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Deng F, Lei J, Chen J, Zhao M, Zhao C, Fu M, Sun M, Zhang M, Qiu J, Gao Q. DNA methylation-mediated 11βHSD2 downregulation drives the increases in angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II within preeclamptic placentas. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23714. [PMID: 38814727 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400199r] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex human-specific complication frequently associated with placental pathology. The local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the human placenta, which plays a crucial role in regulating placental function, has been extensively documented. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a class of steroid hormones. PE cases often have abnormalities in GCs levels and placental GCs barrier. Despite extensive speculation, there is currently no robust evidence indicating that GCs regulate placental RAS. This study aims to investigate these potential relationships. Plasma and placental samples were collected from both normal and PE pregnancies. The levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II (Ang II), cortisol, and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11βHSD) were analyzed. In PE placentas, cortisol, ACE, and Ang II levels were elevated, while 11βHSD2 expression was reduced. Interestingly, a positive correlation was observed between ACE and cortisol levels in the placenta. A significant inverse correlation was found between the methylation statuses within the 11βHSD2 gene promoter and its expression, meanwhile, 11βHSD2 expression was negatively correlated with cortisol and ACE levels. In vitro experiments using placental trophoblast cells confirmed that active GCs can stimulate ACE transcription and expression through the GR pathway. Furthermore, 11βHSD2 knockdown could enhance this activating effect. An in vivo study using a rat model of intrauterine GCs overexposure during mid-to-late gestation suggested that excess GCs in utero lead to increased ACE and Ang II levels in the placenta. Collectively, this study provides the first evidence of the relationships between 11βHSD2 expression, GCs barrier, ACE, and Ang II levels in the placenta. It not only contributes to understanding the pathological features of the placental GCs barrier and RAS under PE conditions, also provides important information for revealing the pathological mechanism of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengying Deng
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Jiahui Lei
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Meng Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Third People's Hospital of Bengbu Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Chenxuan Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Mengyu Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Miao Sun
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Meihua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Junlan Qiu
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Suzhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Qinqin Gao
- Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Rakers F, Schleussner E, Cornelius A, Kluckow S, Muth I, Hoyer D, Rupprecht S, Schultze T, Schiecke K, Ligges C, Schwab M, Hoyer H. Association between prenatal glucocorticoid exposure and adolescent neurodevelopment: An observational follow-up study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2024. [PMID: 38877646 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14885] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prenatal exposure to supraphysiological glucocorticoid (GC) levels may lead to long-lasting developmental changes in numerous biological systems. Our prior study identified an association between prenatal GC prophylaxis and reduced cognitive performance, electrocortical changes, and altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in children aged 8-9 years. This follow-up study aimed to examine whether these findings persisted into adolescence. MATERIAL AND METHODS Prospective observational follow-up study involving twenty-one 14- to 15-year-old adolescents born to mothers who received betamethasone for induction of fetal lung maturation in threatened preterm birth, but who were born with a normal weight appropriate for their gestational age (median 37+4 gestational weeks). Thirty-five children not exposed to betamethasone served as the reference group (median 37+6 gestational weeks). The primary endpoint was cognitive performance, measured by intelligence quotient (IQ). Key secondary endpoints included symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and metabolic markers. Additionally, we determined electrocortical (electroencephalogram), hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), and ANS activity in response to a standardized stress paradigm. RESULTS No statistically significant group difference was observed in global IQ (adjusted mean: betamethasone 103.9 versus references 105.9, mean difference -2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -7.12 to 3.12, p = 0.44). Similarly, ADHD symptoms, metabolic markers, the overall and stress-induced activity of the HPAA and the ANS did not differ significantly between groups. However, the betamethasone group exhibited reduced electrocortical activity in the frontal brain region (spectral edge frequency-adjusted means: 16.0 Hz versus 17.8 Hz, mean difference -1.83 Hz, 95% CI: -3.21 to -0.45, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS In 14- to 15-year-old adolescents, prenatal GC exposure was not associated with differences in IQ scores or ANS activity compared to unexposed controls. However, decelerated electrocortical activity in the frontal region potentially reflects disturbances in the maturation of cortical and/or subcortical brain structures. The clinical significance of these changes remains unknown. Given the small sample size, selective participation/loss of follow-up and potential residual confounding, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further research is required to replicate these results in larger cohorts before drawing firm clinical conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Rakers
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Amani Cornelius
- Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Steffen Kluckow
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Isabel Muth
- Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Hoyer
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Sven Rupprecht
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Torsten Schultze
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Karin Schiecke
- Institute of Medical Statistics, Computer and Data Sciences, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Carolin Ligges
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Heike Hoyer
- Institute of Medical Statistics, Computer and Data Sciences, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Baptista FI, Ambrósio AF. Tracing the influence of prenatal risk factors on the offspring retina: Focus on development and putative long-term consequences. Eur J Clin Invest 2024:e14266. [PMID: 38864773 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14266] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy represents a window of vulnerability to fetal development. Disruptions in the prenatal environment during this crucial period can increase the risk of the offspring developing diseases over the course of their lifetime. The central nervous system (CNS) has been shown to be particularly susceptible to changes during crucial developmental windows. To date, research focused on disruptions in the development of the CNS has predominantly centred on the brain, revealing a correlation between exposure to prenatal risk factors and the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, some studies indicate that the retina, which is part of the CNS, is also vulnerable to in utero alterations during pregnancy. Such changes may affect neuronal, glial and vascular components of the retina, compromising retinal structure and function and possibly impairing visual function. METHODS A search in the PubMed database was performed, and any literature concerning prenatal risk factors (drugs, diabetes, unbalanced diet, infection, glucocorticoids) affecting the offspring retina were included. RESULTS This review collects evidence on the cellular, structural and functional changes occurring in the retina triggered by maternal risk factors during pregnancy. We highlight the adverse impact on retinal development and its long-lasting effects, providing a critical analysis of the current knowledge while underlining areas for future research. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate recognition of the prenatal risk factors that negatively impact the developing retina may provide critical clues for the design of preventive strategies and for early therapeutic intervention that could change retinal pathology in the progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa I Baptista
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - António F Ambrósio
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
- Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal
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Liu Y, Chen SJ, Ai C, Yu PX, Fang M, Wang H. Prenatal dexamethasone exposure impairs rat blood-testis barrier function and sperm quality in adult offspring via GR/KDM1B/FSTL3/TGFβ signaling. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:1237-1251. [PMID: 38472317 PMCID: PMC11130295 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01244-5] [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: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Both epidemiological and animal studies suggest that adverse environment during pregnancy can change the offspring development programming, but it is difficult to achieve prenatal early warning. In this study we investigated the impact of prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) on sperm quality and function of blood-testis barrier (BTB) in adult offspring and the underlying mechanisms. Pregnant rats were injected with dexamethasone (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg·kg-1·d-1, s.c.) from GD9 to GD20. After weaning (PW4), the pups were fed with lab chow. At PW12 and PW28, the male offspring were euthanized to collect blood and testes samples. We showed that PDE significantly decreased sperm quality (including quantity and motility) in male offspring, which was associated with impaired BTB and decreased CX43/E-cadherin expression in the testis. We demonstrated that PDE induced morphological abnormalities of fetal testicle and Sertoli cell development originated from intrauterine. By tracing to fetal testicular Sertoli cells, we found that PDE dose-dependently increased expression of histone lysine demethylases (KDM1B), decreasing histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) levels of follistatin-like-3 (FSTL3) promoter region and increased FSTL3 expression, and inhibited TGFβ signaling and CX43/E-cadherin expression in offspring before and after birth. These results were validated in TM4 Sertoli cells following dexamethasone treatment. Meanwhile, the H3K9me2 levels of FSTL3 promoter in maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and placenta were decreased and its expression increased, which was positively correlated with the changes in offspring testis. Based on analysis of human samples, we found that the H3K9me2 levels of FSTL3 promoter in maternal blood PBMC and placenta were positively correlated with fetal blood testosterone levels after prenatal dexamethasone exposure. We conclude that PDE can reduce sperm quality in adult offspring rats, which is related to the damage of testis BTB via epigenetic modification and change of FSTL3 expression in Sertoli cells. The H3K9me2 levels of the FSTL3 promoter and its expression in the maternal blood PBMC can be used as a prenatal warning marker for fetal testicular dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Si-Jia Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Can Ai
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Peng-Xia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Man Fang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Ngema M, Xulu ND, Ngubane PS, Khathi A. Pregestational Prediabetes Induces Maternal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis Dysregulation and Results in Adverse Foetal Outcomes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5431. [PMID: 38791468 PMCID: PMC11122116 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105431] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been shown to result in foetal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to adverse foetal outcomes. T2DM is preceded by prediabetes and shares similar pathophysiological complications. However, no studies have investigated the effects of maternal prediabetes on foetal HPA axis function and postnatal offspring development. Hence, this study investigated the effects of pregestational prediabetes on maternal HPA axis function and postnatal offspring development. Pre-diabetic (PD) and non-pre-diabetic (NPD) female Sprague Dawley rats were mated with non-prediabetic males. After gestation, male pups born from the PD and NPD groups were collected. Markers of HPA axis function, adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone, were measured in all dams and pups. Glucose tolerance, insulin and gene expressions of mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors were further measured in all pups at birth and their developmental milestones. The results demonstrated increased basal concentrations of ACTH and corticosterone in the dams from the PD group by comparison to NPD. Furthermore, the results show an increase basal ACTH and corticosterone concentrations, disturbed MR and GR gene expression, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance assessed via the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) indices in the pups born from the PD group compared to NPD group at all developmental milestones. These observations reveal that pregestational prediabetes is associated with maternal dysregulation of the HPA axis, impacting offspring HPA axis development along with impaired glucose handling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andile Khathi
- School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4041, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa; (M.N.); (N.D.X.); (P.S.N.)
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Ninan K, Murphy KE, Asztalos EV, Jiang Y, Huszti E, Matthews SG, Santaguida P, Mukerji A, McDonald SD. The Impact of Infant Sex on Multiple Courses versus a Single Course of Antenatal Corticosteroids: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Perinatol 2024; 41:e2919-e2926. [PMID: 37935374 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1776348] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Animal literature has suggested that the impact of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) may vary by infant sex. Our objective was to assess the impact of infant sex on the use of multiple courses versus a single course of ACS and perinatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a secondary analysis of the Multiple Courses of Antenatal Corticosteroids for Preterm Birth trial, which randomly allocated pregnant people to multiple courses versus a single course of ACS. Our primary outcome was a composite of perinatal mortality or clinically significant neonatal morbidity (including neonatal death, stillbirth, severe respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage [grade III or IV], cystic periventricular leukomalacia, and necrotizing enterocolitis [stage II or III]). Secondary outcomes included individual components of the primary outcome as well as anthropometric measures. Baseline characteristics were compared between participants who received multiple courses versus a single course of ACS. An interaction between exposure to ACS and infant sex was assessed for significance and multivariable regression analyses were conducted with adjustment for predefined covariates, when feasible. RESULTS Data on 2,300 infants were analyzed. The interaction term between treatment status (multiple courses vs. a single course of ACS) and infant sex was not significant for the primary outcome (p = 0.86), nor for any of the secondary outcomes (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Infant sex did not modify the association between exposure to ACS and perinatal outcomes including perinatal mortality or neonatal morbidity or anthropometric outcomes. However, animal literature indicates that sex-specific differences after exposure to ACS may emerge over time and thus investigating long-term sex-specific outcomes warrants further attention. KEY POINTS · We explored the impact of infant sex on perinatal outcomes after multiple versus a single course of ACS.. · Infant sex was not a significant effect modifier of ACS exposure and perinatal outcomes.. · Animal literature indicates that sex-specific differences after ACS exposure may emerge over time.. · Further investigation of long-term sex-specific outcomes is warranted..
