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Mbiydzenyuy NE, Joanna Hemmings SM, Shabangu TW, Qulu-Appiah L. Exploring the influence of stress on aggressive behavior and sexual function: Role of neuromodulator pathways and epigenetics. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27501. [PMID: 38486749 PMCID: PMC10937706 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that can significantly influence both aggressive behavior and sexual function. This review explores the intricate relationship between stress, neuromodulator pathways, and epigenetics, shedding light on the various mechanisms that underlie these connections. While the role of stress in both aggression and sexual behavior is well-documented, the mechanisms through which it exerts its effects are multifarious and not yet fully understood. The review begins by delving into the potential influence of stress on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, glucocorticoids, and the neuromodulators involved in the stress response. The intricate interplay between these systems, which encompasses the regulation of stress hormones, is central to understanding how stress may contribute to aggressive behavior and sexual function. Several neuromodulator pathways are implicated in both stress and behavior regulation. We explore the roles of norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, and androgens in mediating the effects of stress on aggression and sexual function. It is important to distinguish between general sexual behavior, sexual motivation, and the distinct category of "sexual aggression" as separate constructs, each necessitating specific examination. Additionally, epigenetic mechanisms emerge as crucial factors that link stress to changes in gene expression patterns and, subsequently, to behavior. We then discuss how epigenetic modifications can occur in response to stress exposure, altering the regulation of genes associated with stress, aggression, and sexual function. While numerous studies support the association between epigenetic changes and stress-induced behavior, more research is necessary to establish definitive links. Throughout this exploration, it becomes increasingly clear that the relationship between stress, neuromodulator pathways, and epigenetics is intricate and multifaceted. The review emphasizes the need for further research, particularly in the context of human studies, to provide clinical significance and to validate the existing findings from animal models. By better understanding how stress influences aggressive behavior and sexual function through neuromodulator pathways and epigenetic modifications, this research aims to contribute to the development of innovative protocols of precision medicine and more effective strategies for managing the consequences of stress on human behavior. This may also pave way for further research into risk factors and underlying mechanisms that may associate stress with sexual aggression which finds application not only in neuroscience, but also law, ethics, and the humanities in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy
- Basic Science Department, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, P.O Box 71191, Ndola, Zambia
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Cape Town South Africa
| | - Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Division of Molecular Biology & Human Genetics, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Cape Town South Africa
| | - Thando W. Shabangu
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Cape Town South Africa
| | - Lihle Qulu-Appiah
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Cape Town South Africa
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Curry AR, Ooi L, Matosin N. How spatial omics approaches can be used to map the biological impacts of stress in psychiatric disorders: a perspective, overview and technical guide. Stress 2024; 27:2351394. [PMID: 38752853 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2351394] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to significant levels of stress and trauma throughout life is a leading risk factor for the development of major psychiatric disorders. Despite this, we do not have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that explain how stress raises psychiatric disorder risk. Stress in humans is complex and produces variable molecular outcomes depending on the stress type, timing, and duration. Deciphering how stress increases disorder risk has consequently been challenging to address with the traditional single-target experimental approaches primarily utilized to date. Importantly, the molecular processes that occur following stress are not fully understood but are needed to find novel treatment targets. Sequencing-based omics technologies, allowing for an unbiased investigation of physiological changes induced by stress, are rapidly accelerating our knowledge of the molecular sequelae of stress at a single-cell resolution. Spatial multi-omics technologies are now also emerging, allowing for simultaneous analysis of functional molecular layers, from epigenome to proteome, with anatomical context. The technology has immense potential to transform our understanding of how disorders develop, which we believe will significantly propel our understanding of how specific risk factors, such as stress, contribute to disease course. Here, we provide our perspective of how we believe these technologies will transform our understanding of the neurobiology of stress, and also provided a technical guide to assist molecular psychiatry and stress researchers who wish to implement spatial omics approaches in their own research. Finally, we identify potential future directions using multi-omics technology in stress research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber R Curry
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Natalie Matosin
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Vidovič E, Pelikan S, Atanasova M, Kouter K, Pileckyte I, Oblak A, Novak Šarotar B, Videtič Paska A, Bon J. DNA Methylation Patterns in Relation to Acute Severity and Duration of Anxiety and Depression. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7286-7303. [PMID: 37754245 PMCID: PMC10527760 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders that often occur together. Stress is an important risk factor for both disorders, affecting pathophysiological processes through epigenetic changes that mediate gene-environment interactions. In this study, we explored two proposed models about the dynamic nature of DNA methylation in anxiety and depression: a stable change, in which DNA methylation accumulates over time as a function of the duration of clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression, or a flexible change, in which DNA methylation correlates with the acute severity of clinical symptoms. Symptom severity was assessed using clinical questionnaires for anxiety and depression (BDI-II, IDS-C, and HAM-A), and the current episode and the total lifetime symptom duration was obtained from patients' medical records. Peripheral blood DNA methylation levels were determined for the BDNF, COMT, and SLC6A4 genes. We found a significant negative correlation between COMT_1 amplicon methylation and acute symptom scores, with BDI-II (R(22) = 0.190, p = 0.033), IDS-C (R(22) = 0.199, p = 0.029), and HAM-A (R(22) = 0.231, p = 0.018) all showing a similar degree of correlation. Our results suggest that DNA methylation follows flexible dynamics, with methylation levels closely associated with acute clinical presentation rather than with the duration of anxiety and depression. These results provide important insights into the dynamic nature of DNA methylation in anxiety and affective disorders and contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between stress, epigenetics, and individual phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Vidovič
- University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia (J.B.)
| | - Sebastian Pelikan
- University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia (J.B.)
| | - Marija Atanasova
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Kouter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Indre Pileckyte
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Pompeu Fabra University, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleš Oblak
- University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia (J.B.)
