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Kral TRA, Williams CY, Wylie AC, McLaughlin K, Stephens RL, Mills-Koonce WR, Birn RB, Propper CB, Short SJ. Intergenerational effects of racism on amygdala and hippocampus resting state functional connectivity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17034. [PMID: 39043776 PMCID: PMC11266580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66830-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Racism is an insidious problem with far-reaching effects on the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The pervasive negative impact of racism on mental health is well documented. However, less is known about the potential downstream impacts of maternal experiences of racism on offspring neurodevelopment. This study sought to examine evidence for a biological pathway of intergenerational transmission of racism-related trauma. This study examined the effects of self-reported maternal experiences of racism on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in n = 25 neonates (13 female, 12 male) birthed by BIPOC mothers. Amygdala and hippocampus are brain regions involved in fear, memory, and anxiety, and are central nodes in brain networks associated with trauma-related change. We used average scores on the Experiences of Racism Scale as a continuous, voxel-wise regressor in seed-based, whole-brain connectivity analysis of anatomically defined amygdala and hippocampus seed regions of interest. All analyses controlled for infant sex and gestational age at the 2-week scanning session. More maternal racism-related experiences were associated with (1) stronger right amygdala rsFC with visual cortex and thalamus; and (2) stronger hippocampus rsFC with visual cortex and a temporo-parietal network, in neonates. The results of this research have implications for understanding how maternal experiences of racism may alter neurodevelopment, and for related social policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T R A Kral
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - C Y Williams
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - A C Wylie
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - K McLaughlin
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - R L Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - W R Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - R B Birn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - C B Propper
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - S J Short
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA.
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2
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Yeramilli V, Rizek CS, Graham J, Taylor C, Cheddadi R, Patterson S, Watts S, Martin C. Parental preconception stress in zebrafish induces long-lasting anxiety in offspring. Physiol Behav 2024; 277:114477. [PMID: 38301945 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The growth and function of the vertebrate brain are impacted by environmental stimuli and early life stress. Adults who experience chronic stress during early life are more likely to suffer various neurodevelopmental and health issues. However, our understanding of how these specific environmental signals at different developmental stages affect brain development is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated if stress in parents prior to conception modulates neurodevelopment in offspring. We used a chronic unpredictable stress model adapted to zebrafish, which is an increasingly popular vertebrate model in neuroscience research to investigate the effects of both maternal and paternal preconception stress on offspring behavior. We evaluated the responsiveness of three anxiety-related behavioral paradigms in zebrafish: the novel tank test, thigmotaxis, and shoaling behavior. We found larvae from stressed females exhibited anxiety-like behavior in a thigmotaxis assay. As these larvae matured into adults, they continued to exhibit anxiety-like behavior in a novel tank and shoaling behavioral assay. These studies indicate preconception stress exposure in parents can induce life-long alterations in offspring neurodevelopment. Further, these results expand the hypothesis that chronically elevated glucocorticoid signaling not only in stressed mothers, but also stressed dads can affect neurodevelopment in offspring. We propose that zebrafish may be a useful model to study the transgenerational effects of chronic stress mediated via the maternal and paternal line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata Yeramilli
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | | | - Jessica Graham
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | - Christopher Taylor
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Riadh Cheddadi
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US
| | - Sophie Patterson
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Stephen Watts
- Dept of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, US
| | - Colin Martin
- Dept of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, US.
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3
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Hossain SR, Karem H, Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Early tactile stimulation influences the development of Alzheimer's disease in gestationally stressed APP NL-G-F adult offspring NL-G-F/NL-G-F mice. Exp Neurol 2023; 368:114498. [PMID: 37536439 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with cerebral plaques and tangles, reduced synapse number, and shrinkage in several brain areas and these morphological effects are associated with the onset of compromised cognitive, motor, and anxiety-like behaviours. The appearance of both anatomical and behavioural symptoms is worsened by stress. The focus of this study was to examine the effect of neonatal tactile stimulation on AD-like behavioural and neurological symptoms on APP NL-G-F/NL-G-F mice, a mouse model of AD, who have been gestationally stressed. Our findings indicate that neonatal tactile stimulation improves cognition, motor skills, and anxiety-like symptoms in both gestationally stressed and non-stressed adult APP mice and that these alterations are associated with reduced Aβ plaque formation. Thus, tactile stimulation appears to be a promising non-invasive preventative strategy for slowing the onset of dementia in aging animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakhawat R Hossain
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada
| | - Hadil Karem
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada
| | - Zahra Jafari
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Bryan E Kolb
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, AB, Canada.
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4
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Day M, Gibb R, Kolb B. Tactile stimulation facilitates functional recovery and dendritic change following neonatal hemidecortication in rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114582. [PMID: 37454933 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114582] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
After large neocortical lesions, such as hemidecortication, children can show significant motor and cognitive impairments. It thus is of considerable interest to identify treatments that might enhance long-term functional outcome. We have previously shown that tactile stimulation enhances recovery from perinatal focal cortical lesions in rats, so the goal of the present experiment was to explore the effectiveness of postlesion tactile stimulation in reducing functional deficits associated with neonatal hemidecortication. Rats were given hemidecortications on postnatal day 10 (P10). Half of the group was then exposed to a daily tactile stimulation treatment for 15 min, three times a day for eleven days following the surgery. All groups were then tested on a number of behavioural tasks (Morris water task, skilled reaching, forelimb placing during spontaneous vertical exploration, and a sunflower seed opening task) beginning at P 120. The brains of the male animals were prepared for Golgi-Cox staining and subsequent analysis of dendritic arborisation and spine density. There were two main findings in this experiment: 1) Tactile stimulation improved cognitive ability and some motor performance after P 10 hemidecortication; and, 2) Tactile stimulation altered cortical organization after P10 hemidecortication. Tactile stimulation may provide an important noninvasive therapy after hemispherectomy in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Day
- Dept of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Robbin Gibb
- Dept of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Bryan Kolb
- Dept of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
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5
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Jensen D, Chen J, Turner JA, Stephen JM, Wang YP, Wilson TW, Calhoun VD, Liu J. Epigenetic associations with adolescent grey matter maturation and cognitive development. Front Genet 2023; 14:1222619. [PMID: 37529779 PMCID: PMC10390095 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1222619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescence, a critical phase of human neurodevelopment, is marked by a tremendous reorganization of the brain and accompanied by improved cognitive performance. This development is driven in part by gene expression, which in turn is partly regulated by DNA methylation (DNAm). Methods: We collected brain imaging, cognitive assessments, and DNAm in a longitudinal cohort of approximately 200 typically developing participants, aged 9-14. This data, from three time points roughly 1 year apart, was used to explore the relationships between seven cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in genes highly expressed in brain tissues (GRIN2D, GABRB3, KCNC1, SLC12A9, CHD5, STXBP5, and NFASC), seven networks of grey matter (GM) volume change, and scores from seven cognitive tests. Results: The demethylation of the CpGs as well as the rates of change in DNAm were significantly related to improvements in total, crystalized, and fluid cognition scores, executive function, episodic memory, and processing speed, as well as several networks of GM volume increases and decreases that highlight typical patterns of brain maturation. Discussion: Our study provides a first look at the DNAm of genes involved in myelination, excitatory and inhibitory receptors, and connectivity, how they are related to the large-scale changes occurring in the brain structure as well as cognition during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Jensen
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jiayu Chen
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Turner
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Wexnar Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | | | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jingyu Liu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Horimoto AR, Boyken LA, Blue EE, Grinde KE, Nafikov RA, Sohi HK, Nato AQ, Bis JC, Brusco LI, Morelli L, Ramirez A, Dalmasso MC, Temple S, Satizabal C, Browning SR, Seshadri S, Wijsman EM, Thornton TA. Admixture mapping implicates 13q33.3 as ancestry-of-origin locus for Alzheimer disease in Hispanic and Latino populations. HGG ADVANCES 2023; 4:100207. [PMID: 37333771 PMCID: PMC10276158 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of senile dementia, with high incidence late in life in many populations including Caribbean Hispanic (CH) populations. Such admixed populations, descended from more than one ancestral population, can present challenges for genetic studies, including limited sample sizes and unique analytical constraints. Therefore, CH populations and other admixed populations have not been well represented in studies of AD, and much of the genetic variation contributing to AD risk in these populations remains unknown. Here, we conduct genome-wide analysis of AD in multiplex CH families from the Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP). We developed, validated, and applied an implementation of a logistic mixed model for admixture mapping with binary traits that leverages genetic ancestry to identify ancestry-of-origin loci contributing to AD. We identified three loci on chromosome 13q33.3 associated with reduced risk of AD, where associations were driven by Native American (NAM) ancestry. This AD admixture mapping signal spans the FAM155A, ABHD13, TNFSF13B, LIG4, and MYO16 genes and was supported by evidence for association in an independent sample from the Alzheimer's Genetics in Argentina-Alzheimer Argentina consortium (AGA-ALZAR) study with considerable NAM ancestry. We also provide evidence of NAM haplotypes and key variants within 13q33.3 that segregate with AD in the ADSP whole-genome sequencing data. Interestingly, the widely used genome-wide association study approach failed to identify associations in this region. Our findings underscore the potential of leveraging genetic ancestry diversity in recently admixed populations to improve genetic mapping, in this case for AD-relevant loci.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A. Boyken
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elizabeth E. Blue
- Division of Medical Genetics/Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kelsey E. Grinde
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Rafael A. Nafikov
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics/Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Harkirat K. Sohi
- Division of Medical Genetics/Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Biomedical and Health Informatics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alejandro Q. Nato
- Division of Medical Genetics/Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
| | - Joshua C. Bis
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Luis I. Brusco
- CENECON - Center of Behavioural Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, C1121A6B Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Morelli
