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Harvey-Carroll J, Stevenson TJ, Bussière LF, Spencer KA. Pre-natal exposure to glucocorticoids causes changes in developmental circadian clock gene expression and post-natal behaviour in the Japanese quail. Horm Behav 2024; 163:105562. [PMID: 38810363 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The embryonic environment is critical in shaping developmental trajectories and consequently post-natal phenotypes. Exposure to elevated stress hormones during this developmental stage is known to alter a variety of post-natal phenotypic traits, and it has been suggested that pre-natal stress can have long term effects on the circadian rhythm of glucocorticoid hormone production. Despite the importance of the circadian system, the potential impact of developmental glucocorticoid exposure on circadian clock genes, has not yet been fully explored. Here, we showed that pre-natal exposure to corticosterone (CORT, a key glucocorticoid) resulted in a significant upregulation of two key hypothalamic circadian clock genes during the embryonic period in the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Altered expression was still present 10 days into post-natal life for both genes, but then disappeared by post-natal day 28. At post-natal day 28, however, diel rhythms of eating and resting were influenced by exposure to pre-natal CORT. Males exposed to pre-natal CORT featured an earlier acrophase, alongside spending a higher proportion of time feeding. Females exposed to pre-natal CORT featured a less pronounced shift in acrophase and spent less time eating. Both males and females exposed to pre-natal CORT spent less time inactive during the day. Pre-natal CORT males appeared to feature a delay in peak activity levels. Our novel data suggest that these circadian clock genes and aspects of diurnal behaviours are highly susceptible to glucocorticoid disruption during embryonic development, and these effects are persistent across developmental stages, at least into early post-natal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Harvey-Carroll
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Tyler J Stevenson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Luc F Bussière
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland
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2
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Cissé YM, Montgomery KR, Zierden HC, Hill EM, Kane PJ, Huang W, Kane MA, Bale TL. Maternal preconception stress produces sex-specific effects at the maternal:fetal interface to impact offspring development and phenotypic outcomes†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:339-354. [PMID: 37971364 PMCID: PMC10873277 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad156] [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: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Entering pregnancy with a history of adversity, including adverse childhood experiences and racial discrimination stress, is a predictor of negative maternal and fetal health outcomes. Little is known about the biological mechanisms by which preconception adverse experiences are stored and impact future offspring health outcomes. In our maternal preconception stress (MPS) model, female mice underwent chronic stress from postnatal days 28-70 and were mated 2 weeks post-stress. Maternal preconception stress dams blunted the pregnancy-induced shift in the circulating extracellular vesicle proteome and reduced glucose tolerance at mid-gestation, suggesting a shift in pregnancy adaptation. To investigate MPS effects at the maternal:fetal interface, we probed the mid-gestation placental, uterine, and fetal brain tissue transcriptome. Male and female placentas differentially regulated expression of genes involved in growth and metabolic signaling in response to gestation in an MPS dam. We also report novel offspring sex- and MPS-specific responses in the uterine tissue apposing these placentas. In the fetal compartment, MPS female offspring reduced expression of neurodevelopmental genes. Using a ribosome-tagging transgenic approach we detected a dramatic increase in genes involved in chromatin regulation in a PVN-enriched neuronal population in females at PN21. While MPS had an additive effect on high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced weight gain in male offspring, both MPS and HFD were necessary to induce significant weight gain in female offspring. These data highlight the preconception period as a determinant of maternal health in pregnancy and provides novel insights into mechanisms by which maternal stress history impacts offspring developmental programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine M Cissé
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristen R Montgomery
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hannah C Zierden
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Hill
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patrick J Kane
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maureen A Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Zierden HC, Marx-Rattner R, Rock KD, Montgomery KR, Anastasiadis P, Folts L, Bale TL. Extracellular vesicles are dynamic regulators of maternal glucose homeostasis during pregnancy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4568. [PMID: 36941297 PMCID: PMC10027885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31425-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeostatic regulation of the maternal milieu during pregnancy is critical for maternal and fetal health. The placenta facilitates critical communication between maternal and fetal compartments, in part, through the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs enable tissue synchrony via cell-cell and long-distance communication and are at their highest circulating concentration during pregnancy. While much work has been done investigating how physiological challenges in pregnancy affect the fetus, the role of placental communication in maternal health has not been well examined. We previously identified placental O-glycosyl transferase (OGT), a glucose-sensing enzyme, as a target of maternal stress where OGT levels and activity affected the O-glycosylation of proteins critical for EV cargo loading and secretion. Here, we hypothesized that placental OGT plays an essential role in maternal homeostatic regulation during pregnancy via its regulation of maternal circulating EV concentrations. Our studies found that changes to key metabolic factors over the circadian cycle, including glucocorticoids, insulin, and glucose, were significantly associated with changes in circulating EV concentration. Targeting placental OGT in mice, we found a novel significant positive relationship between placental OGT and maternal circulating EV concentration that was associated with improving maternal glucose tolerance during pregnancy. Finally, an intravenous elevation in EVs, matching the concentration of EVs during pregnancy, shifted non-pregnant female glucose sensitivity, blunted glucose variance, and improved synchrony of glucose uptake. These data suggest an important and novel role for circulating EVs as homeostatic regulators important in maternal health during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah C Zierden
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Ruth Marx-Rattner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Kylie D Rock
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Kristen R Montgomery
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Pavlos Anastasiadis
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Lillian Folts
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- The Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women's Integrated Mental and Physical Health Research at the Ludeman Center, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, CU Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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Salimi M, Eskandari F, Khodagholi F, Abdollahifar MA, Hedayati M, Zardooz H, Keyhanmanesh R. Perinatal stress exposure induced oxidative stress, metabolism disorder, and reduced GLUT-2 in adult offspring of rats. Hormones (Athens) 2022; 21:625-640. [PMID: 35843978 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-022-00383-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Growing evidence has demonstrated that adversity in early life, especially in the prenatal and postnatal period, may change the programming of numerous body systems and cause the incidence of various disorders in later life. Accordingly, this experimental animal study aimed to investigate the effect of stress exposure during perinatal (prenatal and/or postnatal) on the induction of oxidative stress in the pancreas and its effect on glucose metabolism in adult rat offspring. METHODS In this experimental study based on maternal exposure to variable stress throughout the perinatal period, the pups were divided into eight groups, as follows: control group (C); prepregnancy, pregnancy, lactation stress group (PPPLS); prepregnancy stress group (PPS); pregnancy stress group (PS); lactation stress group (LS); prepregnancy, pregnancy stress group (PPPS); pregnancy, lactation stress group (PLS); and prepregnancy, lactation stress group (PPLS). Following an overnight fast on postnatal day (PND) 64, plasma glucose, insulin, leptin levels, and lipid profiles were evaluated in the offspring groups. GLUT-2 protein levels, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant status, and number of beta-cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans as well as the weights of intra-abdominal fat and adrenal glands were assessed. Levels of plasma corticosterone were determined in the different groups of mothers and offspring. RESULTS The levels of plasma corticosterone, insulin, and HOMA-B index increased, whereas glucose level and QUICKI index were reduced in the perinatal stress groups compared to C group (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Plasma triglyceride, LDL, and cholesterol level rose significantly, but HDL level decreased in the perinatal stress groups compared to C group (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Perinatal stress raised MDA concentrations and reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in plasma and pancreas compared to C group (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). GLUT-2 protein levels and number of beta-cells in the stress groups declined compared to C group (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Intra-abdominal fat weight decreased in the PPS, PS, and LS groups compared to C group (p < 0.001 to p < 0.01), but adrenal gland weight remained unchanged. CONCLUSION Our results showed that long-term exposure to elevated levels of corticosterone during critical development induces metabolic syndrome in adult male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Salimi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 5166614756, Tabriz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Eskandari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 19615-1178, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Khodagholi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Hedayati
- Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Homeira Zardooz
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 19615-1178, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Rana Keyhanmanesh
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Maternal stress induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and impaired pancreatic islets’ insulin secretion via glucocorticoid receptor upregulation in adult male rat offspring. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12552. [PMID: 35869151 PMCID: PMC9307850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16621-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to perinatal (prenatal and/or postnatal) stress is considered as a risk factor for metabolic disorders in later life. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the perinatal stress effects on the pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, insulin secretion impairment and WFS1 (wolframin ER transmembrane Glycoprotein, which is involved in ER homeostasis and insulin secretion) expression changes, in rat offspring. According to the dams’ period of exposure to variable stress, their male offspring were divided into, control (CTRL); pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, lactation stress (PPPLS); pre-pregnancy stress (PPS); pregnancy stress (PS); lactation stress (LS); pre-pregnancy, pregnancy stress (PPPS); pregnancy, lactation stress (PLS); pre-pregnancy, lactation stress (PPLS) groups. Offspring pancreases were removed for ER extraction and the assessment of ER stress biomarkers, WFS1 gene DNA methylation, and isolated islets’ insulin secretion. Glucose tolerance was also tested. In the stressed groups, maternal stress significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels. In PPS, PS, and PPPS groups, maternal stress increased Bip (Hsp70; heat shock protein family A member 4), Chop (Ddit3; DNA- damage inducible transcript3), and WFS1 protein levels in pancreatic extracted ER. Moreover, the islets’ insulin secretion and content along with glucose tolerance were impaired in these groups. In PPS, PS, LS and PPPS groups, the pancreatic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression increased. Maternal stress did not affect pancreatic WFS1 DNA methylation. Thus, maternal stress, during prenatal period, impaired the islets’ insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis in adult male offspring, possibly through the induction of ER stress and GR expression in the pancreas, in this regard the role of WFS1 protein alteration in pancreatic ER should also be considered.
