken together, our studies highlight the effects of early postnatal exposure of fluoxetine on motivation and demonstrate the involvement of the dopaminergic system in this process.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The developmental period is characterized by enhanced plasticity. During this period, environmental factors have the potential to lead to enduring behavioral changes. Here, we show that exposure to the SSRI fluoxetine during a restricted period in early life leads to a reduction in adult motivation. We further show that this reduction is associated with decreased dopaminergic responsivity. Finally, we show that motivational deficits induced by early-life fluoxetine exposure can be rescued by adult administration of bupropion but not by fluoxetine.
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Li Y, Rong J, Zhong H, Liang M, Zhu C, Chang F, Zhou R. Prenatal Stress Leads to the Altered Maturation of Corticostriatal Synaptic Plasticity and Related Behavioral Impairments Through Epigenetic Modifications of Dopamine D2 Receptor in Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:317-328. [PMID: 32935231 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02127-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PRS) had a long-term adverse effect on motor behaviors. Corticostriatal synaptic plasticity, a cellular basis for motor controlling, has been proven to participate in the pathogenesis of many behavior disorders. Based on the reports about the involvement of epigenetic DNA alterations in PRS-induced long-term effects, this research investigated the influence of PRS on the development and maturation of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity and related behaviors and explored the underlying epigenetic mechanism. Subjects were male offspring of dams that were exposed to stress three times per day from the 10th day of pregnancy until delivery. The development and maturation of plasticity at corticostriatal synapses, dopamine signaling, behavioral habituation, and DNA methylation were examined and analyzed. Control mice expressed long-term potentiation (LTP) at corticostriatal synapses during postnatal days (PD) 12-14 and produced long-term depression (LTD) during PD 20-60. However, PRS mice exhibited sustained LTP during PD 12-60. The treatment with dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) agonist quinpirole recovered striatal LTD and improved the impaired behavioral habituation in PD 45 adult PRS mice. Additionally, adult PRS mice showed reduced D2R, excess DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), increased binding of DNMT1 to D2R promoter, and hypermethylation at D2R promoter in the striatum. The DNMT1 inhibitor 5-aza-deoxycytidine restored striatal synaptic plasticity and improved behavioral habituation in adult PRS mice via D2R-mediated dopamine signaling. DNMT1-associated D2R hypermethylation is responsible for altering the maturation of plasticity at corticostriatal synapses and impairing the behavioral habituation in PRS mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchun Li
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jing Rong
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haiquan Zhong
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Min Liang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chunting Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fei Chang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Longmian Avenue 101, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China.
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8
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Programming Effects of Prenatal Stress on Neurodevelopment-The Pitfall of Introducing a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16132301. [PMID: 31261808 PMCID: PMC6651796 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16132301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing interest for the potential harmful effects of prenatal stress on the developing fetal brain, both in scientific literature and in public press. Results from animal studies suggest that gestational stress leads to an altered offspring neurodevelopment with adverse behavioral and cognitive consequences. Furthermore, there are indications in human studies that severe prenatal stress has negative consequences for the child's neurodevelopment. However, stress is an umbrella term and studies of maternal stress have focused on a wide range of stress inducing situations, ranging from daily hassles to traumatic stress after bereavement or a natural disaster. Mild to moderate stress, experienced by many women during their pregnancy, has not consistently been shown to exert substantial negative effects on the child's neurodevelopment. Additionally, the vast majority of human studies are observational cohort studies that are hampered by their fundamental inability to show a causal relationship. Furthermore, our limited knowledge on the possible underlying mechanisms and the effects of interventions for prenatal stress on child neurodevelopmental outcomes emphasize our incomplete understanding of the actual effects of prenatal stress on child neurodevelopment. Until we have a better understanding, it seems counterproductive to alarm all pregnant women for possible harmful effects of all sorts of prenatal stress, if only to avoid the induction of stress itself.
