1
|
Martinez ME, Karaczyn A, Wu Z, Bennett CA, Matoin KL, Daigle HM, Hernandez A. Transgenerational epigenetic self-memory of Dio3 dosage is associated with Meg3 methylation and altered growth trajectories and neonatal hormones. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2376948. [PMID: 38991122 PMCID: PMC11244338 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2376948] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic effects resulting from conditions in previous generations can contribute to environmental adaptation as well as disease susceptibility. Previous studies in rodent and human models have shown that abnormal developmental exposure to thyroid hormone affects endocrine function and thyroid hormone sensitivity in later generations. Since the imprinted type 3 deiodinase gene (Dio3) regulates sensitivity to thyroid hormones, we hypothesize its epigenetic regulation is altered in descendants of thyroid hormone overexposed individuals. Using DIO3-deficient mice as a model of developmental thyrotoxicosis, we investigated Dio3 total and allelic expression and growth and endocrine phenotypes in descendants. We observed that male and female developmental overexposure to thyroid hormone altered total and allelic Dio3 expression in genetically intact descendants in a tissue-specific manner. This was associated with abnormal growth and neonatal levels of thyroid hormone and leptin. Descendant mice also exhibited molecular abnormalities in the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted domain, including increased methylation in Meg3 and altered foetal brain expression of other genes of the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted domain. These molecular abnormalities were also observed in the tissues and germ line of DIO3-deficient ancestors originally overexposed to thyroid hormone in utero. Our results provide a novel paradigm of epigenetic self-memory by which Dio3 gene dosage in a given individual, and its dependent developmental exposure to thyroid hormone, influences its own expression in future generations. This mechanism of epigenetic self-correction of Dio3 expression in each generation may be instrumental in descendants for their adaptive programming of developmental growth and adult endocrine function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elena Martinez
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Aldona Karaczyn
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Zhaofei Wu
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Christian A. Bennett
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Kassey L. Matoin
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Heather M. Daigle
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Arturo Hernandez
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
- Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Champroux A, Tang Y, Dickson DA, Meng A, Harrington A, Liaw L, Marzi M, Nicassio F, Schlaeger TM, Feig LA. Transmission of reduced levels of miR-34/449 from sperm to preimplantation embryos is a key step in the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of the effects of paternal chronic social instability stress. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2346694. [PMID: 38739481 PMCID: PMC11093028 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2346694] [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: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The transgenerational effects of exposing male mice to chronic social instability (CSI) stress are associated with decreased sperm levels of multiple members of the miR-34/449 family that persist after their mating through preimplantation embryo (PIE) development. Here we demonstrate the importance of these miRNA changes by showing that restoring miR-34c levels in PIEs derived from CSI stressed males prevents elevated anxiety and defective sociability normally found specifically in their adult female offspring. It also restores, at least partially, levels of sperm miR-34/449 normally reduced in their male offspring who transmit these sex-specific traits to their offspring. Strikingly, these experiments also revealed that inducing miR-34c levels in PIEs enhances the expression of its own gene and that of miR-449 in these cells. The same induction of embryo miR-34/449 gene expression likely occurs after sperm-derived miR-34c is introduced into oocytes upon fertilization. Thus, suppression of this miRNA amplification system when sperm miR-34c levels are reduced in CSI stressed mice can explain how a comparable fold-suppression of miR-34/449 levels can be found in PIEs derived from them, despite sperm containing ~50-fold lower levels of these miRNAs than those already present in PIEs. We previously found that men exposed to early life trauma also display reduced sperm levels of miR-34/449. And here we show that miR-34c can also increase the expression of its own gene, and that of miR-449 in human embryonic stem cells, suggesting that human PIEs derived from men with low sperm miR-34/449 levels may also contain this potentially harmful defect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Champroux
- Development, Molecular & Chemical Biology/Medical, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Tang
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A. Dickson
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alice Meng
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne Harrington
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Lucy Liaw
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Marzi
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Nicassio
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Larry A. Feig
- Development, Molecular & Chemical Biology/Medical, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang Y, Zhang XQ, Niu WP, Sun M, Zhang Y, Li JT, Si TM, Su YA. TAAR1 in dentate gyrus is involved in chronic stress-induced impairments in hippocampal plasticity and cognitive function. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 132:110995. [PMID: 38514038 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) holds promise as a potential target for stress-related disorders, such as treating major depressive disorder (MDD). The role of TAAR1 in the regulation of adult neurogenesis is recently supported by transcriptomic data. However, it remains unknown whether TAAR1 in dentate gyrus (DG) mediate chronic stress-induced negative effects on hippocampal plasticity and related behavior in mice. The present study consisted of a series of experiments using RNAscope, genetic approaches, behavioral tests, immunohistochemical staining, Golgi-Cox technique to unravel the effects of TAAR1 on alterations of dentate neuronal plasticity and cognitive function in the chronic social defeat stress model. The mice subjected to chronic defeat stress exhibited a noteworthy decrease in the mRNA level of TAAR1 in DG. Additionally, they exhibited compromised social memory and spatial object recognition memory, as well as impaired proliferation and maturation of adult-born dentate granule cells. Moreover, the selective knockout TAAR1 in DG mostly mimicked the cognitive function deficits and neurogenesis impairment induced by chronic stress. Importantly, the administration of the selective TAAR1 partial agonist RO5263397 during stress exposure attenuated the adverse effects of chronic stress on cognitive function, adult neurogenesis, dendritic arborization, and the synapse number of dentate neurons in DG. In summary, our findings suggest that TAAR1 plays a crucial role in mediating the detrimental effects of chronic stress on hippocampal plasticity and cognition. TAAR1 agonists exhibit therapeutic potential for individuals suffering from cognitive impairments associated with MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xian-Qiang Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Wei-Pan Niu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Meng Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Ji-Tao Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Tian-Mei Si
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yun-Ai Su
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100191, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Freire T, Pulpitel T, Clark X, Mackay F, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ, Solon-Biet SM, Crean AJ. The effects of paternal dietary fat versus sugar on offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior. Physiol Behav 2024; 279:114533. [PMID: 38552707 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the pre-conception parental environment has long-term consequences for offspring health and disease susceptibility. Though much of the work in this field concentrates on maternal influences, there is growing understanding that fathers also play a significant role in affecting offspring phenotypes. In this study, we investigate effects of altering the proportion of dietary fats and carbohydrates on paternal and offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior in C57Bl/6-JArc mice. We show that in an isocaloric context, greater dietary fat increased body fat and reduced anxiety-like behavior of studs, whereas increased dietary sucrose had no significant effect. These dietary effects were not reflected in offspring traits, rather, we found sex-specific effects that differed between offspring body composition and behavioral traits. This finding is consistent with past paternal effect studies, where transgenerational effects have been shown to be more prominent in one sex over the other. Here, male offspring of fathers fed high-fat diets were heavier at 10 weeks of age due to increased lean body mass, whereas paternal diet had no significant effect on female offspring body fat or lean mass. In contrast, paternal dietary sugar appeared to have the strongest effects on male offspring behavior, with male offspring of high-sucrose fathers spending less time in the closed arms of the elevated plus maze. Both high-fat and high-sugar paternal diets were found to reduce anxiety-like behavior of female offspring, although this effect was only evident when offspring were fed a control diet. This study provides new understanding of the ways in which diet can shape the behavior of fathers and their offspring and contribute to the development of dietary guidelines to improve obesity and mental health conditions, such as anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Therese Freire
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia.
