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Eaves LA, Harrington CE, Fry RC. Epigenetic Responses to Nonchemical Stressors: Potential Molecular Links to Perinatal Health Outcomes. Curr Environ Health Rep 2024; 11:145-157. [PMID: 38580766 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-024-00435-w] [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] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We summarize the recent literature investigating exposure to four nonchemical stressors (financial stress, racism, psychosocial stress, and trauma) and DNA methylation, miRNA expression, and mRNA expression. We also highlight the relationships between these epigenetic changes and six critical perinatal outcomes (preterm birth, low birth weight, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, childhood allergic disease, and childhood neurocognition). RECENT FINDINGS Multiple studies have found financial stress, psychosocial stress, and trauma to be associated with DNA methylation and/or miRNA and mRNA expression. Fewer studies have investigated the effects of racism. The majority of studies assessed epigenetic or genomic changes in maternal blood, cord blood, or placenta. Several studies included multi-OMIC assessments in which DNA methylation and/or miRNA expression were associated with gene expression. There is strong evidence for the role of epigenetics in driving the health outcomes considered. A total of 22 biomarkers, including numerous HPA axis genes, were identified to be epigenetically altered by both stressors and outcomes. Epigenetic changes related to inflammation, the immune and endocrine systems, and cell growth and survival were highlighted across numerous studies. Maternal exposure to nonchemical stressors is associated with epigenetic and/or genomic changes in a tissue-specific manner among inflammatory, immune, endocrine, and cell growth-related pathways, which may act as mediating pathways to perinatal health outcomes. Future research can test the mediating role of the specific biomarkers identified as linked with both stressors and outcomes. Understanding underlying epigenetic mechanisms altered by nonchemical stressors can provide a better understanding of how chemical and nonchemical exposures interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Eaves
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Cailee E Harrington
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Meng XL, Yuan PB, Wang XJ, Hang J, Shi XM, Zhao YY, Wei Y. The Proteome Landscape of Human Placentas for Monochorionic Twins with Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 21:1246-1259. [PMID: 37121272 PMCID: PMC11082409 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In perinatal medicine, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is one of the greatest challenges. The etiology of IUGR is multifactorial, but most cases are thought to arise from placental insufficiency. However, identifying the placental cause of IUGR can be difficult due to numerous confounding factors. Selective IUGR (sIUGR) would be a good model to investigate how impaired placentation affects fetal development, as the growth discordance between monochorionic twins cannot be explained by confounding genetic or maternal factors. Herein, we constructed and analyzed the placental proteomic profiles of IUGR twins and normal cotwins. Specifically, we identified a total of 5481 proteins, of which 233 were differentially expressed (57 up-regulated and 176 down-regulated) in IUGR twins. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that these differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) are mainly associated with cardiovascular system development and function, organismal survival, and organismal development. Notably, 34 DEPs are significantly enriched in angiogenesis, and diminished placental angiogenesis in IUGR twins has been further elaborately confirmed. Moreover, we found decreased expression of metadherin (MTDH) in the placentas of IUGR twins and demonstrated that MTDH contributes to placental angiogenesis and fetal growth in vitro. Collectively, our findings reveal the comprehensive proteomic signatures of placentas for sIUGR twins, and the DEPs identified may provide in-depth insights into the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and subsequent impaired fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Lu Meng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Peng-Bo Yuan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xue-Ju Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jing Hang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproduction, Beijing 100191, China; National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yang-Yu Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yuan Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
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An epigenetic association analysis of childhood trauma in psychosis reveals possible overlap with methylation changes associated with PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:177. [PMID: 35501310 PMCID: PMC9061740 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01936-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with a severe mental disorder report significantly higher levels of childhood trauma (CT) than healthy individuals. Studies have suggested that CT may affect brain plasticity through epigenetic mechanisms and contribute to developing various psychiatric disorders. We performed a blood-based epigenome-wide association study using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form in 602 patients with a current severe mental illness, investigating DNA methylation association separately for five trauma subtypes and the total trauma score. The median trauma score was set as the predefined cutoff for determining whether the trauma was present or not. Additionally, we compared our genome-wide results with methylation probes annotated to candidate genes previously associated with CT. Of the patients, 83.2% reported CT above the cutoff in one or more trauma subtypes, and emotional neglect was the trauma subtype most frequently reported. We identified one significant differently methylated position associated with the gene TANGO6 for physical neglect. Seventeen differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were associated with different trauma categories. Several of these DMRs were annotated to genes previously associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and cognitive impairments. Our results support a biomolecular association between CT and severe mental disorders. Genes that were previously identified as differentially methylated in CT-exposed subjects with and without psychosis did not show methylation differences in our analysis. We discuss this inconsistency, the relevance of our findings, and the limitations of our study.
