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Hosseini E, Kianifard D. Effect of prenatal stress and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on anxiety-like behavior in female rats: With an emphasis on prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2949. [PMID: 36942730 PMCID: PMC10097060 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2949] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal stress (PS) is a problematic situation resulting in psychological implications such as social anxiety. Ubiquitous extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) have been confirmed as a potential physiological stressor; however, useful neuroregenerative effect of these types of electromagnetic fields has also frequently been reported. The aim of the present study was to survey the interaction of PS and ELF-EMF on anxiety-like behavior. METHOD A total of 24 female rats 40 days of age were distributed into four groups of 6 rats each: control, stress (their mothers were exposed to stress), EMF (their mothers underwent to ELF-EMF), and EMF/stress (their mothers concurrently underwent to stress and ELF-EMF). The rats were assayed using elevated plus-maze and open field tests. RESULTS Expressions of the hippocampus GAP-43, BDNF, and caspase-3 (cas-3) were detected by immunohistochemistry in Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Anxiety-like behavior increased in all treatment groups. Rats in the EMF/stress group presented more serious anxiety-like behavior. In all treatment groups, upregulated expression of cas-3 was seen in PFC, DG, and CA1 and downregulated expression of BDNF and GAP-43 was seen in PFC and DG and the CA1. Histomorphological study showed vast neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampus and PFC. CONCLUSION The results showed ,female rats that underwent PS or/and EMF exhibited critical anxiety-like behavior and this process may be attributed to neurodegeneration in PFC and DG of the hippocampus and possibly decreased synaptic plasticity so-called areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Hosseini
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Physiology, Department of basic science, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
| | - Davoud Kianifard
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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Soti M, Ranjbar H, Kohlmeier KA, Shabani M. Sex differences in the vulnerability of the hippocampus to prenatal stress. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22305. [PMID: 36282753 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22305] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Distressing events during pregnancy that engage activity of the body's endocrine stress response have been linked with later life cognitive deficits in offspring and associated with developmental changes in cognitive-controlling neural regions. Interestingly, prenatal stress (PS)-induced alterations have shown some sex specificity. Here, we review the literature of animal studies examining sex-specific effect of physical PS on the function and structure of the hippocampus as hippocampal impairments likely underlie PS-associated deficits in learning and memory. Furthermore, the connectivity between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hippocampus as well as the heavy presence of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus suggests this structure plays an important role in modulation of activity within stress circuitry in a sex-specific pattern. We hope that better understanding of sex-specific, PS-related hippocampal impairment will assist in uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind sex-based risk factors in PS populations across development, and perhaps contribute to greater precision in management of cognitive disturbances in this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monavareh Soti
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hoda Ranjbar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Aghighi Bidgoli F, Salami M, Talaei SA. Environmental enrichment restores impaired spatial memory and synaptic plasticity in prenatally stress exposed rats: The role of GABAergic neurotransmission. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:573-585. [PMID: 32706909 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence shows that prenatal stress negatively affects cognitive functions and activity of neuronal circuits in postnatal age. Environmental enrichment counteracts deficits induced by early life stress. We examined if behavioural function and synaptic plasticity are sensitive to prenatal stress and, how much environmental enrichment and GABAergic system impact these phenomena. Animals were exposed to noise stress during the third trimester of foetal life. Groups of the stressed animals remained intact (S-SH) or received enrichment (S-EE) from postnatal day 22 for one month. Also, two groups received either saline (S-SH-S) or bicuculline (S-SH-B). One enriched group received muscimol (S-EE-M). The control groups were intact (C-SH), enriched (C-EE), or received bicuculline (C-SH-B) or saline (C-SH-S). We assessed learning and memory and, hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Serum corticosterone levels were detected as a measure of stress condition. We found that stress reduced spatial performance and suppressed LTP in the S-SH animals. Postnatal enrichment restored both spatial learning and memory and synaptic plasticity in the S-EE rats. GABAergic antagonism strengthens maze performance and LTP induction in the S-SH-B group. However, muscimol prevented the positive effects of enrichment in the S-EE-M animals. Environmental enrichment and GABAergic modulation may improve disrupted spatial performance and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Aghighi Bidgoli
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Salami
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Sayyed Alireza Talaei
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
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Scheinost D, Spann MN, McDonough L, Peterson BS, Monk C. Associations between different dimensions of prenatal distress, neonatal hippocampal connectivity, and infant memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1272-1279. [PMID: 32305039 PMCID: PMC7297970 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0677-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal distress-an umbrella concept encompassing multiple negative psychological states including stress, anxiety, and depression-is a substantial prenatal exposure. Consistent across preclinical and human studies, the hippocampus displays alterations due to prenatal distress. Nevertheless, most prenatal distress studies do not focus on multiple dimensions of, have not examined hippocampal functional connectivity in association with, and do not consider observer-based functional outcomes related to distress. We investigated the effects of different dimensions of prenatal distress in pregnant adolescents, a population at high risk for distress, in association with neonatal hippocampal connectivity and infant memory. In pregnant adolescents (n = 42), we collected four measures of distress (perceived stress, depression, pregnancy-specific distress, and 24-h ambulatory salivary cortisol) during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Resting-state imaging data were acquired in their infants at 40-44 weeks post-menstrual age. Functional connectivity was measured from hippocampal seeds. Memory abilities were obtained at 4 months using the mobile conjugate reinforcement task. Shared across different dimensions of maternal distress, increased 3rd trimester maternal distress associated with weaker hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity and stronger hippocampal-temporal lobe connectivity. Perceived stress inversely correlated while hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity positively correlated with infant memory. Increased cortisol-collected during the 2nd, but not the 3rd, trimester-associated with weaker hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity and stronger hippocampal-temporal lobe connectivity. Different dimensions of prenatal maternal distress likely contribute shared and unique effects to shaping infant brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Scheinost
- Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8043, USA.