| | - Tamara Pulpitel
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Ximonie Clark
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Flora Mackay
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha M Solon-Biet
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rice RC, Gil DV, Baratta AM, Frawley RR, Hill SY, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Inter- and transgenerational heritability of preconception chronic stress or alcohol exposure: Translational outcomes in brain and behavior. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100603. [PMID: 38234394 PMCID: PMC10792982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and alcohol (ethanol) use are highly interrelated and can change an individual's behavior through molecular adaptations that do not change the DNA sequence, but instead change gene expression. A recent wealth of research has found that these nongenomic changes can be transmitted across generations, which could partially account for the "missing heritability" observed in genome-wide association studies of alcohol use disorder and other stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the molecular and behavioral outcomes of nongenomic inheritance of chronic stress and ethanol exposure and the germline mechanisms that could give rise to this heritability. In doing so, we outline the need for further research to: (1) Investigate individual germline mechanisms of paternal, maternal, and biparental nongenomic chronic stress- and ethanol-related inheritance; (2) Synthesize and dissect cross-generational chronic stress and ethanol exposure; (3) Determine cross-generational molecular outcomes of preconception ethanol exposure that contribute to alcohol-related disease risk, using cancer as an example. A detailed understanding of the cross-generational nongenomic effects of stress and/or ethanol will yield novel insight into the impact of ancestral perturbations on disease risk across generations and uncover actionable targets to improve human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Rice
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela V. Gil
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Remy R. Frawley
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shirley Y. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gregg E. Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. eLife 2024; 12:RP90164. [PMID: 38226689 PMCID: PMC10945581 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90164] [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] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral changes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational changes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Cincotta
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Nainoa Richardson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Mariko H Foecke
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Diana J Laird
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang Q, Wang Y, Tian Y, Li Y, Han J, Tai F, Jia R. Social environment enrichment alleviates anxiety-like behavior in mice: Involvement of the dopamine system. Behav Brain Res 2024; 456:114687. [PMID: 37778421 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Rearing environment plays a vital role in maintaining physical and mental health of both animals and humans. Plenty of studies have proved that physical environment enrichment in adolescence has protective effects on emotion, social behavior, learning and memory deficits. However, the following effects of social environment enrichment in adolescence remain largely elusive. Using the paradigm of companion rotation (CR), the present study found that social environment enrichment reduced anxiety-like behaviors of early adult male C57BL/6J mice. CR group also showed significantly higher expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area and dopamine 1 receptor mRNA in the nucleus accumbens shell than control group. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that CR from adolescence to early adulthood can suppress the level of anxiety and upregulate dopaminergic neuron activity in early adult male C57BL/6J mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Yuqian Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Yaoyao Tian
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Jing Han
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yang C, Li J, Liu JC, Zeng Q, Yeung WSB, Chiu PCN, Duan YG. Alterations of small non-coding RNA in the spermatozoa of mice with paternal experimental autoimmune epididymo-orchitis are associated with metabolic dysfunction in offspring. Andrology 2023. [PMID: 38127116 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection and inflammation of the genital tract are major potentially treatable factors contributing to male infertility. The profile of small non-coding RNA (sncRNAs) in spermatozoa can be altered by environmental exposures and inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVES Experimental autoimmune epididymo-orchitis (EAEO) is a well-established model of autoimmune-induced chronic testicular and epididymal inflammation. This model investigates the effect of chronic inflammation on sperm sncRNA profiles and offspring phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Regarding the EAEO model, mice were immunized with testis homogenates thrice. Subsequently, flow cytometry and histological analyses were conducted on EAEO mice. Next-generation sequencing was used to profile small RNA of spermatozoa from the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis. We performed a comprehensive integrative analysis of sperm sncRNAs and chronic epididymitis and identified their molecular signatures. The metabolic functions of the first-generation (F1) offspring were evaluated using a glucose tolerance test (GTT). RESULTS Body weight and metabolic function were significantly altered in F1 offspring from EAEO sperm donors. The analysis of cauda sperm sncRNA profiles revealed that the proportions of miRNAs and tsRNAs increased and decreased, respectively, after autoimmunization. Three differentially expressed miRNAs and seven differentially expressed tsRNAs were significantly correlated with F1 metabolic dysfunction. The expression patterns of miRNAs and tsRNAs in mice partially overlapped with those observed in the spermatozoa from human patients with chronic epididymitis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS We revealed that autoimmune epididymo-orchitis alters sncRNA profiles in mouse spermatozoa. Offspring from mice with autoimmune orchitis develop metabolic disorders. A comprehensive analysis of human and mouse inflammation data revealed an association between alterations in the miRNA and tsRNA profiles of epididymal spermatozoa and offspring phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianlin Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Kai Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jin-Chuan Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Kai Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qunxiong Zeng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Kai Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - William Shu-Biu Yeung
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Kai Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Philip Chi-Ngong Chiu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Kai Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yong-Gang Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Díez-Solinska A, Azkona G, Muñoz-Culla M, Beitia-Oyarzabal G, Goñi-Balentziaga O, Gómez-Lazaro E, Vegas O. The role of sociability in social instability stress: Behavioral, neuroendocrine and monoaminergic effects. Physiol Behav 2023; 270:114306. [PMID: 37516231 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Extensive literature has reported a link between social stress and mental health. In this complex relationship, individual strategies for coping with social stress are thought to have a possible modulating effect, with sociability being a key factor. Despite the higher incidence of affective disorders in females and sex-related neurochemical differences, female populations have been understudied. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to analyze the behavioral, neuroendocrine, and neurochemical effects of stress in female OF1 mice, paying special attention to social connectedness (female mice with high vs low sociability). To this end, subjects were exposed to the Chronic Social Instability Stress (CSIS) model for four weeks. Although female mice exposed to CSIS had increased arousal, there was no evidence of depressive-like behavior. Neither did exposure to CSIS affect corticosterone levels, although it did increase the MR/GR ratio by decreasing GR expression. Female mice exposed to CSIS had higher noradrenaline and dopamine levels in the hippocampus and striatum respectively, with a lower monoaminergic turnover, resulting in an increased arousal. CSIS increased serotonin levels in both the hippocampus and striatum. Similarly, CSIS was found to reduce kynurenic acid, 3-HK, and IDO and iNOS enzyme levels in the hippocampus. Interestingly, the observed decrease in IDO synthesis and the increased serotonin and dopamine levels in the striatum were only found in subjects with high sociability. These highly sociable female mice also had significantly lower levels of noradrenaline in the striatum after CSIS application. Overall, our model has produced neuroendocrine and neurochemical but not behavioral changes, so it has not allowed us to study sociability in depth. Therefore, a model that induces both molecular and behavioral phenotypes should be applied to determine the role of sociability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alina Díez-Solinska
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Garikoitz Azkona
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Maider Muñoz-Culla
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain; Biodonostia Institute, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Garikoitz Beitia-Oyarzabal
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, and Research Methods, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Eneritz Gómez-Lazaro
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Oscar Vegas
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain; Biodonostia Institute, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547215. [PMID: 37425891 PMCID: PMC10327205 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral changes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational changes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Cincotta
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nainoa Richardson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mariko H. Foecke
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana J. Laird
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hossain SR, Karem H, Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Early tactile stimulation influences the development of Alzheimer's disease in gestationally stressed APP NL-G-F adult offspring NL-G-F/NL-G-F mice. Exp Neurol 2023; 368:114498. [PMID: 37536439 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114498] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with cerebral plaques and tangles, reduced synapse number, and shrinkage in several brain areas and these morphological effects are associated with the onset of compromised cognitive, motor, and anxiety-like behaviours. The appearance of both anatomical and behavioural symptoms is worsened by stress. The focus of this study was to examine the effect of neonatal tactile stimulation on AD-like behavioural and neurological symptoms on APP NL-G-F/NL-G-F mice, a mouse model of AD, who have been gestationally stressed. Our findings indicate that neonatal tactile stimulation improves cognition, motor skills, and anxiety-like symptoms in both gestationally stressed and non-stressed adult APP mice and that these alterations are associated with reduced Aβ plaque formation. Thus, tactile stimulation appears to be a promising non-invasive preventative strategy for slowing the onset of dementia in aging animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shakhawat R Hossain
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada
| | - Hadil Karem
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada
| | - Zahra Jafari
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Bryan E Kolb
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Champroux A, Yang T, Dickson DA, Meng A, Harrington A, Liaw L, Marzi M, Nicassio F, Schlaeger TM, Feig LA. Preimplantation Embryos Amplify Stress-Induced Changes in Sperm-Derived miRNA Content to Mediate Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.21.537854. [PMID: 37786715 PMCID: PMC10541588 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.537854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Chronically stressing male mice can alter the behavior of their offspring across generations. This effect is thought to be mediated by stress-induced changes in the content of specific sperm miRNAs that modify embryo development after their delivery to oocytes at fertilization. A major problem with this hypothesis is that the levels of mouse sperm miRNAs are much lower than those present in preimplantation embryos. This makes it unclear how embryos could be significantly impacted without an amplification system to magnify changes in sperm miRNA content, like those present in lower organisms where transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is well established. Here, we describe such a system for Chronic Social Instability (CSI) stress that can explain how it reduces the levels of the miR-34b,c/449a,b family of miRNAs not only in sperm of exposed males but also in preimplantation embryos ( PIEs ) derived from their mating, as well as in sperm of male offspring. Sperm-derived miR-34c normally positively regulates expression of its own gene and that of miR-449 in PIEs. This feed forward, auto-amplification process is suppressed when CSI stress reduces sperm miR-34c levels. Its suppression is important for the transmission of traits to offspring because restoring miR-34c levels in PIEs from CSI stressed males, which also restores levels of miR-449 in them, suppresses elements of elevated anxiety and defective sociability normally found specifically in their female offspring, as well as reduced sperm miR-34 and miR-449 levels normally found in male offspring, who pass on these traits to their offspring. We previously published that the content of sperm miR-34/449 is also reduced in men raised in highly abusive and/or dysfunctional families. We show here that a similar miRNA auto-amplification system functions in human embryonic stem cells. This raises the possibility that PIEs in offspring of these men also display reduced levels of miR-34/449, enhancing the potential translational significance of these studies.
