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Collins JM, Keane JM, Deady C, Khashan AS, McCarthy FP, O'Keeffe GW, Clarke G, Cryan JF, Caputi V, O'Mahony SM. Prenatal stress impacts foetal neurodevelopment: Temporal windows of gestational vulnerability. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105793. [PMID: 38971516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal stressors ranging in severity from everyday occurrences/hassles to the experience of traumatic events negatively impact neurodevelopment, increasing the risk for the onset of psychopathology in the offspring. Notably, the timing of prenatal stress exposure plays a critical role in determining the nature and severity of subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this review, we evaluate the empirical evidence regarding temporal windows of heightened vulnerability to prenatal stress with respect to motor, cognitive, language, and behavioural development in both human and animal studies. We also explore potential temporal windows whereby several mechanisms may mediate prenatal stress-induced neurodevelopmental effects, namely, excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, altered serotonin signalling and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system, changes in placental function, immune system dysregulation, and alterations of the gut microbiota. While broadly defined developmental windows are apparent for specific psychopathological outcomes, inconsistencies arise when more complex cognitive and behavioural outcomes are considered. Novel approaches to track molecular markers reflective of the underlying aetiologies throughout gestation to identify tractable biomolecular signatures corresponding to critical vulnerability periods are urgently required.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Collins
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - James M Keane
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Clara Deady
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Ali S Khashan
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Fergus P McCarthy
- The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Gerard W O'Keeffe
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Valentina Caputi
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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Cattaneo A, Begni V, Zonca V, Riva MA. Early life adversities, psychopathologies and novel pharmacological strategies. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 260:108686. [PMID: 38969307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to adversities during early life stages (early life adversities - ELA), ranging from pregnancy to adolescence, represents a major risk factor for the vulnerability to mental disorders. Hence, it is important to understand the molecular and functional underpinning of such relationship, in order to develop strategies aimed at reducing the psychopathologic burden associated with ELA, which may eventually lead to a significant improvement in clinical practice. In this review, we will initially recapitulate clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the link between ELA and psychopathology and we will primarily discuss the main biological mechanisms that have been described as potential mediators of the effects of ELA on the psychopathologic risk, including the role for genetic factors as well as sex differences. The knowledge emerging from these studies may be instrumental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed not only at correcting the deficits that emerge from ELA exposure, but also in preventing the manifestation of a full-blown psychopathologic condition. With this respect, we will specifically focus on adolescence as a key time frame for disease onset as well as for early therapeutic intervention. We believe that incorporating clinical and preclinical research data in the context of early life adversities can be instrumental to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the risk for psychopathology or that may promote resilience. This will ultimately allow the identification of 'at risk' individuals who may benefit from specific forms of interventions that, by interfering with disease trajectories, could result in more benign clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Cattaneo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Zonca
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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3
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Alberca CD, Georgieff EI, Berardino BG, Ferroni NM, Fesser EA, Cantarelli VI, Ponzio MF, Cánepa ET, Chertoff M. Perinatal protein malnutrition alters maternal behavior and leads to maladaptive stress response, neurodevelopmental delay and disruption on DNA methylation machinery in female mice offspring. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105603. [PMID: 39029339 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Deficiencies in maternal nutrition have long-term consequences affecting brain development of the progeny and its behavior. In the present work, female mice were exposed to a normal-protein or a low-protein diet during gestation and lactation. We analyzed behavioral and molecular consequences of malnutrition in dams and how it affects female offspring at weaning. We have observed that a low-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation leads to anxiety-like behavior and anhedonia in dams. Protein malnutrition during the perinatal period delays physical and neurological development of female pups. Glucocorticoid levels increased in the plasma of malnourished female offspring but not in dams when compared to the control group. Interestingly, the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was reduced in hippocampus and amygdala on both malnourished dams and female pups. In addition, malnourished pups exhibited a significant increase in the expression of Dnmt3b, Gadd45b, and Fkbp5 and a reduction in Bdnf VI variant mRNA in hippocampus. In contrast, a reduction on Dnmt3b has been observed on the amygdala of weaned mice. No changes have been observed on global methylation levels (5-methylcytosine) in hippocampal genomic DNA neither in dams nor female offspring. In conclusion, deregulated behaviors observed in malnourished dams might be mediated by a low expression of GR in brain regions associated with emotive behaviors. Additionally, low-protein diet differentially deregulates the expression of genes involved in DNA methylation/demethylation machinery in female offspring but not in dams, providing an insight into regional- and age-specific mechanisms due to protein malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina D Alberca
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Erika I Georgieff
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nadina M Ferroni
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Estefanía A Fesser
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Verónica I Cantarelli
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, e Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA; CONICET-UNC), Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marina F Ponzio
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, e Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA; CONICET-UNC), Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Chertoff
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Yuan Y, Xu Q, Wani A, Dahrendorff J, Wang C, Shen A, Donglasan J, Burgan S, Graham Z, Uddin M, Wildman D, Qu A. Differentially expressed heterogeneous overdispersion genes testing for count data. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300565. [PMID: 39018275 PMCID: PMC11253971 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The mRNA-seq data analysis is a powerful technology for inferring information from biological systems of interest. Specifically, the sequenced RNA fragments are aligned with genomic reference sequences, and we count the number of sequence fragments corresponding to each gene for each condition. A gene is identified as differentially expressed (DE) if the difference in its count numbers between conditions is statistically significant. Several statistical analysis methods have been developed to detect DE genes based on RNA-seq data. However, the existing methods could suffer decreasing power to identify DE genes arising from overdispersion and limited sample size, where overdispersion refers to the empirical phenomenon that the variance of read counts is larger than the mean of read counts. We propose a new differential expression analysis procedure: heterogeneous overdispersion genes testing (DEHOGT) based on heterogeneous overdispersion modeling and a post-hoc inference procedure. DEHOGT integrates sample information from all conditions and provides a more flexible and adaptive overdispersion modeling for the RNA-seq read count. DEHOGT adopts a gene-wise estimation scheme to enhance the detection power of differentially expressed genes when the number of replicates is limited as long as the number of conditions is large. DEHOGT is tested on the synthetic RNA-seq read count data and outperforms two popular existing methods, DESeq2 and EdgeR, in detecting DE genes. We apply the proposed method to a test dataset using RNAseq data from microglial cells. DEHOGT tends to detect more differently expressed genes potentially related to microglial cells under different stress hormones treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubai Yuan
- Department of Statistics, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States of America
| | - Qi Xu
- Department of Statistics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Agaz Wani
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Jan Dahrendorff
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Arlina Shen
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Janelle Donglasan
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Sarah Burgan
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Zachary Graham
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Derek Wildman
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Annie Qu
- Department of Statistics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America
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Zagaria A, Fiori V, Vacca M, Lombardo C, Pariante CM, Ballesio A. Inflammation as a mediator between adverse childhood experiences and adult depression: A meta-analytic structural equation model. J Affect Disord 2024; 357:85-96. [PMID: 38677656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.072] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) confers a higher risk of developing depression in adulthood, yet the mediation of inflammation remains under debate. To test this model, we conducted a systematic review and two-stage structural equation modelling meta-analysis of studies reporting correlations between ACEs before age 18, inflammatory markers and depression severity in adulthood. Scopus, Pubmed, Medline, PsycInfo, and CINAHL were searched up to 2 October 2023. Twenty-two studies reporting data on C-reactive protein (CRP, n = 12,935), interleukin-6 (IL-6, n = 4108), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, n = 2256) and composite measures of inflammation (n = 1674) were included. Unadjusted models revealed that CRP (β = 0.003, 95 % LBCI 0.0002 to 0.0068), IL-6 (β = 0.003, 95 % LBCI 0.001 to 0.006), and composite inflammation (β = 0.009, 95 % LBCI 0.004 to 0.018) significantly mediated the association between ACEs and adult depression. The mediation effects no longer survived after adjusting for BMI; however, a serial mediation model revealed that BMI and IL-6 sequentially mediated the association between ACEs and depression (β = 0.002, 95 % LBCI 0.0005 to 0.0046), accounting for 14.59 % and 9.94 % of the variance of IL-6 and depressive symptoms, respectively. Due to the cross-sectional nature of assessment of inflammation and depression findings should be approached with caution; however, results suggest that complex interactions of psychoneuroimmunological and metabolic factors underlie the association between ACEs and adulthood depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zagaria
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Fiori
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Mariacarolina Vacca
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Lombardo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea Ballesio
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
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de Nooij L, Wirz L, Heling E, Pais M, Hendriks GJ, Verkes RJ, Roozendaal B, Hermans EJ. Exogenous glucocorticoids to improve extinction learning for post-traumatic stress disorder patients with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis dysregulation: a study protocol description. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2364441. [PMID: 38973398 PMCID: PMC11232644 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2364441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Trauma-focused treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are effective for many patients. However, relapse may occur when acquired extinction memories fail to generalize beyond treatment contexts. A subgroup of PTSD patients - potentially with substantial exposure to early-life adversity (ELA) - show dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which results in lower cortisol levels. Glucocorticoids, including cortisol, appear to facilitate strength and generalization of emotional memories.Objective: We describe the protocol of an integrated PTSD study. We investigate (A) associations between HPA-axis dysregulation, ELA, epigenetic markers, and PTSD treatment outcome (observational study); and (B) effects of exogenous glucocorticoids on strength and generalization of extinction memories and associated neural mechanisms [pharmacological intervention study with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)]. The objective is to provide proof of concept that PTSD patients with HPA-axis dysregulation often experienced ELA and may show improved strength and generalization of extinction learning after glucocorticoid administration.Method: The observational study (n = 160 PTSD group, n = 30 control group) assesses ELA, follow-up PTSD symptoms, epigenetic markers, and HPA-axis characteristics (salivary cortisol levels during low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and socially evaluated cold-pressor test). The pharmacological intervention study (n = 80 PTSD group, with and without HPA-axis dysregulation) is a placebo-controlled fMRI study with a crossover design. To investigate strength and generalization of extinction memories, we use a differential fear acquisition, extinction, and extinction recall task with spatial contexts within a virtual environment. Prior to extinction learning, 20 mg hydrocortisone or placebo is administered. During next-day recall, strength of the extinction memory is determined by recovery of skin conductance and pupil dilation differential responding, whereas generalization is assessed by comparing responses between different spatial contexts.Conclusion: The integrated study described in the current protocol paper could inform a personalized treatment approach in which these PTSD patients may receive glucocorticoids as a treatment enhancer in trauma-focused therapies.Trial registration: The research project is registered in the European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials (EudraCT) database, https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/, EudraCT number 2020-000712-30.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura de Nooij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Wirz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Emma Heling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana Pais