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), C1405BWE Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfredo Ramirez
- Division of Neurogenetics and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Gerontopsychiatry, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Dalmasso
- Division of Neurogenetics and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Neurosciences and Complex Systems Unit (EnyS), CONICET, Hospital El Cruce, National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), B1888AAE Florencio Varela, Argentina
| | - Seth Temple
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Claudia Satizabal
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Sharon R. Browning
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sudha Seshadri
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ellen M. Wijsman
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics/Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Timothy A. Thornton
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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7
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Yao D, Lu Y, Li L, Wang S, Mu Y, Ding C, Zhao J, Liu M, Xu M, Wu H, Dou C, Zhu Z, Li H. Prolactin and glucocorticoid receptors in the prefrontal cortex are associated with anxiety-like behavior in prenatally stressed adolescent offspring rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13231. [PMID: 36683309 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) causes anxiety in mothers and their offspring and chewing is a commonly observed behavior during maternal stress. Prolactin (PRL) is an anti-anxiety factor that suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we studied the roles of PRL, corticosterone (CORT), and their receptors in PS-induced anxiety-like behavior in dams and their offspring. We further investigated whether chewing during maternal stress could prevent PS-induced harmful consequences. Pregnant rats were randomly divided into PS, PS + chewing, and control groups. Anxiety-like behaviors of dams and their adolescent offspring were assessed using the open field test and elevated plus maze. Serum levels of PRL and CORT were measured by ELISA. Expression of mRNA and protein of PRLR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Compared to the control rats, dams and their female offspring, but not male offspring, in the PS group showed increased anxiety-like behaviors. The PS-affected rats had a lower serum PRL level and increased PRLR expression in the PFC. In contrast, these rats had a higher serum CORT level and decreased GR expression in the PFC. Chewing ameliorated anxiety-like behaviors and counteracted stress-induced changes in serum PRL and CORT, as well as the expression of their receptors in the PFC. Conclusion: PS-induced anxiety-like behavior is associated with changes in the serum levels of PRL and CORT and expression of their receptors in the PFC. Moreover, chewing blunts the hormonal and receptor changes and may serve as an effective stress-coping method for preventing PS-induced anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yao
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong Lu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, Shandong, China
| | - Li Li
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, Shandong, China
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yingjun Mu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, Shandong, China
| | - Chenxi Ding
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, Shandong, China
| | - Mingzhe Liu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, Shandong, China
| | - Meina Xu
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haoyue Wu
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chengyin Dou
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongliang Zhu
- Maternal and Infant Health Research Institute, Northwest University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Neonatology, The Affiliated Children Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China
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8
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Houdelier C, Charrier M, Le Bot O, Aigueperse N, Marasco V, Lumineau S. The presence of a mother counteracts prenatal stress in a precocial bird. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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9
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Gene Dysregulation in the Adult Rat Paraventricular Nucleus and Amygdala by Prenatal Exposure to Dexamethasone. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12071077. [PMID: 35888164 PMCID: PMC9316520 DOI: 10.3390/life12071077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Fetal programming is the concept that maternal stressors during critical periods of fetal development can alter offspring phenotypes postnatally. Excess glucocorticoids can interact with the fetus to effect genetic and epigenetic changes implicated in adverse developmental outcomes. The present study investigates how chronic exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone during late gestation alters the expression of genes related to behavior in brain areas relevant to the regulation and function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Pregnant Wistar Kyoto rats received subcutaneous injections of dexamethasone (100 μg/kg) daily from gestational day 15–21 or vehicle only as sham controls. The amygdala and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were micro-punched to extract mRNA for reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the analysis of the expression of specific genes. In the PVN, the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 was downregulated in female rats in response to programming. The expression of CACNA1C encoding the Cav1.2 pore subunit of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels was downregulated in male and female rats prenatally exposed to dexamethasone. Collectively, the results suggest that prenatal exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids plays a role in the dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and potentially learning and memory by altering the expression of specific genes within the amygdala and PVN.
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10
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van Duijn L, Steegers-Theunissen RP, Baart EB, Willemsen S, Laven JS, Rousian M. The impact of culture medium used in IVF-treatment on post-implantation embryonic growth and development with emphasis on sex-specificity: The Rotterdam Periconception Cohort. Reprod Biomed Online 2022; 45:1085-1096. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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11
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Epigenetic Modifications Associated with Maternal Anxiety during Pregnancy and Children's Behavioral Measures. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092421. [PMID: 34572069 PMCID: PMC8469633 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are associated with altered behavior and neuropsychiatric disorders and they modify the trajectory of aging. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is a common environmental challenge for the fetus, causing changes in DNA methylation. Here, we determined the mediating role of DNA methylation and the moderating role of offspring sex on the association between maternal anxiety and children's behavioral measures. In 83 mother-child dyads, maternal anxiety was assessed in each trimester of pregnancy when the child was four years of age. Children's behavioral measures and children's buccal DNA methylation levels (NR3C1, IGF2/H19 ICR, and LINE1) were examined. Higher maternal anxiety during the third trimester was associated with more methylation levels of the NR3C1. Moderating effects of sex on the association between maternal anxiety and methylation were found for IGF2/H19 and LINE1 CpGs. Mediation analysis showed that methylation of NR3C1 could buffer the effects of maternal anxiety on children's behavioral measures, but this effect did not remain significant after controlling for covariates. In conclusion, our data support an association between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and DNA methylation. The results also underscore the importance of sex differences and timing effects. However, DNA methylation as underlying mechanism of the effect of maternal anxiety during pregnancy on offspring's behavioral measures was not supported.
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12
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Lalonde C, Grandbois J, Khurana S, Murray A, Tharmalingam S, Tai TC. Late gestational exposure to dexamethasone and fetal programming of abnormal behavior in Wistar Kyoto rats. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02049. [PMID: 33528889 PMCID: PMC8035474 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fetal programming was characterized a few decades ago, explaining the correlation of physiological phenotypes of offspring exposed to early-life stress. High acute or chronic prenatal stress can overwhelm the enzymatic placental barrier, inducing transcriptional changes in the fetus that can result in different adverse behavioral and physiological phenotypes. The current study investigates the impact of exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, during late gestation on behavioral outcomes. METHODS Pregnant Wistar Kyoto rats were given daily subcutaneous injections from gestational days 15-21 of either dexamethasone (0.9% NaCl, 4% EtOH, 100 µg kg-1 day-1 ) or were physically manipulated as naïve controls. Pups were raised normally until 17 weeks of age and underwent the Porsolt swim task and elevated plus maze for depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, respectively. Neural tissue was preserved for genetic analysis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Statistical analyses show significant disruption of behavior and genetic profiles of offspring exposed to dexamethasone in-utero. Exposed animals spent more time immobile on the swim task and entered open arms of the elevated plus maze more often than their naïve counterparts. In the prefrontal cortex, there was a sex by treatment interaction on gene expression relevant to neural transmission in ryanodine receptor 2, as well as increased gene expression in SNAP25, COMT, and LSAMP in males prenatally exposed to dexamethasone compared with controls. Both dysregulated genes and behavior are linked to decreased anxiety and fear inhibition. CONCLUSION Our results indicate adult offspring exposed to dexamethasone in-utero have a tendency toward passive stress-coping strategies and an inhibition of anxiety on behavioral tasks. Methyltransferase activity, synaptic activity, and cellular processes were disrupted in the prefrontal cortices of these animals. Specifically, genes involved in emotional response pathways were overexpressed, supporting the link between the behavioral and genetic profiles. Combined, we determine that dexamethasone offspring have adaptive predispositions when faced with novel situations, with increased immobility in the swim task and increased exploration on the elevated plus maze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Lalonde
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Julie Grandbois
- Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Sandhya Khurana
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Alyssa Murray
- Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Sujeenthar Tharmalingam
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Chem/Biochem, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - T C Tai
- Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Chem/Biochem, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
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13
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Prenatal stress and epigenetics. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:198-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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14
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Braun K, Bock J, Wainstock T, Matas E, Gaisler-Salomon I, Fegert J, Ziegenhain U, Segal M. Experience-induced transgenerational (re-)programming of neuronal structure and functions: Impact of stress prior and during pregnancy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:281-296. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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15
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RNASeq analysis reveals upregulation of complement C3 in the offspring gut following prenatal stress in mice. Immunobiology 2020; 225:151983. [PMID: 32747015 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2020.151983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulated activation of inflammatory signaling by the immature neonatal immune system could lead to the development of many pediatric diseases including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). While the mechanism(s) of pathogenesis is unknown, NEC is believed to have multifactorial causes. Microbial dysbiosis and intestinal immaturity have been implicated as potential triggers for this disease. We hypothesized that psychological stress during pregnancy negatively impacts the development of intestinal tissues in offspring and contributes to development of NEC. Consistent with this hypothesis, we previously observed shorter villi and a decrease in total surface area in the small intestine of pups derived from mice that were chronically stressed during gestation. In this study, we performed RNASeq analysis to determine the gene expression changes in the offspring gut following prenatal stress in pregnant mice and identified several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and biological pathways. Notably, C3 was upregulated in the small intestine and contributed to a higher tissue injury score in a mesenteric ischemia model compared to unstressed controls. We discuss the potential implications of these stress-induced genes expression changes and their contribution to development of intestinal inflammation.