Collapse
|
13
|
Jyothi AK, Thotakura B, Priyadarshini C S, Subramanian M, Rajila HS. Evidence of alterations in the learning and memory in offspring of stress-induced male rats. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2023; 34:473-487. [PMID: 34428362 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is extensive data pointing to offspring outcomes related to maternal life incidents, but there is less research concerning the association between paternal life events and progeny brain development and behaviour. As male gametogenesis is a continuous process, the incidences happening in life can modify the epigenetic regulation, altering the offspring's development and behaviour. The present study evaluates the effects of paternal stress during different life periods on their offspring's learning ability, memory, morphological and biochemical changes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the rat model. METHODS Four weeks' old male rats were subjected to five variable stressors at the rate of one per day. Stress received male rats were bred with naive female rats for 1 to 3 nights. The offspring's learning and memory were assessed by the Morris water maze test and automated Y maze. Following behavioural studies, offspring were euthanized to examine global DNA methylation, neurotransmitter levels, namely acetylcholine, glutamate in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. RESULTS The offspring of stress-induced animals exhibited a delay in acquiring learning and defect in memory and altered global DNA methylation in the hippocampus (p=0.000124). There was significant reduction of acetylcholine and glutamate levels in hippocampus (p=0.000018, p=0.00001, respectively) and in prefrontal cortex (p=0.00001, p=0.00001, respectively). HPA axis of offspring was altered considerably (p=0.00001). The histomorphometry of the prefrontal cortex and different hippocampal regions revealed a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in neuronal numbers in the offspring of stressed animals compared to that of control. These impacts were markedly high in the offspring of fathers who received stress during both pubertal and adult periods. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study demonstrate that paternal stress can impact offspring learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Kumar Jyothi
- Department of Anatomy, Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India
- Department of Anatomy, Tagore Medical College & Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Balaji Thotakura
- Department of Anatomy, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Manickam Subramanian
- Department of Anatomy, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Estrous Cycle Mediates Midbrain Neuron Excitability Altering Social Behavior upon Stress. J Neurosci 2023; 43:736-748. [PMID: 36549906 PMCID: PMC9899085 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1504-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The estrous cycle is a potent modulator of neuron physiology. In rodents, in vivo ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) activity has been shown to fluctuate across the estrous cycle. Although the behavioral effect of fluctuating sex steroids on the reward circuit is well studied in response to drugs of abuse, few studies have focused on the molecular adaptations in the context of stress and motivated social behaviors. We hypothesized that estradiol fluctuations across the estrous cycle acts on the dopaminergic activity of the VTA to alter excitability and stress response. We used whole-cell slice electrophysiology of VTA DA neurons in naturally cycling, adult female C57BL/6J mice to characterize the effects of the estrous cycle and the role of 17β-estradiol on neuronal activity. We show that the estrous phase alters the effect of 17β-estradiol on excitability in the VTA. Behaviorally, the estrous phase during a series of acute variable social stressors modulates subsequent reward-related behaviors. Pharmacological inhibition of estrogen receptors in the VTA before stress during diestrus mimics the stress susceptibility found during estrus, whereas increased potassium channel activity in the VTA before stress reverses stress susceptibility found during estrus as assessed by social interaction behavior. This study identifies one possible potassium channel mechanism underlying the increased DA activity during estrus and reveals estrogen-dependent changes in neuronal function. Our findings demonstrate that the estrous cycle and estrogen signaling changes the physiology of DA neurons resulting in behavioral differences when the reward circuit is challenged with stress.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The activity of the ventral tegmental area encodes signals of stress and reward. Dopaminergic activity has been found to be regulated by both local synaptic inputs as well as inputs from other brain regions. Here, we provide evidence that cycling sex steroids also play a role in modulating stress sensitivity of dopaminergic reward behavior. Specifically, we reveal a correlation of ionic activity with estrous phase, which influences the behavioral response to stress. These findings shed new light on how estrous cycle may influence dopaminergic activity primarily during times of stress perturbation.
Collapse
|
15
|
Preconception paternal mental disorders and child health: Mechanisms and interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104976. [PMID: 36435393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mental illness is a significant global health issue with a steady prevalence. High heritability is suspected, but genome-wide association studies only identified a small number of risk genes associated with mental disorders. This 'missing inheritance' can be partially explained by epigenetic heredity. Evidence from numerous animal models and human studies supports the possibility that preconception paternal mental health influences their offspring's mental health via nongenetic means. Here, we review two potential pathways, including sperm epigenetics and seminal plasma components. The current review highlights the role of sperm epigenetics and explores epigenetic message origination and susceptibility to chronic stress. Meanwhile, possible spatiotemporal windows and events that induce sexually dimorphic modes and effects of paternal stress transmission are inferred in this review. Additionally, we discuss emerging interventions that could potentially block the intergenerational transmission of paternal psychiatric disorders and reduce the incidence of mental illness. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which preconception paternal stress impacts offspring health is critical for identifying strategies supporting healthy development and successfully controlling the prevalence of mental illness.
Collapse
|
16
|
Bucknor MC, Gururajan A, Dale RC, Hofer MJ. A comprehensive approach to modeling maternal immune activation in rodents. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1071976. [PMID: 36590294 PMCID: PMC9800799 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1071976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal brain development is a highly orchestrated process, making it a very vulnerable window to perturbations. Maternal stress and subsequent inflammation during pregnancy leads to a state referred to as, maternal immune activation (MIA). If persistent, MIA can pose as a significant risk factor for the manifestation of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. To further elucidate this association between MIA and NDD risk, rodent models have been used extensively across laboratories for many years. However, there are few uniform approaches for rodent MIA models which make not only comparisons between studies difficult, but some established approaches come with limitations that can affect experimental outcomes. Here, we provide researchers with a comprehensive review of common experimental variables and potential limitations that should be considered when designing an MIA study based in a rodent model. Experimental variables discussed include: innate immune stimulation using poly I:C and LPS, environmental gestational stress paradigms, rodent diet composition and sterilization, rodent strain, neonatal handling, and the inclusion of sex-specific MIA offspring analyses. We discuss how some aspects of these variables have potential to make a profound impact on MIA data interpretation and reproducibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan C. Bucknor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anand Gururajan
- The Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Russell C. Dale
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Kids Neuroscience Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Markus J. Hofer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,*Correspondence: Markus J. Hofer,
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Escher J, Yan W, Rissman EF, Wang HLV, Hernandez A, Corces VG. Beyond Genes: Germline Disruption in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:4608-4624. [PMID: 34596807 PMCID: PMC9035896 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05304-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Investigations into the etiology of autism spectrum disorders have been largely confined to two realms: variations in DNA sequence and somatic developmental exposures. Here we suggest a third route-disruption of the germline epigenome induced by exogenous toxicants during a parent's gamete development. Similar to cases of germline mutation, these molecular perturbations may produce dysregulated transcription of brain-related genes during fetal and early development, resulting in abnormal neurobehavioral phenotypes in offspring. Many types of exposures may have these impacts, and here we discuss examples of anesthetic gases, tobacco components, synthetic steroids, and valproic acid. Alterations in parental germline could help explain some unsolved phenomena of autism, including increased prevalence, missing heritability, skewed sex ratio, and heterogeneity of neurobiology and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jill Escher
- Escher Fund for Autism, 1590 Calaveras Avenue, San Jose, CA, USA.
| | - Wei Yan
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Center for Human Health and the Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hsiao-Lin V Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arturo Hernandez
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Role of sirtuin1 in impairments of emotion-related behaviors in mice with chronic mild unpredictable stress during adolescence. Physiol Behav 2022; 257:113971. [PMID: 36183852 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to physical and/or psychosocial stress during early life and/or adolescence increases the risk of psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying early stress-induced brain dysfunction are poorly understood. In the present study, mice at 4 weeks old were subjected to chronic mild unpredictable stress (CMUS) for 4 weeks, and subsequently to assays of emotion-related behaviors. Thereafter, they were sacrificed and their brains were collected for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Mice with CMUS during adolescence showed despair behavior, anxiety-like behavior, social behavior deficits, and anhedonia in forced-swim, marble-burying, social interaction, and sucrose preference tests, respectively. Additionally, RT-qPCR revealed that the expression levels of sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a NAD+-dependent deacetylase that mediates stress responses, were down-regulated in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mice with CMUS compared with control mice. Next, to investigate the pathophysiological role of decreased Sirt1 expression levels in stress-induced behavioral deficits, we assessed the effects of resveratrol, a pharmacological activator of SIRT1, in mice exposed to CMUS. Chronic treatment with resveratrol prevented -induced social behavior deficits and depression-like behaviors. These results suggest that CMUS during adolescence decreases Sirt1 expression in the brain, leading to deficits in emotional behavior. Accordingly, SIRT1 activators, such as resveratrol, may be preventive agents against abnormalities in emotional behavior following stress during an immature period.
