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Kigar SL, Cuarenta A, Zuniga CL, Chang L, Auger AP, Bakshi VP. Brain, behavior, and physiological changes associated with predator stress-An animal model for trauma exposure in adult and neonatal rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1322273. [PMID: 38486962 PMCID: PMC10938396 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1322273] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of predators and predator odor as stressors is an important and ecologically relevant model for studying the impact of behavioral responses to threat. Here we summarize neural substrates and behavioral changes in rats resulting from predator exposure. We briefly define the impact predator exposure has on neural targets throughout development (neonatal, juvenile, and adulthood). These findings allow us to conceptualize the impact of predator exposure in the brain, which in turn may have broader implications for human disorders such as PTSD. Importantly, inclusion of sex as a biological variable yields distinct results that may indicate neural substrates impacted by predator exposure differ based on sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L. Kigar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amelia Cuarenta
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Carla L. Zuniga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Liza Chang
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Anthony P. Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Vaishali P. Bakshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
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2
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Garon-Bissonnette J, Duguay G, Lemieux R, Dubois-Comtois K, Berthelot N. Maternal childhood abuse and neglect predicts offspring development in early childhood: The roles of reflective functioning and child sex. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 128:105030. [PMID: 33752901 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that offspring of mothers having been exposed to childhood abuse and neglect (CA&N) are at increased risk of developmental problems and that boys are more affected by maternal CA&N than girls. Since impairments in reflective functioning (RF) have been associated with maternal CA&N and offspring development, RF could represent a key mechanism in these intergenerational risk trajectories. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated mediating (RF) and moderating (child sex) mechanisms in the association between maternal CA&N and child development. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING In a longitudinal setting, 111 mothers completed measures during pregnancy and between 11 and 36 months postpartum. METHODS CA&N and impairments in RF were assessed during pregnancy and offspring development was measured during the longitudinal follow-up using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3). Child development was operationalized in two ways: using the global score at the ASQ-3 and using a dichotomous score of accumulation of delays across domains of development. RESULTS Structural equation modeling indicated that RF mediated the association between maternal CA&N and offspring development. Child sex moderated the association between CA&N and the clustering of developmental problems (Wald = 5.88, p = 0.02), with boys being particularly likely to accumulate developmental delays when their mother experienced CA&N (RR = 2.62). Accumulation of developmental problems was associated with impairments in maternal RF in girls and with maternal exposure to CA&N in boys. CONCLUSIONS Results provide novel insights on the role of mentalization and child sex in the association between maternal CA&N and child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Garon-Bissonnette
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada; Centre d'études interdisciplinaires sur le développement de l'enfant et la famille, Canada; Groupe de recherche et d'intervention auprès des enfants vulnérables et négligés, Canada; Interdisciplinary Research Center on Intimate Relationship Problems and Sexual Abuse, Canada
| | - Gabrielle Duguay
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada; Centre d'études interdisciplinaires sur le développement de l'enfant et la famille, Canada; Groupe de recherche et d'intervention auprès des enfants vulnérables et négligés, Canada
| | - Roxanne Lemieux
- Department of Nursing Sciences, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada; Centre d'études interdisciplinaires sur le développement de l'enfant et la famille, Canada; Groupe de recherche et d'intervention auprès des enfants vulnérables et négligés, Canada; Interdisciplinary Research Center on Intimate Relationship Problems and Sexual Abuse, Canada
| | - Karine Dubois-Comtois
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada; Centre d'études interdisciplinaires sur le développement de l'enfant et la famille, Canada; Groupe de recherche et d'intervention auprès des enfants vulnérables et négligés, Canada
| | - Nicolas Berthelot
- Department of Nursing Sciences, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada; Centre d'études interdisciplinaires sur le développement de l'enfant et la famille, Canada; Groupe de recherche et d'intervention auprès des enfants vulnérables et négligés, Canada; Interdisciplinary Research Center on Intimate Relationship Problems and Sexual Abuse, Canada.
