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Clayborne ZM, Gilman SE, Khandaker GM, Colman I. Associations between prenatal stress with offspring inflammation, depression and anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 169:107162. [PMID: 39141988 PMCID: PMC11381142 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Few longitudinal studies have investigated the mediating role of inflammation during childhood in associations between prenatal maternal stress and adolescent mental health. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between prenatal maternal stress, concentrations of immune markers at age 9, and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression during adolescence. METHODS This study included 3723 mother-child pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Prenatal maternal stress was examined using 55 items measured during pregnancy. Inflammation was assessed using serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) when children were 9 years old. GAD and depression were assessed when children were 16 and 18 years of age, respectively. Analyses comprised of structural equation models. RESULTS Prenatal maternal stress was associated with higher concentrations of IL-6 in childhood, and with greater symptoms of depression and GAD in adolescence. However, we did not observe associations between prenatal maternal stress and CRP; also, CRP and IL-6 were not associated with depression and GAD. There was no evidence that CRP and IL-6 mediated the associations between prenatal maternal stress and either GAD or depression. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal maternal stress is associated with IL-6 levels in childhood, and with GAD and depression during adolescence. Future studies should examine immune activity at multiple points during development in relation to mental health into adulthood to determine whether inflammation at different points during development could increase risk for mental health problems among children whose mothers experienced significant stressors during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra M Clayborne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Stephen E Gilman
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Golam M Khandaker
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ian Colman
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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Reid BM. Early life stress and iron metabolism in developmental psychoneuroimmunology. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 40:100824. [PMID: 39161875 PMCID: PMC11331713 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
An estimated 250 million children face adverse health outcomes from early life exposure to severe or chronic social, economic, and nutritional adversity, highlighting/emphasizing the pressing concern about the link between ELS and long-term implications on mental and physical health. There is significant overlap between populations experiencing high levels of chronic stress and those experiencing iron deficiency, spotlighting the potential role of iron as a key mediator in this association. Iron, an essential micronutrient for brain development and immune function, is often depleted in stress conditions. Iron deficiency among the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. Fetal and infant iron status may thus serve as a crucial intermediary between early chronic psychological stress and subsequent immune system changes to impact neurodevelopment. The review presents a hypothesized pathway between early life stress (ELS), iron deficiency, and neurodevelopment through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and the IL-6-hepcidin axis. This hypothesis is derived from (1) evidence that stress impacts iron status (2) long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes that are shared by ELS and iron deficiency exposure, and (3) possible mechanisms for how iron may mediate the relation between ELS and iron deficiency through alterations in the developing immune system. The article concludes by proposing future research directions, emphasizing the need for rigorous studies to elucidate how stress and iron metabolism interact to modify the developing immune system. Understanding these mechanisms could open new avenues for improving human health and neurodevelopment for women and children globally, making it a timely and vital area of study in psychoneuroimmunology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, USA
- Department of Psychology, Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, USA
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3
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Rinne GR, Barclay ME, Somers JA, Mahrer NE, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Dunkel Schetter C, Lee SS. Developmental cascades from maternal preconception stress to child behavior problems: Testing multilevel preconception, prenatal, and postnatal influences. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:1655-1672. [PMID: 38546574 PMCID: PMC11373736 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2024]
Abstract
Although maternal stress during pregnancy and even before conception shapes offspring risk for mental health problems, relatively little is known about the mechanisms through which these associations operate. In theory, preconception and prenatal stress may affect offspring mental health by influencing child responses to postnatal caregiving. To address this knowledge gap, this study had two aims. First, we examined associations between preconception and prenatal stress with child temperament profiles at age four using multilevel assessment of maternal perceived stress and stress physiology. Second, we tested child temperament profiles as moderators of associations between observed parenting behaviors during a parent-child free-play interaction when children were 4 years old and child behavior problems 1 year later. Latent profile analyses yielded four distinct child temperament profiles: inhibited, exuberant, regulated low reactive, and regulated high reactive. Consistent with hypotheses, preconception, and prenatal stress each independently predicted the likelihood of children having temperament profiles characterized by higher negative emotionality and lower regulation. Specifically, preconception perceived stress and prenatal cortisol predicted likelihood of children having an exuberant temperament, whereas prenatal perceived stress predicted likelihood of children having an inhibited temperament. Contrary to hypotheses, temperament profiles did not moderate predictions of child behavior problems from observed parenting behaviors; however, responsive parenting behaviors inversely predicted child behavior problems independently of child temperament. These findings add to growing evidence regarding effects of preconception factors on child outcomes and underscore a central role for responsive parenting behaviors in predicting more favorable child mental health independent of child temperament. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sharon Landesman Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
| | | | - Steve S Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
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Chovan S, Fiľakovská Bobáková D, Hubková B, Madarasová Gecková A, de Kroon MLA, Reijneveld SA. Mothers in stress: Hair cortisol of mothers living in marginalised Roma communities and the role of socioeconomic disadvantage. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 167:107069. [PMID: 38795593 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107069] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Roma living in marginalised communities are among the most disadvantaged groups in Slovakia. Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), including in parents. The aim of this study is therefore to assess differences in HCC, reflecting the levels of stress, between mothers living in MRCs and from the majority population, to assess the association of socioeconomic disadvantage with HCC, and whether disadvantage mediates the MRC/majority differences in HCC. Participants were mothers of children aged 15-18 months old living in MRCs (N=61) and from the Slovak majority population (N=90). During preventive paediatric visits, visits at community centres and home visits, hair samples and data by questionnaire were collected. HCC differed significantly between mothers living in MRCs and mothers from the majority population, with the mean HCC value being twice as high in mothers living in MRCs (22.98 (95% confidence interval, CI, 15.70-30.30) vs. 11.76 (8.34-15.20), p<0.05). HCC was significantly associated with education, household equipment and household overcrowding, but not with billing, socioeconomic stress and social support. The difference in HCC between mothers living in MRCs and mothers from the majority population was partially mediated by poor house equipment, such as no access to running water, no flushing toilet or no bathroom (the indirect effect of B=7.63 (95% CI: 2.12-13.92)). Practitioners and policymakers should be aware of high stress levels among mothers living in MRCs and aim at enhancing their living and housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshana Chovan
- Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 11, Slovak Republic; Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 01, Slovak Republic.
| | - Daniela Fiľakovská Bobáková
- Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 11, Slovak Republic; Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 01, Slovak Republic; Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Univerzitni 22, Olomouc 771 11, Czech Republic
| | - Beáta Hubková
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 11, Slovak Republic
| | - Andrea Madarasová Gecková
- Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 11, Slovak Republic; Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 01, Slovak Republic; Institute of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynske Luhy 4, Bratislava 821 05, Slovak Republic
| | - Marlou L A de Kroon
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen 9713 AV, the Netherlands; Department of Environment and Health, Youth Health Care, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Sijmen A Reijneveld
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen 9713 AV, the Netherlands
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Cui S, Xiong W, Zhao Z, Han Y, Cui T, Qu Z, Li Z, Zhang X. Negative impact of maternal depressive symptoms on infancy neurodevelopment: a moderated mediation effect of maternal inflammation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02572-x. [PMID: 39190153 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Maternal depression promotes maternal inflammation and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorder in offspring, but the role of inflammation on the association between depression and neurodevelopment in offspring has not been extensively studied in humans. This study aims to examine the mediating role of maternal inflammation on the relationship between maternal depression and neurodevelopment in infants. 146 mother-child pairs were identified from Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Education and Service Cohort (Tianjin MCHESC). Maternal depression was investigated by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and depressive trajectories were identified by latent class growth analysis. Inflammatory biomarkers in the three trimesters were assessed with enzyme-linked immunoassay. The Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale-Revision 2016 was used to measure neurodevelopment in infants. Principal component analysis was performed to identify inflammatory condition. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis and mediation analysis were used to identify association among maternal depression, maternal inflammation and neurodevelopment in infants. Offspring in the low and moderate maternal depression groups exhibited higher adaptive behavior development quotient than those in the high maternal depression group. Higher maternal c-reactive protein level and higher inflammatory level in acute-phase of inflammation in the first trimester, and moderate maternal depression were associated with lower adaptive behavior quotients of infants. Inflammatory level in acute-phase of inflammation in the first trimester significantly mediated the association between maternal depression and adaptive behavior development of infants, with explaining 11.85% of the association. Maternal depression could impair adaptive behavior development in infants by inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Cui
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Wenjuan Xiong
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Ziyu Zhao
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Tingkai Cui
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Zhiyi Qu
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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Demers CH, Hankin BL, Haase MH, Todd E, Hoffman MC, Epperson CN, Styner MA, Davis EP. Maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant visual-limbic white matter development. J Affect Disord 2024; 367:49-57. [PMID: 39191307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are robust predictors of mental health for both the exposed individual and the next generation; however, the pathway through which such intergenerational risk is conferred remains unknown. The current study evaluated the association between maternal ACEs and infant brain development, including an a priori focus on circuits implicated in emotional and sensory processing. METHODS The sample included 101 mother-infant dyads from a longitudinal study. Maternal ACEs were assessed with the Adverse Childhood Questionnaire dichotomized into low (0 or 1) and high (≥2) groups. White matter microstructure, as indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA), was assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging in infants (41.6-46.0 weeks' postconceptional age) within a priori tracts (the cingulum, fornix, uncinate, inferior frontal occipital fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus). Exploratory analyses were also conducted across the whole brain. RESULTS High maternal ACEs (≥2) were associated with decreased infant left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) FA (F(1,94) = 7.78, p < .006) relative to infants of low ACE mothers. No group difference was observed within the right ILF following correction for multiple comparisons (F(1,95) = 4.29, p < .041). Follow-up analyses within the left ILF demonstrated associations between high maternal ACEs and increased left radial diffusivity (F(1,95) = 5.10, p < .006). Exploratory analyses demonstrated preliminary support for differences in visual processing networks (e.g., optic tract) as well as additional circuits less frequently examined in the context of early life adversity exposure (e.g., corticothalamic tract). CONCLUSIONS Maternal ACEs predict neural circuit development of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Findings suggest that early developing sensory circuits within the infant brain are susceptible to maternal adverse childhood experiences and may have implications for the maturation of higher-order emotional and cognitive circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine H Demers
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States of America.
| | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States of America
| | - Mercedes Hoeflich Haase
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Erin Todd
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States of America
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America; Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
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Willford JA, Kaufman JM. Through a teratological lens: A narrative review of exposure to stress and drugs of abuse during pregnancy on neurodevelopment. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 105:107384. [PMID: 39187031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107384] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Teratological research shows that both prenatal stress and prenatal substance exposure have a significant impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. Using human research, the purpose of this narrative review is to explore the degree to which these exposures may represent complex prenatal and postnatal risks for the development of cognition and behavior in children. An understanding of the HPA axis and its function during pregnancy as well as the types and operationalization of prenatal stress provide a context for understanding the direct and indirect mechanisms by which prenatal stress affects brain and behavior development. In turn, prenatal substance exposure studies are evaluated for their importance in understanding variables that indicate a potential interaction with prenatal stress including reactivity to novelty, arousal, and stress reactivity during early childhood. The similarities and differences between prenatal stress exposure and prenatal substance exposure on neurodevelopmental outcomes including arousal and emotion regulation, cognition, behavior, stress reactivity, and risk for psychopathology are summarized. Further considerations for teratological studies of prenatal stress and/or substance exposure include identifying and addressing methodological challenges, embracing the complexity of pre-and postnatal environments in the research, and the importance of incorporating parenting and resilience into future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Willford
- Slippery Rock University, Department of Psychology, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Jesse M Kaufman
- Slippery Rock University, Department of Psychology, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America
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Cattaneo A, Begni V, Zonca V, Riva MA. Early life adversities, psychopathologies and novel pharmacological strategies. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 260:108686. [PMID: 38969307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108686] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to adversities during early life stages (early life adversities - ELA), ranging from pregnancy to adolescence, represents a major risk factor for the vulnerability to mental disorders. Hence, it is important to understand the molecular and functional underpinning of such relationship, in order to develop strategies aimed at reducing the psychopathologic burden associated with ELA, which may eventually lead to a significant improvement in clinical practice. In this review, we will initially recapitulate clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the link between ELA and psychopathology and we will primarily discuss the main biological mechanisms that have been described as potential mediators of the effects of ELA on the psychopathologic risk, including the role for genetic factors as well as sex differences. The knowledge emerging from these studies may be instrumental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed not only at correcting the deficits that emerge from ELA exposure, but also in preventing the manifestation of a full-blown psychopathologic condition. With this respect, we will specifically focus on adolescence as a key time frame for disease onset as well as for early therapeutic intervention. We believe that incorporating clinical and preclinical research data in the context of early life adversities can be instrumental to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the risk for psychopathology or that may promote resilience. This will ultimately allow the identification of 'at risk' individuals who may benefit from specific forms of interventions that, by interfering with disease trajectories, could result in more benign clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Cattaneo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Zonca
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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Chen J, Zeng R, Chen H, Cao M, Peng Y, Tong J, Huang J. Microbial reconstitution reverses prenatal stress-induced cognitive impairment and synaptic deficits in rat offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 120:231-247. [PMID: 38851306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.06.005] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy is often linked with increased incidents of neurodevelopmental disorders, including cognitive impairment. Here, we report that stress during pregnancy leads to alterations in the intestinal flora, which negatively affects the cognitive function of offspring. Cognitive impairment in stressed offspring can be reproduced by transplantation of cecal contents of stressed pregnant rats (ST) to normal pregnant rats. In addition, gut microbial dysbiosis results in an increase of β-guanidinopropionic acid in the blood, which leads to an activation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the fetal brain. Moreover, β-guanidinopropionic acid supplementation in pregnant rats can reproduce pregnancy stress-induced enhanced glial differentiation of the fetal brain, resulting in impaired neural development. Using probiotics to reconstruct maternal microbiota can correct the cognitive impairment in the offspring of pregnant stressed rats. These findings suggest that microbial reconstitution reverses gestational stress-induced cognitive impairment and synaptic deficits in male rat offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, 172th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Ru Zeng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, 172th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Huimin Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, No.127, Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Mengya Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Yihan Peng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, 172th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Jianbin Tong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China; Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Brain Homeostasis, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
| | - Jufang Huang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, 172th Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
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Buthmann JL, Miller JG, Aghaeepour N, King LS, Stevenson DK, Shaw GM, Wong RJ, Gotlib IH. Large-scale proteomics in the first trimester of pregnancy predict psychopathology and temperament in preschool children: an exploratory study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:1098-1107. [PMID: 38287782 PMCID: PMC11265978 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the prenatal origins of children's psychopathology is a fundamental goal in developmental and clinical science. Recent research suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can trigger a cascade of fetal programming changes that contribute to vulnerability for the emergence of psychopathology. Most studies, however, have focused on a handful of proinflammatory cytokines and have not explored a range of prenatal biological pathways that may be involved in increasing postnatal risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties. METHODS Using extreme gradient boosted machine learning models, we explored large-scale proteomics, considering over 1,000 proteins from first trimester blood samples, to predict behavior in early childhood. Mothers reported on their 3- to 5-year-old children's (N = 89, 51% female) temperament (Child Behavior Questionnaire) and psychopathology (Child Behavior Checklist). RESULTS We found that machine learning models of prenatal proteomics predict 5%-10% of the variance in children's sadness, perceptual sensitivity, attention problems, and emotional reactivity. Enrichment analyses identified immune function, nervous system development, and cell signaling pathways as being particularly important in predicting children's outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings, though exploratory, suggest processes in early pregnancy that are related to functioning in early childhood. Predictive features included far more proteins than have been considered in prior work. Specifically, proteins implicated in inflammation, in the development of the central nervous system, and in key cell-signaling pathways were enriched in relation to child temperament and psychopathology measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford CA 94305
| | - Jonas G. Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT 06269-1020
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Lucy S. King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford CA 94305
| | - David K. Stevenson
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Gary M. Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Ronald J. Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford CA 94305
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Rinne GR, Carroll JE, Guardino CM, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Parental Preconception Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Maternal Prenatal Inflammation Prospectively Predict Shorter Telomere Length in Children. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:410-421. [PMID: 37594236 PMCID: PMC10879462 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parental trauma exposure and trauma-related distress can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in offspring, but the pathways implicated in intergenerational transmission are not fully explicated. Accelerated biological aging may be one mechanism underlying less favorable health in trauma-exposed individuals and their offspring. This study examines the associations of preconception maternal and paternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms with child telomere length, and maternal prenatal C-reactive protein (CRP) as a biological mechanism. METHODS Mothers ( n = 127) and a subset of the fathers ( n = 84) reported on PTSD symptoms before conception. Mothers provided blood spots in the second and third trimesters that were assayed for CRP. At age 4 years, children provided buccal cells for measurement of telomere length. Models adjusted for parental age, socioeconomic status, maternal prepregnancy body mass index, child biological sex, and child age. RESULTS Mothers' PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with shorter child telomere length ( β = -0.22, SE = 0.10, p = .023). Fathers' PTSD symptoms were also inversely associated with child telomere length ( β = -0.21, SE = 0.11), although nonsignificant ( p = .065). There was no significant indirect effect of mothers' PTSD symptoms on child telomere length through CRP in pregnancy, but higher second-trimester CRP was significantly associated with shorter child telomere length ( β = -0.35, SE = 0.18, p = .048). CONCLUSIONS Maternal symptoms of PTSD before conception and second-trimester inflammation were associated with shorter telomere length in offspring in early childhood, independent of covariates. Findings indicate that intergenerational transmission of parental trauma may occur in part through accelerated biological aging processes and provide further evidence that prenatal proinflammatory processes program child telomere length.Open Science Framework Preregistration:https://osf.io/7c2d5/?view_only=cd0fb81f48db4b8f9c59fc8bb7b0ef97 .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Judith E. Carroll
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Sharon Landesman Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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12
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Rinne GR, Podosin M, Mahrer NE, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Dunkel Schetter C. Prospective associations of prenatal stress with child behavior: Moderation by the early childhood caregiving environment. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38738363 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000920] [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] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Fetal exposure to prenatal stress can increase risk for psychopathology but postnatal caregiving may offset risk. This study tests whether maternal sensitivity and the home environment during early childhood modify associations of prenatal stress with offspring behavior in a sample of 127 mother-child pairs (n = 127). Mothers reported on perceived stress during pregnancy. Maternal sensitivity was rated by coders during a parent-child free play task when children were 4 years old. One year later, mothers reported on the home environment, child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and children completed an assessment of inhibitory control. As hypothesized, the early childhood caregiving environment modified associations of prenatal stress with child behavior. Specifically, prenatal stress was associated with more internalizing behaviors at lower levels of maternal sensitivity and in home environments that were lower in emotional support and cognitive stimulation, but not at mean or higher levels. Furthermore, prenatal stress was associated with lower inhibitory control only at lower levels of maternal sensitivity, but not at higher levels. Maternal sensitivity and an emotionally supportive and cognitively stimulating home environment in early childhood may be important factors that mitigate risk for mental health problems among children exposed to prenatal stress.