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-Jan Hendriks
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- ‘Overwaal’ Center of Expertise for Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, Institution for Integrated Mental Health Care “Pro Persona”, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Kairos Forensic Care, Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno J. Hermans
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Debs SR, Rothmond DA, Zhu Y, Weickert CS, Purves-Tyson TD. Molecular evidence of altered stress responsivity related to neuroinflammation in the schizophrenia midbrain. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 177:118-128. [PMID: 39004003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Stress and inflammation are risk factors for schizophrenia. Chronic psychosocial stress is associated with subcortical hyperdopaminergia, a core feature of schizophrenia. Hyperdopaminergia arises from midbrain neurons, leading us to hypothesise that changes in stress response pathways may occur in this region. To identify whether transcriptional changes in glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (NR3C1/GR, NR3C2/MR) or other stress signalling molecules (FKBP4, FKBP5) exist in schizophrenia midbrain, we measured gene expression in the human brain (N = 56) using qRT-PCR. We assessed whether alterations in these mRNAs were related to previously identified high/low inflammatory status. We investigated relationships between stress-related transcripts themselves, and between FKBP5 mRNA, dopaminergic, and glial cell transcripts in diagnostic and inflammatory subgroups. Though unchanged by diagnosis, GR mRNA levels were reduced in high inflammatory compared to low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p = 0.026). We found no effect of diagnosis or inflammation on MR mRNA. FKBP4 mRNA was decreased and FKBP5 mRNA was increased in schizophrenia (p < 0.05). FKBP5 changes occurred in high inflammatory (p < 0.001), whereas FKBP4 changes occurred in low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p < 0.05). The decrease in mRNA encoding the main stress receptor (GR), as well as increased transcript levels of the stress-responsive negative regulator (FKBP5), may combine to blunt the midbrain response to stress in schizophrenia when neuroinflammation is present. Negative correlations between FKBP5 mRNA and dopaminergic transcripts in the low inflammatory subgroup suggest higher levels of FKBP5 mRNA may also attenuate dopaminergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia even when inflammation is absent. We report alterations in GR-mediated stress signalling in the midbrain in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R Debs
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Debora A Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia
| | - Yunting Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
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Chang OD, Meier HCS, Maguire-Jack K, Davis-Kean P, Mitchell C. Childhood Maltreatment and Longitudinal Epigenetic Aging: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2421877. [PMID: 39073816 PMCID: PMC11287393 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Child physical and emotional abuse and neglect may affect epigenetic signatures of accelerated aging several years after the exposure. Objective To examine the longitudinal outcomes of early-childhood and midchildhood exposures to maltreatment on later childhood and adolescent profiles of epigenetic accelerated aging. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (enrolled 1998-2000), a US birth cohort study with available DNA methylation (DNAm) data at ages 9 and 15 years (assayed between 2017 and 2020) and phenotypic data at birth (wave 1), and ages 3 (wave 3), 5 (wave 4), 9 (wave 5), and 15 (wave 6) years. Data were analyzed between June 18 and December 10, 2023. Exposures Emotional aggression, physical assault, emotional neglect, and physical neglect via the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale at ages 3 and 5 years. Main Outcomes and Measures Epigenetic accelerated aging (DNAmAA) was measured using 3 machine learning-derived surrogates of aging (GrimAge, PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE) and 2 machine learning-derived surrogates of age (Horvath and PedBE), residualized for age in months. Results A total of 1971 children (992 [50.3%] male) representative of births in large US cities between 1998 and 2000 were included. Physical assault at age 3 years was positively associated with DNAmAA for PhenoAge (β = 0.073; 95% CI, 0.019-0.127), and emotional aggression at age 3 years was negatively associated with PhenoAge DNAmAA (β = -0.107; 95% CI, -0.162 to -0.052). Emotional neglect at age 5 years was positively associated with PhenoAge DNAmAA (β = 0.051; 95% CI, 0.006-0.097). Cumulative exposure to physical assault between ages 3 and 5 years was positively associated with PhenoAge DNAmAA (β = 0.063; 95% CI, 0.003-0.123); emotional aggression was negatively associated with PhenoAge DNAmAA (β = -0.104; 95% CI, -0.165 to -0.043). The association of these measures with age 15 years PhenoAge DNAmAA was almost fully mediated by age 9 years PhenoAge DNAm age acceleration. Similar patterns were found for GrimAge, DunedinPACE, and PhenoAge, but only those for PhenoAge remained after adjustments for multiple comparisons. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, altered patterns of DNAmAA were sensitive to the type and timing of child maltreatment exposure and appeared to be associated with more proximate biological embedding of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia D. Chang
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | | | | | - Pamela Davis-Kean
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Schwandt ML, Cullins E, Ramchandani VA. The role of resilience in the relationship between stress and alcohol. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100644. [PMID: 38827175 PMCID: PMC11140813 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress plays a well-documented role in alcohol consumption and the risk for developing alcohol use disorder. The concept of resilience - coping with and successfully adapting to stressful life experiences - has received increasing attention in the field of addiction research in recent decades, and there has been an accumulation of evidence for resilience as a protective factor against problematic alcohol consumption, risk for alcohol use disorder, disorder severity, and relapse. The conceptual and methodological approaches used in the generation of this evidence vary considerably across investigations, however. In light of this, we carried out this review in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the meaning and scope of resilience, what factors contribute to resilience, how it is measured, and how it relates to alcohol-associated phenotypes. Implications for treatment through the use of resilience-building interventions are likewise discussed, as well as implications for future research on the role of resilience in the etiology and clinical outcomes of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie L. Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eva Cullins
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vijay A. Ramchandani
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
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10
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Irizarry-Méndez N, Criado-Marrero M, Hernandez A, Colón M, Porter JT. Reducing FKBP51 Expression in the Ventral Hippocampus Decreases Auditory Fear Conditioning in Male Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7097. [PMID: 39000204 PMCID: PMC11241630 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning evokes a physiologic release of glucocorticoids that assists learning. As a cochaperone in the glucocorticoid receptor complex, FKBP51 modulates stress-induced glucocorticoid signaling and may influence conditioned fear responses. This study combines molecular and behavioral approaches to examine whether locally reducing FKBP51 expression in the ventral hippocampus is sufficient to affect fear-related behaviors. We hypothesized that reducing FKBP51 expression in the VH would increase glucocorticoid signaling to alter auditory fear conditioning. Adult male rats were injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector expressing short hairpin - RNAs (shRNA) targeting FKBP5 into the ventral hippocampus to reduce FKBP5 levels or a control AAV. Infusion of FKBP5-shRNA into the ventral hippocampus decreased auditory fear acquisition and recall. Although animals injected with FKBP5-shRNA showed less freezing during extinction recall, the difference was due to a reduced fear recall rather than improved extinction. Reducing ventral hippocampus FKBP51 did not affect exploratory behavior in either the open field test or the elevated zero maze test but did increase passive behavior in the forced swim test, suggesting that the reduction in auditory fear recall was not due to more active responses to acute stress. Furthermore, lower ventral hippocampus FKBP51 levels did not alter corticosterone release in response to restraint stress, suggesting that the reduced fear recall was not due to lower corticosterone release. Our findings suggest FKBP51 in the ventral hippocampus plays a selective role in modulating fear-learning processes and passive behavioral responses to acute stress rather than hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity or exploratory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashaly Irizarry-Méndez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | | | - Anixa Hernandez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | - Maria Colón
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | - James T. Porter
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
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11
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Li Y, Jia H, Wei X, Zhen S, He SC, Zhang XY. Interaction of childhood trauma with BDNF and FKBP5 gene polymorphisms in predicting burnout in general occupational groups. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01825-9. [PMID: 38861240 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01825-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Both the BDNF gene rs6265 and the FKBP5 gene rs1360780 polymorphisms are independently associated with adult psychotic-like experiences, when exposed to high childhood abuse; however, it remains unclear whether the relationship between childhood abuse and burnout is moderated by these two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Furthermore, there is an interaction between glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional activity and BDNF signaling. Therefore, we investigated the interaction of these two SNPs with childhood trauma in predicting burnout. We recruited 990 participants (mean age 33.06 years, S.D. = 6.31) from general occupational groups and genotyped them for rs6265 and rs1360780. Burnout, childhood trauma, resilience, and job stress were measured through a series of rating scales. Gene-by-environment and gene-by-gene-by-environment interactions were examined using linear hierarchical regression and PROCESS macro in SPSS. Covariates included demographics and resilience. We found that rs6265 moderated the association between job stress and emotional exhaustion. Both rs6265 and rs1360780 moderated the association between childhood abuse and cynicism. There was significant interaction of childhood abuse × rs6265 × rs1360780 on emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment, so that rs6265 CC genotype and rs1360780 TT genotype together predicted higher levels of emotional exhaustion under high childhood abuse, while rs6265 TT genotype and rs1360780 CC genotype together exerted a resilient effect on reduced personal accomplishment in the face of childhood abuse. Our findings suggest that the rs6265 CC genotype and rs1360780 TT genotype may jointly contribute to increased risk of burnout under childhood trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuling Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Haiying Jia
- Special Service Personnel Health Management Department, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xueqian Wei
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shiqian Zhen
- Institute of Circulation and Consumption, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, 28 Donghou Lane, Andingmenwai, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100710, China.