Collapse
|
19
|
Chronic social instability stress down-regulates IL-10 and up-regulates CX3CR1 in tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing female mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 435:114063. [PMID: 35988637 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Extensive literature has reported a link between stress and tumor progression, and between both of these factors and mental health. Despite the higher incidence of affective disorders in females and the neurochemical differences according to sex, female populations have been understudied. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the effect of stress on tumor development in female OF1 mice. For this purpose, subjects were inoculated with B16F10 melanoma cells and exposed to the Chronic Social Instability Stress (CSIS) model. Behavioral, neurochemical and neuroendocrine parameters were analyzed. Female mice exposed to CSIS exhibited reduced body weight and increased arousal, but there was no evidence of depressive behavior or anxiety. Exposure to CSIS did not affect either corticosterone levels or tumor development, although it did provoke an imbalance in cerebral inflammatory cytokines, decreasing IL-10 expression (IL-6/IL-10 and TNF-α/IL-10); chemokines, increasing CX3CR1 expression (CX3CL1/CX3CR1); and glucocorticoid receptors, decreasing GR expression (MR/GR). In contrast, tumor development did not alter body weight and, although it did alter behavior, it did so to a much lesser extent. Tumor inoculation did not affect corticosterone levels, but increased the MR/GR ratio in the hippocampus and provoked an imbalance in cerebral inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, although differently from stress. These results underscore the need for experimental approaches that allow us to take sex differences into account when exploring this issue, since these results appear to indicate that the female response to stress is mediated by mechanisms different from those often proposed in relation to male mice.
Collapse
|
20
|
Featherstone RE, Gifford RL, Crown LM, Amirfathi F, Alaniz JP, Yi J, Tran A, Adomian D, Schwenk A, Melnychenko O, Duval C, Parekh K, Lee DJ, Siegel SJ. Early life social instability stress causes lasting cognitive decrement and elevated hippocampal stress-related gene expression. Exp Neurol 2022; 354:114099. [PMID: 35490720 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress may have profound effects on brain health, yielding both short- and long-term cognitive or psychiatric impairment. Early life Social Instability Stress (SIS) in rodents has been used to model the effects of early chronic human stress. While many studies have assessed acute and short-term responses to this stressor, less attention has been paid to the lasting effects of early life stress in rodents. METHODS The current study utilized SIS in young mice to assess the impact of early life adversity over the lifespan. Mice were assessed in adulthood between the ages of 18 to 66 weeks for changes in behaviors associated with anxiety, affect, sociability, aggression, motivation, and recognition memory. Additionally, mice were assessed for changes in glucocorticoid level and hippocampal mRNA expression in a subset of genes that display alterations in humans following exposure to stress (CRHR1, CRHR2, FKBP5, SLC6A4). RESULTS Mice exposed to early SIS showed disrupted memory and increased hippocampal expression of FKBP5, CRHR2 and SLC6A4 mRNA compared to non-stressed mice. Importantly, there was a significant association between increased FKBP5 and CRHR2 with reduced recognition memory. Additionally, mice exposed to SIS showed increased responding on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, indicating that reduction in memory performance was not mediated by decreased effort. CONCLUSIONS Ecologically-relevant social stress in mice causes long-term decrements in recognition memory, possibly mediated by persistent changes in moderators of the stress cascade. Additionally, animals exposed to early life stress showed increased motivation for reward, which may contribute to a host of hedonic seeking behaviors throughout life. These data suggest that SIS can be used to evaluate therapeutic interventions to attenuate or reverse lasting effects of early life adversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Featherstone
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Raymond L Gifford
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M Crown
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Felix Amirfathi
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Jon P Alaniz
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Janice Yi
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - AiVi Tran
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Derrick Adomian
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Andrew Schwenk
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Olya Melnychenko
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Christina Duval
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Krishna Parekh
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Darrin J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America; Department of Neurosurgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1200 North State St., Suite 3300, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America
| | - Steven J Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
The anxiogenic effects of adolescent psychological stress in male and female mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113963. [PMID: 35700812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of transition during which there is extensive development of the brain and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, the term adolescence is broad and covers a number of important developmental periods ranging from pre-pubescence to sexual maturity. Using a predator stress model, we investigated the effects of chronic psychological stress on anxiety-like, depression-like, and social behaviours in male and female mice during early adolescence, when mice are pre-pubertal, and late adolescence, when mice are sexually mature. All stressed mice showed hyperactivity and increased anxiety-like behaviours. The anxiogenic effects were generally more pronounced in mice exposed to late, rather than early adolescent stress, but were clearly evident when stress was experienced at either timepoint. Risk assessment behaviours were also affected by the stress treatments, but the direction of these changes were sometimes sex- and age-specific. Surprisingly, mice stressed during adolescence showed no depressive-like behaviours as adults. This study provides evidence that adolescent psychological stress has pronounced long-term anxiogenic effects but that the precise behavioural phenotype differs based on sex and the sub-stage of adolescence during which the individual is exposed.
Collapse
|
22
|
Bielawski T, Drapała J, Krowicki P, Stańczykiewicz B, Frydecka D. Trauma Disrupts Reinforcement Learning in Rats-A Novel Animal Model of Chronic Stress Exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:903100. [PMID: 35663358 PMCID: PMC9157238 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.903100] [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: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma, as well as chronic stress that characterizes a modern fast-paced lifestyle, contributes to numerous psychopathologies and psychological problems. Psychiatric patients with traumas, as well as healthy individuals who experienced traumas in the past, are often characterized by diminished cognitive abilities. In our protocol, we used an animal model to explore the influence of chronic trauma on cognitive abilities and behavior in the group of 20 rats (Rattus norvegicus). The experimental group was introduced to chronic (12 consecutive days) exposure to predator odor (bobcat urine). We measured the reinforcement learning of each individual before and after the exposition via the Probabilistic Selection Task (PST) and we used Social Interaction Test (SIT) to assess the behavioral changes of each individual before and after the trauma. In the experimental group, there was a significant decrease in reinforcement learning after exposure to a single trauma (Wilcoxon Test, p = 0.034) as well as after 11 days of chronic trauma (Wilcoxon-test, p = 0.01) in comparison to pre-trauma performance. The control group, which was not exposed to predator odor but underwent the same testing protocol, did not present significant deterioration in reinforcement learning. In cross-group comparisons, there was no difference between the experimental and control group in PST before odor protocol (U Mann-Whitney two-sided, p = 0.909). After exposure to chronic trauma, the experimental group deteriorated in PST performance compared to control (U Mann-Whitney Two-sided, p = 0.0005). In SIT, the experimental group spent less time in an Interaction Zone with an unfamiliar rat after trauma protocol (Wilcoxon two-sided test, p = 0.019). Major strengths of our models are: (1) protocol allows investigating reinforcement learning before and after exposition to chronic trauma, with the same group of rats, (2) translational scope, as the PST is displayed on touchscreen, similarly to human studies, (3) protocol delivers chronic trauma that impairs reward learning, but behaviorally does not induce full-blown anhedonia, thus rats performed voluntarily throughout all the procedures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Bielawski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jarosław Drapała
- Department of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Krowicki
- Department of Laser Technologies, Automation and Production Management, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Aleksic M, Brkic Z, Petrovic Z, Francija E, Lukic I, Adzic M. Sex‐specific contribution of glucocorticoid receptor alpha isoforms to anxiety and depressive‐like behavior in mice. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1239-1253. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minja Aleksic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA” Institute of Nuclear Sciences ‐ National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Zeljka Brkic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA” Institute of Nuclear Sciences ‐ National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Zorica Petrovic
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx New York USA
| | - Ester Francija
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA” Institute of Nuclear Sciences ‐ National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Iva Lukic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA” Institute of Nuclear Sciences ‐ National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| | - Miroslav Adzic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA” Institute of Nuclear Sciences ‐ National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Reproductive Function of Male Rats and Motor Activity of Their Offspring in Fire Emissions Modeling. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 172:472-477. [PMID: 35175473 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We studied the reproductive function of albino male rats after long-term exposure to wildfire smoke and the species-specific behavior of their sexually mature offspring. After the end of exposure, the mean number of spermatogonia and the relative number of Leydig cells in rat testes decreased and the index of spermatogenesis decreased. The offspring of exposed males mated with intact females demonstrated impaired cognitive abilities and disturbances of species-specific behavior. The severity of these changes depended on time interval between the end of the inhalation exposure and mating.