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Ninan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kellie E Murphy
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth V Asztalos
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yidi Jiang
- Biostatistics Research Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ella Huszti
- Biostatistics Research Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen G Matthews
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pasqualina Santaguida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amit Mukerji
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah D McDonald
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Eachus H, Choi MK, Tochwin A, Kaspareit J, Ho M, Ryu S. Elevated glucocorticoid alters the developmental dynamics of hypothalamic neurogenesis in zebrafish. Commun Biol 2024; 7:416. [PMID: 38580727 PMCID: PMC10997759 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06060-5] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to excess glucocorticoid (GC) during early development is implicated in adult dysfunctions. Reduced adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a well-known consequence of exposure to early life stress or elevated GC, however the effects on neurogenesis during development and effects on other brain regions are not well understood. Using an optogenetic zebrafish model, here we analyse the effects of GC exposure on neurogenesis during development in the whole brain. We identify that the hypothalamus is a highly GC-sensitive region where elevated GC causes precocious development. This is followed by failed maturation and early decline accompanied by impaired feeding, growth, and survival. In GC-exposed animals, the developmental trajectory of hypothalamic progenitor cells is strikingly altered, potentially mediated by direct regulation of transcription factors such as rx3 by GC. Our data provide cellular and molecular level insight into GC-induced alteration of the hypothalamic developmental trajectory, a process crucial for 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
- Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment & Aston Pharmacy School, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Min-Kyeung Choi
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Anna Tochwin
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Johanna Kaspareit
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - May Ho
- Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
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Yeramilli V, Rizek CS, Graham J, Taylor C, Cheddadi R, Patterson S, Watts S, Martin C. Parental preconception stress in zebrafish induces long-lasting anxiety in offspring. Physiol Behav 2024; 277:114477. [PMID: 38301945 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114477] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The growth and function of the vertebrate brain are impacted by environmental stimuli and early life stress. Adults who experience chronic stress during early life are more likely to suffer various neurodevelopmental and health issues. However, our understanding of how these specific environmental signals at different developmental stages affect brain development is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated if stress in parents prior to conception modulates neurodevelopment in offspring. We used a chronic unpredictable stress model adapted to zebrafish, which is an increasingly popular vertebrate model in neuroscience research to investigate the effects of both maternal and paternal preconception stress on offspring behavior. We evaluated the responsiveness of three anxiety-related behavioral paradigms in zebrafish: the novel tank test, thigmotaxis, and shoaling behavior. We found larvae from stressed females exhibited anxiety-like behavior in a thigmotaxis assay. As these larvae matured into adults, they continued to exhibit anxiety-like behavior in a novel tank and shoaling behavioral assay. These studies indicate preconception stress exposure in parents can induce life-long alterations in offspring neurodevelopment. Further, these results expand the hypothesis that chronically elevated glucocorticoid signaling not only in stressed mothers, but also stressed dads can affect neurodevelopment in offspring. We propose that zebrafish may be a useful model to study the transgenerational effects of chronic stress mediated via the maternal and paternal line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata Yeramilli
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | | | - Jessica Graham
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | - Christopher Taylor
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Riadh Cheddadi
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | - Sophie Patterson
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Stephen Watts
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Colin Martin
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US.
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9
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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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10
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Nemec-Bakk AS, Bel J, Niccoli S, Boreham DR, Tai TC, Lees SJ, Khaper N. Effects of prenatal dexamethasone exposure on adult C57BL/6J mouse metabolism and oxidative stress. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2024; 102:180-195. [PMID: 38329060 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2023-0254] [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] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure has been shown to alter hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function resulting in altered fetal development that can persist through adulthood. Fetal exposure to excess dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid, has been shown to alter adult behaviour and metabolism. This study investigated the effects prenatal dexamethasone exposure had on adult offspring cardiac and liver metabolism and oxidative stress. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice received a dose of 0.4 mg/kg dexamethasone on gestational days 15-17. Once pups were approximately 7 months old, glucose uptake was determined using positron emission tomography and insulin resistance (IR) was determined by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) IR calculation. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring 4-hydroxynonenal protein adduct formation and total reactive oxygen species. Female dexamethasone group had significantly increased glucose uptake when insulin stimulated compared to vehicle-treated mice. HOMA IR revealed no evidence of IR in either male or female offspring. There was also no change in oxidative stress markers in either cardiac or liver tissues of male or female offspring. These data suggest that prenatal dexamethasone exposure in male mice does not alter oxidative stress or metabolism. However, prenatal dexamethasone exposure increased glucocorticoids, cardiac glucose uptake, and pAkt signaling in female heart tissues in adult mice, suggesting there are sex differences in prenatal dexamethasone exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Nemec-Bakk
- Department of Science and Environmental studies, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - J Bel
- Department of Science and Environmental studies, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - S Niccoli
- Medical Science Division, NOSM University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - D R Boreham
- Medical Science Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - T C Tai
- Medical Science Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - S J Lees
- Medical Science Division, NOSM University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - N Khaper
- Medical Science Division, NOSM University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
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11
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Liu K, Chen Z, Hu W, He B, Xu D, Guo Y, Wang H. Intrauterine developmental origin, programming mechanism, and prevention strategy of fetal-originated hypercholesterolemia. Obes Rev 2024; 25:e13672. [PMID: 38069529 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that hypercholesterolemia has an intrauterine developmental origin. However, the pathogenesis of fetal-originated is still lacking in a theoretical system, which makes its clinical early prevention and treatment difficult. It has been found that an adverse environment during pregnancy (e.g., xenobiotic exposure) may lead to changes in fetal blood cholesterol levels through changing maternal cholesterol metabolic function and/or placental cholesterol transport function and may also directly affect the liver cholesterol metabolic function of the offspring in utero and continue after birth. Adverse environmental conditions during pregnancy may also raise maternal glucocorticoid levels and promote the placental glucocorticoid barrier opening, leading to fetal overexposure to maternal glucocorticoids. Intrauterine high-glucocorticoid exposure can alter the liver cholesterol metabolism of offspring, resulting in an increased susceptibility to hypercholesterolemia after birth. Abnormal epigenetic modifications are involved in the intrauterine programming mechanism of fetal-originated hypercholesterolemia. Some interventions targeted at pregnant mothers or offspring in early life have been proposed to effectively prevent and treat the development of fetal-originated hypercholesterolemia. In this paper, the recent research progress on fetal-originated hypercholesterolemia was reviewed, with emphasis on intrauterine maternal glucocorticoid programming mechanisms, in order to provide a theoretical basis for its early clinical warning, prevention, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ze Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo He
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
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12
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Lu X, Chen B, Xu D, Hu W, Wang X, Dai Y, Wang Q, Peng Y, Chen K, Zhao D, Wang H. Epigenetic programming mediates abnormal gut microbiota and disease susceptibility in offspring with prenatal dexamethasone exposure. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101398. [PMID: 38301654 PMCID: PMC10897547 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101398] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) can lead to increased susceptibility to various diseases in adult offspring, but its effect on gut microbiota composition and the relationship with disease susceptibility remains unclear. In this study, we find sex-differential changes in the gut microbiota of 6-month-old infants with prenatal dexamethasone therapy (PDT) that persisted in female infants up to 2.5 years of age with altered bile acid metabolism. PDE female offspring rats show abnormal colonization and composition of gut microbiota and increased susceptibility to cholestatic liver injury. The aberrant gut microbiota colonization in the PDE offspring can be attributed to the inhibited Muc2 expression caused by decreased CDX2 expression before and after birth. Integrating animal and cell experiments, we further confirm that dexamethasone could inhibit Muc2 expression by activating GR/HDAC11 signaling and regulating CDX2 epigenetic modification. This study interprets abnormal gut microbiota and disease susceptibility in PDT offspring from intrauterine intestinal dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Beidi Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wen Hu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Digital Health, and Data Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yongguo Dai
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu Peng
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Kaiqi Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Dongchi Zhao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Digital Health, and Data Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China.
