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Zhao C, He L, Li L, Deng F, Zhang M, Wang C, Qiu J, Gao Q. Prenatal glucocorticoids exposure and adverse cardiovascular effects in offspring. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1430334. [PMID: 39351527 PMCID: PMC11439645 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1430334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones fundamental to the body's normal physiological functions and are pivotal in fetal growth and development. During gestation, the mother's cortisol concentration (active GCs) escalates to accommodate the requirements of fetal organ development and maturation. A natural placental GCs barrier, primarily facilitated by 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2, exists between the mother and fetus. This enzyme transforms biologically active cortisol into biologically inactive corticosterone, thereby mitigating fetal GCs exposure. However, during pregnancy, the mother may be vulnerable to adverse factor exposures such as stress, hypoxia, caffeine, and synthetic GCs use. In these instances, maternal serum GCs levels may surge beyond the protective capacity of the placental GCs barrier. Moreover, these adverse factors could directly compromise the placental GCs barrier, resulting in excessive fetal exposure to GCs. It is well-documented that prenatal GCs exposure can detrimentally impact the offspring's cardiovascular system, particularly in relation to blood pressure, vascular function, and heart function. In this review, we succinctly delineate the alterations in GCs levels during pregnancy and the potential mechanisms driving these changes, and also analyze the possible causes of prenatal GCs exposure. Furthermore, we summarize the current advancements in understanding the adverse effects and mechanisms of prenatal GCs exposure on the offspring's cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxuan Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lei He
- Institute for Fetology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lingjun Li
- Institute for Fetology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Fengying Deng
- Institute for Fetology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Meihua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Fuyang People’s Hospital, Fuyang, China
| | - Junlan Qiu
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Suzhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinqin Gao
- Institute for Fetology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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2
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Yadav D, Ostrea EM, Cheng CT, Kisseih E, Maddipati KR, Thomas RL. Effect of docosahexaenoic acid and olive oil supplementation on pup weight in alcohol-exposed pregnant rats. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1334285. [PMID: 38638591 PMCID: PMC11024321 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1334285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Low birth weight has been observed in offspring of alcoholic mothers due likely to unresolved inflammation and oxidative injury. Dietary lipids play a role in inflammation and its resolution. The primary objective was to investigate the effect of DHA and olive oil on the birth weight of pups born to alcohol-exposed dams. Methods Pregnant rats were randomized to the control or three treatment (alcohol) groups. From gestational days (GD) 8-19, the control group received daily olive oil and malto/dextrose, whereas groups 2 and 3 received olive oil and low-dose alcohol or high-dose alcohol, respectively. Group 4 received daily DHA and high-dose alcohol. The dam's blood was collected on GD 15 and 20 for cytokine analysis. Dams were sacrificed on GD 20. The mean birth weight of pups was compared by one-way ANOVA with post hoc Duncan's test. Results There was a significant increase in the pups' mean birth weight in the high-dose alcohol/DHA and high-dose alcohol/olive oil. Higher pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-12p70) were noted in the alcohol-exposed dams. Conclusions DHA and olive oil supplementation in alcohol-exposed pregnant rats significantly increased their pups' birth weight despite having high pro-inflammatory cytokines. The mechanism of this effect remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Yadav
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Enrique M. Ostrea
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Charlie T. Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Esther Kisseih
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Krishna R. Maddipati
- Bioactive Lipids Research Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Ronald L. Thomas
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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3
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Sze Y, Brunton PJ. How is prenatal stress transmitted from the mother to the fetus? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246073. [PMID: 38449331 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246073] [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: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal stress programmes long-lasting neuroendocrine and behavioural changes in the offspring. Often this programming is maladaptive and sex specific. For example, using a rat model of maternal social stress in late pregnancy, we have demonstrated that adult prenatally stressed male, but not prenatally stressed female offspring display heightened anxiety-like behaviour, whereas both sexes show hyperactive hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to stress. Here, we review the current knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning dysregulated HPA axis responses, including evidence supporting a role for reduced neurosteroid-mediated GABAergic inhibitory signalling in the brains of prenatally stressed offspring. How maternal psychosocial stress is signalled from the mother to the fetuses is unclear. Direct transfer of maternal glucocorticoids to the fetuses is often considered to mediate the programming effects of maternal stress on the offspring. However, protective mechanisms including attenuated maternal stress responses and placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2 (which inactivates glucocorticoids) should limit materno-fetal glucocorticoid transfer during pregnancy. Moreover, a lack of correlation between maternal stress, circulating maternal glucocorticoid levels and circulating fetal glucocorticoid levels is reported in several studies and across different species. Therefore, here we interrogate the evidence for a role for maternal glucocorticoids in mediating the effects of maternal stress on the offspring and consider the evidence for alternative mechanisms, including an indirect role for glucocorticoids and the contribution of changes in the placenta in signalling the stress status of the mother to the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sze
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Paula J Brunton
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Joint Institute, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, P.R. China
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4
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Bakhireva LN, Solomon E, Roberts MH, Ma X, Rai R, Wiesel A, Jacobson SW, Weinberg J, Milligan ED. Independent and Combined Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Prenatal Stress on Fetal HPA Axis Development. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2690. [PMID: 38473937 PMCID: PMC10932119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and prenatal stress (PS) are highly prevalent conditions known to affect fetal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of light PAE, PS, and PAE-PS interaction on fetal HPA axis activity assessed via placental and umbilical cord blood biomarkers. Participants of the ENRICH-2 cohort were recruited during the second trimester and classified into the PAE and unexposed control groups. PS was assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale. Placental tissue was collected promptly after delivery; gene and protein analysis for 11β-HSD1, 11β-HSD2, and pCRH were conducted by qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Umbilical cord blood was analyzed for cortisone and cortisol. Pearson correlation and multivariable linear regression examined the association of PAE and PS with HPA axis biomarkers. Mean alcohol consumption in the PAE group was ~2 drinks/week. Higher PS was observed in the PAE group (p < 0.01). In multivariable modeling, PS was associated with pCRH gene expression (β = 0.006, p < 0.01), while PAE was associated with 11β-HSD2 protein expression (β = 0.56, p < 0.01). A significant alcohol-by-stress interaction was observed with respect to 11β-HSD2 protein expression (p < 0.01). Results indicate that PAE and PS may independently and in combination affect fetal programming of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila N. Bakhireva
- College of Pharmacy Substance Use Research and Education Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (M.H.R.); (X.M.); (R.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Elizabeth Solomon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; (E.S.); (E.D.M.)
| | - Melissa H. Roberts
- College of Pharmacy Substance Use Research and Education Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (M.H.R.); (X.M.); (R.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Xingya Ma
- College of Pharmacy Substance Use Research and Education Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (M.H.R.); (X.M.); (R.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Rajani Rai
- College of Pharmacy Substance Use Research and Education Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (M.H.R.); (X.M.); (R.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Alexandria Wiesel
- College of Pharmacy Substance Use Research and Education Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (M.H.R.); (X.M.); (R.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada;
| | - Erin D. Milligan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA; (E.S.); (E.D.M.)