| | - Brigita Novak Šarotar
- University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia (J.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alja Videtič Paska
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jurij Bon
- University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia (J.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Ersig AL, Young EE, Brown RL, Malecki K. Genetic Variation, Stress, and Physiological Stress Response in Adults With Food Allergy or Celiac Disease. Biol Res Nurs 2023; 25:300-309. [PMID: 36280595 DOI: 10.1177/10998004221134826] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistently high chronic stress can lead to maladaptive psychological, behavioral, and physiological stress responses and poor mental and physical health, highlighting the importance of identifying individuals at increased risk. Chronic health condition diagnosis and genetics are 2 characteristics that can influence stress, stress response, and health outcomes. PURPOSE Food allergy (FA) and celiac disease (CD) require constant vigilance in daily life and can lead to increased stress. The purpose of this exploratory analysis was to examine the association of variants in selected stress-related genes with stress exposures, stress, clinical measures of physiological stress response, and mental health symptoms in adults with and without FA or CD. METHODS We compared stress exposures, symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress, BMI, and waist-hip ratio between cases and controls. We analyzed the association of SNPs in genes with known or hypothesized associations with stress-related measures in 124 cases and 124 matched controls: CRHBP (rs7718461, rs10474485), CRHR1 (rs242940) and OXTR (rs2268490). For this exploratory study, p-values ≤ 0.10 were considered suggestive. RESULTS For cases and controls, rs7718461 was associated with stress symptoms, rs2268490 with symptoms of stress and PTSD, and rs242940 with symptoms of stress, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Further analyses found that stress-related outcomes in individuals with FA or CD may be influenced by SNP genotype. CONCLUSIONS Given these suggestive findings, larger prospective studies should examine similar relationships in individuals with other chronic health conditions, incorporating factors such as environmental exposures, individual experiences, and epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Ersig
- 5228University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Erin E Young
- 12251University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Roger L Brown
- 5228University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kristen Malecki
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 14681University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Lewis CR, Tafur J, Spencer S, Green JM, Harrison C, Kelmendi B, Rabin DM, Yehuda R, Yazar-Klosinski B, Cahn BR. Pilot study suggests DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) is associated with MDMA-assisted therapy treatment response for severe PTSD. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:959590. [PMID: 36815187 PMCID: PMC9939628 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.959590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has demonstrated that epigenetic changes in specific hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) genes may predict successful psychotherapy in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A recent Phase 3 clinical trial reported high efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy for treating patients with severe PTSD compared to a therapy with placebo group (NCT03537014). This raises important questions regarding potential mechanisms of MDMA-assisted therapy. In the present study, we examined epigenetic changes in three key HPA axis genes before and after MDMA and placebo with therapy. As a pilot sub-study to the parent clinical trial, we assessed potential HPA epigenetic predictors for treatment response with genomic DNA derived from saliva (MDMA, n = 16; placebo, n = 7). Methylation levels at all 259 CpG sites annotated to three HPA genes (CRHR1, FKBP5, and NR3C1) were assessed in relation to treatment response as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5; Total Severity Score). Second, group (MDMA vs. placebo) differences in methylation change were assessed for sites that predicted treatment response. Results Methylation change across groups significantly predicted symptom reduction on 37 of 259 CpG sites tested, with two sites surviving false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Further, the MDMA-treatment group showed more methylation change compared to placebo on one site of the NR3C1 gene. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that therapy-related PTSD symptom improvements may be related to DNA methylation changes in HPA genes and such changes may be greater in those receiving MDMA-assisted therapy. These findings can be used to generate hypothesis driven analyses for future studies with larger cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R. Lewis
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Candace R. Lewis,
| | | | - Sophie Spencer
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Joseph M. Green
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | | | - Benjamin Kelmendi
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | | | - Baruch Rael Cahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Baruch Rael Cahn,
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Chuong M, Adams MJ, Kwong ASF, Haley CS, Amador C, McIntosh AM. Genome-by-Trauma Exposure Interactions in Adults With Depression in the UK Biobank. JAMA Psychiatry 2022; 79:1110-1117. [PMID: 36169986 PMCID: PMC9520433 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance Self-reported trauma exposure has consistently been found to be a risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), and several studies have reported interactions with genetic liability. To date, most studies have examined gene-environment interactions with trauma exposure using genome-wide variants (single-nucleotide variations [SNVs]) or polygenic scores, both typically capturing less than 3% of phenotypic risk variance. Objective To reexamine genome-by-trauma interaction associations using genetic measures using all available genotyped data and thus, maximizing accounted variance. Design, Setting, and Participants The UK Biobank study was conducted from April 2007 to May 1, 2016 (follow-up mental health questionnaire). The current study used available cross-sectional genomic and trauma exposure data from UK Biobank. Participants who completed the mental health questionnaire and had available genetic, trauma experience, depressive symptoms, and/or neuroticism information were included. Data were analyzed from April 1 to August 30, 2021. Exposures Trauma and genome-by-trauma exposure interactions. Main Outcomes and Measures Measures of self-reported depression, neuroticism, and trauma exposure with whole-genome SNV data are available from the UK Biobank study. Here, a mixed-model statistical approach using genetic, trauma exposure, and genome-by-trauma exposure interaction similarity matrices was used to explore sources of variation in depression and neuroticism. Results Analyses were conducted on 148 129 participants (mean [SD] age, 56 [7] years) of which 76 995 were female (52.0%). The study approach estimated the heritability (SE) of MDD to be approximately 0.160 (0.016). Subtypes of self-reported trauma exposure (catastrophic, adult, childhood, and full trauma) accounted for a significant proportion of the variance of MDD, with heritability (SE) ranging from 0.056 (0.013) to 0.176 (0.025). The proportion of MDD risk variance accounted for by significant genome-by-trauma interaction revealed estimates (SD) ranging from 0.074 (0.006) to 0.201 (0.009). Results from sex-specific analyses found genome-by-trauma interaction variance estimates approximately 5-fold greater for MDD in male participants (0.441 [0.018]) than in female participants (0.086 [0.009]). Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study used an approach combining all genome-wide SNV data when exploring genome-by-trauma interactions in individuals with MDD; findings suggest that such interactions were associated with depression manifestation. Genome-by-trauma interaction accounts for greater trait variance in male individuals, which points to potential differences in depression etiology between the sexes. The methodology used in this study can be extrapolated to other environmental factors to identify modifiable risk environments and at-risk groups to target with interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Chuong
- Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J Adams
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alex S F Kwong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chris S Haley
- Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Amador
- Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Schaffner SL, Kobor MS. DNA methylation as a mediator of genetic and environmental influences on Parkinson's disease susceptibility: Impacts of alpha-Synuclein, physical activity, and pesticide exposure on the epigenome. Front Genet 2022; 13:971298. [PMID: 36061205 PMCID: PMC9437223 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.971298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a complex etiology and increasing prevalence worldwide. As PD is influenced by a combination of genetic and environment/lifestyle factors in approximately 90% of cases, there is increasing interest in identification of the interindividual mechanisms underlying the development of PD as well as actionable lifestyle factors that can influence risk. This narrative review presents an outline of the genetic and environmental factors contributing to PD risk and explores the possible roles of cytosine methylation and hydroxymethylation in the etiology and/or as early-stage biomarkers of PD, with an emphasis on epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of PD conducted over the past decade. Specifically, we focused on variants in the SNCA gene, exposure to pesticides, and physical activity as key contributors to PD risk. Current research indicates that these factors individually impact the epigenome, particularly at the level of CpG methylation. There is also emerging evidence for interaction effects between genetic and environmental contributions to PD risk, possibly acting across multiple omics layers. We speculated that this may be one reason for the poor replicability of the results of EWAS for PD reported to date. Our goal is to provide direction for future epigenetics studies of PD to build upon existing foundations and leverage large datasets, new technologies, and relevant statistical approaches to further elucidate the etiology of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Schaffner