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13
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Liu J, Yang T, Li Y, Li S, Li Y, Xu S, Xia W. Associations of maternal exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid during early pregnancy with steroid hormones among one-month-old infants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169414. [PMID: 38114038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169414] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a widely used hormonal herbicide, may disrupt steroid hormone homeostasis. However, evidence from population-based studies is limited, especially for one-month-old infants whose steroid hormones are in a state of adjustment to extrauterine life and can be important indicators of endocrine development. This study aimed to explore the associations between maternal 2,4-D exposure during early pregnancy and infant steroid hormone levels. METHODS The 885 mother-infant pairs were from a birth cohort in Wuhan, China. Maternal exposure to 2,4-D was determined in urine samples from early pregnancy, and nine steroid hormones were determined in infant urine. The associations of maternal 2,4-D exposure with infant steroid hormones and their product-to-precursor ratios were estimated based on generalized linear models, and bioinformatic analysis was conducted with public databases to explore the potential mechanisms involved. RESULTS The detection frequency of 2,4-D was 99.32 %, and the detection frequency of steroid hormones ranged from 98.42 % to 100.00 %. After adjusting for covariates, an interquartile range increase in 2,4-D concentrations was associated with a 7.84 % decrease in 11-deoxycortisol (95 % confidence interval, CI: -14.12 %, -1.10 %), an 8.09 % decrease in corticosterone (95 % CI: -14.56 %, -1.14 %), an 8.67 % decrease in cortisol (95 % CI: -14.43 %, -2.52 %), a 13.00 % decrease in cortisone (95 % CI: -20.64 %, -4.62 %), and an 11.17 % decrease in aldosterone (95 % CI: -19.62 %, -1.83 %). Maternal 2,4-D was also associated with lower infant cortisol/17α-OH-progesterone, cortisol/pregnenolone, and aldosterone/pregnenolone ratios. In bioinformatic analysis, pathways/biological processes related to steroid hormone synthesis and secretion were enriched from target genes of 2,4-D exposure. CONCLUSIONS Maternal urinary 2,4-D during early pregnancy was associated with lower infant urinary 11-deoxycortisol, corticosterone, cortisol, cortisone, and aldosterone, reflecting that 2,4-D exposure may interfere with infant steroid hormone homeostasis. Further efforts are still needed to study the relevant health effects of exposure to 2,4-D, particularly for vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Tingting Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ying Li
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shulan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shunqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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14
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van Haren JS, Delbressine FLM, Schoberer M, te Pas AB, van Laar JOEH, Oei SG, van der Hout-van der Jagt MB. Transferring an extremely premature infant to an extra-uterine life support system: a prospective view on the obstetric procedure. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1360111. [PMID: 38425664 PMCID: PMC10902175 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1360111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
To improve care for extremely premature infants, the development of an extrauterine environment for newborn development is being researched, known as Artificial Placenta and Artificial Womb (APAW) technology. APAW facilitates extended development in a liquid-filled incubator with oxygen and nutrient supply through an oxygenator connected to the umbilical vessels. This setup is intended to provide the optimal environment for further development, allowing further lung maturation by delaying gas exposure to oxygen. This innovative treatment necessitates interventions in obstetric procedures to transfer an infant from the native to an artificial womb, while preventing fetal-to-neonatal transition. In this narrative review we analyze relevant fetal physiology literature, provide an overview of insights from APAW studies, and identify considerations for the obstetric procedure from the native uterus to an APAW system. Lastly, this review provides suggestions to improve sterility, fetal and maternal well-being, and the prevention of neonatal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette S. van Haren
- Department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, Netherlands
| | | | - Mark Schoberer
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering and Clinic for Neonatology, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Arjan B. te Pas
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Judith O. E. H. van Laar
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - S. Guid Oei
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - M. Beatrijs van der Hout-van der Jagt
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
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15
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Baud O, Sentilhes L, Ursino M, Doret-Dion M, Alberti C, Aupiais C, Schmitz T. Survival without severe neonatal morbidity after antenatal betamethasone dose reduction: a post hoc analysis of a randomized non-inferiority trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024:S0002-9378(24)00071-1. [PMID: 38341166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antenatal betamethasone is recommended before preterm delivery to accelerate fetal lung maturation. However, its optimal dose remains unknown. A 50% dose reduction was proposed to decrease the potential dose-related long-term neurodevelopmental side effects, including psychological development, sleep, and emotional disorders. Because noninferiority of the half dose in terms of the need for exogenous surfactant was not shown in the primary analysis, its impact on survival without major neonatal morbidity needs to be investigated. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the impact of antenatal betamethasone dose reduction on survival of very preterm infants without severe neonatal morbidity, a factor known to have a strong correlation with long-term outcomes. STUDY DESIGN We performed a post hoc secondary analysis of a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, noninferiority trial, testing half (11.4 mg once; n=1620) vs full (11.4 mg twice, 24 hours apart; n=1624) antenatal betamethasone doses in women at risk of preterm delivery. To measure survival without severe neonatal morbidity at hospital discharge among neonates born before 32 weeks of gestation, we used the definition of the French national prospective study on preterm children, EPIPAGE 2, comprising 1 of the following morbidities: grade 3 to 4 intraventricular hemorrhage, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis stage ≥2, retinopathy of prematurity requiring anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy or laser, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. RESULTS After exclusion of women who withdrew consent or had pregnancy termination and of participants lost to follow-up (8 in the half-dose and 10 in the full-dose group), the rate of survival without severe neonatal morbidity among neonates born before 32 weeks of gestation was 300 of 451 (66.5%) and 304 of 462 (65.8%) in the half-dose and full-dose group, respectively (risk difference, +0.7%; 95% confidence interval, -5.6 to +7.1). There were no significant between-group differences in the cumulative number of neonatal morbidities. Results were similar when using 2 other internationally recognized definitions of severe neonatal morbidity and when considering the overall population recruited in the trial. CONCLUSION In the BETADOSE trial, severe morbidity at discharge of newborns delivered before 32 weeks of gestation was found to be similar among those exposed to 11.4-mg and 22.8-mg antenatal betamethasone. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Baud
- Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Children's University Hospital of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1141, Paris, France.
| | - Loic Sentilhes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France
| | - Moreno Ursino
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, CIC-EC 1426, Robert Debré Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Inserm U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; HeKA, Inria Paris, Paris, France
| | - Muriel Doret-Dion
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Corinne Alberti
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, CIC-EC 1426, Robert Debré Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1123, ECEVE, Paris, France
| | - Camille Aupiais
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1123, ECEVE, Paris, France; Pediatric Emergency Department, Jean Verdier Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Schmitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert Debré Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Inserm, INRAE, Paris, France
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16
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Chawanpaiboon S, Chukaew R, Pooliam J. A comparison of 2 doses of antenatal dexamethasone for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome: an open-label, noninferiority, pragmatic randomized trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 230:260.e1-260.e19. [PMID: 37442247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.07.006] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antenatal corticosteroids have been used for the prevention of respiratory complications, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and other adverse neonatal outcomes for over 50 years, with limited evidence about their optimal doses. Higher steroid doses or frequencies of antenatal corticosteroids in preterm newborns pose adverse effects such as prolonged adrenal suppression, negative effects on fetal programming and metabolism, and increased risks of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological impairments. Conversely, lower doses of antenatal corticosteroids may be an effective alternative to induce fetal lung maturation with less risk to the fetus. Late preterm births represent the largest population of all preterm neonates, with a respiratory distress syndrome risk of 8.83%. Therefore, determining the optimal antenatal corticosteroid dosage is of particular importance for this population. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the efficacy of 5-mg and 6-mg dexamethasone in preventing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in women with preterm births at 320 to 366 weeks of gestation. STUDY DESIGN This was an open-label, randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial. Singleton pregnant women (n=370) at 320 to 366 weeks of gestation with spontaneous preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membranes were enrolled. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to a 5-mg or 6-mg dexamethasone group. Dexamethasone was administered intramuscularly every 12 hours for 4 doses or until delivery. The primary outcome was the reduction in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome cases, whereas the secondary outcomes were any adverse maternal or neonatal events. RESULTS Between December 2020 and April 2022, 370 eligible women, anticipating deliveries within the gestational range of 32 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks, willingly participated in the study. They were evenly split, with 185 women assigned to the 5-mg group and 185 to the 6-mg group. The study revealed that the demographic profiles of the participants in the 2 groups were remarkably similar, with no statistically significant disparities (P>.05). It is noteworthy that most of these women gave birth after 34 weeks of gestation. Despite a substantial proportion not completing the full course of steroid treatment, the 5-mg dose exhibited noninferiority compared with the 6-mg dose of dexamethasone, as indicated by a modest proportional difference of 0.5% (95% confidence interval, -2.8 to 43.9). Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome occurred in a relatively low percentage of newborns in both groups, affecting 2.2% in the 5-mg group and 1.6% in the 6-mg group. Notably, the risk difference of 0.6% fell comfortably within the predefined noninferiority threshold of 10%. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that a 5-mg dexamethasone dose is noninferior to a standard 6-mg dose in preventing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in preterm births.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saifon Chawanpaiboon
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Ronnakorn Chukaew
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Julaporn Pooliam
- Clinical Epidemiological Unit, Office for Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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17
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Harders EP, Agustin M, Paitz RT. Avian extraembryonic membranes respond to yolk corticosterone early in development. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060131. [PMID: 38156650 PMCID: PMC10836647 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060131] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
During times of maternal stress, developing embryos can be exposed to elevated levels of glucocorticoids, which can affect development and permanently alter offspring phenotype. In placental species, the placenta mediates fetal exposure to maternal glucocorticoids via metabolism, yet the placenta itself responds to glucocorticoids to regulate offspring growth and development. In oviparous species, maternal glucocorticoids can be deposited into the egg yolk and are metabolized early in development. This metabolism is mediated by the extraembryonic membranes, but it is unknown if the extraembryonic membranes also respond to maternal glucocorticoids in a way comparable to the placenta. In this study, we quantified the expression of acyl-CoA thioesterase 13 (Acot13) as an initial marker of the membrane's response to corticosterone in chicken (Gallus gallus) eggs. Acot13 regulates fatty acid processing in the embryo, to potentially regulate resource availability during development. We addressed the following questions using Acot13 expression: 1) Do the extraembryonic membranes respond to yolk corticosterone early in development? 2) Is the response to corticosterone dependent on the dose of corticosterone? 3) What is the duration of the response to corticosterone? 4) Does a metabolite of corticosterone (5β-corticosterone) elicit the same response as corticosterone? We found that corticosterone significantly induces the expression of Acot13 on day four of development and that expression of Acot13 increases with the dose of corticosterone. Further, we found expression of Acot13 is significantly elevated by corticosterone on days four and six of development compared to oil treated eggs, but not on days eight and ten. Although this response is transient, it occurs during a critical period of development and could initiate a cascade of events that ultimately alter offspring phenotype. Finally, we found that 5β-corticosterone does not increase the expression of Acot13, indicating that metabolism inactivates corticosterone. Ultimately, this study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying how maternally deposited glucocorticoids can affect embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P. Harders
- Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Mitch Agustin
- Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Ryan T. Paitz
- Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL 61790, USA
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18
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Keeton VF, Hoffmann TJ, Goodwin KM, Powell B, Tupuola S, Weiss SJ. Prenatal exposure to social adversity and infant cortisol in the first year of life. Stress 2024; 27:2316042. [PMID: 38377153 PMCID: PMC11006384 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2316042] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to social adversity has been associated with cortisol dysregulation during pregnancy and in later childhood; less is known about how prenatal exposure to social stressors affects postnatal cortisol of infants. In a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal study, we tested whether a pregnant woman's reports of social adversity during the third trimester were associated with their infant's resting cortisol at 1, 6, and 12 months postnatal. Our hypothesis was that prenatal exposure to social adversity would be associated with elevation of infants' cortisol. Measures included prenatal survey reports of social stressors and economic hardship, and resting cortisol levels determined from infant saliva samples acquired at each postnatal timepoint. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effects models. The final sample included 189 women and their infants (46.56% assigned female sex at birth). Prenatal economic hardship was significantly associated with infant cortisol at 6 months postnatal; reports of social stressors were not significantly associated with cortisol at any time point. Factors associated with hardship, such as psychological distress or nutritional deficiencies, may alter fetal HPA axis development, resulting in elevated infant cortisol levels. Developmental changes unique to 6 months of age may explain effects at this timepoint. More work is needed to better comprehend the complex pre- and post-natal physiologic and behavioral factors that affect infant HPA axis development and function, and the modifying role of environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria F. Keeton
- Assistant Professor, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, 2570 48 St., Sacramento, CA, USA 95817
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, CA Preterm Birth Initiative, USA
| | - Thomas J. Hoffmann
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Office of Research School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Kalisha Moneé Goodwin
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, CA Preterm Birth Initiative, USA
| | - Bree Powell
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, CA Preterm Birth Initiative, USA
| | - Sophia Tupuola
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, CA Preterm Birth Initiative, USA
| | - Sandra J. Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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Briceño-Pérez C, Briceño-Sanabria L, Briceño-Sanabria C, Reyna-Villasmil E. Early life corticosteroid overexposure: Epigenetic and fetal origins of adult diseases. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2024; 164:40-46. [PMID: 37318113 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.14914] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between events occurring during intrauterine development and later-life predisposition to long-term disease, has been described. The fetus responds to excess intrauterine exposure to high levels of corticosteroids, modifying their physiological development and stopping their growth. Fetal exposure to elevated levels of either endogenous (alterations in fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) or synthetic corticosteroids, is one model of early-life adversity; to developing adult disease. At the molecular level, there are transcriptional changes in metabolic and growth pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms participate in transgenerational inheritance, not genomic. Exposures that change 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme methylation status in the placenta can result in transcriptional repression of the gene, causing the fetus to be exposed to higher levels of cortisol. More precise diagnosis and management of antenatal corticosteroids for preterm birth, would potentially decrease the risk of long-term adverse outcomes. More studies are needed to understand the potential roles of factors to alter fetal corticosteroid exposure. Long-term infant follow-up is required to determine whether methylation changes in placenta may represent useful biomarkers of later disease risk. This review, summarize recent advances in the programming of fetal effects of corticosteroid exposure, the role of corticosteroids in epigenetic gene regulation of placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme expression and transgenerational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Briceño-Pérez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela
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20
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Merced-Nieves FM, Eitenbichler S, Goldson B, Zhang X, Klein DN, Bosquet Enlow M, Curtin P, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Associations between a metal mixture and infant negative affectivity: Effect modification by prenatal cortisol and infant sex. Child Dev 2024; 95:e47-e59. [PMID: 37610319 PMCID: PMC10840921 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13997] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
In-utero exposures interact in complex ways that influence neurodevelopment. Animal research demonstrates that fetal sex moderates the impact of joint exposure to metals and prenatal stress measures, including cortisol, on offspring socioemotional outcomes. Further research is needed in humans. We evaluated the joint association of prenatal exposures to a metal mixture and cortisol with infant negative affectivity, considering sex differences. Analyses included 226 (29% White, Non-Hispanic) mother-infant pairs with data on exposures and negative affectivity assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in 6-month-olds. Results showed that girls whose mothers had higher cortisol had significantly higher scores of Fear and Sadness with greater exposure to the mixture. Examining higher-order interactions may better elucidate the effects of prenatal exposure to metals and cortisol on socioemotional functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Brandon Goldson
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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21
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Chen Z, Xia LP, Shen L, Xu D, Guo Y, Wang H. Glucocorticoids and intrauterine programming of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Metabolism 2024; 150:155713. [PMID: 37914025 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155713] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating epidemiological and experimental evidence indicates that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has an intrauterine origin. Fetuses exposed to adverse prenatal environments (e.g., maternal malnutrition and xenobiotic exposure) are more susceptible to developing NAFLD after birth. Glucocorticoids are crucial triggers of the developmental programming of fetal-origin diseases. Adverse intrauterine environments often lead to fetal overexposure to maternally derived glucocorticoids, which can program fetal hepatic lipid metabolism through epigenetic modifications. Adverse intrauterine environments program the offspring's glucocorticoid-insulin-like growth factor 1 (GC-IGF1) axis, which contributes to postnatal catch-up growth and disturbs glucose and lipid metabolism. These glucocorticoid-driven programming alterations increase susceptibility to NAFLD in the offspring. Notably, after delivery, offspring often face an environment distinct from their in utero life. The mismatch between the intrauterine and postnatal environments can serve as a postnatal hit that further disturbs the programmed endocrine axes, accelerating the onset of NAFLD. In this review, we summarize the current epidemiological and experimental evidence demonstrating that NAFLD has an intrauterine origin and discuss the underlying intrauterine programming mechanisms, focusing on the role of overexposure to maternally derived glucocorticoids. We also briefly discuss potential early life interventions that may be beneficial against fetal-originated NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Cardiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Li-Ping Xia
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lang Shen
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China.