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Williams RP, Lesseur C, Cheng H, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Wainwright H, Hao K, Chen J, Carter RC. RNA-seq analysis reveals prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with placental inflammatory cells and gene expression. Gene 2024; 894:147951. [PMID: 37918548 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147951] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the most common preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders worldwide. The placenta is the crucial interface between mother and fetus. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been shown to alter placental structure and expression of genes in bulk placental tissue samples, but prior studies have not examined effects on placental cell-type composition or taken cell-type into consideration in transcriptome analyses. METHODS We leveraged an existent placenta single-cell RNA-seq dataset to perform cell-type deconvolution of bulk placental RNA-seq data from 35 heavy drinking pregnant women and 33 controls in a prospective birth cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. We used bivariate analyses and multivariable adjusted linear regression models to assess the relation of PAE on inferred placental cell-type proportions. We also examined differential expression of inflammatory response genes and PAE, using multivariable adjusted linear models. RESULTS Deconvolution analyses showed heterogeneous placenta cell-type composition in which stromal (27 %), endothelial (26 %) and cytotrophoblasts (18 %) were the predominant cell-types. PAE around conception was associated with a higher proportion of Hofbauer cells (B = 0.51, p = 0.035) in linear models adjusted for maternal age, infant sex, and gestational age. Among the 652 inflammatory genes examined, 35 were differential expressed in alcohol exposed placentas (FDR p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that heavy alcohol exposure during pregnancy can influence the proportion of fetal placental villi macrophages (Hofbauer cells) and increased expression of inflammatory genes. Future studies are needed to further characterize these effects and to assess the potential functional roles of placental inflammation in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy P Williams
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haoxiang Cheng
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Helen Wainwright
- Department of Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
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Liu L, Wen Y, Ni Q, Chen L, Wang H. Prenatal ethanol exposure and changes in fetal neuroendocrine metabolic programming. Biol Res 2023; 56:61. [PMID: 37978540 PMCID: PMC10656939 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-023-00473-y] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) (mainly through maternal alcohol consumption) has become widespread. However, studies suggest that it can cause intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and multi-organ developmental toxicity in offspring, and susceptibility to various chronic diseases (such as neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic syndrome, and related diseases) in adults. Through ethanol's direct effects and its indirect effects mediated by maternal-derived glucocorticoids, PEE alters epigenetic modifications and organ developmental programming during fetal development, which damages the offspring health and increases susceptibility to various chronic diseases after birth. Ethanol directly leads to the developmental toxicity of multiple tissues and organs in many ways. Regarding maternal-derived glucocorticoid-mediated IUGR, developmental programming, and susceptibility to multiple conditions after birth, ethanol induces programmed changes in the neuroendocrine axes of offspring, such as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and glucocorticoid-insulin-like growth factor 1 (GC-IGF1) axes. In addition, the differences in ethanol metabolic enzymes, placental glucocorticoid barrier function, and the sensitivity to glucocorticoids in various tissues and organs mediate the severity and sex differences in the developmental toxicity of ethanol exposure during pregnancy. Offspring exposed to ethanol during pregnancy have a "thrifty phenotype" in the fetal period, and show "catch-up growth" in the case of abundant nutrition after birth; when encountering adverse environments, these offspring are more likely to develop diseases. Here, we review the developmental toxicity, functional alterations in multiple organs, and neuroendocrine metabolic programming mechanisms induced by PEE based on our research and that of other investigators. This should provide new perspectives for the effective prevention and treatment of ethanol developmental toxicity and the early prevention of related fetal-originated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yinxian Wen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qubo Ni
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liaobin Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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7
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Bake S, Rouzer SK, Mavuri S, Miranda RC, Mahnke AH. The interaction of genetic sex and prenatal alcohol exposure on health across the lifespan. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 71:101103. [PMID: 37802472 PMCID: PMC10922031 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101103] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can reprogram the development of cells and tissues, resulting in a spectrum of physical and neurobehavioral teratology. PAE immediately impacts fetal growth, but its effects carry forward post-parturition, into adolescence and adulthood, and can result in a cluster of disabilities, collectively termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Emerging preclinical and clinical research investigating neurological and behavioral outcomes in exposed offspring point to genetic sex as an important modifier of the effects of PAE. In this review, we discuss the literature on sex differences following PAE, with studies spanning the fetal period through adulthood, and highlight gaps in research where sex differences are likely, but currently under-investigated. Understanding how sex and PAE interact to affect offspring health outcomes across the lifespan is critical for identifying the full complement of PAE-associated secondary conditions, and for refining targeted interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals with PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shameena Bake
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Siara K Rouzer
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Shruti Mavuri
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Amanda H Mahnke
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States.