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Zubcevic J, Watkins J, Lin C, Bautista B, Hatch HM, Tevosian SG, Hayward LF. Nicotine Exposure during Rodent Pregnancy Alters the Composition of Maternal Gut Microbiota and Abundance of Maternal and Amniotic Short Chain Fatty Acids. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12080735. [PMID: 36005607 PMCID: PMC9414314 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12080735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Numerous reports link smoking in pregnancy with serious adverse outcomes, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, perinatal morbidity, and infant mortality. Corollaries of consuming nicotine in pregnancy, separate from smoking, are less explored, and the mechanisms of nicotine action on maternal–fetal communication are poorly understood. This study examined alterations in the maternal gut microbiome in response to nicotine exposure during pregnancy. We report that changes in the maternal gut microbiota milieu are an important intermediary that may mediate the prenatal nicotine exposure effects, affect gene expression, and alter fetal exposure to circulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and leptin during in utero development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasenka Zubcevic
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); (S.G.T.)
| | - Jacqueline Watkins
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Cindy Lin
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Byrell Bautista
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Heather M. Hatch
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sergei G. Tevosian
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); (S.G.T.)
| | - Linda F. Hayward
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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7
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Reemst K, Ruigrok SR, Bleker L, Naninck EFG, Ernst T, Kotah JM, Lucassen PJ, Roseboom TJ, Pollux BJA, de Rooij SR, Korosi A. Sex-dependence and comorbidities of the early-life adversity induced mental and metabolic disease risks: Where are we at? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104627. [PMID: 35339483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) is a major risk factor for developing later-life mental and metabolic disorders. However, if and to what extent ELA contributes to the comorbidity and sex-dependent prevalence/presentation of these disorders remains unclear. We here comprehensively review and integrate human and rodent ELA (pre- and postnatal) studies examining mental or metabolic health in both sexes and discuss the role of the placenta and maternal milk, key in transferring maternal effects to the offspring. We conclude that ELA impacts mental and metabolic health with sex-specific presentations that depend on timing of exposure, and that human and rodent studies largely converge in their findings. ELA is more often reported to impact cognitive and externalizing domains in males, internalizing behaviors in both sexes and concerning the metabolic dimension, adiposity in females and insulin sensitivity in males. Thus, ELA seems to be involved in the origin of the comorbidity and sex-specific prevalence/presentation of some of the most common disorders in our society. Therefore, ELA-induced disease states deserve specific preventive and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Reemst
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Silvie R Ruigrok
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Bleker
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva F G Naninck
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tiffany Ernst
- Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology &Evolutionary Biology Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Janssen M Kotah
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart J A Pollux
- Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology &Evolutionary Biology Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Bastianini S, Lo Martire V, Alvente S, Berteotti C, Matteoli G, Rullo L, Stamatakos S, Silvani A, Candeletti S, Romualdi P, Cohen G, Zoccoli G. Early-life nicotine or cotinine exposure produces long-lasting sleep alterations and downregulation of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors in adult mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23897. [PMID: 34903845 PMCID: PMC8668915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03468-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life exposure to environmental toxins like tobacco can permanently re-program body structure and function. Here, we investigated the long-term effects on mouse adult sleep phenotype exerted by early-life exposure to nicotine or to its principal metabolite, cotinine. Moreover, we investigated whether these effects occurred together with a reprogramming of the activity of the hippocampus, a key structure to coordinate the hormonal stress response. Adult male mice born from dams subjected to nicotine (NIC), cotinine (COT) or vehicle (CTRL) treatment in drinking water were implanted with electrodes for sleep recordings. NIC and COT mice spent significantly more time awake than CTRL mice at the transition between the rest (light) and the activity (dark) period. NIC and COT mice showed hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) downregulation compared to CTRL mice, and NIC mice also showed hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor downregulation. Hippocampal GR expression significantly and inversely correlated with the amount of wakefulness at the light-to-dark transition, while no changes in DNA methylation were found. We demonstrated that early-life exposure to nicotine (and cotinine) concomitantly entails long-lasting reprogramming of hippocampal activity and sleep phenotype suggesting that the adult sleep phenotype may be modulated by events that occurred during that critical period of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Bastianini
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Viviana Lo Martire
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara Alvente
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Berteotti
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gabriele Matteoli
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Rullo
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Serena Stamatakos
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Silvani
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sanzio Candeletti
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Romualdi
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gary Cohen
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.412703.30000 0004 0587 9093Centre for Sleep Health and Research, Sleep Investigation Laboratory, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Giovanna Zoccoli
- PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
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9
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Abuaish S, Lavergne SG, Hing B, St-Cyr S, Spinieli RL, Boonstra R, McGowan PO. Sex-specific maternal programming of corticosteroid-binding globulin by predator odour. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211908. [PMID: 34847769 PMCID: PMC8634628 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is a key organizing force in ecosystems. The threat of predation may act to programme the endocrine hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during development to prepare offspring for the environment they are likely to encounter. Such effects are typically investigated through the measurement of corticosteroids (Cort). Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) plays a key role in regulating the bioavailability of Cort, with only free unbound Cort being biologically active. We investigated the effects of prenatal predator odour exposure (POE) in mice on offspring CBG and its impact on Cort dynamics before, during and after restraint stress in adulthood. POE males, but not females, had significantly higher serum CBG at baseline and during restraint and lower circulating levels of Free Cort. Restraint stress was associated with reduced liver transcript abundance of SerpinA6 (CBG-encoding gene) only in control males. POE did not affect SerpinA6 promoter DNA methylation. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to a natural stressor led to increased CBG levels, decreased per cent of Free Cort relative to total and inhibited restraint stress-induced downregulation of CBG transcription. These changes suggest an adaptive response to a high predator risk environment in males but not females that could buffer male offspring from chronic Cort exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameera Abuaish
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophia G. Lavergne
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Hing
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Bowen Science Building 6-509, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sophie St-Cyr
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard L. Spinieli
- Psychobiology Graduate Program, School of Philosophy, Science and Literature of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick O. McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Stress & sleep: A relationship lasting a lifetime. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:65-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Sex-dependent metabolic effects of pregestational exercise on prenatally stressed mice. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020; 12:271-279. [PMID: 32406352 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174420000343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Stressful events during the prenatal period have been related to hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses as well as metabolic changes in adult life. Moreover, regular exercise may contribute to the improvement of the symptoms associated with stress and stress-related chronic diseases. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of exercise, before the gestation period, on the metabolic changes induced by prenatal stress in adult mice. Female Balb/c mice were divided into three groups: control (CON), prenatal restraint stress (PNS) and exercise before the gestational period plus PNS (EX + PNS). When adults, the plasmatic biochemical analysis, oxidative stress, gene expression of metabolic-related receptors and sex differences were assessed in the offspring. Prenatal stress decreased neonatal and adult body weight when compared to the pregestational exercise group. Moreover, prenatal stress was associated with reduced body weight in adult males. PNS and EX + PNS females showed decreased hepatic catalase. Pregestational exercise prevented the stress-induced cholesterol increase in females but did not prevent the liver mRNA expression reduction on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α and γ in PNS females. Conversely, PNS and EX + PNS males showed an increased PPARα mRNA expression. In conclusion, pregestational exercise prevented some effects of prenatal stress on metabolic markers in a sex-specific manner.