- Edwin S. H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Edwin S. H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Masroor S, Aalam MT, Khan O, Tanuj GN, Gandham RK, Dhara SK, Gupta PK, Mishra BP, Dutt T, Singh G, Sajjanar BK. Effect of acute heat shock on stress gene expression and DNA methylation in zebu (Bos indicus) and crossbred (Bos indicus × Bos taurus) dairy cattle. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2022; 66:1797-1809. [PMID: 35796826 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-022-02320-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Environmental temperature is one of the major factors to affect health and productivity of dairy cattle. Gene expression networks within the cells and tissues coordinate stress response, metabolism, and milk production in dairy cattle. Epigenetic DNA methylations were found to mediate the effect of environment by regulating gene expression patterns. In the present study, we compared three Indian native zebu cattle, Bos indicus (Sahiwal, Tharparkar, and Hariana) and one crossbred Bos indicus × Bos taurus (Vrindavani) for stress gene expression and differences in the DNA methylation patterns. The results indicated acute heat shock to cultured PBMC affected their proliferation, stress gene expression, and DNA methylation. Interestingly, expressions of HSP70, HSP90, and STIP1 were found more pronounced in zebu cattle than the crossbred cattle. However, no significant changes were observed in global DNA methylation due to acute heat shock, even though variations were observed in the expression patterns of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3a) and demethylases (TET1, TET2, and TET3) genes. The treatment 5-AzaC (5-azacitidine) that inhibit DNA methylation in proliferating PBMC caused significant increase in heat shock-induced HSP70 and STIP1 expression indicating that hypomethylation facilitated stress gene expression. Further targeted analysis DNA methylation in the promoter regions revealed no significant differences for HSP70, HSP90, and STIP1. However, there was a significant hypomethylation for BDNF in both zebu and crossbred cattle. Similarly, NR3C1 promoter region showed hypomethylation alone in crossbred cattle. Overall, the results indicated that tropically adapted zebu cattle had comparatively higher expression of stress genes than the crossbred cattle. Furthermore, DNA methylation may play a role in regulating expression of certain genes involved in stress response pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Masroor
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohd Tanzeel Aalam
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Owais Khan
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gunturu Narasimha Tanuj
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ravi Kumar Gandham
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sujoy K Dhara
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Praveen K Gupta
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bishnu Prasad Mishra
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Haryana, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Triveni Dutt
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gynendra Singh
- Physiology and Climatology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Basavaraj K Sajjanar
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Hashemi F, Saleh-Gohari N, Mousavi A, Yari A, Afzalli A, Saeidi K. Evaluation of Sirtuin1 promoter DNA methylation in peripheral blood monocytes of patients with coronary artery disease. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Bielawski T, Drapała J, Krowicki P, Stańczykiewicz B, Frydecka D. Trauma Disrupts Reinforcement Learning in Rats-A Novel Animal Model of Chronic Stress Exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:903100. [PMID: 35663358 PMCID: PMC9157238 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.903100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma, as well as chronic stress that characterizes a modern fast-paced lifestyle, contributes to numerous psychopathologies and psychological problems. Psychiatric patients with traumas, as well as healthy individuals who experienced traumas in the past, are often characterized by diminished cognitive abilities. In our protocol, we used an animal model to explore the influence of chronic trauma on cognitive abilities and behavior in the group of 20 rats (Rattus norvegicus). The experimental group was introduced to chronic (12 consecutive days) exposure to predator odor (bobcat urine). We measured the reinforcement learning of each individual before and after the exposition via the Probabilistic Selection Task (PST) and we used Social Interaction Test (SIT) to assess the behavioral changes of each individual before and after the trauma. In the experimental group, there was a significant decrease in reinforcement learning after exposure to a single trauma (Wilcoxon Test, p = 0.034) as well as after 11 days of chronic trauma (Wilcoxon-test, p = 0.01) in comparison to pre-trauma performance. The control group, which was not exposed to predator odor but underwent the same testing protocol, did not present significant deterioration in reinforcement learning. In cross-group comparisons, there was no difference between the experimental and control group in PST before odor protocol (U Mann-Whitney two-sided, p = 0.909). After exposure to chronic trauma, the experimental group deteriorated in PST performance compared to control (U Mann-Whitney Two-sided, p = 0.0005). In SIT, the experimental group spent less time in an Interaction Zone with an unfamiliar rat after trauma protocol (Wilcoxon two-sided test, p = 0.019). Major strengths of our models are: (1) protocol allows investigating reinforcement learning before and after exposition to chronic trauma, with the same group of rats, (2) translational scope, as the PST is displayed on touchscreen, similarly to human studies, (3) protocol delivers chronic trauma that impairs reward learning, but behaviorally does not induce full-blown anhedonia, thus rats performed voluntarily throughout all the procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Bielawski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jarosław Drapała
- Department of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Krowicki
- Department of Laser Technologies, Automation and Production Management, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
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Merabet N, Lucassen PJ, Crielaard L, Stronks K, Quax R, Sloot PMA, la Fleur SE, Nicolaou M. How exposure to chronic stress contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes: A complexity science approach. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 65:100972. [PMID: 34929260 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress contributes to the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D), yet the underlying etiological mechanisms are not fully understood. Responses to stress are influenced by earlier experiences, sex, emotions and cognition, and involve a complex network of neurotransmitters and hormones, that affect multiple biological systems. In addition, the systems activated by stress can be altered by behavioral, metabolic and environmental factors. The impact of stress on metabolic health can thus be considered an emergent process, involving different types of interactions between multiple variables, that are driven by non-linear dynamics at different spatiotemporal scales. To obtain a more comprehensive picture of the links between chronic stress and T2D, we followed a complexity science approach to build a causal loop diagram (CLD) connecting the various mediators and processes involved in stress responses relevant for T2D pathogenesis. This CLD could help develop novel computational models and formulate new hypotheses regarding disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Merabet
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
| | - Loes Crielaard
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands
| | - Karien Stronks
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands
| | - Rick Quax
- Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Computational Science Lab, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
| | - Peter M A Sloot
- Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Computational Science Lab, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands; National Centre of Cognitive Research, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Susanne E la Fleur
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism & Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Metabolism and Reward Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Mary Nicolaou
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1012 GC, the Netherlands.
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12
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Moore SR, Merrill SM, Sekhon B, MacIsaac JL, Kobor MS, Giesbrecht GF, Letourneau N. Infant DNA methylation: an early indicator of intergenerational trauma? Early Hum Dev 2022; 164:105519. [PMID: 34890904 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases risk for mental and physical health problems. Intergenerationally, mothers' ACEs predict children's health problems including neurodevelopmental and behavioural problems and poorer physical health. Theories of intergenerational trauma suggest that ACEs experienced in one generation negatively affect the health and well-being of future generations, with DNA methylation (DNAm) being one of several potential biological explanations. To begin exploring this hypothesis, we tested whether infant DNA methylation associated with intergenerational trauma. Secondary analysis employed data from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study. Subsample data were collected from mothers during pregnancy and postpartum on measures of distress, stress and ACEs and from infants at 3 months of age on DNAm from blood (n = 92) and buccal epithelial cells (BECs; n = 124; primarily nonoverlapping individuals between tissues). Blood and BECs were examined in separate analyses. Preliminary associations identified in blood and BECs suggest that infant DNAm patterns may relate to maternal ACEs. For the majority of ACE-related DNAm sites, neither maternal perinatal distress, nor maternal cortisol awakening response (CAR; a measure of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis function), substantially reduced associations between maternal ACEs and infant DNAm. However, accounting for maternal perinatal distress and cortisol substantially changed the effect of ACEs in a greater proportion of blood DNAm sites than BEC DNAm sites in the top ACEs-associated correlated methylated regions (CMRs), as well as across all CMRs and all remaining CpGs (that did not fall into CMRs). Possible DNAm patterns in infants, thus, might capture a signature of maternal intergenerational trauma, and this effect appears to be more dependent on maternal perinatal distress and CAR in blood relative to BECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Moore
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah M Merrill
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bikram Sekhon
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics & Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics & Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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13
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Methylmercury and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Seafood: A Molecular Anthropological Perspective. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app112311179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Eating seafood has numerous health benefits; however, it constitutes one of the main sources of exposure to several harmful environmental pollutants, both of anthropogenic and natural origin. Among these, methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons give rise to concerns related to their possible effects on human biology. In the present review, we summarize the results of epidemiological investigations on the genetic component of individual susceptibility to methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in humans, and on the effects that these two pollutants have on human epigenetic profiles (DNA methylation). Then, we provide evidence that Mediterranean coastal communities represent an informative case study to investigate the potential impact of methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the human genome and epigenome, since they are characterized by a traditionally high local seafood consumption, and given the characteristics that render the Mediterranean Sea particularly polluted. Finally, we discuss the challenges of a molecular anthropological approach to this topic.