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Luft C, da Costa MS, Antunes GL, de Oliveira JR, Donadio MVF. The role of maternal exercise on placental, behavioral and genetic alterations induced by prenatal stress. Neurochem Int 2022; 158:105384. [PMID: 35787396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of treadmill maternal exercise on alterations induced by prenatal stress in neonatal mice. Female and male Balb/c mice were divided into five groups: control (CON), prenatal restraint stress (PNS), prenatal restraint stress and physical exercise before pregnancy (PNS + EX1), prenatal restraint stress and physical exercise during pregnancy (PNS + EX2), and prenatal restraint stress and physical exercise before and during pregnancy (PNS + EX3). Exercise was performed using a treadmill, at a speed of 10 m/min, for 60 minutes, 5 days a week. Maternal behavior was assessed on days 3, 4 and 5 postpartum (PPD). Placental gene expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11β-HSD2), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (5HT1AR), and corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) were analyzed. In neonatal mice, the gene expression of GR, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), CRHR1, 5HTr1, oxytocin Receptor 1 (OXTr1), tropomyosin related kinase B (TRκB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon I (BDNF I), and BDNF IV was analyzed in the brain (PND0) and hippocampus (PND10). Maternal exercise improved (p < 0.05) maternal care. In the placenta, maternal exercise prevented (p < 0.01) the increase in GR expression caused by PNS. In the brain from PND0, exercise before pregnancy prevented (p = 0.002) the decreased CRHR1 expression promoted by PNS. In the hippocampus of PND10 males, PNS decreased (p = 0.0005) GR expression, and exercise before pregnancy prevented (p = 0.003) this effect. In PND10 females, maternal exercise prevented (p < 0.05) the PNS-induced increase in MR expression. PNS + EX2 males showed increased (p < 0.01) BDNF I gene expression and PNS + EX1 females demonstrated increased (p = 0.03) BDNF IV expression. In conclusion, maternal physical exercise may play a role in modulating maternal-fetal health and may contribute to preventing neurodevelopmental changes induced by prenatal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Luft
- Laboratory of Pediatric Physical Activity, Infant Center, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics and Inflammation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mariana Severo da Costa
- Laboratory of Pediatric Physical Activity, Infant Center, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics and Inflammation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Géssica Luana Antunes
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics and Inflammation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jarbas Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics and Inflammation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Márcio Vinícius Fagundes Donadio
- Laboratory of Pediatric Physical Activity, Infant Center, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics and Inflammation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Physiotherapy, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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The maternal-placental-fetal interface: Adaptations of the HPA axis and immune mediators following maternal stress and prenatal alcohol exposure. Exp Neurol 2022; 355:114121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Dufford AJ, Spann M, Scheinost D. How prenatal exposures shape the infant brain: Insights from infant neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:47-58. [PMID: 34536461 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Brain development during the prenatal period is rapid and unparalleled by any other time during development. Biological systems undergoing rapid development are at higher risk for disorganizing influences. Therefore, certain prenatal exposures impact brain development, increasing risk for negative neurodevelopmental outcome. While prenatal exposures have been associated with cognitive and behavioral outcomes later in life, the underlying macroscopic brain pathways remain unclear. Here, we review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies investigating the association between prenatal exposures and infant brain development focusing on prenatal exposures via maternal physical health factors, maternal mental health factors, and maternal drug and medication use. Further, we discuss the need for studies to consider multiple prenatal exposures in parallel and suggest future directions for this body of research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marisa Spann
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, USA; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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11
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Lussier AA, Bodnar TS, Moksa M, Hirst M, Kobor MS, Weinberg J. Prenatal Adversity Alters the Epigenetic Profile of the Prefrontal Cortex: Sexually Dimorphic Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Food-Related Stress. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111773. [PMID: 34828381 PMCID: PMC8622940 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal adversity or stress can have long-term consequences on developmental trajectories and health outcomes. Although the biological mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, have the potential to link early-life environments to alterations in physiological systems, with long-term functional implications. We investigated the consequences of two prenatal insults, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and food-related stress, on DNA methylation profiles of the rat brain during early development. As these insults can have sex-specific effects on biological outcomes, we analyzed epigenome-wide DNA methylation patterns in prefrontal cortex, a key brain region involved in cognition, executive function, and behavior, of both males and females. We found sex-dependent and sex-concordant influences of these insults on epigenetic patterns. These alterations occurred in genes and pathways related to brain development and immune function, suggesting that PAE and food-related stress may reprogram neurobiological/physiological systems partly through central epigenetic changes, and may do so in a sex-dependent manner. Such epigenetic changes may reflect the sex-specific effects of prenatal insults on long-term functional and health outcomes and have important implications for understanding possible mechanisms underlying fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre A. Lussier
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Correspondence: (A.A.L.); (J.W.)
| | - Tamara S. Bodnar
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada;
| | - Michelle Moksa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Martin Hirst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.M.); (M.H.)
- Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4S6, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada;
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, West Tower, 661 University Ave., Suite 505, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada;
- Correspondence: (A.A.L.); (J.W.)
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12
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Creutzberg KC, Sanson A, Viola TW, Marchisella F, Begni V, Grassi-Oliveira R, Riva MA. Long-lasting effects of prenatal stress on HPA axis and inflammation: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis in rodent studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:270-283. [PMID: 33951412 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress (PNS) can lead to long-lasting neurobiological and behavioral consequences for the offspring, which may enhance the susceptibility for mental disorders. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system are two major factors involved in the stress response. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent studies that investigated the effects of PNS exposure on the HPA axis and inflammatory cytokines in adult offspring. Our analysis shows that animals exposed to PNS display a consistent increase in peripheral corticosterone (CORT) levels and central corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), while decreased levels of its receptor 2 (CRHR2). Meta-regression revealed that sex and duration of PNS protocol are covariates that moderate these results. There was no significant effect of PNS in glucocorticoid receptor (GR), CRH receptor 1 (CRHR1), pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Our findings suggest that PNS exposure elicits long-lasting effects on the HPA axis function, providing an important tool to investigate in preclinical settings key pathological aspects related to early-life stress exposure. Furthermore, researchers should be aware of the mixed outcomes of PNS on inflammatory markers in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Camile Creutzberg
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Alice Sanson
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Thiago Wendt Viola
- School of Medicine, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Building 12A, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Francesca Marchisella
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- School of Medicine, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Building 12A, 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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13