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16
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Associations between different dimensions of prenatal distress, neonatal hippocampal connectivity, and infant memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1272-1279. [PMID: 32305039 PMCID: PMC7297970 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0677-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal distress-an umbrella concept encompassing multiple negative psychological states including stress, anxiety, and depression-is a substantial prenatal exposure. Consistent across preclinical and human studies, the hippocampus displays alterations due to prenatal distress. Nevertheless, most prenatal distress studies do not focus on multiple dimensions of, have not examined hippocampal functional connectivity in association with, and do not consider observer-based functional outcomes related to distress. We investigated the effects of different dimensions of prenatal distress in pregnant adolescents, a population at high risk for distress, in association with neonatal hippocampal connectivity and infant memory. In pregnant adolescents (n = 42), we collected four measures of distress (perceived stress, depression, pregnancy-specific distress, and 24-h ambulatory salivary cortisol) during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Resting-state imaging data were acquired in their infants at 40-44 weeks post-menstrual age. Functional connectivity was measured from hippocampal seeds. Memory abilities were obtained at 4 months using the mobile conjugate reinforcement task. Shared across different dimensions of maternal distress, increased 3rd trimester maternal distress associated with weaker hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity and stronger hippocampal-temporal lobe connectivity. Perceived stress inversely correlated while hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity positively correlated with infant memory. Increased cortisol-collected during the 2nd, but not the 3rd, trimester-associated with weaker hippocampal-cingulate cortex connectivity and stronger hippocampal-temporal lobe connectivity. Different dimensions of prenatal maternal distress likely contribute shared and unique effects to shaping infant brain and behavior.
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17
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Abstract
The hippocampus is central to spatial learning and stress responsiveness, both of which differ in form and function in males versus females, yet precisely how the hippocampus contributes to these sex differences is largely unknown. In reproductively mature individuals, sex differences in the steroid hormone milieu undergirds many sex differences in hippocampal-related endpoints. However, there is also evidence for developmental programming of adult hippocampal function, with a central role for androgens as well as their aromatized byproduct, estrogens. These include sex differences in cell genesis, synapse formation, dendritic arborization, and excitatory/inhibitory balance. Enduring effects of steroid hormone modulation occur during two developmental epochs, the first being the classic perinatal critical period of sexual differentiation of the brain and the other being adolescence and the associated hormonal changes of puberty. The cellular mechanisms by which steroid hormones enduringly modify hippocampal form and function are poorly understood, but we here review what is known and highlight where attention should be focused.
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18
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Sex differences in the interactive effects of early life stress and the endocannabinoid system. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2020; 80:106893. [PMID: 32437941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in both the endocannabinoid system and stress responses have been established for decades. While there is ample evidence that the sexes respond differently to stress and that the endocannabinoid system is involved in this response, what is less clear is whether the endocannabinoid system mediates this response to stress differently in both sexes. Also, do the sexes respond similarly to exogenous cannabinoids (CBs) following stress? Can the administration of exogenous CBs normalize the effects of stress and if so, does this happen similarly in male and female subjects? This review will attempt to delineate the stress induced neurochemical alterations in the endocannabinoid system and the resulting behavioral changes across periods of development: prenatal, early neonatal or adolescent in males and females. Within this frame work, we will then examine the neurochemical and behavioral effects of exogenous CBs and illustrate that the response to CBs is determined by the stress history of the animal. The theoretical framework for this endeavor relates to the established effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in increasing substance abuse, depression and anxiety and the possibility that individuals with high ACE scores may consume cannabinoids to "self-medicate". Overall, we see that while there are instances where exogenous cannabinoids "normalize" the adverse effects produced by early stress, this normalization does not occur in all animal models with any sort of consistency. The most compelling report where CB administration appears to normalize behaviors altered by early stress, shows minimal differences between the sexes (Alteba et al., 2016). This is in stark contrast to the majority of studies on early stress and the endocannabinoid system where both sexes are included and show quite divergent, in fact opposite, effects in males and females. Frequently there is a disconnect between neurochemical changes and behavioral changes and often, exogenous CBs have greater effects in stressed animals compared to non-stressed controls. This report as well as others reviewed here do support the concept that the effects of exogenous CBs are different in individuals experiencing early stress and that these differences are not equal in males and females. However, due to the wide variety of stressors used and the range of ages when the stress is applied, additional careful studies are warranted to fully understand the interactive effects of stress and the endocannabinoid system in males and females. In general, the findings do not support the statement that CB self-administration is an effective treatment for the adverse behavioral effects of early maltreatment in either males or females. Certainly this review should draw the attention of clinicians working with children, adolescents and adults exposed to early trauma and provide some perspective on the dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system in the response to trauma, the complex actions of exogenous CBs based on stress history and the unique effects of these factors in men and women.