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22
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Paul B, Buchholz DR. Minireview: Glucocorticoid-Leptin Crosstalk: Role of Glucocorticoid-Leptin Counterregulation in Metabolic Homeostasis and Normal Development. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1127-1139. [PMID: 37708034 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad119] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids and leptin are two important hormones that regulate metabolic homeostasis by controlling appetite and energy expenditure in adult mammals. Also, glucocorticoids and leptin strongly counterregulate each other, such that chronic stress-induced glucocorticoids upregulate the production of leptin and leptin suppresses glucocorticoid production directly via action on endocrine organs and indirectly via action on food intake. Altered glucocorticoid or leptin levels during development can impair organ development and increase the risk of chronic diseases in adults, but there are limited studies depicting the significance of glucocorticoid-leptin interaction during development and its impact on developmental programming. In mammals, leptin-induced suppression of glucocorticoid production is critical during development, where leptin prevents stress-induced glucocorticoid production by inducing a period of short-hyporesponsiveness when the adrenal glands fail to respond to certain mild to moderate stressors. Conversely, reduced or absent leptin signaling increases glucocorticoid levels beyond what is appropriate for normal organogenesis. The counterregulatory interactions between leptin and glucocorticoids suggest the potential significant involvement of leptin in disorders that occur from stress during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidisha Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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23
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Volqvartz T, Andersen HHB, Pedersen LH, Larsen A. Obesity in pregnancy-Long-term effects on offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and associations with placental cortisol metabolism: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4393-4422. [PMID: 37974556 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16184] [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: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Obesity, affecting one in three pregnant women worldwide, is not only a major obstetric risk factor. The resulting low-grade inflammation may have a long-term impact on the offspring's HPA axis through dysregulation of maternal, placental and fetal corticosteroid metabolism, and children born of obese mothers have increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The long-term effects of maternal obesity on offspring neurodevelopment are, however, undetermined and could depend on the specific effects on placental and fetal cortisol metabolism. This systematic review evaluates how maternal obesity affects placental cortisol metabolism and the offspring's HPA axis. Pubmed, Embase and Scopus were searched for original studies on maternal BMI, obesity, and cortisol metabolism and transfer. Fifteen studies were included after the screening of 4556 identified records. Studies were small with heterogeneous exposures and outcomes. Two studies found that maternal obesity reduced placental HSD11β2 activity. In one study, umbilical cord blood cortisol levels were affected by maternal BMI. In three studies, an altered cortisol response was consistently seen among offspring in childhood (n = 2) or adulthood (n = 1). Maternal BMI was not associated with placental HSD11β1 or HSD11β2 mRNA expression, or placental HSD11β2 methylation. In conclusion, high maternal BMI is associated with reduced placental HSD11β2 activity and a dampened cortisol level among offspring, but the data is sparse. Further investigations are needed to clarify whether the HPA axis is affected by prenatal factors including maternal obesity and investigate if adverse effects can be ameliorated by optimising the intrauterine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabia Volqvartz
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Lars Henning Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Agnete Larsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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24
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Liu L, Wen Y, Ni Q, Chen L, Wang H. Prenatal ethanol exposure and changes in fetal neuroendocrine metabolic programming. Biol Res 2023; 56:61. [PMID: 37978540 PMCID: PMC10656939 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-023-00473-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) (mainly through maternal alcohol consumption) has become widespread. However, studies suggest that it can cause intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and multi-organ developmental toxicity in offspring, and susceptibility to various chronic diseases (such as neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic syndrome, and related diseases) in adults. Through ethanol's direct effects and its indirect effects mediated by maternal-derived glucocorticoids, PEE alters epigenetic modifications and organ developmental programming during fetal development, which damages the offspring health and increases susceptibility to various chronic diseases after birth. Ethanol directly leads to the developmental toxicity of multiple tissues and organs in many ways. Regarding maternal-derived glucocorticoid-mediated IUGR, developmental programming, and susceptibility to multiple conditions after birth, ethanol induces programmed changes in the neuroendocrine axes of offspring, such as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and glucocorticoid-insulin-like growth factor 1 (GC-IGF1) axes. In addition, the differences in ethanol metabolic enzymes, placental glucocorticoid barrier function, and the sensitivity to glucocorticoids in various tissues and organs mediate the severity and sex differences in the developmental toxicity of ethanol exposure during pregnancy. Offspring exposed to ethanol during pregnancy have a "thrifty phenotype" in the fetal period, and show "catch-up growth" in the case of abundant nutrition after birth; when encountering adverse environments, these offspring are more likely to develop diseases. Here, we review the developmental toxicity, functional alterations in multiple organs, and neuroendocrine metabolic programming mechanisms induced by PEE based on our research and that of other investigators. This should provide new perspectives for the effective prevention and treatment of ethanol developmental toxicity and the early prevention of related fetal-originated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yinxian Wen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qubo Ni
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liaobin Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Disease Research Center of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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25
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Zhang C, Zhang D, Huang H, Lu X, Shi H, Liu K, Guo X, Zhang R, Wang H. Cathepsin D mediates prenatal caffeine exposure-caused NAFLD susceptibility in male rat offspring by regulating autophagy. Free Radic Biol Med 2023; 208:684-699. [PMID: 37743032 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.09.026] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence has revealed that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) harbors an intrauterine origin. Autophagy is known to be involved in the protective mechanism in the development of adult NAFLD, but whether it engages in the occurrence of fetal-originated NAFLD remains unclear. In this study, a rat model of fetal-originated NAFLD was established by giving a high-fat diet or chronic stress after birth on prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) male offspring. The alterations of liver morphologic analysis, lipid metabolism, and autophagy before and after birth were determined to confirm autophagy mechanism, NAFLD susceptibility, and intrauterine origin in PCE male adult offspring. Our results revealed that PCE-induced intrauterine high concentration of corticosterone exposure blocked autophagic flux by inhibiting cathepsin D expression in hepatocytes, leading to β-oxidation inhibition and lipid accumulation in the liver. Moreover, high concentration of corticosterone upregulated miR-665 by activating the glucocorticoid receptor to suppress cathepsin D, thus causing lysosomal degradation dysfunction and autophagy flux blockade. Notably, hepatic overexpression of cathepsin D could reverse PCE-induced postnatal NAFLD susceptibility in male rat offspring. This study elucidates the epigenetic programming mechanism of intrauterine autophagy-related fetal-originated NAFLD susceptibility, and identifies cathepsin D as its early intervention target, providing an experimental basis for exploring early prevention and treatment strategies for fetal-originated NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dingmei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hegui Huang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China; Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Xiaoqian Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Huasong Shi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Kexin Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaoling Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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26
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Puertas-Gonzalez JA, Romero-Gonzalez B, Mariño-Narvaez C, Gonzalez-Perez R, Sosa-Sanchez IO, Peralta-Ramirez MI. Can we influence the neurological development and hair cortisol concentration of offspring by reducing the stress of the mother during pregnancy? A randomized controlled trial. Stress Health 2023; 39:753-765. [PMID: 36638545 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3222] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the effects of a stress management cognitive behavioural therapy followed during pregnancy on subsequent childhood on hair cortisol at birth and on neurodevelopment and Hair Cortisol Concentrations (HCC) at 6 months of age. The study sample included 48 pregnant women, divided into two groups: 24 women in the Therapy Group (TG) and 24 women who received standard pregnancy care (control group (CG); CG). To test the therapy efficacy, an evaluation of the HCC and psychological stress, psychopathological symptomatology and resilience was conducted before and after the treatment. The level of cortisol in their hair was obtained during pregnancy and that of their babies at birth. Six months after birth, a cortisol sample was taken from the hair and the babies' neurodevelopment was evaluated based on a Bayley-III test. The TG presented reductions in psychological stress and psychopathological symptomatology after treatment. On the other hand, the CG increased their cortisol concentrations between the pre and post intervention, remaining stable in the TG. Moreover, results showed that TG babies had lower cortisol concentrations at birth and obtained significantly higher cognitive and motor development scores at 6 months. These findings support that providing psychological care to pregnant women may not only have a benefit on these women's mental state, but may also benefit the neurodevelopment of their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Puertas-Gonzalez
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Center (CIMCYC), Granada, Spain
- Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment Department, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Borja Romero-Gonzalez
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Education, Campus Duques de Soria, University of Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | | | - Raquel Gonzalez-Perez
- Department of Pharmacology, CIBERehd, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Maria Isabel Peralta-Ramirez
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Center (CIMCYC), Granada, Spain
- Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment Department, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Chen G, Ai C, Duan F, Chen Y, Cao J, Zhang J, Ao Y, Wang H. Low H3K27 acetylation of SF1 in PBMC: a biomarker for prenatal dexamethasone exposure-caused adrenal insufficiency of steroid synthesis in male offspring. Cell Biol Toxicol 2023; 39:2051-2067. [PMID: 35246761 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09691-0] [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: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dexamethasone is widely used to treat pregnancy disorders related to premature delivery. However, lots of researches have confirmed that prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) could increase the risk of offspring multiple diseases. This study was designed to elucidate the epigenetic mechanism of adrenal developmental programming and explore its early warning marker in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We found the adrenal morphological and functional changes of PDE male offspring rats before and after birth, which were mainly performed as the decreased serum corticosterone concentration, steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein expression, and histone 3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) level of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) promoter region and its expression. Simultaneously, the expressions of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and histone acetylation enzyme 5 (HDAC5) in the PDE male fetal rats were increased. In vitro, dexamethasone reduced the expression of SF1, StAR, and cortisol production and still increased the expression of GR and HDAC5, the binding between GR and SF1 promoter region, and protein interaction between GR and HDAC5. GR siRNA or HDAC5 siRNA was able to reverse the above roles of dexamethasone. Furthermore, in vivo, we confirmed that H3K27ac levels of SF1 promoter region and its expression in PBMC of the PDE group were decreased before and after birth, showing a positive correlation with the same indexes in adrenal. Meanwhile, in clinical trials, we confirmed that prenatal dexamethasone application decreased H3K27ac of SF1 promoter region and its expression in neonatal PBMC. In conclusion, PDE-caused adrenal insufficiency of male offspring rats was related to adrenal GR activated by dexamethasone in uterus. The activated GR, on the one hand, increased its direct binding to SF1 promoter region to inhibit its expression, on the other hand, upregulated and recruited HDAC5 to decrease H3K27ac level of SF1 promoter region, and strengthened the inhibition of SF1 and subsequent StAR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Can Ai
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangfang Duan
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yawen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiangang Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinzhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Ao
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disorder, Wuhan, 430071, People's Republic of China.