Collapse
|
25
|
Gryksa K, Neumann ID. Consequences of pandemic-associated social restrictions: Role of social support and the oxytocin system. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 135:105601. [PMID: 34837776 PMCID: PMC8605825 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
During pandemics, governments take drastic actions to prevent the spreading of the disease, as seen during the present COVID-19 crisis. Sanctions of lockdown, social distancing and quarantine urge people to exclusively work and teach at home and to restrict social contacts to a minimum; lonely people get into further isolation, while families` nerves are strained to the extreme. Overall, this results in a dramatic and chronic increase in the level of psychosocial stress over several months mainly caused by i) social isolation and ii) psychosocial stress associated with overcrowding, social tension in families, and domestic violence. Moreover, pandemic-associated social restrictions are accompanied by loss of an essential stress buffer and important parameter for general mental and physical health: social support. Chronic psychosocial stress and, in particular, social isolation and lack of social support affect not only mental health, but also the brain oxytocin system and the immune system. Hence, pandemic-associated social restrictions are expected to increase the risk of developing psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety-related and posttraumatic stress disorders, on the one hand, but also to induce a general inflammatory state and to impair the course of infectious disorders on the other. Due to its pro-social and stress-buffering effects, resulting in an anti-inflammatory state in case of disease, the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin will be discussed and critically considered as an emerging treatment option in cases of pandemic-induced psychosocial stress, viral infection and during recovery. In this review, we aim to critically focus on possible short- and long-term consequences of social restrictions on mental health and the immune system, while discussion oxytocin as a possible treatment option.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gryksa
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
The underestimated sex: a review on female animal models of depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104498. [PMID: 34953920 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Major depression (MD) is the most common psychiatric disorder, predicted to affect around 264 million people worldwide. Although the etiology of depression remains elusive, the interplay between genetics and environmental factors, such as early life events, stress, exposure to drugs and health problems appears to underlie its development. Whereas depression is twice more prevalent in women than in men, most preclinical studies are performed in male rodents. In fact, females' physiology and reproductive experience are associated with changes to brain, behavior and endocrine profiles that may influence both stress, an important precipitating factor for depression, and response to treatment. These specificities emphasize the need to choose the most suitable models and readouts in order to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression in females. With this review, we aim to provide an overview of female animal models of depression highlighting the major differences between models, regarding behavioral, physiological, and molecular readouts, but also the major gaps in research, attending to the role of etiological factors, protocol variability and sex.
Collapse
|
27
|
Aykac A, Kalkan R. Epigenetic Approach to PTSD: In the Aspects of Rat Models. Glob Med Genet 2021; 9:7-13. [PMID: 35169777 PMCID: PMC8837403 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1736633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder and develops after exposure to life-threatening traumatic experiences. The risk factors of PTSD included genetic factors; alterations in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis; neurotrophic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and catecholaminergic systems; and a variety of environmental factors, such as war, accident, natural disaster, pandemic, physical, or sexual abuse, that cause stress or trauma in individuals. To be able to understand the molecular background of PTSD, rodent animal models are widely used by researchers. When looking for a solution for PTSD, it is important to consider preexisting genetic risk factors and physiological, molecular, and biochemical processes caused by trauma that may cause susceptibility to this disorder. In studies, it is reported that epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the biological response affected by environmental factors, as well as the task of programming cell identity. In this article, we provided an overview of the role of epigenetic modifications in understanding the biology of PTSD. We also summarized the data from animal studies and their importance during the investigation of PTSD. This study shed light on the epigenetic background of stress and PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asli Aykac
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Rasime Kalkan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Sturman O, von Ziegler L, Privitera M, Waag R, Duss S, Vermeiren Y, Giovagnoli L, de Deyn P, Bohacek J. Chronic adolescent stress increases exploratory behavior but does not appear to change the acute stress response in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100388. [PMID: 34527792 PMCID: PMC8430388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress exposure in adolescence can lead to a lasting change in stress responsiveness later in life and is associated with increased mental health issues in adulthood. Here we investigate whether the Chronic Social Instability (CSI) paradigm influences the behavioral and molecular responses to novel acute stressors in mice, and whether it alters physiological responses influenced by the noradrenergic system. Using large cohorts of mice, we show that CSI mice display a persistent increase in exploratory behaviors in the open field test alongside small but widespread transcriptional changes in the ventral hippocampus. However, both the transcriptomic and behavioral responses to novel acute stressors are indistinguishable between groups. In addition, the pupillometric response to a tail shock, known to be mediated by the noradrenergic system, remains unaltered in CSI mice. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography analysis of monoaminergic neurotransmitter levels in the ventral hippocampus also shows no differences between control or CSI mice at baseline or in response to acute stress. We conclude that CSI exposure during adolescence leads to persistent changes in exploratory behavior and gene expression in the hippocampus, but it does not alter the response to acute stress in adulthood and is unlikely to alter the function of the noradrenergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Sturman
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas von Ziegler
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Privitera
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca Waag
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sian Duss
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yannick Vermeiren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Chair Group of Nutritional Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Translational Neurosciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Letizia Giovagnoli
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter de Deyn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic of Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Koert A, Ploeger A, Bockting CL, Schmidt MV, Lucassen PJ, Schrantee A, Mul JD. The social instability stress paradigm in rat and mouse: A systematic review of protocols, limitations, and recommendations. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100410. [PMID: 34926732 PMCID: PMC8648958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social stress is an important environmental risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. Social stress paradigms are commonly used in rats and mice to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these disorders. The social instability stress (SIS) paradigm entails frequent (up to several times a week) introduction of one or multiple unfamiliar same-sex home-cage partners. The subsequent recurring formation of a new social hierarchy results in chronic and unpredictable physical and social stress. PURPOSE We compare and discuss the stress-related behavioral and physiological impact of SIS protocols in rat and mouse, and address limitations due to protocol variability. We further provide practical recommendations to optimize reproducibility of SIS protocols. METHODS We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA statement in the following three databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Our search strategy was not restricted to year of publication but was limited to articles in English that were published in peer-reviewed journals. Search terms included "social* instab*" AND ("animal" OR "rodent" OR "rat*" OR "mice" OR "mouse"). RESULTS Thirty-three studies met our inclusion criteria. Fifteen articles used a SIS protocol in which the composition of two cage mates is altered daily for sixteen days (SIS16D). Eleven articles used a SIS protocol in which the composition of four cage mates is altered twice per week for 49 days (SIS49D). The remaining seven studies used SIS protocols that differed from these two protocols in experiment duration or cage mate quantity. Behavioral impact of SIS was primarily assessed by quantifying depressive-like, anxiety-like, social-, and cognitive behavior. Physiological impact of SIS was primarily assessed using metabolic parameters, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, and the assessment of neurobiological parameters such as neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. CONCLUSION Both shorter and longer SIS protocols induce a wide range of stress-related behavioral and physiological impairments that are relevant for the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders. To date, SIS16D has only been reported in rats, whereas SIS49D has only been reported in mice. Given this species-specific application as well as variability in reported SIS protocols, additional studies should determine whether SIS effects are protocol duration- or species-specific. We address several issues, including a lack of consistency in the used SIS protocols, and suggest practical, concrete improvements in design and reporting of SIS protocols to increase standardization and reproducibility of this etiologically relevant preclinical model of social stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amber Koert
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annemie Ploeger
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claudi L.H. Bockting
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mathias V. Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anouk Schrantee
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joram D. Mul
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Labaka A, Gómez-Lazaro E, Goñi-Balentziaga O, Pérez-Tejada J, Vegas O, Garmendia L. Venlafaxine reduces the striatal il6/il10 ratio and increases hippocampal GR expression in female mice subjected to chronic social instability stress. Stress 2021; 24:561-571. [PMID: 33769212 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1895111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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