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3
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Lachman A, Burger M, Jordaan ER, Leppanen J, Puura K, Niehaus DJH. Maternal Shared Pleasure, Infant Withdrawal, and Developmental Outcomes in a High Risk Setting in South Africa. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:668009. [PMID: 34354608 PMCID: PMC8329093 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.668009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Infants in lower middle income countries are often exposed to early adversities which may lead to suboptimal caregiving environments and place them at risk of not achieving their developmental potential. Synchrony and positive engagement in the mother-infant relationship plays a critical role in buffering the impact of early adversity. Shared Pleasure (SP) is considered a marker of high intensity positive interaction and may hold a promise of improving developmental outcomes. Methods: This study was part of a prospective observational study of mothers with and without mental illness in South Africa. Dyadic videos were assessed for SP and infant withdrawal (using the Alarm Distress Baby Scale) at 6 months. Infant developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley's Scales for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition at 18 months. Results: Ninety-one dyads were assessed for SP. The occurrence of SP was low (20%). There was no significant association with an EPDS measure of maternal depression (p = 0.571) and SP moments. Infant withdrawal was high (72%) and associated with male infant gender (p = 0.025). There was a significant association between the occurrence of SP and a lower score of infant withdrawal (estimate = -1.29; SE = 0.4; p = 0.0002). The number of SP moments at 6 months was significantly associated with motor (estimate = 2.4; SE = 0.9; p = 0.007) and marginally significant with cognitive scores (estimate = 1.9; SE = 1.0; p = 0.052) at 18 months. Regression modelling differential outcomes showed a greater improvement in cognitive scores at 18 months in infants with an SP moment compared to those without an SP moment [SP average difference (AD) = 7.4 (2.4), no SP AD = 10.4 (1.2); p = 0.012]. Infants without an SP moment experienced a larger decrease in motor scores at 18 months compared to those with an SP moment [SP AD = -3 (3.0); no SP AD = -10.6 (1.5), p = 0.027]. Conclusion: While the occurrence of SP in this sample was low and the rates of infant withdrawal were high, there were promising results suggesting early positive SP interactions may contribute to improvements in subsequent developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Lachman
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Marlette Burger
- Physiotherapy Division, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Esmè R Jordaan
- Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.,Statistics and Population Studies, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jukka Leppanen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kaija Puura
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Dana J H Niehaus
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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4
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Cuarenta A, Kigar SL, Henion IC, Karls KE, Chang L, Bakshi VP, Auger AP. Early life stress increases Line1 within the developing brain in a sex-dependent manner. Brain Res 2020; 1748:147123. [PMID: 32931818 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Long-interspersing element 1 (Line1)-a retrotransposon that comprises ~17% of the human genome and ~24% of the rat genome -is aberrantly expressed in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Rett syndrome, suggesting it may play an important role in neurodevelopment. Retrotransposons such as Line1 have the ability to self-replicate via reverse transcription and can subsequently be reinserted throughout the genome, potentially increasing genetic diversity. We sought to understand whether early life stress (ELS), a known risk factor for the development of later psychiatric disorders in humans, would affect Line1 expression and DNA copy number. Our study uses a neonatal predator odor exposure (POE) paradigm to model ELS in rats. We found sex- and region-specific increases in both Line1 Open Reading Frame 1 (ORF1) and ORF2 mRNA following POE-induced stress. Interestingly, ELS increased Line1 DNA copy number within the male hippocampus. These data suggest the possibility that early life stress can mobilize Line1 in a sex- and region-specific manner, resulting in genomic heterogeneity between cells in the brain suggesting that some cells may have a different genetic makeup than others resulting in genomic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Cuarenta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - Stacey L Kigar
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Ian C Henion
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Kaitlyn E Karls
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Liza Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Vaishali P Bakshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
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5
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Baumbach JL, Zovkic IB. Hormone-epigenome interactions in behavioural regulation. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104680. [PMID: 31927018 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between hormones and epigenetic factors are key regulators of behaviour, but the mechanisms that underlie their effects are complex. Epigenetic factors can modify sensitivity to hormones by altering hormone receptor expression, and hormones can regulate epigenetic factors by recruiting epigenetic regulators to DNA. The bidirectional nature of this relationship is becoming increasingly evident and suggests that the ability of hormones to regulate certain forms of behaviour may depend on their ability to induce changes in the epigenome. Moreover, sex differences have been reported for several epigenetic modifications, and epigenetic factors are thought to regulate sexual differentiation of behaviour, although specific mechanisms remain to be understood. Indeed, hormone-epigenome interactions are highly complex and involve both canonical and non-canonical regulatory pathways that may permit for highly specific gene regulation to promote variable forms of behavioural adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Iva B Zovkic
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.