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28
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Li W, Lei D, Tallman MJ, Welge JA, Blom TJ, Fleck DE, Klein CC, Adler CM, Patino LR, Strawn JR, Gong Q, Sweeney JA, DelBello MP. Morphological abnormalities in youth with bipolar disorder and their relationship to clinical characteristics. J Affect Disord 2023; 338:312-320. [PMID: 37301295 PMCID: PMC10527418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.070] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To characterize the neuroanatomy of BD in youth and its correlation to clinical characteristics. METHODS The current study includes a sample of 105 unmedicated youth with first-episode BD, aged between 10.1 and 17.9 years, and 61 healthy comparison adolescents, aged between 10.1 and 17.7 years, who were matched for age, race, sex, socioeconomic status, intelligence quotient (IQ), and education level. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were obtained using a 4 T MRI scanner. Freesurfer (V6.0) was used to preprocess and parcellate the structural data, and 68 cortical and 12 subcortical regions were considered for statistical comparisons. The relationship between morphological deficits and clinical and demographic characteristics were evaluated using linear models. RESULTS Compared with healthy youth, youth with BD had decreased cortical thickness in frontal, parietal, and anterior cingulate regions. These youth also showed decreased gray matter volumes in 6 of the 12 subcortical regions examined including thalamus, putamen, amygdala and caudate. In further subgroup analyses, we found that youth with BD with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or with psychotic symptoms had more significant deficits in subcortical gray matter volume. LIMITATIONS We cannot provide information about the course of structural changes and impact of treatment and illness progression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that youth with BD have significant neurostructural deficits in both cortical and subcortical regions mainly located in the regions related to emotion processing and regulation. Variability in clinical characteristics and comorbidities may contribute to the severity of anatomic alterations in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Li
- Departments of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, PR China
| | - Du Lei
- College of Medical Informatics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.
| | - Maxwell J Tallman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Welge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Thomas J Blom
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - David E Fleck
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Christina C Klein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Caleb M Adler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - L Rodrigo Patino
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Strawn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Departments of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, PR China.
| | - John A Sweeney
- Departments of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Melissa P DelBello
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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29
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Siller Wilks SJ, Westneat DF, Heidinger BJ, Solomon J, Rubenstein DR. Epigenetic modification of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during development in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 341:114336. [PMID: 37328040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114336] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation are important mechanisms for mediating developmental plasticity, where ontogenetic processes and their phenotypic outcomes are shaped by early environments. In particular, changes in DNA methylation of genes within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can impact offspring growth and development. This relationship has been well documented in mammals but is less understood in other taxa. Here, we use target-enriched enzymatic methyl sequencing (TEEM-seq) to assess how DNA methylation in a suite of 25 genes changes over development, how these modifications relate to the early environment, and how they predict differential growth trajectories in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We found that DNA methylation changes dynamically over the postnatal developmental period: genes with initially low DNA methylation tended to decline in methylation over development, whereas genes with initially high DNA methylation tended to increase in methylation. However, sex-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were maintained across the developmental period. We also found significant differences in post-hatching DNA methylation in relation to hatch date, with higher levels of DNA methylation in nestlings hatched earlier in the season. Although these differences were largely absent by the end of development, a number of DMRs in HPA-related genes (CRH, MC2R, NR3C1, NR3C2, POMC)-and to a lesser degree HPG-related genes (GNRHR2)-predicted nestling growth trajectories over development. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms by which the early environment shapes DNA methylation in the HPA axis, and how these changes subsequently influence growth and potentially mediate developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie J Siller Wilks
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Joseph Solomon
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Luo M, Yi Y, Huang S, Dai S, Xie L, Liu K, Zhang S, Jiang T, Wang T, Yao B, Wang H, Xu D. Gestational dexamethasone exposure impacts hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and learning and memory function with transgenerational effects. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:3708-3727. [PMID: 37719378 PMCID: PMC10501875 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The formation of learning and memory is regulated by synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons. Here we explored how gestational exposure to dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid commonly used in clinical practice, has lasting effects on offspring's learning and memory. Adult offspring rats of prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) displayed significant impairments in novelty recognition and spatial learning memory, with some phenotypes maintained transgenerationally. PDE impaired synaptic transmission of hippocampal excitatory neurons in offspring of F1 to F3 generations, and abnormalities of neurotransmitters and receptors would impair synaptic plasticity and lead to impaired learning and memory, but these changes failed to carry over to offspring of F5 and F7 generations. Mechanistically, altered hippocampal miR-133a-3p-SIRT1-CDK5-NR2B signaling axis in PDE multigeneration caused inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission, which might be related to oocyte-specific high expression and transmission of miR-133a-3p. Together, PDE affects hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission, with lasting consequences across generations, and CDK5 in offspring's peripheral blood might be used as an early-warning marker for fetal-originated learning and memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingcui Luo
- Department of Obstetrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yiwen Yi
- Department of Pharmacology, Taikang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Songqiang Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Taikang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shiyun Dai
- Department of Pharmacology, Taikang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lulu Xie
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Kexin Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Taikang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Obstetrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Baozhen Yao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Taikang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
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Nistor M, Schmidt M, Klingner C, Klingner C, Schwab M, Bischoff SJ, Matziolis G, Rodríguez-González GL, Schiffner R. Renal Glucose Release after Unilateral Renal Denervation during a Hypoglycemic Clamp in Pigs with an Altered Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis after Late-Gestational Dexamethasone Injection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12738. [PMID: 37628918 PMCID: PMC10454812 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612738] [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: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated in pigs that renal denervation halves glucose release during hypoglycaemia and that a prenatal dexamethasone injection caused increased ACTH and cortisol concentrations as markers of a heightened hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPAA) during hypoglycaemia. In this study, we investigated the influence of an altered HPAA on renal glucose release during hypoglycaemia. Pigs whose mothers had received two late-gestational dexamethasone injections were subjected to a 75 min hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemic clamp (<3 mmol/L) after unilateral surgical denervation. Para-aminohippurate (PAH) clearance, inulin, sodium excretion and arterio-venous blood glucose difference were measured every fifteen minutes. The statistical analysis was performed with a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. PAH, inulin, the calculated glomerular filtration rate and plasma flow did not change through renal denervation. Urinary sodium excretion increased significantly (p = 0.019). Side-dependent renal net glucose release (SGN) decreased by 25 ± 23% (p = 0.004). At 25 percent, the SGN decrease was only half of that observed in non-HPAA-altered animals in our prior investigation. The current findings may suggest that specimens with an elevated HPAA undergo long-term adaptations to maintain glucose homeostasis. Nonetheless, the decrease in SGN warrants further investigations and potentially caution in performing renal denervation in certain patient groups, such as diabetics at risk of hypoglycaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Nistor
- Orthopaedic Department, Jena University Hospital, Campus Eisenberg, 07607 Eisenberg, Germany; (M.N.)
| | - Martin Schmidt
- Institute for Biochemistry II, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Carsten Klingner
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany (M.S.)
| | - Caroline Klingner
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany (M.S.)
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany (M.S.)
| | | | - Georg Matziolis
- Orthopaedic Department, Jena University Hospital, Campus Eisenberg, 07607 Eisenberg, Germany; (M.N.)
| | | | - René Schiffner
- Orthopaedic Department, Jena University Hospital, Campus Eisenberg, 07607 Eisenberg, Germany; (M.N.)