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12
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Maternal stress in relation to sex-specific expression of placental genes involved in nutrient transport, oxygen tension, immune response, and the glucocorticoid barrier. Placenta 2020; 96:19-26. [PMID: 32421529 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Murine models provide evidence that maternal stress during pregnancy can influence placenta morphology and function, including altered expression of genes involved in the maintenance and progression of pregnancy and fetal development. Corresponding research evaluating the impact of maternal stress on placental gene expression in humans is limited. We examined maternal stress in relation to placental expression of 17 candidate genes in a community-based sample. METHODS Participants included 60 mother-newborn pairs enrolled in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms pregnancy cohort based at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Placentas were collected immediately following delivery and gene expression was measured using a qPCR-based platform. Maternal experiences of traumatic and non-traumatic stress were measured using the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R) administered during a mid-pregnancy interview. We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between LSC-R scores and expression of each gene in separate models in the sample overall and stratified by fetal sex. RESULTS Higher maternal stress was associated with significantly increased placental expression of the nutrient sensor gene OGT, the glucose transporter gene GLUT1, and the hypoxia sensor gene HIF3A. In models stratified by fetal sex, significant associations remained only among males. DISCUSSION This study represents one of the most comprehensive examinations of maternal lifetime traumatic and non-traumatic stress in relation to placental gene expression in human tissue. Our findings support that maternal stress may alter sex-specific placental expression of genes involved in critical developmental processes.
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13
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Placental programming of neuropsychiatric disease. Pediatr Res 2019; 86:157-164. [PMID: 31003234 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0405-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The placenta is vital for fetal growth, and compromised function is associated with abnormal development, especially of the brain. Linking placental function to brain development is a new field we have dubbed neuroplacentology. Approximately 380,000 infants in the United States each year abruptly lose placental support upon premature birth, and more than 10% of pregnancies are affected by more insidious placental dysfunction such as preeclampsia or infection. Abnormal fetal brain development or injury can lead to life-long neurological impairments, including psychiatric disorders. The majority of research connecting placental compromise to fetal brain injury has focused on gas exchange or nutritional programming, neglecting the placenta's essential neuroendocrine role. We will review the current evidence that placental dysfunction, particularly endocrine dysfunction, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, or barrier breakdown may place many thousands of fetuses at risk for life-long neurodevelopmental impairments each year. Understanding how specific placental factors shape brain development and increase the risk for later psychiatric disorders, including autism, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia, paves the way for novel treatment strategies to maintain the normal developmental milieu and protect from further injury.
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Dowell J, Elser BA, Schroeder RE, Stevens HE. Cellular stress mechanisms of prenatal maternal stress: Heat shock factors and oxidative stress. Neurosci Lett 2019; 709:134368. [PMID: 31299286 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Development of the brain prenatally is affected by maternal experience and exposure. Prenatal maternal psychological stress changes brain development and results in increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, multiple levels of prenatal stress mechanisms (offspring brain, placenta, and maternal physiology) are discussed and their intersection with cellular stress mechanisms explicated. Heat shock factors and oxidative stress are closely related to each other and converge with the inflammation, hormones, and cellular development that have been more deeply explored as the basis of prenatal stress risk. Increasing evidence implicates cellular stress mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders associated with prenatal stress including affective disorders, schizophrenia, and child-onset psychiatric disorders. Heat shock factors and oxidative stress also have links with the mechanisms involved in other kinds of prenatal stress including external exposures such as environmental toxicants and internal disruptions such as preeclampsia. Integrative understanding of developmental neurobiology with these cellular and physiological mechanisms is necessary to reduce risks and promote healthy brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Dowell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Benjamin A Elser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Rachel E Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Hanna E Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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15
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Cordner ZA, Khambadkone SG, Boersma GJ, Song L, Summers TN, Moran TH, Tamashiro KLK. Maternal high-fat diet results in cognitive impairment and hippocampal gene expression changes in rat offspring. Exp Neurol 2019; 318:92-100. [PMID: 31051155 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of a high-fat diet has long been known to increase risk for obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. Further evidence strongly suggests that these same metabolic disorders are associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment later in life. Now faced with an expanding global burden of obesity and increasing prevalence of dementia due to an aging population, understanding the effects of high-fat diet consumption on cognition is of increasingly critical importance. Further, the developmental origins of many adult onset neuropsychiatric disorders have become increasingly clear, indicating a need to investigate effects of various risk factors, including diet, across the lifespan. Here, we use a rat model to assess the effects of maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation on cognition and hippocampal gene expression of offspring. Behaviorally, adult male offspring of high-fat fed dams had impaired object recognition memory and impaired spatial memory compared to offspring of chow-fed dams. In hippocampus, we found decreased expression of Insr, Lepr, and Slc2a1 (GLUT1) among offspring of high-fat fed dams at postnatal day 21. The decreased expression of Insr and Lepr persisted at postnatal day 150. Together, these data provide additional evidence to suggest that maternal exposure to high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation can have lasting effects on the brain, behavior, and cognition on adult offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A Cordner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Seva G Khambadkone
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular & Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gretha J Boersma
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lin Song
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tyler N Summers
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Timothy H Moran
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular & Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kellie L K Tamashiro
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular & Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 618, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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16
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Wilsterman K, Gotlieb N, Kriegsfeld LJ, Bentley GE. Pregnancy stage determines the effect of chronic stress on ovarian progesterone synthesis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2018; 315:E987-E994. [PMID: 30106623 PMCID: PMC6293174 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00183.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Although stress-induced glucocorticoid release is thought to be a primary driver by which maternal stress negatively impacts pregnancy outcomes, the downstream neuroendocrine targets mediating these adverse outcomes are less well understood. We hypothesized that stress-induced glucocorticoid secretion inhibits pituitary hormone secretion, resulting in decreased ovarian progesterone synthesis. Using a chronic restraint model of stress in mice, we quantified steroid hormone production, pituitary hormones, and expression of ovarian genes that support progesterone production at both early ( day 5) and midpregnancy ( day 10). Females subjected to daily restraint had elevated baseline glucocorticoids during both early and midpregnancy; however, lower circulating progesterone was observed only during early pregnancy. Lower progesterone production was associated with lower expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the ovary of restrained females during early pregnancy. There were no stress-related changes to luteinizing hormone (LH) or prolactin (PRL). By midpregnancy, circulating LH decreased regardless of treatment, and this was associated with downregulation of ovarian steroidogenic gene expression. Our results are consistent with a role for LH in maintaining steroidogenic enzyme expression in the ovary, but neither circulating PRL nor LH were associated with the stress-induced inhibition of ovarian progesterone production during early pregnancy. We conclude that chronic stress impacts endocrine networks differently in pregnant and nonpregnant mammals. These findings underscore the need for further studies exploring dynamic changes in endocrine networks participating in pregnancy initiation and progression to elucidate the physiological mechanisms that connect stress exposure to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Wilsterman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, California
| | - Neta Gotlieb
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, California
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, California
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, California
| | - George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, California
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, California
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17
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Schroeder M, Jakovcevski M, Polacheck T, Drori Y, Ben-Dor S, Röh S, Chen A. Sex dependent impact of gestational stress on predisposition to eating disorders and metabolic disease. Mol Metab 2018; 17:1-16. [PMID: 30174229 PMCID: PMC6197785 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Vulnerability to eating disorders (EDs) is broadly assumed to be associated with early life stress. However, a careful examination of the literature shows that susceptibility to EDs may depend on the type, severity and timing of the stressor and the sex of the individual. We aimed at exploring the link between chronic prenatal stress and predisposition to EDs and metabolic disease. METHODS We used a chronic variable stress protocol during gestation to explore the metabolic response of male and female offspring to food restriction (FR), activity-based anorexia (ABA), binge eating (BE) and exposure to high fat (HF) diet. RESULTS Contrary to controls, prenatally stressed (PNS) female offspring showed resistance to ABA and BE and displayed a lower metabolic rate leading to hyperadiposity and obesity on HF diet. Male PNS offspring showed healthy responses to FR and ABA, increased propensity to binge and improved coping with HF compared to controls. We found that long-lasting abnormal responses to metabolic challenge are linked to fetal programming and adult hypothalamic dysregulation in PNS females, resulting from sexually dimorphic adaptations in placental methylation and gene expression. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that maternal stress may have variable and even opposing effects on ED risk, depending on the ED and the sex of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schroeder
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany.
| | - Mira Jakovcevski
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany
| | - Tamar Polacheck
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yonat Drori
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- Bioinformatics and Biological Computing Unit, Biological Services, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Simone Röh
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany.