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13
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Lipner E, Mac Giollabhui N, Breen EC, Cohn BA, Krigbaum NY, Cirillo PM, Olino TM, Alloy LB, Ellman LM. Sex-Specific Pathways From Prenatal Maternal Inflammation to Adolescent Depressive Symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry 2024; 81:498-505. [PMID: 38324324 PMCID: PMC10851141 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.5458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Importance Prenatal maternal inflammation has been associated with major depressive disorder in offspring in adulthood as well as with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood; however, the association between prenatal inflammation and offspring depression in adolescence has yet to be examined. Objective To determine whether maternal levels of inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy are associated with depressive symptomatology in adolescent-aged offspring and to examine how gestational timing, offspring sex, and childhood psychiatric symptoms impact these associations. Design, Setting, and Participants This was an observational study of a population-based birth cohort from the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS), which recruited almost all mothers receiving obstetric care from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) in Alameda County, California, between June 1959 and September 1966. Pregnancy data and blood sera were collected from mothers, and offspring psychiatric symptom data were collected in childhood (ages 9-11 years) and adolescence (ages 15-17 years). Mother-offspring dyads with available maternal prenatal inflammatory biomarkers during first and/or second trimesters and offspring depressive symptom data at adolescent follow-up were included. Data analyses took place between March 2020 and June 2023. Exposures Levels of inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-8, IL-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1RA], and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-II) assayed from maternal sera in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported depressive symptoms at adolescent follow-up. Results A total of 674 mothers (mean [SD] age, 28.1 [5.9] years) and their offspring (350 male and 325 female) were included in this study. Higher second trimester IL-6 was significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms in offspring during adolescence (b, 0.57; SE, 0.26); P = .03). Moderated mediation analyses showed that childhood externalizing symptoms significantly mediated the association between first trimester IL-6 and adolescent depressive symptoms in male offspring (b, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.02-0.47), while childhood internalizing symptoms mediated the association between second trimester IL-1RA and adolescent depressive symptoms in female offspring (b, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.19-1.75). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, prenatal maternal inflammation was associated with depressive symptoms in adolescent-aged offspring. The findings of the study suggest that pathways to adolescent depressive symptomatology from prenatal risk factors may differ based on both the timing of exposure to prenatal inflammation and offspring sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Lipner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Naoise Mac Giollabhui
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Elizabeth C. Breen
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Barbara A. Cohn
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Nickilou Y. Krigbaum
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Piera M. Cirillo
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Thomas M. Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren M. Ellman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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14
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Cui Z, Xu H, Wu F, Chen J, Zhu L, Shen Z, Yi X, Yang J, Jia C, Zhang L, Zhou P, Li MJ, Zhu L, Duan S, Yao Z, Yu Y, Liu Q, Zhou J. Maternal circadian rhythm disruption affects neonatal inflammation via metabolic reprograming of myeloid cells. Nat Metab 2024; 6:899-913. [PMID: 38561509 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01021-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Disruption of circadian rhythm during pregnancy produces adverse health outcomes in offspring; however, the role of maternal circadian rhythms in the immune system of infants and their susceptibility to inflammation remains poorly understood. Here we show that disruption of circadian rhythms in pregnant mice profoundly aggravates the severity of neonatal inflammatory disorders in both male and female offspring, such as necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis. The diminished maternal production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the impaired immunosuppressive function of neonatal myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) contribute to this phenomenon. Mechanistically, DHA enhances the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs via PPARγ-mediated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Transfer of MDSCs or perinatal supplementation of DHA relieves neonatal inflammation induced by maternal rhythm disruption. These observations collectively demonstrate a previously unrecognized role of maternal circadian rhythms in the control of neonatal inflammation via metabolic reprograming of myeloid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohai Cui
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Pediatric Health and Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haixu Xu
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Institute of Pediatric Health and Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neonatology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Neonatal Intestinal Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiale Chen
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuxia Shen
- Department of Cardiology, Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianfu Yi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhao Yang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunhong Jia
- Institute of Pediatric Health and Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neonatology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Neonatal Intestinal Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Pan Zhou
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Lu Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shengzhong Duan
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhi Yao
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Yu
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Qiang Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jie Zhou
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
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15
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Chen RJ, Nabila A, Gal Toth J, Stuhlmann H, Toth M. The chemokine XCL1 functions as a pregnancy hormone to program offspring innate anxiety. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:178-189. [PMID: 38428650 PMCID: PMC11044916 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Elevated levels of cytokines in maternal circulation increase the offspring's risk for neuropsychiatric disease. Because of their low homeostatic levels, circulating maternal cytokines during normal pregnancies have not been considered to play a role in fetal brain development and offspring behavior. Here we report that the T/NK cell chemotactic cytokine XCL1, a local paracrine immune signal, can function as a pregnancy hormone and is required for the proper development of placenta and male offspring approach-avoidance behavior. We found that circulating XCL1 levels were at a low pregestational level throughout pregnancy except for a midgestational rise and fall. Blunted elevation in maternal plasma XCL1 in dams with a genetic 5HT1A receptor deficit or following neutralization by anti-XCL1 antibodies increased the expression of tissue damage associated factors in WT fetal placenta and led to increased innate anxiety and stress reactivity in the WT male offspring. Therefore, chemokines like XCL1 may act as pregnancy hormones to regulate placenta development and offspring emotional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa J Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anika Nabila
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Judit Gal Toth
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Heidi Stuhlmann
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miklos Toth
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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16
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Guma E, Chakravarty MM. Immune Alterations in the Intrauterine Environment Shape Offspring Brain Development in a Sex-Specific Manner. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01260-5. [PMID: 38679357 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to immune dysregulation in utero or in early life has been shown to increase risk for neuropsychiatric illness. The sources of inflammation can be varied, including acute exposures due to maternal infection or acute stress, or persistent exposures due to chronic stress, obesity, malnutrition, or autoimmune diseases. These exposures may cause subtle alteration in brain development, structure, and function that can become progressively magnified across the life span, potentially increasing the likelihood of developing a neuropsychiatric conditions. There is some evidence that males are more susceptible to early-life inflammatory challenges than females. In this review, we discuss the various sources of in utero or early-life immune alteration and the known effects on fetal development with a sex-specific lens. To do so, we leveraged neuroimaging, behavioral, cellular, and neurochemical findings. Gaining clarity about how the intrauterine environment affects offspring development is critically important for informing preventive and early intervention measures that may buffer against the effects of these early-life risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Guma
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Computational Brain Anatomy Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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17
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Babinski DE. Sex Differences in ADHD: Review and Priorities for Future Research. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:151-156. [PMID: 38324203 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In childhood, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed three to 16 times more frequently in males compared to females, yet in adulthood, nearly equivalent numbers of males and females are diagnosed with ADHD. Relatively few studies have prioritized examination of sex differences in ADHD even though sex differences may have critical implications for the identification and treatment of ADHD in females and males. This review highlights current research on sex differences in ADHD across the lifespan that has emerged from cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal studies of youth, adult-ascertained samples, and registry studies. RECENT FINDINGS Accumulating research suggests that both males and females with ADHD experience widespread impairment across the lifespan. Some evidence of sex differences emerged, although effects have generally been modest in size. Continued research that includes females and males with ADHD is needed to clarify the nature of sex differences in ADHD. Research that focuses on equitable identification of ADHD in males and females, disentangles the effects of sex and gender, probes underlying mechanisms of sex differences, and addresses the clinical impact of sex differences in ADHD must be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara E Babinski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, 22 Northeast Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
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18
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Werchan DM, Hendrix CL, Hume AM, Zhang M, Thomason ME, Brito NH. Effects of prenatal psychosocial stress and COVID-19 infection on infant attention and socioemotional development. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:1279-1287. [PMID: 37752245 PMCID: PMC10965506 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02807-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered the psychosocial environment of pregnant women and new mothers. In addition, prenatal infection is a known risk factor for altered fetal development. Here we examine joint effects of maternal psychosocial stress and COVID-19 infection during pregnancy on infant attention at 6 months postpartum. METHOD One-hundred and sixty-seven pregnant mothers and infants (40% non-White; n = 71 females) were recruited in New York City (n = 50 COVID+, n = 117 COVID-). Infants' attentional processing was assessed at 6 months, and socioemotional function and neurodevelopmental risk were evaluated at 12 months. RESULTS Maternal psychosocial stress and COVID-19 infection during pregnancy jointly predicted infant attention at 6 months. In mothers reporting positive COVID-19 infection, higher prenatal psychosocial stress was associated with lower infant attention at 6 months. Exploratory analyses indicated that infant attention in turn predicted socioemotional function and neurodevelopmental risk at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that maternal psychosocial stress and COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may have joint effects on infant attention at 6 months. This work adds to a growing literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant development, and may point to maternal psychosocial stress as an important target for intervention. IMPACT This study found that elevated maternal psychosocial stress and COVID-19 infection during pregnancy jointly predicted lower infant attention scores at 6 months, which is a known marker of risk for neurodevelopmental disorder. In turn, infant attention predicted socioemotional function and risk for neurodevelopmental disorder at 12 months. These data suggest that maternal psychosocial stress may modulate the effects of gestational infection on neurodevelopment and highlight malleable targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise M Werchan
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Amy M Hume
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret Zhang
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moriah E Thomason
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie H Brito
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Gumusoglu SB. The role of the placenta-brain axis in psychoneuroimmune programming. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100735. [PMID: 38420039 PMCID: PMC10900837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposures have enduring impacts on brain and neuroimmune development and function. Perturbations of pregnancy leading to placental structure/function deficits, cell stress, immune activation, and endocrine changes (metabolic, growth factors, etc.) all increase neuropsychiatric risk in offspring. The existing literature links obstetric diseases with placental involvement to offspring neuroimmune outcomes and neurodevelopmental risk. Psychoneuroimmune outcomes in offspring brain include changes to microglia, cytokine/chemokine production, cell stress, and long-term immunoreactivity. These outcomes are altered by structural, anti-angiogenic/hypoxic, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases of the placenta. This fetal programming occurs via direct placental passage or production of factors which can act directly on fetal brain substrates, or indirectly via action of circulating factors on intermediates in the placenta. Placental neuroendocrine, vascular/angiogenic, immune, and extracellular vesicular mechanisms are detailed. These mechanisms interact within various placental and pregnancy conditions. An increased understanding of the placental origins of psychoneuroimmunology will yield dividends for human health. Identifying maternal and placental biomarkers for fetal neuroimmune health may also revolutionize early diagnosis and precision psychiatry, empowering patients to make the best healthcare decisions for their families. Targeting placental mechanisms may be a valuable approach for the prevention and mitigation of intergenerational, lifelong neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena B. Gumusoglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr. Iowa City, IA, 52327, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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20
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Wylie AC, Short SJ, Fry RC, Mills-Koonce WR, Propper CB. Maternal prenatal lead levels and neonatal brain volumes: Testing moderations by maternal depressive symptoms and family income. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107322. [PMID: 38244816 PMCID: PMC10990786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107322] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that prenatal lead exposure is detrimental to child cognitive and socio-emotional development. Further evidence suggests that the effects of prenatal lead on developmental outcomes may be conditional upon exposure to social stressors, such as maternal depression and low socioeconomic status. However, no studies have examined associations between these co-occurring stressors during pregnancy and neonatal brain volumes. Leveraging a sample of 101 mother-infant dyads followed beginning in mid-pregnancy, we examined the main effects of prenatal urinary lead levels on neonatal lateralized brain volumes (left and right hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, frontal lobes) and total gray matter. We additionally tested for moderations between lead and depressive symptoms and between lead and family income relative to the federal poverty level (FPL) on the same neurodevelopmental outcomes. Analyses of main effects indicated that prenatal lead was significantly (ps < 0.05) associated with reduced right and left amygdala volumes (βs = -0.23- -0.20). The testing and probing of cross-product interaction terms using simple slopes indicated that the negative effect of lead on the left amygdala was conditional upon mothers having low depressive symptoms or high income relative to the FPL. We interpret the results in the context of trajectories of prenatal and postnatal brain development and susceptibility to low levels of prenatal lead in the context of other social stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - W Roger Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cathi B Propper
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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21