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14
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Bone J. Neoliberal precarity and primalization: A biosocial perspective on the age of insecurity, injustice, and unreason. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY 2021; 72:1030-1045. [PMID: 34374077 DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In light of the observed rise in social instability and populist politics that has emerged recently even in some of the world's oldest and presumed stable democracies, this paper reappraises the role of the neoliberal political and economic consensus in fermenting popular discontent. While this is very well trodden ground the paper approaches the issues from a wholly new direction, specifically addressing how exposure to the destabilizing conditions of the present can be seen to have negatively impacted on the neurological functioning of many of the disenchanted and distressed of the current era, generating chronic negative emotional arousal and an associated impact on the capacity for rational thought and conduct. This condition of mental and emotional fugue, it is argued, has also rendered growing numbers more susceptible to marginal and radicalizing discourses, largely extended and amplified via social media, and not least the emotionally charged overtures of populist politicians. Against a backdrop of increasing insecurity, transformative changes to work and living conditions precipitated by neoliberal policy and the digital revolution, together with the epochal crisis presented by the global pandemic, it is argued that the task of understanding the deep and fundamental causes of social and political fracture have rarely been more urgent.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bone
- School of Social Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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15
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Crossman CA, Barrett-Lennard LG, Frasier TR. An example of DNA methylation as a means to quantify stress in wildlife using killer whales. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16822. [PMID: 34413356 PMCID: PMC8377091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96255-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The cumulative effects of non-lethal stressors on the health of biodiversity are a primary concern for conservation, yet difficulties remain regarding their quantification. In mammals, many stressors are processed through a common stress-response pathway, and therefore epigenetic changes in genes of this pathway may provide a powerful tool for quantifying cumulative effects. As a preliminary assessment of this approach, we investigated epigenetic manifestations of stress in two killer whale populations with different levels of exposure to anthropogenic stressors. We used bisulfite amplicon sequencing to compare patterns of DNA methylation at 25 CpG sites found in three genes involved in stress response and identified large differences in the level of methylation at two sites consistent with differential stress exposure between Northern and Southern Resident killer whale populations. DNA methylation patterns could therefore represent a useful method to assess the cumulative effects of non-lethal stressors in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla A Crossman
- Biology Department, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Lance G Barrett-Lennard
- Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Ocean Wise Conservation Association, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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16
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Wilson SL, Wallingford M. Epigenetic regulation of reproduction in human and in animal models. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 27:6329199. [PMID: 34318322 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Wilson
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto Medical Discovery Tower, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mary Wallingford
- Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Bainomugisa CK, Sutherland HG, Parker R, Mcrae AF, Haupt LM, Griffiths LR, Heath A, Nelson EC, Wright MJ, Hickie IB, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Mehta D. Using Monozygotic Twins to Dissect Common Genes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Migraine. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:678350. [PMID: 34239411 PMCID: PMC8258453 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.678350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have been associated with genes involved in Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD often co-occurs with other health conditions such as depression, cardiovascular disorder and respiratory illnesses. PTSD and migraine have previously been reported to be symptomatically positively correlated with each other, but little is known about the genes involved. The aim of this study was to understand the comorbidity between PTSD and migraine using a monozygotic twin disease discordant study design in six pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for PTSD and 15 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for migraine. DNA from peripheral blood was run on Illumina EPIC arrays and analyzed. Multiple testing correction was performed using the Bonferroni method and 10% false discovery rate (FDR). We validated 11 candidate genes previously associated with PTSD including DOCK2, DICER1, and ADCYAP1. In the epigenome-wide scan, seven novel CpGs were significantly associated with PTSD within/near IL37, WNT3, ADNP2, HTT, SLFN11, and NQO2, with all CpGs except the IL37 CpG hypermethylated in PTSD. These results were significantly enriched for genes whose DNA methylation was previously associated with migraine (p-value = 0.036). At 10% FDR, 132 CpGs in 99 genes associated with PTSD were also associated with migraine in the migraine twin samples. Genes associated with PTSD were overrepresented in vascular smooth muscle, axon guidance and oxytocin signaling pathways, while genes associated with both PTSD and migraine were enriched for AMPK signaling and longevity regulating pathways. In conclusion, these results suggest that common genes and pathways are likely involved in PTSD and migraine, explaining at least in part the co-morbidity between the two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte K Bainomugisa
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Heidi G Sutherland
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard Parker
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Allan F Mcrae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Larisa M Haupt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Lyn R Griffiths
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Elliot C Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Dale R Nyholt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
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18
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Jenz ST, Goodyear CD, TSgt Graves PR, Goldstein S, Shia MR, Redei EE. Blood and affective markers of stress in Elite Airmen during a preparatory training course: A pilot study. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100323. [PMID: 33912629 PMCID: PMC8066699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In highly stressful environments, individuals with diverging stress-reactivity can perform differently. Identification of blood markers of stress-reactivity is of major significance to help human performance during stress. Candidate transcripts were identified between stressed and non-stressed strains of rats’ blood and brain, and overlapping significant differentially expressed genes were selected. Serum levels of human orthologues of these proteins, in lieu of blood RNA, in addition to classic stress and general clinical markers, were measured in 33 Battlefield Airmen undergoing a 52 day long preparatory training course before their course of initial entry (COIE). Blood samples and factors of affective state, negative valence “Threat” and positive valence “Challenge”, were obtained five times across different days of training which included either routine physical exercise or prolonged and intense physical and mental training. During training, levels of chloride (Cl), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), creatinine kinase (CK), and total carbon dioxide (TCO2) differed between airmen who subsequently graduated from their COIE and those who did not. Time dependent changes of serum TCO2 and neuropeptide Y (NPY), as well as the affective factor Challenge differed by future graduation status throughout the training. Serum levels of parvin beta (PARVB) correlated with the affective factor Threat, while those of NPY, testosterone, coactosin like F-actin binding protein 1 (COTL1) and C-reactive protein (CRP) correlated with factor Challenge during the extended, intensive periods of training, consistently. These pilot data suggest that the identified panel of blood markers can measure stress responsiveness, which has the potential to advance individualized stress-management strategies. Levels of novel and classical serum markers signal stress severity in men. Biomarker levels reflect stress reactivity of Battlefield Airmen in training. Affective measures correlate with serum biomarkers after extended stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Jenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - C D Goodyear
- lnfoscitex Corporation, 4027 Colonel Glenn Highway, Suite 210, Dayton, OH, 45431, USA
| | - P R TSgt Graves
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate, 2510 Fifth Street, Wright Patterson AFB, OH, 45433, USA
| | - S Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - M R Shia
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2977 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433, USA
| | - E E Redei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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19
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Cabej NR. A mechanism of inheritance of acquired traits in animals. Dev Biol 2021; 475:106-117. [PMID: 33741349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Observational and experimental evidence for the inheritance of acquired traits in animals is slowly, but steadily accumulating. The onset and transmission of acquired traits implies the acquisition and transmission from parents to progeny of new information, which is different from the genetic information contained in DNA. The new non-genetic information most commonly is passed on from parents to the offspring via gamete(s), but how it is precisely transmitted to the successive generations is still unknown. Based on adequate empirical evidence presented herein, a hypothesis is proposed of the inheritance of acquired traits in animals and the flow of the relevant parental information to the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson R Cabej
- University of Tirana Faculty of Medicine, Universiteti i Mjekesise Tirane, Department of Biology, 147 Manhattan Terrace, Dumont, 07628, USA.