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18
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Jašarević E, Howard CD, Morrison K, Misic A, Weinkopff T, Scott P, Hunter C, Beiting D, Bale TL. The maternal vaginal microbiome partially mediates the effects of prenatal stress on offspring gut and hypothalamus. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:1061-1071. [PMID: 29988069 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0182-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Early prenatal stress disrupts maternal-to-offspring microbiota transmission and has lasting effects on metabolism, physiology, cognition, and behavior in male mice. Here we show that transplantation of maternal vaginal microbiota from stressed dams into naive pups delivered by cesarean section had effects that partly resembled those seen in prenatally stressed males. However, transplantation of control maternal vaginal microbiota into prenatally stressed pups delivered by cesarean section did not rescue the prenatal-stress phenotype. Prenatal stress was associated with alterations in the fetal intestinal transcriptome and niche, as well as with changes in the adult gut that were altered by additional stress exposure in adulthood. Further, maternal vaginal transfer also partially mediated the effects of prenatal stress on hypothalamic gene expression, as observed after chronic stress in adulthood. These findings suggest that the maternal vaginal microbiota contribute to the lasting effects of prenatal stress on gut and hypothalamus in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldin Jašarević
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher D Howard
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen Morrison
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ana Misic
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tiffany Weinkopff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Phillip Scott
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Hunter
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Beiting
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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19
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Placental H3K27me3 establishes female resilience to prenatal insults. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2555. [PMID: 29967448 PMCID: PMC6028627 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04992-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sex biases in disease presentation are well documented, the mechanisms mediating vulnerability or resilience to diseases are unknown. In utero insults are more likely to produce detrimental health outcomes for males versus females. In our mouse model of prenatal stress, male offspring experience long-term dysregulation of body weight and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal stress axis dysfunction, endophenotypes of male-biased neurodevelopmental disorders. Placental function is critical for healthy fetal development, and we previously showed that sex differences in placental O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) mediate the effects of prenatal stress on neurodevelopmental programming. Here we show that one mechanism whereby sex differences in OGT confer variation in vulnerability to prenatal insults is by establishing sex-specific trophoblast gene expression patterns and via regulation of the canonically repressive epigenetic modification, H3K27me3. We demonstrate that high levels of H3K27me3 in the female placenta create resilience to the altered hypothalamic programming associated with prenatal stress exposure. Sex differences in placental O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) activity mediate the effects of prenatal stress on neurodevelopmental programming. Here authors provide evidence that OGT confers variation in vulnerability to prenatal insults by establishing sex-specific trophoblast gene expression via regulation of H3K27me3.
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20
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Strakovsky RS, Schantz SL. Impacts of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate exposures on epigenetic outcomes in the human placenta. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2018; 4:dvy022. [PMID: 30210810 PMCID: PMC6128378 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The placenta guides fetal growth and development. Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are widespread environmental contaminants and endocrine disruptors, and the placental epigenetic response to these chemicals is an area of growing research interest. Therefore, our objective was to summarize research linking BPA or phthalate exposure to placental outcomes in human pregnancies, with a particular focus on epigenetic endpoints. In PubMed, studies were selected for review (without limiting start date and ending on 1 May 2018) if they reported any direct effects of BPA or phthalates on the placenta in humans. Collectively, available studies suggest that BPA and phthalate exposures are associated with changes to placental micro-RNA expression, DNA methylation, and genomic imprinting. Furthermore, several studies suggest that fetal sex may be an important modifier of placental outcomes in response to these chemicals. Studies in humans demonstrate associations of BPA and phthalate exposure with adverse placental outcomes. Moving forward, more studies should consider sex differences (termed "placental sex") in the measured outcomes, and should utilize appropriate statistical approaches to assess modification by fetal sex. Furthermore, more consistent sample collection and molecular outcome assessment paradigms will be indispensable for making progress in the field. These advances, together with improved non-invasive tools for measuring placental function and outcomes across pregnancy, will be critical for understanding the mechanisms driving placental epigenetic disruption in response to BPA and phthalates, and how these disruptions translate into placental and fetal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita S Strakovsky
- The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 236C Trout Building, 469 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Correspondence address. The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 236C Trout Building, 469 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA. Tel: 517-353-3352; Fax: 517-353-8963; E-mail:
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, 2347 Beckman Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL, USA
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21
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Placental miR-340 mediates vulnerability to activity based anorexia in mice. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1596. [PMID: 29686286 PMCID: PMC5913294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03836-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a devastating eating disorder characterized by self-starvation that mainly affects women. Its etiology is unknown, which impedes successful treatment options leading to a limited chance of full recovery. Here, we show that gestation is a vulnerable window that can influence the predisposition to AN. By screening placental microRNA expression of naive and prenatally stressed (PNS) fetuses and assessing vulnerability to activity-based anorexia (ABA), we identify miR-340 as a sexually dimorphic regulator involved in prenatal programming of ABA. PNS caused gene-body hypermethylation of placental miR-340, which is associated with reduced miR-340 expression and increased protein levels of several target transcripts, GR, Cry2 and H3F3b. MiR-340 is linked to the expression of several nutrient transporters both in mice and human placentas. Using placenta-specific lentiviral transgenes and embryo transfer, we demonstrate the key role miR-340 plays in the mechanism involved in early life programming of ABA. Anorexia nervosa is characterised by self-starvation but its etiology is not completely understood. Here the authors describe how prenatal stress can induce activity-based anorexia in the offspring during early adulthood by upregulating miR-340 expression in the placenta that affects expression of nutrient transporters.
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22
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St-Cyr S, McGowan PO. Adaptation or pathology? The role of prenatal stressor type and intensity in the developmental programing of adult phenotype. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 66:113-124. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Schroeder M, Drori Y, Ben-Efraim YJ, Chen A. Hypothalamic miR-219 regulates individual metabolic differences in response to diet-induced weight cycling. Mol Metab 2018; 9:176-186. [PMID: 29398616 PMCID: PMC5870106 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Consumption of a low calorie diet is the most common approach to lose weight. While generally effective at first, it is frequently followed by a relapse where the pre-diet weight is regained, and often exceeded. This pattern of repeated weight loss/regain is referred to as weight cycling and the resulting metabolic response varies greatly between individuals. Objective We attempted to address the issue of individual differences in the response to weight cycling in male mice. Methods We first exposed adult wild type mice to repeated cycles of high/low fat food. Next, using a lentiviral approach, we knocked-down or over-expressed miR-219 in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of an additional mouse cohort and performed a full metabolic assessment. Results Exposure of wild type males to weight cycling resulted in the division of the cohort into subsets of resistant versus metabolic-syndrome-prone (MS) animals, which differed in their metabolic profile and hypothalamic miR-219 levels. Lentiviral knock-down of miR-219 in the VMH led to exacerbation of metabolic syndrome. In contrast, over-expression of miR-219 resulted in moderation of the metabolic syndrome phenotype. Conclusions Our results suggest a role for miR-219 in the mediation of the metabolic phenotype resulting from repeated weight cycling. Repeated cycles of high fat diet induce different responses in adult males. Low miR-219 in ventromedial hypothalamus are linked to metabolic-syndrome proneness. Lentiviral knockdown of miR-219 induces metabolic-syndrome-prone phenotype. Lentiviral overexpression of miR-219 provides moderate protection from metabolic-syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schroeder
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany.
| | - Yonat Drori
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany
| | - Yair J Ben-Efraim
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany.