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Worsham W, Dalton S, Bilder DA. The Prenatal Hormone Milieu in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:655438. [PMID: 34276434 PMCID: PMC8280339 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.655438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Though the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains largely unknown, recent findings suggest that hormone dysregulation within the prenatal environment, in conjunction with genetic factors, may alter fetal neurodevelopment. Early emphasis has been placed on the potential role of in utero exposure to androgens, particularly testosterone, to theorize ASD as the manifestation of an "extreme male brain." The relationship between autism risk and obstetric conditions associated with inflammation and steroid dysregulation merits a much broader understanding of the in utero steroid environment and its potential influence on fetal neuroendocrine development. The exploration of hormone dysregulation in the prenatal environment and ASD development builds upon prior research publishing associations with obstetric conditions and ASD risk. The insight gained may be applied to the development of chronic adult metabolic diseases that share prenatal risk factors with ASD. Future research directions will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney Worsham
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Susan Dalton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Deborah A Bilder
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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14
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Lei L, Wu X, Gu H, Ji M, Yang J. Differences in DNA Methylation Reprogramming Underlie the Sexual Dimorphism of Behavioral Disorder Caused by Prenatal Stress in Rats. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:573107. [PMID: 33192258 PMCID: PMC7609908 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.573107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) can lead to neuroendocrine and emotional disorders later in adolescence. Sexual dimorphism in these neurodevelopmental outcomes have been observed; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. To address this issue, we investigated whether there are sex differences in epigenetic reprogramming in rats exposed to PS. Pregnant female rats were subjected to chronic restraint stress from gestational day (G)12 to G18. From postnatal day (P)38 to P45, subgroups of offspring including both males and females were subjected to behavioral testing and brain tissue specimens were analyzed by DNA pyrosequencing, western blotting, and Golgi staining to assess changes in methylation pattern of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene, expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and DNA demethylase, and dendrite morphology, respectively. The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine was administered to rats prior to PS to further evaluate the role of methylation in the sexually dimorphic effects of PS. The results showed that PS increased anxiety-like behavior in offspring, especially in females, while depression-like behavior was increased in male offspring compared to control littermates. The methylation pattern in the promoter region of the GR gene differed between males and females. Sex-specific changes in the expression of DNMTs (DNMT1 and DNMT3a) and DNA demethylase (Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2) were also observed. Interestingly, decitabine alleviated the behavioral disorder caused by PS and restored dendrite density and morphology in female but not male rats. These findings suggest that different change patterns of DNMT and demethylase in the two sexes after PS are responsible for the sexually dimorphism, which could have implications for the clinical management of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xinmiao Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanwen Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Muhuo Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jianjun Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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15
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Fan F, Shen W, Wu S, Chen N, Tong X, Wang F, Zhang Q. Sp1 participates in the cadmium-induced imbalance of the placental glucocorticoid barrier by suppressing 11β-HSD2 expression. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 261:113976. [PMID: 32044612 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is widely present in the environment as a heavy metal poison. Prenatal Cd exposure can damage the placental glucocorticoid barrier, leading to foetal growth restriction (FGR), but the molecular mechanism is unknown. We aimed to study the effects of prenatal Cd exposure on 11β-HSD2 and its possible involvement in Cd induced damage in the placental glucocorticoid barrier. Pregnant rats were treated with CdCl2 (1.0 mg/kg/day) by gavage from gestational day (GD) 9-19. Maternal exposure to Cd increased the FGR rate of the offspring, and the levels of corticosterone in the placenta, maternal and foetal serum. Further in vitro experiments with placenta or JEG3 cells indicated that Cd was able to decrease 11β-HSD2 and Sp1 expression in trophoblast cells but did not affect 11β-HSD1. Additionally, decreased p300 and Sp1 enrichment at the 11β-HSD2 promoter region was observed in the cells treated with Cd. Decreasing or increasing Sp1 expression accordingly inhibited or promoted the expression of 11β-HSD2 and further decreased or increased p300 and Sp1 enrichment at the 11β-HSD2 promoter region. In conclusion, Cd inhibits the expression of 11β-HSD2 by affecting the binding of p300 to 11β-HSD2 via a decrease in Sp1 expression, which damages the placental glucocorticoid barrier and exposes the foetus to excessive glucocorticoids, resulting in FGR. These findings reveal a possible underlying molecular mechanism by which Cd exposure leads to FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyun Fan
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanting Shen
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sisi Wu
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Na Chen
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xia Tong
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Lu J, Li Q, Ma G, Hong C, Zhang W, Wang Y, Wang H. Prenatal ethanol exposure-induced hypothalamic an imbalance of glutamatergic/GABAergic projections and low functional expression in male offspring rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 141:111419. [PMID: 32437893 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to demonstrate that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) can induce low functional expression of the hypothalamus in male offspring rats and explore the underlying mechanism. Pregnant rats were administered 4 g/kg ethanol or normal saline by oral gavage each day from gestational day (GD) 9 to GD20. Male GD20 foetuses and postnatal day 120 adult offspring rats were sacrificed under anaesthesia. Hypothalamic cells from male GD20~postnatal day (PD) 7 rats were treated with different doses of corticosterone and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone for 5 days. In this study, we found that PEE-induced overexposure of maternal glucocorticoids enhanced the expression of L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 67 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) by activating the glucocorticoid metabolic activation system, further inducing the conversion of glutamate to L-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and developmental imbalance of glutamatergic/GABAergic projections to the PVN. The imbalance change was maintained until after birth, resulting in the inhibition of parvocellular neurons and low functional expression of the hypothalamus in PEE offspring rats. Our study indicated that low functional expression of the hypothalamus in male PEE offspring rats was associated with developmental programming of an imbalance of glutamatergic/GABAergic projections to the PVN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China; Department of Orthopedics, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM Affiliated to Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Gansu, 730050, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM Affiliated to Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Gansu, 730050, China
| | - Guoqin Ma
- Department of Orthopedics, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM Affiliated to Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Gansu, 730050, China
| | - Chenghao Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yuxia Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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17
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Sautreuil C, Laquerrière A, Lecuyer M, Brasse-Lagnel C, Jégou S, Bekri S, Marcorelles P, Gil S, Marret S, Gonzalez BJ. [Fetal alcohol exposure: when placenta would help to the early diagnosis of child brain impairments]. Med Sci (Paris) 2019; 35:859-865. [PMID: 31845877 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2019167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy constitutes a major cause of neurodevelopmental and behavioral disabilities. Whereas it is possible for clinicians to establish a perinatal diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, the more severe expression of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), most FASD children are late or mis-diagnosed due to a lack of clear morphological and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Several precious years of care are consequently lost. Recent data revealed a functional placenta-brain axis involved in the control of the fetal brain angiogenesis which is impaired by in utero alcohol exposure. Because in the developing fetal brain a correct angiogenesis is required for a correct neurodevelopment, these preclinical and clinical advances pave the way for a new generation of placental biomarkers for early diagnosis of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Sautreuil