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20
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Yang M, Barrios J, Yan J, Zhao W, Yuan S, Dong E, Ai X. Causal roles of stress kinase JNK2 in DNA methylation and binge alcohol withdrawal-evoked behavioral deficits. Pharmacol Res 2021; 164:105375. [PMID: 33316384 PMCID: PMC7867628 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Excessive binge alcohol intake is a common drinking pattern in humans, especially during holidays. Cessation of the binge drinking often leads to aberrant withdrawal behaviors, as well as serious heart rhythm abnormalities (clinically diagnosed as Holiday Heart Syndrome (HHS)). In our HHS mouse model with well-characterized binge alcohol withdrawal (BAW)-induced heart phenotypes, BAW leads to anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive impairment. We have previously reported that stress-activated c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) plays a causal role in BAW-induced heart phenotypes. In the HHS brain, we found that activation of JNK2 (but not JNK1 and JNK3) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but not hippocampus and amygdala, led to anxiety-like behaviors and impaired cognition. DNA methylation mediated by a crucial DNA methylation enzyme, DNA methyltransferase1 (DNMT1), is known to be critical in alcohol-associated behavioral deficits. In HHS mice, JNK2 in the PFC (but not hippocampus and amygdala) causally enhanced total genomic DNA methylation via increased DNMT1 expression, which was regulated by enhanced binding of JNK downstream transcriptional factor c-JUN to the DNMT1 promoter. JNK2-specific inhibition either by an inhibitor JNK2I or JNK2 knockout completely offset c-JUN-regulated DNMT1 upregulation and restored the level of DNA methylation in HHS PFC to the baseline levels seen in sham controls. Strikingly, either JNK2-specific inhibition or genetic JNK2 depletion or DNMT1 inhibition (by an inhibitor 5-Azacytidine) completely abolished BAW-evoked behavioral deficits. In conclusion, our studies revealed a novel mechanism by which JNK2 drives BAW-evoked behavioral deficits through a DNMT1-regulated DNA hypermethylation. JNK2 could be a novel therapeutic target for alcohol withdrawal treatment and/or prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Jasson Barrios
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Jiajie Yan
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Weiwei Zhao
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Shengtao Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Erbo Dong
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Xun Ai
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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21
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Bartlett R, Sarnyai Z, Momartin S, Ooi L, Schwab SG, Matosin N. Understanding the pathology of psychiatric disorders in refugees. Psychiatry Res 2021; 296:113661. [PMID: 33373807 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Displacement of people from their homes, families and countries is a current global crisis, with over 70 million people forcibly on the move. A substantial proportion of these people will end up in regions with a different language and culture, where they are registered as refugees or asylum seekers. Due to the underlying reasons for displacement (including conflicts, persecution or violation of human rights), displaced people are severely stress-exposed, which continues into their post-migration life and increases risk for developing psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders and mood disorders. While landmark studies have illustrated the increased prevalence of psychopathology in asylum seeker and refugee populations following pre-/post-displacement stress, few studies add to our understanding of the basic biological mechanisms underpinning risk to psychiatric disorders in these populations. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying resilience despite significant adversity remain unclear. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning the development of psychiatric disorders in refugees can propel treatments (both drug and non-drug) that are capable of influencing biology at the molecular level, and the design of interventions. In the following review, we summarise the status quo of research investigating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders in refugees, and propose new ways to address gaps in knowledge with multidisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Bartlett
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Zoltan Sarnyai
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Discovery, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Shakeh Momartin
- NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), 152-168 The Horsley Drive, Carramar, NSW 2163, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Sibylle G Schwab
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Natalie Matosin
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
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22
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Aly J, Engmann O. The Way to a Human's Brain Goes Through Their Stomach: Dietary Factors in Major Depressive Disorder. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:582853. [PMID: 33364919 PMCID: PMC7750481 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.582853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, more than 250 million people are affected by depression (major depressive disorder; MDD), a serious and debilitating mental disorder. Currently available treatment options can have substantial side effects and take weeks to be fully effective. Therefore, it is important to find safe alternatives, which act more rapidly and in a larger number of patients. While much research on MDD focuses on chronic stress as a main risk factor, we here make a point of exploring dietary factors as a somewhat overlooked, yet highly promising approach towards novel antidepressant pathways. Deficiencies in various groups of nutrients often occur in patients with mental disorders. These include vitamins, especially members of the B-complex (B6, B9, B12). Moreover, an imbalance of fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, or an insufficient supply with minerals, including magnesium and zinc, are related to MDD. While some of them are relevant for the synthesis of monoamines, others play a crucial role in inflammation, neuroprotection and the synthesis of growth factors. Evidence suggests that when deficiencies return to normal, changes in mood and behavior can be, at least in some cases, achieved. Furthermore, supplementation with dietary factors (so called "nutraceuticals") may improve MDD symptoms even in the absence of a deficiency. Non-vital dietary factors may affect MDD symptoms as well. For instance, the most commonly consumed psychostimulant caffeine may improve behavioral and molecular markers of MDD. The molecular structure of most dietary factors is well known. Hence, dietary factors may provide important molecular tools to study and potentially help treat MDD symptoms. Within this review, we will discuss the role of dietary factors in MDD risk and symptomology, and critically discuss how they might serve as auxiliary treatments or preventative options for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Aly
- Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
| | - Olivia Engmann
- Institute for Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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23
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Krinner LM, Warren-Findlow J, Bowling J. Examining the Role of Childhood Adversity on Excess Alcohol Intake and Tobacco Exposure among US College Students. Subst Use Misuse 2020; 55:2087-2098. [PMID: 32657199 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2020.1790009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are often associated with substance use behaviors such as drinking excess alcohol and tobacco use. Resilience may protect individuals from engaging in these maladaptive behaviors following ACEs. Objectives: We examined the associations between ACEs and excessive alcohol consumption, and ACEs and tobacco intake and exposure among diverse college students, and whether resilience buffered this relationship. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in October 2018 with students at a large Southern university to assess ACEs, levels of resilience, and students' health behaviors. We used the Adverse Childhood Experiences - International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Brief Resilience Scale. Logistic regression modeled the relationship between ACEs and students' substance use behaviors. We adjusted for demographics, other health behaviors, and emotional health and we tested resilience as a possible buffer. Results: Participants (n = 568) were in their early twenties, almost three-fourths were female. We had a racially/ethnically diverse sample. Over two-thirds had experienced 1-4 ACEs. ACE exposure was not associated with excess alcohol consumption but exhibited a consistent dose-response relationship in unadjusted and adjusted models. Moderate ACEs increased the odds of tobacco exposure by 227% (OR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.17-9.11) in adjusted models. Resilience was unrelated to either behavior. Black respondents had significantly reduced odds for both substance use outcomes. Tobacco exposure and excess alcohol intake were comorbid behaviors. Conclusion: Childhood adversity was a significant predictor for tobacco exposure among diverse US college students. Resilience did not buffer this relationship. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity were differentially associated with substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Krinner
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jan Warren-Findlow
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessamyn Bowling
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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24
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Ketamine and rapid acting antidepressants: Are we ready to cure, rather than treat depression? Behav Brain Res 2020; 390:112628. [PMID: 32407817 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a leading cause of disability, with often chronic course of illness and high treatment resistance in a large proportion of patients. In the current short perspective paper, we present evidence supporting the presence of synaptic-based chronic stress pathology (CSP) in depression and across a number of psychiatric disorders. We summarize the synaptic connectivity model of CSP, and briefly review related preclinical and clinical evidence, while providing appropriate references for more comprehensive reviews and alternative models. We then underscore some gaps in the literature and provide various tips for future directions.