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19
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Lu Y, Jiang J, Si J, Wu Q, Tian F, Jiao K, Mu Y, Dong P, Zhu Z. PDLIM5 improves depression-like behavior of prenatal stress offspring rats via methylation in male, but not female. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 115:104629. [PMID: 32171900 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal stress (PS) contributes to depression-like behavior in the offspring. PDLIM5 is involved in the onset of mental disorders. This study is to investigate the role and mechanism of PDLIM5 in depression-like behavior of PS offspring rats. METHODS PS model was used to analyze the effects of different treatments to PS offspring rats with different sex, including PDLIM5, PDLIM5 shRNA and 5-aza-2' -deoxycytidine (5-azaD). The depression-like behavior was assessed by the sucrose preference test (SPT) and forced swimming test (FST). The mRNA and protein expression levels of PDLIM5 in the hippocampus of PS offspring rats were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The methylation of PDLIM5 promoter were analyzed by bisulfite sequencing. RESULTS Our data revealed that PS offspring rats showed a significant decrease in sucrose preference and a prolonged immobility time. Injection of PDLIM5 significantly improved the depression-like behavior in PS offspring rats, whereas administration of PDLIM5 shRNA aggravated it. In addition, PDLIM5 expression was decreased at the mRNA and protein levels, and the methylation level of PDLIM5 promoter was increased in hippocampus of PS male but not female offspring rats. Furthermore, microinjection of 5-azaD improved the PS induced depression-like behavior in offspring rats. Moreover, in male PS offspring rats, microinjection of 5-azaD reversed the effect of PS on PDLIM5 expression and promoter methylation. CONCLUSION PDLIM5 can significantly improve the depression-like behavior of both male and female PS offspring rats, while the PDLIM5 promoter methylation is only observed in male PS offspring rats. Our study may provide new mechanism for the pathogenesis of depression and experimental evidence for sex-based precise treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Lu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Jiguo Jiang
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Jingfang Si
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Qi Wu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Fengjuan Tian
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Keling Jiao
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Yingjun Mu
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Peng Dong
- Central Laboratory, Heze Medical College, Heze, 274000, China
| | - Zhongliang Zhu
- Maternal and Infant Health Research Institute and Medical College, Northwestern University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
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20
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Littlejohn BP, Price DM, Neuendorff DA, Carroll JA, Vann RC, Riggs PK, Riley DG, Long CR, Welsh TH, Randel RD. Prenatal transportation stress alters genome-wide DNA methylation in suckling Brahman bull calves. J Anim Sci 2018; 96:5075-5099. [PMID: 30165450 PMCID: PMC6276578 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to identify genome-wide differential methylation of DNA in young prenatally stressed (PNS) bull calves. Mature Brahman cows (n = 48) were transported for 2-h periods at 60 ± 5, 80 ± 5, 100 ± 5, 120 ± 5, and 140 ± 5 d of gestation or maintained as nontransported Controls (n = 48). Methylation of DNA from white blood cells from a subset of 28-d-old intact male offspring (n = 7 PNS; n = 7 Control) was assessed via reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. Samples from PNS bulls contained 16,128 CG, 226 CHG, and 391 CHH (C = cytosine; G = guanine; H = either adenine, thymine, or cytosine) sites that were differentially methylated compared to samples from Controls. Of the CG sites, 7,407 were hypermethylated (at least 10% more methylated than Controls; P ≤ 0.05) and 8,721 were hypomethylated (at least 10% less methylated than Controls; P ≤ 0.05). Increased DNA methylation in gene promoter regions typically results in decreased transcriptional activity of the region. Therefore, differentially methylated CG sites located within promoter regions (n = 1,205) were used to predict (using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software) alterations to canonical pathways in PNS compared with Control bull calves. In PNS bull calves, 113 pathways were altered (P ≤ 0.05) compared to Controls. Among these were pathways related to behavior, stress response, metabolism, immune function, and cell signaling. Genome-wide differential DNA methylation and predicted alterations to pathways in PNS compared with Control bull calves suggest epigenetic programming of biological systems in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittni P Littlejohn
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton, TX
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Deborah M Price
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton, TX
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | | | | | - Rhonda C Vann
- Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Raymond, MS
| | - Penny K Riggs
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - David G Riley
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Charles R Long
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton, TX
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Thomas H Welsh
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
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21
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Harker A, Carroll C, Raza S, Kolb B, Gibb R. Preconception Paternal Stress in Rats Alters Brain and Behavior in Offspring. Neuroscience 2018; 388:474-485. [PMID: 29964157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Whereas environmental challenges during gestation have been repeatedly shown to alter offspring brain architecture and behavior, exploration examining the consequences of paternal preconception experience on offspring outcome is limited. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of preconception paternal stress (PPS) on cerebral plasticity and behavior in the offspring. Several behavioral assays were performed on offspring between postnatal days 33 (P33) and 101 (P101). Following behavioral testing, the brains were harvested and dendritic morphology (dendritic complexity, length, and spine density) were examined on cortical pyramidal cells in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), orbital frontal cortex (OFC), parietal cortex (Par1), and the CA1 area of the hippocampus. As anticipated, behavior was altered on both the activity box assay and elevated plus maze and performance was impaired in the Whishaw tray reaching task. Neuroanatomical measures revealed a heavier brain in stressed animals and dendritic changes in all regions measured, the precise effect varying with the measure and cerebral region. Thus, PPS impacted both behavior and neuronal morphology of offspring. These effects likely have an epigenetic basis given that in a parallel study of littermates of the current animals we found extensive epigenetic changes at P21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allonna Harker
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Cathy Carroll
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Sarah Raza
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Robbin Gibb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
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22
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Sobolewski M, Varma G, Adams B, Anderson DW, Schneider JS, Cory-Slechta DA. Developmental Lead Exposure and Prenatal Stress Result in Sex-Specific Reprograming of Adult Stress Physiology and Epigenetic Profiles in Brain. Toxicol Sci 2018; 163:478-489. [PMID: 29481626 PMCID: PMC5974781 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental exposure to lead (Pb) and prenatal stress (PS) both impair cognition, which could derive from their joint targeting of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the brain mesocorticolimbic (MESO) system, including frontal cortex (FC) and hippocampus (HIPP). Glucocorticoids modulate both FC and HIPP function and associated mediation of cognitive and other behavioral functions. This study sought to determine whether developmental Pb ± PS exposures altered glucocorticoid-related epigenetic profiles in brain MESO regions in offspring of female mice exposed to 0 or 100 ppm Pb acetate drinking water from 2 mos prior to breeding until weaning, with half further exposed to prenatal restraint stress from gestational day 11-18. Overall, changes in females occured in response to Pb exposure. In males, however, Pb-induced neurotoxicity was modulated by PS. Changes in serum corticosterone levels were seen in males, while glucocorticoid receptor changes were seen in both sexes. In contrast, both Pb and PS broadly impacted brain DNA methyltransferases and binding proteins, particularly DNMT1, DNMT3a and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, with patterns that differed by sex and brain regions. Specifically, in males, effects on FC epigenetic modifiers were primarily influenced by Pb, whereas extensive changes in HIPP were produced by PS. In females, Pb exposure and not PS primarily altered epigenetic modifiers in both FC and HIPP. Collectively, these findings indicate that epigenetic mechanisms may underlie associated neurotoxicity of Pb and of PS, particularly associated cognitive deficits. However, mechanisms by which this may occur will be different in males versus females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York,To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642. Fax: 585-256-2591; E-mail:
| | - Garima Varma
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Beth Adams
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David W Anderson
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jay S Schneider
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York
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23
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Abbott PW, Gumusoglu SB, Bittle J, Beversdorf DQ, Stevens HE. Prenatal stress and genetic risk: How prenatal stress interacts with genetics to alter risk for psychiatric illness. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 90:9-21. [PMID: 29407514 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Risk for neuropsychiatric disorders is complex and includes an individual's internal genetic endowment and their environmental experiences and exposures. Embryonic development captures a particularly complex period, in which genetic and environmental factors can interact to contribute to risk. These environmental factors are incorporated differently into the embryonic brain than postnatal one. Here, we comprehensively review the human and animal model literature for studies that assess the interaction between genetic risks and one particular environmental exposure with strong and complex associations with neuropsychiatric outcomes-prenatal maternal stress. Gene-environment interaction has been demonstrated for stress occurring during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Additional work demonstrates that prenatal stress risk may be similarly complex. Animal model studies have begun to address some underlying mechanisms, including particular maternal or fetal genetic susceptibilities that interact with stress exposure and those that do not. More specifically, the genetic underpinnings of serotonin and dopamine signaling and stress physiology mechanisms have been shown to be particularly relevant to social, attentional, and internalizing behavioral changes, while other genetic factors have not, including some growth factor and hormone-related genes. Interactions have reflected both the diathesis-stress and differential susceptibility models. Maternal genetic factors have received less attention than those in offspring, but strongly modulate impacts of prenatal stress. Priorities for future research are investigating maternal response to distinct forms of stress and developing whole-genome methods to examine the contributions of genetic variants of both mothers and offspring, particularly including genes involved in neurodevelopment. This is a burgeoning field of research that will ultimately contribute not only to a broad understanding of psychiatric pathophysiology but also to efforts for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker W Abbott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 1310 PBDB, 169 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA.
| | - Serena B Gumusoglu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 1310 PBDB, 169 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, 356 Medical Research Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Jada Bittle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 1310 PBDB, 169 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, 356 Medical Research Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - David Q Beversdorf
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Interdisciplinary Intercampus Research Program, Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders, Departments of Radiology, Neurology and Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Hanna E Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 1310 PBDB, 169 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, 356 Medical Research Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2312 PBDB, 169 Newton Rd., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA.