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | - Annie Laquerrière
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, France
| | - Matthieu Lecuyer
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | | | - Sylvie Jégou
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | - Soumeya Bekri
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Biochimie métabolique, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, France
| | | | - Sophie Gil
- Inserm UMR-S1139, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Fondation PremUp, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Marret
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Pédiatrie Néonatale et Réanimation, Neuropédiatrie, Camsp, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, 37 boulevard Gambetta, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Bruno J Gonzalez
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
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18
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Ipsiroglu OS, Wind K, Hung YHA, Berger M, Chan F, Yu W, Stockler S, Weinberg J. Prenatal alcohol exposure and sleep-wake behaviors: exploratory and naturalistic observations in the clinical setting and in an animal model. Sleep Med 2019; 54:101-112. [PMID: 30530254 PMCID: PMC7343292 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clinical research and studies using animal models have revealed a complex and relatively under-explored interaction between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and alterations in sleep-wake behaviors. OBJECTIVES To utilize a structured naturalistic observation-based methodology, consisting of descriptive elements, to provide insight into possible links between altered sleep and disruptive daytime presentations in children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). To apply a similar structured behavioral observation protocol in a PAE animal model to compare outcomes from the experimental and clinical studies utilizing naturalistic observational methodology. METHODS Forty pediatric patients with FASD (1.8-17.5 yrs, median age 9.4 yrs) and chronic sleep problems were assessed. In the PAE animal model, male offspring from PAE, Pair-Fed (PF), and ad libitum-fed Control (C) groups (n = 8/group) were assessed in the juvenile/preadolescent (23-25 days of age) and adolescent/pubertal (35-36 days of age) periods. RESULTS In the clinical setting, we found that 95% of children with FASD showed disruptive or externalizing behaviors, 73% showed internalizing behaviors, 93% had circadian rhythm sleep disorders, all had chronic insomnia, and 85% had restless sleep, often with tossing/turning/kicking movements indicative of non-restorative sleep with hypermotor events. In the daytime, individuals showed excessive daytime sleepiness as well as hyperactive/hyperkinetic behaviors, an urge-to-move, and involuntary movements suggestive of hyperarousability. Alterations in sleep/wake behaviors in the PAE animal model paralleled the clinical data in many aspects, demonstrating greater sleep latencies, less total time asleep, more total time awake and longer awake bouts, more position changes, more time in transition, and longer transition bouts in PAE compared to PF and/or control animals. CONCLUSIONS Thus, our findings provide support for the power and validity of naturalistic observational paradigms in revealing dysregulated sleep-wake behaviors and their association and/or exacerbating relationship with day and nighttime behavioral problems, such as disruptive behaviors, externalizing and internalizing disorders, and daytime sleepiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osman S Ipsiroglu
- Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research Lab, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Departments of Pediatrics/Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine Center, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Katarina Wind
- Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research Lab, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yi-Hsuan Amy Hung
- Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research Lab, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mai Berger
- Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research Lab, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Forson Chan
- Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research Lab, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wayne Yu
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sylvia Stockler
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Biochemical Diseases, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Karlsson L, Tolvanen M, Scheinin NM, Uusitupa HM, Korja R, Ekholm E, Tuulari JJ, Pajulo M, Huotilainen M, Paunio T, Karlsson H. Cohort Profile: The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study (FinnBrain). Int J Epidemiol 2019; 47:15-16j. [PMID: 29025073 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyx173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Karlsson
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Child Psychiatry
| | - Mimmi Tolvanen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Community Dentistry
| | - Noora M Scheinin
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Psychiatry
| | - Henna-Maria Uusitupa
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study
| | - Riikka Korja
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Psychology, University of Turku
| | - Eeva Ekholm
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Jetro J Tuulari
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study
| | - Marjukka Pajulo
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Child Psychiatry
| | - Minna Huotilainen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,University of Helsinki, Cognitive Brain Research Unit and CICERO Learning Network, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Paunio
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, the Genomics and Biomarkers Unit, Helsinki, Finland.,University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.,Department of Psychiatry
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20
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Wilkinson L, Verhoog NJD, Louw A. Disease- and treatment-associated acquired glucocorticoid resistance. Endocr Connect 2018; 7:R328-R349. [PMID: 30352419 PMCID: PMC6280593 DOI: 10.1530/ec-18-0421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of resistance to glucocorticoids (GCs) in therapeutic regimens poses a major threat. Generally, GC resistance is congenital or acquired over time as a result of disease progression, prolonged GC treatment or, in some cases, both. Essentially, disruptions in the function and/or pool of the glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) underlie this resistance. Many studies have detailed how alterations in GRα function lead to diminished GC sensitivity; however, the current review highlights the wealth of data concerning reductions in the GRα pool, mediated by disease-associated and treatment-associated effects, which contribute to a significant decrease in GC sensitivity. Additionally, the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in driving reductions in the GRα pool is discussed. After highlighting the importance of maintaining the level of the GRα pool to combat GC resistance, we present current strategies and argue that future strategies to prevent GC resistance should involve biased ligands with a predisposition for reduced GR dimerization, a strategy originally proposed as the SEMOGRAM-SEDIGRAM concept to reduce the side-effect profile of GCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Legh Wilkinson
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Ann Louw
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Correspondence should be addressed to A Louw:
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21
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Prenatal stress and models explaining risk for psychopathology revisited: Generic vulnerability and divergent pathways. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1041-1062. [PMID: 30068410 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The present review revisits three hypothesized models that potentially could explain how prenatal maternal stress influences fetal development, birth outcomes, and subsequent developmental psychopathology. These models were mostly based on animal models, and new evidence for these models from human studies is evaluated. Furthermore, divergent trajectories from prenatal exposure to adversities to offspring affected outcomes are reviewed, including the comparison of studies on prenatal maternal stress with research on maternal substance use and maternal malnutrition during pregnancy. Finally, new directions in research on the mechanism underlying prenatal stress effects on human offspring is summarized. While it is concluded that there is abundant evidence for the negative associations between prenatal maternal stress and offspring behavioral, brain, and psychopathological outcomes in humans, there is no consistent evidence for specific mechanisms or specific outcomes in relation to stress exposure in utero. Rather, principles of multifinality and equifinality best describe the consequences for the offspring, suggesting a generic vulnerability and different pathways from prenatal adversities to developmental psychopathology, which complicates the search for underlying mechanisms. New and promising directions for research are provided to get a better understanding of how prenatal stress gets under the skin to affect fetal development.