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Rajasekera TA, Galley JD, Mackos AR, Chen HJ, Mitchell JG, Kleinman JJ, Cappelucci P, Mashburn-Warren L, Lauber CL, Bailey MT, Worly BL, Gur TL. Stress and depression-associated shifts in gut microbiota: A pilot study of human pregnancy. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100730. [PMID: 38323225 PMCID: PMC10844036 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100730] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Psychosocial stress and mood-related disorders, such as depression, are prevalent and vulnerability to these conditions is heightened during pregnancy. Psychosocial stress induces consequences via several mechanisms including the gut microbiota-brain axis and associated signaling pathways. Previous preclinical work indicates that prenatal stress alters maternal gut microbial composition and impairs offspring development. Importantly, although the fecal and vaginal microenvironments undergo alterations across pregnancy, we lack consensus regarding which shifts are adaptive or maladaptive in the presence of prenatal stress and depression. Clinical studies interrogating these relationships have identified unique taxa but have been limited in study design. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of pregnant individuals consisting of repeated administration of psychometrics (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)) and collection of fecal and vaginal microbiome samples. Fecal and vaginal microbial community composition across psychometric responses were interrogated using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing followed by α and β-diversity metrics and taxonomic abundance. Results Early pregnancy stress was associated with increased abundance of fecal taxa not previously identified in related studies, and stress from late pregnancy through postpartum was associated with increased abundance of typical vaginal taxa and opportunistic pathogens in the fecal microenvironment. Additionally, in late pregnancy, maternal stress and depression scores were associated with each other and with elevated maternal C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) concentrations. At delivery, concordant with previous literature, umbilical CCL2 concentration was negatively correlated with relative abundance of maternal fecal Lactobacilli. Lastly, participants with more severe depressive symptoms experienced steeper decreases in prenatal vaginal α-diversity. Conclusion These findings a) underscore previous preclinical and clinical research demonstrating the effects of prenatal stress on maternal microbiome composition, b) suggest distinct biological pathways for the consequences of stress versus depression and c) extend the literature by identifying several taxa which may serve critical roles in mediating this relationship. Thus, further interrogation of the role of specific maternal microbial taxa in relation to psychosocial stress and its sequelae is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese A. Rajasekera
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Galley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Amy R. Mackos
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Helen J. Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Paige Cappelucci
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Christian L. Lauber
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael T. Bailey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Brett L. Worly
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Tamar L. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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22
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Wu Y, De Asis-Cruz J, Limperopoulos C. Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0. [PMID: 38418579 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
In-utero exposure to maternal psychological distress is increasingly linked with disrupted fetal and neonatal brain development and long-term neurobehavioral dysfunction in children and adults. Elevated maternal psychological distress is associated with changes in fetal brain structure and function, including reduced hippocampal and cerebellar volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification and sulcal depth, decreased brain metabolites (e.g., choline and creatine levels), and disrupted functional connectivity. After birth, reduced cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification, altered amygdala and hippocampal volumes, and disturbed brain microstructure and functional connectivity have been reported in the offspring months or even years after exposure to maternal distress during pregnancy. Additionally, adverse child neurodevelopment outcomes such as cognitive, language, learning, memory, social-emotional problems, and neuropsychiatric dysfunction are being increasingly reported after prenatal exposure to maternal distress. The mechanisms by which prenatal maternal psychological distress influences early brain development include but are not limited to impaired placental function, disrupted fetal epigenetic regulation, altered microbiome and inflammation, dysregulated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, altered distribution of the fetal cardiac output to the brain, and disrupted maternal sleep and appetite. This review will appraise the available literature on the brain structural and functional outcomes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of pregnant women experiencing elevated psychological distress. In addition, it will also provide an overview of the mechanistic underpinnings of brain development changes in stress response and discuss current treatments for elevated maternal psychological distress, including pharmacotherapy (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and non-pharmacotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavior therapy). Finally, it will end with a consideration of future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | | | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
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23
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Kimmel MC, Verosky B, Chen HJ, Davis O, Gur TL. The Maternal Microbiome as a Map to Understanding the Impact of Prenatal Stress on Offspring Psychiatric Health. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:300-309. [PMID: 38042328 PMCID: PMC10884954 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Stress and psychiatric disorders have been independently associated with disruption of the maternal and offspring microbiome and with increased risk of the offspring developing psychiatric disorders, both in clinical studies and in preclinical studies. However, the role of the microbiome in mediating the effect of prenatal stress on offspring behavior is unclear. While preclinical studies have identified several key mechanisms, clinical studies focusing on mechanisms are limited. In this review, we discuss 3 specific mechanisms by which the microbiome could mediate the effects of prenatal stress: 1) altered production of short-chain fatty acids; 2) disruptions in TH17 (T helper 17) cell differentiation, leading to maternal and fetal immune activation; and 3) perturbation of intestinal and microbial tryptophan metabolism and serotonergic signaling. Finally, we review the existing clinical literature focusing on these mechanisms and highlight the need for additional mechanistic clinical research to better understand the role of the microbiome in the context of prenatal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Kimmel
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| | - Branden Verosky
- Ohio State University College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Helen J Chen
- Ohio State University College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Olivia Davis
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Tamar L Gur
- Ohio State University College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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24
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Luqman A, He M, Hassan A, Ullah M, Zhang L, Rashid Khan M, Din AU, Ullah K, Wang W, Wang G. Mood and microbes: a comprehensive review of intestinal microbiota's impact on depression. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1295766. [PMID: 38404464 PMCID: PMC10884216 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is considered a multifaceted and intricate mental disorder of growing concern due to its significant impact on global health issues. The human gut microbiota, also known as the "second brain," has an important role in the CNS by regulating it through chemical, immunological, hormonal, and neurological processes. Various studies have found a significant bidirectional link between the brain and the gut, emphasizing the onset of depression therapies. The biological and molecular processes underlying depression and microbiota are required, as the bidirectional association may represent a novel study. However, profound insights into the stratification and diversity of the gut microbiota are still uncommon. This article investigates the emerging evidence of a bacterial relationship between the gut and the brain's neurological system and its potential pathogenicity and relevance. The interplay of microbiota, immune system, nervous system neurotransmitter synthesis, and neuroplasticity transitions is also widely studied. The consequences of stress, dietary fibers, probiotics, prebiotics, and antibiotics on the GB axis are being studied. Multiple studies revealed the processes underlying this axis and led to the development of effective microbiota-based drugs for both prevention and treatment. Therefore, the results support the hypothesis that gut microbiota influences depression and provide a promising area of research for an improved knowledge of the etiology of the disease and future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameer Luqman
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implant, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mei He
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Adil Hassan
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implant, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Materials and Devices, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, China
- JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China
| | - Mehtab Ullah
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implant, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Muhammad Rashid Khan
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implant, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ahmad Ud Din
- Plants for Human Health Institute, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, United States
| | - Kamran Ullah
- Department of Biology, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Pakistan
| | - Wei Wang
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Guixue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implant, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China
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25
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Andescavage N, Lu YC, Wu Y, Kapse K, Keller J, Von Kohorn I, Afifi A, Vezina G, Henderson D, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and early newborn brain development. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae041. [PMID: 38385890 PMCID: PMC10883413 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae041] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies suggest that prenatal exposures to certain viruses may influence early neurodevelopment, predisposing offspring to neuropsychiatric conditions later in life. The long-term effects of maternal COVID-19 infection in pregnancy on early brain development, however, remain largely unknown. We prospectively enrolled infants in an observational cohort study for a single-site study in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area from June 2020 to November 2021 and compared these infants to pre-pandemic controls (studied March 2014-February 2020). The primary outcomes are measures of cortical morphometry (tissue-specific volumes), along with global and regional measures of local gyrification index, and sulcal depth. We studied 210 infants (55 infants of COVID-19 unexposed mothers, 47 infants of COVID-19-positive mothers, and 108 pre-pandemic healthy controls). We found increased cortical gray matter volume (182.45 ± 4.81 vs. 167.29 ± 2.92) and accelerated sulcal depth of the frontal lobe (5.01 ± 0.19 vs. 4.40 ± 0.13) in infants of COVID-19-positive mothers compared to controls. We found additional differences in infants of COVID-19 unexposed mothers, suggesting both maternal viral exposures, as well as non-viral stressors associated with the pandemic, may influence early development and warrant ongoing follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickie Andescavage
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigavn Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 Eye St. NW Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Yuan-Chiao Lu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Yao Wu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Kushal Kapse
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Jennifer Keller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 Eye Ste. NW, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Isabelle Von Kohorn
- Department of Neonatology, Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States
| | - Ashraf Afifi
- Department of Hospital-Based Regional Neonatology at Woodbridge, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Gilbert Vezina
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Deidtra Henderson
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - David L Wessel
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 Eye St. NW Washington, DC 20052, United States
- Critical Care Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Adre J du Plessis
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 Eye St. NW Washington, DC 20052, United States
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, 2300 Eye St. NW Washington, DC 20052, United States
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW Washington, DC 20010, United States
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26
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Scher MS. Interdisciplinary fetal-neonatal neurology training applies neural exposome perspectives to neurology principles and practice. Front Neurol 2024; 14:1321674. [PMID: 38288328 PMCID: PMC10824035 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1321674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
An interdisciplinary fetal-neonatal neurology (FNN) program over the first 1,000 days teaches perspectives of the neural exposome that are applicable across the life span. This curriculum strengthens neonatal neurocritical care, pediatric, and adult neurology training objectives. Teaching at maternal-pediatric hospital centers optimally merges reproductive, pregnancy, and pediatric approaches to healthcare. Phenotype-genotype expressions of health or disease pathways represent a dynamic neural exposome over developmental time. The science of uncertainty applied to FNN training re-enforces the importance of shared clinical decisions that minimize bias and reduce cognitive errors. Trainees select mentoring committee participants that will maximize their learning experiences. Standardized questions and oral presentations monitor educational progress. Master or doctoral defense preparation and competitive research funding can be goals for specific individuals. FNN principles applied to practice offer an understanding of gene-environment interactions that recognizes the effects of reproductive health on the maternal-placental-fetal triad, neonate, child, and adult. Pre-conception and prenatal adversities potentially diminish life-course brain health. Endogenous and exogenous toxic stressor interplay (TSI) alters the neural exposome through maladaptive developmental neuroplasticity. Developmental disorders and epilepsy are primarily expressed during the first 1,000 days. Communicable and noncommunicable illnesses continue to interact with the neural exposome to express diverse neurologic disorders across the lifespan, particularly during the critical/sensitive time periods of adolescence and reproductive senescence. Anomalous or destructive fetal neuropathologic lesions change clinical expressions across this developmental-aging continuum. An integrated understanding of reproductive, pregnancy, placental, neonatal, childhood, and adult exposome effects offers a life-course perspective of the neural exposome. Exosome research promises improved disease monitoring and drug delivery starting during pregnancy. Developmental origins of health and disease principles applied to FNN practice anticipate neurologic diagnoses with interventions that can benefit successive generations. Addressing health care disparities in the Global South and high-income country medical deserts require constructive dialogue among stakeholders to achieve medical equity. Population health policies require a brain capital strategy that reduces the global burden of neurologic diseases by applying FNN principles and practice. This integrative neurologic care approach will prolong survival with an improved quality of life for persons across the lifespan confronted with neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S. Scher
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
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27
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Li Y, Yao G, Wang R, Zhu J, Li H, Yang D, Ma S, Fu Y, Liu C, Guan S. Maternal immune activation mediated prenatal chronic stress induces Th17/Treg cell imbalance may relate to the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in offspring rats. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 126:111308. [PMID: 38061121 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111308] [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: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA), defined as elevated levels of inflammatory markers beyond the normal range, can occur due to psychological stress, infection, and other disruptions during pregnancy. MIA affects the immune system development in offspring and increases the risk of immune-related disorders. Limited studies have investigated the effects of prenatal stress on offspring's immune system. In this study, pregnant rats were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) during pregnancy, involving seven different stressors. We examined the impact of prenatal stress stimuli on the offspring's immune system and observed activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway, resulting in an imbalance of Th17/Treg cells in the offspring's spleen. Our findings revealed increased plasma levels of corticosterone, IL-1β, and IL-6 in female rats exposed to prenatal stress, as well as elevated serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the offspring. Furthermore, we identified a correlation between cytokine levels in female rats and their offspring. Transcriptome sequencing and qPCR experiments indicated differentially expressed mRNAs in offspring exposed to prenatal stress, which may contribute to the imbalance of Th17/Treg cells through the activation of the Gng3-related PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Guixiang Yao
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Rui Wang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Jiashu Zhu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Deguang Yang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Shuqin Ma
- General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Youjuan Fu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Can Liu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Suzhen Guan
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750004, China.