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24
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Zelikoff JT, Parmalee NL, Corbett K, Gordon T, Klein CB, Aschner M. Microglia Activation and Gene Expression Alteration of Neurotrophins in the Hippocampus Following Early-Life Exposure to E-Cigarette Aerosols in a Murine Model. Toxicol Sci 2018; 162:276-286. [PMID: 29161446 PMCID: PMC6735583 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent epidemiological data indicate that the popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), and consequently nicotine use, is rising in both adolescent and adult populations. As nicotine is a known developmental neurotoxin, these products present a potential threat for those exposed during early life stages. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the toxicity of e-cigarettes on the developing central nervous system. The goal of this study was to assess neurotoxicity resulting from early-life exposure to electronic cigarette aerosols in an in vivo model. Specifically, studies here focused on neuro-parameters related to neuroinflammation and neurotrophins. To accomplish this, pregnant and neonatal C57BL/6 mice were exposed to aerosols produced from classic tobacco flavor e-cigarette cartridges (with [13 mg/ml] and without nicotine) during gestation (∼3 weeks) and lactation (∼3 weeks) via whole-body inhalation. Exposure to e-cigarette aerosols with and without nicotine caused significant reductions in hippocampal gene expression of Ngfr and Bdnf, as well as in serum levels of cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-6. Exposure to e-cigarette aerosols without nicotine enhanced expression of Iba-1, a specific marker of microglia, in the cornus ammonis 1 region of the hippocampus. Overall, our novel results indicate that exposure to e-cigarette aerosols, with and without nicotine, poses a considerable risk to the developing central nervous system. Consequently, e-cigarettes should be considered a potential public health threat, especially early in life, requiring further research and policy considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith T Zelikoff
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New York 10987
| | - Nancy L Parmalee
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Kevin Corbett
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New York 10987
| | - Terry Gordon
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New York 10987
| | - Catherine B Klein
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New York 10987
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
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25
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de Melo SR, de David Antoniazzi CT, Hossain S, Kolb B. Neonatal Stress Has a Long-Lasting Sex-Dependent Effect on Anxiety-Like Behavior and Neuronal Morphology in the Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Dev Neurosci 2018; 40:93-103. [PMID: 29471293 DOI: 10.1159/000486619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-lasting effects of early stress on brain development have been well studied. Recent evidence indicates that males and females respond differently to the same stressor. We examined the chronic effects of daily maternal separation (MS) on behavior and cerebral morphology in both male and female rats. Cognitive and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated, and neuroplastic changes in 2 subregions of the prefrontal cortex (dorsal agranular insular cortex [AID] and cingulate cortex [Cg3]) and hippocampus (CA1 and dentate gyrus) were measured in adult male and female rats. The animals were subjected to MS on postnatal day (P) 3-14 for 3 h per day. Cognitive and emotional behaviors were assessed in the object/context mismatch task, elevated plus maze, and locomotor activity test in early adulthood (P87-P95). Anatomical assessments were performed in the prefrontal cortex (i.e., cortical thickness and spine density) and hippocampus (i.e., spine density). Sex-dependent effects were observed. MS increased anxiety-related behavior only in males, whereas locomotor activity was higher in females, with no effects on cognition. MS decreased spine density in the AID and increased spine density in the CA1 area in males. Females exhibited an increase in spine density in the Cg3. Our findings confirm previous work that found that MS causes long-term behavioral and anatomical effects, and these effects were dependent on sex and the duration of MS stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shakhawat Hossain
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alabama, Canada
| | - Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alabama, Canada
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26
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Wu H, Yesilyurt HG, Yoon J, Terman JR. The MICALs are a Family of F-actin Dismantling Oxidoreductases Conserved from Drosophila to Humans. Sci Rep 2018; 8:937. [PMID: 29343822 PMCID: PMC5772675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular form and function – and thus normal development and physiology – are specified via proteins that control the organization and dynamic properties of the actin cytoskeleton. Using the Drosophila model, we have recently identified an unusual actin regulatory enzyme, Mical, which is directly activated by F-actin to selectively post-translationally oxidize and destabilize filaments – regulating numerous cellular behaviors. Mical proteins are also present in mammals, but their actin regulatory properties, including comparisons among different family members, remain poorly defined. We now find that each human MICAL family member, MICAL-1, MICAL-2, and MICAL-3, directly induces F-actin dismantling and controls F-actin-mediated cellular remodeling. Specifically, each human MICAL selectively associates with F-actin, which directly induces MICALs catalytic activity. We also find that each human MICAL uses an NADPH-dependent Redox activity to post-translationally oxidize actin’s methionine (M) M44/M47 residues, directly dismantling filaments and limiting new polymerization. Genetic experiments also demonstrate that each human MICAL drives F-actin disassembly in vivo, reshaping cells and their membranous extensions. Our results go on to reveal that MsrB/SelR reductase enzymes counteract each MICAL’s effect on F-actin in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results therefore define the MICALs as an important phylogenetically-conserved family of catalytically-acting F-actin disassembly factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Wu
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Hunkar Gizem Yesilyurt
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jimok Yoon
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Drug Development Center, SK biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Seongnam, 13494, Korea
| | - Jonathan R Terman
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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27
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Moisiadis VG, Constantinof A, Kostaki A, Szyf M, Matthews SG. Prenatal Glucocorticoid Exposure Modifies Endocrine Function and Behaviour for 3 Generations Following Maternal and Paternal Transmission. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11814. [PMID: 28924262 PMCID: PMC5603559 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11635-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids programs long-term changes in the physiologic stress response and behaviours. However, it is not known whether effects manifest in subsequent generations of offspring following maternal (MT) or paternal (PT) transmission. We treated pregnant guinea pigs with three courses of saline or synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) at a clinically relevant dose. Altered cortisol response to stress and behaviours transmitted to juvenile female and male F2 and F3 offspring from both parental lines. Behavioural effects of sGC in F1-F3 PT females associated with altered expression of genes in the prefrontal cortex and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Exposure to sGC programmed large transgenerational changes in PVN gene expression, including type II diabetes, thermoregulation, and collagen formation gene networks. We demonstrate transgenerational programming to F3 following antenatal sGC. Transmission is sex- and generation-dependent, occurring through both parental lines. Paternal transmission to F3 females strongly implicates epigenetic mechanisms of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilis G Moisiadis
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Andrea Constantinof
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Alisa Kostaki
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Stephen G Matthews
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
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28
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Faraji J, Soltanpour N, Ambeskovic M, Zucchi FCR, Beaumier P, Kovalchuk I, Metz GAS. Evidence for Ancestral Programming of Resilience in a Two-Hit Stress Model. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:89. [PMID: 28553212 PMCID: PMC5425607 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In a continuously stressful environment, the effects of recurrent prenatal stress (PS) may accumulate across generations and alter stress vulnerability and resilience. Here, we report in female rats that a family history of recurrent ancestral PS facilitates certain aspects of movement performance, and that these benefits are abolished by the experience of a second hit, induced by a silent ischemia during adulthood. Female F4-generation rats with and without a family history of cumulative multigenerational PS (MPS) were tested for skilled motor function before and after the induction of a minor ischemic insult by endothelin-1 infusion into the primary motor cortex. MPS resulted in improved skilled motor abilities and blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function compared to non-stressed rats. Deep sequencing revealed downregulation of miR-708 in MPS rats along with upregulation of its predicted target genes Mapk10 and Rasd2. Through miR-708 stress may regulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activity. Hair trace elemental analysis revealed an increased Na/K ratio, which suggests a chronic shift in adrenal gland function. The ischemic lesion activated the HPA axis in MPS rats only; the lesion, however, abolished the advantage of MPS in skilled reaching. The findings indicate that MPS generates adaptive flexibility in movement, which is challenged by a second stressor, such as a neuropathological condition. Thus, a second “hit” by a stressor may limit behavioral flexibility and neural plasticity associated with ancestral stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS)Gorgan, Iran
| | - Nabiollah Soltanpour
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Babol University of Medical SciencesBabol, Iran
| | - Mirela Ambeskovic
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Fabiola C R Zucchi
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB, Canada.,Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasilia (UnB)Brasilia, Brazil
| | | | - Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB, Canada
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29
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Maschietto M, Bastos LC, Tahira AC, Bastos EP, Euclydes VLV, Brentani A, Fink G, de Baumont A, Felipe-Silva A, Francisco RPV, Gouveia G, Grisi SJFE, Escobar AMU, Moreira-Filho CA, Polanczyk GV, Miguel EC, Brentani H. Sex differences in DNA methylation of the cord blood are related to sex-bias psychiatric diseases. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44547. [PMID: 28303968 PMCID: PMC5355991 DOI: 10.1038/srep44547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders are well documented, with exposure to stress during gestation differentially impacting females and males. We explored sex-specific DNA methylation in the cord blood of 39 females and 32 males born at term and with appropriate weight at birth regarding their potential connection to psychiatric outcomes. Mothers were interviewed to gather information about environmental factors (gestational exposure) that could interfere with the methylation profiles in the newborns. Bisulphite converted DNA was hybridized to Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. Excluding XYS probes, there were 2,332 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMSs) between sexes, which were enriched within brain modules of co-methylated CpGs during brain development and also differentially methylated in the brains of boys and girls. Genes associated with the DMSs were enriched for neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly for CpG sites found differentially methylated in brain tissue between patients with schizophrenia and controls. Moreover, the DMS had an overlap of 890 (38%) CpG sites with a cohort submitted to toxic exposition during gestation. This study supports the evidences that sex differences in DNA methylation of autosomes act as a primary driver of sex differences that are found in psychiatric outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Maschietto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexandra Brentani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
| | - Günther Fink
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, USA
| | | | | | | | - Gisele Gouveia
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Helena Brentani
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil
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30
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Scheinost D, Sinha R, Cross SN, Kwon SH, Sze G, Constable RT, Ment LR. Does prenatal stress alter the developing connectome? Pediatr Res 2017; 81:214-226. [PMID: 27673421 PMCID: PMC5313513 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2016.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human neurodevelopment requires the organization of neural elements into complex structural and functional networks called the connectome. Emerging data suggest that prenatal exposure to maternal stress plays a role in the wiring, or miswiring, of the developing connectome. Stress-related symptoms are common in women during pregnancy and are risk factors for neurobehavioral disorders ranging from autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction, to major depression and schizophrenia. This review focuses on structural and functional connectivity imaging to assess the impact of changes in women's stress-based physiology on the dynamic development of the human connectome in the fetal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Child Study, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sarah N. Cross
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Soo Hyun Kwon
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Gordon Sze
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Laura R. Ment
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,()
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31
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Prenatal anxiety, maternal stroking in infancy, and symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders at 3.5 years. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 26:325-334. [PMID: 27464490 PMCID: PMC5323471 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-016-0886-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Animal findings of long-term effects of maternal behaviors mediated via altered GR gene expression will, if translated into humans, have far reaching implications for our understanding of child and adolescent psychopathology. We have previously shown that mothers' self-reported stroking of their infants modifies associations between prenatal depression and anxiety and child outcomes at 29 weeks and 2.5 years. Here, we examine whether the effect of early maternal stroking is evident at 3.5 years, and in a much larger sample than in previous publications. A general population sample of 1233 first-time mothers completed anxiety measures at 20 weeks gestation, 865 reported on infant stroking at 9 weeks, and 813 on child symptoms at 3.5 years. Maternal stroking moderated the association between pregnancy-specific anxiety and internalizing (p = 0.010) and externalizing (p = 0.004) scores, such that an effect of PSA to increase symptoms was markedly reduced for mothers who reported high levels of stroking. There was no effect of maternal stroking on general anxiety. The findings confirm the previously reported effect of maternal stroking, and in a much larger sample. They indicate that there are long-term effects of early maternal stroking, modifying associations between prenatal anxiety and child emotional and behavioral symptoms.