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22
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Iturra-Mena AM, Arriagada-Solimano M, Luttecke-Anders A, Dagnino-Subiabre A. Effects of prenatal stress on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours are sex-specific in prepubertal rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12609. [PMID: 29772083 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The foetal brain is highly susceptible to stress in late pregnancy, with lifelong effects of stress on physiology and behaviour. The present study aimed to determine the physiological and behavioural effects of prenatal stress during the prepubertal period of female and male rats. We subjected pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to a restraint stress protocol from gestational day 14 to 21, a critical period for foetal brain susceptibility to stress effects. Male and female offspring were subsequently assessed at postnatal day 24 for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours, as well as spontaneous social interaction. We also assessed maternal behaviours and 2 stress markers: basal vs acute-evoked stress levels of serum corticosterone and body weight gain. Prenatal stress did not affect the maternal behaviour, whereas both female and male offspring had higher body weight gain. On the other hand, lower levels of corticosterone after acute stress stimulation, as well as anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours, were only evident in stressed males compared to control males. These results suggest that prenatal stress induced sex-specific effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and on behaviour during prepuberty. The HPA axis of prenatally stressed male rats was less active compared to control males, and they were also more anxious and experienced depressive-like behaviours. These results are useful with respect to studying the neurobiological basis of childhood depression at a preclinical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Iturra-Mena
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de las Américas, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - M Arriagada-Solimano
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - A Luttecke-Anders
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - A Dagnino-Subiabre
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Auditory and Cognition Center, AUCO, Santiago, Chile
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Freedman R, Hunter SK, Hoffman MC. Prenatal Primary Prevention of Mental Illness by Micronutrient Supplements in Pregnancy. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:607-619. [PMID: 29558816 PMCID: PMC6984656 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17070836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Genes, infection, malnutrition, and other factors affecting fetal brain development are a major component of risk for a child's emotional development and later mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. Prenatal interventions to ameliorate that risk have yet to be established for clinical use. A systematic review of prenatal nutrients and childhood emotional development and later mental illness was performed. Randomized trials of folic acid, phosphatidylcholine, and omega-3 fatty acid supplements assess effects of doses beyond those adequate to remedy deficiencies to promote normal fetal development despite genetic and environmental risks. Folic acid to prevent neural tube defects is an example. Vitamins A and D are currently recommended at maximum levels, but women's incomplete compliance permits observational studies of their effects. Folic acid and phosphatidylcholine supplements have shown evidence for improving childhood emotional development associated with later mental illnesses. Vitamins A and D decreased the risk for schizophrenia and autism in retrospective observations. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during early pregnancy increased the risk for schizophrenia and increased symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but in later pregnancy it decreased childhood wheezing and premature birth. Studies are complicated by the length of time between birth and the emergence of mental illnesses like schizophrenia, compared with anomalies like facial clefts identified at birth. As part of comprehensive maternal and fetal care, prenatal nutrient interventions should be further considered as uniquely effective first steps in decreasing risk for future psychiatric and other illnesses in newborn children. [AJP at 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future July 1959: Longitudinal Observations of Biological Deviations in a Schizophrenic Infant Barbara Fish described the course of an infant born with fluctuating motor problems who developed schizophrenia. (Am J Psychiatry 1959; 116:25-31 )].
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Freedman
- From the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders and the Departments of Psychiatry and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
| | - Sharon K. Hunter
- From the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders and the Departments of Psychiatry and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
| | - M. Camille Hoffman
- From the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders and the Departments of Psychiatry and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
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Hanlon-Dearman A, Chen ML, Olson HC. Understanding and managing sleep disruption in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 96:267-274. [PMID: 28977761 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2017-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has revealed high rates of sleep disruption among children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Multiple animal and clinical studies have found a clear association between sleep problems and prenatal alcohol exposure, and recent research is beginning to characterize the types and extent of sleep disruption in FASD. Nevertheless, sleep disruption in children with FASD often goes unrecognized or is treated without referring to an evidence base. Children's disrupted sleep interferes with parental sleep and increases caregiver burden, which is of particular importance for families raising children with FASD, a group with very high levels of caregiving stress. The literature supporting an association between sleep problems and deficits in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive function in children is compelling, but needs further investigation in children with FASD. This paper will review the current state of knowledge on sleep in FASD and recommend a rational approach to sleep interventions for affected children and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Hanlon-Dearman
- a Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.,b Manitoba FASD Centre, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3G1, Canada
| | - Maida Lynn Chen
- c Department of Pediatrics, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Division, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Heather Carmichael Olson
- d Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,e Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
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25
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Fransquet PD, Hutchinson D, Olsson CA, Allsop S, Elliott EJ, Burns L, Mattick R, Saffery R, Ryan J. Cannabis use by women during pregnancy does not influence infant DNA methylation of the dopamine receptor DRD4. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2017; 43:671-677. [PMID: 28448718 PMCID: PMC5706968 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2017.1314488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy is linked with long-term adverse behavioral outcomes in offspring. Epigenetic processes established in utero that affect dopaminergic (reward) signaling may mediate risks. Associations between cannabis use and offspring DNA methylation have not been investigated; however, maternal tobacco smoking in pregnancy is associated with distinct patterns of DNA methylation at birth and beyond. Objectives: To determine whether maternal cannabis use is associated with methylation of the dopamine receptor gene DRD4 promoter in infants. Methods: Mothers in the Triple B study provided detailed information on drug use in each trimester of pregnancy. Buccal swabs were collected from neonates at 8 weeks (n = 804, 51.7% male, and 48.3% female). DRD4 promoter DNA methylation was measured using SEQUENOM MassARRAY. Results: Fifty-seven of the women in the study reported drug use during pregnancy, of whom 44 used cannabis. Of 19 cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpG) units tested in DRD4, gestational cannabis use was associated with offspring methylation at 1 CpG unit in multivariate models (β + 1.48, CI: 0.02 to 2.93, and p = 0.047). At another site there was weak evidence that both cannabis and other drug use were independently associated with increased methylation, while the association with tobacco was in the reverse direction (cannabis use β + 0.67, CI: −0.12 to 1.46, and p = 0.09; other drug use β + 1.11, CI: 0.17 to 2.05, and p = 0.02; tobacco use β −0.41, CI: −0.85 to 0.03, and p = 0.07). None of the associations would remain significant after correction for multiple testing. Conclusion: There is no strong evidence that maternal cannabis use in pregnancy is associated with offspring DRD4 methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Fransquet
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.,b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia.,h School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Delyse Hutchinson