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28
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Chen HJ, Galley JD, Verosky BG, Yang FT, Rajasekera TA, Bailey MT, Gur TL. Fetal CCL2 signaling mediates offspring social behavior and recapitulates effects of prenatal stress. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:308-318. [PMID: 37914098 PMCID: PMC10872760 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress during pregnancy is prevalent and associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. Maternal and offspring immune dysfunction has been implicated as a potential mechanism by which prenatal stress shapes offspring neurodevelopment; however, the impact of prenatal stress on the developing immune system has yet to be elucidated. Furthermore, there is evidence that the chemokine C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) plays a key role in mediating the behavioral sequelae of prenatal stress. Here, we use an established model of prenatal restraint stress in mice to investigate alterations in the fetal immune system, with a focus on CCL2. In the placenta, stress led to a reduction in CCL2 and Ccr2 expression with a concomitant decrease in leukocyte number. However, the fetal liver exhibited an inflammatory phenotype, with upregulation of Ccl2, Il6, and Lbp expression, along with an increase in pro-inflammatory Ly6CHi monocytes. Prenatal stress also disrupted chemokine signaling and increased the number of monocytes and microglia in the fetal brain. Furthermore, stress increased Il1b expression by fetal brain CD11b+ microglia and monocytes. Finally, intra-amniotic injections of recombinant mouse CCL2 partially recapitulated the social behavioral deficits in the adult offspring previously observed in the prenatal restraint stress model. Altogether, these data suggest that prenatal stress led to fetal inflammation, and that fetal CCL2 plays a role in shaping offspring social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen J Chen
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Galley
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Branden G Verosky
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Felix T Yang
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Therese A Rajasekera
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Michael T Bailey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Biosciences Division, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Tamar L Gur
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus OH, United States.
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29
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Traetta ME, Chaves Filho AM, Akinluyi ET, Tremblay MÈ. Neurodevelopmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 37:457-495. [PMID: 39207708 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-55529-9_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This chapter will focus on microglial involvement in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). We will describe the neuroimmune risk factors that contribute to the etiopathology of these disorders across the lifespan, including both in early life and adulthood. Microglia, being the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, could play a key role in triggering and determining the outcome of these disorders. This chapter will review preclinical and clinical findings where microglial morphology and function were examined in the contexts of ASD, schizophrenia and MDD. Clinical evidence points out to altered microglial morphology and reactivity, as well as increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, supporting the idea that microglial abnormalities are involved in these disorders. Indeed, animal models for these disorders found altered microglial morphology and homeostatic functions which resulted in behaviours related to these disorders. Additionally, as microglia have emerged as promising therapeutic targets, we will also address in this chapter therapies involving microglial mechanisms for the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth Toyin Akinluyi
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
- Axe Neurosciences, Center de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Center for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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Clayborne ZM, Zou R, Gilman SE, Khandaker GM, Fell DB, Colman I, El Marroun H. Associations between prenatal maternal stress, maternal inflammation during pregnancy, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms throughout childhood. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:165-172. [PMID: 37607663 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal immune activation is a potential mechanism underlying associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and offspring mental health problems. This study examined associations between prenatal maternal stress, maternal inflammation during pregnancy, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms from 3 to 10 years of age, and whether maternal inflammation mediated the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. METHODS This study comprised 4,902 mother-child dyads in the Generation R study. Prenatal maternal stress was assessed using self-reported data collected during pregnancy and analyzed as a latent variable consisting of four stress domains. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy was assessed using serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) measured at a median of 13.5 weeks' gestation. Child internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by maternal report at ages 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years; paternal-reported CBCL data were also available at 3 years and 10 years. RESULTS Prenatal maternal stress was associated with maternal-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms of the child at 3, 5, and 10 years of age, and with paternal-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 3 and 10 years. Prenatal maternal stress was associated with maternal CRP concentrations prior to, but not after, covariate adjustment. Maternal CRP concentrations during pregnancy were associated with paternal-reported internalizing symptoms of offspring at 10 years of age prior to, but not after, covariate adjustment. There was no evidence that CRP concentrations mediated the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's internalizing or externalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children, but this association is not because of differences in maternal immune activation linked to maternal stress. Replication of these findings in other cohorts is required; examination of other biomarkers or variation in immune activity during pregnancy would also benefit from further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra M Clayborne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Runyu Zou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stephen E Gilman
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Golam M Khandaker
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Deshayne B Fell
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ian Colman
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Kocher K, Bhattacharya S, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Almalvez M, Henderson D, Vilain E, Limperopoulos C, Délot EC. Genome-wide neonatal epigenetic changes associated with maternal exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:268. [PMID: 37899449 PMCID: PMC10614377 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01707-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During gestation, stressors to the fetus, including viral exposure or maternal psychological distress, can fundamentally alter the neonatal epigenome, and may be associated with long-term impaired developmental outcomes. The impact of in utero exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic on the newborn epigenome has yet to be described. METHODS This study aimed to determine whether there are unique epigenetic signatures in newborns who experienced otherwise healthy pregnancies that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (Project RESCUE). The pre-pandemic control and pandemic cohorts (Project RESCUE) included in this study are part of a prospective observational and longitudinal cohort study that evaluates the impact of elevated prenatal maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood neurodevelopment. Using buccal swabs collected at birth, differential DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays and linear regression analysis. Pathway analysis and gene ontology enrichment were performed on resultant gene lists. RESULTS Widespread differential methylation was found between neonates exposed in utero to the pandemic and pre-pandemic neonates. In contrast, there were no apparent epigenetic differences associated with maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Differential methylation was observed among genomic sites that underpin important neurological pathways that have been previously reported in the literature to be differentially methylated because of prenatal stress, such as NR3C1. CONCLUSIONS The present study reveals potential associations between exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic during pregnancy and subsequent changes in the newborn epigenome. While this finding warrants further investigation, it is a point that should be considered in any study assessing newborn DNA methylation studies obtained during this period, even in otherwise healthy pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Kocher
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics & Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Surajit Bhattacharya
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Miguel Almalvez
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Diedtra Henderson
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Eric Vilain
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | | | - Emmanuèle C Délot
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA.
- Department of Genomics & Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Maric DM, Vojvodic D, Maric DL, Velikic G, Radomir M, Sokolovac I, Stefik D, Ivkovic N, Susnjevic S, Puletic M, Dulic O, Abazovic D. Cytokine Dynamics in Autism: Analysis of BMAC Therapy Outcomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15080. [PMID: 37894761 PMCID: PMC10606637 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has recently been linked to neuroinflammation and an aberrant immune response within the central nervous system. The intricate relationship between immune response and ASD remains elusive, with a gap in understanding the connection between specific immune mechanisms and neural manifestations in autism. In this study, we employed a comprehensive statistical approach, fusing both overarching and granular methods to examine the concentration of 16 cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) across each autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) intrathecal administration in 63 male and 17 female autism patients. Following a six-month period post the third administration, patients were stratified into three categories based on clinical improvement: Group 1- no/mild (28 subjects), Group 2-moderate (16 subjects), and Group 3-major improvement (15 subjects). Our integrated analysis revealed pronounced disparities in CSF cytokine patterns and clinical outcomes in autism subjects pre- and post-BMAC transplantation. Crucially, our results suggest that these cytokine profiles hold promise as predictive markers, pinpointing ASD individuals who might not exhibit notable clinical amelioration post-BMAC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusan M. Maric
- Department for Research and Development, Clinic Orto MD-Parks Dr Dragi Hospital, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.M.M.); (M.R.)
- Faculty of Stomatology Pancevo, University Business Academy, 26101 Pancevo, Serbia;
| | - Danilo Vojvodic
- Institute for Medical Research, Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (D.V.); (D.S.)
- Medical Faculty of Military Medical Academy, University of Defense, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dusica L. Maric
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Gordana Velikic
- Department for Research and Development, Clinic Orto MD-Parks Dr Dragi Hospital, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.M.M.); (M.R.)