| | - Shu-Chang He
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Healthy, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
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12
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Cánepa ET, Berardino BG. Epigenetic mechanisms linking early-life adversities and mental health. Biochem J 2024; 481:615-642. [PMID: 38722301 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Early-life adversities, whether prenatal or postnatal exposure, have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes later in life increasing the risk of several psychiatric disorders. Research on its neurobiological consequences demonstrated an association between exposure to adversities and persistent alterations in the structure, function, and connectivity of the brain. Consistent evidence supports the idea that regulation of gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms are involved in embedding the impact of early-life experiences in the genome and mediate between social environments and later behavioral phenotypes. In addition, studies from rodent models and humans suggest that these experiences and the acquired risk factors can be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms to offspring and the following generations potentially contributing to a cycle of disease or disease risk. However, one of the important aspects of epigenetic mechanisms, unlike genetic sequences that are fixed and unchangeable, is that although the epigenetic markings are long-lasting, they are nevertheless potentially reversible. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the mental health consequences derived from early-life exposure to malnutrition, maltreatment and poverty, adversities with huge and pervasive impact on mental health. We also discuss the evidence about transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals and experimental data suggesting that suitable social and pharmacological interventions could reverse adverse epigenetic modifications induced by early-life negative social experiences. In this regard, these studies must be accompanied by efforts to determine the causes that promote these adversities and that result in health inequity in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IQUIBICEN, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IQUIBICEN, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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13
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Yusupov N, Roeh S, Sotillos Elliott L, Chang S, Loganathan S, Urbina-Treviño L, Fröhlich AS, Sauer S, Ködel M, Matosin N, Czamara D, Deussing JM, Binder EB. DNA methylation patterns of FKBP5 regulatory regions in brain and blood of humanized mice and humans. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1510-1520. [PMID: 38317011 PMCID: PMC11189813 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02430-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Humanized mouse models can be used to explore human gene regulatory elements (REs), which frequently lie in non-coding and less conserved genomic regions. Epigenetic modifications of gene REs, also in the context of gene x environment interactions, have not yet been explored in humanized mouse models. We applied high-accuracy measurement of DNA methylation (DNAm) via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS) to investigate DNAm in three tissues/brain regions (blood, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) of mice carrying the human FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene, an important candidate gene associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders. We explored DNAm in three functional intronic glucocorticoid-responsive elements (at introns 2, 5, and 7) of FKBP5 at baseline, in cases of differing genotype (rs1360780 single nucleotide polymorphism), and following application of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. We compared DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse (N = 58) to those in human peripheral blood (N = 447 and N = 89) and human postmortem brain prefrontal cortex (N = 86). Overall, DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse model seem to recapitulate DNAm patterns observed in human tissue. At baseline, this was to a higher extent in brain tissue. The animal model also recapitulated effects of dexamethasone on DNAm, especially in peripheral blood and to a lesser extent effects of genotype on DNAm. The humanized mouse model could thus assist in reverse translation of human findings in psychiatry that involve genetic and epigenetic regulation in non-coding elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natan Yusupov
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Roeh
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Sotillos Elliott
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Chang
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Srivaishnavi Loganathan
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Anna S Fröhlich
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Natalie Matosin
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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14
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Lee A, Thuras P, Baller J, Jiao C, Guo B, Erbes CR, Polusny MA, Liu C, Wu B, Lim KO, Bishop JR. Serotonin Transporter (SLC6A4) and FK506-Binding Protein 5 (FKBP5) Genotype and Methylation Relationships with Response to Meditation in Veterans with PTSD. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04096-6. [PMID: 38671329 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04096-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Meditation-based interventions are novel and effective non-pharmacologic treatments for veterans with PTSD. We examined relationships between treatment response, early life trauma exposure, DNA polymorphisms, and methylation in the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) genes. DNA samples and clinical outcomes were examined in 72 veterans with PTSD who received meditation-based therapy in two separate studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and Transcendental Meditation (TM). The PTSD Checklist was administered to assess symptoms at baseline and after 9 weeks of meditation intervention. We examined the SLC6A4 promoter (5HTTLPR_L/S insertion/deletion + rs25531_A/G) polymorphisms according to previously defined gene expression groups, and the FKBP5 variant rs1360780 previously associated with PTSD disease risk. Methylation for CpG sites of SLC6A4 (28 sites) and FKBP5 (45 sites) genes was quantified in DNA samples collected before and after treatment. The 5HTTLPR LALA high expression genotype was associated with greater symptom improvement in participants exposed to early life trauma (p = 0.015). Separately, pre to post-treatment change of DNA methylation in a group of nine FKBP5 CpG sites was associated with greater symptom improvement (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.1, p = 0.027). These findings build on a wealth of existing knowledge regarding epigenetic and genetic relationships with PTSD disease risk to highlight the potential importance of SLC6A4 and FKBP5 for treatment mechanisms and as biomarkers of symptom improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lee
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Room 7-115 Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Paul Thuras
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joshua Baller
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Chuan Jiao
- Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Team Krebs, Université Paris Cité, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Bin Guo
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christopher R Erbes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Melissa A Polusny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Baolin Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Program in Public Health, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Room 7-115 Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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15
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Dahrendorff J, Currier G, Uddin M. Leveraging DNA methylation to predict treatment response in major depressive disorder: A critical review. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024:e32985. [PMID: 38650309 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating and prevalent mental disorder with a high disease burden. Despite a wide array of different treatment options, many patients do not respond to initial treatment attempts. Selection of the most appropriate treatment remains a significant clinical challenge in psychiatry, highlighting the need for the development of biomarkers with predictive utility. Recently, the epigenetic modification DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged to be of great interest as a potential predictor of MDD treatment outcomes. Here, we review efforts to date that seek to identify DNAm signatures associated with treatment response in individuals with MDD. Searches were conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with the concepts and keywords MDD, DNAm, antidepressants, psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and brain stimulation therapies. We identified 32 studies implicating DNAm patterns associated with MDD treatment outcomes. The majority of studies (N = 25) are focused on selected target genes exploring treatment outcomes in pharmacological treatments (N = 22) with a few studies assessing treatment response to electroconvulsive therapy (N = 3). Additionally, there are few genome-scale efforts (N = 7) to characterize DNAm patterns associated with treatment outcomes. There is a relative dearth of studies investigating DNAm patterns in relation to psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation; importantly, most existing studies have limited sample sizes. Given the heterogeneity in both methods and results of studies to date, there is a need for additional studies before existing findings can inform clinical decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dahrendorff
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Glenn Currier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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16
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Uvnäs-Moberg K, Gross MM, Calleja-Agius J, Turner JD. The Yin and Yang of the oxytocin and stress systems: opposites, yet interdependent and intertwined determinants of lifelong health trajectories. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1272270. [PMID: 38689729 PMCID: PMC11058227 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1272270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
During parturition and the immediate post-partum period there are two opposite, yet interdependent and intertwined systems that are highly active and play a role in determining lifelong health and behaviour in both the mother and her infant: the stress and the anti-stress (oxytocin) system. Before attempting to understand how the environment around birth determines long-term health trajectories, it is essential to understand how these two systems operate and how they interact. Here, we discuss together the hormonal and neuronal arms of both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the oxytocinergic systems and how they interact. Although the HPA axis and glucocorticoid stress axis are well studied, the role of oxytocin as an extremely powerful anti-stress hormone deserves more attention. It is clear that these anti-stress effects depend on oxytocinergic nerves emanating from the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and project to multiple sites at which the stress system is regulated. These, include projections to corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons within the PVN, to the anterior pituitary, to areas involved in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous control, to NA neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), and to CRH neurons in the amygdala. In the context of the interaction between the HPA axis and the oxytocin system birth is a particularly interesting period as, for both the mother and the infant, both systems are very strongly activated within the same narrow time window. Data suggest that the HPA axis and the oxytocin system appear to interact in this early-life period, with effects lasting many years. If mother-child skin-to-skin contact occurs almost immediately postpartum, the effects of the anti-stress (oxytocin) system become more prominent, moderating lifelong health trajectories. There is clear evidence that HPA axis activity during this time is dependent on the balance between the HPA axis and the oxytocin system, the latter being reinforced by specific somatosensory inputs, and this has long-term consequences for stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Section of Anthrozoology and Applied Ethology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden
| | - Mechthild M. Gross
- Midwifery Research and Education Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jean Calleja-Agius
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Jonathan D. Turner
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
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17
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Chrétienneau C, Spindola LM, Vorspan F, Lagerberg TV, Marie‐Claire C, Bellivier F, Mouly S, Laplanche J, Bloch V, Le Hellard S, Icick R. An epigenetic candidate-gene association study of parental styles in suicide attempters with substance use disorders. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13392. [PMID: 38564607 PMCID: PMC10986931 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Suicide attempts (SA) are prevalent in substance use disorders (SUD). Epigenetic mechanisms may play a pivotal role in the molecular mechanisms of environmental effects eliciting suicidal behaviour in this population. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), oxytocin and neurotrophin pathways have been consistently involved in SA, yet , their interplay with childhood adversity remains unclear, particularly in SUD. In 24 outpatients with SUDs, we examined the relation between three parental dysfunctional styles and history of SA with methylation of 32 genes from these pathways, eventually analysing 823 methylation sites. Extensive phenotypic characterization was obtained using a semi-structured interview. Parental style was patient-reported using the Measure of Parental Style (MOPS) questionnaire, analysed with and without imputation of missing items. Linear regressions were performed to adjust for possible confounders, followed by multiple testing correction. We describe both differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs) for each set of analyses (with and without imputation of MOPS items). Without imputation, five DMRs in OXTR, CRH and NTF3 significantly interacted with MOPS father abuse to increase the risk for lifetime SA, thus covering the three pathways. After imputation of missing MOPS items, two other DMPs from FKBP5 and SOCS3 significantly interacted with each of the three father styles to increase the risk for SA. Although our findings must be interpreted with caution due to small sample size, they suggest implications of stress reactivity genes in the suicidal risk of SUD patients and highlight the significance of father dysfunction as a potential marker of childhood adversity in SUD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Chrétienneau
- Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, GHU APHP. NordAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de ParisParisFrance
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
| | - Leticia M. Spindola
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical ScienceUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry, Department of Medical GeneticsHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Florence Vorspan
- Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, GHU APHP. NordAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de ParisParisFrance
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
| | - Trine Vik Lagerberg
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social SciencesOslo University Hospital | University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayOsloNorway
| | - Cynthia Marie‐Claire
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
| | - Frank Bellivier
- Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, GHU APHP. NordAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de ParisParisFrance
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
| | - Stéphane Mouly
- Department of Internal MedicineLariboisière Hospital, Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de ParisParisFrance
- Université Paris CitéParisFrance
| | - Jean‐Louis Laplanche
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
| | - Vanessa Bloch
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
- Pharmacie HospitalièreAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, GHU APHP. NordParisFrance
| | - Stéphanie Le Hellard
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical ScienceUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry, Department of Medical GeneticsHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Romain Icick
- Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, GHU APHP. NordAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de ParisParisFrance
- INSERM UMR‐S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, OTeNUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
- FHU NOR‐SUD Network of Research in Substance Use DisordersParisFrance
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18
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Zimmer C, Jimeno B, Martin LB. HPA flexibility and FKBP5: promising physiological targets for conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220512. [PMID: 38310934 PMCID: PMC10838639 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) flexibility is an emerging concept recognizing that individuals that will cope best with stressors will probably be those using their hormones in the most adaptive way. The HPA flexibility concept considers glucocorticoids as molecules that convey information about the environment from the brain to the body so that the organismal phenotype comes to complement prevailing conditions. In this context, FKBP5 protein appears to set the extent to which circulating glucocorticoid concentrations can vary within and across stressors. Thus, FKBP5 expression, and the HPA flexibility it causes, seem to represent an individual's ability to regulate its hormones to orchestrate organismal responses to stressors. As FKBP5 expression can also be easily measured in blood, it could be a worthy target of conservation-oriented research attention. We first review the known and likely roles of HPA flexibility and FKBP5 in wildlife. We then describe putative genetic, environmental and epigenetic causes of variation in HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression among and within individuals. Finally, we hypothesize how HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression should affect organismal fitness and hence population viability in response to human-induced rapid environmental changes, particularly urbanization. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia (IPE), CSIC, Avenida Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 16, 22700 Jaca, Spain
| | - Lynn B. Martin
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research and Center for Genomics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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19
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Hartmann J, Bajaj T, Otten J, Klengel C, Ebert T, Gellner AK, Junglas E, Hafner K, Anderzhanova EA, Tang F, Missig G, Rexrode L, Trussell DT, Li KX, Pöhlmann ML, Mackert S, Geiger TM, Heinz DE, Lardenoije R, Dedic N, McCullough KM, Próchnicki T, Rhomberg T, Martinelli S, Payton A, Robinson AC, Stein V, Latz E, Carlezon WA, Hausch F, Schmidt MV, Murgatroyd C, Berretta S, Klengel T, Pantazopoulos H, Ressler KJ, Gassen NC. SKA2 regulated hyperactive secretory autophagy drives neuroinflammation-induced neurodegeneration. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2635. [PMID: 38528004 PMCID: PMC10963788 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46953-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
High levels of proinflammatory cytokines induce neurotoxicity and catalyze inflammation-driven neurodegeneration, but the specific release mechanisms from microglia remain elusive. Here we show that secretory autophagy (SA), a non-lytic modality of autophagy for secretion of vesicular cargo, regulates neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegeneration via SKA2 and FKBP5 signaling. SKA2 inhibits SA-dependent IL-1β release by counteracting FKBP5 function. Hippocampal Ska2 knockdown in male mice hyperactivates SA resulting in neuroinflammation, subsequent neurodegeneration and complete hippocampal atrophy within six weeks. The hyperactivation of SA increases IL-1β release, contributing to an inflammatory feed-forward vicious cycle including NLRP3-inflammasome activation and Gasdermin D-mediated neurotoxicity, which ultimately drives neurodegeneration. Results from protein expression and co-immunoprecipitation analyses of male and female postmortem human brains demonstrate that SA is hyperactivated in Alzheimer's disease. Overall, our findings suggest that SKA2-regulated, hyperactive SA facilitates neuroinflammation and is linked to Alzheimer's disease, providing mechanistic insight into the biology of neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
| | - Thomas Bajaj
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Joy Otten
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Tim Ebert
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Gellner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ellen Junglas
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kathrin Hafner
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Elmira A Anderzhanova
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Fiona Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Galen Missig
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Lindsay Rexrode
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Daniel T Trussell
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Katelyn X Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Max L Pöhlmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah Mackert
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas M Geiger
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniel E Heinz
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Roy Lardenoije
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nina Dedic
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Kenneth M McCullough
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Tomasz Próchnicki
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Rhomberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Silvia Martinelli
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Antony Payton
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Andrew C Robinson
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, M6 8HD, UK
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK
| | - Valentin Stein
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eicke Latz
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Deutsches Rheuma Forschungszentrum Berlin (DRFZ), 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - William A Carlezon
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Felix Hausch
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Chris Murgatroyd
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6BH, UK
| | - Sabina Berretta
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
| | - Nils C Gassen
- Research Group Neurohomeostasis, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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20
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Eachus H, Ryu S. Glucocorticoid effects on the brain: from adaptive developmental plasticity to allostatic overload. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246128. [PMID: 38449327 PMCID: PMC10949071 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during early life may alter the developmental trajectory of an animal by a mechanism known as adaptive plasticity. For example, to enhance reproductive success in an adverse environment, it is known that animals accelerate their growth during development. However, these short-term fitness benefits are often associated with reduced longevity, a phenomenon known as the growth rate-lifespan trade-off. In humans, early life stress exposure compromises health later in life and increases disease susceptibility. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are major stress hormones implicated in these processes. This Review discusses the evidence for GC-mediated adaptive plasticity in development, leading to allostatic overload in later life. We focus on GC-induced effects on brain structure and function, including neurogenesis; highlight the need for longitudinal studies; and discuss approaches to identify molecular mechanisms mediating GC-induced alteration of the brain developmental trajectory leading to adult dysfunctions. Further understanding of how stress and GC exposure can alter developmental trajectories at the molecular and cellular level is of critical importance to reduce the burden of mental and physical ill health across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
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21
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Kremer TL, Chen J, Buhl A, Berhe O, Bilek E, Geiger-Primo L, Ma R, Moessnang C, Reichert M, Reinhard I, Schwarz K, Schweiger JI, Streit F, Witt SH, Zang Z, Zhang X, Noethen MM, Rietschel M, Ebner-Priemer UW, Schwarz E, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Braun U, Tost H. Multimodal Associations of FKBP5 Methylation with Emotion-Regulatory Brain Circuits. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01141-7. [PMID: 38460581 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the biological processes underlying individual differences in emotion regulation and stress responsivity is a key challenge for translational neuroscience. The gene FKBP5 is a core regulator in molecular stress signaling that is implicated in the development of psychiatric disorders. Yet it remains unclear how FKBP5 DNA methylation (DNAm) in peripheral blood relates to individual differences in measures of neural structure and function, and their relevance to daily-life stress responsivity. METHODS Here, we characterize multimodal correlates of FKBP5 DNAm by combining epigenetic data with neuroimaging and Ambulatory Assessment in a sample of 395 healthy individuals. RESULTS First, we show that FKBP5 demethylation as a psychiatric risk factor relates to an anxiety-associated reduction of gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a brain area that is involved in emotion regulation and mental health risk and resilience. This effect of epigenetic upregulation of FKBP5 on neuronal structure is more pronounced where FKBP5 is epigenetically downregulated at baseline. Leveraging 208 functional MRI scans during a well-established emotion processing task we find that FKBP5 DNAm in peripheral blood is associated with functional difference of prefrontal-limbic circuits modulating affective responsivity to daily stressors, which we measured using ecological momentary assessment in daily life. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we demonstrate how FKBP5 contributes to interindividual differences in neural and real-life affect regulation via structural and functional changes in prefrontal-limbic brain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Kremer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Junfang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Current address: Center for Intelligent Medicine Research, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anais Buhl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Oksana Berhe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Edda Bilek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lena Geiger-Primo
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ren Ma
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Current address: Faculty for Applied Psychology, SRH University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus Reichert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Mental mHealth Lab, Chair of Applied Psychology, Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany; Department of eHealth and Sports Analytics, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kristina Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Current address: Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janina I Schweiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Zhenxiang Zang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Current address: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Markus M Noethen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ulrich W Ebner-Priemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Mental mHealth Lab, Chair of Applied Psychology, Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Urs Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
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22