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9
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Houwing DJ, Heijkoop R, Olivier JDA, Snoeren EMS. Perinatal fluoxetine exposure changes social and stress-coping behavior in adult rats housed in a seminatural environment. Neuropharmacology 2019; 151:84-97. [PMID: 30959021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy has increased tremendously, but the consequences for the offspring remain largely unclear. Several studies have described potential effects of perinatal SSRI-exposure on neurobehavioral outcomes using simplified rodent test set-ups, however these set-ups only assess a small fraction of the behavior. For translational purposes it is important to take the environmental influences into account which children are exposed to in real life. By using a seminatural environmental set-up, this study is the first to assess behavioral outcomes in offspring exposed to perinatal SSRI exposure under seminatural circumstances. Mothers received daily the SSRI fluoxetine (FLX, 10 mg/kg p.o.) or vehicle (CTR) from gestational day 1 until postnatal day 21. To assess the effect of FLX exposure during early development, female and male offspring were behaviorally tested in the seminatural environment at adulthood. Baseline behavior was measured in addition to responses during and after stressful white-noise events. Behavior was observed on two days, day 4 on which females were sexually non-receptive, and day 7, on which females were sexual receptive. Perinatal FLX exposure reduced general activity in females and increased behavior related to a social context in both males and females. After a stressful white-noise event some behaviors switched. Whereas FLX-females switch from resting socially to resting more solitarily, FLX-males show an increase in self-grooming behavior after the stressor and showed more freezing behavior in the open area. We conclude that perinatal FLX exposure leads to alterations in social and stress-coping behaviors in adulthood, when observed in a seminatural environment. Whether these adaptations in behavior are advantageous or disadvantageous remains to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Houwing
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Roy Heijkoop
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jocelien D A Olivier
- Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Eelke M S Snoeren
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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Mielke EL, Neukel C, Bertsch K, Reck C, Möhler E, Herpertz SC. Alterations of brain volumes in women with early life maltreatment and their associations with oxytocin. Horm Behav 2018; 97:128-136. [PMID: 29129623 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Early life maltreatment (ELM) is associated with different neurobiological alterations. Lower oxytocin and altered grey matter volumes (GMV) in brain regions associated with the central oxytocin system, such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, have been reported in women with ELM. However, the association between peripheral oxytocin and brain morphometry in women with ELM has not been studied yet. We therefore collected blood samples from 33 women with and 25 women without ELM, all without current mental disorders to measure and compare oxytocin levels between the two groups. Furthermore, T1-weighted high-resolution structural magnetic resonance brain images of a subsample of these women were collected, analyzed with voxel-based morphometry, compared between the two groups, and correlated with oxytocin levels. There were no differences in oxytocin levels between the groups. However, oxytocin levels were associated with different brain regions in women with ELM compared with control women without ELM: A positive association between GMV in the nucleus accumbens and oxytocin was specific for control women but not for women with ELM. For the hypothalamus, there was a positive association between GMV and oxytocin in control women. However, the same region was negatively associated with oxytocin in women with ELM and it showed larger GMV compared to control women without ELM. For the amygdala, a negative association between GMV and oxytocin was specific for women with ELM. Results are discussed with regard to previous research on endocrine and neurostructural alterations in individuals with ELM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia L Mielke
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Corinne Neukel
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Corinna Reck
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
| | - Eva Möhler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, SHG Hospital, Waldstraße 40, 66271 Kleinbittersdorf, Germany.
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Berghänel A, Heistermann M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Prenatal stress effects in a wild, long-lived primate: predictive adaptive responses in an unpredictable environment. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1304. [PMID: 27655764 PMCID: PMC5046897 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal stress affects offspring phenotype in numerous species including humans, but it is debated whether these effects are evolutionarily adaptive. Relating stress to adverse conditions, current explanations invoke either short-term developmental constraints on offspring phenotype resulting in decelerated growth to avoid starvation, or long-term predictive adaptive responses (PARs) resulting in accelerated growth and reproduction in response to reduced life expectancies. Two PAR subtypes were proposed, acting either on predicted internal somatic states or predicted external environmental conditions, but because both affect phenotypes similarly, they are largely indistinguishable. Only external (not internal) PARs rely on high environmental stability particularly in long-lived species. We report on a crucial test case in a wild long-lived mammal, the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), which evolved and lives in an unpredictable environment where external PARs are probably not advantageous. We quantified food availability, growth, motor skills, maternal caretaking style and maternal physiological stress from faecal glucocorticoid measures. Prenatal maternal stress was negatively correlated to prenatal food availability and led to accelerated offspring growth accompanied by decelerated motor skill acquisition and reduced immune function. These results support the ‘internal PAR’ theory, which stresses the role of stable adverse internal somatic states rather than stable external environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Berghänel