- Hajim School of Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Mihajlo Radomir
- Department for Research and Development, Clinic Orto MD-Parks Dr Dragi Hospital, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (D.M.M.); (M.R.)
| | | | - Debora Stefik
- Institute for Medical Research, Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (D.V.); (D.S.)
| | - Nemanja Ivkovic
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Sonja Susnjevic
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Statistics with Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Miljan Puletic
- Faculty of Stomatology Pancevo, University Business Academy, 26101 Pancevo, Serbia;
| | - Oliver Dulic
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
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Reid B, East P, Blanco E, Doom J, Burrows R, Correa-Burrows P, Lozoff B, Gahagan S. Early-life adversity is associated with poor iron status in infancy. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1856-1867. [PMID: 35678178 PMCID: PMC9732147 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000517] [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: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life adversity (ELA) and iron deficiency early in life are known risk factors for suboptimal brain and socioemotional development. Iron deficiency may arise from and co-occur with ELA, which could negatively affect development. In the present study, we investigated whether ELA is associated with iron deficiency in infants receiving no iron supplementation. This study is a secondary analysis of extant data collected in the 1990s; participants were healthy infants from working-class communities in Santiago, Chile (N = 534, 45.5% female). We measured stressful life events, maternal depression, and low home support for child development during infancy and assessed iron status when the infant was 12 months old. Slightly more than half of the infants were iron-deficient (51%), and 25.8% were iron-deficient anemic at 12 months. Results indicated that ELA was associated with lower iron levels and iron deficiency at 12 months. The findings are consistent with animal and human prenatal models of stress and iron status and provide evidence of the association between postnatal ELA and iron status in humans. The findings also highlight a nutritional pathway by which ELA may impact development and present a nutritionally-focused avenue for future research on ELA and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- B.M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI
| | - P. East
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego
| | - E. Blanco
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
| | - J.R. Doom
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver
| | - R.A. Burrows
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - P. Correa-Burrows
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - B. Lozoff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - S Gahagan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego
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Dhaliwal SK, Dabelea D, Lee-Winn AE, Crume T, Wilkening G, Perng W. Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy and offspring neurobehavioral outcomes during early childhood in the Healthy Start Study. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 86:16-24.e3. [PMID: 37321280 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.06.001] [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: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We evaluate singular and combined effects of prenatal maternal depression and stress on early childhood neurobehavioral outcomes among 536 mother-child pairs. METHODS First, we used multivariable linear regression to investigate associations of women's Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, separately, with offspring Child Behavior Checklist score. Next, to assess the combined effect of EPDS and PSS, we dichotomized each score at the fourth versus first to third quartiles and created a four-level variable comprising combinations of high and low depression and stress. Across all models, we accounted for household chaos, hubbub, and order scale (CHAOS) score, an indicator of the household environment associated with offspring behavioral outcomes. RESULTS Each one-unit increment in maternal EPDS and PSS scores corresponded with 0.75 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.96) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.95) units higher offspring total problems T-score, respectively. Children of women with high EPDS and PSS had highest T-scores for total problems. All associations remained materially unchanged after adjustment for CHAOS score. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal maternal depression and stress is associated with worse neurobehavioral outcomes among offspring, with the most unfavorable outcomes among children whose mothers had high scores for both EPDS and PSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satvinder K Dhaliwal
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Angela E Lee-Winn
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Tessa Crume
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Greta Wilkening
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department or Neuropsychology, Colorado Children's Hospital, Aurora, CO
| | - Wei Perng
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
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35
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Foss S, Petty CR, Howell C, Mendonca J, Bosse A, Waber DP, Wright RJ, Enlow MB. Associations among maternal lifetime trauma, psychological symptoms in pregnancy, and infant stress reactivity and regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1714-1731. [PMID: 35678173 PMCID: PMC9732151 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal trauma has intergenerational implications, including worse birth outcomes, altered brain morphology, and poorer mental health. Research investigating intergenerational effects of maternal trauma on infant stress reactivity and regulation is limited. Maternal mental health during pregnancy may be a contributor: psychopathology is a sequela of trauma exposure and predictor of altered self-regulatory capacity in offspring of affected mothers. We assessed associations among maternal lifetime trauma and infant stress responsivity, mediated by psychological symptoms in pregnancy. Mothers reported lifetime trauma history and anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms during pregnancy. At infant age 6 months, stress reactivity and regulation were assessed via maternal behavior ratings (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, IBQ-R) and behavioral (negative mood) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) markers during a laboratory stressor (Still-Face Paradigm). Maternal trauma was directly associated with lower infant physiological regulation and indirectly associated with lower levels of both infant behavioral and physiological regulation via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Maternal trauma was also indirectly associated with higher infant reactivity via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Post hoc analyses indicated differential contributions of maternal prenatal versus postnatal anxiety to infant outcomes. Findings highlight potential contributory mechanisms toward maladaptive child stress response, which has been associated with poor behavioral, cognitive, and academic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juliana Mendonca
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abigail Bosse
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah P. Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Ravindra NG, Espinosa C, Berson E, Phongpreecha T, Zhao P, Becker M, Chang AL, Shome S, Marić I, De Francesco D, Mataraso S, Saarunya G, Thuraiappah M, Xue L, Gaudillière B, Angst MS, Shaw GM, Herzog ED, Stevenson DK, England SK, Aghaeepour N. Deep representation learning identifies associations between physical activity and sleep patterns during pregnancy and prematurity. NPJ Digit Med 2023; 6:171. [PMID: 37770643 PMCID: PMC10539360 DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00911-x] [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: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality globally. Research has focused on developing predictive models for PTB without prioritizing cost-effective interventions. Physical activity and sleep present unique opportunities for interventions in low- and middle-income populations (LMICs). However, objective measurement of physical activity and sleep remains challenging and self-reported metrics suffer from low-resolution and accuracy. In this study, we use physical activity data collected using a wearable device comprising over 181,944 h of data across N = 1083 patients. Using a new state-of-the art deep learning time-series classification architecture, we develop a 'clock' of healthy dynamics during pregnancy by using gestational age (GA) as a surrogate for progression of pregnancy. We also develop novel interpretability algorithms that integrate unsupervised clustering, model error analysis, feature attribution, and automated actigraphy analysis, allowing for model interpretation with respect to sleep, activity, and clinical variables. Our model performs significantly better than 7 other machine learning and AI methods for modeling the progression of pregnancy. We found that deviations from a normal 'clock' of physical activity and sleep changes during pregnancy are strongly associated with pregnancy outcomes. When our model underestimates GA, there are 0.52 fewer preterm births than expected (P = 1.01e - 67, permutation test) and when our model overestimates GA, there are 1.44 times (P = 2.82e - 39, permutation test) more preterm births than expected. Model error is negatively correlated with interdaily stability (P = 0.043, Spearman's), indicating that our model assigns a more advanced GA when an individual's daily rhythms are less precise. Supporting this, our model attributes higher importance to sleep periods in predicting higher-than-actual GA, relative to lower-than-actual GA (P = 1.01e - 21, Mann-Whitney U). Combining prediction and interpretability allows us to signal when activity behaviors alter the likelihood of preterm birth and advocates for the development of clinical decision support through passive monitoring and exercise habit and sleep recommendations, which can be easily implemented in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal G Ravindra
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Camilo Espinosa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eloïse Berson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thanaphong Phongpreecha
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alan L Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sayane Shome
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ivana Marić
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Davide De Francesco
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Samson Mataraso
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Geetha Saarunya
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Melan Thuraiappah
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lei Xue
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brice Gaudillière
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Martin S Angst
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erik D Herzog
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David K Stevenson
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sarah K England
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Sameei P, Fatehfar S, Abdollahzadeh N, Chodari L, Saboory E, Roshan-Milani S. The effects of forced exercise and zinc supplementation during pregnancy on prenatally stress-induced behavioral and neurobiological consequences in adolescent female rat offspring. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22411. [PMID: 37607889 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22411] [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: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal manipulations can lead to neurobehavioral changes in the offspring. In this study, individual and combined effects of forced exercise and zinc supplementation during pregnancy on prenatally restraint stress (PRS)-induced behavioral impairments, neuro-inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress have been investigated in adolescent female rat offspring. Pregnant rats were divided into five groups: control; restraint stress (RS); RS + exercise stress (RS + ES), RS + zinc supplementation (RS + Zn); and RS + ES + Zn. All the pregnant rats (except control) were exposed to RS from gestational days 15 to 19. Pregnant rats in ES groups were subjected to forced treadmill exercise (30 min/daily), and in Zn groups to zinc sulfate (30 mg/kg/orally), throughout the pregnancy. At postnatal days 25-27, anxiety-like and stress-coping behaviors were recorded, and the gene expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the concentration of total antioxidant capacity were measured in the prefrontal cortex. PRS significantly enhanced anxiety, generated passive coping behaviors, increased IL-1β and TNF-α expression, and decreased the antioxidant capacity. ES potentiated while zinc reversed PRS-induced behavioral impairments. Prenatal zinc also restored the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity but had no effect on additive responses imposed by the combination of RS and ES. Suppression of PRS-induced behavioral and neurobiological impairments by zinc suggests the probable clinical importance of zinc on PRS-induced changes on child temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parsa Sameei
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Sina Fatehfar
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- School of Pharmacy, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Naseh Abdollahzadeh
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Leila Chodari
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ehsan Saboory
- Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Shiva Roshan-Milani
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Cascant-Vilaplana MM, Lara-Cantón I, Ramos-Garcia V, Pinilla-González A, Solaz-García Á, Quintás G, Marín-Reina P, Aguar M, Torrejón-Rodríguez L, Vento M, Kuligowski J, Cernada M. Metabolic dysregulation in term infants from SARS-CoV-2-infected mothers. World J Pediatr 2023; 19:912-917. [PMID: 37474813 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-023-00735-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mari Merce Cascant-Vilaplana
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Lara-Cantón
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Victoria Ramos-Garcia
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pinilla-González
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Álvaro Solaz-García
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Guillermo Quintás
- Leitat Technological Center, Valencia, Spain
- Analytical Unit, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Purificación Marín-Reina
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Neonatology, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Aguar
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Neonatology, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Laura Torrejón-Rodríguez
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
| | - Máximo Vento
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Neonatology, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Julia Kuligowski
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.
| | - María Cernada
- Neonatal Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, University Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.