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Creasey N, Leijten P, Tollenaar MS, Boks MP, Overbeek G. DNA methylation variation after a parenting program for child conduct problems: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 38436454 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated associations of the Incredible Years (IY) parenting program with children's DNA methylation. Participants were 289 Dutch children aged 3-9 years (75% European ancestry, 48% female) with above-average conduct problems. Saliva was collected 2.5 years after families were randomized to IY or care as usual (CAU). Using an intention-to-treat approach, confirmatory multiple-regression analyses revealed no significant differences between the IY and CAU groups in children's methylation levels at the NR3C1 and FKBP5 genes. However, exploratory epigenome-wide analyses revealed nine differentially methylated regions between groups, coinciding with SLAMF1, MITF, FAM200B, PSD3, SNX31, and CELSR1. The study provides preliminary evidence for associations of IY with children's salivary methylation levels and highlights the need for further research into biological outcomes of parenting programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Creasey
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patty Leijten
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marco P Boks
- Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Geertjan Overbeek
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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Cao C, Chen M, Yang S, Xu Y, Gu J. Childhood maltreatment, multilocus HPA-axis genetic variation and adolescent comorbidity profiles of depressive and anxiety symptoms. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 149:106683. [PMID: 38335561 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106683] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a growing body of evidence showing both genetic and environmental influences on adolescent depression and anxiety, the involved comorbid mechanisms regarding gene-by-environment (G × E) interaction remain unclear. OBJECTIVE The current study was the first to investigate the extent to which multilocus hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis genetic variants moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and adolescent comorbid depression and anxiety. METHODS The participants were 827 Chinese Han adolescents (Mage = 16.45 ± 1.37 years; 50.2 % girls). A theory-driven multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) was computed by calculating alleles of core HPA-axis genes (CRHR1, NR3C1, NR3C2, and FKBP5) associated with heightened stress reactivity. Childhood maltreatment was retrospectively collected using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Comorbidity profiles of self-reported adolescent depressive and anxiety symptoms were constructed via person-centered latent profile analysis. RESULTS Three heterogeneous comorbidity profiles of depressive and anxiety symptoms were identified: comorbid severe symptoms (9.7 %), comorbid moderate symptoms (46.4 %) and comorbid mild symptoms (43.9 %). The HPA-axis related MGPS significantly interacted with childhood maltreatment, especially emotional maltreatment (emotional abuse: OR = 1.14, 95 % CI [1.03, 1.26], p < .01; emotional neglect: OR = 1.07, 95 % CI [1.01, 1.13], p < .05), to distinguish the comorbid severe symptoms profile from the comorbid mild symptoms profile (OR = 1.03, 95 % CI [1.01, 1.06], p < .05). CONCLUSION The HPA-axis related genes showed an additive polygenic sensitivity toward childhood maltreatment, which might be one of the polygenic G × E mechanisms underlying adolescent comorbid depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Cao
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
| | - Meijing Chen
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shan Yang
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yajing Xu
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Junlian Gu
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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24
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Coppens G, Vanhorebeek I, Güiza F, Derese I, Wouters PJ, Téblick A, Dulfer K, Joosten KF, Verbruggen SC, Van den Berghe G. Abnormal DNA methylation within HPA-axis genes years after paediatric critical illness. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:31. [PMID: 38395991 PMCID: PMC10893716 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Critically ill children suffer from impaired physical/neurocognitive development 2 years later. Glucocorticoid treatment alters DNA methylation within the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which may impair normal brain development, cognition and behaviour. We tested the hypothesis that paediatric-intensive-care-unit (PICU) patients, sex- and age-dependently, show long-term abnormal DNA methylation within the HPA-axis layers, possibly aggravated by glucocorticoid treatment in the PICU, which may contribute to the long-term developmental impairments. RESULTS In a pre-planned secondary analysis of the multicentre PEPaNIC-RCT and its 2-year follow-up, we identified differentially methylated positions and differentially methylated regions within HPA-axis genes in buccal mucosa DNA from 818 former PICU patients 2 years after PICU admission (n = 608 no glucocorticoid treatment; n = 210 glucocorticoid treatment) versus 392 healthy children and assessed interaction with sex and age, role of glucocorticoid treatment in the PICU and associations with long-term developmental impairments. Adjusting for technical variation and baseline risk factors and correcting for multiple testing (false discovery rate < 0.05), former PICU patients showed abnormal DNA methylation of 26 CpG sites (within CRHR1, POMC, MC2R, NR3C1, FKBP5, HSD11B1, SRD5A1, AKR1D1, DUSP1, TSC22D3 and TNF) and three DNA regions (within AVP, TSC22D3 and TNF) that were mostly hypomethylated. These abnormalities were sex-independent and only partially age-dependent. Abnormal methylation of three CpG sites within FKBP5 and one CpG site within SRD5A1 and AKR1D1 was partly attributable to glucocorticoid treatment during PICU stay. Finally, abnormal methylation within FKBP5 and AKR1D1 was most robustly associated with long-term impaired development. CONCLUSIONS Two years after critical illness in children, abnormal methylation within HPA-axis genes was present, predominantly within FKBP5 and AKR1D1, partly attributable to glucocorticoid treatment in the PICU, and explaining part of the long-term developmental impairments. These data call for caution regarding liberal glucocorticoid use in the PICU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Coppens
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Vanhorebeek
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabian Güiza
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Derese
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter J Wouters
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arno Téblick
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karolijn Dulfer
- Division of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neonatal and Paediatric ICU, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Koen F Joosten
- Division of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neonatal and Paediatric ICU, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sascha C Verbruggen
- Division of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neonatal and Paediatric ICU, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Greet Van den Berghe
- Clinical Division and Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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25
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Sun K, Cao C. The effects of childhood maltreatment, recent interpersonal and noninterpersonal stress, and HPA-axis multilocus genetic variation on prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms: A multiwave longitudinal study. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38389485 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Based on a multiwave, two-year prospective design, this study is the first to examine the extent to which multilocus hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)-related genetic variants, childhood maltreatment, and recent stress jointly predicted prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. A theory-driven multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) was calculated to combine the effects of six common polymorphisms within HPA-axis related genes (CRHR1, NR3C1, NR3C2, FKBP5, COMT, and HTR1A) in a sample of Chinese Han adolescents (N = 827; 50.2% boys; Mage = 16.45 ± 1.36 years). The results showed that the three-way interaction of HPA-axis related MGPS, childhood maltreatment and recent interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal, stress significantly predicted prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. For adolescents with high but not low HPA-axis related MGPS, exposure to severe childhood maltreatment predisposed individuals more vulnerable to recent interpersonal stress, exhibiting greater prospective changes in adolescent depressive symptoms. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the cumulative risk mechanism regarding gene-by-environment-by-environment (G × E1 × E2) interactions that underlie the longitudinal development of adolescent depressive symptoms and show effects specific to interpersonal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Sun
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Cong Cao
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Petakh P, Oksenych V, Kamyshna I, Boisak I, Lyubomirskaya K, Kamyshnyi O. Exploring the interplay between posttraumatic stress disorder, gut microbiota, and inflammatory biomarkers: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1349883. [PMID: 38410510 PMCID: PMC10895958 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1349883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common mental health disorder to develop following exposure to trauma. Studies have reported conflicting results regarding changes in immune biomarkers and alterations in the abundance of bacterial taxa and microbial diversity in patients with PTSD. Aim The purpose of this meta-analysis is to summarize existing studies examining gut microbiota characteristics and changes in immune biomarkers in patients with PTSD. Methods Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, published in English between January 1, 1960, and December 1, 2023. The outcomes included changes in abundance and diversity in gut microbiota (gut microbiota part) and changes in immune biomarkers (immune part). Results The meta-analysis included a total of 15 studies, with 9 focusing on changes in inflammatory biomarkers and 6 focusing on changes in gut microbiota composition in patients with PTSD. No differences were observed between groups for all inflammatory biomarkers (P≥0.05). Two of the six studies found that people with PTSD had less alpha diversity. However, the overall Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) for the Shannon Diversity Index was not significant (SMD 0.27, 95% CI -0.62-0.609, p = 0.110). Regarding changes in abundance, in two of the studies, a significant decrease in Lachnospiraceae bacteria was observed. Conclusion This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive overview of gut microbiota characteristics in PTSD, suggesting potential associations with immune dysregulation. Future research should address study limitations, explore causal relationships, and consider additional factors influencing immune function in individuals with PTSD. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk, identifier CRD42023476590.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlo Petakh
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
- Department of Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
| | - Valentyn Oksenych
- Broegelmann Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Iryna Kamyshna
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
| | - Iryna Boisak
- Department of Childhood Diseases, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
| | - Katerina Lyubomirskaya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceuticals University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr Kamyshnyi
- Department of Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
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Dieckmann L, Czamara D. Epigenetics of prenatal stress in humans: the current research landscape. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:20. [PMID: 38308342 PMCID: PMC10837967 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01635-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal exposure to prenatal stress can have significant consequences on short- and long-term health. Epigenetic mechanisms, especially DNA methylation (DNAm), are a possible process how these adverse environmental events could be biologically embedded. We evaluated candidate gene as well as epigenome-wide association studies associating prenatal stress and DNAm changes in peripheral tissues; however, most of these findings lack robust replication. Prenatal stress-associated epigenetic changes have also been linked to child health including internalizing problems, neurobehavioral outcomes and stress reactivity. Future studies should focus on refined measurement and definition of prenatal stress and its timing, ideally also incorporating genomic as well as longitudinal information. This will provide further opportunities to enhance our understanding of the biological embedding of prenatal stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dieckmann
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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Arzate-Mejia RG, Carullo NVN, Mansuy IM. The epigenome under pressure: On regulatory adaptation to chronic stress in the brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102832. [PMID: 38141414 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress (CS) can have long-lasting consequences on behavior and cognition, that are associated with stable changes in gene expression in the brain. Recent work has examined the role of the epigenome in the effects of CS on the brain. This review summarizes experimental evidence in rodents showing that CS can alter the epigenome and the expression of epigenetic modifiers in brain cells, and critically assesses their functional effect on genome function. It discusses the influence of the developmental time of stress exposure on the type of epigenetic changes, and proposes new lines of research that can help clarify these changes and their causal involvement in the impact of CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo G Arzate-Mejia
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich and Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Health Science and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Switzerland. https://twitter.com/RodrigoArzt
| | - Nancy V N Carullo
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich and Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Health Science and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Switzerland. https://twitter.com/DrNancyCarullo
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich and Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Health Science and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Switzerland.