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6
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Jarmasz JS, Stirton H, Basalah D, Davie JR, Clarren SK, Astley SJ, Del Bigio MR. Global DNA Methylation and Histone Posttranslational Modifications in Human and Nonhuman Primate Brain in Association with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1145-1162. [PMID: 31074890 PMCID: PMC6593679 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Based upon experimental animal studies, the neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (PNAE)/fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have been attributed, at least in part, to epigenetic modifications. However, there are no direct analyses of human brain tissue. Methods Immunohistochemical detection of global epigenetic markers was performed on temporal lobe samples of autopsied fetuses and infants with documented PNAE. They were compared to age‐, sex‐, and postmortem delay‐matched control cases (18 pairs; 20 to 70.5 weeks postconception). Temporal lobe tissue from a macaque monkey model of PNAE was also studied (5.7 to 6 months of age). We used antibodies targeting 4 DNA cytosine, 4 histone methylation, and 6 histone acetylation modifications and assigned scores based upon the semiquantitatively graded intensity and proportion of positively labeled nuclei in the ventricular and subventricular zones, ependyma, temporal cortex, temporal white matter, dentate gyrus (DG), and CA1 pyramidal layer. Results Temporal changes were identified for almost all marks according to the state of maturation in the human brain. In the DG (and 3 other brain regions), a statistically significant increase in H3K9ac was associated with PNAE. Statistically significant decreases were seen among 5mC, H3K4me3, H3K9ac, H3K27ac, H4K12ac, and H4K16ac in select regions. In the macaques, H3K36me3 decreased in the DG, and the ependyma showed decreases in 5fC and H3K36me3. Conclusions In human brain, global intranuclear epigenetic modifications are brain region and maturation state‐specific. These exploratory results support the general hypothesis that PNAE is associated with a global decrease in DNA methylation, a global decrease in histone methylation, and a global increase in histone acetylation. Although the human and monkey subjects are not directly comparable in terms of brain maturation, considering the rapid temporal changes in global epigenetic modifications during brain development, interspecies comparisons may be extremely difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Jarmasz
- Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Hannah Stirton
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Duaa Basalah
- Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - James R Davie
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Sterling K Clarren
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia
| | - Susan J Astley
- Departments of Epidemiology/Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Marc R Del Bigio
- Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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8
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Golding P, Fitzgerald HE. The early biopsychosocial development of boys and the origins of violence in males. Infant Ment Health J 2019; 40:5-22. [DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Golding
- Santa Fe Boys Educational Foundation; Santa Fe New Mexico
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9
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Gemmel M, Bögi E, Ragan C, Hazlett M, Dubovicky M, van den Hove DL, Oberlander TF, Charlier TD, Pawluski JL. Perinatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication (SSRI) effects on social behaviors, neurodevelopment and the epigenome. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:102-116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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10
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Morgan CP, Bale TL. Sex differences in microRNA-mRNA networks: examination of novel epigenetic programming mechanisms in the sexually dimorphic neonatal hypothalamus. Biol Sex Differ 2017; 8:27. [PMID: 28810930 PMCID: PMC5558756 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-017-0149-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual differentiation of the male brain, and specifically the stress circuitry in the hypothalamus, is primarily driven by estrogen exposure during the perinatal period. Surprisingly, this single hormone promotes diverse programs of sex-specific development that vary widely between different cell types and across the developing male brain. The complexity of this phenomenon suggests that additional layers of gene regulation, including microRNAs (miRNAs), must act