- Division of Neonatology, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
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Reid BM, Georgieff MK. The Interaction between Psychological Stress and Iron Status on Early-Life Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. Nutrients 2023; 15:3798. [PMID: 37686831 PMCID: PMC10490173 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This review presents evidence from animal and human studies demonstrating the possible connection and significant impact of poor iron status and psychological distress on neurocognitive development during pregnancy and the neonatal period, with implications for long-term cognition. Stress and iron deficiency are independently prevalent and thus are frequently comorbid. While iron deficiency and early-life stress independently contribute to long-term neurodevelopmental alterations, their combined effects remain underexplored. Psychological stress responses may engage similar pathways as infectious stress, which alters fundamental iron metabolism processes and cause functional tissue-level iron deficiency. Psychological stress, analogous to but to a lesser degree than infectious stress, activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and increases proinflammatory cytokines. Chronic or severe stress is associated with dysregulated HPA axis functioning and a proinflammatory state. This dysregulation may disrupt iron absorption and utilization, likely mediated by the IL-6 activation of hepcidin, a molecule that impedes iron absorption and redistributes total body iron. This narrative review highlights suggestive studies investigating the relationship between psychological stress and iron status and outlines hypothesized mechanistic pathways connecting psychological stress exposure and iron metabolism. We examine findings regarding the overlapping impacts of early stress exposure to iron deficiency and children's neurocognitive development. We propose that studying the influence of psychological stress on iron metabolism is crucial for comprehending neurocognitive development in children exposed to prenatal and early postnatal stressors and for children at risk of early iron insufficiency. We recommend future directions for dual-exposure studies exploring iron as a potential mediating pathway between early stress and offspring neurodevelopment, offering opportunities for targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Michael K. Georgieff
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
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Li H, Guo A, Salgado M, Sáez JC, Lau CG. The connexin hemichannel inhibitor D4 produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:191. [PMID: 37599352 PMCID: PMC10440914 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02873-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common mood disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including prolonged low mood and diminished interest. Although many clinical and animal studies have provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of depression, current treatment strategies are not sufficient to manage this disorder. It has been suggested that connexin (Cx)-based hemichannels are candidates for depression intervention by modifying the state of neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of a recently discovered selective Cx hemichannel inhibitor, a small organic molecule called D4. We first showed that D4 reduced hemichannel activity following systemic inflammation after LPS injections. Next, we found that D4 treatment prevented LPS-induced inflammatory response and depressive-like behaviors. These behavioral effects were accompanied by reduced astrocytic activation and hemichannel activity in depressive-like mice induced by repeated low-dose LPS challenges. D4 treatment also reverses depressive-like symptoms in mice subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS). To test whether D4 broadly affected neural activity, we measured c-Fos expression in depression-related brain regions and found a reduction in c-Fos+ cells in different brain regions. D4 significantly normalized CRS-induced hypoactivation in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and lateral septum. Together, these results indicate that blocking Cx hemichannels using D4 can normalize neuronal activity and reduce depressive-like symptoms in mice by reducing neuroinflammation. Our work provides evidence of the antidepressant-like effect of D4 and supports glial Cx hemichannels as potential therapeutic targets for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Li
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Anni Guo
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Magdiel Salgado
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Juan C Sáez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Chunyue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
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41
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Cui M, Ni Q, Wang Q. Review of intervention methods for language and communication disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15735. [PMID: 37576502 PMCID: PMC10422951 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15735] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the number of patients-particularly children-with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been continually increasing. ASD affects a child's language communication and social interaction to a certain extent and has an impact on behavior, intelligence level, and other aspects of the child. Data indicates that 40% to 70% of children with ASD experience language developmental delays, which are mainly manifested as lack of language or language developmental delay, self-talk, use of stereotyped language, parroting, et cetera. A language communication disorder is a major symptom of ASD and is the most common reason for patients to visit a doctor. Therefore, language intervention training and communication skills have been made a cornerstone of autism intervention. However, a literature search has revealed that most studies only examine certain intervention methods or a combination of two or three intervention methods, which cannot be used by therapists or rehabilitation teachers. Therefore, this article summarizes relevant literature on language communication training for ASD children at home and abroad and briefly introduces the characteristics and training methods of language disorders in children with ASD in order to provide some ideas and references for relevant researchers and practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Cui
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, China
| | - Qingbin Ni
- The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, Shandong, China
| | - Qian Wang
- The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, Shandong, China
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Trojan E, Curzytek K, Cieślik P, Wierońska JM, Graff J, Lasoń W, Saito T, Saido TC, Basta-Kaim A. Prenatal stress aggravates age-dependent cognitive decline, insulin signaling dysfunction, and the pro-inflammatory response in the APP NL-F/NL-F mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023:106219. [PMID: 37422091 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106219] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that early adverse life experiences may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Prenatal stress (PS) can affect brain maturation and neuroimmune and metabolic interactions, leading to age-dependent cognitive deficits in offspring. However, a multi-faceted cause-and-effect impact of PS on the development of cognitive deficits in the process of physiological ageing and in the APPNL-F/NL-F mouse model of Alzheimer's disease has not yet been evaluated. We have identified age-dependent cognitive learning and memory deficits using male C57BL/6 J (wild type, WT) and the knock-in APPNL-F/NL-F (KI) aged 12, 15, and 18 months. An increase in the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio and mouse ApoE levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex preceded the onset of cognitive deficits in the KI mice. Moreover, dysfunction in insulin signaling, including increased IRS-1 serine phosphorylation in both brain areas and the tyrosine phosphorylation deficit in the frontal cortex, suggested age-dependent insulin/IGF-1 resistance. Resistance was reflected by disturbances in mTOR or ERK1/2 kinase phosphorylation and excessive pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-23) status in the KI mice. Importantly, our study has provided insights into the higher vulnerability to PS-induced exacerbation of age-dependent cognitive deficits and biochemical dysfunction in KI mice than in WT animals. We anticipate our study will lead to future investigation of a multi-faceted cause-and-effect relationship between stress during neurodevelopment and the onset of AD pathology, distinguishing it from changes in the course of dementia during normal ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Trojan
- Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Curzytek
- Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Paulina Cieślik
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna M Wierońska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Johannes Graff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Władysław Lasoń
- Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Takashi Saito
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Agnieszka Basta-Kaim
- Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna St., 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Rinne GR, Hartstein J, Guardino CM, Dunkel Schetter C. Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106115. [PMID: 37119659 PMCID: PMC10936734 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress before conception and during pregnancy is associated with less favorable maternal and child health. Alterations in prenatal cortisol levels may serve as a central biological pathway linking stress to adverse maternal and child health. Research examining associations between maternal stress from childhood through pregnancy and prenatal cortisol has not been comprehensively reviewed. METHOD The current scoping review of 48 papers synthesizes studies reporting on associations between stress before conception and during pregnancy with maternal cortisol in pregnancy. Eligible studies measured childhood, the proximal preconception period, pregnancy, or lifetime stress based on stress exposures or appraisals and measured cortisol in saliva or hair during pregnancy. RESULTS Higher maternal childhood stress was associated with higher cortisol awakening responses and alterations in typical pregnancy-specific changes in diurnal cortisol patterns across studies. In contrast, most studies of preconception and prenatal stress reported null associations with cortisol and those reporting significant effects were inconsistent in direction. A few studies found that the associations between stress and cortisol during pregnancy varied as a function of several moderators including social support and environmental pollution. CONCLUSIONS Although many studies have evaluated effects of maternal stress on prenatal cortisol, this scoping review is the first to synthesize existing literature on this topic. The association between stress before conception and during pregnancy and prenatal cortisol may depend on the developmental timing of stress and several moderators. Maternal childhood stress was more consistently associated with prenatal cortisol than proximal preconception or pregnancy stress. We discuss methodological and analytic factors that may contribute to mixed findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R Rinne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jenna Hartstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Solise D, Campbell N, Ashraf U, Herrock O, Crudup B, Mallette J, Willis A, Rawls AZ, Turner T, Cockrell K, Zheng B, Deer E, Amaral L, Alexander BT, Lamarca B. Inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies by direct binding does not impact reduced uterine perfusion pressure offspring birthweight and blood pressure at adulthood. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2023; 5:100945. [PMID: 36990181 PMCID: PMC10449034 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.100945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preeclampsia, a new-onset hypertension with end-organ damage in pregnancy, is associated with maternal death and morbidity, low birthweight, and B cells producing agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies are produced during pregnancy and after delivery and are in the fetal circulation of women with preeclampsia. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies are shown to contribute to endothelial dysfunction, renal dysfunction, hypertension, fetal growth restriction, and chronic inflammation in women with preeclampsia. The reduced uterine perfusion pressure rat model of preeclampsia exhibits these features. In addition, we have shown that the administration of a 'n7AAc', which blocks the actions of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies, improves preeclamptic features in the rat with reduced uterine perfusion pressure. However, the effect of a 'n7AAc' on the long-term health of the offspring of rats with reduced uterine perfusion pressure is unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to test the hypothesis that inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies during pregnancy will improve offspring birthweight and prevent increased cardiovascular risk in offspring in adulthood. STUDY DESIGN To test our hypothesis, a 'n7AAc' (24 µg/d) or vehicle (saline) was given on gestation day 14 via miniosmotic pumps to sham-operated (sham) and Sprague-Dawley rat dams with reduced uterine perfusion pressure. Dams were allowed to deliver naturally, and pup weights were recorded within 12 hours after birth. Pups were aged to 16 weeks, at which time mean arterial pressure was measured and whole blood was collected to measure immune cells by flow cytometry, cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies by bioassay. A 2-way analysis of variance with the Bonferroni multiple comparison posthoc test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS There was no significant change in offspring birthweight of 'n7AAc'-treated male (5.63±0.09 g) or female (5.66±0.14 g) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams compared with vehicle male (5.51±0.17 g) or female (5.74±0.13 g) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams. In addition, 'n7AAc' treatment did not affect the birthweight of sham male (5.83±0.11 g) or female (5.64±0.12) offspring compared with vehicle sham male (5.811±0.15 g) or female (5.40±0.24 g) offspring. At adulthood, mean arterial pressure was unchanged in 'n7AAc' treated-male (133±2 mm Hg) and female (127±3 mm Hg) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams compared with vehicle male (142±3 mm Hg) and female (133±5 mm Hg) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams, the 'n7AAc'-treated sham male (133±3 mm Hg) and female (135±3 mm Hg) offspring, and vehicle sham male (138±4 mm Hg) and female (130±5 mm Hg) offspring. The circulating angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies were increased in vehicle male (10±2 ΔBPM) and female (14±2 ΔBPM) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams and 'n7AAc'-treated male (11±2 ΔBPM) and female (11±2 ΔBPM) offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams compared with vehicle sham male (1±1 ΔBPM) and female (-1±1 ΔBPM) offspring and 'n7AAc'-treated sham male (-2±2 ΔBPM) and female (-2±2 ΔBPM) offspring. CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that perinatal 7-amino acid sequence peptide treatment does not negatively impact offspring survival or weight at birth. Perinatal 'n7AAc' treatment did not prevent increased cardiovascular risk in offspring, but it also did not cause an increased cardiovascular risk in offspring with reduced uterine perfusion pressure compared with controls. Furthermore, perinatal 'n7AAc' treatment did not affect endogenous immunologic programming as observed by no change in circulating angiotensin II type 1 receptor autoantibodies in either sex of adult offspring from reduced uterine perfusion pressure dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Solise