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32
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Dow-Edwards D, Frank A, Wade D, Weedon J, Izenwasser S. Sexually-dimorphic alterations in cannabinoid receptor density depend upon prenatal/early postnatal history. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2016; 58:31-39. [PMID: 27634313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated that the endogenous cannabinoid system is central to the brain's response to stress. As part of an ongoing collaboration, we sought to examine the effects of prenatal and early postnatal rearing and housing conditions on developing endocannabinoid systems. We compare brain cannabinoid receptors (CBR) in offspring of either prenatal vehicle intubated or non-treated dams (Experiment 1) or in rats derived from a vendor and shipped at weaning to a collaborating lab (Experiment 2). From postnatal day (PND) 23, all rats were either housed in isolated conditions or enriched conditions with 3 rats/cage and a variety of stimulus objects changed twice a week. All rats underwent 5days of handling as controls for a behavior study and all rats were sacrificed at approximately PND48-50 within 2hours of the last behavioral test. All brains were processed together for CB1 receptor binding using 3H CP55,940 in prefrontal cortex, striatum, amygdala and hippocampus. Conditions in the two labs were as similar as possible since the two studies were intentionally designed to be comparable and contemporary. Results show that 1) comparing offspring of non-treated dams to offspring of dams receiving daily vehicle intubations, males show decreased CB1 binding in most brain regions while females only showed alterations in the hippocampus and these were increases in the offspring of the vehicle-intubated dams. 2) When comparing offspring of non-treated dams in NY with those derived from a vendor, shipped and maintained in the collaborating lab, this latter group showed reduced CB1 binding in prefrontal cortex in males and increased binding in all four brain regions in females. Therefore, overall, both prenatal handling (intubations) and being vendor-derived, shipped and maintained in a collaborating facility reduced CB1 receptors in males and increased them in females in key limbic brain regions. Effects of environmental enrichment or isolation were minor with only the prefrontal cortex showing an increase in binding in the isolated animals that were offspring of the vehicle-intubated dams. These results support the ideas that prenatal/early postnatal conditions produce different effects in males and females and override the effects of enrichment/isolation on cannabinoid receptors. Behavioral responses to cannabinoid challenges would therefore be expected to vary depending on sex, prenatal/early postnatal history and postweaning conditions of the rats. Since exogenous cannabinoids act through the CBR, the present data may provide a molecular basis for discrepant behavioral effects reported across various labs in the literature as well as sex differences seen following stress and/or manipulation of the cannabinoid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Dow-Edwards
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, M S 29, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Ashley Frank
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Room 4113A (D-80), Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dean Wade
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Room 4113A (D-80), Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jeremy Weedon
- Scientific Computing Center, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Sari Izenwasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Room 4113A (D-80), Miami, FL 33136, USA
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33
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Sinclair KD, Rutherford KMD, Wallace JM, Brameld JM, Stöger R, Alberio R, Sweetman D, Gardner DS, Perry VEA, Adam CL, Ashworth CJ, Robinson JE, Dwyer CM. Epigenetics and developmental programming of welfare and production traits in farm animals. Reprod Fertil Dev 2016; 28:RD16102. [PMID: 27439952 DOI: 10.1071/rd16102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept that postnatal health and development can be influenced by events that occur in utero originated from epidemiological studies in humans supported by numerous mechanistic (including epigenetic) studies in a variety of model species. Referred to as the 'developmental origins of health and disease' or 'DOHaD' hypothesis, the primary focus of large-animal studies until quite recently had been biomedical. Attention has since turned towards traits of commercial importance in farm animals. Herein we review the evidence that prenatal risk factors, including suboptimal parental nutrition, gestational stress, exposure to environmental chemicals and advanced breeding technologies, can determine traits such as postnatal growth, feed efficiency, milk yield, carcass composition, animal welfare and reproductive potential. We consider the role of epigenetic and cytoplasmic mechanisms of inheritance, and discuss implications for livestock production and future research endeavours. We conclude that although the concept is proven for several traits, issues relating to effect size, and hence commercial importance, remain. Studies have also invariably been conducted under controlled experimental conditions, frequently assessing single risk factors, thereby limiting their translational value for livestock production. We propose concerted international research efforts that consider multiple, concurrent stressors to better represent effects of contemporary animal production systems.
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34
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Mychasiuk R, Metz GAS. Epigenetic and gene expression changes in the adolescent brain: What have we learned from animal models? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:189-197. [PMID: 27426956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is defined as the gradual period of transition between childhood and adulthood that is characterized by significant brain maturation, growth spurts, sexual maturation, and heightened social interaction. Although originally believed to be a uniquely human aspect of development, rodent and non-human primates demonstrate maturational patterns that distinctly support an adolescent stage. As epigenetic processes are essential for development and differentiation, but also transpire in mature cells in response to environmental influences, they are an important aspect of adolescent brain maturation. The purpose of this review article was to examine epigenetic programming in animal models of brain maturation during adolescence. The discussion focuses on animal models to examine three main concepts; epigenetic processes involved in normal adolescent brain maturation, the influence of fetal programming on adolescent brain development and the epigenome, and finally, postnatal experiences such as exercise and drugs that modify epigenetic processes important for adolescent brain maturation. This corollary emphasizes the utility of animal models to further our understanding of complex processes such as epigenetic regulation and brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richelle Mychasiuk
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Department of Psychology, AD030 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
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35
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Miltner WHR. Plasticity and Reorganization in the Rehabilitation of Stroke. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. This paper outlines some actual developments in the behavioral treatment and rehabilitation of stroke and other brain injuries in post-acute and chronic conditions of brain lesion. It points to a number of processes that demonstrate the enormous plasticity and reorganization capacity of the human brain following brain lesion. It also highlights a series of behavioral and neuroscientific studies that indicate that successful behavioral rehabilitation is paralleled by plastic changes of brain structures and by cortical reorganization and that the amount of such plastic changes is obviously significantly determining the overall outcome of rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang H. R. Miltner
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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36
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Stress during pregnancy alters dendritic spine density and gene expression in the brain of new-born lambs. Behav Brain Res 2015; 291:155-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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37
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Wei L, Hao J, Lacher RK, Abbott T, Chung L, Colangelo CM, Kaffman A. Early-Life Stress Perturbs Key Cellular Programs in the Developing Mouse Hippocampus. Dev Neurosci 2015; 37:476-88. [PMID: 26068561 DOI: 10.1159/000430861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflicting reports are available with regard to the effects of childhood abuse and neglect on hippocampal function in children. While earlier imaging studies and some animal work have suggested that the effects of early-life stress (ELS) manifest only in adulthood, more recent studies have documented impaired hippocampal function in maltreated children and adolescents. Additional work using animal modes is needed to clarify the effects of ELS on hippocampal development. In this regard, genomic, proteomic, and molecular tools uniquely available in the mouse make it a particularly attractive model system to study this issue. However, very little work has been done so far to characterize the effects of ELS on hippocampal development in the mouse. To address this issue, we examined the effects of brief daily separation (BDS), a mouse model of ELS that impairs hippocampal-dependent memory in adulthood, on hippocampal development in 28-day-old juvenile mice. This age was chosen because it corresponds to the developmental period in which human imaging studies have revealed abnormal hippocampal development in maltreated children. Exposure to BDS caused a significant decrease in the total protein content of synaptosomes harvested from the hippocampus of 28-day-old male and female mice, suggesting that BDS impairs normal synaptic development in the juvenile hippocampus. Using a novel liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC-MRM) assay, we found decreased expression of many synaptic proteins, as well as proteins involved in axonal growth, myelination, and mitochondrial activity. Golgi staining in 28-day-old BDS mice showed an increase in the number of immature and abnormally shaped spines and a decrease in the number of mature spines in CA1 neurons, consistent with defects in synaptic maturation and synaptic pruning at this age. In 14-day-old pups, BDS deceased the expression of proteins involved in axonal growth and myelination, but did not affect the total protein content of synaptosomes harvested from the hippocampus, or protein levels of other synaptic markers. These results add two important findings to previous work in the field. First, our findings demonstrate that in 28-day-old juvenile mice, BDS impairs synaptic maturation and reduces the expression of proteins that are necessary for axonal growth, myelination, and mitochondrial function. Second, the results suggest a sequential model in which BDS impairs normal axonal growth and myelination before it disrupts synaptic maturation in the juvenile hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA