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Eid K, Bjørk MH, Gilhus NE, Torkildsen Ø. Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Development: A Review of Potential Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1520. [PMID: 38338799 PMCID: PMC10855716 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, contribute to long-term systemic toxic stress and inflammation that may last well into adulthood. Such early-life stressors have been associated with increased susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) in observational studies and with the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in animal models. In this review, we summarize the evidence for an ACE-mediated increase in MS risk, as well as the potential mechanisms for this association. ACEs dysregulate neurodevelopment, stress responses, and immune reactivity; they also alter the interplay between the immune system and neural networks. All of this may be relevant for MS risk. We further discuss how ACEs induce epigenetic changes and how the toxic stress caused by ACEs may reactivate the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), a key risk factor for MS. We conclude by suggesting new initiatives to obtain further insights into this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Eid
- Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 71, 5053 Bergen, Norway; (M.-H.B.); (N.E.G.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Marte-Helene Bjørk
- Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 71, 5053 Bergen, Norway; (M.-H.B.); (N.E.G.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway;
- NorHead, Norwegian Center for Headache Research, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Nils Erik Gilhus
- Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 71, 5053 Bergen, Norway; (M.-H.B.); (N.E.G.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Øivind Torkildsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway;
- Neuro-SysMed, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
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30
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Großmann NL, Weihs A, Kühn L, Sauer S, Röh S, Wiechmann T, Rex-Haffner M, Völzke H, Völker U, Binder EB, Teumer A, Homuth G, Klinger-König J, Grabe HJ. Methylation Patterns of the FKBP5 Gene in Association with Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1485. [PMID: 38338761 PMCID: PMC10855893 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is an important risk factor for adult depression and has been associated with changes in the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, including cortisol secretion and methylation of the FKBP5 gene. Furthermore, associations between depression and HPA changes have been reported. This study investigated the associations of whole-blood FKBP5 mRNA levels, serum cortisol levels, childhood maltreatment, and depressive symptoms with the whole-blood methylation status (assessed via target bisulfite sequencing) of 105 CpGs at the FKBP5 locus using data from the general population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) (N = 203). Both direct and interaction effects with the rs1360780 single-nucleotide polymorphism were investigated. Nominally significant associations of main effects on methylation of a single CpG site were observed at intron 3, intron 7, and the 3'-end of the gene. Additionally, methylation at two clusters at the 3'-end and intron 7 were nominally associated with childhood maltreatment × rs1360780 and depressive symptoms × rs1360780, respectively. The results add to the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the emergence of depression and could aid the development of personalised depression therapy and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora L Großmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Antoine Weihs
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Luise Kühn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Röh
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Wiechmann
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Rex-Haffner
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Georg Homuth
- Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Johanna Klinger-König
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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31
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Dixon R, Malave L, Thompson R, Wu S, Sadik N, Anacker C. Resilience to Early Life Adversity Effects on Stress Reactivity by Postnatal Knockdown of 5-HT 1A Autoreceptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576344. [PMID: 38328253 PMCID: PMC10849559 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Early Life Adversity (ELA) predisposes to stress hypersensitivity in adulthood, but neurobiological mechanisms that can protect from long-lasting effects of ELA are poorly understood. Serotonin 1A (5HT 1A ) autoreceptors in the raphé nuclei regulate adult stress vulnerability, but if 5HT 1A could be targeted to prevent ELA effects on susceptibility to future stressors is unknown. Here, we exposed mice with postnatal knockdown of 5HT 1A autoreceptors to the limited bedding and nesting model of ELA from postnatal day (P)3-10. We then tested behavioral, neuroendocrine, neurogenic, and neuroinflammatory responses to an acute swim stress in male and female mice in adolescence (P35) and in adulthood (P56). In ELA-exposed females, adult swim stress exposure increased passive coping and despair-like behavior, corticosterone levels at baseline and after stress, and neuronal activity and corticotropin releasing hormone levels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. ELA also reduced neurogenesis and increased microglia activation in the ventral dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus - an important mediator of individual differences in stress susceptibility. These effects of ELA were specific to females, but not males, and manifested predominantly in adulthood, but not earlier on in adolescence. Postnatal 5HT 1A autoreceptor knockdown prevented ELA effects on stress reactivity and on neurogenesis and neuroinflammation in the DG, indicating that reducing 5HT 1A autoreceptors confers resilience to ELA. Our findings demonstrate that ELA induces long-lasting and sex-specific impairments in stress reactivity and ventral DG function across development, and identify 5HT 1A autoreceptors as potential targets to prevent these persistent effects of ELA.
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Filetti C, Kane-Grade F, Gunnar M. The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:395-419. [PMID: 37559538 PMCID: PMC10845082 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230808120504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Filetti
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Finola Kane-Grade
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Megan Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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33
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Burback L, Brémault-Phillips S, Nijdam MJ, McFarlane A, Vermetten E. Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-art Review. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:557-635. [PMID: 37132142 PMCID: PMC10845104 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230428091433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This narrative state-of-the-art review paper describes the progress in the understanding and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Over the last four decades, the scientific landscape has matured, with many interdisciplinary contributions to understanding its diagnosis, etiology, and epidemiology. Advances in genetics, neurobiology, stress pathophysiology, and brain imaging have made it apparent that chronic PTSD is a systemic disorder with high allostatic load. The current state of PTSD treatment includes a wide variety of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches, of which many are evidence-based. However, the myriad challenges inherent in the disorder, such as individual and systemic barriers to good treatment outcome, comorbidity, emotional dysregulation, suicidality, dissociation, substance use, and trauma-related guilt and shame, often render treatment response suboptimal. These challenges are discussed as drivers for emerging novel treatment approaches, including early interventions in the Golden Hours, pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions, medication augmentation interventions, the use of psychedelics, as well as interventions targeting the brain and nervous system. All of this aims to improve symptom relief and clinical outcomes. Finally, a phase orientation to treatment is recognized as a tool to strategize treatment of the disorder, and position interventions in step with the progression of the pathophysiology. Revisions to guidelines and systems of care will be needed to incorporate innovative treatments as evidence emerges and they become mainstream. This generation is well-positioned to address the devastating and often chronic disabling impact of traumatic stress events through holistic, cutting-edge clinical efforts and interdisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Burback
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Mirjam J. Nijdam
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, Diemen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Eric Vermetten
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
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Chen M, Cao C. The mediation effect of glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) methylation between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: A 2-year longitudinal study. Child Dev 2024; 95:144-159. [PMID: 37467343 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
This three-wave longitudinal study examined whether methylation alterations in promoter exon 1F of a stress-related gene-NR3C1 (NR3C1-1F)-explained the longitudinal associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 370 Han Chinese adolescents (Mage = 16.31 ± 1.28 years; 51.4% girls) recruited from Shandong, China were tracked from 2018 to 2020. The results showed that the severity of childhood maltreatment, especially that of emotional abuse and physical neglect, conferred risk for adolescent depressive symptoms via reducing NR3C1-1F methylation levels. These mediation effects of NR3C1-1F methylation did not vary between adolescent sex or NR3C1 BclI and Tth111I polymorphisms. The findings highlight how childhood maltreatment contributes to psychopathology development at a biological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijing Chen
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Cong Cao
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Sabé M, Chen C, El-Hage W, Leroy A, Vaiva G, Monari S, Premand N, Bartolomei J, Caiolo S, Maercker A, Pietrzak RH, Cloître M, Kaiser S, Solmi M. Half a Century of Research on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Scientometric Analysis. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:736-748. [PMID: 37888890 PMCID: PMC10845098 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666230927143106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a scientometric analysis to outline clinical research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our primary objective was to perform a broad-ranging scientometric analysis to evaluate key themes and trends over the past decades. Our secondary objective was to measure research network performance. We conducted a systematic search in the Web of Science Core Collection up to 15 August 2022 for publications on PTSD. We identified 42,170 publications published between 1945 and 2022. We used CiteSpace to retrieve the co-cited reference network (1978-2022) that presented significant modularity and mean silhouette scores, indicating highly credible clusters (Q = 0.915, S = 0.795). Four major trends of research were identified: 'war veterans and refugees', 'treatment of PTSD/neuroimaging', 'evidence syntheses', and 'somatic symptoms of PTSD'. The largest cluster of research concerned evidence synthesis for genetic predisposition and environmental exposures leading to PTSD occurrence. Research on war-related trauma has shifted from battlefield-related in-person exposure trauma to drone operator trauma and is being out published by civilian-related trauma research, such as the 'COVID-19' pandemic impact, 'postpartum', and 'grief disorder'. The focus on the most recent trends in the research revealed a burst in the 'treatment of PTSD' with the development of Mhealth, virtual reality, and psychedelic drugs. The collaboration networks reveal a central place for the USA research network, and although relatively isolated, a recent surge of publications from China was found. Compared to other psychiatric disorders, we found a lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials for pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. These results can inform funding agencies and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Sabé
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226, Thonex, Switzerland
| | - Chaomei Chen
- College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wissam El-Hage
- CHRU de Tours, Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, Centre Régional de Psychotraumatologie CVL, 37540 Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, France; UMR 1253, iBrain, INSERM, Université de Tours, 37000 Tours, France
| | - Arnaud Leroy
- Univ Lille, INSERM, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Centre (U-1172), Plasticity & SubjectivitY Team, CHU Lille, Fontan Hospital, General Psychiatry Department & Centre National de Ressources et Résilience Pour les Psychotraumatismes (CN2R Lille - Paris), 59000 Lille, France
| | - Guillaume Vaiva
- CNRS UMR 9193-PsyCHIC-SCALab, & CHU Lille, Department of Psychiatry, Univ. Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Silvia Monari
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226, Thonex, Switzerland
| | - Natacha Premand
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226, Thonex, Switzerland
| | - Javier Bartolomei
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226, Thonex, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Caiolo
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Andreas Maercker
- Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert H. Pietrzak
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Marylène Cloître
- National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, USA; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226, Thonex, Switzerland
| | - Marco Solmi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Mental Health, The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program University of Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universit¨atsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