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24
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Abstract
Prenatal insults, such as maternal stress, are associated with an increased neurodevelopmental disease risk and impact males significantly more than females, including increased rates of autism, mental retardation, stuttering, dyslexia, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sex differences in the placenta, which begin with sex chromosomes, are likely to produce sex-specific transplacental signals to the developing brain. Our studies and others have identified X-linked genes that are expressed at higher levels in the female placenta. Through a genome-wide screen after maternal stress in mice, we identified the X-linked gene O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) and demonstrated its causality in neurodevelopmental programming producing a male-specific stress phenotype. Elucidating the sex-specific molecular mechanisms involved in transplacental signals that impact brain development is key to understanding the sex bias in neurodevelopmental disorders and is expected to yield novel insight into disease risk and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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25
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Abstract
Prenatal stress mediated through the mother can lead to long-term adaptations in stress-related phenotypes in offspring. This study tested the long-lasting effect of prenatal exposure to predator odor, an ethologically relevant and psychogenic stressor, in the second half of pregnancy. As adults, the offspring of predator odor-exposed mothers showed increased anxiety-like behaviors in commonly used laboratory tasks assessing novelty-induced anxiety, increased defensive behavior in males and increased ACTH stress reactivity in females in response to predator odor. Female offspring from predator odor-exposed dams showed increased transcript abundance of glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) on the day of birth and FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) in adulthood in the amygdala. The increase in FKBP5 expression was associated with decreased DNA methylation in Fkbp5 intron V. These results indicate a sex-specific response to maternal programming by prenatal predator odor exposure and a potential epigenetic mechanism linking these responses with modifications of the stress axis in females. These results are in accordance with the mismatch hypothesis stating that an animal's response to cues within its life history reflects environmental conditions anticipated during important developmental periods and should be adaptive when these conditions are concurring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie St-Cyr
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sameera Abuaish
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shathveekan Sivanathan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick O McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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26
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Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Sandovici I, Constancia M, Fowden AL. Placental phenotype and the insulin-like growth factors: resource allocation to fetal growth. J Physiol 2017; 595:5057-5093. [PMID: 28337745 DOI: 10.1113/jp273330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is the main determinant of fetal growth and development in utero. It supplies all the nutrients and oxygen required for fetal growth and secretes hormones that facilitate maternal allocation of nutrients to the fetus. Furthermore, the placenta responds to nutritional and metabolic signals in the mother by altering its structural and functional phenotype, which can lead to changes in maternal resource allocation to the fetus. The molecular mechanisms by which the placenta senses and responds to environmental cues are poorly understood. This review discusses the role of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) in controlling placental resource allocation to fetal growth, particularly in response to adverse gestational environments. In particular, it assesses the impact of the IGFs and their signalling machinery on placental morphogenesis, substrate transport and hormone secretion, primarily in the laboratory species, although it draws on data from human and other species where relevant. It also considers the role of the IGFs as environmental signals in linking resource availability to fetal growth through changes in the morphological and functional phenotype of the placenta. As altered fetal growth is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality and a greater risk of developing adult-onset diseases in later life, understanding the role of IGFs during pregnancy in regulating placental resource allocation to fetal growth is important for identifying the mechanisms underlying the developmental programming of offspring phenotype by suboptimal intrauterine growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Ionel Sandovici
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SW, UK
| | - Miguel Constancia
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SW, UK
| | - Abigail L Fowden
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
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27
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Stress during pregnancy alters temporal and spatial dynamics of the maternal and offspring microbiome in a sex-specific manner. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44182. [PMID: 28266645 PMCID: PMC5339804 DOI: 10.1038/srep44182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome is a regulator of host immunity, metabolism, neurodevelopment, and behavior. During early life, bacterial communities within maternal gut and vaginal compartments can have an impact on directing these processes. Maternal stress experience during pregnancy may impact offspring development by altering the temporal and spatial dynamics of the maternal microbiome during pregnancy. To examine the hypothesis that maternal stress disrupts gut and vaginal microbial dynamics during critical prenatal and postnatal windows, we used high-resolution 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing to examine outcomes in our mouse model of early prenatal stress. Consistent with predictions, maternal fecal communities shift across pregnancy, a process that is disrupted by stress. Vaginal bacterial community structure and composition exhibit lasting disruption following stress exposure. Comparison of maternal and offspring microbiota revealed that similarities in bacterial community composition was predicted by a complex interaction between maternal body niche and offspring age and sex. Importantly, early prenatal stress influenced offspring bacterial community assembly in a temporal and sex-specific manner. Taken together, our results demonstrate that early prenatal stress may influence offspring development through converging modifications to gut microbial composition during pregnancy and transmission of dysbiotic vaginal microbiome at birth.
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28
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Nguyen TV, Ducharme S, Karama S. Effects of Sex Steroids in the Human Brain. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:7507-7519. [PMID: 27822715 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0198-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Sex steroids are thought to play a critical developmental role in shaping both cortical and subcortical structures in the human brain. Periods of profound changes in sex steroids invariably coincide with the onset of sex differences in mental health vulnerability, highlighting the importance of sex steroids in determining sexual differentiation of the brain. Yet, most of the evidence for the central effects of sex steroids relies on non-human studies, as several challenges have limited our understanding of these effects in humans: the lack of systematic assessment of the human sex steroid metabolome, the different developmental trajectories of specific sex steroids, the impact of genetic variation and epigenetic changes, and the plethora of interactions between sex steroids, sex chromosomes, neurotransmitters, and other hormonal systems. Here we review how multimodal strategies may be employed to bridge the gap between the basic and clinical understanding of sex steroid-related changes in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.,McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Sherif Karama
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada. .,Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada.
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29
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Harrell CS, Gillespie CF, Neigh GN. Energetic stress: The reciprocal relationship between energy availability and the stress response. Physiol Behav 2016; 166:43-55. [PMID: 26454211 PMCID: PMC4826641 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The worldwide epidemic of metabolic syndromes and the recognized burden of mental health disorders have driven increased research into the relationship between the two. A maladaptive stress response is implicated in both mental health disorders and metabolic disorders, implicating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a key mediator of this relationship. This review explores how an altered energetic state, such as hyper- or hypoglycemia, as may be manifested in obesity or diabetes, affects the stress response and the HPA axis in particular. We propose that changes in energetic state or energetic demands can result in "energetic stress" that can, if prolonged, lead to a dysfunctional stress response. In this review, we summarize the role of the hypothalamus in modulating energy homeostasis and then briefly discuss the relationship between metabolism and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Next, we examine seven mechanisms whereby energetic stress interacts with neuroendocrine stress response systems, including by glucocorticoid signaling both within and beyond the HPA axis; by nutrient-induced changes in glucocorticoid signaling; by impacting the sympathetic nervous system; through changes in other neuroendocrine factors; by inducing inflammatory changes; and by altering the gut-brain axis. Recognizing these effects of energetic stress can drive novel therapies and prevention strategies for mental health disorders, including dietary intervention, probiotics, and even fecal transplant.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Harrell
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - C F Gillespie
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - G N Neigh
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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30
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Massart R, Suderman MJ, Nemoda Z, Sutti S, Ruggiero AM, Dettmer AM, Suomi SJ, Szyf M. The Signature of Maternal Social Rank in Placenta Deoxyribonucleic Acid Methylation Profiles in Rhesus Monkeys. Child Dev 2016; 88:900-918. [PMID: 27739069 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The effects of social status on human health can be modeled in captive cohorts of nonhuman primates. This study shows that maternal social rank is associated with broad changes in DNA methylation in placentae of rhesus monkeys (N = 10). Differentially methylated genes between social ranks are enriched in signaling pathways playing major roles in placenta physiology. Moreover, the authors found significant overlaps with genes whose expression was previously associated with social rank in adult rhesus monkeys (Tung et al., 2012) and whose methylation was associated with perinatal stress in newborn humans and rhesus monkeys (Nieratschker et al., 2014). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that system-wide epigenetic changes in multiple tissues are involved in long-term adaptations to the social environment.
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Sheen JM, Hsieh CS, Tain YL, Li SW, Yu HR, Chen CC, Tiao MM, Chen YC, Huang LT. Programming Effects of Prenatal Glucocorticoid Exposure with a Postnatal High-Fat Diet in Diabetes Mellitus. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:533. [PMID: 27070590 PMCID: PMC4848989 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17040533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence has shown that many chronic diseases originate from early life, even before birth, through what are termed as fetal programming effects. Glucocorticoids are frequently used prenatally to accelerate the maturation of the lungs of premature infants. High-fat diets are associated with insulin resistance, but the effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure plus a postnatal high-fat diet in diabetes mellitus remain unclear. We administered pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats’ intraperitoneal dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle at gestational days 14–20. Male offspring were administered a normal or high-fat diet starting from weaning. We assessed the effects of prenatal steroid exposure plus postnatal high-fat diet on the liver, pancreas, muscle and fat at postnatal day 120. At 15 and 30 min, sugar levels were higher in the dexamethasone plus high-fat diet (DHF) group than the vehicle plus high-fat diet (VHF) group in the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT). Serum insulin levels at 15, 30 and 60 min were significantly higher in the VHF group than in the vehicle and normal diet group. Liver insulin receptor and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase mRNA expressions and protein levels were lower in the DHF group. Insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 mRNA expressions were lower in the epididymal adipose tissue in the VHF and DHF groups. “Programming” of liver or epididymal adipose tissue resulted from prenatal events. Prenatal steroid exposure worsened insulin resistance in animals fed a high-fat diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiunn-Ming Sheen
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Sung Hsieh
- Department of Medical Administration, Pu-Li Christian Hospital, Pu-Li, Nantou 545, Taiwan.