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38
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Jiang P, Scarpa JR, Fitzpatrick K, Losic B, Gao VD, Hao K, Summa KC, Yang HS, Zhang B, Allada R, Vitaterna MH, Turek FW, Kasarskis A. A systems approach identifies networks and genes linking sleep and stress: implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Cell Rep 2015; 11:835-48. [PMID: 25921536 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep dysfunction and stress susceptibility are comorbid complex traits that often precede and predispose patients to a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we demonstrate multilevel organizations of genetic landscape, candidate genes, and molecular networks associated with 328 stress and sleep traits in a chronically stressed population of 338 (C57BL/6J × A/J) F2 mice. We constructed striatal gene co-expression networks, revealing functionally and cell-type-specific gene co-regulations important for stress and sleep. Using a composite ranking system, we identified network modules most relevant for 15 independent phenotypic categories, highlighting a mitochondria/synaptic module that links sleep and stress. The key network regulators of this module are overrepresented with genes implicated in neuropsychiatric diseases. Our work suggests that the interplay among sleep, stress, and neuropathology emerges from genetic influences on gene expression and their collective organization through complex molecular networks, providing a framework for interrogating the mechanisms underlying sleep, stress susceptibility, and related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Jiang
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Joseph R Scarpa
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Karrie Fitzpatrick
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Bojan Losic
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Vance D Gao
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Keith C Summa
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - He S Yang
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ravi Allada
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Martha H Vitaterna
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Fred W Turek
- Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Andrew Kasarskis
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal stress is hypothesized to have a disruptive impact on neurodevelopmental trajectories, but few human studies have been conducted on the long-term neural correlates of prenatal exposure to stress. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between prenatal stress exposure and gray-matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity in a sample of 35 healthy women aged 14-40 years. METHOD Voxel-based morphometry and functional connectivity analyses were performed on the whole brain and in specific regions of interest (hippocampus and amygdala). Data about prenatal/postnatal stress and obstetric complications were obtained by interviewing participants and their mothers, and reviewing obstetric records. RESULTS Higher prenatal stress was associated with decreased gray-matter volume in the left medial temporal lobe (MTL) and both amygdalae, but not the hippocampus. Variance in gray-matter volume of these brain areas significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, after statistically adjusting for the effects of age, postnatal stress and obstetric complications. Prenatal stress showed a positive linear relationship with functional connectivity between the left MTL and the pregenual cortex. Moreover, connectivity between the left MTL and the left medial-orbitofrontal cortex partially explained variance in the depressive symptoms of offspring. CONCLUSIONS In young women, exposure to prenatal stress showed a relationship with the morphometry and functional connectivity of brain areas involved in the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. These data provide evidence in favor of the hypothesis that early exposure to stress affects brain development and identified the MTL and amygdalae as possible targets of such exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences,University of Padova,Padova,Italy
| | - E Tenconi
- Department of Neurosciences,University of Padova,Padova,Italy
| | - D Degortes
- Department of Neurosciences,University of Padova,Padova,Italy
| | - R Manara
- Department of Medicine,University of Salerno,Salerno,Italy
| | - P Santonastaso
- Department of Neurosciences,University of Padova,Padova,Italy
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Kolb B, Gibb R. Plasticity in the prefrontal cortex of adult rats. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:15. [PMID: 25691857 PMCID: PMC4315042 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the plastic changes of the prefrontal cortex of the rat in response to a wide range of experiences including sensory and motor experience, gonadal hormones, psychoactive drugs, learning tasks, stress, social experience, metaplastic experiences, and brain injury. Our focus is on synaptic changes (dendritic morphology and spine density) in pyramidal neurons and the relationship to behavioral changes. The most general conclusion we can reach is that the prefrontal cortex is extremely plastic and that the medial and orbital prefrontal regions frequently respond very differently to the same experience in the same brain and the rules that govern prefrontal plasticity appear to differ for those of other cortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Robbin Gibb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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41
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Camperio Ciani A, Battaglia U, Zanzotto G. Human homosexuality: a paradigmatic arena for sexually antagonistic selection? Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a017657. [PMID: 25635045 PMCID: PMC4382746 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual conflict likely plays a crucial role in the origin and maintenance of homosexuality in our species. Although environmental factors are known to affect human homosexual (HS) preference, sibling concordances and population patterns related to HS indicate that genetic components are also influencing this trait in humans. We argue that multilocus, partially X-linked genetic factors undergoing sexually antagonistic selection that promote maternal female fecundity at the cost of occasional male offspring homosexuality are the best candidates capable of explaining the frequency, familial clustering, and pedigree asymmetries observed in HS male proband families. This establishes male HS as a paradigmatic example of sexual conflict in human biology. HS in females, on the other hand, is currently a more elusive phenomenon from both the empirical and theoretical standpoints because of its fluidity and marked environmental influence. Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, the latter involving sexually antagonistic components, have been hypothesized for the propagation and maintenance of female HS in the population. However, further data are needed to truly clarify the evolutionary dynamics of this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Camperio Ciani
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata, Università di Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Battaglia
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata, Università di Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zanzotto
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
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42
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Sharp H, Hill J, Hellier J, Pickles A. Maternal antenatal anxiety, postnatal stroking and emotional problems in children: outcomes predicted from pre- and postnatal programming hypotheses. Psychol Med 2015; 45:269-283. [PMID: 25068652 PMCID: PMC4301199 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291714001342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mothers' self-reported stroking of their infants over the first weeks of life modifies the association between prenatal depression and physiological and emotional reactivity at 7 months, consistent with animal studies of the effects of tactile stimulation. We now investigate whether the effects of maternal stroking persist to 2.5 years. Given animal and human evidence for sex differences in the effects of prenatal stress we compare associations in boys and girls. METHOD From a general population sample of 1233 first-time mothers recruited at 20 weeks gestation we drew a random sample of 316 for assessment at 32 weeks, stratified by reported inter-partner psychological abuse, a risk indicator for child development. Of these mothers, 243 reported at 5 and 9 weeks how often they stroked their infants, and completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 2.5 years post-delivery. RESULTS There was a significant interaction between prenatal anxiety and maternal stroking in the prediction of CBCL internalizing (p = 0.001) and anxious/depressed scores (p < 0.001). The effects were stronger in females than males, and the three-way interaction prenatal anxiety × maternal stroking × sex of infant was significant for internalizing symptoms (p = 0.003). The interactions arose from an association between prenatal anxiety and internalizing symptoms only in the presence of low maternal stroking. CONCLUSIONS The findings are consistent with stable epigenetic effects, many sex specific, reported in animal studies. While epigenetic mechanisms may be underlying the associations, it remains to be established whether stroking affects gene expression in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Sharp
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - J. Hill
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - J. Hellier
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A. Pickles
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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43
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Prenatal stress induces spatial memory deficits and epigenetic changes in the hippocampus indicative of heterochromatin formation and reduced gene expression. Behav Brain Res 2014; 281:1-8. [PMID: 25496779 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy has a wide variety of negative effects in both human [1] and animal offspring [2]. These effects are especially apparent in various forms of learning and memory such as object recognition [3] and spatial memory [4]. The cognitive effects of prenatal stress (PNS) may be mediated through epigenetic changes such as histone acetylation and DNA methylation [5]. As such, the present study investigated the effects of chronic unpredictable PNS on memory and epigenetic measures in adult offspring. Mice that underwent PNS exhibited impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze, as well as sex-specific changes in levels of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 protein, and acetylated histone H3 (AcH3) in the hippocampus, and serum corticosterone. Male mice exposed to PNS exhibited decreased hippocampal AcH3, whereas female PNS mice displayed a further reduction in AcH3, as well as heightened hippocampal DNMT1 protein levels and corticosterone levels. These data suggest that PNS may epigenetically reduce transcription in the hippocampus, particularly in females in whom this effect may be related to increased baseline stress hormone levels, and which may underlie the sexual dimorphism in rates of mental illness in humans.