| | - Marisa N Spann
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | | | - Bradley S Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Catherine Monk
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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Benmhammed H, El Hayek S, Berkik I, Elmostafi H, Bousalham R, Mesfioui A, Ouichou A, El Hessni A. Animal Models of Early-Life Adversity. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2011:143-161. [PMID: 31273699 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9554-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
From the prenatal period throughout the first years of life, the brain undergoes its most rapid development, a period during which it is highly sensitive to external experiences. The timing of brain development differs from one region to another, as it also differs between substrates, neurotransmitter systems, and central endocrine circuitries. These discontinuities are part of the "critical periods of brain development." Early-life adversity (ELA), such as exposure to infection, maternal deprivation, and substance use, disrupts the programmed brain development, yielding a myriad of deviations in brain circuitry, stress responsivity, cognitive function, and general health. This is applicable to both humans and animal models.In our laboratory, several experimental animal designs have been developed that allow investigating the long-lasting consequences of ELA on brain function, cognitive and emotional development, and the risk to develop stress-related psychopathology later in adulthood. This book chapter will provide a review of such animal models, in particular, designs related to infections (LPS-induced), the quality of mother-infant relationship (maternal deprivation and separation), and substance use (ethanol intoxication). The behavior tests, biochemical, and immunohistochemistry assays applied after ELA will be explained. The behavioral tests encompass the open-field, elevated plus maze, forced swim, sucrose preference, Y-maze, object recognition, and Morris water maze tests. These experiments allow the assessment of several outcomes of interest, pertaining to locomotor activity, anxiety-like symptoms, depressive-like symptoms, working memory, recognition memory, spatial memory, and learning performance. The biochemical assays are employed to measure the level of oxidative stress and inflammation in brain areas after application of adversity. Immunohistochemistry puts into perspective the degree of immunoreactivity in the brain subjected to adversity. The findings from our laboratory indicate that the nature and timing of exposure play a critical role in sensitivity to develop neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar Benmhammed
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco.
| | - Samer El Hayek
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Inssaf Berkik
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Hicham Elmostafi
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Rim Bousalham
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Abdelhalem Mesfioui
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Ali Ouichou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Aboubaker El Hessni
- Laboratory of Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
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Multimodal Rehabilitation Program Promotes Motor Function Recovery of Rats After Ischemic Stroke by Upregulating Expressions of GAP-43, SYN, HSP70, and C-MYC. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2018; 27:2829-2839. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2018.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Fang L, Wang Y, Zheng Q, Yang T, Zhao P, Zhao H, Zhang Q, Zhao Y, Qi F, Li K, Chen Z, Li J, Zhang N, Fan Y, Wang L. Effects of Bu Shen Yi sui capsule on NogoA/NgR and its signaling pathways RhoA/ROCK in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 17:346. [PMID: 28668079 PMCID: PMC5494129 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1847-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Axon growth inhibitory factors NogoA/Nogo receptor (NgR) and its signaling pathways RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) play a critical role in the repair of nerve damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). Bu Shen Yi Sui Capsule (BSYSC) is an effective Chinese formula utilized to treat MS in clinical setting and noted for its potent neuroprotective effects. In this study, we focus on the effects of BSYSC on promoting nerve repair and the underlying mechanisms in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. Methods The EAE mouse model was induced by injecting subcutaneously with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35–55 supplemented with pertussis toxin. BSYSC was orally administrated at dose of 3.0 g/kg once a day for 40 days. The levels of protein gene product (PGP) 9.5, p-Tau, growth associated protein (GAP) -43, KI67 and Nestin in the brain or spinal cord on 20 and 40 day post-induction (dpi) were detected via immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Furthermore, NogoA/NgR and RhoA/ROCK signaling molecules were studied by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results Twenty or 40 days of treatment with BSYSC increased markedly PGP9.5 and GAP-43 levels, reduced p-Tau in the brain or spinal cord of mice with EAE. In addition, BSYSC elevated significantly the expression of KI67 and Nestin in the spinal cord 40 dpi. Further study showed that the activation of NogoA/NgR and RhoA/ROCK were suppressed by the presence of BSYSC. Conclusions BSYSC could attenuate axonal injury and promote repair of axonal damage in EAE mice in part through the down-regulation of NogoA/NgR and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathways.
