1
|
Abramova O, Zorkina Y, Pavlov K, Ushakova V, Morozova A, Zubkov E, Pavlova O, Storozheva Z, Gurina O, Chekhonin V. Chronic Ultrasound Prenatal Stress Altered the Brain's Neurochemical Systems in Newborn Rats. Neural Plast 2024; 2024:3829941. [PMID: 39290524 PMCID: PMC11407898 DOI: 10.1155/2024/3829941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) affects the development and functioning of the central nervous system, but the exact mechanisms underpinning this effect have not been pinpointed yet. A promising model of PS is one based on chronic exposure of pregnant rodents to variable-frequency ultrasound (US PS), as it mimics the PS with a psychic nature that most adequately captures the human stressors in modern society. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of US PS on the brain neurotransmitter, neuropeptide, and neurotrophic systems of newborn Wistar rats. We determined the concentration of neurotransmitters and their metabolites (serotonin, HIAA, dopamine, DOPAC, and norepinephrine), neuropeptides (α-MSH, β-endorphin, neurotensin, oxytocin, and substance P), and the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rat brain tissues by HPLC-ED, ELISA, and multiplex ELISA. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to get a sense of the relationship between the biochemical parameters of the brain. The results demonstrated that US PS increases the concentration of serotonin (p=0.004) and DOPAC (p=0.04) in the hippocampus has no effect on the neurotransmitter systems of the frontal cortex, reduces the concentration of BDNF in the entirety of the brain of males (p=0.008), and increases the neuropeptides α-MSH (p=0.02), β-endorphin (p=0.01), oxytocin (p=0.008), and substance P (p < 0.001) in the entire brain. A degree of complexity in the neurotransmitter system network in the frontal cortex and network change in the hippocampus after exposure to US PS have been observed. PCA revealed a similar pattern of neurotransmitter system interactions in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in males and females after exposure to US PS. We suggest that US PS can alter neurodevelopment, which is mediated by changes in the studied neurochemical systems that thus affect the behavioral phenotype in animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Abramova
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yana Zorkina
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Pavlov
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valeria Ushakova
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Morozova
- Mental-Health Clinic No. 1 Named After N.A. Alekseev, Zagorodnoe Highway 2, Moscow 115191, Russia
| | - Eugene Zubkov
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Pavlova
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Zinaida Storozheva
- Laboratory of Functional Neurochemistry, P. K. Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Gurina
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Chekhonin
- Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gregorio T, Lorenzon F, Niebisch F, Stolte RCK, Rafacho A, Dos Santos GJ, Lino de Oliveira C, Lima FB. Antidepressant-like activity of gestational administration of vitamin D is suppressed by prenatal overexposure to dexamethasone in female Wistar rats. Physiol Behav 2022; 249:113765. [PMID: 35227701 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113765] [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: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Overexposure to glucocorticoids during gestation can lead to long-term mental disorders. Given the higher prevalence of depression in females, we investigated whether late gestational administration of dexamethasone could generate a depressive-like phenotype in the adult female offspring and if vitamin D could have a neuroprotective effect in this context. Pregnant rats received vitamin D (VitD, 500 IU/day) or vehicle (CTL) during gestation. Other pregnant rats received dexamethasone (Dex 0.1 mg/kg/ - 14th to the 19th gestational day) or dexamethasone + vitamin D (DexVitD). The offspring were tested for anhedonia (sucrose preference) and depressive-like behavior (forced swimming test) at postnatal months (PNM) 3, 6 and 12. Components of the serotonergic system, as well as glucocorticoids' receptors, were evaluated in the dorsal raphe nucleus at PNM 6 and 12. Prenatal vitamin D and dexamethasone increased sucrose preference at PNM 12. Prenatal vitamin D had an antidepressant-like effect at PNM 3 in rats overexposed to dexamethasone. However, at PNM 12, this effect was blunted in the DexVitD group. Prenatal dexamethasone reduced the protein content of SERT, TPH, and 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus at 6 but not at 12 PNM. The glucocorticoids' receptors expression was similar in all groups. We concluded that prenatal overexposure to dexamethasone does not change emotional behaviors in females, but it blunts the antidepressant-like effect of gestational vitamin D in an age-dependent manner. The antidepressant-like activity of vitamin D in the offspring was not related either to alterations of the serotonergic system or the glucocorticoids' receptors expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamires Gregorio
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Campus, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Flaviano Lorenzon
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Campus, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Niebisch
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Carla Kachel Stolte
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Alex Rafacho
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Campus, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Jorge Dos Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Campus, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Cilene Lino de Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa Lima
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC, Campus, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Carpenter JR, Jablonski KA, Koncinsky J, Varner MW, Gyamfi-Bannerman C, Joss-Moore LA. Antenatal Steroids and Cord Blood T-cell Glucocorticoid Receptor DNA Methylation and Exon 1 Splicing. Reprod Sci 2022; 29:1513-1523. [PMID: 35146694 PMCID: PMC9010373 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00859-5] [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: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Antenatal administration of glucocorticoids such as betamethasone (BMZ) during the late preterm period improves neonatal respiratory outcomes. However, glucocorticoids may elicit programming effects on immune function and gene regulation. Here, we test the hypothesis that exposure to antenatal BMZ alters cord blood immune cell composition in association with altered DNA methylation and alternatively expressed Exon 1 transcripts of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in cord blood CD4+ T-cells. Cord blood was collected from 51 subjects in the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids Trial: 27 BMZ, 24 placebo. Proportions of leukocytes were compared between BMZ and placebo. In CD4+ T-cells, methylation at CpG sites in the GR promoter regions and expression of GR mRNA exon 1 variants were compared between BMZ and placebo. BMZ was associated with an increase in granulocytes (51.6% vs. 44.7% p = 0.03) and a decrease in lymphocytes (36.8% vs. 43.0% p = 0.04) as a percent of the leukocyte population vs. placebo. Neither GR methylation nor exon 1 transcript levels differed between groups. BMZ is associated with altered cord blood leukocyte proportions, although no associated alterations in GR methylation were observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen A. Jablonski
- Milken School of Public Health, Biostatistics Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C, USA
| | | | - Michael W. Varner
- Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - Lisa A. Joss-Moore
- Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Corresponding author: Lisa Joss-Moore, Ph.D., University of Utah, Department of Pediatrics, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108, USA, Ph: 1-801-213-3494,
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
van der Merwe JL, Sacco A, Toelen J, Deprest J. Long-term neuropathological and/or neurobehavioral effects of antenatal corticosteroid therapy in animal models: a systematic review. Pediatr Res 2020; 87:1157-1170. [PMID: 31822018 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0712-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antenatal corticosteroids (ACSs) are recommended to all women at risk for preterm delivery; currently, there is controversy about the subsequent long-term neurocognitive sequelae. This systematic review summarizes the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes after ACS therapy in animal models. METHODS An electronic search strategy incorporating MeSH and keywords was performed using all known literature databases and in accordance with PRISMA guidance (PROSPERO CRD42019119663). RESULTS Of the 669 studies identified, eventually 64 were included. The majority of studies utilized dexamethasone at relative high dosages and primarily involved rodents. There was a high risk of bias, mostly due to lack of randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding. The main outcomes reported on was neuropathological, particularly glucocorticoid receptor expression and neuron densities, and neurobehavior. Overall there was an upregulation of glucocorticoid receptors with lower neuron densities and a dysregulation of the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. This coincided with various adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In animal models, ACSs consistently lead to deleterious long-term neurocognitive effects. This may be due to the specific agents, i.e., dexamethasone, or the repetitive/higher total dosing used. ACS administration varied significantly between studies and there was a high risk of bias. Future research should be standardized in well-characterized models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes L van der Merwe
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fetal Medicine Unit, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Adalina Sacco
- Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jaan Toelen
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Pediatrics, Division Woman and Child, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Deprest