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25
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Abstract
Preschoolers are presenting in increasing numbers to primary care providers and mental health clinics with emotional and behavioural impairment. Preschoolers in the US have the highest rates of school expulsion of all age groups. Because young children are limited in their capacity to convey distress and internal states, impairment is most often expressed behaviourally. Disruptive behaviour, frequently in the form of aggression or dysregulation, is a final common pathway for many disorders in this age group. Tools and training to diagnose pre-school disorders are limited, and while some effective non-medication interventions exist, the evidence base for medication use in this age group is extremely limited. This article reviews approaches to assessing common pre-school disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), disruptive behaviour disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, perceptual disturbances and psychosis, and trauma related disorders. The evidence base for both therapeutic and psychopharmacologic interventions for these disorders is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Zaim
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joyce Harrison
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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26
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Xiao Y, Wang J, Siegel PB, Cline MA, Gilbert ER. Early-Life Stress Induced Epigenetic Changes of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Gene in Anorexic Low Body Weight-Selected Chicks. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10050051. [PMID: 32349206 PMCID: PMC7281629 DOI: 10.3390/life10050051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were increased when low body weight–selected (LWS) line chicks, which are predisposed to anorexia, were subjected to a combination of nutritional and thermal stressors at hatch. We hypothesized that such changes resulted from epigenetic modifications. We determined global DNA methylation, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity, and methylation near the promoter regions of NPY and CRF, in the hypothalamus of LWS chicks on day 5 post-hatch. Stress exposure at hatch induced global hypermethylation and increased DNMT activity in the ARC but not PVN. In the PVN of stressed LWS chicks, there was decreased methylation of a CpG site located at the core binding domain of methyl cytosine binding domain protein 2 (MBD2), near the CRF gene promoter. We then demonstrated that this was associated with disrupted binding of MBD2. There was also reduced utilization of yolk reserves and lean and fat masses in chicks that were stress-exposed. These findings provide novel insights on molecular mechanisms through which stressful events induce or intensify anorexia in predisposed individuals and a novel molecular target for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xiao
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (Y.X.); (J.W.); (P.B.S.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Jinxin Wang
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (Y.X.); (J.W.); (P.B.S.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Paul B. Siegel
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (Y.X.); (J.W.); (P.B.S.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Mark A. Cline
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (Y.X.); (J.W.); (P.B.S.); (M.A.C.)
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Gilbert
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (Y.X.); (J.W.); (P.B.S.); (M.A.C.)
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-540-231-4750
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27
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Comes AL, Czamara D, Adorjan K, Anderson-Schmidt H, Andlauer TFM, Budde M, Gade K, Hake M, Kalman JL, Papiol S, Reich-Erkelenz D, Klöhn-Saghatolislam F, Schaupp SK, Schulte EC, Senner F, Juckel G, Schmauß M, Zimmermann J, Reimer J, Reininghaus E, Anghelescu IG, Konrad C, Thiel A, Figge C, von Hagen M, Koller M, Dietrich DE, Stierl S, Scherk H, Witt SH, Sivalingam S, Degenhardt F, Forstner AJ, Rietschel M, Nöthen MM, Wiltfang J, Falkai P, Schulze TG, Heilbronner U. The role of environmental stress and DNA methylation in the longitudinal course of bipolar disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2020; 8:9. [PMID: 32048126 PMCID: PMC7013010 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-019-0176-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stressful life events influence the course of affective disorders, however, the mechanisms by which they bring about phenotypic change are not entirely known. METHODS We explored the role of DNA methylation in response to recent stressful life events in a cohort of bipolar patients from the longitudinal PsyCourse study (n = 96). Peripheral blood DNA methylomes were profiled at two time points for over 850,000 methylation sites. The association between impact ratings of stressful life events and DNA methylation was assessed, first by interrogating methylation sites in the vicinity of candidate genes previously implicated in the stress response and, second, by conducting an exploratory epigenome-wide association analysis. Third, the association between epigenetic aging and change in stress and symptom measures over time was investigated. RESULTS Investigation of methylation signatures over time revealed just over half of the CpG sites tested had an absolute difference in methylation of at least 1% over a 1-year period. Although not a single CpG site withstood correction for multiple testing, methylation at one site (cg15212455) was suggestively associated with stressful life events (p < 1.0 × 10-5). Epigenetic aging over a 1-year period was not associated with changes in stress or symptom measures. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate epigenome-wide methylation across time in bipolar patients and in relation to recent, non-traumatic stressful life events. Limited and inconclusive evidence warrants future longitudinal investigations in larger samples of well-characterized bipolar patients to give a complete picture regarding the role of DNA methylation in the course of bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Comes
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany. .,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany.
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina Adorjan
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Heike Anderson-Schmidt
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Till F M Andlauer
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Budde
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Katrin Gade
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Hake
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Janos L Kalman
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Sergi Papiol
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniela Reich-Erkelenz
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Farah Klöhn-Saghatolislam
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina K Schaupp
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva C Schulte
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Fanny Senner
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Juckel
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Max Schmauß
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bezirkskrankenhaus Augsburg, University of Augsburg, 86156, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Psychiatrieverbund Oldenburger Land gGmbH, Karl-Jaspers-Klinik, 26160, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
| | - Jens Reimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eva Reininghaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Research Unit for Bipolar Affective Disorder, Medical University of Graz, 8036, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Carsten Konrad
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum, 27356, Rotenburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Thiel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum, 27356, Rotenburg, Germany
| | - Christian Figge
- Karl-Jaspers Clinic, European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen, 26160, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Martin von Hagen
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinical Center Werra-Meißner, 37269, Eschwege, Germany
| | - Manfred Koller
- Asklepios Specialized Hospital, 37081, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Detlef E Dietrich
- AMEOS Clinical Center Hildesheim, 31135, Hildesheim, Germany.,Center für Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) Hannover, 30559, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Medical School of Hannover, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Harald Scherk
- AMEOS Clinical Center Osnabrück, 49088, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sugirthan Sivalingam
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Degenhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Human Genetics, University of Marburg, 35033, Marburg, Germany.,Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Wiltfang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,iBiMED, Medical Sciences Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Urs Heilbronner
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
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28
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Tomasi J, Lisoway AJ, Zai CC, Harripaul R, Müller DJ, Zai GCM, McCabe RE, Richter MA, Kennedy JL, Tiwari AK. Towards precision medicine in generalized anxiety disorder: Review of genetics and pharmaco(epi)genetics. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 119:33-47. [PMID: 31563039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent and chronic mental disorder that elicits widespread functional impairment. Given the high degree of non-response/partial response among patients with GAD to available pharmacological treatments, there is a strong need for novel approaches that can optimize outcomes, and lead to medications that are safer and more effective. Although investigations have identified interesting targets predicting treatment response through pharmacogenetics (PGx), pharmaco-epigenetics, and neuroimaging methods, these studies are often solitary, not replicated, and carry several limitations. This review provides an overview of the current status of GAD genetics and PGx and presents potential strategies to improve treatment response by combining better phenotyping with PGx and improved analytical methods. These strategies carry the dual benefit of delivering data on biomarkers of treatment response as well as pointing to disease mechanisms through the biology of the markers associated with response. Overall, these efforts can serve to identify clinical, genetic, and epigenetic factors that can be incorporated into a pharmaco(epi)genetic test that may ultimately improve treatment response and reduce the socioeconomic burden of GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Tomasi
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda J Lisoway
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ricardo Harripaul
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gwyneth C M Zai
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Randi E McCabe
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret A Richter
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - James L Kennedy
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Arun K Tiwari
- Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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29
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Westerman K, Sebastiani P, Jacques P, Liu S, DeMeo D, Ordovás JM. DNA methylation modules associate with incident cardiovascular disease and cumulative risk factor exposure. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:142. [PMID: 31615550 PMCID: PMC6792327 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0705-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenome-wide association studies using DNA methylation have the potential to uncover novel biomarkers and mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the direction of causation for these associations is not always clear, and investigations to-date have often failed to replicate at the level of individual loci. METHODS Here, we undertook module- and region-based DNA methylation analyses of incident CVD in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort (FHS) in order to find more robust epigenetic biomarkers for cardiovascular risk. We applied weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and the Comb-p algorithm to find methylation modules and regions associated with incident CVD in the WHI dataset. RESULTS We discovered two modules whose activation correlated with CVD risk and replicated across cohorts. One of these modules was enriched for development-related processes and overlaps strongly with epigenetic aging sites. For the other, we showed preliminary evidence for monocyte-specific effects and statistical links to cumulative exposure to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, we found three regions (associated with the genes SLC9A1, SLC1A5, and TNRC6C) whose methylation associates with CVD risk. CONCLUSIONS In sum, we present several epigenetic associations with incident CVD which reveal disease mechanisms related to development and monocyte biology. Furthermore, we show that epigenetic modules may act as a molecular readout of cumulative cardiovascular risk factor exposure, with implications for the improvement of clinical risk prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Westerman
- JM-USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paola Sebastiani
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Jacques
- JM-USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simin Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Dawn DeMeo
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - José M Ordovás
- JM-USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
- IMDEA Alimentación, CEI, UAM, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.