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Oakley RH, Riddick NV, Moy SS, Cidlowski JA. Imbalanced glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid stress hormone receptor function has sex-dependent and independent regulatory effects in the mouse hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 28:100589. [PMID: 38075021 PMCID: PMC10709088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Many stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders display pronounced sex differences in their frequency and clinical symptoms. Glucocorticoids are primary stress hormones that have been implicated in the development of these disorders but whether they contribute to the observed sex bias is poorly understood. Glucocorticoids signal through two closely related nuclear receptors, the glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). To elucidate the sex-specific and independent actions of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus, we developed knockout mice lacking hippocampal GR, MR, or both GR and MR. Mice deficient in hippocampal MR or both GR and MR showed an altered molecular phenotype of CA2 neurons and reduced anxiety-like behavior in both sexes, but altered stress adaptation behavior only in females and enhanced fear-motivated cue learning only in males. All three knockout mouse models displayed reduced sociability but only in male mice. Male and female mice deficient in both hippocampal GR and MR exhibited extensive neurodegeneration in the dentate gyrus. Global transcriptomic analysis revealed a marked expansion in the number of dysregulated genes in the hippocampus of female knockout mice compared to their male counterparts; however, the overall patterns of gene dysregulation were remarkably similar in both sexes. Within and across sex comparisons identified key GR and MR target genes and associated signaling pathways underlying the knockout phenotypes. These findings define major sex-dependent and independent effects of GR/MR imbalances on gene expression and functional profiles in the hippocampus and inform new strategies for treating men and women with stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Oakley
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Natallia V. Riddick
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Sheryl S. Moy
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
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Menke A. The HPA Axis as Target for Depression. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:904-915. [PMID: 37581323 PMCID: PMC10845091 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230811141557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a stress-related mental disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 20% and, thus, is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. Many studies with a large number of patients support the notion that abnormalities of the hypothalamus-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis are crucial for the development of MDD. Therefore, a number of strategies and drugs have been investigated to target different components of the HPA axis: 1) corticotrophinreleasing hormone (CRH) 1 receptor antagonists; 2) vasopressin V1B receptor antagonists, 3) glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, and 4) FKBP5 antagonists. Until now, V1B receptor antagonists and GR antagonists have provided the most promising results. Preclinical data also support antagonists of FKBP5, which seem to be partly responsible for the effects exerted by ketamine. However, as HPA axis alterations occur only in a subset of patients, specific treatment approaches that target only single components of the HPA axis will be effective only in this subset of patients. Companion tests that measure the function of the HPA axis and identify patients with an impaired HPA axis, such as the dexamethasone-corticotrophin-releasing hormone (dex-CRH) test or the molecular dexamethasonesuppression (mDST) test, may match the patient with an effective treatment to enable patient-tailored treatments in terms of a precision medicine approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Menke
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Park Chiemseeblick, Rasthausstr, 25, 83233 Bernau am Chiemsee, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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38
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Dias BG. Legacies of salient environmental experiences-insights from chemosensation. Chem Senses 2024; 49:bjae002. [PMID: 38219073 PMCID: PMC10825851 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence for parental environments profoundly influencing the physiology, biology, and neurobiology of future generations has been accumulating in the literature. Recent efforts to understand this phenomenon and its underlying mechanisms have sought to use species like rodents and insects to model multi-generational legacies of parental experiences like stress and nutritional exposures. From these studies, we have come to appreciate that parental exposure to salient environmental experiences impacts the cadence of brain development, hormonal responses to stress, and the expression of genes that govern cellular responses to stress in offspring. Recent studies using chemosensory exposure have emerged as a powerful tool to shed new light on how future generations come to be influenced by environments to which parents are exposed. With a specific focus on studies that have leveraged such use of salient chemosensory experiences, this review synthesizes our current understanding of the concept, causes, and consequences of the inheritance of chemosensory legacies by future generations and how this field of inquiry informs the larger picture of how parental experiences can influence offspring biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Dias
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Stroud LR, Jao NC, Ward LG, Lee SY, Marsit CJ. Differential impact of prenatal PTSD symptoms and preconception trauma exposure on placental NR3C1 and FKBP5 methylation. Stress 2024; 27:2321595. [PMID: 38676353 PMCID: PMC11238900 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2321595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perinatal stress is associated with altered placental methylation, which plays a critical role in fetal development and infant outcomes. This proof-of-concept pilot study investigated the impact of lifetime trauma exposure and perinatal PTSD symptoms on epigenetic regulation of placenta glucocorticoid signaling genes (NR3C1 and FKBP5). Lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms during pregnancy were assessed in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women (N = 198). Participants were categorized into three groups: (1) No Trauma (-T); (2) Trauma, No Symptoms (T - S); and (3) Trauma and Symptoms (T + S). Placental tissue was analyzed via bisulfite pyrosequencing for degree of methylation at the NR3C1 promoter and FKBP5 regulatory regions. Analyses of covariance were used to test group differences in percentages of NR3C1 and FKBP5 methylation overall and at each CpG site. We found a significant impact of PTSD symptoms on placental NR3C1 methylation. Compared to the -T group, the T + S group had greater NR3C1 methylation overall and at CpG6, CpG8, CpG9, and CpG13, but lower methylation at CpG5. The T + S group had significantly higher NR3C1 methylation overall and at CpG8 compared to the T - S group. There were no differences between the T - S group and - T group. Additionally, no group differences emerged for FKBP5 methylation. Pregnant trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms exhibited differential patterns of placental NR3C1 methylation compared to trauma survivors without PTSD symptoms and pregnant women unexposed to trauma. Results highlight the critical importance of interventions to address the mental health of pregnant trauma survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. Stroud
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nancy C. Jao
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - L. G. Ward
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Sharon Y. Lee
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
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de Kloet ER, Joëls M. The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:20-34. [PMID: 36599967 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone (CORT), promote resilience: i.e., the ability to cope with threats, adversity, and trauma. To exert this protective action, CORT activates mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that operate in a complementary manner -as an on/off switch- to coordinate circadian events, stress-coping, and adaptation. The evolutionary older limbic MR facilitates contextual memory retrieval and supports an on-switch in the selection of stress-coping styles at a low cost. The rise in circulating CORT concentration after stress subsequently activates a GR-mediated off-switch underlying recovery of homeostasis by providing the energy for restraining the primary stress reactions and promoting cognitive control over emotional reactivity. GR activation facilitates contextual memory storage of the experience to enable future stress-coping. Such complementary MR-GR-mediated actions involve rapid non-genomic and slower gene-mediated mechanisms; they are time-dependent, conditional, and sexually dimorphic, and depend on genetic background and prior experience. If coping fails, GR activation impairs cognitive control and promotes emotional arousal which eventually may compromise resilience. Such breakdown of resilience involves a transition to a chronic stress construct, where information processing is crashed; it leads to an imbalanced MR-GR switch and hence increased vulnerability. Novel MR-GR modulators are becoming available that may reset a dysregulated stress response system to reinstate the cognitive flexibility required for resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden/Amsterdam Center of Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Seah C, Signer R, Deans M, Bader H, Rusielewicz T, Hicks EM, Young H, Cote A, Townsley K, Xu C, Hunter CJ, McCarthy B, Goldberg J, Dobariya S, Holtzherimer PE, Young KA, Noggle SA, Krystal JH, Paull D, Girgenti MJ, Yehuda R, Brennand KJ, Huckins LM. Common genetic variation impacts stress response in the brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.27.573459. [PMID: 38234801 PMCID: PMC10793429 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
To explain why individuals exposed to identical stressors experience divergent clinical outcomes, we determine how molecular encoding of stress modifies genetic risk for brain disorders. Analysis of post-mortem brain (n=304) revealed 8557 stress-interactive expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) that dysregulate expression of 915 eGenes in response to stress, and lie in stress-related transcription factor binding sites. Response to stress is robust across experimental paradigms: up to 50% of stress-interactive eGenes validate in glucocorticoid treated hiPSC-derived neurons (n=39 donors). Stress-interactive eGenes show brain region- and cell type-specificity, and, in post-mortem brain, implicate glial and endothelial mechanisms. Stress dysregulates long-term expression of disorder risk genes in a genotype-dependent manner; stress-interactive transcriptomic imputation uncovered 139 novel genes conferring brain disorder risk only in the context of traumatic stress. Molecular stress-encoding explains individualized responses to traumatic stress; incorporating trauma into genomic studies of brain disorders is likely to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and drug discovery.
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Seo JH, Kim ST, Jeon S, Kang JI, Kim SJ. Sex-dependent association of DNA methylation of HPA axis-related gene FKBP5 with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 158:106404. [PMID: 37769537 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106404] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Although hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been reported, epigenetic changes in HPA axis-related genes have not been well studied in OCD. The present study investigated whether the epigenetic regulation of FK506-binding protein 51 gene (FKBP5) intron 7 is associated with OCD status in each sex. In addition, relationships among the DNA methylation levels of FKBP5 intron 7, OCD status and early-life trauma were explored. METHODS A total of 267 patients with OCD and 201 controls aged between 18 and 40 years were recruited. Demographic and clinical assessment, FKBP5 rs1360780 genotyping, and pyrosequencing of FKBP5 intron 7 were conducted. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes. First, multivariate analysis of covariance for differential DNA methylation levels between OCD patients and controls was conducted with adjustment for FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype, early-life trauma, depressive symptoms, and age as covariates in each sex. Next, path analysis was conducted to determine the mediation effects of DNA methylation levels of FKBP5 between early-life trauma and OCD status. In addition, sensitivity analyses for medication and lifetime major depression were also performed. RESULTS DNA methylation at the FKBP5 intron 7 CpG site was significantly lower in men with OCD, compared to controls (mean difference -1.33%, 95% CI -2.11 to -0.55, p < 0.001). The results remained significant for drug naïve or free subjects (mean difference -1.27%, 95% CI -2.18 to -0.37, p = 0.006, in men) and for subjects without lifetime major depressive disorder (mean difference -1.60%, 95% CI -2.54 to -0.66, p < 0.001, in men). The mediation effect of DNA methylation levels was not significant between early-life trauma and OCD status. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that epigenetic factors of HPA axis-related gene FKBP5 may play a role in the pathogenesis of OCD. Further studies are needed to determine how altered DNA methylation of FKBP5 intron 7 and HPA axis function are involved in OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ho Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shin Tae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sumoa Jeon
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jee In Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Se Joo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Mallick R, Duttaroy AK. Epigenetic modification impacting brain functions: Effects of physical activity, micronutrients, caffeine, toxins, and addictive substances. Neurochem Int 2023; 171:105627. [PMID: 37827244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression are involved in many brain functions. Epigenetic processes modulate gene expression by histone modification and DNA methylation or RNA-mediated processes, which is important for brain function. Consequently, epigenetic changes are also a part of brain diseases such as mental illness and addiction. Understanding the role of different factors on the brain epigenome may help us understand the function of the brain. This review discussed the effects of caffeine, lipids, addictive substances, physical activity, and pollutants on the epigenetic changes in the brain and their modulatory effects on brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mallick
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Asim K Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, POB 1046 Blindern, Oslo, Norway.