downstream of estrogen to mediate this specificity. METHODS To identify noncanonical mediators of estrogen-dependent sex-specific neural development, we assayed the miRNA complement of the mouse PN2 hypothalamus by microarray following an injection of vehicle or the aromatase inhibitor, formestane. Initially, multivariate analyses were used to test the influence of sex and experimental group on the miRNA environment as a whole. Then, we utilized traditional hypothesis testing to identify individual miRNA with significantly sex-biased expression. Finally, we performed a transcriptome-wide mapping of Argonaute footprints by high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation (Ago HITS-CLIP) to empirically characterize targeting relationship between estrogen-responsive miRNAs and their messenger RNA (mRNA) targets. RESULTS In this study, we demonstrated that the neonatal hypothalamic miRNA environment has robust sex differences and is dynamically responsive to estrogen. Analyses identified 162 individual miRNAs with sex-biased expression, 92 of which were estrogen-responsive. Examining the genomic distribution of these miRNAs, we found three miRNA clusters encoded within a 175-kb region of chromosome 12 that appears to be co-regulated by estrogen, likely acting broadly to alter the epigenetic programming of this locus. Ago HITS-CLIP analysis uncovered novel miRNA-target interactions within prototypical mediators of estrogen-driven sexual differentiation of the brain, including Esr1 and Cyp19a1. Finally, using Gene Ontology annotations and empirically identified miRNA-mRNA connections, we identified a gene network regulated by estrogen-responsive miRNAs that converge on biological processes relevant to sexual differentiation of the brain. CONCLUSIONS Sexual differentiation of the perinatal brain, and that of stress circuitry in the hypothalamus specifically, seems to be particularly susceptible to environmental programming effects. Integrating miRNA into our conceptualization of factors, directing differentiation of this circuitry could be an informative next step in efforts to understand the complexities behind these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Morgan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 380 South University Ave, 410F Hill Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 380 South University Ave, 410F Hill Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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11
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Das Post-Finasterid-Syndrom. GYNAKOLOGISCHE ENDOKRINOLOGIE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10304-017-0126-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Schore AN. ALL OUR SONS: THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY AND NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY OF BOYS AT RISK. Infant Ment Health J 2017; 38:15-52. [PMID: 28042663 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Why are boys at risk? To address this question, I use the perspective of regulation theory to offer a model of the deeper psychoneurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability of the developing male. The central thesis of this work dictates that significant gender differences are seen between male and female social and emotional functions in the earliest stages of development, and that these result from not only differences in sex hormones and social experiences but also in rates of male and female brain maturation, specifically in the early developing right brain. I present interdisciplinary research which indicates that the stress-regulating circuits of the male brain mature more slowly than those of the female in the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal critical periods, and that this differential structural maturation is reflected in normal gender differences in right-brain attachment functions. Due to this maturational delay, developing males also are more vulnerable over a longer period of time to stressors in the social environment (attachment trauma) and toxins in the physical environment (endocrine disruptors) that negatively impact right-brain development. In terms of differences in gender-related psychopathology, I describe the early developmental neuroendocrinological and neurobiological mechanisms that are involved in the increased vulnerability of males to autism, early onset schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorders as well as the epigenetic mechanisms that can account for the recent widespread increase of these disorders in U.S. culture. I also offer a clinical formulation of early assessments of boys at risk, discuss the impact of early childcare on male psychopathogenesis, and end with a neurobiological model of optimal adult male socioemotional functions.