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Scheinost D, Sinha R, Cross SN, Kwon SH, Sze G, Constable RT, Ment LR. Does prenatal stress alter the developing connectome? Pediatr Res 2017; 81:214-226. [PMID: 27673421 PMCID: PMC5313513 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2016.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human neurodevelopment requires the organization of neural elements into complex structural and functional networks called the connectome. Emerging data suggest that prenatal exposure to maternal stress plays a role in the wiring, or miswiring, of the developing connectome. Stress-related symptoms are common in women during pregnancy and are risk factors for neurobehavioral disorders ranging from autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction, to major depression and schizophrenia. This review focuses on structural and functional connectivity imaging to assess the impact of changes in women's stress-based physiology on the dynamic development of the human connectome in the fetal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Child Study, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sarah N. Cross
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Soo Hyun Kwon
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Gordon Sze
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Laura R. Ment
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,()
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Ohshima M, Coq JO, Otani K, Hattori Y, Ogawa Y, Sato Y, Harada-Shiba M, Ihara M, Tsuji M. Mild intrauterine hypoperfusion reproduces neurodevelopmental disorders observed in prematurity. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39377. [PMID: 27996031 PMCID: PMC5171836 DOI: 10.1038/srep39377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe intrauterine ischemia is detrimental to the developing brain. The impact of mild intrauterine hypoperfusion on neurological development, however, is still unclear. We induced mild intrauterine hypoperfusion in rats on embryonic day 17 via arterial stenosis with metal microcoils wrapped around the uterine and ovarian arteries. All pups were born with significantly decreased birth weights. Decreased gray and white matter areas were observed without obvious tissue damage. Pups presented delayed newborn reflexes, muscle weakness, and altered spontaneous activity. The levels of proteins indicative of inflammation and stress in the vasculature, i.e., RANTES, vWF, VEGF, and adiponectin, were upregulated in the placenta. The levels of mRNA for proteins associated with axon and astrocyte development were downregulated in fetal brains. The present study demonstrates that even mild intrauterine hypoperfusion can alter neurological development, which mimics the clinical signs and symptoms of children with neurodevelopmental disorders born prematurely or with intrauterine growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makiko Ohshima
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Jacques-Olivier Coq
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Kentaro Otani
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Yorito Hattori
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Yuko Ogawa
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Sato
- Division of Neonatology, Center for Maternal-Neonatal Care, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Mariko Harada-Shiba
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Masafumi Ihara
- Department of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tsuji
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
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Xu J, Dai A, Chen Q, Liu X, Zhang Y, Wang H, Li H, Chen Y, Cao M. Genetic regulation analysis reveals involvement of tumor necrosis factor and alpha-induced protein 3 in stress response in mice. Gene 2016; 576:528-36. [PMID: 26546835 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In order to study whether Tnfaip3 is related to stress response and further to find it's genetic regulation, we use C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) mice to built the model of chronic unpredictable mild stress. RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used for studying the expression variation of Tnfaip3 in hippocampus tissue of B6 and D2 mice after being stressed. We found that the expression of Tnfaip3 was more remarkably increased in chronic unpredictable stress models than that in untreated mice (P<0.05). It is indicated that Tnfaip3 might take part in the process of stress response. The expression of Tnfaip3 is regulated by a cis-acting quantitative trait locus (cis-eQTL). We identified 5 genes are controlled by Tnfaip3 and the expression of 64 genes highly associated with Tnfaip3, 9 of those have formerly been participate in stress related pathways. In order to estimate the relationship between Tnfaip3 and its downstream genes or network members, we transfected SH-SY5Y cells with Tnfaip3 siRNA leading to down-regulation of Tnfaip3 mRNA. We confirmed a significant influence of Tnfaip3 depletion on the expression of Tsc22d3, Pex7, Rap2a, Slc2a3, and Gap43. These validated downstream genes and members of Tnfaip3 gene network provide us new insight into the biological mechanisms of Tnfaip3 in chronic unpredictable stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nantong University Affiliated Mental Health Center, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Aihua Dai
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Xiaorong Liu
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Haizhen Li
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Maohong Cao
- Department of neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, Nantong 226001, China.