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.,b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia.,c Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health , Deakin University , Melbourne , Australia.,d National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.,b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia.,c Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health , Deakin University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Steve Allsop
- e National Drug Research Institute , Curtin University , Perth , Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Elliott
- f Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health , The University of Sydney, The Sydney Children's Hospital's Network (Westmead) , Sydney , Australia
| | - Lucinda Burns
- b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Richard Mattick
- d National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.,b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.,b Department of Paediatrics , University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia.,g Inserm U1061 , Montpellier , France.,h School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
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Lo JO, Schabel MC, Roberts VHJ, Wang X, Lewandowski KS, Grant KA, Frias AE, Kroenke CD. First trimester alcohol exposure alters placental perfusion and fetal oxygen availability affecting fetal growth and development in a non-human primate model. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2017; 216:302.e1-302.e8. [PMID: 28153658 PMCID: PMC5334435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure leads to impaired fetal growth, brain development, and stillbirth. Placental impairment likely contributes to these adverse outcomes, but the mechanisms and specific vasoactive effects of alcohol that links altered placental function to impaired fetal development remain areas of active research. OBJECTIVE Recently, we developed magnetic resonance imaging techniques in nonhuman primates to characterize placental blood oxygenation through measurements of T2* and perfusion using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of first-trimester alcohol exposure on macaque placental function and to characterize fetal brain development in vivo. STUDY DESIGN Timed-pregnant Rhesus macaques (n=12) were divided into 2 groups: control (n=6) and ethanol exposed (n=6). Animals were trained to self-administer orally either 1.5 g/kg/d of a 4% ethanol solution (equivalent to 6 drinks/d) or an isocaloric control fluid from preconception until gestational day 60 (term is G168). All animals underwent Doppler ultrasound scanning followed by magnetic resonance imaging that consisted of T2* and dynamic contrast-enhanced measurements. Doppler ultrasound scanning was used to measure uterine artery and umbilical vein velocimetry and diameter to calculate uterine artery volume blood flow and placental volume blood flow. After noninvasive imaging, animals underwent cesarean delivery for placenta collection and fetal necropsy at gestational day 110 (n=6) or 135 (n=6). RESULTS Fetal weight and biparietal diameter were significantly smaller in ethanol-exposed animals compared with control animals at gestational day 110. By Doppler ultrasound scanning, placental volume blood flow was significantly lower (P=.04) at gestational day 110 in ethanol-exposed vs control animals. A significant reduction in placental blood flow was evident by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. As we demonstrated recently, T2* values vary throughout the placenta and reveal gradients in blood deoxyhemoglobin concentration that range from highly oxygenated blood (long T2*) proximal to spiral arteries to highly deoxygenated blood (short T2*). Distributions of T2*throughout the placenta show significant global reduction in T2* (and hence high blood deoxyhemoglobin concentration) in ethanol-exposed vs control animals at gestational day 110 (P=.02). Fetal brain measurements indicated impaired growth and development at gestational day 110, but less so at gestational day 135 in ethanol-exposed vs control animals. CONCLUSION Chronic first-trimester ethanol exposure significantly reduces placental perfusion and oxygen supply to the fetal vasculature later in pregnancy. These perturbations of placental function are associated with fetal growth impairments. However, differences between ethanol-exposed and control animals in placental function and fetal developmental outcomes were smaller at gestational day 135 than at gestational day 110. These findings are consistent with placental adaptation to early perturbations that allow for compensated placental function and maintenance of fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie O Lo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR.
| | - Matthias C Schabel
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Victoria H J Roberts
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
| | - Katherine S Lewandowski
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
| | - Antonio E Frias
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR; Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
| | - Christopher D Kroenke
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
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28
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Fransquet PD, Hutchinson D, Olsson CA, Wilson J, Allsop S, Najman J, Elliott E, Mattick RP, Saffery R, Ryan J. Perinatal maternal alcohol consumption and methylation of the dopamine receptor DRD4 in the offspring: the Triple B study. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvw023. [PMID: 29492300 PMCID: PMC5804537 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvw023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal alcohol use during the perinatal period is a major public health issue, the higher ends of which are associated with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and a range of adverse health outcomes in the progeny. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown but may include the epigenetic disruption of gene activity during development. Alcohol directly activates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays an essential role in neurodevelopment. To investigate whether antenatal and early postnatal alcohol consumption were associated with differential dopamine receptor DRD4 promoter methylation in infants (n = 844). Data were drawn from the large population based Triple B pregnancy cohort study, with detailed information on maternal alcohol consumption in each trimester of pregnancy and early postpartum. DNA was extracted from infant buccal swabs collected at 8-weeks. DRD4 promoter DNA methylation was analysed by Sequenom MassARRAY. No strong evidence was found for an association between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and infant DRD4 methylation at 8-weeks postpartum. However, maternal alcohol consumption assessed contemporaneously at 8-weeks postpartum was associated with increased methylation at 13 of 19 CpG units examined (largest Δ + 3.20%, 95%Confidence Interval:1.66,4.75%, P = 0.0001 at CpG.6). This association was strongest in women who breastfeed, suggesting the possibility of a direct effect of alcohol exposure via breast milk. The findings of this study could influence public health guidelines around alcohol consumption for breastfeeding mothers; however, further research is required to confirm these novel findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D. Fransquet
- Cancer & Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Population Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Delyse Hutchinson
- Population Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Craig A. Olsson
- Population Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Judy Wilson
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Steve Allsop
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Jake Najman
- Queensland Alcohol and Drug Research and Education Centre, Schools of Public Health and Social Science, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Elliott
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, The Sydney Children’s Hospital, Hospitals Network, Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Richard P. Mattick
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Cancer & Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Cancer & Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Neuropsychiatry: Epidemiological and Clinical Research, Inserm U1061, Montpellier, France
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Australia