Women are twice as likely as men to develop depression and antidepressant treatment is more frequent in females. Moreover, neuroinflammatory changes related to affective disorders differ in accordance with sex. Despite this evidence, female populations have been largely omitted from preclinical experiments studying antidepressants. The aim of this work is to analyze the potential restorative effect of venlafaxine on an animal model of depression. Female CD1 mice were subjected to chronic social instability (CSI) stress for 7 weeks, and were administered venlafaxine during the last 3 weeks of the stress period. Behavioral and physiological parameters were then analyzed. Stressed mice showed a decreased sucrose preference and increased whisking behavior, and had a lower body weight, higher plasma corticosterone levels and increased hypothalamic GR expression. They also had lower levels of 5-HT, 5-HIAA and NA and a higher KYN/TRYP ratio in the hippocampus. Moreover, CSI increased striatal IL-6 mRNA expression levels. Venlafaxine treatment reduced the striatal IL-6/IL-10 ratio and increased hippocampal GR expression, although it did not reverse stress-induced behavioral changes. In conclusion, seven weeks of exposure to CSI produced depressive-like alterations in female mice. The venlafaxine treatment regimen was found to have a modest anti-inflammatory effect in the striatum and increased hippocampal GR mRNA, although it failed to redress stress-induced behavioral disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ainitze Labaka
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
- Department of Nursing II, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Eneritz Gómez-Lazaro
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Joana Pérez-Tejada
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
- Oncologic Center (Onkologikoa), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Oscar Vegas
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
- Biodonostia Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Larraitz Garmendia
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Merrill SM, Moore SR, Gladish N, Giesbrecht GF, Dewey D, Konwar C, MacIssac JL, Kobor MS, Letourneau NL. Paternal adverse childhood experiences: Associations with infant DNA methylation. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22174. [PMID: 34333774 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), or cumulative childhood stress exposures, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, predict later health problems in both the exposed individuals and their offspring. One potential explanation suggests exposure to early adversity predicts epigenetic modification, especially DNA methylation (DNAm), linked to later health. Stress experienced preconception by mothers may associate with DNAm in the next generation. We hypothesized that fathers' exposure to ACEs also associates with their offspring DNAm, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously explored. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of blood DNAm (n = 45) from 3-month-old infants was regressed onto fathers' retrospective ACEs at multiple Cytosine-phosphate-Guanosine (CpG) sites to discover associations. This accounted for infants' sex, age, ethnicity, cell type proportion, and genetic variability. Higher ACE scores associated with methylation values at eight CpGs. Post-hoc analysis found no contribution of paternal education, income, marital status, and parental postpartum depression, but did with paternal smoking and BMI along with infant sleep latency. These same CpGs also contributed to the association between paternal ACEs and offspring attention problems at 3 years. Collectively, these findings suggested there were biological associations with paternal early life adversity and offspring DNAm in infancy, potentially affecting offspring later childhood outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Merrill
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah R Moore
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julia L MacIssac
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole L Letourneau
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ebensperger LA, Gómez C, Aspillaga-Cid A, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Correa LA, Vera DC, Abades S, Hayes LD. Socially unstable conditions experienced during development prime female Octodon degus to shape the phenotype of their own offspring. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105011. [PMID: 34130042 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Because residents and immigrants from group living species may experience fitness costs associated with permanent changes in group membership, we examined the hypothesis that females experiencing socially unstable or socially stable conditions during development compensate these costs by shaping the phenotype of their own offspring differently. Groups of adult females experiencing either socially stable or unstable conditions in the early social environment were assigned to either socially stable or unstable conditions in the social environment as adults. We quantified affiliative and agonistic interactions among the females during pregnancy and lactation of the focal female, maternal and allomaternal care, hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) acute stress response, and early offspring growth. Social instability during breeding enhanced agonistic interactions among adult females, and offspring that experienced socially unstable conditions exhibited enhanced offspring care, regardless of adult environments. Neither social behavior, offspring care, acute stress physiology, nor early growth was influenced by early or adult social stability conditions. These findings imply that socially unstable conditions prime developing females to shape the phenotype of their offspring to prevent negative effects of socially unstable environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Celeste Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonia Aspillaga-Cid
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loreto A Correa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela C Vera
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wilson SL, Wallingford M. Epigenetic regulation of reproduction in human and in animal models. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 27:6329199. [PMID: 34318322 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Wilson
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto Medical Discovery Tower, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mary Wallingford
- Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Zheng J, Tian Y, Xu H, Gu L, Xu H. A Standardized Protocol for the Induction of Specific Social Fear in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:1708-1712. [PMID: 34283397 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00754-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Junqiang Zheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tian
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Linfan Gu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Han Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Duffy KA, Bale TL, Epperson CN. Germ Cell Drivers: Transmission of Preconception Stress Across Generations. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:642762. [PMID: 34322003 PMCID: PMC8311293 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.642762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress can accelerate maturation and hasten reproduction. Although potentially adaptive, the trade-off is higher risk for morbidity and mortality. In humans, the intergenerational effects of stress have been demonstrated, but the precise mechanisms are unknown. Strikingly, even if parental stress occurs prior to conception, as adults, their offspring show worse mental and physical health. Emerging evidence primarily from preclinical models suggests that epigenetic programming may encode preconception stress exposures in germ cells, potentially impacting the phenotype of the offspring. In this narrative review, we evaluate the strength of the evidence for this mechanism across animals and humans in both males and females. The strongest evidence comes from studies of male mice, in which paternal preconception stress is associated with a host of phenotypic changes in the offspring and stress-induced changes in the small non-coding RNA content in sperm have been implicated. Two recent studies in men provide evidence that some small non-coding RNAs in sperm are responsive to past and current stress, including some of the same ones identified in mice. Although preliminary evidence suggests that findings from mice may map onto men, the next steps will be (1) considering whether stress type, severity, duration, and developmental timing affect germ cell epigenetic markers, (2) determining whether germ cell epigenetic markers contribute to disease risk in the offspring of stress-exposed parents, and (3) overcoming methodological challenges in order to extend this research to females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Korrina A. Duffy
- Colorado Center for Women’s Behavioral Health and Wellness, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Tracy L. Bale
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - C. Neill Epperson
- Colorado Center for Women’s Behavioral Health and Wellness, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Center for Women’s Health Research, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mourtzi N, Sertedaki A, Charmandari E. Glucocorticoid Signaling and Epigenetic Alterations in Stress-Related Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5964. [PMID: 34073101 PMCID: PMC8198182 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is defined as a state of threatened or perceived as threatened homeostasis. The well-tuned coordination of the stress response system is necessary for an organism to respond to external or internal stressors and re-establish homeostasis. Glucocorticoid hormones are the main effectors of stress response and aberrant glucocorticoid signaling has been associated with an increased risk for psychiatric and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Emerging evidence suggests that life-stress experiences can alter the epigenetic landscape and impact the function of genes involved in the regulation of stress response. More importantly, epigenetic changes induced by stressors persist over time, leading to increased susceptibility for a number of stress-related disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of stress response, the mechanism through which stressful experiences can become biologically embedded through epigenetic alterations, and we underline potential associations between epigenetic changes and the development of stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niki Mourtzi
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; (N.M.); (A.S.)
| | - Amalia Sertedaki
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; (N.M.); (A.S.)
| | - Evangelia Charmandari
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; (N.M.); (A.S.)
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
A next-generation sequencing study on mechanisms by which restraint and social instability stresses of male mice alter offspring anxiety-like behavior. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7952. [PMID: 33846458 PMCID: PMC8042048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87060-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathophysiological mechanisms for depression/anxiety are largely unknown. Evidence for transgenerational transmission of acquired epigenetic marks remains limited. We bred unstressed (US) female mice with adolescently restraint-stressed (RS), social instability-stressed (SI) or US males to produce RS, SI and control F1 offspring, respectively. Compared to controls, while paternal RS decreased anxiety-like behavior (ALB) in both female and male offspring, paternal SI increased ALB only in female offspring. Next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics using RS and SI female offspring identified 5 candidate anxiety-transmitting (CAT) genes; each showed a consistent pattern of DNA methylation from F0 spermatozoa through F1 blastocysts to fetal and adult hippocampi. Further analyses validated 4 CAT genes, demonstrated that paternal SI caused ALB differences between male and female offspring through modifying the CAT genes, and indicated a strong correlation between inflammation and ALB pathogenesis and an important function for intronic DNA methylation in regulating ALB-related genes. In conclusion, this study identified important CAT genes and suggested the possibility that stresses on males might alter offspring's ALB by modifying sperm DNA methylation.