- Emergency Department, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Emergency Department, Helios University Clinic Wuppertal, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
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Bilder DA, Worsham W, Sullivan S, Esplin MS, Burghardt P, Fraser A, Bakian AV. Sex-specific and sex-independent steroid-related biomarkers in early second trimester maternal serum associated with autism. Mol Autism 2023; 14:30. [PMID: 37573326 PMCID: PMC10422808 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00562-5] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to maternal metabolic conditions associated with inflammation and steroid dysregulation has previously been linked to increased autism risk. Steroid-related maternal serum biomarkers have also provided insight into the in utero steroid environment for offspring who develop autism. OBJECTIVE This study examines the link between autism among offspring and early second trimester maternal steroid-related serum biomarkers from pregnancies enriched for prenatal metabolic syndrome (PNMS) exposure. STUDY DESIGN Early second trimester maternal steroid-related serum biomarkers (i.e., estradiol, free testosterone, total testosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin) were compared between pregnancies corresponding to offspring with (N = 68) and without (N = 68) autism. Multiple logistic regression analyses were stratified by sex and gestational duration. One-way ANCOVA with post hoc tests was performed for groups defined by autism status and PNMS exposure. RESULTS Increased estradiol was significantly associated with autism only in males (AOR = 1.13 per 100 pg/ml, 95% CI 1.01-1.27, p = 0.036) and only term pregnancies (AOR = 1.17 per 100 pg/ml, 95% CI 1.04-1.32, p = 0.010). Autism status was significantly associated with decreased sex hormone binding globulin (AOR = 0.65 per 50 nmol/L, 95% CI 0.55-0.78, p < 0.001) overall and when stratified by sex and term pregnancy status. The inverse association between sex hormone binding globulin and autism was independent of PNMS exposure. LIMITATIONS The relative racial and ethnic homogeneity of Utah's population limits the generalizability of study results. Although significant differences by autism status were identified in concentrations of sex hormone binding globulin overall and of estradiol in participant subgroups, differences by PNMS exposure failed to reach statistical significance, which may reflect insufficient statistical power. CONCLUSION Both elevated maternal serum estradiol in males only and low maternal serum sex hormone binding globulin in both sexes are associated with increased autism risk. Further investigation is merited to identify how steroid, metabolic, and inflammatory processes can interact to influence neurodevelopment in early second trimester.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Bilder
- University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute, 383 Colorow Drive, Room 360, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
| | - Whitney Worsham
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - M Sean Esplin
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Alison Fraser
- University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Amanda V Bakian
- University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute, 383 Colorow Drive, Room 360, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
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Cai D, Li QQ, Mohammed Z, Chou WC, Huang J, Kong M, Xie Y, Yu Y, Hu G, Qi J, Zhou Y, Tan W, Lin L, Qiu R, Dong G, Zeng XW. Fetal Glucocorticoid Mediates the Association between Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Neonatal Growth Index: Evidence from a Birth Cohort Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:11420-11429. [PMID: 37494580 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid plays a key role in the growth and organ maturation of fetus. However, the effect of glucocorticoid on the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure and fetal growth is still unknown. We detected cord cortisol (active glucocorticoid in human) and 34 PFAS concentrations in the maternal serum samples, which were collected from 202 mother-fetus pairs in the Maoming Birth Cohort from 2015 to 2018. The mediation effect of cord cortisol on the association between maternal PFAS and the neonatal growth index (NGI) was estimated. We found that higher PFAS concentrations were associated with lower NGI in terms of ponderal index, birth weight (BW), head circumference (HC), and its z-scores (BWZ and HCZ) (P < 0.05). Fetal cortisol could mediate 12.6-27.3% of the associations between PFAS and NGI. Specifically, cord cortisol mediated the association between branched perfluorooctane sulfonate (branched PFOS) and HCZ by 20.4% and between perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and HCZ by 27.3%. Our findings provide the first epidemiological data evincing that fetal cortisol could mediate the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and fetal growth. Further investigations are recommended to elucidate the interactions among cord cortisol, PFAS, and fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cai
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Qing-Qing Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zeeshan Mohammed
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wei-Chun Chou
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Jinbo Huang
- Maoming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Minli Kong
- Maoming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Yanqi Xie
- Maoming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Guocheng Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Jianying Qi
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Genetics Center, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Lizi Lin
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rongliang Qiu
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao-Wen Zeng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Ninan K, Gojic A, Wang Y, Asztalos EV, Beltempo M, Murphy KE, McDonald SD. The proportions of term or late preterm births after exposure to early antenatal corticosteroids, and outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis of 1.6 million infants. BMJ 2023; 382:e076035. [PMID: 37532269 PMCID: PMC10394681 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To systematically review the proportions of infants with early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids but born at term or late preterm, and short term and long term outcomes. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analyses. DATA SOURCES Eight databases searched from 1 January 2000 to 1 February 2023, reflecting recent perinatal care, and references of screened articles. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES Randomised controlled trials and population based cohort studies with data on infants with early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids (<34 weeks) but born at term (≥37 weeks), late preterm (34-36 weeks), or term/late preterm combined. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full text articles and assessed risk of bias (Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised controlled trials and Newcastle-Ottawa scale for population based studies). Reviewers extracted data on populations, exposure to antenatal corticosteroids, and outcomes. The authors analysed randomised and cohort data separately, using random effects meta-analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the proportion of infants with early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids but born at term. Secondary outcomes included the proportions of infants born late preterm or term/late preterm combined after early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids and short term and long term outcomes versus non-exposure for the three gestational time points (term, late preterm, term/late preterm combined). RESULTS Of 14 799 records, the reviewers screened 8815 non-duplicate titles and abstracts and assessed 713 full text articles. Seven randomised controlled trials and 10 population based cohort studies (1.6 million infants total) were included. In randomised controlled trials and population based data, ∼40% of infants with early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids were born at term (low or very low certainty). Among children born at term, early exposure to antenatal corticosteroids versus no exposure was associated with increased risks of admission to neonatal intensive care (adjusted odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.86, one study, 5330 infants, very low certainty; unadjusted relative risk 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.51 to 1.89, three studies, 1 176 022 infants, I2=58%, τ2=0.01, low certainty), intubation (unadjusted relative risk 2.59, 1.39 to 4.81, absolute effect 7 more per 1000, 95% confidence interval from 2 more to 16 more, one study, 8076 infants, very low certainty, one study, 8076 infants, very low certainty), reduced head circumference (adjusted mean difference -0.21, 95% confidence interval -0.29 to -0.13, one study, 183 325 infants, low certainty), and any long term neurodevelopmental or behavioural disorder in population based studies (eg, any neurodevelopmental or behavioural disorder in children born at term, adjusted hazard ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.36 to 1.60, one study, 641 487 children, low certainty). CONCLUSIONS About 40% of infants exposed to early antenatal corticosteroids were born at term, with associated adverse short term and long term outcomes (low or very low certainty), highlighting the need for caution when considering antenatal corticosteroids. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42022360079.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Ninan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Anja Gojic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Yanchen Wang
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth V Asztalos
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Beltempo
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kellie E Murphy
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah D McDonald
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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Lu Q, Lin N, Cheng X, Lei X, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Tian Y. Maternal exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and neonatal anthropometric measures. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 253:114216. [PMID: 37516025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114216] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers. Laboratory evidence has suggested that maternal OPFR exposure may adversely affect fetal growth, but the epidemiological data are limited. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association of maternal OPFR exposure with neonatal anthropometric measures. METHODS This study included 354 mother-newborn pairs from the Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort (LWBC), China. Ten OPFR metabolites were measured in maternal urine samples collected before delivery. Neonatal anthropometric data was collected from medical records and standardized into z-scores using the WHO standards (2007), including the weight-for-age (WAZ), length-for-age (LAZ), body mass index-for-age (BMIZ), weight-for-length (WLZ), and head circumference-for-age z-score (HCZ). Multiple linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to estimate the associations of individual OPFR metabolites and their mixtures with neonatal anthropometrics, respectively. Stratified analysis by sex was performed. RESULTS The detection rates of BCEP, DPHP, BCIPP, BDCIPP, BBOEP, DnBP and DiBP were above 60%, with median concentrations ranging from 0.14 to 3.60 μg/g creatinine. Most OPFR metabolites (i.e., BCIPP, BDCIPP, DiBP, DnBP, or BBOEP) were associated with decreased offspring WAZ and HCZ. When using WQS analysis, the OPFR metabolite mixture was inversely associated with the WAZ, BMIZ and HCZ, whereas DnBP had the highest weights. After stratified by gender, the negative associations were more pronounced among males. CONCLUSIONS Maternal OPFR exposure was negatively associated with offspring WAZ, BMIZ, and HCZ, and males seemed to be more vulnerable to the developmental toxicity of certain OPFRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Lin
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomeng Cheng
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoning Lei
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ying Tian
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Anzà S, Schneider D, Daniel R, Heistermann M, Sangmaneedet S, Ostner J, Schülke O. The long-term gut bacterial signature of a wild primate is associated with a timing effect of pre- and postnatal maternal glucocorticoid levels. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:165. [PMID: 37501202 PMCID: PMC10373267 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01596-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During development, elevated levels of maternal glucocorticoids (GCs) can have detrimental effects on offspring morphology, cognition, and behavior as well as physiology and metabolism. Depending on the timing of exposure, such effects may vary in strength or even reverse in direction, may alleviate with age, or may concern more stable and long-term programming of phenotypic traits. Maternal effects on gut bacterial diversity, composition, and function, and the persistence of such effects into adulthood of long-lived model species in the natural habitats remain underexplored. RESULTS In a cross-sectional sample of infant, juvenile, and adult Assamese macaques, the timing of exposure to elevated maternal GCs during ontogeny was associated with the gut bacterial community of the offspring. Specifically, naturally varying maternal GC levels during early but not late gestation or lactation were associated with reduced bacterial richness. The overall effect of maternal GCs during early gestation on the gut bacterial composition and function exacerbated with offspring age and was 10 times stronger than the effect associated with exposure during late prenatal or postnatal periods. Instead, variation in maternal GCs during the late prenatal or postnatal period had less pronounced or less stable statistical effects and therefore a weaker effect on the entire bacterial community composition, particularly in adult individuals. Finally, higher early prenatal GCs were associated with an increase in the relative abundance of several potential pro-inflammatory bacteria and a decrease in the abundance of Bifidobacterium and other anti-inflammatory taxa, an effect that exacerbated with age. CONCLUSIONS In primates, the gut microbiota can be shaped by developmental effects with strong timing effects on plasticity and potentially detrimental consequences for adult health. Together with results on other macaque species, this study suggests potential detrimental developmental effects similar to rapid inflammaging, suggesting that prenatal exposure to high maternal GC concentrations is a common cause underlying both phenomena. Our findings await confirmation by metagenomic functional and causal analyses and by longitudinal studies of long-lived, ecologically flexible primates in their natural habitat, including developmental effects that originate before birth. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Anzà
- Behavioral Ecology Department, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
- Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Dominik Schneider
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Somboon Sangmaneedet
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Julia Ostner
- Behavioral Ecology Department, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Behavioral Ecology Department, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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Gong X, Dai S, Wang T, Zhang J, Fan G, Luo M, Yi Y, Wang H, Lu D, Xu D. MiR-17-5p/FOXL2/CDKN1B signal programming in oocytes mediates transgenerational inheritance of diminished ovarian reserve in female offspring rats induced by prenatal dexamethasone exposure. Cell Biol Toxicol 2023; 39:867-883. [PMID: 34537908 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09645-6] [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: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) induces long-term reproductive toxicity in female offspring. We sought to explore the transgenerational inheritance effects of PDE on diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) in female offspring. Dexamethasone was subcutaneously administered into pregnant Wistar rats from gestational day 9 (GD9) to GD20 to obtain fetal and adult offspring of the F1 generation. F1 adult females were mated with normal males to produce the F2 generation, and the F3 generation. The findings showed decrease of serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) that in the PDE group, decrease in number of primordial follicles, and upregulation of miR-17-5p expression before birth in F1 offspring rats. Expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B) and Forkhead Box L2 (FOXL2) were downregulated, and binding of FOXL2 and the CDKN1B promoter region was decreased in PDE groups of the F1, F2, and F3 generations. In vitro intervention experiments showed that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was involved in activity of dexamethasone. These findings indicate that PDE can activate GR in fetal rat ovary and induce DOR of offspring, and its heritability is mediated by the cascade effect of miR-17-5p/FOXL2/CDKN1B. Increase in miR-17-5p expression in oocytes is the potential molecular basis for transgenerational inheritance of PDE effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Gong
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shiyun Dai
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jinzhi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Guanlan Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Mingcui Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yiwen Yi
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dianxiang Lu
- Research Center for high altitude medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai, 810001, China.