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30
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Hill SY, Sharma VK. DRD2 methylation and regional grey matter volumes in young adult offspring from families at ultra-high risk for alcohol dependence. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 286:31-38. [PMID: 30877890 PMCID: PMC6453708 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic alteration is a prominent feature in those with AD and may influence brain development in those with a family history of AD. MRI scans (3T) from 43 HR offspring (27.4 ± 3.6 years) and 45 controls (24.5 ± 4.1 years) provided whole brain (WB) and region of interest (ROI) analyses. The VBM8 toolbox was used for WB analysis (threshold p < 0.005; cluster = 100 voxels); the MarsBaR ROI toolbox provided region of interest data. Pyrosequencing of CpG sites within the DRD2 gene was performed. DRD2 methylation was significantly increased in association with familial high-risk status. Significant familial risk group differences were seen with HR individuals showing reduced volume of the Left Inferior Temporal, Left Fusiform and Left Insula regions relative to LR controls. These regions have previously been linked to social cognition. DRD2 methylation was negatively related to grey matter volumes in these regions. Because these regions, have been previously linked to facial affect perception and social cognition, lesser grey matter volumes in individuals at high-risk for developing AD suggests that neural underpinnings of social cognitive impairment may be a premorbid risk factors for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Y Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O' Hara Street, Pittsburgh 15213, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Vinod K Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O' Hara Street, Pittsburgh 15213, PA, USA
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31
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Fransquet PD, Wrigglesworth J, Woods RL, Ernst ME, Ryan J. The epigenetic clock as a predictor of disease and mortality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:62. [PMID: 30975202 PMCID: PMC6458841 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0656-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ageing is one of the principal risk factors for many chronic diseases. However, there is considerable between-person variation in the rate of ageing and individual differences in their susceptibility to disease and death. Epigenetic mechanisms may play a role in human ageing, and DNA methylation age biomarkers may be good predictors of age-related diseases and mortality risk. The aims of this systematic review were to identify and synthesise the evidence for an association between peripherally measured DNA methylation age and longevity, age-related disease, and mortality risk. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Using relevant search terms, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsychINFO databases were searched to identify articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were assessed for bias using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Data was extracted from studies measuring age acceleration as a predictor of age-related diseases, mortality or longevity, and the findings for similar outcomes compared. Using Review Manager 5.3 software, two meta-analyses (one per epigenetic clock) were conducted on studies measuring all-cause mortality. RESULTS Twenty-three relevant articles were identified, including a total of 41,607 participants. Four studies focused on ageing and longevity, 11 on age-related disease (cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia), and 11 on mortality. There was some, although inconsistent, evidence for an association between increased DNA methylation age and risk of disease. Meta-analyses indicated that each 5-year increase in DNA methylation age was associated an 8 to 15% increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSION Due to the small number of studies and heterogeneity in study design and outcomes, the association between DNA methylation age and age-related disease and longevity is inconclusive. Increased epigenetic age was associated with mortality risk, but positive publication bias needs to be considered. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which DNA methylation age can be used as a clinical biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Fransquet
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, ASPREE, Level 5, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia.,Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Jo Wrigglesworth
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, ASPREE, Level 5, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Robyn L Woods
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, ASPREE, Level 5, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Michael E Ernst
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, ASPREE, Level 5, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia. .,Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia. .,INSERM, U1061, Neuropsychiatrie, Recherche Clinique et Epidémiologique, Neuropsychiatry: Research Epidemiological and Clinic, Université Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France.
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Morrison FG, Miller MW, Logue MW, Assef M, Wolf EJ. DNA methylation correlates of PTSD: Recent findings and technical challenges. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 90:223-234. [PMID: 30503303 PMCID: PMC6314898 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that epigenetic factors play a critical role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by mediating the impact of environmental exposures to trauma on the regulation of gene expression. DNA methylation is one epigenetic process that has been highly studied in PTSD. This review will begin by providing an overview of DNA methylation (DNAm) methods, and will then highlight two major biological systems that have been identified in the epigenetic regulation in PTSD: (a) the immune system and (b) the stress response system. In addition to candidate gene approaches, we will review novel strategies to study epigenome-wide PTSD-related effects, including epigenome-wide algorithms that distill information from many loci into a single summary score (e.g., measures of "epigenetic age" which have been associated with PTSD). This review will also cover recent epigenome wide association studies (EWAS) of PTSD, and biological pathway models used to identify gene sets enriched in PTSD. Finally, we address technical and methodological advances and challenges to the field, and highlight exciting directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomene G Morrison
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA.