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13
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Walther A, Penz M, Ijacic D, Rice TR. Bipolar Spectrum Disorders in Male Youth: The Interplay between Symptom Severity, Inflammation, Steroid Secretion, and Body Composition. Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:207. [PMID: 29093685 PMCID: PMC5651281 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The morbidity and societal burden of youth bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD) are high. These disorders are multisystemic in that adult populations there are clear interactions with inflammatory processes and steroidal physiological systems. There are much less data concerning these areas of study in youth populations with BSD. This is surprising given the association of youth-onset BSD with puberty and its associated physiological changes. In this mini-review, we overview the theoretical role of inflammatory processes and steroidal physiological systems in youth BSD, describe the greater literature in adult populations, detail the literature in youth populations when available, and overview current proposed molecular mechanistic pathways and interaction effects based on the available data. We also attend to the interplay of this complex system with body composition and weight gain, an especially important consideration in relation to the role of second generation antipsychotics as the first line treatment for youth with BSD in major clinical guidelines. A developmental model of early onset BSD for boys is hypothesized with pubertal hormonal changes increasing risk for first (hypo-)manic/depressive episode. The dramatic androgen rise during puberty might be relevant for first onset of BSD in boys. A shift from general hypercortisolism driven by glucocorticoid resistance to hypocortisolism with further disease progression is assumed, while increased levels of inflammation are functionally associated with endocrine dysregulation. The interacting role of overweight body habitus and obesity in youth with BSD further indicates leptin resistance to be a central moderator of the dynamic neurobiology of BSD in youth. The intent of this mini-review is to advance our knowledge of youth BSD as multisystemic disorders with important contributions from endocrinology and immunology based on a developmental perspective. This knowledge can influence current clinical care and more importantly inform future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Walther
- Department of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marlene Penz
- Department of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniela Ijacic
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Clinic Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy R Rice
- Department of Psychiatry - Child and Adolescent Inpatient Service, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring: a population-based nationwide study in Sweden. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1441-8. [PMID: 26643539 PMCID: PMC5030459 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Although many studies indicate the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms hampers the development of effective ways of detecting and preventing the disorder. Recent studies support the hypothesis that prenatal androgen exposure contributes to the development of ASD. This would suggest that maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition associated with excess androgens, would increase the risk of ASD in the offspring. We conducted a matched case-control study nested within the total population of Sweden (children aged 4-17 who were born in Sweden from 1984 to 2007). The sample consisted of 23 748 ASD cases and 208 796 controls, matched by birth month and year, sex and region of birth. PCOS and ASD were defined from ICD codes through linkage to health-care registers. Maternal PCOS increased the odds of ASD in the offspring by 59%, after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio (OR) 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-1.88). The odds of offspring ASD were further increased among mothers with both PCOS and obesity, a condition common to PCOS that is related to more severe hyperandrogenemia (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.46-3.10). Risk estimates did not differ between sexes. In conclusion, children of women with PCOS appear to have a higher risk of developing ASD. This finding awaits confirmation, and exploration of potentially underlying mechanisms, including the role of sex steroids in the etiology of ASD.