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fetal Medicine Unit, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Guerrero DM, Jiménez Vásquez FDJ, Osornio MR, Rubio Osornio MDC, Suárez SO, Retana-Márquez S. Serotonin and noradrenaline content and release in the dorsal hippocampus during learning and spatial memory in prenatally stressed rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2020. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2020-037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
6
|
Béziers P, San-Jose LM, Almasi B, Jenni L, Roulin A. Baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels are heritable and genetically correlated in a barn owl population. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:337-348. [PMID: 30837668 PMCID: PMC6781159 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0203-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is responsible for the regulation of corticosterone, a hormone that is essential in the mediation of energy allocation and physiological stress. As a continuous source of challenge and stress for organisms, the environment has promoted the evolution of physiological adaptations and led to a great variation in corticosterone profiles within or among individuals, populations and species. In order to evolve via natural selection, corticosterone levels do not only depend on the strength of selection exerted on them, but also on the extent to which the regulation of corticosterone is heritable. Nevertheless, the heritability of corticosterone profiles in wild populations is still poorly understood. In this study, we estimated the heritability of baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels in barn owl (Tyto alba) nestlings from 8 years of data, using a multivariate animal model based on a behavioural pedigree. We found that baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels are strongly genetically correlated (r = 0.68-0.80) and that the heritability of stress-induced corticosterone levels (h2 = 0.24-0.33) was moderate and similar to the heritability of baseline corticosterone levels (h2 = 0.19-0.30). These findings suggest that the regulation of stress-induced corticosterone and baseline levels evolves at a similar pace when selection acts with the same intensity on both traits and that contrary to previous studies, the evolution of baseline and stress-induced level is interdependent in barn owls, as they may be strongly genetically correlated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Béziers
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland.
| | - Luis M San-Jose
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Swales DA, Grande LA, Wing DA, Edelmann M, Glynn LM, Sandman C, Smith R, Bowman M, Davis EP. Can Placental Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Inform Timing of Antenatal Corticosteroid Administration? J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:443-450. [PMID: 30215731 PMCID: PMC6304068 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-00956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Antenatal corticosteroids are commonly administered to pregnant women at risk for delivering between 23 and 34 gestational weeks; they provide crucial benefits to fetal lung maturation and reduce risk for neonatal morbidity and mortality. Corticosteroids are maximally efficacious for lung maturation when administered within 2 to 7 days of delivery. Accurately identifying the timing of preterm delivery is thus critical to ensure that antenatal corticosteroids are administered within a week of delivery and to avoid unnecessary administration to women who will deliver at term. A plausible biomarker for predicting time of delivery is placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH). OBJECTIVE To assess whether pCRH concentrations predict time to delivery and specifically which women will deliver within a week of treatment. DESIGN pCRH concentrations were evaluated before administration of the corticosteroid betamethasone, and timing of delivery was recorded. PARTICIPANTS A total of 121 women with singleton pregnancies who were prescribed betamethasone. RESULTS Elevated pCRH concentrations were associated with a shorter time from treatment to delivery. Receiver-operating characteristic curves revealed that pCRH may improve the precision of predicting preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS In the current sample, pCRH concentrations predicted the likelihood of delivering within 1 week of corticosteroid treatment. Current findings suggest that pCRH may be a diagnostic indicator of impending preterm delivery. Increasing the precision in predicting time to delivery could inform when to administer antenatal corticosteroids, thus maximizing benefits and reducing the likelihood of exposing fetuses who will be delivered at term.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Swales
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Danielle A. Swales, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Frontier Hall, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, Colorado 80206. E-mail:
| | - Leah A Grande
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Deborah A Wing
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
| | | | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California
| | - Curt Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Roger Smith
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maria Bowman
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Vataeva LA, Tyulkova EI, Alekhin AN, Stratilov VA. Effects of Hypoxia or Dexamethasone at Different Gestation Periods on Fear Conditioning in Adult Rats. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093018060030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
9
|
Schepanski S, Buss C, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Arck PC. Prenatal Immune and Endocrine Modulators of Offspring's Brain Development and Cognitive Functions Later in Life. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2186. [PMID: 30319639 PMCID: PMC6168638 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Milestones of brain development in mammals are completed before birth, which provide the prerequisite for cognitive and intellectual performances of the offspring. Prenatal challenges, such as maternal stress experience or infections, have been linked to impaired cognitive development, poor intellectual performances as well as neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in the offspring later in life. Fetal microglial cells may be the target of such challenges and could be functionally modified by maternal markers. Maternal markers can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, a phenomenon commonly referred to as “vertical transfer.” These maternal markers include hormones, such as glucocorticoids, and also maternal immune cells and cytokines, all of which can be altered in response to prenatal challenges. Whilst it is difficult to discriminate between the maternal or fetal origin of glucocorticoids and cytokines in the offspring, immune cells of maternal origin—although low in frequency—can be clearly set apart from offspring's cells in the fetal and adult brain. To date, insights into the functional role of these cells are limited, but it is emergingly recognized that these maternal microchimeric cells may affect fetal brain development, as well as post-natal cognitive performances and behavior. Moreover, the inheritance of vertically transferred cells across generations has been proposed, yielding to the presence of a microchiome in individuals. Hence, it will be one of the scientific challenges in the field of neuroimmunology to identify the functional role of maternal microchimeric cells as well as the brain microchiome. Maternal microchimeric cells, along with hormones and cytokines, may induce epigenetic changes in the fetal brain. Recent data underpin that brain development in response to prenatal stress challenges can be altered across several generations, independent of a genetic predisposition, supporting an epigenetic inheritance. We here discuss how fetal brain development and offspring's cognitive functions later in life is modulated in the turnstile of prenatal challenges by introducing novel and recently emerging pathway, involving maternal hormones and immune markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Schepanski
- Laboratory of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Buss
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin Institute of Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra C Arck
- Laboratory of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Slotkin TA, Ko A, Seidler FJ. Does growth impairment underlie the adverse effects of dexamethasone on development of noradrenergic systems? Toxicology 2018; 408:11-21. [PMID: 29935188 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are given in preterm labor to prevent respiratory distress but these agents evoke neurobehavioral deficits in association with reduced brain region volumes. To determine whether the neurodevelopmental effects are distinct from growth impairment, we gave developing rats dexamethasone at doses below or within the therapeutic range (0.05, 0.2 or 0.8 mg/kg) at different stages: gestational days (GD) 17-19, postnatal days (PN) 1-3 or PN7-9. In adolescence and adulthood, we assessed the impact on noradrenergic systems in multiple brain regions, comparing the effects to those on somatic growth or on brain region growth. Somatic growth was reduced with exposure in all three stages, with greater sensitivity for the postnatal regimens; brain region growth was impaired to a lesser extent. Norepinephrine content and concentration were reduced depending on the treatment regimen, with a rank order of deficits of PN7-9 > PN1-3 > GD17-19. However, brain growth impairment did not parallel reduced norepinephrine content in magnitude, dose threshold, sex or regional selectivity, or temporal pattern, and even when corrected for reduced brain region weights (norepinephrine per g tissue), the dexamethasone-exposed animals showed subnormal values. Regression analysis showed that somatic growth impairment accounted for an insubstantial amount of the reduction in norepinephrine content, and brain growth impairment accounted for only 12%, whereas specific effects on norepinephrine accounted for most of the effect. The adverse effects of dexamethasone on noradrenergic system development are not simply related to impaired somatic or brain region growth, but rather include specific targeting of neurodifferentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theodore A Slotkin
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA.