| | - Mark W Miller
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mark W Logue
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA; Biomedical Genetics, Boston University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, USA
| | - Michele Assef
- Boston University, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, USA
| | - Erika J Wolf
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA
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Sah A, Sotnikov S, Kharitonova M, Schmuckermair C, Diepold RP, Landgraf R, Whittle N, Singewald N. Epigenetic Mechanisms Within the Cingulate Cortex Regulate Innate Anxiety-Like Behavior. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:317-328. [PMID: 30668714 PMCID: PMC6441131 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathological anxiety originates from a complex interplay of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, acting via epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic processes that can counteract detrimental genetic risk towards innate high anxiety are not well characterized. METHODS We used female mouse lines of selectively bred high (HAB)- vs low (LAB)-innate anxiety-related behavior and performed select environmental and pharmacological manipulations to alter anxiety levels as well as brain-specific manipulations and immunohistochemistry to investigate neuronal mechanisms associated with alterations in anxiety-related behavior. RESULTS Inborn hyperanxiety of high anxiety-like phenotypes was effectively reduced by environmental enrichment exposure. c-Fos mapping revealed that hyperanxiety in high anxiety-like phenotypes was associated with blunted challenge-induced neuronal activation in the cingulate-cortex, which was normalized by environmental enrichment. Relating this finding with epigenetic modifications, we found that high anxiety-like phenotypes (compared with low-innate anxiety phenotypes) showed reduced acetylation in the hypoactivated cingulate-cortex neurons following a mild emotional challenge, which again was normalized by environmental enrichment. Paralleling the findings using environmental enrichment, systemic administration of histone-deacetylase-inhibitor MS-275 elicited an anxiolytic-like effect, which was correlated with increased acetylated-histone-3 levels within cingulate-cortex. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, local MS-275 injection into cingulate-cortex rescued enhanced innate anxiety and increased acetylated-histone-3 within the cingulate-cortex, suggesting this epigenetic mark as a biomarker for treatment success. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the present findings provide the first causal evidence that the attenuation of high innate anxiety-like behavior via environmental/pharmacological manipulations is epigenetically mediated via acetylation changes within the cingulate-cortex. Finally, histone-3 specific histone-deacetylase-inhibitor could be of therapeutic importance in anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Sah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Maria Kharitonova
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Claudia Schmuckermair
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | | | - Nigel Whittle
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria,Correspondence: Nicolas Singewald, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80–82/III, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria ()
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Abdallah CG, Averill LA, Akiki TJ, Raza M, Averill CL, Gomaa H, Adikey A, Krystal JH. The Neurobiology and Pharmacotherapy of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 59:171-189. [PMID: 30216745 PMCID: PMC6326888 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010818-021701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
New approaches to the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are needed to address the reported crisis in PTSD drug development. These new approaches may require the field to move beyond a narrow fear-based perspective, as fear-based medications have not yet demonstrated compelling efficacy. Antidepressants, particularly recent rapid-acting antidepressants, exert complex effects on brain function and structure that build on novel aspects of the biology of PTSD, including a role for stress-related synaptic dysconnectivity in the neurobiology and treatment of PTSD. Here, we integrate this perspective within a broader framework-in other words, a dual pathology model of ( a) stress-related synaptic loss arising from amino acid-based pathology and ( b) stress-related synaptic gain related to monoamine-based pathology. Then, we summarize the standard and experimental (e.g., ketamine) pharmacotherapeutic options for PTSD and discuss their putative mechanism of action and clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadi G Abdallah
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Lynnette A Averill
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Teddy J Akiki
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Mohsin Raza
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Christopher L Averill
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Hassaan Gomaa
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Archana Adikey
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - John H Krystal
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
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Uddin M, Ratanatharathorn A, Armstrong D, Kuan PF, Aiello AE, Bromet EJ, Galea S, Koenen KC, Luft B, Ressler KJ, Wildman DE, Nievergelt CM, Smith A. Epigenetic meta-analysis across three civilian cohorts identifies NRG1 and HGS as blood-based biomarkers for post-traumatic stress disorder. Epigenomics 2018; 10:1585-1601. [PMID: 30456986 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2018-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Trauma exposure is a necessary, but not deterministic, contributor to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Epigenetic factors may distinguish between trauma-exposed individuals with versus without PTSD. MATERIALS & METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis of PTSD epigenome-wide association studies in trauma-exposed cohorts drawn from civilian contexts. Whole blood-derived DNA methylation levels were analyzed in 545 study participants, drawn from the three civilian cohorts participating in the PTSD working group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. RESULTS Two CpG sites significantly associated with current PTSD in NRG1 (cg23637605) and in HGS (cg19577098). CONCLUSION PTSD is associated with differential methylation, measured in blood, within HGS and NRG1 across three civilian cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Uddin
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 603 East Daniel St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Andrew Ratanatharathorn
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St, NY 10032, USA
| | - Don Armstrong
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Pei-Fen Kuan
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, John S Toll Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Evelyn J Bromet
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Sandro Galea
- Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Psychiatic & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit & Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Benjamin Luft
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, 101 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 407 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,VA Center of Excellence for Stress & Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Alicia Smith
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences & Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Emory University School of Medicine, 100 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Abdallah CG, Sanacora G, Duman RS, Krystal JH. The neurobiology of depression, ketamine and rapid-acting antidepressants: Is it glutamate inhibition or activation? Pharmacol Ther 2018; 190:148-158. [PMID: 29803629 PMCID: PMC6165688 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the antidepressant effects of ketamine has opened a breakthrough opportunity to develop a truly novel class of safe, effective, and rapid-acting antidepressants (RAADs). In addition, the rapid and robust biological and behavioral effects of ketamine offered a unique opportunity to utilize the drug as a tool to thoroughly investigate the neurobiology of stress and depression in animals, and to develop sensitive and reproducible biomarkers in humans. The ketamine literature over the past two decades has considerably enriched our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic stress, depression, and RAADs. However, considering the complexity of the pharmacokinetics and in vivo pharmacodynamics of ketamine, several questions remain unanswered and, at times, even answered questions continue to be considered controversial or at least not fully understood. The current perspective paper summarizes our understanding of the neurobiology of depression, and the mechanisms of action of ketamine and other RAADs. The review focuses on the role of glutamate neurotransmission - reviewing the history of the "glutamate inhibition" and "glutamate activation" hypotheses, proposing a synaptic connectivity model of chronic stress pathology, and describing the mechanism of action of ketamine. It will also summarize the clinical efficacy findings of putative RAADs, present relevant human biomarker findings, and discuss current challenges and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadi G Abdallah
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, USA.
| | - Gerard Sanacora
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, USA
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, USA; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, USA
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, USA; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, USA
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Kim GS, Smith AK, Nievergelt CM, Uddin M. Neuroepigenetics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 158:227-253. [PMID: 30072055 PMCID: PMC6474244 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While diagnosis of PTSD is based on behavioral symptom clusters that are most directly associated with brain function, epigenetic studies of PTSD in humans to date have been limited to peripheral tissues. Animal models of PTSD have been key for understanding the epigenetic alterations in the brain most directly relevant to endophenotypes of PTSD, in particular those pertaining to fear memory and stress response. This chapter provides an overview of neuroepigenetic studies based on animal models of PTSD, with an emphasis on the effect of stress on fear memory. Where relevant, we also describe human-based studies with relevance to neuroepigenetic insights gleaned from animal work and suggest promising directions for future studies of PTSD neuroepigenetics in living humans that combine peripheral epigenetic measures with measures of central nervous system activity, structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S Kim
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Medical Scholars Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Monica Uddin
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.
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Akiki TJ, Averill CL, Abdallah CG. A Network-Based Neurobiological Model of PTSD: Evidence From Structural and Functional Neuroimaging Studies. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2017; 19:81. [PMID: 28924828 PMCID: PMC5960989 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-017-0840-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although a fine-grained understanding of the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is yet to be elucidated, the last two decades have seen a rapid growth in the study of PTSD using neuroimaging techniques. The current review summarizes important findings from functional and structural neuroimaging studies of PTSD, by primarily focusing on their relevance towards an emerging network-based neurobiological model of the disorder. RECENT FINDINGS PTSD may be characterized by a weakly connected and hypoactive default mode network (DMN) and central executive network (CEN) that are putatively destabilized by an overactive and hyperconnected salience network (SN), which appears to have a low threshold for perceived saliency, and inefficient DMN-CEN modulation. There is considerable evidence for large-scale functional and structural network dysfunction in PTSD. Nevertheless, several limitations and gaps in the literature need to be addressed in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teddy J. Akiki
- National Center for PTSD – Clinical Neurosciences Division, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Christopher L. Averill
- National Center for PTSD – Clinical Neurosciences Division, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Chadi G. Abdallah
- National Center for PTSD – Clinical Neurosciences Division, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, Connecticut,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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