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Kidder IJ, Mudery JA, Barreda S, Taska DJ, Bailey EF. Evaluating the control: minipump implantation and breathing behavior in the neonatal rat. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2016; 121:615-22. [PMID: 27402557 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00080.2016] [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: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated genioglossus (GG) gross motoneuron morphology, electromyographic (EMG) activities, and respiratory patterning in rat pups allowed to develop without interference (unexposed) and pups born to dams subjected to osmotic minipump implantation in utero (saline-exposed). In experiment 1, 48 Sprague-Dawley rat pups (Charles-River Laboratories), ages postnatal day 7 (P7) through postnatal day 10 (P10), were drawn from two experimental groups, saline-exposed (n = 24) and unexposed (n = 24), and studied on P7, P8, P9, or P10. Pups in both groups were sedated (Inactin hydrate, 70 mg/kg), and fine-wire electrodes were inserted into the GG muscle of the tongue and intercostal muscles to record EMG activities during breathing in air and at three levels of normoxic hypercapnia [inspired CO2 fraction (FiCO2 ): 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09]. Using this approach, we assessed breathing frequency, heart rate, apnea type, respiratory event types, and respiratory stability. In experiment 2, 16 rat pups were drawn from the same experimental groups, saline-exposed (n = 9) and unexposed (n = 7), and used in motoneuron-labeling studies. In these pups a retrograde dye was injected into the GG muscle, and the brain stems were subsequently harvested and sliced. Labeled GG motoneurons were identified with microscopy, impaled, and filled with Lucifer yellow. Double-labeled motoneurons were reconstructed, and the number of primary projections and soma volumes were calculated. Whereas pups in each group exhibited the same number (P = 0.226) and duration (P = 0.093) of respiratory event types and comparable motoneuron morphologies, pups in the implant group exhibited more central apneas and respiratory instability relative to pups allowed to develop without interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Kidder
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; and
| | - Jordan A Mudery
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; and
| | - Santiago Barreda
- Department of Linguistics, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - David J Taska
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; and
| | - E Fiona Bailey
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; and
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Bandoli G, Coles CD, Kable JA, Wertelecki W, Granovska IV, Pashtepa AO, Chambers CD. Assessing the Independent and Joint Effects of Unmedicated Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Alcohol Consumption in Pregnancy and Infant Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1304-11. [PMID: 27129610 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is an established risk factor for neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring. Prenatal depression has been associated with neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring, although investigations into unmedicated prenatal depression have been inconsistent. We hypothesized that unmedicated prenatal depressive symptoms would independently and jointly with PAE predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in infant offspring. METHODS We studied 344 participants from a randomized clinical trial of multivitamin supplements in pregnant women in Ukraine. Women were recruited based upon periconceptional alcohol use and followed up to 12 months postpartum. Prenatal depressive symptoms were assessed at approximately 32 weeks of gestation using the Beck Depression Inventory score. Neurodevelopment was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Generalized linear regression models were constructed to assess the independent and joint effects of prenatal depressive symptoms and PAE in models adjusted for sociodemographic and pregnancy characteristics. RESULTS PAE was independently associated with deficits in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6 and 12 months, however, level of prenatal depressive symptoms was not. We found marginal evidence of synergism of depressive symptoms and PAE, with larger deficits in those with both exposures observed for the PDI-6 months (p = 0.05) and MDI-12 months (p = 0.09). Additionally, there was a suggestion of sexual dimorphism; females had stronger deficits from joint exposures than males (depressive symptom [MDI-6 months] female: -8.28, 95% CI -13.06, -3.49; male: 0.68, 95% CI -4.58, 5.94; p for interaction 0.04). While not statistically significant for the MDI or PDI at 12 months, the trend persisted. CONCLUSIONS Infants exposed to PAE and prenatal depression may be at an increased risk of neurodevelopmental deficits. Healthcare providers should be aware of this possible synergism in their efforts to mitigate the neurodevelopmental effects of these co-occurring exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Bandoli
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Claire D Coles
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Julie A Kable
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Wladimir Wertelecki
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.,OMNI-Net for Children International Charitable Fund, Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center, Rivne, Ukraine.,OMNI-Net for Children International Charitable Fund, Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center, Khmelnytsky, Ukraine.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
| | - Irina V Granovska
- OMNI-Net for Children International Charitable Fund, Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center, Rivne, Ukraine
| | - Alla O Pashtepa
- OMNI-Net for Children International Charitable Fund, Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center, Khmelnytsky, Ukraine
| | - Christina D Chambers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
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31
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Luna RL, Kay VR, Rätsep MT, Khalaj K, Bidarimath M, Peterson N, Carmeliet P, Jin A, Croy BA. Placental growth factor deficiency is associated with impaired cerebral vascular development in mice. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:130-42. [PMID: 26646502 PMCID: PMC4733225 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY HYPOTHESIS Placental growth factor (PGF) is expressed in the developing mouse brain and contributes to vascularization and vessel patterning. STUDY FINDING PGF is dynamically expressed in fetal mouse brain, particularly forebrain, and is essential for normal cerebrovascular development. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY PGF rises in maternal plasma over normal human and mouse pregnancy but is low in many women with the acute onset hypertensive syndrome, pre-eclampsia (PE). Little is known about the expression of PGF in the fetus during PE. Pgf (-/-) mice appear normal but recently cerebral vascular defects were documented in adult Pgf (-/-) mice. STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLES/MATERIALS, METHODS Here, temporal-spatial expression of PGF is mapped in normal fetal mouse brains and cerebral vasculature development is compared between normal and congenic Pgf (-/-) fetuses to assess the actions of PGF during cerebrovascular development. Pgf/PGF, Vegfa/VEGF, Vegf receptor (Vegfr)1 and Vegfr2 expression were examined in the brains of embryonic day (E)12.5, 14.5, 16.5 and 18.5 C57BL/6 (B6) mice using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. The cerebral vasculature was compared between Pgf (-/-) and B6 embryonic and adult brains using whole mount techniques. Vulnerability to cerebral ischemia was investigated using a left common carotid ligation assay. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Pgf/PGF and Vegfr1 are highly expressed in E12.5-14.5 forebrain relative to VEGF and Vegfr2. Vegfa/VEGF is relatively more abundant in hindbrain (HB). PGF and VEGF expression were similar in midbrain. Delayed HB vascularization was seen at E10.5 and 11.5 in Pgf (-/-) brains. At E14.5, Pgf (-/-) circle of Willis showed unilateral hypoplasia and fewer collateral vessels, defects that persisted post-natally. Functionally, adult Pgf (-/-) mice experienced cerebral ischemia after left common carotid arterial occlusion while B6 mice did not. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Since Pgf (-/-) mice were used, consequences of complete absence of maternal and fetal PGF were defined. Therefore, the effects of maternal versus fetal PGF deficiency on cerebrovascular development cannot be separated. However, as PGF was strongly expressed in the developing brain at all timepoints, we suggest that local PGF has a more important role than distant maternal or placental sources. Full PGF loss is not expected in PE pregnancies, predicting that the effects of PGF deficiency identified in this model will be more severe than any effects in PE-offspring. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These studies provoke the question of whether PGF expression is decreased and cerebral vascular maldevelopment occurs in fetuses who experience a preeclamptic gestation. These individuals have already been reported to have elevated risk for stroke and cognitive impairments. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS This work was supported by awards from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to B.A.C. and by training awards from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq), Brazil to R.L.L.; Queen's University to V.R.K. and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to M.T.R. The work of P.C. is supported by the Belgian Science Policy BELSPO-IUAP7/03, Structural funding by the Flemish Government-Methusalem funding, and the Flemish Science Fund-FWO grants. There were no competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayana Leal Luna
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE, Recife, Pernambuco 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Vanessa R Kay
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Matthew T Rätsep
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Kasra Khalaj
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Mallikarjun Bidarimath
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Nichole Peterson
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Neurovascular Link, Vesalius Research Center, Department of Oncology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Albert Jin
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - B Anne Croy
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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