Collapse
|
38
|
De Serrano AR, Hughes KA, Rodd FH. Paternal exposure to a common pharmaceutical (Ritalin) has transgenerational effects on the behaviour of Trinidadian guppies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3985. [PMID: 33597600 PMCID: PMC7889922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence is emerging that paternal effects, the nongenetic influence of fathers on their offspring, can be transgenerational, spanning several generations. Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH; e.g. Ritalin) is a dopaminergic drug that is highly prescribed to adolescent males for the treatment of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It has been suggested that MPH could cause transgenerational effects because MPH can affect the male germline in rodents and because paternal effects have been observed in individuals taking similar drugs (e.g. cocaine). Despite these concerns, the transgenerational effects of paternal MPH exposure are unknown. Therefore, we exposed male and female Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to a low, chronic dose of MPH and observed that MPH affected the anxiety/exploratory behaviour of males, but not females. Because of this male-specific effect, we investigated the transgenerational effects of MPH through the paternal line. We observed behavioural effects of paternal MPH exposure on offspring and great-grandoffspring that were not directly administered the drug, making this the first study to demonstrate that paternal MPH exposure can affect descendants. These effects were not due to differential mortality or fecundity between control and MPH lines. These results highlight the transgenerational potential of MPH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex R De Serrano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - F Helen Rodd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zaidan H, Galiani D, Gaisler-Salomon I. Pre-reproductive stress in adolescent female rats alters oocyte microRNA expression and offspring phenotypes: pharmacological interventions and putative mechanisms. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:113. [PMID: 33547270 PMCID: PMC7865076 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-reproductive stress (PRS) to adolescent female rats alters anxiogenic behavior in first (F1)- and second-generation (F2) offspring and increases mRNA expression of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 (Crhr1) in oocytes and in neonate offspring brain. Here, we ask whether the expression of Crhr1 and Crhr1-targeting microRNA is altered in brain, blood, and oocytes of exposed females and in the brain of their neonate and adult F1 and F2 offspring. In addition, we inquire whether maternal post-stress drug treatment reverses PRS-induced abnormalities in offspring. We find that PRS induces a selective increase in Crhr1-targeting mir-34a and mir-34c in blood and oocytes, while non-Crhr1 microRNA molecules remain unaltered. PRS induces similar microRNA changes in prefrontal cortex of F1 and F2 neonates. In adult animals, cortical Crhr1, but not mir-34, expression is affected by both maternal and direct stress exposure. Post-PRS fluoxetine (FLX) treatment increases pup mortality, and both FLX and the Crhr1 antagonist NBI 27914 reverse some of the effects of PRS and also have independent effects on F1 behavior and gene expression. PRS also alters behavior as well as gene and miRNA expression patterns in paternally derived F2 offspring, producing effects that are different from those previously found in maternally derived F2 offspring. These findings extend current knowledge on inter- and trans-generational transfer of stress effects, point to microRNA changes in stress-exposed oocytes as a potential mechanism, and highlight the consequences of post-stress pharmacological interventions in adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Zaidan
- grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562School of Psychological Sciences and the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Dalia Galiani
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Inna Gaisler-Salomon
- School of Psychological Sciences and the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Smith CJ, Bilbo SD. Sickness and the Social Brain: Love in the Time of COVID. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:633664. [PMID: 33692712 PMCID: PMC7937950 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.633664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
As a highly social species, inclusion in social networks and the presence of strong social bonds are critical to our health and well-being. Indeed, impaired social functioning is a component of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, our social networks are at risk of fracture and many are vulnerable to the negative consequences of social isolation. Importantly, infection itself leads to changes in social behavior as a component of "sickness behavior." Furthermore, as in the case of COVID-19, males and females often differ in their immunological response to infection, and, therefore, in their susceptibility to negative outcomes. In this review, we discuss the many ways in which infection changes social behavior-sometimes to the benefit of the host, and in some instances for the sake of the pathogen-in species ranging from eusocial insects to humans. We also explore the neuroimmune mechanisms by which these changes in social behavior occur. Finally, we touch upon the ways in which the social environment (group living, social isolation, etc.) shapes the immune system and its ability to respond to challenge. Throughout we emphasize how males and females differ in their response to immune activation, both behaviorally and physiologically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Paternal Biomass Smoke Exposure in Rats Produces Behavioral and Cognitive Alterations in the Offspring. TOXICS 2020; 9:toxics9010003. [PMID: 33396546 PMCID: PMC7823662 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Particular concern at the present stage is the health effects of wildfires’ smoke. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of paternal biomass-smoke exposure on offspring’s behavior and cognitive abilities. Male rats were exposed to biomass smoke for four hours/day, five days/week, for four weeks. Average concentration of carbon monoxide and particulate matter of 2.5 μm PM2.5 in the chamber during exposure were 28.7 ± 5.3 mg/m3 and 1.9 ± 0.5 mg/m3, respectively. At the same time, high concentrations of furfural and acetaldehyde were detected in the air environment of the exposure chambers. Offspring was obtained by mating of experimental males with untreated females, immediately after the end of the exposure and after 60 days (long-term period). Offspring were tested by using the Morris water maze and open field at three months of age. Male and female offspring born by mating immediately after exposure demonstrated decreased exploratory behavior, locomotor activity, and spatial navigation, as well as increased anxiety levels. Locomotor and exploratory activity in rats of both sexes from progeny obtained after long-term exposure to smoke had no statistically significant differences when compared to the control; however, the females showed a high level of anxiety and impaired cognitive functions. The recovery period after biomass-smoke intoxication, comparable in duration of spermatogenesis in rats, was an important factor in reducing the risk of developing central nervous system (CNS) disorders in offspring.
Collapse
|
42
|
Hellmann JK, Carlson ER, Bell AM. Sex-specific plasticity across generations II: Grandpaternal effects are lineage specific and sex specific. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2800-2812. [PMID: 33191513 PMCID: PMC7902365 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) occurs when the environment encountered by one generation (F0) alters the phenotypes of one or more future generations (e.g. F1 and F2). Sex selective TGP, via specific lineages or to only male or female descendants, has been underexplored in natural systems, and may be adaptive if it allows past generations to fine-tune the phenotypes of future generations in response to sex-specific life-history strategies. We sought to understand if exposing males to predation risk can influence grandoffspring via sperm in three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. We specifically tested the hypothesis that grandparental effects are transmitted in a sex-specific way down the male lineage, from paternal grandfathers to F2 males. We reared F1 offspring of unexposed and predator-exposed F0 males under 'control' conditions and used them to generate F2s with control grandfathers, a predator-exposed maternal grandfather (i.e. predator-exposed F0 males to F1 daughters to F2s), a predator-exposed paternal grandfather (i.e. predator-exposed F0 males to F1 sons to F2s) or two predator-exposed grandfathers. We then assayed male and female F2s for a variety of traits related to antipredator defence. We found little evidence that transgenerational effects were mediated to only male descendants via the paternal lineage. Instead, grandpaternal effects depended on lineage and were mediated largely across sexes, from F1 males to F2 females and from F1 females to F2 males. When their paternal grandfather was exposed to predation risk, female F2s were heavier and showed a reduced change in behaviour in response to a simulated predator attack relative to grandoffspring of control, unexposed grandparents. In contrast, male F2s showed reduced antipredator behaviour when their maternal grandfather was exposed to predation risk. However, these patterns were only evident when one grandfather, but not both grandfathers, was exposed to predation risk, suggesting the potential for non-additive interactions across lineages. If sex-specific and lineage effects are common, then grandparental effects are likely underestimated in the literature. These results draw attention to the importance of sex-selective inheritance of environmental effects and raise new questions about the proximate and ultimate causes of selective transmission across generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| | - Erika R Carlson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA, 61801
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Love J, Zelikowsky M. Stress Varies Along the Social Density Continuum. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:582985. [PMID: 33192349 PMCID: PMC7606998 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.582985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social stress is ubiquitous in the lives of social animals. While significant research has aimed to understand the specific forms of stress imparted by particular social interactions, less attention has been paid to understanding the behavioral effects and neural underpinnings of stress produced by the presence and magnitude of social interactions. However, in humans and rodents alike, chronically low and chronically high rates of social interaction are associated with a suite of mental health issues, suggesting the need for further research. Here, we review literature examining the behavioral and neurobiological findings associated with changing social density, focusing on research on chronic social isolation and chronic social crowding in rodent models, and synthesize findings in the context of the continuum of social density that can be experienced by social animals. Through this synthesis, we aim to both summarize the state of the field and describe promising avenues for future research that would more clearly define the broad effects of social interaction on the brain and behavior in mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jay Love
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Moriel Zelikowsky
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Marrocco J, Einhorn NR, McEwen BS. Environmental epigenetics of sex differences in the brain. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:209-220. [PMID: 33008526 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00015-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Experiences throughout the life course lead to unique phenotypes even among those with the same genotype. Genotype sets the substrate on which physiologic processes, which communicate with the brain, mediate the effects of life experiences via epigenetics. Epigenetics modify the expression of genes in the brain and body in response to circulating hormones and other mediators, which are activated to facilitate survival responses through a process called allostasis. Epigenetic signatures can even be inherited, resulting in transgenerational effects. This chapter addresses epigenetics in the context of sex differences, discussing the intersection between genetics and gonadal hormones and their effect in the brain at discrete developmental periods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Marrocco