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Quinn EB, Hsiao CJ, Maisha FM, Mulligan CJ. Prenatal maternal stress is associated with site-specific and age acceleration changes in maternal and newborn DNA methylation. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2222473. [PMID: 37300821 PMCID: PMC10259347 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2222473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal stress has a negative impact on child health but the mechanisms through which maternal stress affects child health are unclear. Epigenetic variation, such as DNA methylation, is a likely mechanistic candidate as DNA methylation is sensitive to environmental insults and can regulate long-term changes in gene expression. We recruited 155 mother-newborn dyads in the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate the effects of maternal stress on DNA methylation in mothers and newborns. We used four measures of maternal stress to capture a range of stressful experiences: general trauma, sexual trauma, war trauma, and chronic stress. We identified differentially methylated positions (DMPs) associated with general trauma, sexual trauma, and war trauma in both mothers and newborns. No DMPs were associated with chronic stress. Sexual trauma was positively associated with epigenetic age acceleration across several epigenetic clocks in mothers. General trauma and war trauma were positively associated with newborn epigenetic age acceleration using the extrinsic epigenetic age clock. We tested the top DMPs for enrichment of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHS) and found no enrichment in mothers. In newborns, top DMPs associated with war trauma were enriched for DHS in embryonic and foetal cell types. Finally, one of the top DMPs associated with war trauma in newborns also predicted birthweight, completing the cycle from maternal stress to DNA methylation to newborn health outcome. Our results indicate that maternal stress is associated with site-specific changes in DNAm and epigenetic age acceleration in both mothers and newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward B. Quinn
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chu J. Hsiao
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Felicien M. Maisha
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Democratic Republic of Congo, HEAL Africa Hospital, Goma, USA
- Democratic Republic of Congo, Maisha Institute, Goma, USA
| | - Connie J. Mulligan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Barcelona V, Abuaish S, Lee S, Harkins S, Butler A, Tycko B, Baccarelli AA, Walsh K, Monk CE. Stress and DNA Methylation of Blood Leukocytes among Pregnant Latina Women. EPIGENOMES 2023; 7:27. [PMID: 37987302 PMCID: PMC10660842 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7040027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Latinas experience physical and psychological stressors in pregnancy leading to increased morbidity and higher risk for adverse birth outcomes. Epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation (DNAm), have been proposed as markers to create more refined risk stratification, yet few of these studies have examined these changes in Latinas. We conducted a secondary analysis of stored blood leukocytes of Latina women (n = 58) enrolled in a larger National Institutes of Health funded R01 project (2011-2016). We examined DNAm on eight candidate stress genes to compare physically and psychologically stressed participants to healthy (low stress) participants. We found unique CpGs that were differentially methylated in stressed women early- and mid-pregnancy compared to the healthy group, though none remained significant after FDR correction. Both physical and psychological stress were associated with hypomethylation at two consecutive CpG sites on NR3C1 in early pregnancy and one CpG site on NR3C1 in mid-pregnancy before adjustment. Stress was also associated with hypomethylation at two CpG sites on FKBP5 in early and mid-pregnancy but were no longer significant after FDR adjustment. Though we did not find statistically significant differences in DNAm during pregnancy between stressed and healthy women in this sample, signals were consistent with previous findings. Future work in larger samples should further examine the associations between stress and DNAm in pregnancy as this mechanism may explain underlying perinatal health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sameera Abuaish
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Mental Health Data Science, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Sarah Harkins
- Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Ashlie Butler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Benjamin Tycko
- Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA;
| | - Andrea A. Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Kate Walsh
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Catherine E. Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Kumsta R. The role of stress in the biological embedding of experience. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 156:106364. [PMID: 37586308 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early adversity is one of the most important and pervasive risk factors for the development of nearly all major mental disorders across the lifespan. In the search for the mediating mechanisms and processes that underlie long-term stability of these effects, changes to stress-associated hormonal and cellular signalling have emerged as prime candidates. This review summarises evidence showing that experience of early adversity in the form of childhood abuse or neglect and exposure to severe institutional deprivation influences multiple interconnected bio-behavioural, physiological and cellular processes. This paper focusses on dysregulations of hormonal stress regulation, altered DNA methylation pattern, changes to transcriptomic profiles in the context of stress-immune interplay, and mitochondrial biology. Consistent findings that have emerged include a relative cortisol hypoactivity and hyporeactivity in response to challenge, increased activity of pro-inflammatory genes, and altered mitochondrial function. The majority of investigations have focussed on single outcomes, but there is a clear rationale of conceiving the implicated physiological processes as interconnected parts of a wider stress-associated regulatory network, which in turn is connected to behaviour and mental disorders. This calls for integrated and longitudinal investigations to come to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of stress in the biological embedding of experience. The review concludes with considerations of how stress research can contribute to translational efforts through characterising subtypes of mental disorders which arise as a function of early adversity, and have distinct features of behavioral and biological stress processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kumsta
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Laboratory for Stress and Gene-Environment Interplay, University of Luxemburg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxemburg; Faculty of Psychology, Institute for Health and Development, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Bochum/Marburg, Germany.
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Pierce ZP, Black JM. Stress and Susceptibility: A Systematic Review of Prenatal Epigenetic Risks for Developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2023; 24:2648-2660. [PMID: 35714974 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221109792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to systematically assess the current literature about prenatal epigenetic markers that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder susceptibility across the lifespan. Studies included in this review met several research criteria: Studies included (1) participants with a PTSD diagnosis according to the DSM-5, (2) prenatal epigenetic marker data that could be analyzed, and (3) explicit references to postnatal PTSD susceptibility. Our study sample fit within a timeframe of 2002 (the earliest recorded studies of prenatal susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder in the databases used) and February 2021 when the literature search for this review was terminated. Studies for this review were collated from PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, and Boston College School of Social Work Library databases. A systematic search was conducted in these databases using basic keyword terms, such as "PSTD resilience" and "PTSD vulnerability," and then adding clarifying terms to refine specific searches, such as "epigenetics," "genetics," "epigenetic markers," "haplotypes," and "mRNA methylation." Based on these criteria and research methods, 33 studies remained for inclusion in the review sample. This review suggests that BDNF Val66-Met, a polymorphism of FKBP5, and an altered messenger ribonucleic acid methylation marker in NR3C1 present most often in cases of PTSD. These epigenetic markers might be implicated in central neurological processes related to post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary P Pierce
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- The Cell to Society Laboratory, School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Jessica M Black
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- The Cell to Society Laboratory, School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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Maiarù M, Acton RJ, Woźniak EL, Mein CA, Bell CG, Géranton SM. A DNA methylation signature in the stress driver gene Fkbp5 indicates a neuropathic component in chronic pain. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:155. [PMID: 37777763 PMCID: PMC10543848 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01569-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic changes can bring insight into gene regulatory mechanisms associated with disease pathogenicity, including chronicity and increased vulnerability. To date, we are yet to identify genes sensitive to epigenetic regulation that contribute to the maintenance of chronic pain and with an epigenetic landscape indicative of the susceptibility to persistent pain. Such genes would provide a novel opportunity for better pain management, as their epigenetic profile could be targeted for the treatment of chronic pain or used as an indication of vulnerability for prevention strategies. Here, we investigated the epigenetic profile of the gene Fkbp5 for this potential, using targeted bisulphite sequencing in rodent pre-clinical models of chronic and latent hypersensitive states. RESULTS The Fkbp5 promoter DNA methylation (DNAm) signature in the CNS was significantly different between models of persistent pain, and there was a significant correlation between CNS and peripheral blood Fkbp5 DNAm, indicating that further exploration of Fkbp5 promoter DNAm as an indicator of chronic pain pathogenic origin is warranted. We also found that maternal separation, which promotes the persistency of inflammatory pain in adulthood, was accompanied by long-lasting reduction in Fkbp5 DNAm, suggesting that Fkbp5 DNAm profile may indicate the increased vulnerability to chronic pain in individuals exposed to trauma in early life. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data demonstrate that the Fkbp5 promoter DNAm landscape brings novel insight into the differing pathogenic origins of chronic pain, may be able to stratify patients and predict the susceptibility to chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Maiarù
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Richard J Acton
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Human Development and Health, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts & The London Faculty of Medicine, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eva L Woźniak
- Genome Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Charles A Mein
- Genome Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Christopher G Bell
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts & The London Faculty of Medicine, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Sandrine M Géranton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Goltser-Dubner T, Shalev A, Benarroch F, Canetti L, Yogev M, Kalla C, Masarwa R, Martin J, Pevzner D, Oz O, Saloner C, Amer R, Lavon M, Lotan A, Galili-Weisstub E, Segman R. Decreased mononuclear cell NR3C1 SKA2 and FKPB5 expression levels among adult survivors of suicide bombing terror attacks in childhood are associated with the development of PTSD. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3851-3855. [PMID: 37845495 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Life threatening trauma and the development of PTSD during childhood, may each associate with transcriptional perturbation of immune cell glucocorticoid reactivity, yet their separable longer term contributions are less clear. The current study compared resting mononuclear cell gene expression levels of the nuclear receptor, subfamily 3, member 1 (NR3C1) coding the glucocorticoid receptor, its trans-activator spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 2 (SKA2), and its co-chaperon FKBP prolyl isomerase 5 (FKBP5), between a cohort of young adults first seen at the Hadassah Emergency Department (ED) after surviving a suicide bombing terror attack during childhood, and followed longitudinally over the years, and matched healthy controls not exposed to life threatening trauma. While significant reductions in mononuclear cell gene expression levels were observed among young adults for all three transcripts following early trauma exposure, the development of subsequent PTSD beyond trauma exposure, accounted for a small but significant portion of the variance in each of the three transcripts. Long-term perturbation in the expression of immune cell glucocorticoid response transcripts persists among young adults who develop PTSD following life threatening trauma exposure in childhood, denoting chronic dysregulation of immune stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Goltser-Dubner
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amit Shalev
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Fortu Benarroch
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Laura Canetti
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maayan Yogev
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Carmel Kalla
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ranin Masarwa
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Josef Martin
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dalya Pevzner
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Osnat Oz
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Chen Saloner
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reaan Amer
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Lavon
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amit Lotan
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Esti Galili-Weisstub
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ronen Segman
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
- The Herman-Danna Division of Pediatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Marchese S, Huckins LM. Trauma Matters: Integrating Genetic and Environmental Components of PTSD. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2023; 4:2200017. [PMID: 37766803 PMCID: PMC10520418 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.202200017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Trauma is ubiquitous, but only a subset of those who experience trauma will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review, it is argued that to determine who is at risk of developing PTSD, it is critical to examine the genetic etiology of the disorder and individual trauma profiles of those who are susceptible. First, the state of current PTSD genetic research is described, with a particular focus on studies that present evidence for trauma type specificity, or for differential genetic etiology according to gender or race. Next, approaches that leverage non-traditional phenotyping approaches are reviewed to identify PTSD-associated variants and biology, and the relative advantages and limitations inherent in these studies are reflected on. Finally, it is discussed how trauma might influence the heritability of PTSD, through type, risk factors, genetics, and associations with PTSD symptomology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby Marchese
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric GenomicsIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric GenomicsIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and TreatmentIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
- Present address:
Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT06511USA
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