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Drs Solise and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Nathan Campbell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Usman Ashraf
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Owen Herrock
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Breland Crudup
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Jordan Mallette
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Alex Willis
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Adam Z Rawls
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Ty Turner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Kathy Cockrell
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Baoying Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Evangeline Deer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Lorena Amaral
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Barbara T Alexander
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Drs Ashraf and Crudup, Ms Mallette, Messrs Willis and Rawls, Ms Cockrell, and Dr Alexander), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Babbette Lamarca
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Drs Solise and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Messrs Campbell, Herrock, Turner, and Zheng and Drs Deer, Amaral, and Lamarca), University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
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Sosnowski DW, Ellison-Barnes A, Kaufman J, Hoyo C, Murphy SK, Hernandez RG, Marchesoni J, Klein LM, Johnson SB. Financial stress as a mediator of the association between maternal childhood adversity and infant birth weight, gestational age, and NICU admission. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:606. [PMID: 36997868 PMCID: PMC10064571 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15495-0] [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: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To examine whether financial stress during pregnancy mediates the association between maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and three birth outcomes (i.e., gestational age, birth weight, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit [NICU]). METHODS Data were obtained from a prospective cohort study of pregnant women and their infants in Florida and North Carolina. Mothers (n = 531; Mage at delivery = 29.8 years; 38% Black; 22% Hispanic) self-reported their exposure to childhood adversity and financial stress during pregnancy. Data on infant gestational age at birth, birth weight, and admission to the NICU were obtained from medical records within 7 days of delivery. Mediation analysis was used to test study hypotheses, adjusting for study cohort, maternal race, ethnicity, body mass index, and tobacco use during pregnancy. RESULTS There was evidence of an indirect association between maternal exposure to childhood adversity and infant gestational age at birth (b = -0.03, 95% CI = -0.06 - -0.01) and infant birth weight (b = -8.85, 95% CI = -18.60 - -1.28) such that higher maternal ACE score was associated with earlier gestational age and lower infant birth weight through increases in financial distress during pregnancy. There was no evidence of an indirect association between maternal exposure to childhood adversity and infant NICU admission (b = 0.01, 95% CI = -0.02-0.08). CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrate one pathway linking maternal childhood adversity to a potentially preterm birth or shorter gestational age, in addition to low birth weight at delivery, and present an opportunity for targeted intervention to support expecting mothers who face financial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Sosnowski
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
| | | | - Joan Kaufman
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Psychiatric and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA
| | - Raquel G Hernandez
- Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Joddy Marchesoni
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Lauren M Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Sara B Johnson
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Population, Family & Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
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Xin Y, Sun X, Ren L, Chen G, Chen Y, Ni Y, He B. Maternal preconceptional inflammation transgenerationally alters metabolic and behavioral phenotypes in offspring. Life Sci 2023; 321:121577. [PMID: 36933826 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121577] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Evidence is accumulating that maternal inflammation induces phenotypic changes in the next generation. However, whether maternal preconceptional inflammation alters metabolic and behavioral phenotypes in offspring remains poorly understood. MAIN METHODS Female mice were injected with either lipopolysaccharide or saline to establish the inflammatory model and then allowed to mate with normal males. Offspring from both control and inflammatory dams were subsequently given chow diet and water ad libitum, without any challenge, for metabolic and behavioral tests. KEY FINDINGS Male offspring derived from inflammatory mothers (Inf-F1) maintained on the chow diet developed impaired glucose tolerance and hepatic ectopic fat deposition. Hepatic transcriptome sequencing showed the largest gene changes related to the metabolic pathway. Moreover, Inf-F1 mice exhibited anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and were accompanied by higher serum corticosterone concentration and lower glucocorticoid receptor abundance in the hippocampus. SIGNIFICANCE The results expand the current knowledge of developmental programming of health and disease to include maternal preconceptional health and provide a basis for understanding metabolic and behavioral alterations in offspring linked to maternal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yining Xin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Li Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Guo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Yingqi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Yingdong Ni
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China; MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health & Food Safety, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Bin He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology & Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China; MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health & Food Safety, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
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Makris G, Eleftheriades A, Pervanidou P. Early Life Stress, Hormones, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Horm Res Paediatr 2023; 96:17-24. [PMID: 35259742 DOI: 10.1159/000523942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress (ELS) describes a broad spectrum of adverse and stressful prenatal events, namely, prenatal maternal stress (PMS), or early postnatal events, which can have detrimental long-term influences on the physiology, cognition, and behavior of an individual. There is abundant evidence indicating that ELS exerts its lasting effects on the physical and mental health of the individual, likely acting through a number of mediating mechanisms, including the disruption of developmental programming of the fetus. Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are a group of conditions that typically manifest during infancy, childhood, or adolescence and are characterized by developmental deficits in various domains. SUMMARY The scope of the current mini-review is to provide an up-to-date summary of the findings regarding the association of ELS and NDDs and the possible hormonal mechanisms through which PMS exerts its impact on neurodevelopment. We focus on the available evidence regarding children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD or ASD. ELS exposure during developmental vulnerability windows may increase the risk for either subclinical neuropsychological alterations or clinical conditions, such as NDDs. In fact, a large body of evidence underlies the association of ELS exposure and increased risk for NDDs in the offspring. KEY MESSAGES The majority of data suggest that ELS, including PMS, may be associated with ADHD and ASD in the offspring, although there is no consensus regarding the critical developmental periods. Carefully controlled prospective studies are needed to determine the possible causal processes and mechanisms underlying the association of ELS and NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerasimos Makris
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Anna Eleftheriades
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece,
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Lopes NA, Ambeskovic M, King SE, Faraji J, Soltanpour N, Falkenberg EA, Scheidl T, Patel M, Fang X, Metz GAS, Olson DM. Environmental Enrichment Promotes Transgenerational Programming of Uterine Inflammatory and Stress Markers Comparable to Gestational Chronic Variable Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043734. [PMID: 36835144 PMCID: PMC9962069 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal stress is linked to adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes, including shortened gestation lengths, low birth weights, cardio-metabolic dysfunction, and cognitive and behavioural problems. Stress disrupts the homeostatic milieu of pregnancy by altering inflammatory and neuroendocrine mediators. These stress-induced phenotypic changes can be passed on to the offspring epigenetically. We investigated the effects of gestational chronic variable stress (CVS) in rats using restraint and social isolation stress in the parental F0 generation and its transgenerational transmission across three generations of female offspring (F1-F3). A subset of F1 rats was housed in an enriched environment (EE) to mitigate the adverse effects of CVS. We found that CVS is transmitted across generations and induces inflammatory changes in the uterus. CVS did not alter any gestational lengths or birth weights. However, inflammatory and endocrine markers changed in the uterine tissues of stressed mothers and their offspring, suggesting that stress is transgenerationally transmitted. The F2 offspring reared in EE had increased birth weights, but their uterine gene expression patterns remained comparable to those of stressed animals. Thus, ancestral CVS induced changes transgenerationally in fetal programming of uterine stress markers over three generations of offspring, and EE housing did not mitigate these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayara A. Lopes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Mirela Ambeskovic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Stephanie E. King
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Nasrin Soltanpour
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Erin A. Falkenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Taylor Scheidl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Mansi Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Xin Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A. S. Metz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Correspondence: (G.A.S.M.); (D.M.O.); Tel.: +1-403-394-3992 (G.A.S.M.); +1-780-492-8559 (D.M.O.)
| | - David M. Olson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Correspondence: (G.A.S.M.); (D.M.O.); Tel.: +1-403-394-3992 (G.A.S.M.); +1-780-492-8559 (D.M.O.)
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49
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Scher MS. A Bio-Social Model during the First 1000 Days Optimizes Healthcare for Children with Developmental Disabilities. Biomedicines 2022; 10:3290. [PMID: 36552046 PMCID: PMC9775202 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Most children with developmental disabilities (DD) live in resource-limited countries (LMIC) or high-income country medical deserts (HICMD). A social contract between healthcare providers and families advocates for accurate diagnoses and effective interventions to treat diseases and toxic stressors. This bio-social model emphasizes reproductive health of women with trimester-specific maternal and pediatric healthcare interactions. Lifelong neuronal connectivity is more likely established across 80% of brain circuitries during the first 1000 days. Maladaptive gene-environment (G x E) interactions begin before conception later presenting as maternal-placental-fetal (MPF) triad, neonatal, or childhood neurologic disorders. Synergy between obstetrical and pediatric healthcare providers can reduce neurologic morbidities. Partnerships between healthcare providers and families should begin during the first 1000 days to address diseases more effectively to moderate maternal and childhood adverse effects. This bio-social model lowers the incidence and lessens the severity of sequalae such as DD. Access to genetic-metabolomic, neurophysiologic and neuroimaging evaluations enhances clinical decision-making for more effective interventions before full expression of neurologic dysfunction. Diagnostic accuracy facilitates developmental interventions for effective preschool planning. A description of a mother-child pair in a HIC emphasizes the time-sensitive importance for early interventions that influenced brain health throughout childhood. Partnership by her parents with healthcare providers and educators provided effective healthcare and lessened adverse effects. Effective educational interventions were later offered through her high school graduation. Healthcare disparities in LMIC and HICMD require that this bio-social model of care begin before the first 1000 days to effectively treat the most vulnerable women and children. Prioritizing family planning followed by prenatal, neonatal and child healthcare improves wellness and brain health. Familiarity with educational neuroscience for teachers applies neurologic diagnoses for effective individual educational plans. Integrating diversity and inclusion into medical and educational services cross socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and cultural barriers with life-course benefits. Families require knowledge to recognize risks for their children and motivation to sustain relationships with providers and educators for optimal outcomes. The WHO sustainable development goals promote brain health before conception through the first 1000 days. Improved education, employment, and social engagement for all persons will have intergenerational and transgenerational benefits for communities and nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S. Scher
- Pediatrics and Neurology, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology Fetal/Neonatal Neurology Program, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Lodge-Tulloch NA, Toews AJ, Atallah A, Cotechini T, Girard S, Graham CH. Cross-Generational Impact of Innate Immune Memory Following Pregnancy Complications. Cells 2022; 11:3935. [PMID: 36497193 PMCID: PMC9741472 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy complications can have long-term negative effects on the health of the affected mothers and their children. In this review, we highlight the underlying inflammatory etiologies of common pregnancy complications and discuss how aberrant inflammation may lead to the acquisition of innate immune memory. The latter can be described as a functional epigenetic reprogramming of innate immune cells following an initial exposure to an inflammatory stimulus, ultimately resulting in an altered response following re-exposure to a similar inflammatory stimulus. We propose that aberrant maternal inflammation associated with complications of pregnancy increases the cross-generational risk of developing noncommunicable diseases (i.e., pregnancy complications, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disease) through a process mediated by innate immune memory. Elucidating a role for innate immune memory in the cross-generational health consequences of pregnancy complications may lead to the development of novel strategies aimed at reducing the long-term risk of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexa J. Toews
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Aline Atallah
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Tiziana Cotechini
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sylvie Girard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Charles H. Graham
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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