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Wu J, Yu C, Tan Y, Hou Z, Li M, Shao F, Lu X. Effects of prenatal exposure to silver nanoparticles on spatial cognition and hippocampal neurodevelopment in rats. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 138:67-73. [PMID: 25701810 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are among the most commonly used nanomaterials and may be exposed to human and ecosystem. Prior in vitro study showed that Ag-NPs compromised neurodevelopment of PC12 cells. This study aims to investigate the effect of prenatal exposure to Ag-NPs on spatial cognition and hippocampal neurodevelopment in rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were exposed by intraperitoneal injection to various solutions during pregnancy, including vehicle (water and glycerol mixture, 1:1 in volume), uncoated Ag-NPs (0.427mg Ag perg rat), polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP)-coated Ag-NPs (0.407mg Ag perg rat), silver nitrate (0.013mg Ag(+) and 0.007mg NO3(+) per g rat) and sodium nitrate (0.007mg NO3(+) perg rat). Pregnant rats without any injection were used as blank control. Male offspring at postnatal day 35 (PND35) were randomly selected for Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. After the MWM test, the rats were decapitated and hippocampus were collected for analysis of tissue structure, silver content, GAP-43 mRNA and protein expressions. RESULTS For the spatial learning in MWM test, since the third test day, the escape latency of rats in the uncoated Ag-NPs group was significantly higher than those in the other groups. The behaviors of rats were not significantly different among the other groups. The averaged silver content in the hippocampus of rats in the uncoated Ag-NPs group was 17.51μg/g, significantly higher than those in the other groups. The hippocampal structure in rats of the uncoated Ag-NPs group was deformed as compared to those in the other groups. Compared with the rats in blank and vehicle controls, the levels of GAP-43 mRNA and protein in the uncoated Ag-NPs, PVP-coated Ag-NPs, silver nitrate and sodium nitrate groups were all significantly decreased. The levels of GAP-43 mRNA and protein of rats in the uncoated Ag-NPs group was significantly lower than those in the later three groups, while there was no significant difference among the later three groups. CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to uncoated Ag-NPs during pregnancy impaired spatial cognition in rat offspring. GAP-43 reduction might be involved in the cognitive impairment. The toxicity was mainly associated with release of silver ion. Coating with PVP reduced the toxicity of Ag-NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Wu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Tan
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhen Hou
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Man Li
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Feng Shao
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Xiaoxia Lu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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Zhang Z, Zhang H, Du B, Chen Z. Enriched environment upregulates growth-associated protein 43 expression in the hippocampus and enhances cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring. Neural Regen Res 2015; 7:1967-73. [PMID: 25624826 PMCID: PMC4298891 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.25.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In our previous study, we reported that prenatal restraint stress could induce cognitive deficits, which correlated with a change in expression of growth-associated protein 43 in the hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the effects of enriched environment on cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Reverse transcription-PCR and western blot assay results revealed that growth-associated protein 43 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated on postnatal day 15 in the prenatal restraint stress group. Growth-associated protein 43 expression was significantly lower in the prenatal restraint stress group compared with the negative control and prenatal restraint stress plus enriched environment groups on postnatal days 30 and 50. Morris water maze test demonstrated that cognitive abilities were noticeably increased in rats from the prenatal restraint stress plus enriched environment group on postnatal day 50. These results indicate that enriched environment can improve the spatial learning and memory ability of prenatally stressed offspring by upregulating growth-associated protein 43 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510185, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Baoling Du
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510185, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China
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Föcking M, Opstelten R, Prickaerts J, Steinbusch HWM, Dunn MJ, van den Hove DLA, Cotter DR. Proteomic investigation of the hippocampus in prenatally stressed mice implicates changes in membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal, and metabolic function. Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:432-42. [PMID: 25138076 DOI: 10.1159/000365327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress influences the development of the fetal brain and so contributes to the risk of the development of psychiatric disorders in later life. The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to prenatal stress, and robust abnormalities have been described in the hippocampus in schizophrenia and depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether prenatal stress is associated with distinct patterns of differential protein expression in the hippocampus using a validated mouse model. We therefore performed a comparative proteomic study assessing female hippocampal samples from 8 prenatally stressed mice and 8 control mice. Differential protein expression was assessed using 2-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis and subsequent mass spectrometry. The observed changes in a selected group of differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by Western blotting. In comparison to controls, 47 protein spots (38 individual proteins) were found to be differentially expressed in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed mice. Functional grouping of these proteins revealed that prenatal stress influenced the expression of proteins involved in brain development, cytoskeletal composition, stress response, and energy metabolism. Western blotting was utilized to validate the changes in calretinin, hippocalcin, profilin-1 and the signal-transducing adaptor molecule STAM1. Septin-5 could not be validated via Western blotting due to methodological issues. Closer investigation of the validated proteins also pointed to an interesting role for membrane trafficking deficits mediated by prenatal stress. Our findings demonstrate that prenatal stress leads to altered hippocampal protein expression, implicating numerous molecular pathways that may provide new targets for psychotropic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Föcking
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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14
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Ganguly P, Brenhouse HC. Broken or maladaptive? Altered trajectories in neuroinflammation and behavior after early life adversity. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2014; 11:18-30. [PMID: 25081071 PMCID: PMC4476268 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews how early life adversity alters neuroimmune mechanisms. Neuroimmune sensitization from early life adversity impacts circuitry at discrete life stages. Neuroimmune and neurodevelopmental influences can impact behavior and vulnerability. Sexual dimorphism in immune and brain development yield distinct effects of early life adversity.