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi-Nan University, Pu-Li, Nantou 545, Taiwan.
| | - You-Lin Tain
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Shih-Wen Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Hong-Ren Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Miao-Meng Tiao
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Chieh Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
| | - Li-Tung Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
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32
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Jašarević E, Morrison KE, Bale TL. Sex differences in the gut microbiome-brain axis across the lifespan. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150122. [PMID: 26833840 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the brain has emerged as a factor that influences immunity, metabolism, neurodevelopment and behaviour. Cross-talk between the gut and brain begins early in life immediately following the transition from a sterile in utero environment to one that is exposed to a changing and complex microbial milieu over a lifetime. Once established, communication between the gut and brain integrates information from the autonomic and enteric nervous systems, neuroendocrine and neuroimmune signals, and peripheral immune and metabolic signals. Importantly, the composition and functional potential of the gut microbiome undergoes many transitions that parallel dynamic periods of brain development and maturation for which distinct sex differences have been identified. Here, we discuss the sexually dimorphic development, maturation and maintenance of the gut microbiome-brain axis, and the sex differences therein important in disease risk and resilience throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathleen E Morrison
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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33
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Bronson SL, Bale TL. The Placenta as a Mediator of Stress Effects on Neurodevelopmental Reprogramming. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:207-18. [PMID: 26250599 PMCID: PMC4677129 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adversity experienced during gestation is a predictor of lifetime neuropsychiatric disease susceptibility. Specifically, maternal stress during pregnancy predisposes offspring to sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. Animal models have demonstrated disease-relevant endophenotypes in prenatally stressed offspring and have provided unique insight into potential programmatic mechanisms. The placenta has a critical role in the deleterious and sex-specific effects of maternal stress and other fetal exposures on the developing brain. Stress-induced perturbations of the maternal milieu are conveyed to the embryo via the placenta, the maternal-fetal intermediary responsible for maintaining intrauterine homeostasis. Disruption of vital placental functions can have a significant impact on fetal development, including the brain, outcomes that are largely sex-specific. Here we review the novel involvement of the placenta in the transmission of the maternal adverse environment and effects on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie L Bronson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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34
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Harrell CS, Burgado J, Kelly SD, Johnson ZP, Neigh GN. High-fructose diet during periadolescent development increases depressive-like behavior and remodels the hypothalamic transcriptome in male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 62:252-64. [PMID: 26356038 PMCID: PMC4637272 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fructose consumption, which promotes insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, has increased by over 25% since the 1970s. In addition to metabolic dysregulation, fructose ingestion stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to elevations in glucocorticoids. Adolescents are the greatest consumers of fructose, and adolescence is a critical period for maturation of the HPA axis. Repeated consumption of high levels of fructose during adolescence has the potential to promote long-term dysregulation of the stress response. Therefore, we determined the extent to which consumption of a diet high in fructose affected behavior, serum corticosterone, and hypothalamic gene expression using a whole-transcriptomics approach. In addition, we examined the potential of a high-fructose diet to interact with exposure to chronic adolescent stress. Male Wistar rats fed the periadolescent high-fructose diet showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test in adulthood, irrespective of stress history. Periadolescent fructose-fed rats also exhibited elevated basal corticosterone concentrations relative to their chow-fed peers. These behavioral and hormonal responses to the high-fructose diet did not occur in rats fed fructose during adulthood only. Finally, rats fed the high-fructose diet throughout development underwent marked hypothalamic transcript expression remodeling, with 966 genes (5.6%) significantly altered and a pronounced enrichment of significantly altered transcripts in several pathways relating to regulation of the HPA axis. Collectively, the data presented herein indicate that diet, specifically one high in fructose, has the potential to alter behavior, HPA axis function, and the hypothalamic transcriptome in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jillybeth Burgado
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Sean D Kelly
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Zachary P Johnson
- Division of Developmental & Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, USA
| | - Gretchen N Neigh
- Department of Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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35
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The omniscient placenta: Metabolic and epigenetic regulation of fetal programming. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 39:28-37. [PMID: 26368654 PMCID: PMC4681645 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fetal development could be considered a sensitive period wherein exogenous insults and changes to the maternal milieu can have long-term impacts on developmental programming. The placenta provides the fetus with protection and necessary nutrients for growth, and responds to maternal cues and changes in nutrient signaling through multiple epigenetic mechanisms. The X-linked enzyme O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) acts as a nutrient sensor that modifies numerous proteins to alter various cellular signals, including major epigenetic processes. This review describes epigenetic alterations in the placenta in response to insults during pregnancy, the potential links of OGT as a nutrient sensor to placental epigenetics, and the implications of placental epigenetics in long-term neurodevelopmental programming. We describe the role of placental OGT in the sex-specific programming of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis programming deficits by early prenatal stress as an example of how placental signaling can have long-term effects on neurodevelopment.
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Abstract
Histone modifications and DNA methylation represent central dynamic and reversible processes that regulate gene expression and contribute to cellular phenotypes. These epigenetic marks have been shown to play fundamental roles in a diverse set of signaling and behavioral outcomes. Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression are complex and heterogeneous diseases with multiple and independent factors that may contribute to their pathophysiology, making challenging to find a link between specific elements and the underlying mechanisms responsible for the disorder and its treatment. Growing evidences suggest that epigenetic modifications in certain brain regions and neural circuits represent a key mechanism through which environmental factors interact with individual's genetic constitution to affect risk of psychiatric conditions throughout life. This review focuses on recent advances that directly implicate epigenetic modifications in schizophrenia and antipsychotic drug action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Javier González-Maeso
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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37
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Jašarević E, Howerton CL, Howard CD, Bale TL. Alterations in the Vaginal Microbiome by Maternal Stress Are Associated With Metabolic Reprogramming of the Offspring Gut and Brain. Endocrinology 2015; 156:3265-76. [PMID: 26079804 PMCID: PMC4541625 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The neonate is exposed to the maternal vaginal microbiota during parturition, providing the primary source for normal gut colonization, host immune maturation, and metabolism. These early interactions between the host and microbiota occur during a critical window of neurodevelopment, suggesting early life as an important period of cross talk between the developing gut and brain. Because perturbations in the prenatal environment such as maternal stress increase neurodevelopmental disease risk, disruptions to the vaginal ecosystem could be a contributing factor in significant and long-term consequences for the offspring. Therefore, to examine the hypothesis that changes in the vaginal microbiome are associated with effects on the offspring gut microbiota and on the developing brain, we used genomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies to examine outcomes in our mouse model of early prenatal stress. Multivariate modeling identified broad proteomic changes to the maternal vaginal environment that influence offspring microbiota composition and metabolic processes essential for normal neurodevelopment. Maternal stress altered proteins related to vaginal immunity and abundance of Lactobacillus, the prominent taxa in the maternal vagina. Loss of maternal vaginal Lactobacillus resulted in decreased transmission of this bacterium to offspring. Further, altered microbiota composition in the neonate gut corresponded with changes in metabolite profiles involved in energy balance, and with region- and sex-specific disruptions of amino acid profiles in the developing brain. Taken together, these results identify the vaginal microbiota as a novel factor by which maternal stress may contribute to reprogramming of the developing brain that may predispose individuals to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6046
| | - Christopher L Howerton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6046
| | - Christopher D Howard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6046
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6046
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Mina TH, Räikkönen K, Riley SC, Norman JE, Reynolds RM. Maternal distress associates with placental genes regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure and IGF2: Role of obesity and sex. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 59:112-22. [PMID: 26056743 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Maternal emotional distress symptoms, including life satisfaction, anxiety and depressed mood, are worse in Severely Obese (SO) than lean pregnancy and may alter placental genes regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure and placental growth. We hypothesised that the associations between increased maternal distress symptoms and changes in placental gene expression including IGF2 and genes regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure are more pronounced in SO pregnancy. We also considered whether there were sex-specific effects. Placental mRNA levels of 11β-HSDs, NR3C1-α, NR3C2, ABC transporters, mTOR and the IGF2 family were measured in term placental samples from 43 lean (BMI≤25kg/m(2)) and 50 SO (BMI≥40kg/m(2)) women, in whom distress symptoms were prospectively evaluated during pregnancy. The mRNA levels of genes with a similar role in regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure were strongly inter-correlated. Increased maternal distress symptoms associated with increased NR3C2 and IGF2 isoform 1(IGF2-1) in both lean and SO group (p≤0.05). Increased distress was associated with higher ABCB1 and ABCG2 mRNA levels in SO but lower ABCB1 and higher 11β-HSD1 mRNA levels in lean (p≤0.05) suggesting a protective adaptive response in SO placentas. Increased maternal distress associated with reduced mRNA levels of ABCB1, ABCG2, 11β-HSD2, NR3C1-α and IGF2-1 in placentas of female but not male offspring. The observed sex differences in placental responses suggest greater vulnerability of female fetuses to maternal distress with potentially greater fetal glucocorticoid exposure and excess IGF2. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and to test whether this translates to potentially greater negative outcomes of maternal distress in female offspring in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresia H Mina
- University BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Simon C Riley
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Jane E Norman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Rebecca M Reynolds
- University BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK.