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15
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Kigar SL, Chang L, Hayne MR, Karls NT, Auger AP. Sex differences in Gadd45b expression and methylation in the developing rodent amygdala. Brain Res 2016; 1642:461-466. [PMID: 27086974 PMCID: PMC6701186 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal epigenetic regulation of the genome facilitates species-typical development; sexual differentiation of the brain by gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes causes extensive epigenetic reprogramming of many cells in the body, including the brain, and may indirectly predispose males and females to different psychiatric conditions. We and others have demonstrated sex differences in DNA methylation, as well as in the enzymes that form, or 'write', this epigenetic modification. However, while a growing body of evidence suggests that DNA methylation undergoes rapid turnover and is dynamically regulated in vivo, to our knowledge no studies have been done investigating whether sex differences exist in the epigenetic 'erasers' during postnatal development. Here we report sex differences in the expression of growth arrest and DNA damage inducible factor β (Gadd45b), but not family members α (a) or γ (g), in the neonatal and juvenile rodent amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L Kigar
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Liza Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Margaret R Hayne
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Nicolette T Karls
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
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Ausió J. MeCP2 and the enigmatic organization of brain chromatin. Implications for depression and cocaine addiction. Clin Epigenetics 2016; 8:58. [PMID: 27213019 PMCID: PMC4875624 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-016-0214-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a highly abundant chromosomal protein within the brain. It is hence not surprising that perturbations in its genome-wide distribution, and at particular loci within this tissue, can result in widespread neurological disorders that transcend the early implications of this protein in Rett syndrome (RTT). Yet, the details of its role and involvement in chromatin organization are still poorly understood. This paper focuses on what is known to date about all of this with special emphasis on the relation to different epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone acetylation/ubiquitination, MeCP2 phosphorylation and miRNA). We showcase all of the above in two particular important neurological functional alterations in the brain: depression (major depressive disorder [MDD]) and cocaine addiction, both of which affect the MeCP2 homeostasis and result in significant changes in the overall levels of these epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ausió
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 Canada
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Barr CL, Misener VL. Decoding the non-coding genome: elucidating genetic risk outside the coding genome. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 15:187-204. [PMID: 26515765 PMCID: PMC4833497 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Current evidence emerging from genome-wide association studies indicates that the genetic underpinnings of complex traits are likely attributable to genetic variation that changes gene expression, rather than (or in combination with) variation that changes protein-coding sequences. This is particularly compelling with respect to psychiatric disorders, as genetic changes in regulatory regions may result in differential transcriptional responses to developmental cues and environmental/psychosocial stressors. Until recently, however, the link between transcriptional regulation and psychiatric genetic risk has been understudied. Multiple obstacles have contributed to the paucity of research in this area, including challenges in identifying the positions of remote (distal from the promoter) regulatory elements (e.g. enhancers) and their target genes and the underrepresentation of neural cell types and brain tissues in epigenome projects - the availability of high-quality brain tissues for epigenetic and transcriptome profiling, particularly for the adolescent and developing brain, has been limited. Further challenges have arisen in the prediction and testing of the functional impact of DNA variation with respect to multiple aspects of transcriptional control, including regulatory-element interaction (e.g. between enhancers and promoters), transcription factor binding and DNA methylation. Further, the brain has uncommon DNA-methylation marks with unique genomic distributions not found in other tissues - current evidence suggests the involvement of non-CG methylation and 5-hydroxymethylation in neurodevelopmental processes but much remains unknown. We review here knowledge gaps as well as both technological and resource obstacles that will need to be overcome in order to elucidate the involvement of brain-relevant gene-regulatory variants in genetic risk for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. L. Barr
- Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - V. L. Misener
- Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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18
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McCarthy MM, Nugent BM. At the frontier of epigenetics of brain sex differences. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:221. [PMID: 26347630 PMCID: PMC4543874 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The notion that epigenetics may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of sex differences in the brain has garnered great enthusiasm but the reality in terms of actual advances has been slow. Two general approaches include the comparison of a particular epigenetic mark in males vs. females and the inhibition of key epigenetic enzymes or co-factors to determine if this eliminates a particular sex difference in brain or behavior. The majority of emphasis has been on candidate genes such as steroid receptors. Only recently have more generalized survey type approaches been achieved and these promise to open new vistas and accelerate discovery of important roles for DNA methylation, histone modification, genomic imprinting and microRNAs (miRs). Technical challenges abound and, while not unique to this field, will require novel thinking and new approaches by behavioral neuroendocrinologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Melcangi RC, Panzica GC. Neuroactive steroids and the nervous system: further observations on an incomplete tricky puzzle. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:957-63. [PMID: 24580855 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R C Melcangi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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