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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38
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Andreasen JJ, Tobiasen BB, Jensen RC, Boye H, Jensen TK, Bilenberg N, Andersen MS, Glintborg D. Maternal cortisol in 3rd trimester is associated with traits of neurodevelopmental disorder in offspring. Odense Child Cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 154:106293. [PMID: 37207405 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cortisol exposure is essential for neurodevelopment. Maternal cortisol levels could be associated with offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). AIM To investigate associations between maternal 3rd trimester cortisol and offspring traits of ASD and ADHD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Mother-child pairs were included from the prospective study Odense Child Cohort. Morning serum cortisol and 24-hour urine cortisol/cortisone were collected at gestational week 27-30. Offspring ASD and ADHD traits were assessed at age three and five years using the Child Behavior Checklist. Maternal cortisol measurements and offspring ASD and ADHD traits assessment were available in (n = 1131; 52% boys) mother-child pairs at age three and (n = 717; 54% boys) at five years of age. Maternal 24-hour urine measurement was available in a subset, at offspring three years of age (n = 300) and at five years of age (n = 217). Associations between maternal cortisol (continuous and tertiles) and offspring ASD or ADHD traits were examined in regression models adjusted for offspring sex, maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, maternal education level, parental psychiatric disorders, and maternal smoking and stratified for offspring sex. RESULTS Maternal mean age ( ± SD) was 30 years ( ± 4.4) and median BMI (25%; 75% percentiles) 23.5 kg/m2 (21.3; 26.6). Higher maternal serum cortisol levels were associated with higher prevalence of offspring ASD traits at three years of age in the total study cohort and in boys after stratifying for offspring sex. In the total population, tertiles of serum cortisol showed a significant dose-response relationship to ASD traits in unadjusted and adjusted models (p-values for linear trend, p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). In offspring at five years, associations between maternal cortisol and offspring ASD traits were non-significant (all p-values > 0.2). Maternal cortisol was not associated with offspring ADHD traits (all p-values > 0.07) in offspring at three and five years. Maternal 24-hour urine cortisol, cortisone, or cortisol/cortisone ratio were not associated with offspring ASD or ADHD traits. CONCLUSION Higher maternal serum cortisol in 3rd trimester was associated with offspring ASD traits at three years of age in the whole study cohort and in boys, but not in girls. This association was non-significant at five years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Jannick Andreasen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Bror Bastian Tobiasen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Richard Christian Jensen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark; Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Henriette Boye
- Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Hospital for Children, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; OPEN Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark; Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Hospital for Children, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; OPEN Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Niels Bilenberg
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Marianne Skovsager Andersen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Dorte Glintborg
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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Lalonde C, Sreetharan S, Murray A, Stoa L, Cybulski ME, Kennedy A, Landry N, Stillar A, Khurana S, Tharmalingam S, Wilson J, Khaper N, Lees SJ, Boreham D, Tai TC. Absence of Depressive and Anxious Behavior with Genetic Dysregulation in Adult C57Bl/6J Mice after Prenatal Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108466. [PMID: 37239811 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108466] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The exposure of ionizing radiation during early gestation often leads to deleterious and even lethal effects; however, few extensive studies have been conducted on late gestational exposures. This research examined the behavior al effects of C57Bl/6J mouse offspring exposed to low dose ionizing gamma irradiation during the equivalent third trimester. Pregnant dams were randomly assigned to sham or exposed groups to either low dose or sublethal dose radiation (50, 300, or 1000 mGy) at gestational day 15. Adult offspring underwent a behavioral and genetic analysis after being raised under normal murine housing conditions. Our results indicate very little change in the behavioral tasks measuring general anxiety, social anxiety, and stress-management in animals exposed prenatally across the low dose radiation conditions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions were conducted on the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of each animal; results indicate some dysregulation in markers of DNA damage, synaptic activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation, and methylation pathways in the offspring. Together, our results provide evidence in the C57Bl/6J strain, that exposure to sublethal dose radiation (<1000 mGy) during the last period of gestation leads to no observable changes in behaviour when assessed as adults, although some changes in gene expression were observed for specific brain regions. These results indicate that the level of oxidative stress occurring during late gestation for this mouse strain is not sufficient for a change in the assessed behavioral phenotype, but results in some modest dysregulation of the genetic profile of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Lalonde
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Shayenthiran Sreetharan
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
| | - Alyssa Murray
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Lisa Stoa
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
| | | | - Allison Kennedy
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Nicholas Landry
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - Amy Stillar
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - Sandhya Khurana
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Sujeenthar Tharmalingam
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Joanna Wilson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
| | - Neelam Khaper
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Simon J Lees
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - Douglas Boreham
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
| | - T C Tai
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
- Medical Sciences Division, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
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40
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Deer LK, Su C, Thwaites NA, Davis EP, Doom JR. A framework for testing pathways from prenatal stress-responsive hormones to cardiovascular disease risk. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1111474. [PMID: 37223037 PMCID: PMC10200937 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1111474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally, with the prevalence projected to keep rising. Risk factors for adult CVD emerge at least as early as the prenatal period. Alterations in stress-responsive hormones in the prenatal period are hypothesized to contribute to CVD in adulthood, but little is known about relations between prenatal stress-responsive hormones and early precursors of CVD, such as cardiometabolic risk and health behaviors. The current review presents a theoretical model of the relation between prenatal stress-responsive hormones and adult CVD through cardiometabolic risk markers (e.g., rapid catch-up growth, high BMI/adiposity, high blood pressure, and altered blood glucose, lipids, and metabolic hormones) and health behaviors (e.g., substance use, poor sleep, poor diet and eating behaviors, and low physical activity levels). Emerging evidence in human and non-human animal literatures suggest that altered stress-responsive hormones during gestation predict higher cardiometabolic risk and poorer health behaviors in offspring. This review additionally highlights limitations of the current literature (e.g., lack of racial/ethnic diversity, lack of examination of sex differences), and discusses future directions for this promising area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- LillyBelle K. Deer
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Chen Su
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | | | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jenalee R. Doom
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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41
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Lehmann M, Haury K, Oster H, Astiz M. Circadian glucocorticoids throughout development. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1165230. [PMID: 37179561 PMCID: PMC10166844 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1165230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are essential drivers of mammalian tissue growth and maturation during one of the most critical developmental windows, the perinatal period. The developing circadian clock is shaped by maternal GCs. GC deficits, excess, or exposure at the wrong time of day leads to persisting effects later in life. During adulthood, GCs are one of the main hormonal outputs of the circadian system, peaking at the beginning of the active phase (i.e., the morning in humans and the evening in nocturnal rodents) and contributing to the coordination of complex functions such as energy metabolism and behavior, across the day. Our article discusses the current knowledge on the development of the circadian system with a focus on the role of GC rhythm. We explore the bidirectional interaction between GCs and clocks at the molecular and systemic levels, discuss the evidence of GC influence on the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus during development and in the adult system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Lehmann
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katharina Haury
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mariana Astiz
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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42
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Jiang T, Xiao H, Li B, He H, Wang H, Chen L. LOX overexpression programming mediates the osteoclast mechanism of low peak bone mass in female offspring rats caused by pregnant dexamethasone exposure. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:84. [PMID: 37095518 PMCID: PMC10124047 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01115-2] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease characterized by reduced bone mass, with low peak bone mass being the predominant manifestation during development and having an intrauterine origin. Pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery are commonly treated with dexamethasone to promote fetal lung development. However, pregnant dexamethasone exposure (PDE) can lead to reduced peak bone mass and susceptibility to osteoporosis in offspring. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of PDE-induced low peak bone mass in female offspring from the perspective of altered osteoclast developmental programming. METHODS 0.2 mg/kg.d dexamethasone was injected subcutaneously into rats on gestation days (GDs) 9-20. Some pregnant rats were killed at GD20 to remove fetal rat long bones, the rest were delivered naturally, and some adult offspring rats were given ice water swimming stimulation for two weeks. RESULTS The results showed that the fetal rat osteoclast development was inhibited in the PDE group compared with the control group. In contrast, the adult rat osteoclast function was hyperactivation with reduced peak bone mass. We further found that the promoter region methylation levels of lysyl oxidase (LOX) were decreased, the expression was increased, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was raised in PDE offspring rat long bone before and after birth. Combined in vivo and in vitro experiments, we confirmed that intrauterine dexamethasone promoted the expression and binding of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in osteoclasts and mediated the decrease of LOX methylation level and increase of expression through upregulation of 10-11 translocator protein 3 (Tet3). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, we confirm that dexamethasone causes osteoclast LOX hypomethylation and high expression through the GR/ERβ/Tet3 pathway, leading to elevated ROS production and that this intrauterine epigenetic programming effect can be carried over to postnatal mediating hyperactivation in osteoclast and reduced peak bone mass in adult offspring. This study provides an experimental basis for elucidating the mechanism of osteoclast-mediated intrauterine programming of low peak bone mass in female offspring of PDE and for exploring its early targets for prevention and treatment. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- Division of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hao Xiao
- Division of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Bin Li
- Division of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hangyuan He
- Division of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Liaobin Chen
- Division of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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43
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Majer AD, Paitz RT, Tricola GM, Geduldig JE, Litwa HP, Farmer JL, Prevelige BR, McMahon EK, McNeely T, Sisson ZR, Frenz BJ, Ziur AD, Clay EJ, Eames BD, McCollum SE, Haussmann MF. The response to stressors in adulthood depends on the interaction between prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and environmental context. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6180. [PMID: 37061562 PMCID: PMC10105737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33447-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress during reproduction can influence how offspring respond to stress later in life. Greater lifetime exposure to glucocorticoid hormones released during stress is linked to greater risks of behavioral disorders, disease susceptibility, and mortality. The immense variation in individual's stress responses is explained, in part, by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure. To explore the long-term effects of embryonic glucocorticoid exposure, we injected Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs with corticosterone. We characterized the endocrine stress response in offspring and measured experienced aggression at three different ages. We found that prenatal glucocorticoid exposure affected (1) the speed at which the stress response was terminated suggesting dysregulated negative feedback, (2) baseline corticosterone levels in a manner dependent on current environmental conditions with higher levels of experienced aggression associated with higher levels of baseline corticosterone, (3) the magnitude of an acute stress response based on baseline concentrations. We finish by proposing a framework that can be used to test these findings in future work. Overall, our findings suggest that the potential adaptive nature of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure is likely dependent on environmental context and may also be tempered by the negative effects of longer exposure to glucocorticoids each time an animal faces a stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana D Majer
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Ryan T Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA
| | - Gianna M Tricola
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Jack E Geduldig
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Hannah P Litwa
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Jenna L Farmer
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | | | - Elyse K McMahon
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Taylor McNeely
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Zach R Sisson
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Brian J Frenz
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Alexis D Ziur
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Emily J Clay
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | - Brad D Eames
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
| | | | - Mark F Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA.