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Wang H, Ji J, Yu Y, Wei X, Chai S, Liu D, Huang D, Li Q, Dong Z, Xiao X. Neonatal Overfeeding in Female Mice Predisposes the Development of Obesity in their Male Offspring via Altered Central Leptin Signalling. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:600-8. [PMID: 25855235 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2014] [Revised: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity among child-bearing women has increased significantly. The adverse consequences of maternal obesity on the descendants have been well accepted, although few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms. We investigated whether neonatal overfeeding in female mice alters metabolic phenotypes in the offspring and whether hypothalamic leptin signalling is involved. Neonatal overfeeding was induced by reducing the litter size to three pups per litter, in contrast to normal litter size of 10 pups per litter. Normal and neonatally overfed female mice were bred with normal male mice, and offspring of overfeeding mothers (OOM) and control mothers (OCM) were generated. We examined body weight, daily food intake, leptin responsiveness and the number of positive neurones for phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) along with neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH) and NPY in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) of the brain stem. The body weight and daily food intake of OOM were significantly higher than those of OCM. Leptin significantly reduced food intake and increased the number of pSTAT3 positive neurones in the ARH of OCM mice, whereas no significant changes in food intake and pSTAT3 neurones were found in leptin-treated OOM mice. The number of NPY neurones in the ARH and NTS of the OOM mice was significantly higher than that of OCM mice. The results of the present study indicate that the obese phenotype from mothers can be passed onto the subsequent generation, which is possibly associated with hypothalamic leptin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Wang
- Laboratory of Lipid & Glucose Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - J Ji
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Y Yu
- Laboratory of Lipid & Glucose Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - X Wei
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - S Chai
- Laboratory of Lipid & Glucose Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - D Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - D Huang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Q Li
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Z Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - X Xiao
- Laboratory of Lipid & Glucose Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Burkuš J, Kačmarová M, Kubandová J, Kokošová N, Fabianová K, Fabian D, Koppel J, Čikoš Š. Stress exposure during the preimplantation period affects blastocyst lineages and offspring development. J Reprod Dev 2015; 61:325-31. [PMID: 25985793 PMCID: PMC4547990 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2015-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We found retardation of preimplantation embryo growth after exposure to maternal restraint stress during the preimplantation period in our previous study. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of preimplantation maternal restraint stress on the distribution of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells in mouse blastocysts, and its possible effect on physiological development of offspring. We exposed spontaneously ovulating female mice to restraint stress for 30 min three times a day during the preimplantation period, and this treatment caused a significant increase in blood serum corticosterone concentration. Microscopic evaluation of embryos showed that restraint stress significantly decreased cell counts per blastocyst. Comparing the effect of restraint stress on the two blastocyst cell lineages, we found that the reduction in TE cells was more substantial than the reduction in ICM cells, which resulted in an increased ICM/TE ratio in blastocysts isolated
from stressed dams compared with controls. Restraint stress reduced the number of implantation sites in uteri, significantly delayed eye opening in delivered mice, and altered their behavior in terms of two parameters (scratching on the base of an open field test apparatus, time spent in central zone) as well. Moreover, prenatally stressed offspring had significantly lower body weights and in 5-week old females delivered from stressed dams, fat deposits were significantly lower. Our results indicate that exposure to stress during very early pregnancy can have a negative impact on embryonic development with consequences reaching into postnatal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Burkuš
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, 04001, Slovak Republic
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41
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Bouret S, Levin BE, Ozanne SE. Gene-environment interactions controlling energy and glucose homeostasis and the developmental origins of obesity. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:47-82. [PMID: 25540138 PMCID: PMC4281588 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00007.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often occur together and affect a growing number of individuals in both the developed and developing worlds. Both are associated with a number of other serious illnesses that lead to increased rates of mortality. There is likely a polygenic mode of inheritance underlying both disorders, but it has become increasingly clear that the pre- and postnatal environments play critical roles in pushing predisposed individuals over the edge into a disease state. This review focuses on the many genetic and environmental variables that interact to cause predisposed individuals to become obese and diabetic. The brain and its interactions with the external and internal environment are a major focus given the prominent role these interactions play in the regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Bouret
- The Saban Research Institute, Neuroscience Program, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Inserm U837, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center, University Lille 2, Lille, France; Neurology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, East Orange, New Jersey; Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey; and University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Barry E Levin
- The Saban Research Institute, Neuroscience Program, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Inserm U837, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center, University Lille 2, Lille, France; Neurology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, East Orange, New Jersey; Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey; and University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- The Saban Research Institute, Neuroscience Program, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Inserm U837, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center, University Lille 2, Lille, France; Neurology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, East Orange, New Jersey; Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey; and University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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42
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Boersma GJ, Tamashiro KL. Individual differences in the effects of prenatal stress exposure in rodents. Neurobiol Stress 2015; 1:100-8. [PMID: 27589662 PMCID: PMC4721332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress alters the phenotype of the offspring in adulthood. When the prenatal and adult environments do not match, these alterations may induce pathology risk. There are, however, large individual differences in the effects of prenatal stress. While some individuals seem vulnerable, others appear to be relatively resistant to its effects. In this review we discuss potential mechanisms underlying these individual differences with a focus on animal models. Differences between rodent models selected for stress coping traits are discussed. In addition, the role of circulating factors, like glucocorticoids and cytokines, factors involved in brain development and influences of epigenetic and genetic factors in prenatal stress induced phenotype are covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretha J. Boersma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Abstract
The fetal or early origins of adult disease hypothesis states that environmental factors, particularly nutrition, act in early life to program the risks for chronic diseases in adult life. As eating habits can be linked to the development of several diseases including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it could be proposed that persistent food preferences across the life-span in people who were exposed to an adverse fetal environment may partially explain their increased risk to develop metabolic disease later in life. In this paper, we grouped the clinical and experimental evidence demonstrating that the fetal environment may impact the individual's food preferences. In addition, we review the feeding preferences development and regulation (homeostatic and hedonic pathways, the role of taste/olfaction and the reward/pleasure), as well as propose mechanisms linking early life conditions to food preferences later in life. We review the evidence suggesting that in utero conditions are associated with the development of specific food preferences, which may be involved in the risk for later disease. This may have implications in terms of public health and primary prevention during early ages.