| | - Ashley Ko
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA
| | - Frederic J Seidler
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Keeley RJ, Bye C, Trow J, McDonald RJ. Adolescent THC exposure does not sensitize conditioned place preferences to subthreshold d-amphetamine in male and female rats. F1000Res 2018; 7:342. [PMID: 29770212 PMCID: PMC5920568 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.14029.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The acute effects of marijuana consumption on brain physiology and behaviour are well documented, but the long-term effects of its chronic use are less well known. Chronic marijuana use during adolescence is of increased interest, given that the majority of individuals first use marijuana during this developmental stage , and adolescent marijuana use is thought to increase the susceptibility to abusing other drugs when exposed later in life. It is possible that marijuana use during critical periods in adolescence could lead to increased sensitivity to other drugs of abuse later on. To test this, we chronically administered ∆ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to male and female Long-Evans (LER) and Wistar (WR) rats directly after puberty onset. Rats matured to postnatal day 90 before being exposed to a conditioned place preference task (CPP). A subthreshold dose of d-amphetamine, found not to induce place preference in drug naïve rats, was used as the unconditioned stimulus. The effect of d-amphetamine on neural activity was inferred by quantifying cfos expression in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal hippocampus following CPP training. Chronic exposure to THC post-puberty had no potentiating effect on a subthreshold dose of d-amphetamine to induce CPP. No differences in cfos expression were observed. These results show that chronic exposure to THC during puberty did not increase sensitivity to a sub-threshold dose of d-amphetamine in adult LER and WR rats. This supports the concept that THC may not sensitize the response to all drugs of abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Keeley
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Cameron Bye
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Jan Trow
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Robert J McDonald
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Keeley RJ, Bye C, Trow J, McDonald RJ. Adolescent THC exposure does not sensitize conditioned place preferences to subthreshold d-amphetamine in male and female rats. F1000Res 2018; 7:342. [PMID: 29770212 PMCID: PMC5920568 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.14029.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The acute effects of marijuana consumption on brain physiology and behaviour are well documented, but the long-term effects of its chronic use are less well known. Chronic marijuana use during adolescence is of increased interest, given that the majority of individuals first use marijuana during this developmental stage , and adolescent marijuana use is thought to increase the susceptibility to abusing other drugs when exposed later in life. It is possible that marijuana use during critical periods in adolescence could lead to increased sensitivity to other drugs of abuse later on. To test this, we chronically administered ∆ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to male and female Long-Evans (LER) and Wistar (WR) rats directly after puberty onset. Rats matured to postnatal day 90 before being exposed to a conditioned place preference task (CPP). A subthreshold dose of d-amphetamine, found not to induce place preference in drug naïve rats, was used as the unconditioned stimulus. The effect of d-amphetamine on neural activity was inferred by quantifying cfos expression in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal hippocampus following CPP training. Chronic exposure to THC post-puberty had no potentiating effect on a subthreshold dose of d-amphetamine to induce CPP. No differences in cfos expression were observed. These results show that chronic exposure to THC during puberty did not increase sensitivity to d-amphetamine in adult LER and WR rats. This supports the concept that THC may not sensitize the response to all drugs of abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Keeley
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Cameron Bye
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Jan Trow
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Robert J McDonald
- University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Hiroi R, Carbone DL, Zuloaga DG, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Handa RJ. Sex-dependent programming effects of prenatal glucocorticoid treatment on the developing serotonin system and stress-related behaviors in adulthood. Neuroscience 2016; 320:43-56. [PMID: 26844389 PMCID: PMC4840233 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal stress and overexposure to glucocorticoids (GC) during development may be associated with an increased susceptibility to a number of diseases in adulthood including neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. In animal models, prenatal overexposure to GC results in hyper-responsiveness to stress in adulthood, and females appear to be more susceptible than males. Here, we tested the hypothesis that overexposure to GC during fetal development has sex-specific programming effects on the brain, resulting in altered behaviors in adulthood. We examined the effects of dexamethasone (DEX; a synthetic GC) during prenatal life on stress-related behaviors in adulthood and on the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TpH2) gene expression in the adult dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). TpH2 is the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin (5-HT) synthesis and has been implicated in the etiology of human affective disorders. Timed-pregnant rats were treated with DEX from gestational days 18-22. Male and female offspring were sacrificed on the day of birth (postnatal day 0; P0), P7, and in adulthood (P80-84) and brains were examined for changes in TpH2 mRNA expression. Adult animals were also tested for anxiety- and depressive- like behaviors. In adulthood, prenatal DEX increased anxiety- and depressive- like behaviors selectively in females, as measured by decreased time spent in the center of the open field and increased time spent immobile in the forced swim test, respectively. Prenatal DEX increased TpH2 mRNA selectively in the female caudal DRN at P7, whereas it decreased TpH2 mRNA selectively in the female caudal DRN in adulthood. In animals challenged with restraint stress in adulthood, TpH2 mRNA was significantly lower in rostral DRN of prenatal DEX-treated females compared to vehicle-treated females. These data demonstrated that prenatal overexposure to GC alters the development of TpH2 gene expression and these alterations correlated with lasting behavioral changes found in adult female offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Hiroi
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, 550 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - D L Carbone
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, 550 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.
| | - D G Zuloaga
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, 550 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.