Exposure to adversity and stress early in development yields vulnerability to mental illnesses throughout the lifespan. Growing evidence suggests that this vulnerability has mechanistic origins involving aberrant development of both neurocircuitry and neuro-immune activity. Here we review the current understanding of when and how stress exposure initiates neuroinflammatory events that interact with brain development. We first review how early life adversity has been associated with various psychopathologies, and how neuroinflammation plays a role in these pathologies. We then summarize data and resultant hypotheses describing how early life adversity may particularly alter neuro-immune development with psychiatric consequences. Finally, we review how sex differences contribute to individualistic vulnerabilities across the lifespan. We submit the importance of understanding how stress during early development might cause outright neural or glial damage, as well as experience-dependent plasticity that may insufficiently prepare an individual for sex-specific or life-stage specific challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabarna Ganguly
- Northeastern University, Psychology Department, 125 Nightingale Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Northeastern University, Psychology Department, 125 Nightingale Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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15
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Sominsky L, Spencer SJ. Eating behavior and stress: a pathway to obesity. Front Psychol 2014; 5:434. [PMID: 24860541 PMCID: PMC4026680 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress causes or contributes to a huge variety of diseases and disorders. Recent evidence suggests obesity and other eating-related disorders may be among these. Immediately after a stressful event is experienced, there is a corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH)-mediated suppression of food intake. This diverts the body’s resources away from the less pressing need to find and consume food, prioritizing fight, flight, or withdrawal behaviors so the stressful event can be dealt with. In the hours following this, however, there is a glucocorticoid-mediated stimulation of hunger and eating behavior. In the case of an acute stress that requires a physical response, such as a predator-prey interaction, this hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulation of food intake allows the stressful event to be dealt with and the energy used to be replaced afterward. In the case of ongoing psychological stress, however, chronically elevated glucocorticoids can lead to chronically stimulated eating behavior and excessive weight gain. In particular, stress can enhance the propensity to eat high calorie “palatable” food via its interaction with central reward pathways. Activation of this circuitry can also interact with the HPA axis to suppress its further activation, meaning not only can stress encourage eating behavior, but eating can suppress the HPA axis and the feeling of stress. In this review we will explore the theme of eating behavior and stress and how these can modulate one another. We will address the interactions between the HPA axis and eating, introducing a potential integrative role for the orexigenic hormone, ghrelin. We will also examine early life and epigenetic modulation of the HPA axis and how this can influence eating behavior. Finally, we will investigate the clinical implications of changes to HPA axis function and how this may be contributing to obesity in our society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba Sominsky
- School of Health Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Alvarenga TA, Aguiar MF, Mazaro-Costa R, Tufik S, Andersen ML. Effects of sleep deprivation during pregnancy on the reproductive capability of the offspring. Fertil Steril 2013; 100:1752-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Prenatal stress increased Snk Polo-like kinase 2, SCF β-TrCP ubiquitin ligase and ubiquitination of SPAR in the hippocampus of the offspring at adulthood. Int J Dev Neurosci 2013; 31:560-7. [PMID: 23850969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to excessive glucocorticoids during fetal development period contributes to later life psychopathology. Prenatal stress decreases dendritic spine density and impair LTP in the hippocampus of rat pups, however, the mechanisms regulating these changes are still unclear. Glutamate receptors are localized in the postsynaptic density. PSD-95 is a postsynaptic scaffolding protein that plays a role in synaptic maturation and regulation of the synaptic strength and plasticity. PSD-95 interacts with other proteins to form the protein networks that promote dendritic spine formation. The present study investigated the effect of prenatal stress on the levels of scaffolding proteins of NMDA receptor in the hippocampus in order to explain how prenatal stress alters the amount of NMDA receptor in the pups' brain. Pregnant rats were randomly assigned to either the prenatal stress (PS) or the control group (C). The pregnant rats in the PS group were restrained in a plexiglas restrainer for 4h/day during the GD 14-21. Control rats were left undisturbed for the duration of their pregnancies. The amount of PSD-95, SPAR, NR2A and NR2B, as well as the levels of Snk Polo-like kinase 2 and the SCF β-TrCP ubiquitin ligase were measured in the hippocampus of the offspring. The results show that prenatal stress induces a reduction in the amount of NR2B and NR2A subunits in the hippocampus of rat pups, parallel to the decrease in PSD-95 and SPAR at P40 and P60. Moreover, prenatal stress increases Snk and β-TrCP in the hippocampus of rat pups, and the timing correlates with the decrease of SPAR and PSD-95. Prenatal stress also induces a significantly increases in the level of ubiquitinated SPAR in the hippocampus of rat pups at adulthood. The results suggest that degradation of SPAR via UPS system may contribute to the loss of PSD-95 and NMDA receptor subunits in the hippocampus of rat pups at adulthood. In conclusion, the present work demonstrates that the developing brain is critically influenced by glucocorticoids, especially during pre- and early postnatal period, which can have long-term effects on brain development. In addition, an involvement of the UPS system in the prenatal stress model has led to a greater understanding of the effects of prenatal stress later on in life.