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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12
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Maschietto M, Bastos LC, Tahira AC, Bastos EP, Euclydes VLV, Brentani A, Fink G, de Baumont A, Felipe-Silva A, Francisco RPV, Gouveia G, Grisi SJFE, Escobar AMU, Moreira-Filho CA, Polanczyk GV, Miguel EC, Brentani H. Sex differences in DNA methylation of the cord blood are related to sex-bias psychiatric diseases. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44547. [PMID: 28303968 PMCID: PMC5355991 DOI: 10.1038/srep44547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders are well documented, with exposure to stress during gestation differentially impacting females and males. We explored sex-specific DNA methylation in the cord blood of 39 females and 32 males born at term and with appropriate weight at birth regarding their potential connection to psychiatric outcomes. Mothers were interviewed to gather information about environmental factors (gestational exposure) that could interfere with the methylation profiles in the newborns. Bisulphite converted DNA was hybridized to Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. Excluding XYS probes, there were 2,332 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMSs) between sexes, which were enriched within brain modules of co-methylated CpGs during brain development and also differentially methylated in the brains of boys and girls. Genes associated with the DMSs were enriched for neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly for CpG sites found differentially methylated in brain tissue between patients with schizophrenia and controls. Moreover, the DMS had an overlap of 890 (38%) CpG sites with a cohort submitted to toxic exposition during gestation. This study supports the evidences that sex differences in DNA methylation of autosomes act as a primary driver of sex differences that are found in psychiatric outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Maschietto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexandra Brentani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
| | - Günther Fink
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, USA
| | | | | | | | - Gisele Gouveia
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Helena Brentani
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
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Prenatal stressors in rodents: Effects on behavior. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 6:3-13. [PMID: 28229104 PMCID: PMC5314420 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current review focuses on studies in rodents published since 2008 and explores possible reasons for any differences they report in the effects of gestational stress on various types of behavior in the offspring. An abundance of experimental data shows that different maternal stressors in rodents can replicate some of the abnormalities in offspring behavior observed in humans. These include, anxiety, in juvenile and adult rats and mice, assessed in the elevated plus maze and open field tests and depression, detected in the forced swim and sucrose-preference tests. Deficits were reported in social interaction that is suggestive of pathology associated with schizophrenia, and in spatial learning and memory in adult rats in the Morris water maze test, but in most studies only males were tested. There were too few studies on the novel object recognition test at different inter-trial intervals to enable a conclusion about the effect of prenatal stress and whether any deficits are more prevalent in males. Among hippocampal glutamate receptors, NR2B was the only subtype consistently reduced in association with learning deficits. However, like in humans with schizophrenia and depression, prenatal stress lowered hippocampal levels of BDNF, which were closely correlated with decreases in hippocampal long-term potentiation. In mice, down-regulation of BDNF appeared to occur through the action of gene-methylating enzymes that are already increased above controls in prenatally-stressed neonates. In conclusion, the data obtained so far from experiments in rodents lend support to a physiological basis for the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia and depression.
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Grundwald NJ, Benítez DP, Brunton PJ. Sex-Dependent Effects of Prenatal Stress on Social Memory in Rats: A Role for Differential Expression of Central Vasopressin-1a Receptors. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26613552 PMCID: PMC4950027 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PNS) affects a number of traits in the offspring, including stress axis regulation, emotionality and cognition; however, much less is known about the effects of PNS on social memory and the underlying central mechanisms. In the present study, we investigated social preference, social memory under basal and stress conditions and olfactory memory for social and nonsocial odours in the adult offspring of dams exposed to social stress during late pregnancy. Given the key roles that the central oxytocin and vasopressin systems play in facilitating social memory, we further investigated the effects of PNS on the central expression of mRNA for oxytocin (Oxtr) and vasopressin-1a (Avpr1a) receptors. PNS did not affect social preference in either sex; however, social memory was impaired under basal conditions in PNS females but not PNS males. Accordingly, Avpr1a mRNA expression in the lateral septum and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) was unaltered in males but was significantly lower in PNS females compared to controls. No differences in Oxtr mRNA expression were detected between control and PNS offspring in either sex in any of the brain regions examined. Social memory deficits in PNS females persisted when social odours were used; however, this does not appear to be a result of impaired olfaction because memory for nonsocial odours was similar in control and PNS females. Under acute stress conditions, deficits in social memory were observed in both male and female control offspring; however, PNS males were unaffected. Moreover, acute stress facilitated social memory in PNS females and this was associated with an up-regulation of Avpr1a mRNA in the lateral septum and BNST. Our data support a role for altered signalling via central Avpr1a in PNS-induced sex-dependent changes in social memory and may have implications for understanding the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by social behaviour deficits in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Grundwald