| | - H A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - R J Handa
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, 550 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lim WL, Idris MM, Kevin FS, Soga T, Parhar IS. Maternal Dexamethasone Exposure Alters Synaptic Inputs to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons in the Early Postnatal Rat. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:117. [PMID: 27630615 PMCID: PMC5005956 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal dexamethasone [(DEX); a glucocorticoid receptor agonist] exposure delays pubertal onset and alters reproductive behavior in the adult offspring. However, little is known whether maternal DEX exposure affects the offspring's reproductive function by disrupting the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal function in the brain. Therefore, this study determined the exposure of maternal DEX on the GnRH neuronal spine development and synaptic cluster inputs to GnRH neurons using transgenic rats expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of GnRH promoter. Pregnant females were administered with DEX (0.1 mg/kg) or vehicle (VEH, water) daily during gestation day 13-20. Confocal imaging was used to examine the spine density of EGFP-GnRH neurons by three-dimensional rendering and synaptic cluster inputs to EGFP-GnRH neurons by synapsin I immunohistochemistry on postnatal day 0 (P0) males. The spine morphology and number on GnRH neurons did not change between the P0 males following maternal DEX and VEH treatment. The number of synaptic clusters within the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) was decreased by maternal DEX exposure in P0 males. Furthermore, the number and levels of synaptic cluster inputs in close apposition with GnRH neurons was decreased following maternal DEX exposure in the OVLT region of P0 males. In addition, the postsynaptic marker molecule, postsynaptic density 95, was observed in GnRH neurons following both DEX and VEH treatment. These results suggest that maternal DEX exposure alters neural afferent inputs to GnRH neurons during early postnatal stage, which could lead to reproductive dysfunction during adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ling Lim
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Marshita Mohd Idris
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Felix Suresh Kevin
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Tomoko Soga
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
- *Correspondence: Tomoko Soga,
| | - Ishwar S. Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wyrwoll C, Keith M, Noble J, Stevenson PL, Bombail V, Crombie S, Evans LC, Bailey MA, Wood E, Seckl JR, Holmes MC. Fetal brain 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 selectively determines programming of adult depressive-like behaviors and cognitive function, but not anxiety behaviors in male mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 59:59-70. [PMID: 26036451 PMCID: PMC4510145 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Stress or elevated glucocorticoids during sensitive windows of fetal development increase the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in adult rodents and humans, a phenomenon known as glucocorticoid programming. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2), which catalyses rapid inactivation of glucocorticoids in the placenta, controls access of maternal glucocorticoids to the fetal compartment, placing it in a key position to modulate glucocorticoid programming of behavior. However, the importance of the high expression of 11β-HSD2 within the midgestational fetal brain is unknown. To examine this, a brain-specific knockout of 11β-HSD2 (HSD2BKO) was generated and compared to wild-type littermates. HSD2BKO have markedly diminished fetal brain 11β-HSD2, but intact fetal body and placental 11β-HSD2 and normal fetal and placental growth. Despite normal fetal plasma corticosterone, HSD2BKO exhibit elevated fetal brain corticosterone levels at midgestation. As adults, HSD2BKO show depressive-like behavior and have cognitive impairments. However, unlike complete feto-placental deficiency, HSD2BKO show no anxiety-like behavioral deficits. The clear mechanistic separation of the programmed components of depression and cognition from anxiety implies distinct mechanisms of pathogenesis, affording potential opportunities for stratified interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Wyrwoll
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom,School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Marianne Keith
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - June Noble
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Paula L. Stevenson
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Bombail
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Crombie
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Louise C. Evans
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A. Bailey
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Wood
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan R. Seckl
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Megan C. Holmes
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom,Corresponding author at: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom. Tel.: +44 131 242 6737.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Poudel R, McMillen IC, Dunn SL, Zhang S, Morrison JL. Impact of chronic hypoxemia on blood flow to the brain, heart, and adrenal gland in the late-gestation IUGR sheep fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2015; 308:R151-62. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00036.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In the fetus, there is a redistribution of cardiac output in response to acute hypoxemia, to maintain perfusion of key organs, including the brain, heart, and adrenal glands. There may be a similar redistribution of cardiac output in the chronically hypoxemic, intrauterine growth-restricted fetus. Surgical removal of uterine caruncles in nonpregnant ewe results in the restriction of placental growth (PR) and intrauterine growth. Vascular catheters were implanted in seven control and six PR fetal sheep, and blood flow to organs was determined using microspheres. Placental and fetal weight was significantly reduced in the PR group. Despite an increase in the relative brain weight in the PR group, there was no difference in blood flow to the brain between the groups, although PR fetuses had higher blood flow to the temporal lobe. Adrenal blood flow was significantly higher in PR fetuses, and there was a direct relationship between mean gestational PaO2 and blood flow to the adrenal gland. There was no change in blood flow, but a decrease in oxygen and glucose delivery to the heart in the PR fetuses. In another group, there was a decrease in femoral artery blood flow in the PR compared with the Control group, and this may support blood flow changes to the adrenal and temporal lobe. In contrast to the response to acute hypoxemia, these data show that there is a redistribution of blood flow to the adrenals and temporal lobe, but not the heart or whole brain, in chronically hypoxemic PR fetuses in late gestation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajan Poudel
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - I. Caroline McMillen
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stacey L. Dunn
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Song Zhang
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Janna L. Morrison
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
de Kloet ER, Claessens SEF, Kentrop J. Context modulates outcome of perinatal glucocorticoid action in the brain. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:100. [PMID: 25071717 PMCID: PMC4088189 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prematurely born infants may be at risk, because of inadequate maturation of tissues. If there are signs of preterm birth, it has become common practice therefore to treat either antenatally the mother or postnatally the infant with glucocorticoids to accelerate tissue development, particularly of the lung. However, this life-saving early glucocorticoid treatment was found to increase the risk of adverse outcome in later life. In one animal study, the authors reported a 25% shorter lifespan of rats treated as newborns with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone, but so far this finding has not been replicated. After a brief clinical introduction, we discuss studies in rodents designed to examine how perinatal glucocorticoid action affects the developing brain. It appears that the perinatal action of the glucocorticoid depends on the context and the timing as well as the type of administered steroid. The type of steroid is important because the endogenous glucocorticoids cortisol and corticosterone bind to two distinct receptor populations, i.e., mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors (GR), while synthetic glucocorticoids predominantly bind to the GR. In addition, if given antenatally hydrocortisone is inactivated in the placenta by 11β-HSD type 2, and dexamethasone is not. With respect to timing, the outcome of glucocorticoid effects is different in early vs. late phases of brain development. The context refers to the environmental input that can affect the susceptibility to glucocorticoid action in the newborn rodent brain; early handling of pups and maternal care obliterate effects of post-natal dexamethasone treatment. Context also refers to coping with environmental conditions in later life, for which the individual may have been programed epigenetically by early-life experience. This knowledge of determinants affecting the outcome of perinatal glucocorticoid exposure may have clinical implications for the treatment of prematurely born infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E. Ronald de Kloet
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: E. Ronald de Kloet, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Division of Medical Pharmacology, LACDR, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, PO Box 9503, Leiden 2300 RA, Netherlands e-mail: ;
| | - Sanne E. F. Claessens
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Dopaminergic modulation of affective and social deficits induced by prenatal glucocorticoid exposure. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:2068-79. [PMID: 23648781 PMCID: PMC3746691 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal stress or exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) can impair specific neurobehavioral circuits leading to alterations in emotional processes later in life. In turn, emotional deficits may interfere with the quality and degree of social interaction. Here, by using a comprehensive behavioral approach in combination with the measurement of ultrasonic vocalizations, we show that in utero GC (iuGC)-exposed animals present increased immobility in the forced swimming test, pronounced anhedonic behavior (both anticipatory and consummatory), and an impairment in social interaction at different life stages. Importantly, we also found that social behavioral expression is highly dependent on the affective status of the partner. A profound reduction in mesolimbic dopaminergic transmission was found in iuGC animals, suggesting a key role for dopamine (DA) in the etiology of the observed behavioral deficits. Confirming this idea, we present evidence that a simple pharmacological approach-acute L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (L-DOPA) oral administration, is able to normalize DA levels in iuGC animals, with a concomitant amelioration of several dimensions of the emotional and social behaviors. Interestingly, L-DOPA effects in control individuals were not so straightforward; suggesting that both hypo- and hyperdopaminergia are detrimental in the context of such complex behaviors.