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18
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Spencer SJ. Perinatal programming of neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting feeding behavior and stress. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:109. [PMID: 23785312 PMCID: PMC3683620 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding behavior is closely regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms that can be influenced by stressful life events. However, the feeding response to stress varies among individuals with some increasing and others decreasing food intake after stress. In addition to the impact of acute lifestyle and genetic backgrounds, the early life environment can have a life-long influence on neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting stress to feeding behavior and may partially explain these opposing feeding responses to stress. In this review I will discuss the perinatal programming of adult hypothalamic stress and feeding circuitry. Specifically I will address how early life (prenatal and postnatal) nutrition, early life stress, and the early life hormonal profile can program the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the endocrine arm of the body's response to stress long-term and how these changes can, in turn, influence the hypothalamic circuitry responsible for regulating feeding behavior. Thus, over- or under-feeding and/or stressful events during critical windows of early development can alter glucocorticoid (GC) regulation of the HPA axis, leading to changes in the GC influence on energy storage and changes in GC negative feedback on HPA axis-derived satiety signals such as corticotropin-releasing-hormone. Furthermore, peripheral hormones controlling satiety, such as leptin and insulin are altered by early life events, and can be influenced, in early life and adulthood, by stress. Importantly, these neuroendocrine signals act as trophic factors during development to stimulate connectivity throughout the hypothalamus. The interplay between these neuroendocrine signals, the perinatal environment, and activation of the stress circuitry in adulthood thus strongly influences feeding behavior and may explain why individuals have unique feeding responses to similar stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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19
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Zhang Z, Zhang H, Du B, Chen Z. Neonatal handling and environmental enrichment increase the expression of GAP-43 in the hippocampus and promote cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring. Neurosci Lett 2012; 522:1-5. [PMID: 22617637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal handling and environmental enrichment have been used to aid the treatment and recovery of a diverse variety of brain dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism and the effects on cognitive function following neonatal handling and environmental enrichment are still unclear. In this study, we investigated GAP-43 protein levels in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed rat pups by Western blot on postnatal day (P) 10, P20 and P45. The cognitive ability of prenatally stressed rat pups was tested by using the Morris water maze on P45. GAP-43 protein levels were upregulated on P10 in the prenatal restraint stress (RS) group and the prenatal restraint stress plus neonatal handling and environmental enrichment (RE) group compared to the negative control (NC) group. However, the expression of GAP-43 in RS pups was lower on P20 and P45 than that in NC and RE pups. Exposure to prenatal stress prolonged average latency and total swim distance, but neonatal handling and environmental enrichment could reverse the change. Differences were also observed in the selection of search strategies. These results indicate that neonatal handling and environmental enrichment can improve the spatial learning and memory ability of prenatally stressed offspring, and the possible mechanism is the upregulation of GAP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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20
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Koo H, Kim M, Lee S, Han J. Skilled Reach Training Induces Synaptogenesis on the Hippocampus after Left Hemorrhagic Stroke in Rats. J Phys Ther Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1589/jpts.24.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmo Koo
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Science, Kyungsung University
| | - Minhee Kim
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Science, Daegu University
| | - Sunmin Lee
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Dongju College
| | - Jintae Han
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Science, Kyungsung University
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21
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Buss C, Davis EP, Hobel CJ, Sandman CA. Maternal pregnancy-specific anxiety is associated with child executive function at 6-9 years age. Stress 2011; 14:665-76. [PMID: 21995526 PMCID: PMC3222921 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2011.623250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Because fetal brain development proceeds at an extremely rapid pace, early life experiences have the potential to alter the trajectory of neurodevelopment, which may increase susceptibility for developmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. There is evidence that prenatal maternal stress and anxiety, especially worries specifically related to being pregnant, influence neurodevelopmental outcomes. In the current prospective longitudinal study, we included 89 women for whom serial data were available for pregnancy-specific anxiety, state anxiety, and depression at 15, 19, 25, 31, and 37 weeks gestation. When the offspring from the target pregnancy were between 6 and 9 years of age, their executive function was assessed. High levels of mean maternal pregnancy-specific anxiety over the course of gestation were associated with lower inhibitory control in girls only and lower visuospatial working memory performance in boys and girls. Higher-state anxiety and depression also were associated with lower visuospatial working memory performance. However, neither state anxiety nor depression explained any additional variance after accounting for pregnancy-specific anxiety. The findings contribute to the literature supporting an association between pregnancy-specific anxiety and cognitive development and extend our knowledge about the persistence of this effect until middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Buss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Orange 92868, USA.
