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Brown ER, Gettler LT, Rosenbaum S. Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22491. [PMID: 38698633 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22491] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Munyoki SK, Goff JP, Kolobaric A, Long A, Mullett SJ, Burns JK, Jenkins AK, DePoy L, Wendell SG, McClung CA, Morrison KE, Jašarević E. Intestinal microbial circadian rhythms drive sex differences in host immunity and metabolism. iScience 2023; 26:107999. [PMID: 37841582 PMCID: PMC10568425 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms dynamically regulate sex differences in metabolism and immunity, and circadian disruption increases the risk of metabolic disorders. We investigated the role of sex-specific intestinal microbial circadian rhythms in host metabolism using germ-free and conventionalized mice and manipulation of dietary-derived fat, fiber, and microbiota-accessible carbohydrates. Our findings demonstrate that sex differences in circadian rhythms of genes involved in immunity and metabolism depend on oscillations in microbiota, microbial metabolic functions, and microbial metabolites. Further, we show that consuming an obesogenic, high-fat, low-fiber diet produced sex-specific changes in circadian rhythms in microbiota, metabolites, and host gene expression, which were linked to sex differences in the severity of metabolic dysfunction. Our results reveal that microbial circadian rhythms contribute to sex differences in immunity and metabolism and that dietary factors can entrain new circadian rhythms and modify the magnitude of sex differences in host-microbe circadian dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Munyoki
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julie P. Goff
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Armari Long
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven J. Mullett
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Health Sciences Mass Spectrometry Core, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Burns
- Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aaron K. Jenkins
- Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lauren DePoy
- Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stacy G. Wendell
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Health Sciences Mass Spectrometry Core, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Colleen A. McClung
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Zelco A, Wapeesittipan P, Joshi A. Insights into Sex and Gender Differences in Brain and Psychopathologies Using Big Data. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1676. [PMID: 37629533 PMCID: PMC10455614 DOI: 10.3390/life13081676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The societal implication of sex and gender (SG) differences in brain are profound, as they influence brain development, behavior, and importantly, the presentation, prevalence, and therapeutic response to diseases. Technological advances have enabled speed up identification and characterization of SG differences during development and in psychopathologies. The main aim of this review is to elaborate on new technological advancements, such as genomics, imaging, and emerging biobanks, coupled with bioinformatics analyses of data generated from these technologies have facilitated the identification and characterization of SG differences in the human brain through development and psychopathologies. First, a brief explanation of SG concepts is provided, along with a developmental and evolutionary context. We then describe physiological SG differences in brain activity and function, and in psychopathologies identified through imaging techniques. We further provide an overview of insights into SG differences using genomics, specifically taking advantage of large cohorts and biobanks. We finally emphasize how bioinformatics analyses of big data generated by emerging technologies provides new opportunities to reduce SG disparities in health outcomes, including major challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anagha Joshi
- Department of Clinical Science, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway; (A.Z.); (P.W.)
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Ponzi D, Dadomo H, Filonzi L, Palanza P, Pelosi A, Ceresini G, Parmigiani S, Marzano FN. Cortisol, Temperament and Serotonin in Karate Combats: An Evolutionary Psychobiological Perspective. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-021-00178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
There is evidence suggesting that in martial arts competitions athletes characterized by higher anxiety and harm avoidance may be more likely to lose a fight. This psychological profile has been hypothesized to explain in part the observation that cortisol is higher in losers before and in response to a competition. An important research target that needs further exploration is the identification of phenotypic traits that can be helpful in predicting athletes’ performance. Here we present a brief description of the theoretical bases that drives our research in the evolutionary psychobiology of sports and illustrate preliminary data on the relationship between the 5HTTLPR genotype, salivary cortisol, temperament and competition.
Methods
Sixty-five healthy male non-professional athletes provided saliva samples 10 min before and after a kumite session and filled out the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire.
Results
Salivary cortisol levels 10 min before the competition were higher in losers and in athletes with the S allele. Temperament was associated with competition outcome and cortisol: losers were characterized by higher scores of harm avoidance and harm avoidance was positively correlated with cortisol levels.
Conclusions
The results confirm previous findings linking temperamental traits, pre-and post- competition physiological stress response with competition outcome in kumite fight. Moreover, they indicate an association between the 5HTTLPR polymorphism and pre-competition salivary cortisol, thus providing a preliminary but non-conclusive evidence on the role played by the 5HTTLPR genotype as a vulnerability factor in sport competition.
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Sex-biased impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on behavioral development and vulnerability to disease: Of mice and children. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 121:29-46. [PMID: 33248148 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sex is a fundamental biological characteristic that influences many aspects of an organism's phenotype, including neurobiological functions and behavior as a result of species-specific evolutionary pressures. Sex differences have strong implications for vulnerability to disease and susceptibility to environmental perturbations. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have the potential to interfere with sex hormones functioning and influence development in a sex specific manner. Here we present an updated descriptive review of findings from animal models and human studies regarding the current evidence for altered sex-differences in behavioral development in response to early exposure to EDCs, with a focus on bisphenol A and phthalates. Overall, we show that animal and human studies have a good degree of consistency and that there is strong evidence demonstrating that EDCs exposure during critical periods of development affect sex differences in emotional and cognitive behaviors. Results are more heterogeneous when social, sexual and parental behaviors are considered. In order to pinpoint sex differences in environmentally-driven disease vulnerabilities, researchers need to consider sex-biased developmental effects of EDCs.