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44
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Chocyk A, Majcher-Maślanka I, Dudys D, Przyborowska A, Wędzony K. Impact of early-life stress on the medial prefrontal cortex functions - a search for the pathomechanisms of anxiety and mood disorders. Pharmacol Rep 2014; 65:1462-70. [PMID: 24552993 DOI: 10.1016/s1734-1140(13)71506-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Revised: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Although anxiety and mood disorders (MDs) are the most common mental diseases, the etiologies and mechanisms of these psychopathologies are still a matter of debate. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a brain structure that is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of these disorders. A growing number of epidemiological and clinical studies show that early-life stress (ELS) during the critical period of brain development may increase the risk for anxiety and MDs. Neuroimaging analyses in humans and numerous reports from animal models clearly demonstrate that ELS affects behaviors that are dependent on the mPFC, as well as neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity within the mPFC. The mechanisms engaged in ELS-induced changes in mPFC function involve alterations in the developmental trajectory of the mPFC and may be responsible for the emergence of both early-onset (during childhood and adolescence) and adulthood-onset anxiety and MDs. ELS-evoked changes in mPFC synaptic plasticity may constitute an example of metaplasticity. ELS may program brain functions by affecting glucocorticoid levels. On the molecular level, ELS-induced programming is registered by epigenetic mechanisms, such as changes in DNA methylation pattern, histone acetylation and microRNA expression. Vulnerability and resilience to ELS-related anxiety and MDs depend on the interaction between individual genetic predispositions, early-life experiences and later-life environment. In conclusion, ELS may constitute a significant etiological factor for anxiety and MDs, whereas animal models of ELS are helpful tools for understanding the pathomechanisms of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Chocyk
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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45
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Ma Q, Xiong F, Zhang L. Gestational hypoxia and epigenetic programming of brain development disorders. Drug Discov Today 2014; 19:1883-96. [PMID: 25256780 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Adverse environmental conditions faced by an individual early during its life, such as gestational hypoxia, can have a profound influence on the risk of diseases, such as neurological disorders, in later life. Clinical and preclinical studies suggest that epigenetic programming of gene expression patterns in response to maternal stress have a crucial role in the fetal origins of neurological diseases. Herein, we summarize recent studies regarding the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the developmental programming of neurological diseases in offspring, primarily focusing on DNA methylation/demethylation and miRNAs. Such information could increase our understanding of the fetal origins of adult diseases and help develop effective prevention and intervention against neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyi Ma
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Fuxia Xiong
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Lubo Zhang
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
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46
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Föcking M, Opstelten R, Prickaerts J, Steinbusch HWM, Dunn MJ, van den Hove DLA, Cotter DR. Proteomic investigation of the hippocampus in prenatally stressed mice implicates changes in membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal, and metabolic function. Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:432-42. [PMID: 25138076 DOI: 10.1159/000365327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress influences the development of the fetal brain and so contributes to the risk of the development of psychiatric disorders in later life. The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to prenatal stress, and robust abnormalities have been described in the hippocampus in schizophrenia and depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether prenatal stress is associated with distinct patterns of differential protein expression in the hippocampus using a validated mouse model. We therefore performed a comparative proteomic study assessing female hippocampal samples from 8 prenatally stressed mice and 8 control mice. Differential protein expression was assessed using 2-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis and subsequent mass spectrometry. The observed changes in a selected group of differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by Western blotting. In comparison to controls, 47 protein spots (38 individual proteins) were found to be differentially expressed in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed mice. Functional grouping of these proteins revealed that prenatal stress influenced the expression of proteins involved in brain development, cytoskeletal composition, stress response, and energy metabolism. Western blotting was utilized to validate the changes in calretinin, hippocalcin, profilin-1 and the signal-transducing adaptor molecule STAM1. Septin-5 could not be validated via Western blotting due to methodological issues. Closer investigation of the validated proteins also pointed to an interesting role for membrane trafficking deficits mediated by prenatal stress. Our findings demonstrate that prenatal stress leads to altered hippocampal protein expression, implicating numerous molecular pathways that may provide new targets for psychotropic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Föcking
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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47
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Bielas H, Arck P, Bruenahl C, Walitza S, Grünblatt E. Prenatal stress increases the striatal and hippocampal expression of correlating c‐FOS and serotonin transporters in murine offspring. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 38:30-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H. Bielas
- University Clinics of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryUniversity of ZurichNeumünsterallee 98032ZurichSwitzerland
- Department of Psychosomatics and PsychiatryUniversity Children's Hospital ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - P. Arck
- Laboratory for Experimental Feto‐Maternal MedicineUniversity Medical Center HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - C.A. Bruenahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - S. Walitza
- University Clinics of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryUniversity of ZurichNeumünsterallee 98032ZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichSwitzerland
| | - E. Grünblatt
- University Clinics of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryUniversity of ZurichNeumünsterallee 98032ZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichSwitzerland
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48
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Kolb B, Muhammad A. Harnessing the power of neuroplasticity for intervention. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:377. [PMID: 25018713 PMCID: PMC4072970 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental property of the brain is its capacity to change with a wide variety of experiences, including injury. Although there are spontaneous reparative changes following injury, these changes are rarely sufficient to support significant functional recovery. Research on the basic principles of brain plasticity is leading to new approaches to treating the injured brain. We review factors that affect synaptic organization in the normal brain, evidence of spontaneous neuroplasticity after injury, and the evidence that factors including postinjury experience, pharmacotherapy, and cell-based therapies, can form the basis of rehabilitation strategies after brain injuries early in life and in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Arif Muhammad
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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49
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Gibb RL, Gonzalez CLR, Kolb B. Prenatal enrichment and recovery from perinatal cortical damage: effects of maternal complex housing. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:223. [PMID: 25009478 PMCID: PMC4067998 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Birth is a particularly vulnerable time for acquiring brain injury. Unfortunately, very few treatments are available for those affected. Here we explore the effectiveness of prenatal intervention in an animal model of early brain damage. We used a complex housing paradigm as a form of prenatal enrichment. Six nulliparous dams and one male rat were placed in complex housing (condomom group) for 12 h per day until the dams' delivered their pups. At parturition the dams were left in their home (standard) cages with their pups. Four dams were housed in standard cages (cagemom group) throughout pregnancy and with their pups until weaning. At postnatal day 3 (P3) infants of both groups received frontal cortex removals or sham surgery. Behavioral testing began on P60 and included the Morris water task and a skilled reaching task. Brains were processed for Golgi analyses. Complex housing of the mother had a significant effect on the behavior of their pups. Control animals from the condomom group outperformed those of the cagemom group in the water task. Condomom animals with lesions performed better than their cagemom cohorts in both the water task and in skilled reaching. Condomom animals showed an increase in cortical thickness at anterior planes and thalamic area at both anterior and posterior regions. Golgi analyses revealed an increase in spine density. These results suggest that prenatal enrichment alters brain organization in manner that is prophylactic for perinatal brain injury. This result could have significant implications for the prenatal management of infants expected to be at risk for difficult birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbin L Gibb
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Claudia L R Gonzalez
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Bryan Kolb
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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50
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Evidence for sex differences in fetal programming of physiological stress reactivity in infancy. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 26:879-88. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414000194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAssociations between low birth weight and prenatal anxiety and later psychopathology may arise from programming effects likely to be adaptive under some, but not other, environmental exposures and modified by sex differences. If physiological reactivity, which also confers vulnerability or resilience in an environment-dependent manner, is associated with birth weight and prenatal anxiety, it will be a candidate to mediate the links with psychopathology. From a general population sample of 1,233 first-time mothers recruited at 20 weeks gestation, a sample of 316 stratified by adversity was assessed at 32 weeks and when their infants were aged 29 weeks (N= 271). Prenatal anxiety was assessed by self-report, birth weight from medical records, and vagal reactivity from respiratory sinus arrhythmia during four nonstressful and one stressful (still-face) procedure. Lower birth weight for gestational age predicted higher vagal reactivity only in girls (interaction term,p= .016), and prenatal maternal anxiety predicted lower vagal reactivity only in boys (interaction term,p= .014). These findings are consistent with sex differences in fetal programming, whereby prenatal risks are associated with increased stress reactivity in females but decreased reactivity in males, with distinctive advantages and penalties for each sex.
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