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22
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Goto Y, Lee YA. Is schizophrenia developmental adaptation to environmental menaces? Med Hypotheses 2011; 77:756-62. [PMID: 21840133 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2011.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder, with its symptoms typically emerging during late adolescence to young adulthood. In contrast, accumulating evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a developmental disorder in which brain abnormalities may occur even before birth. This has brought the major challenge to explain such discrepancy of brain deficits occurring during prenatal period and emergence of symptoms during adulthood. A number of ideas have been proposed to explain delayed emergence of symptoms at adulthood in relation to maturational processes of various brain systems during adolescence. However, these still lack clear relationship to prenatal deficits. Thus, a key to better understand the pathology of schizophrenia is to unveil a theory or model that can explain the relationship between prenatal deficits and post-pubertal onset of symptoms. Here we propose a novel hypothesis, along with discussion of several lines of evidences supporting it, that schizophrenia may not be a disorder in a strict sense, but rather be understood as the biological state occurring as consequence of adaptation to severe environmental conditions during the prenatal periods, which explains the relationship between prenatal developmental deficits and the postnatal maturational process for onset of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiori Goto
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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23
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Abstract
Obesity is fast becoming the scourge of our time. It is one of the biggest causes of death and disease in the industrialized world, and affects as many as 32% of adults and 17% of children in the USA, considered one of the world's fattest nations. It can also cost countries billions of dollars per annum in direct and indirect care, latest estimates putting the USA bill for obesity-related costs at $147 billion in 2008. It is becoming clear that the pathophysiology of obesity is vastly more complicated than the simple equation of energy in minus energy out. A combination of genetics, sex, perinatal environment and life-style factors can influence diet and energy metabolism. In this regard, psychological stress can have significant long-term impact upon the propensity to gain and maintain weight. In this review, we will discuss the ability of psychological stress and ultimately glucocorticoids (GCs) to alter appetite regulation and metabolism. We will specifically focus on (i) GC regulation of appetite and adiposity, (ii) the apparent sexual dimorphism in stress effects on obesity and (iii) the ability of early life stress to programme obesity in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Spencer
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash UniversityMelbourne, Vic., Australia.
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Frye CA, Paris JJ, Osborne DM, Campbell JC, Kippin TE. Prenatal Stress Alters Progestogens to Mediate Susceptibility to Sex-Typical, Stress-Sensitive Disorders, such as Drug Abuse: A Review. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:52. [PMID: 22022315 PMCID: PMC3195272 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 09/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal-offspring interactions begin prior to birth. Experiences of the mother during gestation play a powerful role in determining the developmental programming of the central nervous system. In particular, stress during gestation alters developmental programming of the offspring resulting in susceptibility to sex-typical and stress-sensitive neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, neither these effects, nor the underlying mechanisms, are well understood. Our hypothesis is that allopregnanolone, during gestation, plays a particularly vital role in mitigating effects of stress on the developing fetus and may mediate, in part, alterations apparent throughout the lifespan. Specifically, altered balance between glucocorticoids and progestogens during critical periods of development (stemming from psychological, immunological, and/or endocrinological stressors during gestation) may permanently influence behavior, brain morphology, and/or neuroendocrine-sensitive processes. 5α-reduced progestogens are integral in the developmental programming of sex-typical, stress-sensitive, and/or disorder-relevant phenotypes. Prenatal stress (PNS) may alter these responses and dysregulate allopregnanolone and its normative effects on stress axis function. As an example of a neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and/or neurodegenerative process, this review focuses on responsiveness to drugs of abuse, which is sensitive to PNS and progestogen milieu. This review explores the notion that allopregnanolone may effect, or be influenced by, PNS, with consequences for neurodevelopmental-, neuropsychiatric-, and/or neurodegenerative- relevant processes, such as addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Frye
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany-State University of New York Albany, NY, USA