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Targeted placental deletion of OGT recapitulates the prenatal stress phenotype including hypothalamic mitochondrial dysfunction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:9639-44. [PMID: 24979775 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401203111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress is a key risk factor in neurodevelopmental disorders, which often have a sex bias in severity and prevalence. We previously identified O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) as a placental biomarker in our mouse model of early prenatal stress (EPS), where OGT levels were lower in male compared with female tissue and were further decreased following maternal stress. However, the function of placental OGT in programming the developing brain has not been determined. Therefore, we generated a transgenic mouse with targeted placental disruption of Ogt (Pl-OGT) and examined offspring for recapitulation of the adult EPS phenotype. Pl-OGT hemizygous and EPS male placentas showed similar robust changes in gene expression patterns suggestive of an altered ability to respond to endocrine and inflammatory signals, supporting placental OGT as an important mediator of EPS effects. ChIP-Seq for the O-GlcNAc mark identified the 17 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-3 (Hsd17b3) locus in male EPS placentas, which correlated with a reduction in Hsd17b3 expression and concordant reduced testosterone conversion. Remarkably, Pl-OGT adult offspring had reduced body weights and elevated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis responsivity, recapitulating phenotypes previously reported for EPS males. Further, hypothalamic microarray gene-set enrichment analyses identified reduced mitochondrial function in both Pl-OGT and EPS males. Cytochrome c oxidase activity assays verified this finding, linking reduced placental OGT with critical brain programming. Together, these studies confirm OGT as in important placental biomarker of maternal stress and demonstrate the profound impact a single placental gene has on long-term metabolic and neurodevelopmental programming that may be related to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Chen J, Li Q, Rialdi A, Mystal E, Ly J, Finik J, Davey T, Lambertini L, Nomura Y. Influences of Maternal Stress during Pregnancy on the Epi/genome: Comparison of Placenta and Umbilical Cord Blood. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 3. [PMID: 29963333 PMCID: PMC6020835 DOI: 10.4172/2167-1044.1000152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Maternal stress during pregnancy is one of the major adverse environmental factors in utero that is capable of influencing health outcomes of the offspring throughout life. Both genetic and epigenetic processes are susceptible to environmental insults in utero and are potential biomarkers of the experienced environment including maternal stress. Methods We profiled expression level of six genes in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning (HSD11B2, SLC6A4, NR3C1, NR3C2, CRHR1 and CRHR2), two imprinted genes (IGF2 and H19) and one neurodevelopmental gene (EGR1), from 49 pairs of placenta and umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples from a birth cohort. We also assessed global methylation levels by LUminometric Methylation Assay (LUMA) and methylation at the imprinting control region (ICR) of IGF2/H19. Results Little correlations between paired placenta and UCB were observed except H19 expression (r = 0.31, P = 0.04) and IGF2/H19 ICR methylation (r = 0.43, P = 0.01); gene expression levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in placenta than UCB except CRHR1 and CRHR2, which were unexpressed in placenta. Maternal stress correlated higher levels of HPA genes and lower levels of EGR1 and LUMA, but only in placenta. Positive association between maternal stress and IGF2/H19 ICR methylation was present in both placenta and UCB. Conclusions Our findings support the notion that adverse in utero environment, as measured by antenatal maternal stress, depression and anxiety, can be observed in the epi/genome of the relevant tissues, i.e. placenta and UCBs, leading to development of molecular markers for assessing in utero adversities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexender Rialdi
- Graduate School, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elana Mystal
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jenny Ly
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jackie Finik
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taira Davey
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luca Lambertini
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yoko Nomura
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,William E. Macaulay Honors College (Queens), New York, NY, USA
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46
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Lucion AB, Bortolini MC. Mother-pup interactions: rodents and humans. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:17. [PMID: 24616713 PMCID: PMC3935307 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to survive after birth, mammalian infants need a caretaker, usually the mother. Several behavioral strategies have evolved to guarantee the transition from a period of intense caregiving to offspring independence. Here, we examine a selection of literature on the genetic, epigenetic, physiological, and behavioral factors relating to development and mother-infant interactions. We intend to show the utility of comparisons between rodent and human models for deepening knowledge regarding this key relationship. Particular attention is paid to the following factors: the distinct developmental stages of the mother-pup relationship as relating to behavior; examples of key genetic components of mammalian mother-infant interactions, specifically those coding for the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin; and the possible functions of gene imprinting in mediating interactions between genetics and environment in the mother-infant relationship. As early mother-infant attachment seems to establish the basic parameters for later social interactions, ongoing investigations in this area are essential. We propose the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in order to better understand the network of genes, gene regulation, neuropeptide action, physiological processes, and feedback loops essential to understand the complex behaviors of mother-infant interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo B. Lucion
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Aldo B. Lucion, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 90050-170, Brazil e-mail:
| | - Maria Cátira Bortolini
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Wachs TD, Georgieff M, Cusick S, McEwen B. Issues in the timing of integrated early interventions: contributions from nutrition, neuroscience, and psychological research. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2014; 1308:89-106. [PMID: 24354763 PMCID: PMC4075015 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A central issue when designing multidimensional biological and psychosocial interventions for children who are exposed to multiple developmental risks is identification of the age period(s) in which such interventions will have the strongest and longest lasting effects (sensitive periods). In this paper, we review nutritional, neuroscientific, and psychological evidence on this issue. Nutritional evidence is used to identify nutrient-sensitive periods of age-linked dimensions of brain development, with specific reference to iron deficiency. Neuroscience evidence is used to assess the importance of timing of exposures to environmental stressors for maintaining neural, neuroendocrine, and immune systems integrity. Psychological evidence illustrates the sensitivity of cognitive and social-emotional development to contextual risk and protective influences encountered at different ages. Evidence reviewed documents that the early years of life are a sensitive period when biological or psychosocial interventions or exposure to risk or protective contextual influences can produce unique long-term influences upon human brain, neuroendocrine, and cognitive or psychosocial development. However, the evidence does not identify the early years as the sole sensitive time period within which to have a significant influence upon development. Choice of age(s) to initiate interventions should be based on what outcomes are targeted and what interventions are used.
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48
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Crudo A, Petropoulos S, Suderman M, Moisiadis VG, Kostaki A, Hallett M, Szyf M, Matthews SG. Effects of antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid on glucocorticoid receptor binding, DNA methylation, and genome-wide mRNA levels in the fetal male hippocampus. Endocrinology 2013; 154:4170-81. [PMID: 24029241 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) surge in late gestation plays a vital role in maturation of several organ systems. For this reason, pregnant women at risk of preterm labor are administered synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) to promote fetal lung development. Animal studies have shown that fetal sGC exposure can cause life-long changes in endocrine and metabolic function. We have previously shown that antenatal sGC treatment is associated with alterations in global DNA methylation and modifications to the hippocampal methylome and acetylome. In this study, we hypothesized that: 1) there are changes in the transcriptional landscape of the fetal hippocampus in late gestation, associated with the endogenous cortisol surge; 2) fetal sGC exposure alters genome-wide transcription in the hippocampus; and 3) these changes in transcription are associated with modified glucocorticoid receptor (GR) DNA binding and DNA methylation. sGC was administered as 2 courses on gestational days (GD) 40, 41, 50, and 51, and the hippocampi of fetal guinea pigs were examined before (GD52) and after (GD65) the endogenous cortisol surge (Term ∼GD67). We also analyzed fetal hippocampi 24 hours and 14 days following maternal sGC injections (n = 3-4/group). Genome-wide modification of transcription and GR DNA binding occurred in late gestation, in parallel with the normal GC surge. Further, sGC exposure had a substantial impact on the hippocampal transcriptome, GR-DNA binding, and DNA methylation at 24 hours and 14 days following the final sGC treatment. These data support the hypothesis that GC exposure in late gestation plays a significant role in modifying the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of the developing fetal hippocampus and that substantial effects are evident for at least 2 weeks after sGC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariann Crudo
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8.
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Prenatal exposure to escitalopram and/or stress in rats produces limited effects on endocrine, behavioral, or gene expression measures in adult male rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2013; 39:100-9. [PMID: 23906943 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stress and/or antidepressants during pregnancy have been implicated in a wide range of long-term effects in the offspring. We investigated the long-term effects of prenatal stress and/or clinically relevant antidepressant exposure on male adult offspring in a model of the pharmacotherapy of maternal depression. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with osmotic minipumps that delivered clinically relevant exposure to the antidepressant escitalopram throughout gestation. Subsequently, pregnant females were exposed on gestational days 10-20 to a chronic unpredictable mild stress paradigm. The male offspring were analyzed in adulthood. Baseline physiological measurements were largely unaltered by prenatal manipulations. Behavioral characterization of the male offspring, with or without pre-exposure to an acute stressor, did not reveal any group differences. Prenatal stress exposure resulted in a faster return towards baseline following the peak response to an acute restraint stressor, but not an airpuff startle stressor, in adulthood. Microarray analysis of the hippocampus and hypothalamus comparing all treatment groups revealed no significantly-altered transcripts. Real time PCR of the hippocampus confirmed that several transcripts in the CRFergic, serotonergic, and neural plasticity pathways were unaffected by prenatal exposures. This stress model of maternal depression and its treatment indicate that escitalopram use and/or stress during pregnancy produced no alterations in our measures of male adult behavior or the transcriptome, however prenatal stress exposure resulted in some evidence for increased glucocorticoid negative feedback following an acute restraint stress. Study design should be carefully considered before implications for human health are ascribed to prenatal exposure to stress or antidepressant medication.
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50
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Spencer SJ. Perinatal programming of neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting feeding behavior and stress. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:109. [PMID: 23785312 PMCID: PMC3683620 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding behavior is closely regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms that can be influenced by stressful life events. However, the feeding response to stress varies among individuals with some increasing and others decreasing food intake after stress. In addition to the impact of acute lifestyle and genetic backgrounds, the early life environment can have a life-long influence on neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting stress to feeding behavior and may partially explain these opposing feeding responses to stress. In this review I will discuss the perinatal programming of adult hypothalamic stress and feeding circuitry. Specifically I will address how early life (prenatal and postnatal) nutrition, early life stress, and the early life hormonal profile can program the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the endocrine arm of the body's response to stress long-term and how these changes can, in turn, influence the hypothalamic circuitry responsible for regulating feeding behavior. Thus, over- or under-feeding and/or stressful events during critical windows of early development can alter glucocorticoid (GC) regulation of the HPA axis, leading to changes in the GC influence on energy storage and changes in GC negative feedback on HPA axis-derived satiety signals such as corticotropin-releasing-hormone. Furthermore, peripheral hormones controlling satiety, such as leptin and insulin are altered by early life events, and can be influenced, in early life and adulthood, by stress. Importantly, these neuroendocrine signals act as trophic factors during development to stimulate connectivity throughout the hypothalamus. The interplay between these neuroendocrine signals, the perinatal environment, and activation of the stress circuitry in adulthood thus strongly influences feeding behavior and may explain why individuals have unique feeding responses to similar stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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