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Stoet G, Geary DC. Sex-specific academic ability and attitude patterns in students across developed countries. INTELLIGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Richardson GB, Blount TN, Hanson-Cook BS. Life History Theory and Recovery From Substance Use Disorder. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1037/gpr0000173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recovery has emerged as an important paradigm in addictions treatment but the field has yet to achieve consensus on how it should be defined and measured. The recovery construct has been extended beyond sustained reductions in use or abstinence to enhancements in global health/well-being and also prosocial community reintegration. However, few studies have included these broader domains in their measurement of recovery and few scientific theories have been advanced to explain why reductions in substance use occasion these broader life changes. This article applies life history theory to recovery for the first time to help define recovery, advance recovery measurement, and explain why broad change across multiple life domains should facilitate sustained recovery progress. We conclude with a discussion of future directions and challenges for future research informed by our life history framework for recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B. Richardson
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
| | - Taheera N. Blount
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
| | - Blair S. Hanson-Cook
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
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9
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Childhood ecology influences salivary testosterone, pubertal age and stature of Bangladeshi UK migrant men. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1146-1154. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0567-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Geary DC. Evolutionary perspective on sex differences in the expression of neurological diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 176:33-53. [PMID: 29890214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific brain and cognitive deficits emerge with malnutrition, some infectious and neurodegenerative diseases, and often with prenatal or postnatal toxin exposure. These deficits are described in disparate literatures and are generally not linked to one another. Sexual selection may provide a unifying framework that integrates our understanding of these deficits and provides direction for future studies of sex-specific vulnerabilities. Sexually selected traits are those that have evolved to facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choices, and are often larger and more complex than other traits. Critically, malnutrition, disease, chronic social stress, and exposure to man-made toxins compromise the development and expression of sexually selected traits more strongly than that of other traits. The fundamental mechanism underlying vulnerability might be the efficiency of mitochondrial energy capture and control of oxidative stress that in turn links these traits to current advances in neuroenergetics, stress endocrinology, and toxicology. The key idea is that the elaboration of these cognitive abilities, with more underlying gray matter or more extensive inter-modular white matter connections, makes them particularly sensitive to disruptions in mitochondrial functioning and oxidative stress. A framework of human sexually selected cognitive abilities and underlying brain systems is proposed and used to organize what is currently known about sex-specific vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, MO, 65211-2500, Columbia, United States.
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11
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Del Giudice M, Barrett ES, Belsky J, Hartman S, Martel MM, Sangenstedt S, Kuzawa CW. Individual differences in developmental plasticity: A role for early androgens? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 90:165-173. [PMID: 29500952 PMCID: PMC5864561 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is a widespread property of living organisms, but different individuals in the same species can vary greatly in how susceptible they are to environmental influences. In humans, research has sought to link variation in plasticity to physiological traits such as stress reactivity, exposure to prenatal stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and specific genes involved in major neurobiological pathways. However, the determinants of individual differences in plasticity are still poorly understood. Here we present the novel hypothesis that, in both sexes, higher exposure to androgens during prenatal and early postnatal life should lead to increased plasticity in traits that display greater male variability (i.e., a majority of physical and behavioral traits). First, we review evidence of greater phenotypic variation and higher susceptibility to environmental factors in males; we then consider evolutionary models that explain greater male variability and plasticity as a result of sexual selection. These empirical and theoretical strands converge on the hypothesis that androgens may promote developmental plasticity, at least for traits that show greater male variability. We discuss a number of potential mechanisms that may mediate this effect (including upregulation of neural plasticity), and address the question of whether androgen-induced plasticity is likely to be adaptive or maladaptive. We conclude by offering suggestions for future studies in this area, and considering some research designs that could be used to empirically test our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Del Giudice
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Emily S Barrett
- School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Hartman
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Choleris E, Galea LAM, Sohrabji F, Frick KM. Sex differences in the brain: Implications for behavioral and biomedical research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:126-145. [PMID: 29287628 PMCID: PMC5751942 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Biological differences between males and females are found at multiple levels. However, females have too often been under-represented in behavioral neuroscience research, which has stymied the study of potential sex differences in neurobiology and behavior. This review focuses on the study of sex differences in the neurobiology of social behavior, memory, emotions, and recovery from brain injury, with particular emphasis on the role of estrogens in regulating forebrain function. This work, presented by the authors at the 2016 meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, emphasizes varying approaches from several mammalian species in which sex differences have not only been documented, but also become the focus of efforts to understand the mechanistic basis underlying them. This information may provide readers with useful experimental tools to successfully address recently introduced regulations by granting agencies that either require (e.g. the National Institutes of Health in the United States and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Canada) or recommend (e.g. Horizon 2020 in Europe) the inclusion of both sexes in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Bldg. Room 4020, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Farida Sohrabji
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
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13
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Geary DC. Evolution of Human Sex-Specific Cognitive Vulnerabilities. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1086/694934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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