Collapse
|
19
|
Gestational stress promotes pathological apneas and sex-specific disruption of respiratory control development in newborn rat. J Neurosci 2013; 33:563-73. [PMID: 23303936 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1214-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent apneas are important causes of hospitalization and morbidity in newborns. Gestational stress (GS) compromises fetal brain development. Maternal stress and anxiety during gestation are linked to respiratory disorders in newborns; however, the mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that repeated activation of the neuroendocrine response to stress during gestation is sufficient to disrupt the development of respiratory control and augment the occurrence of apneas in newborn rats. Pregnant dams were displaced and exposed to predator odor from days 9 to 19 of gestation. Control dams were undisturbed. Experiments were performed on male and female rats aged between 0 and 4 d old. Apnea frequency decreased with age but was consistently higher in stressed pups than controls. At day 4, GS augmented the proportion of apneas with O(2) desaturations by 12%. During acute hypoxia (12% O(2)), the reflexive increase in breathing augmented with age; however, this response was lower in stressed pups. Instability of respiratory rhythm recorded from medullary preparations decreased with age but was higher in stressed pups than controls. GS reduced medullary serotonin (5-HT) levels in newborn pups by 32%. Bath application of 5-HT and injection of 8-OH-DPAT [(±)-8-hydroxy-2-di-(n-propylamino) tetralin hydrobromide; 5-HT(1A) agonist; in vivo] reduced respiratory instability and apneas; these effects were greater in stressed pups than controls. Sex-specific effects were observed. We conclude that activation of the stress response during gestation is sufficient to disrupt respiratory control development and promote pathological apneas in newborn rats. A deficit in medullary 5-HT contributes to these effects.
Collapse
|
20
|
Wilson CA, Terry AV. Variable maternal stress in rats alters locomotor activity, social behavior, and recognition memory in the adult offspring. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 104:47-61. [PMID: 23287801 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Rats repeatedly exposed to variable prenatal stress (PNS) exhibit behavioral signs that are similar to those manifested in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as deficits in attention and inhibitory control, and impairments in memory-related task performance. The purpose of the study described here was to conduct a comprehensive battery of tests to further characterize the behavioral phenotype of PNS rats as well as to evaluate the sensitivity of the model to therapeutic interventions (i.e., to compounds previously shown to have therapeutic potential in neuropsychiatric disorders). The results of this study indicated that PNS in rats is associated with: 1) increased locomotor activity and stereotypic behaviors, 2) elevated sensitivity to the psychostimulant amphetamine, 3) increased aggressive behaviors toward both adult and juvenile rats and 4) delay-dependent deficits in recognition memory. There was no evidence that PNS rats exhibited deficits in other areas of motor function/learning, sensorimotor gating, spatial learning and memory, social withdrawal, or anhedonia. In addition, the results revealed that the second generation antipsychotic risperidone attenuated amphetamine-related increases in locomotor activity in PNS rats; however, the effect was not sustained over time. Furthermore, deficits in recognition memory in PNS rats were attenuated by the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine, but not by the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, GTS-21. This study supports the supposition that important phenomenological similarities exist between rats exposed to PNS and patients afflicted with neuropsychiatric disorders thus further establishing the face validity of the model for evaluating potential therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Wilson
- Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Graduate Studies, Georgia Health Science University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Love OP, McGowan PO, Sheriff MJ. Maternal adversity and ecological stressors in natural populations: the role of stress axis programming in individuals, with implications for populations and communities. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02040.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver P. Love
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; 401 Sunset Avenue; Windsor; Ontario; N9B 3P4; Canada
| | - Patrick O. McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Toronto Scarborough; 1265 Military Trail; Toronto; Ontario; M1C 1A4; Canada
| | - Michael J. Sheriff
- Institute of Arctic Biology; University of Alaska Fairbanks; 902 N. Koyukuk Dr; Fairbanks; Alaska; 99775; USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Carbone DL, Zuloaga DG, Lacagnina AF, McGivern RF, Handa RJ. Exposure to dexamethasone during late gestation causes female-specific decreases in core body temperature and prepro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in rats. Physiol Behav 2012; 108:6-12. [PMID: 22884559 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic glucocorticoids (GC) have been used to promote lung development in preterm infants, thereby decreasing respiratory distress syndrome and mortality, yet, concern has arisen from reports that such treatment predisposes individuals to disease in adulthood. Given the variety of preclinical studies that show metabolic and behavioral abnormalities in adulthood following fetal exposure to synthetic GC, we examined the effect of in utero exposure to the synthetic GC, dexamethasone (DEX), on hypothalamic expression of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) a central neuropeptide involved in mediating behavior and metabolic balance. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 0.4mg/kg DEX on gestational days 18-21. As adults (postnatal day (PD) 60), the offspring were fitted with temperature sensing transmitters allowing real-time monitoring of core body temperature (CBT) across the 24h light dark period. This revealed a significant decrease in CBT throughout the day in prenatal DEX-treated females on estrus and diestrus, but not in male offspring. The reduction in CBT by prenatal DEX exposure was accompanied by a significant decrease in the expression of Trh transcript in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) of female rats at PD 60 and this effect was also present on PD7. There was also a female-specific reduction in the number of preproTRH-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in the PVN, with ppTRH-ir nerve fibers decreases that were present in both male and female offspring. No changes in thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine, T3; thyroxine, T4) were observed in adult offspring, but during development, both males and females (PD14) had lower T3 and T4 levels. These data indicate abnormal expression of TRH results from fetal DEX exposure during late gestation, possibly explaining the decreased CBT observed in the female offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David L Carbone
- University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Phoenix, AZ 85004-2157, United States.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wyrwoll CS, Holmes MC. Prenatal excess glucocorticoid exposure and adult affective disorders: a role for serotonergic and catecholamine pathways. Neuroendocrinology 2012; 95:47-55. [PMID: 22042385 PMCID: PMC3388616 DOI: 10.1159/000331345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Fetal glucocorticoid exposure is a key mechanism proposed to underlie prenatal 'programming' of adult affective behaviours such as depression and anxiety. Indeed, the glucocorticoid metabolising enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2), which is highly expressed in the placenta and the developing fetus, acts as a protective barrier from the high maternal glucocorticoids which may alter developmental trajectories. The programmed changes resulting from maternal stress or bypass or from the inhibition of 11β-HSD2 are frequently associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Hence, circulating glucocorticoid levels are increased either basally or in response to stress accompanied by CNS region-specific modulations in the expression of both corticosteroid receptors (mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors). Furthermore, early-life glucocorticoid exposure also affects serotonergic and catecholamine pathways within the brain, with changes in both associated neurotransmitters and receptors. Indeed, global removal of 11β-HSD2, an enzyme that inactivates glucocorticoids, increases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour in mice; however, in this case the phenotype is not accompanied by overt perturbation in the HPA axis but, intriguingly, alterations in serotonergic and catecholamine pathways are maintained in this programming model. This review addresses one of the potential adverse effects of glucocorticoid overexposure in utero, i.e. increased incidence of affective behaviours, and the mechanisms underlying these behaviours including alteration of the HPA axis and serotonergic and catecholamine pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S. Wyrwoll