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Elmetwally MA, Samy A, Eldesouky A, Lenis YY, Eldomany W. Uterine blood flow, fetal heart rate, gestational length, and fetal birth weight variability in response to maternal temperament in the goat. Anim Sci J 2021; 92:e13563. [PMID: 34013649 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This prospective study was designed to investigate the effects of maternal temperament on uterine blood flow, fetal heart rate, gestational length, and fetal birth weight in a goat experimental model. Based on the arena test, behavioral testing related to fear-eliciting stimulus, goats were divided into nervous (n = 13) and calm (n = 11) groups. After mating, the perfusion of maternal uterine arteries (UTAs) and its related Doppler parameters, blood flow volume (BFV), time-averaged mean velocity (TAMEANV), acceleration (Acce), and resistance impedance (S/D), were evaluated biweekly from week two until the end of pregnancy. Fetal heart rate (FHR) was investigated during the pregnancy in addition to the gestation length (GL) and fetal birth weight (FBW). The UTA-BFV and TAMEANV, as well as Acce and S/D, were influenced by maternal temperament (p < .05). The FHR showed no significant changes between experimental animals of different temperaments (p = .81). Both GL and FBW were increased in calm rather than nervous goats (p < .05). These results indicated that the maternal nervous (temperament) have negative impacts on uterine artery Doppler indices, fetal growth, and gestational length in a goat experimental model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Elmetwally
- Department of Theriogenology, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.,Institute of Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alaa Samy
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ashraf Eldesouky
- Department of Theriogenology, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Yasser Y Lenis
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.,OHVRI, Health and Veterinary Innovative Research and Development, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Antioquia University, Medellín, Colombia.,Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Palmira, Colombia
| | - Wael Eldomany
- Department of Theriogenology, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Drago G, Ruggieri S, Bianchi F, Sampino S, Cibella F. Birth Cohorts in Highly Contaminated Sites: A Tool for Monitoring the Relationships Between Environmental Pollutants and Children's Health. Front Public Health 2020; 8:125. [PMID: 32411642 PMCID: PMC7198735 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Industrial areas are characterized by the dispersion of environmental stressors that could possibly have long-term detrimental effects on both human health and the environment. Environmental contamination has been indicated to be one of the major risks for reproductive health. In this context, the effects of environmental pollution on pregnant women living in heavily polluted areas is of special interest. In fact, fetal development is a crucial phase due to the dynamic interaction between the maternal/external environments and the developing organs and tissues. Moreover, following Barker's postulate of the intrauterine origin of health and disease, the events occurring in this time window could affect future health. Birth cohorts provide the most suitable design for assessing the association between early-life and possible long-term health outcomes in highly contaminated sites. By providing an assessment of the early life environment throughout the collection of biological samples, birth cohorts offer the opportunity to study in-depth several possible confounders and outcomes by means of questionnaires and follow-ups based on clinical evaluations and bio-specimen samplings. The exposome comprises the totality of exposures from conception onwards; the birth cohort approach allows the integration of the exposures as a whole, including those related to socioeconomic status, with "omics" data from biological samples collected at birth and throughout life. In the characterization of the "fetal exposome," the placenta represents a highly informative and scarcely considered organ. For this purpose, the "Neonatal Environment and Health Outcomes" (NEHO) birth cohort has been established by enrolling pregnant women residing in contaminated sites and in surrounding areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspare Drago
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Ruggieri
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bianchi
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvestre Sampino
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Fabio Cibella
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Palermo, Italy
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Sebastiani G, Andreu-Fernández V, Herranz Barbero A, Aldecoa-Bilbao V, Miracle X, Meler Barrabes E, Balada Ibañez A, Astals-Vizcaino M, Ferrero-Martínez S, Gómez-Roig MD, García-Algar O. Eating Disorders During Gestation: Implications for Mother's Health, Fetal Outcomes, and Epigenetic Changes. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:587. [PMID: 33042925 PMCID: PMC7527592 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Eating disorders (EDs) have increased globally in women of childbearing age, related to the concern for body shape promoted in industrialized countries. Pregnancy may exacerbate a previous ED or conversely may be a chance for improving eating patterns due to the mother's concern for the unborn baby. EDs may impact pregnancy evolution and increase the risk of adverse outcomes such as miscarriage, preterm delivery, poor fetal growth, or malformations, but the knowledge on this topic is limited. Methods: We performed a systematic review of studies on humans in order to clarify the mechanisms underpinning the adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with EDs. Results: Although unfavorable fetal development could be multifactorial, maternal malnutrition, altered hormonal pathways, low pre-pregnancy body mass index, and poor gestational weight gain, combined with maternal psychopathology and stress, may impair the evolution of pregnancy. Environmental factors such as malnutrition or substance of abuse may also induce epigenetic changes in the fetal epigenome, which mark lifelong health concerns in offspring. Conclusions: The precocious detection of dysfunctional eating behaviors in the pre-pregnancy period and an early multidisciplinary approach comprised of nutritional support, psychotherapeutic techniques, and the use of psychotropics if necessary, would prevent lifelong morbidity for both mother and fetus. Further prospective studies with large sample sizes are needed in order to design a structured intervention during every stage of pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Sebastiani
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Andreu-Fernández
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn (GRIE), Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Valencian International University (VIU), Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Herranz Barbero
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Aldecoa-Bilbao
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Miracle
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Meler Barrabes
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arantxa Balada Ibañez
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Astals-Vizcaino
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Ferrero-Martínez
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oscar García-Algar
- Neonatal Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (BCNatal), Barcelona, Spain.,Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn (GRIE), Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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