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Suszyńska-Zajczyk J, Witucki Ł, Perła-Kaján J, Jakubowski H. Diet-induced hyperhomocysteinemia causes sex-dependent deficiencies in offspring musculature and brain function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1322844. [PMID: 38559811 PMCID: PMC10979824 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1322844] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), characterized by elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels, is a known risk factor for cardiovascular, renal, and neurological diseases, as well as pregnancy complications. Our study aimed to investigate whether HHcy induced by a high-methionine (high-Met) diet exacerbates cognitive and behavioral deficits in offspring and leads to other breeding problems. Dietary HHcy was induced four weeks before mating and continued throughout gestation and post-delivery. A battery of behavioral tests was conducted on offspring between postnatal days (PNDs) 5 and 30 to assess motor function/activity and cognition. The results were correlated with brain morphometric measurements and quantitative analysis of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/autophagy markers. The high-Met diet significantly increased parental and offspring urinary tHcy levels and influenced offspring behavior in a sex-dependent manner. Female offspring exhibited impaired cognition, potentially related to morphometric changes observed exclusively in HHcy females. Male HHcy pups demonstrated muscle weakness, evidenced by slower surface righting, reduced hind limb suspension (HLS) hanging time, weaker grip strength, and decreased activity in the beaker test. Western blot analyses indicated the downregulation of autophagy and the upregulation of mTOR activity in HHcy cortexes. HHcy also led to breeding impairments, including reduced breeding rate, in-utero fetal death, lower pups' body weight, and increased mortality, likely attributed to placental dysfunction associated with HHcy. In conclusion, a high-Met diet impairs memory and cognition in female juveniles and weakens muscle strength in male pups. These effects may stem from abnormal placental function affecting early neurogenesis, the dysregulation of autophagy-related pathways in the cortex, or epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation triggered by HHcy during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Suszyńska-Zajczyk
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Witucki
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna Perła-Kaján
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Hieronim Jakubowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, International Center for Public Health, Newark, NJ, United States
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Milyutina YP, Arutjunyan AV, Korenevsky AV, Selkov SA, Kogan IY. Neurotrophins: are they involved in immune tolerance in pregnancy? Am J Reprod Immunol 2023; 89:e13694. [PMID: 36792972 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13694] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, an attempt was made to substantiate the possibility for neurotrophins to be involved in the development of immune tolerance based on data accumulated on neurotrophin content and receptor expression in the trophoblast and immune cells, in particular, in natural killer cells. Numerous research results are reviewed to show that the expression and localization of neurotrophins along with their high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptors and low-affinity p75NTR receptor in the mother-placenta-fetus system indicate the important role of neurotrophins as binding molecules in regulating the crosstalk between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems in pregnancy. An imbalance between these systems can occur with tumor growth and pathological processes observed in pregnancy complications and fetal development anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia P Milyutina
- D.O. Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
- St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander V Arutjunyan
- D.O. Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrey V Korenevsky
- D.O. Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey A Selkov
- D.O. Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor Yu Kogan
- D.O. Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Arutjunyan AV, Milyutina YP, Shcherbitskaia AD, Kerkeshko GO, Zalozniaia IV. Epigenetic Mechanisms Involved in the Effects of Maternal Hyperhomocysteinemia on the Functional State of Placenta and Nervous System Plasticity in the Offspring. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:435-456. [PMID: 37080931 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923040016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
According to modern view, susceptibility to diseases, specifically to cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders, can form during embryonic development. Adverse factors affecting mother during the pregnancy increase the risk of developing pathologies. Despite the association between elevated maternal blood homocysteine (Hcy) and fetal brain impairments, as well as cognitive deficits in the offspring, the role of brain plasticity in the development of these pathologies remains poorly studied. Here, we review the data on the negative impact of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) on the neural plasticity, in particular, its possible influence on the offspring brain plasticity through epigenetic mechanisms, such as changes in intracellular methylation potential, activity of DNA methyltransferases, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA expression in brain cells. Since placenta plays a key role in the transport of nutrients and transmission of signals from mother to fetus, its dysfunction due to aberrant epigenetic regulation can affect the development of fetal CNS. The review also presents the data on the impact of maternal HHcy on the epigenetic regulation in the placenta. The data presented in the review are not only interesting from purely scientific point of view, but can help in understanding the role of HHcy and epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of diseases, such as pregnancy pathologies resulting in the delayed development of fetal brain, cognitive impairments in the offspring during childhood, and neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders later in life, as well as in the search for approaches for their prevention using neuroprotectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Arutjunyan
- Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
- St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, St. Petersburg, 197110, Russia
| | - Yulia P Milyutina
- Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, St. Petersburg, 194100, Russia
| | - Anastasia D Shcherbitskaia
- Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194223, Russia
| | - Gleb O Kerkeshko
- Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, St. Petersburg, 197110, Russia
| | - Irina V Zalozniaia
- Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
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Folate in maternal rheumatoid arthritis-filial autism spectrum disorder continuum. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 115:29-35. [PMID: 36402436 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2022.11.004] [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: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects women three times more than men. Epidemiological studies found that the incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurological and developmental disorder, in children born to mothers suffering from RA is higher compared with the control population. Considering that the pathogenesis of ASD could be traced back to pregnancy and in uterine conditions, and the evidence of reduced folate levels in the brain of ASD-affected children, we aimed to study the role of folate, as an important nutritional factor during pregnancy, in associating maternal RA to ASD development in the offspring. Folate balance during RA could be influenced twice, initially during the immune activation associated with disease onset, and later during the treatment with anti-folate drugs, with a potential consequence of folate deficiency. Maternal folate deficiency during pregnancy could increase homocysteine levels, oxidative stress, and global DNA hypomethylation, all known risk factors in ASD pathogenesis. These effects could be intensified by genetic polymorphisms in the folate system, which were also found as genetic risk factors for both RA and ASD. The available evidence suggests that folate level as an important factor during RA, pregnancy and ASD could have pathological and therapeutical significance and should be carefully monitored and investigated in the RA-pregnancy-ASD axis.
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Dong Y, Chen S, Wang Z, Ma Y, Chen J, Li G, Zhou J, Ren Y, Ma H, Xie J, Li H, Zhu Z. Trends in Research of Prenatal Stress From 2011 to 2021: A Bibliometric Study. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:846560. [PMID: 35874593 PMCID: PMC9298743 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.846560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal stress during pregnancy can raise the risk of mental disorders in offspring. The continuous emergence of clinical concepts and the introduction of new technologies are great challenges. In this study, through bibliometric analysis, the research trends and hotspots on prenatal stress (PS) were explored to comprehend clinical treatments and recommend future scientific research directions. METHODS Studies on PS published on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Bibliometric analysis was conducted according to the number of publications, keywords, journals, citations, affiliations, and countries. With the data collected from the WoSCC, visualization of geographic distribution; clustering analysis of keywords, affiliations, and authors; and descriptive analysis and review of PS were carried out. RESULTS A total of 7,087 articles published in 2011-2021 were retrieved. During this period, the number of publications increased. Psychoneuroendocrinology is the leading journal on PS. The largest contributor was the United States. The University of California system was leading among institutions conducting relevant research. Wang H, King S, and Tain YL were scholars with significant contributions. Hotspots were classified into four clusters, namely, pregnancy, prenatal stress, oxidative stress, and growth. CONCLUSION The number of studies on PS increased. Journals, countries, institutions, researchers with the most contributions, and most cited articles worldwide were extracted. Studies have mostly concentrated on treating diseases, the application of new technologies, and the analysis of epidemiological characteristics. Multidisciplinary integration is becoming the focus of current development. Epigenetics is increasingly used in studies on PS. Thus, it constitutes a solid foundation for future clinical medical and scientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengquan Chen
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhifei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ge Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiahao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yating Ren
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hengyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juanping Xie
- School of Medicine, Qinba Chinese Medicine Resources R&D Center, Ankang University, Ankang, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhongliang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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