- *C.S. Wyrwoll, Endocrinology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ (UK), Tel. +44 131 242 6746, E-Mail
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Early life adversity as a risk factor for fibromyalgia in later life. PAIN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2011; 2012:140832. [PMID: 22110940 PMCID: PMC3196867 DOI: 10.1155/2012/140832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The impact of early life events is increasingly becoming apparent, as studies investigate how early childhood can shape long-term physiology and behaviour. Fibromyalgia (FM), which is characterised by increased pain sensitivity and a number of affective co-morbidities, has an unclear etiology. This paper discusses risk factors from early life that may increase the occurrence or severity of FM in later life: pain experience during neonatal life causes long-lasting changes in nociceptive circuitry and increases pain sensitivity in the older organism; premature birth and related stressor exposure cause lasting changes in stress responsivity; maternal deprivation affects anxiety-like behaviours that may be partially mediated by epigenetic modulation of the genome—all these adult phenotypes are strikingly similar to symptoms displayed by FM sufferers. In addition, childhood trauma and exposure to substances of abuse may cause lasting changes in developing neurotransmitter and endocrine circuits that are linked to anxiety and stress responses.
Collapse
|
25
|
Wyrwoll CS, Holmes MC, Seckl JR. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and the brain: from zero to hero, a decade of progress. Front Neuroendocrinol 2011; 32:265-86. [PMID: 21144857 PMCID: PMC3149101 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 12/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids have profound effects on brain development and adult CNS function. Excess or insufficient glucocorticoids cause myriad abnormalities from development to ageing. The actions of glucocorticoids within cells are determined not only by blood steroid levels and target cell receptor density, but also by intracellular metabolism by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSD). 11β-HSD1 regenerates active glucocorticoids from their inactive 11-keto derivatives and is widely expressed throughout the adult CNS. Elevated hippocampal and neocortical 11β-HSD1 is observed with ageing and causes cognitive decline; its deficiency prevents the emergence of cognitive defects with age. Conversely, 11β-HSD2 is a dehydrogenase, inactivating glucocorticoids. The major central effects of 11β-HSD2 occur in development, as expression of 11β-HSD2 is high in fetal brain and placenta. Deficient feto-placental 11β-HSD2 results in a life-long phenotype of anxiety and cardiometabolic disorders, consistent with early life glucocorticoid programming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S Wyrwoll
- Endocrinology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abraham PM, Kuruvilla KP, Mathew J, Malat A, Joy S, Paulose CS. Alterations in hippocampal serotonergic and INSR function in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats exposed to stress: neuroprotective role of pyridoxine and Aegle marmelose. J Biomed Sci 2010; 17:78. [PMID: 20868513 PMCID: PMC2955644 DOI: 10.1186/1423-0127-17-78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Accepted: 09/25/2010] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes and stress stimulate hippocampal 5-HT synthesis, metabolism and release. The present study was carried out to find the effects of insulin, Aegle marmelose alone and in combination with pyridoxine on the hippocampal 5-HT, 5-HT2A receptor subtype, gene expression studies on 5-HT2A, 5-HTT, INSR, immunohistochemical studies and elevated plus maze in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. 5-HT content showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) and a significant increase (p < 0.001) in 5-HIAA in hippocampus of diabetic rats compared to control. 5-HT receptor binding parameters Bmax and Kd showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) whereas 5-HT2A receptor binding parameters Bmax showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) with a significant increase (p < 0.05) in Kd in hippocampus of diabetic rats compared to control. Gene expression studies of 5-HT2A, 5-HTT and INSR in hippocampus showed a significant down regulation (p < 0.001) in diabetic rats compared to control. Pyridoxine treated in combination with insulin and A. marmelose to diabetic rats reversed the 5-HT content, Bmax , Kd of 5-HT, 5-HT2A and gene expression of 5-HT2A, 5-HTT and INSR in hippocampus to near control. The gene expression of 5-HT2A and 5-HTT were confirmed by immunohistochemical studies. Behavioural studies using elevated plus maze showed that serotonin through its transporter significantly increased (p < 0.001) anxiety-related traits in diabetic rats which were corrected by combination therapy. Our results suggest that pyridoxine treated in combination with insulin and A. marmelose has a role in the regulation of insulin synthesis and release, normalising diabetic related stress and anxiety through hippocampal serotonergic function. This has clinical significance in the management of diabetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pretty Mary Abraham
- Molecular Neurobiology and Cell Biology Unit, Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin- 682 022, Kerala, India
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Naseer MI, Shupeng L, Kim MO. Maternal epileptic seizure induced by pentylenetetrazol: apoptotic neurodegeneration and decreased GABAB1 receptor expression in prenatal rat brain. Mol Brain 2009; 2:20. [PMID: 19545402 PMCID: PMC2706809 DOI: 10.1186/1756-6606-2-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2009] [Accepted: 06/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a prominent sign of neurological dysfunction in children with various fetal and maternal deficiencies. However, the detailed mechanism and influences underlying epileptic disorders are still unrevealed. The hippocampal neurons are vulnerable to epilepsy-induced pathologic changes and often manifests as neuronal death. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of maternal epileptic seizure on apoptotic neuronal death, modulation of GABAB1 receptor (R), and protein kinase A-alpha (PKA) in prenatal rat hippocampal neurons at gestational days (GD) 17.5. Seizure was induced in pregnant rat using intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) (40 mg/kg for 15 days). To confirm the seizure electroencephalography (EEG) data was obtained by the Laxtha EEG-monitoring device in the EEG recording room and EEG were monitored 5 min and 15 min after PTZ injection. The RT-PCR and Western blot results showed significant increased expression of cytochrome-c and caspases-3, while decreased levels of GABAB1R, and PKA protein expression upon ethanol, PTZ and ethanol plus PTZ exposure in primary neuronal cells cultured from PTZ-induced seizure model as compare to non-PTZ treated maternal group. Apoptotic neurodegeneration was further confirmed with Fluoro-Jade B and propidium iodide staining, where neurons were scattered and shrunken, with markedly condensed nuclei in PTZ treated group compared with control. This study for the first time indicate that PTZ-induced seizures triggered activation of caspases-3 to induce widespread apoptotic neuronal death and decreased GABAB1R expression in hippocampal neurons, providing a possible mechanistic link between maternal epilepsy induced neurodegeneration alteration of GABAB1R and PKA expression level during prenatal brain development. This revealed new aspects of PTZ and ethanol's modulation on GABAB1R, learning and memory. Further, explain the possibility that children delivered by epileptic mothers may have higher risk of developmental disturbances and malformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran Naseer
- Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Science (Brain Korea 21), Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Li Shupeng
- Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Science (Brain Korea 21), Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Ok Kim
- Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Science (Brain Korea 21), Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kubin L, Volgin DV. Developmental profiles of neurotransmitter receptors in respiratory motor nuclei. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2009; 164:64-71. [PMID: 18514591 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2008.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2008] [Revised: 04/18/2008] [Accepted: 04/18/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We discuss the time course of postnatal development of selected neurotransmitter receptors in motoneurons that innervate respiratory pump and accessory respiratory muscles, with emphasis on other than classic respiratory signals as important regulatory factors. Functions of those brainstem motoneurons that innervate the pharynx and larynx change more dramatically during early postnatal development than those of spinal respiratory motoneurons. Possibly in relation to this difference, the time course of postnatal expression of distinct receptors for serotonin differ between the hypoglossal (XII) and phrenic motoneurons. In rats, distinct developmental patterns include a decline or increase that extends over the first 3-4 postnatal weeks, a rapid increase during the first 2 weeks, or a transient decline on postnatal days 11-14. The latter period coincides with major changes in many transmitters in brainstem respiratory regions that may be related to a brain-wide reconfiguration of sensorymotor processing resulting from eye and ear opening and beginning of a switch from suckling to mature forms of food seeking and processing. Such rapid neurochemical changes may impart increased vulnerability on the respiratory system. We also consider rapid eye movement sleep as a state during which some brain functions may revert to conditions typical of perinatal period. In addition to normal developmental processes, changes in the expression or function of neurotransmitter receptors may occur in respiratory motoneurons in response to injury, perinatal stress, or disease conditions that increase the load on respiratory muscles or alter the normal levels and patterns of oxygen delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leszek Kubin
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6046, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
|
30
|
Michael AE, Papageorghiou AT. Potential significance of physiological and pharmacological glucocorticoids in early pregnancy. Hum Reprod Update 2008; 14:497-517. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmn021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
|
31
|
Tauber SC, Bunkowski S, Schlumbohm C, Rühlmann M, Fuchs E, Nau R, Gerber J. No long-term effect two years after intrauterine exposure to dexamethasone on dentate gyrus volume, neuronal proliferation and differentiation in common marmoset monkeys. Brain Pathol 2008; 18:497-503. [PMID: 18422980 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2008.00149.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are prenatally administered to promote the maturation of the lungs. They, however, can affect neuronal proliferation and differentiation. In newborn marmoset monkeys, intrauterine hyperexposure to dexamethasone (DEX) resulted in a significantly decreased proliferation rate in the hippocampal dentate gyrus without affecting neuronal differentiation. In this study, marmoset monkeys received 5 mg/kg body weight DEX either during early (days 42-48) or late (days 90-96) pregnancy. The volume of the dentate granule cell layer as well as the proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus of their 2-year-old offspring were investigated. The density of proliferating cells (Ki-67), apoptotic cells (in situ tailing) and cells differentiating to neurons (double cortin, TUC-4 and calretinin) were determined immunohistochemically. Analysis of the dentate granule cell layer volume showed no significant differences between early or late DEX-exposed marmosets and untreated control animals. Similarly, proliferation and neuronal differentiation in DEX-treated animals was not significantly different in comparison with controls. In summary, the decreased proliferation rate observed in newborn marmosets after intrauterine exposure to DEX was no longer detectable in their 2-year-old siblings suggesting no long-lasting effect of prenatal hyperexposure to DEX on neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus of marmoset monkeys.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone C Tauber
- Department of Neurology, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
O'Hara R, Schröder CM, Mahadevan R, Schatzberg AF, Lindley S, Fox S, Weiner M, Kraemer HC, Noda A, Lin X, Gray HL, Hallmayer JF. Serotonin transporter polymorphism, memory and hippocampal volume in the elderly: association and interaction with cortisol. Mol Psychiatry 2007; 12:544-55. [PMID: 17353910 PMCID: PMC2084475 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The s allele variant of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) has recently been observed to moderate the relationship of stress to depression and anxiety. To date no study has considered interactive effects of 5-HTT genotype, stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function on cognition in healthy, older adults, which may reflect developmental, functional or neurodegenerative effects of the serotonin transporter polymorphism. We investigated whether 5-HTT genotype interacts with cumulative life stress and HPA-axis measures of waking and diurnal cortisol slope to impact cognition in 154 non-depressed, older adults. Structural images of hippocampal volume were acquired on a subsample of 56 participants. The 5-HTT s allele was associated with both significantly lower delayed recall and higher waking cortisol levels. Presence of the s allele interacted with higher waking cortisol to negatively impact memory. We also observed a significant interaction of higher waking cortisol and the s allele on lower hippocampal volume. Smaller hippocampi and higher cortisol were associated with lower delayed recall only in s allele carriers. No impact or interactions of cumulative life stress with 5-HTT or cortisol were observed. This is the first investigation to identify an association of the 5-HTT s allele with poorer memory function in older adults. The interactive effects of the s allele and waking cortisol levels on reduced hippocampal volume and lower memory suggest that the negative effect of the serotonin polymorphism on memory is mediated by the HPA axis. Further, given the significant association of the s allele with higher waking cortisol in our investigation, future studies may be needed to evaluate the impact of the serotonin transporter polymorphism on any neuropsychiatric or behavioral outcome which is influenced by HPA axis function in older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R O'Hara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5550, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Tauber SC, Schlumbohm C, Schilg L, Fuchs E, Nau R, Gerber J. Intrauterine exposure to dexamethasone impairs proliferation but not neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus of newborn common marmoset monkeys. Brain Pathol 2006; 16:209-17. [PMID: 16911478 PMCID: PMC8095824 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2006.00021.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids applied prenatally alter birth weight and the maturation of the lungs. Moreover, glucocorticoids impair neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. In the present study proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus were studied in newborn common marmoset monkeys which were intrauterinely exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX). Pregnant marmoset monkeys received DEX (5 mg/kg body weight) daily either during early (days 42-48) or late (days 90-96) pregnancy. In the hippocampi of newborn monkeys immunohistochemistry was performed with markers of proliferation (Ki-67), apoptosis (in situ tailing) as well as early and late neuronal differentiation (calretinin and calbindin). Both after early and late intrauterine exposure to DEX, proliferation of dentate gyrus cells was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The density of apoptotic neurons was not altered by DEX treatment. Quantification of calretinin- and calbindin-immunoreactive neurons showed no significant differences between DEX-exposed and control animals. In conclusion, the proliferation of putative precursor cells but not the differentiation into mature cells was impaired in the dentate gyrus of newborn marmosets exposed intrauterinely to DEX.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lenka Schilg
- Department of Neurology, Georg‐August‐University, and
| | - Eberhard Fuchs