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Paris JJ, Frye CA. Juvenile offspring of rats exposed to restraint stress in late gestation have impaired cognitive performance and dysregulated progestogen formation. Stress 2011; 14:23-32. [PMID: 21034292 PMCID: PMC3103059 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2010.512375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Gestational stress may have lasting effects on the physical and neurocognitive development of offspring. The mechanisms that may underlie these effects are of interest. Progesterone and its 5α-reduced metabolites, dihydroprogesterone and 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP), maintain pregnancy, have neurotrophic effects, and can enhance cognitive performance. We hypothesized that some of the deleterious effects of gestational stress on the cognitive performance of offspring may be related to progestogen formation. Pregnant rat dams were exposed to restraint under a bright light (thrice daily for 45 min) on gestational days 17-21 or were minimally handled controls. Dams that were exposed to restraint had lower circulating levels of 3α,5α-THP and significantly greater concentrations of corticosterone at the time of birth than did control dams. Male and female offspring, that were gestationally stressed or not, were cross-fostered to non-manipulated dams. Between postnatal days 28-30, offspring were assessed for object recognition, a prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognitive task. Restraint-exposed offspring performed more poorly in the object recognition task than did control offspring, irrespective of sex. As well, progesterone turnover to its 5α-reduced metabolites in the medial PFC (but not the diencephalon) was significantly reduced among restraint-exposed, compared to control, offspring. Progesterone turnover, and levels of 3α,5α-THP, positively correlated with performance in the object recognition task. Thus, restraint stress in late pregnancy impaired cognitive development and dysregulated progestogen formation in brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Paris
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA
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Butkevich I, Mikhailenko V, Vershinina E, Semionov P, Makukhina G, Otellin V. Maternal buspirone protects against the adverse effects of in utero stress on emotional and pain-related behaviors in offspring. Physiol Behav 2010; 102:137-42. [PMID: 21056051 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2010] [Revised: 10/25/2010] [Accepted: 10/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous investigations from our laboratory demonstrated that prenatal stress exacerbates inflammatory pain-related behavior in adult rats and that fetal serotonin (5-HT) is involved in this phenomenon. In the present study we test the hypothesis that injections of buspirone, a 5-HT1A agonist, to rat dams before restraint stress during the last week of pregnancy (between pregnant days 15 and 20) can improve the characteristics of emotional and inflammatory pain-related behaviors in the adult offspring. Buspirone was injected to dams between the 9 and 20 days of pregnancy, during restraint stress, five min before it. The depression-like behavior in the forced swim test, formalininduced pain and body weight were investigated in the adult offspring. Prenatal stress exacerbated the licking behavior, the index of formalin-induced pain, and increased the time of immobility, the index of depression-like behavior. Buspirone normalized the licking behavior and profoundly reduced the time of immobility, which indicates differences in the mechanisms of antinociceptive and antidepressant effects of buspirone. The present new findings demonstrate that adverse influences of prenatal stress on emotional and inflammatory pain-related behaviors can be prevented by using prenatal buspirone, which shows long-term anxiolytic, antidepressant and antinociceptive effects. The new fact of body weight decrease in buspirone+stress males is worth noting in the context of the important problem of body weight gain as a common side effect of treatment with antidepressant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Butkevich
- Laboratory of Ontogeny of the Nervous System, I.P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nab. Makarova, 6, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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Paris JJ, Walf AA, Frye CA. II. Cognitive performance of middle-aged female rats is influenced by capacity to metabolize progesterone in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Brain Res 2010; 1379:149-63. [PMID: 21044614 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.10.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2010] [Revised: 10/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive decline can occur with aging; however, some individuals experience less cognitive decline than do others. Secretion of ovarian hormones is reduced post-menopause and may contribute to cognitive function. The extent to which hormonal effects may be parsed out from other age-related factors to influence cognition is of interest. Middle-aged (12-month-old) female rats that were retired breeders were categorized as maintaining or declining reproductive function based upon their estrous cyclicity (regular 4-5 day cycles), fertility (> 60 % successful pregnancy), and fecundity (>10 pups/litter). Performance in object recognition, Y-maze, water maze, inhibitory avoidance, and contextual-cued fear conditioning was evaluated. Estradiol, progesterone (P(4)), dihydroprogesterone, and 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP) were assessed in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus; corticosterone was assessed in plasma. Rats maintaining reproductive function performed significantly better on the object recognition, Y-maze, water maze, inhibitory avoidance, and cued fear conditioning tasks than did rats with declining reproductive function. Steroid concentrations varied greatly within groups. Higher levels of P(4) in mPFC and hippocampus were associated with better Y-maze performance. In mPFC, higher levels of P(4) were associated with poorer inhibitory avoidance performance; greater levels of 3α,5α-THP were associated with better object memory. Neither estradiol nor corticosterone levels significantly contributed to cognitive performance. Thus, the capacity for cortico-limbic P(4) utilization may influence cognitive performance in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Paris
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York 12222, USA
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