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44
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Liu MY, Wei LL, Zhu XH, Ding HC, Liu XH, Li H, Li YY, Han Z, Li LD, Du ZW, Zhou YP, Zhang J, Meng F, Tang YL, Liu X, Wang C, Zhou QG. Prenatal stress modulates HPA axis homeostasis of offspring through dentate TERT independently of glucocorticoids receptor. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1383-1395. [PMID: 36481932 PMCID: PMC10005958 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01898-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In response to stressful events, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated, and consequently glucocorticoids are released by the adrenal gland into the blood circulation. A large body of research has illustrated that excessive glucocorticoids in the hippocampus exerts negative feedback regulation of the HPA axis through glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is critical for the homeostasis of the HPA axis. Maternal prenatal stress causes dysfunction of the HPA axis feedback mechanism in their offspring in adulthood. Here we report that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene knockout causes hyperactivity of the HPA axis without hippocampal GR deficiency. We found that the level of TERT in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus during the developmental stage determines the responses of the HPA axis to stressful events in adulthood through modulating the excitability of the dentate granular cells (DGCs) rather than the expression of GR. Our study also suggests that the prenatal high level of glucocorticoids exposure-induced hypomethylation at Chr13:73764526 in the first exon of mouse Tert gene accounted for TERT deficiency in the DG and HPA axis abnormality in the adult offspring. This study reveals a novel GR-independent mechanism underlying prenatal stress-associated HPA axis impairment, providing a new angle for understanding the mechanisms for maintaining HPA axis homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu-Lu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xian-Hui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hua-Chen Ding
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang-Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huan Li
- School of Applied Science, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore.,College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhou Han
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Lian-Di Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zi-Wei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya-Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fan Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu-Lin Tang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
| | - Chun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Qi-Gang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,The Key Center of Gene Technology Drugs of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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45
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Edwards PD, Palme R, Boonstra R. Is chronic stress a causal mechanism for small mammal population cycles? Reconciling the evidence. Oecologia 2023; 201:609-623. [PMID: 36864247 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05338-5] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress has long been hypothesized to play a role in driving population cycles. Christian (1950) hypothesized that high population density results in chronic stress and mass "die-offs" in small mammal populations. Updated variations of this hypothesis propose that chronic stress at high population density may reduce fitness, reproduction, or program aspects of phenotype, driving population declines. We tested the effect of density on the stress axis in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) by manipulating population density in field enclosures over three years. Using fecal corticosterone metabolites as a non-invasive measure of glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations, we found that density alone was not associated with GC differences. However, we found that the seasonal relationship of GC levels differed by density treatment, with high-density populations having elevated GC levels early in the breeding season and decreasing towards late summer. We additionally tested hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor gene expression in juvenile voles born at different densities, with the hypothesis that high density may reduce receptor expression, altering negative feedback of the stress axis. We found that females had marginally higher glucocorticoid receptor expression at high density, no effect in males, and no detectable effect of density on mineralocorticoid receptor expression in either sex. Hence, we found no evidence that high density directly impairs negative feedback in the hippocampus, but rather female offspring may be better equipped for negative feedback. We compare our findings with prior studies to attempt to disentangle the complicated relationship between density, seasonality, sex, reproduction and the stress axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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46
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Cowell W, Kloog I, Just AC, Coull BA, Carroll K, Wright RJ. Ambient PM 2.5 exposure and salivary cortisol output during pregnancy in a multi-ethnic urban sample. Inhal Toxicol 2023; 35:101-108. [PMID: 35312378 PMCID: PMC10264094 DOI: 10.1080/08958378.2022.2051647] [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: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Evidence from murine research supports that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) may stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, leading to elevated circulating glucocorticoid levels. Epidemiologic research examining parallel associations document similar associations. We examined these associations among a diverse sample of pregnant individuals exposed to lower levels of ambient PM2.5. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participants included pregnant individuals enrolled in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) pre-birth cohort. Daily residential PM2.5 exposure was estimated using a satellite-based spatial-temporal hybrid model. Maternal 3rd trimester salivary cortisol levels were used to calculate several features of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. We used multivariable linear regression to examine PM2.5 during the pre-conception period and during each trimester in relation to cortisol awakening rise (CAR), slope, and area under the curve relative to ground (AUCG). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The average PM2.5 exposure level across pregnancy was 8.13 µg/m3. PM2.5 in each exposure period was positively associated with AUCG, a measure of total cortisol output across the day. We also observed an inverse association between PM2.5 in the 3rd trimester and diurnal slope, indicating a steeper decline in cortisol throughout the day with increasing exposure. We did not detect strong associations between PM2.5 and slope for the other exposure periods or between PM2.5 and CAR for any exposure period. CONCLUSIONS In this sample, PM2.5 exposure across the preconception and pregnancy periods was associated with increased cortisol output, even at levels below the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Annual Standard for PM2.5 of 12.0 µg/m3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney Cowell
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Allan C. Just
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Brent A. Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Kecia Carroll
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
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47
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Circle(s) of Life: The Circadian Clock from Birth to Death. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030383. [PMID: 36979075 PMCID: PMC10045474 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Most lifeforms on earth use endogenous, so-called circadian clocks to adapt to 24-h cycles in environmental demands driven by the planet’s rotation around its axis. Interactions with the environment change over the course of a lifetime, and so does regulation of the circadian clock system. In this review, we summarize how circadian clocks develop in humans and experimental rodents during embryonic development, how they mature after birth and what changes occur during puberty, adolescence and with increasing age. Special emphasis is laid on the circadian regulation of reproductive systems as major organizers of life segments and life span. We discuss differences in sexes and outline potential areas for future research. Finally, potential options for medical applications of lifespan chronobiology are discussed.
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48
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Haftorn KL, Denault WRP, Lee Y, Page CM, Romanowska J, Lyle R, Næss ØE, Kristjansson D, Magnus PM, Håberg SE, Bohlin J, Jugessur A. Nucleated red blood cells explain most of the association between DNA methylation and gestational age. Commun Biol 2023; 6:224. [PMID: 36849614 PMCID: PMC9971030 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04584-w] [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: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining if specific cell type(s) are responsible for an association between DNA methylation (DNAm) and a given phenotype is important for understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the association. Our EWAS of gestational age (GA) in 953 newborns from the Norwegian MoBa study identified 13,660 CpGs significantly associated with GA (pBonferroni<0.05) after adjustment for cell type composition. When the CellDMC algorithm was applied to explore cell-type specific effects, 2,330 CpGs were significantly associated with GA, mostly in nucleated red blood cells [nRBCs; n = 2,030 (87%)]. Similar patterns were found in another dataset based on a different array and when applying an alternative algorithm to CellDMC called Tensor Composition Analysis (TCA). Our findings point to nRBCs as the main cell type driving the DNAm-GA association, implicating an epigenetic signature of erythropoiesis as a likely mechanism. They also explain the poor correlation observed between epigenetic age clocks for newborns and those for adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine L Haftorn
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
- Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - William R P Denault
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yunsung Lee
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian M Page
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physical Health and Ageing, Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julia Romanowska
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, , University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Robert Lyle
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øyvind E Næss
- Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dana Kristjansson
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per M Magnus
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri E Håberg
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jon Bohlin
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Division for Infection Control and Environmental Health, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Modelling, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astanand Jugessur
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, , University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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49
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Liu Y, Liu Y, Chen G, Wang H. Epigenetic programming of TBX2/CX43 mediates lower sperm quality in male offspring induced by prenatal dexamethasone exposure. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:kfad016. [PMID: 36790081 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased sperm quality is the main cause of male infertility. Studies have found that prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) decreases sperm quality in male offspring after birth, but the mechanism is unclear. Wistar pregnant rats were subcutaneously injected with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg.d dexamethasone at gestational day 9-20. The testes and sperm of first-generation (F1) offspring were collected, and F1 offspring were mated with wild-type female rats to obtain F2. Compared with the control group, F1 offspring in PDE group had lower sperm count and motility after birth, and the deformity rate increased. F2 fetal rats' body length and weight decreased, and the intrauterine growth retardation rate increased. Meanwhile, PDE decreased the expression of connexin 43 (CX43) in offspring testes, while T-box transcription factor 2 (TBX2) promoter region histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) level and its expression were increased. Traced back to F1 fetus testes, PDE increased the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and P300, activated GR protein into the nucleus, and made GR act on the TBX2 promoter region. Further, a series of Sertoli cell interventions confirmed that dexamethasone promoted GR to recruit P300, increased the H3K9ac level of TBX2 promoter region and its expression, and inhibited the expression of CX43. This study confirmed that PDE decreased sperm quality of male offspring, which is related to the epigenetic programming of TBX2/CX43 in the Sertoli cells, provided a theoretical and experimental basis for guiding the rational use of drugs during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Guanghui Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
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50
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Gao LT, Yuan JQ, Zhang ZY, Zhao HM, Gao L. Hypermethylation of the Bmp4 promoter dampens binding of HIF-1α and impairs its cardiac protective effects from oxidative stress in prenatally GC-exposed offspring. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:58. [PMID: 36746787 PMCID: PMC9902418 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04703-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The exposure to an unhealthy environment in utero can lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases in the offspring. Glucocorticoids (GC) are essential for normal development and maturation of fetal organs and is a first-line treatment for pregnant women affected by autoimmune diseases. However, excess prenatal GC exposure might program the development of fetal organs and cause a number of chronic diseases in later life. Our previous studies indicated that cardiac functions were significantly compromised in rat offspring prenatally exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX), only after ischemia-reperfusion. In the present study, we further observed that DNA hypermethylation of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) promoter in cardiomyocytes caused by prenatal DEX exposure substantially dampened the binding activity of transcription factor HIF-1α induced by cardiac ischemia. Therefore, prenatal DEX exposure inhibits the induction of BMP4 upon I/R and attenuates the protective effects of BMP4 in cardiomyocytes, which eventually manifests as malfunction of the adult heart. Moreover, we employed two cardiac-specific Bmp4 knock-in mouse models and found that in vivo BMP4 overexpression could rescue the cardiac dysfunction caused by prenatal GC exposure. In depth mechanistic research revealed that BMP4 protects the cardiomyocytes from mitophagy and apoptosis by attenuating mitochondrial PGC-1α expression in a p-Smad and Parkin-dependent manner. These findings suggest that prenatal GC exposure increases the susceptibility of the offspring's heart to a "second strike" after birth, due to the failure of hypoxia-induced HIF-1α transactivation of the hypermethylated Bmp4 promoter in cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine, could be a potential therapeutic method for this programming effect of GC exposure during pregnancy on neonatal cardiac dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Tong Gao
- Department of Physiology, Naval Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Rd., Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Qiang Yuan
- Department of Physiology, Naval Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Rd., Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Yu Zhang
- Department of Health Management, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Hou-Ming Zhao
- Department of Physiology, Naval Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Rd., Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Gao
- Department of Physiology, Naval Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Rd., Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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