- Clinical Neurobiology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roland Nau
- Department of Neurology, Georg‐August‐University, and
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Kapoor A, Dunn E, Kostaki A, Andrews MH, Matthews SG. Fetal programming of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function: prenatal stress and glucocorticoids. J Physiol 2006; 572:31-44. [PMID: 16469780 PMCID: PMC1779638 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.105254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 411] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) and maternal exposure to exogenous glucocorticoids can lead to permanent modification of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and stress-related behaviour. Both of these manipulations lead to increased fetal exposure to glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids are essential for many aspects of normal brain development, but exposure of the fetal brain to an excess of glucocorticoids can have life-long effects on neuroendocrine function. Both endogenous glucocorticoid and synthetic glucocorticoid exposure have a number of rapid effects in the fetal brain, including modification of neurotransmitter systems and transcriptional machinery. Such fetal exposure permanently alters HPA function in prepubertal, postpubertal and ageing offspring, in a sex-dependent manner. Prenatal stress and exogenous glucocorticoid manipulation also lead to the modification of behaviour, brain and organ morphology, as well as altered regulation of other endocrine systems. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the timing of exposure to PS or synthetic glucocorticoids has tremendous effects on the nature of the phenotypic outcome. Permanent changes in endocrine function will ultimately impact on health in both human and animal populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amita Kapoor
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Igosheva N, Klimova O, Anishchenko T, Glover V. Prenatal stress alters cardiovascular responses in adult rats. J Physiol 2004; 557:273-85. [PMID: 15034122 PMCID: PMC1665046 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.056911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors in early life are clearly established risk factors for cardiovascular disease in later life. Most studies have focused on nutritional programming and analysed basal cardiovascular parameters rather than responses. In the present study we have investigated whether prenatal stress has long-term effects on cardiovascular responses in adult offspring. Female pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to stress three times daily from day 15 to day 21 of gestation. Litters from stressed and control females were cross-fostered at birth to control for mothering effects. When the offspring were 6 months old, blood pressure was measured in the conscious rats through implanted catheters at rest, during restraint stress and during recovery. Basal haemodynamic parameters were similar in the different groups but the pattern of cardiovascular responses during stress and recovery differed markedly between prenatally stressed (PS) and control animals. PS rats had higher and longer-lasting systolic arterial pressure elevations to restraint stress than control animals. They also showed elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure values during the recovery phase. PS rats demonstrated a greater increase in blood pressure variability compared with control animals during exposure to restraint stress, and showed more prolonged heart rate responses to acute stress and delayed recovery than controls. There was no effect of prenatal stress on baroreflex regulation of heart rate. PS females showed a greater increase in systolic arterial pressure and blood pressure variability and delayed heart rate recovery following return to the home cage then did PS males. These findings demonstrate for the first time that prenatal stress can induce long-term, sex-related changes in the sensitivity of the cardiovascular system to subsequent stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Igosheva
- Department of Biology, University of Saratov, Saratov, Astrakhanskaya str. 83, 410026, Saratov, Russia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Dodic M, Peers A, Moritz K, Hantzis V, Wintour EM. No evidence for HPA reset in adult sheep with high blood pressure due to short prenatal exposure to dexamethasone. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2002; 282:R343-50. [PMID: 11792642 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00222.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Exposure of pregnant ewes to dexamethasone, for only 2 days (term approximately 150 days) at 27 days of gestation (group D), results in adult offspring with high blood pressure. In this study, hemorrhage stress has been used to see whether in these animals the responsiveness of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is altered. In addition, we studied mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptor gene expression in the hippocampus and GR gene expression in the hypothalamus using real-time PCR. Calculated areas under the adrenocorticotropin, arginine vasopressin, and cortisol plasma concentration curves in response to hemorrhage were similar between the control and group D. In addition, there was no significant difference in the expression of MR and GR in the hippocampus or GR in the hypothalamus between the control and group D. Taken together, it is unlikely that reset in the HPA axis plays a major role in this particular model of "programmed" hypertension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miodrag Dodic
- Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
O'Regan D, Welberg LL, Holmes MC, Seckl JR. Glucocorticoid programming of pituitary-adrenal function: mechanisms and physiological consequences. SEMINARS IN NEONATOLOGY : SN 2001; 6:319-29. [PMID: 11972433 DOI: 10.1053/siny.2001.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Increasing epidemiological evidence supports the notion that adverse events in fetal life permanently alter the structure and physiology of the adult offspring, a phenomenon dubbed 'fetal programming'. In particular, low weight or thinness at birth in humans is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders as well as neuroendocrine dysfunction in adult life. Glucocorticoid administration during pregnancy is well-documented to both reduce offspring birth weight and alter the maturation of organs (hence their use to accelerate fetal lung maturation in premature labour). Here data are reviewed which show, in rodents and other models, that antenatal exposure to endogenous or exogenous glucocorticoids reduces offspring birth weight and produces permanent hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, altered behaviour and neuroendocrine responses throughout the lifespan. Processes underlying fetal programming include determination of the 'set point' of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and of tissue glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression. Similar HPA axis hyperreactivity occurs in lower birth weight humans and may be an early manifestation of the 'low birth weight' phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D O'Regan
- Endocrinology Unit, Molecular Medicine Centre, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Prenatal stress predisposes rats to long-lasting disturbances that persist throughout adulthood (e.g., high anxiety, dysfunction of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, and abnormal circadian timing). These disturbances parallel to a large extent those found in depressed patients, in which hypercortisolemia and sleep alterations may be related to stress-inducing events. We studied sleep-wake parameters in control and prenatally stressed adult rats (3-4 months old) and examined possible relationships with their corticosterone levels (determined at 2 months of age). Under baseline conditions, prenatally stressed rats showed increased amounts of paradoxical sleep, positively correlated to plasma corticosterone levels. Other changes include increased sleep fragmentation, total light slow-wave sleep time, and a slight decrease in the percentage of deep slow-wave sleep relative to total sleep time. During recovery sleep from acute restraint stress, all sleep changes persisted and were correlated with stress-induced corticosterone secretion. High corticosterone levels under baseline conditions as well as an acute stress challenge may thus predict long-term sleep-wake alterations in rats. Taken together with other behavioral and hormonal abnormalities in prenatally stressed animals, the pronounced changes in sleep-wake parameters that are similar to those found in depressed patients suggest that prenatal stress may be a useful animal model of depression.
Collapse
|