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - D P Benítez
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - P J Brunton
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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Ordyan NE, Pivina SG, Rakitskaya VV, Akulova VK. Activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis of prenatally stressed male rats in experimental model of depression. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093016010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Associations between Prenatal Exposure to Black Carbon and Memory Domains in Urban Children: Modification by Sex and Prenatal Stress. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142492. [PMID: 26544967 PMCID: PMC4636293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Whether fetal neurodevelopment is disrupted by traffic-related air pollution is uncertain. Animal studies suggest that chemical and non-chemical stressors interact to impact neurodevelopment, and that this association is further modified by sex. Objectives To examine associations between prenatal traffic-related black carbon exposure, prenatal stress, and sex with children’s memory and learning. Methods Analyses included N = 258 mother-child dyads enrolled in a Boston, Massachusetts pregnancy cohort. Black carbon exposure was estimated using a validated spatiotemporal land-use regression model. Prenatal stress was measured using the Crisis in Family Systems-Revised survey of negative life events. The Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML2) was administered at age 6 years; outcomes included the General Memory Index and its component indices [Verbal, Visual, and Attention Concentration]. Relationships between black carbon and WRAML2 index scores were examined using multivariable-adjusted linear regression including effect modification by stress and sex. Results Mothers were primarily minorities (60% Hispanic, 26% Black); 67% had ≤12 years of education. The main effect for black carbon was not significant for any WRAML2 index; however, in stratified analyses, among boys with high exposure to prenatal stress, Attention Concentration Index scores were on average 9.5 points lower for those with high compared to low prenatal black carbon exposure (P3-way interaction = 0.04). Conclusion The associations between prenatal exposure to black carbon and stress with children’s memory scores were stronger in boys than in girls. Studies assessing complex interactions may more fully characterize health risks and, in particular, identify vulnerable subgroups.
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Gemmel M, Rayen I, Lotus T, van Donkelaar E, Steinbusch HW, De Lacalle S, Kokras N, Dalla C, Pawluski JL. Developmental fluoxetine and prenatal stress effects on serotonin, dopamine, and synaptophysin density in the PFC and hippocampus of offspring at weaning. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:315-27. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Gemmel
- Department of Biological Sciences; Ohio University; Athens OH
| | - Ine Rayen
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht Netherlands
| | - Tiffany Lotus
- Department of Biological Sciences; Ohio University; Athens OH
| | - Eva van Donkelaar
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht Netherlands
| | - Harry W. Steinbusch
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht Netherlands
| | | | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School; University of Athens; Athens Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School; University of Athens; Athens Greece
| | - Jodi L. Pawluski
- Department of Biological Sciences; Ohio University; Athens OH
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht Netherlands
- University of Rennes 1, IRSET-INSERM U1085; Rennes Cedex France
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Prenatal alcohol exposure and prenatal stress differentially alter glucocorticoid signaling in the placenta and fetal brain. Neuroscience 2015; 342:167-179. [PMID: 26342748 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Adverse intrauterine environments increase vulnerability to chronic diseases across the lifespan. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which integrates multiple neuronal signals and ultimately controls the response to stressors, may provide a final common pathway linking early adversity and adult diseases. Both prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and prenatal stress (PS) induce a hyperresponsive HPA phenotype in adulthood. As glucocorticoids are pivotal for the normal development of many fetal tissues including the brain, we used animal models of PAE and PS to investigate possible mechanisms underlying fetal programing of glucocorticoid signaling in the placenta and fetal brain at gestation day (GD) 21. We found that both PAE and PS dams had higher corticosterone (CORT) levels than control dams. However, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) enzyme levels were increased in PAE and unchanged in PS placentae, although there were no differences in 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) levels. Moreover, only PAE fetuses showed decreased body weight and increased placental weight, and hence a lower fetal/placental weight ratio, a marker of placenta efficiency, compared to all other prenatal groups. Importantly, PAE and PS differentially altered corticosteroid receptor levels in placentae and brains. In the PS condition, maternal CORT was negatively correlated with both 11β-HSD1 and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) protein levels in male and female placentae, whereas in the PAE condition, there were trends for a positive correlation between maternal CORT and 11β-HSD1, regardless of sex, and a negative correlation between maternal alcohol intake and MR in male placentae. In fetal brains, sexually dimorphic changes in MR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels, and the MR/GR ratio seen in C fetuses were absent in PAE and PS fetuses. In addition, PS but not PAE female fetuses had higher MR and lower GR expression levels in certain limbic areas compared to C female fetuses. Thus the similar adult HPA hyperresponsive phenotype in PAE and PS animals likely occurs through differential effects on glucocorticoid signaling in the placenta and fetal brain.
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Palagini L, Drake CL, Gehrman P, Meerlo P, Riemann D. Early-life origin of adult insomnia: does prenatal–early-life stress play a role? Sleep Med 2015; 16:446-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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