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Nathan R Einhorn
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Joushi S, Esmaeilpour K, Taherizadeh Z, Taheri F, Sheibani V. Intergenerational effects of maternal separation on cognitive abilities of adolescent rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:687-698. [DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center Institute of NeuropharmacologyKerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center Institute of NeuropharmacologyKerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Zahra Taherizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center Institute of NeuropharmacologyKerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Farahnaz Taheri
- Neuroscience Research Center Institute of NeuropharmacologyKerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center Institute of NeuropharmacologyKerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Wang F, Xie N, Zhou J, Dai M, Zhang Q, Hardiman PJ, Qu F. Molecular mechanisms underlying altered neurobehavioural development of female offspring of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome: FOS-mediated regulation of neurotrophins in placenta. EBioMedicine 2020; 60:102993. [PMID: 32949999 PMCID: PMC7501055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study explored the mechanisms underlying altered neurobehavioural development of female offspring born to mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS In total, 20 women with PCOS and 32 healthy women who underwent caesarean deliveries with a single female foetus were recruited. Infants were assessed with Dubowitz scoring. Swan71 cell line with stable FOS overexpression was used to verify the regulatory effects of FOS on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) expression. Learning and memory in female first-generation (F1) and second-generation (F2) offspring in a rat model of PCOS was tested using the Morris water maze at puberty and adulthood. Transcriptome analysis of pubertal hippocampi and hypothalami of female F1 offspring was conducted. FINDINGS Total score and behaviour subscales of Dubowitz scoring were significantly lower in female infants of women with PCOS. FOS and NGF protein levels were downregulated in placental villi of the PCOS group. FOS played a key role in BDNF inhibition and enhancing NGF in Swan71 cells. PCOS female F1 rats exhibited lower target crossing times during puberty when compared to controls. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant changes in hippocampal and hypothalamic neuronal pathways in female F1 rats at puberty. INTERPRETATION FOS regulation of neurotrophins in the placenta negatively affects neurobehavioural development of female offspring of PCOS mothers. FUNDING This study was funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC1004900 to F.Q. and F.W.) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81874480 to F.Q.; 81873837 to F.W.).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Wang
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Ningning Xie
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Jue Zhou
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Minchen Dai
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Paul J Hardiman
- Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom
| | - Fan Qu
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China; Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Fennell KA, Busby RGG, Li S, Bodden C, Stanger SJ, Nixon B, Short AK, Hannan AJ, Pang TY. Limitations to intergenerational inheritance: subchronic paternal stress preconception does not influence offspring anxiety. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16050. [PMID: 32994491 PMCID: PMC7525454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72560-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Independent studies have observed that a paternal history of stress or trauma is associated with his children having a greater likelihood of developing psychopathologies such as anxiety disorders. This father-to-child effect is reproduced in several mouse models of stress, which have been crucial in developing a greater understanding of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. We previously reported that treatment of C57Bl/6J male breeders with low-dose corticosterone (CORT) for 28 days prior to mating yielded increased anxiety-related behaviours in their male F1 offspring. The present study aimed to determine whether subchronic 7-day CORT treatment of male mice just prior to mating would be sufficient to induce intergenerational modifications of anxiety-related behaviours in offspring. We report that subchronic CORT treatment of male breeders reduced their week-on-week body weight gain and altered NR3C1 and CRH gene expression in the hypothalamus. There were no effects on sperm count and glucocorticoid receptor protein levels within the epididymal tissue of male breeders. Regarding the F1 offspring, screening for anxiety-related behaviours using the elevated-plus maze, light–dark box, and novelty-suppressed feeding test revealed no differences between the offspring of CORT-treated breeders compared to controls. Thus, it is crucial that future studies take into consideration the duration of exposure when assessing the intergenerational impacts of paternal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K A Fennell
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - R G G Busby
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Institute of Applied BioSciences and Chemistry, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - S Li
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - C Bodden
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - S J Stanger
- Discipline of Biological Sciences, Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Pregnancy and Reproduction Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - B Nixon
- Discipline of Biological Sciences, Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Pregnancy and Reproduction Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - A K Short
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, University of CA - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - A J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - T Y Pang
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. .,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Monaco AP. An epigenetic, transgenerational model of increased mental health disorders in children, adolescents and young adults. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 29:387-395. [PMID: 32948849 PMCID: PMC7940651 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00726-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevalence rates of mental health disorders in children and adolescents have increased two to threefold from the 1990s to 2016. Some increase in prevalence may stem from changing environmental conditions in the current generation which interact with genes and inherited genetic variants. Current measured genetic variant effects do not explain fully the familial clustering and high heritability estimates in the population. Another model considers environmental conditions shifting in the previous generation, which altered brain circuits epigenetically and were transmitted to offspring via non-DNA-based mechanisms (intergenerational and transgenerational effects). Parental substance use, poor diet and obesity are environmental factors with known epigenetic intergenerational and transgenerational effects, that regulate set points in brain pathways integrating sensory-motor, reward and feeding behaviors. Using summary statistics for eleven neuropsychiatric and three metabolic disorders from 128,989 families, an epigenetic effect explains more of the estimated heritability when a portion of parental environmental effects are transmitted to offspring alongside additive genetic variance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Monaco
- Office of the President, Ballou Hall, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Zoladz PR. Animal models for the discovery of novel drugs for post-traumatic stress disorder. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 16:135-146. [PMID: 32921163 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1820982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Existing pharmacological treatments for PTSD are limited and have been used primarily because of their effectiveness in other psychiatric conditions. To generate novel, PTSD specific pharmacotherapy, researchers must utilize animal models to assess the efficacy of experimental drugs. AREAS COVERED This review includes a discussion of factors that should be considered when developing an animal model of PTSD, as well as descriptions of the most commonly used models. Researchers have utilized physical stressors, psychological stressors, or a combination of the two to induce PTSD-like physiological and behavioral sequelae in animals. Such models have provided researchers with a valuable tool to examine the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the condition. EXPERT OPINION PTSD is a heterogeneous disorder that manifests as different symptom clusters in different individuals. Thus, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach to modeling the disorder in animals. Preclinical investigators must adopt a concentrated effort aimed at modeling specific PTSD subtypes and the distinct symptom profiles that result from specific types of human trauma. Moreover, researchers have focused so much on modeling a single PTSD syndrome in animals that studies examining only specific facets of the disorder are largely ignored. Future research employing animal models of PTSD requires greater focus on the nuances of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip R Zoladz
- Psychology Program, the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University , Ada, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Wan X, He X, Liu Q, Wang X, Ding X, Li H. Frequent and mild scrotal heat stress in mice epigenetically alters glucose metabolism in the male offspring. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 319:E291-E304. [PMID: 32603600 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00038.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have reported that health problems occur in assisted reproductive technology (ART)-conceived offspring. Recently, investigations have demonstrated that paternal environmental conditions influence offspring health. However, it is unclear whether the factors that cause male infertility per se affect offspring health and contribute to health problems in ART-born children. Scrotal heat stress represents a common cause for oligoasthenozoospermia, and in these cases, in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is typically recommended for those individuals trying to conceive. We exposed C57BL/6J male mice to frequent and mild scrotal heat stress (fmSHS) (39°C for 30 min once weekly for 5 consecutive wk). Sperm was subjected to IVF-ET with oocytes of untreated C57BL/6J females to produce offspring mice. Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance was observed in the male offspring mice derived from fmSHS-exposed fathers. Islets, after evaluation, remained unchanged. Genes involved in glucose metabolism, especially, those in insulin signaling pathways, showed dysregulation in the liver of the fmSHS-derived male offspring. Differentially methylated regions were found in the sperm of fmSHS-exposed mice by whole genome bisulfite sequencing. Interestingly, abnormal methylation of some genes with altered expression in offspring was observed in both the sperm of fmSHS fathers and the liver of their male offspring. Our results suggest that the factors that cause male infertility can affect male offspring health by an epigenetic mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wan
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei He
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofang Ding
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Honggang Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Jiangan District, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|