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Hodge KM, Zhabotynsky V, Burt AA, Carter BS, Fry RC, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, DellaGrotta SA, Dansereau LM, Lester BM, Marsit CJ, O'Shea TM, Everson TM. Epigenetic associations in HPA axis genes related to bronchopulmonary dysplasia and antenatal steroids. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4. [PMID: 38480856 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common morbidity among very preterm infants, is associated with chronic disease and neurodevelopmental impairments. A hypothesized mechanism for these outcomes lies in altered glucocorticoid (GC) activity. We hypothesized that BPD and its treatments may result in epigenetic differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is modulated by GC, and could be ascertained using an established GC risk score and DNA methylation (DNAm) of HPA axis genes. METHODS DNAm was quantified from buccal tissue (ECHO-NOVI) and from neonatal blood spots (ELGAN ECHO) via the EPIC microarray. Prenatal maternal characteristics, pregnancy complication, and neonatal medical complication data were collected from medical record review and maternal interviews. RESULTS The GC score was not associated with steroid exposure or BPD. However, six HPA genes involved in stress response regulation demonstrated differential methylation with antenatal steroid exposure; two CpGs within FKBP5 and POMC were differentially methylated with BPD severity. These findings were sex-specific in both cohorts; males had greater magnitude of differential methylation within these genes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that BPD severity and antenatal steroids are associated with DNAm at some HPA genes in very preterm infants and the effects appear to be sex-, tissue-, and age-specific. IMPACT This study addresses bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), an important health outcome among preterm neonates, and interrogates a commonly studied pathway, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The combination of BPD, the HPA axis, and epigenetic markers has not been previously reported. In this study, we found that BPD itself was not associated with epigenetic responses in the HPA axis in infants born very preterm; however, antenatal treatment with steroids was associated with epigenetic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenyaita M Hodge
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vasyl Zhabotynsky
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amber A Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen Devos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Sheri A DellaGrotta
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lynne M Dansereau
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Todd M Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Cruz-Mendoza F, Luquin S, García-Estrada J, Fernández-Quezada D, Jauregui-Huerta F. Acoustic Stress Induces Opposite Proliferative/Transformative Effects in Hippocampal Glia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065520. [PMID: 36982594 PMCID: PMC10058072 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a brain region crucially involved in regulating stress responses and highly sensitive to environmental changes, with elevated proliferative and adaptive activity of neurons and glial cells. Despite the prevalence of environmental noise as a stressor, its effects on hippocampal cytoarchitecture remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of acoustic stress on hippocampal proliferation and glial cytoarchitecture in adult male rats, using environmental noise as a stress model. After 21 days of noise exposure, our results showed abnormal cellular proliferation in the hippocampus, with an inverse effect on the proliferation ratios of astrocytes and microglia. Both cell lineages also displayed atrophic morphologies with fewer processes and lower densities in the noise-stressed animals. Our findings suggest that, stress not only affects neurogenesis and neuronal death in the hippocampus, but also the proliferation ratio, cell density, and morphology of glial cells, potentially triggering an inflammatory-like response that compromises their homeostatic and repair functions.
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3
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James KA, Stromin JI, Steenkamp N, Combrinck MI. Understanding the relationships between physiological and psychosocial stress, cortisol and cognition. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1085950. [PMID: 36950689 PMCID: PMC10025564 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1085950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is viewed as a state of real or perceived threat to homeostasis, the management of which involves the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems. These systems work independently and interactively as part of the stress response. The scientific stress literature, which spans both animal and human studies, contains heterogeneous findings about the effects of stress on the brain and the body. This review seeks to summarise and integrate literature on the relationships between these systems, examining particularly the roles of physiological and psychosocial stress, the stress hormone cortisol, as controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and the effects of stress on cognitive functioning. Health conditions related to impaired HPA axis functioning and their associated neuropsychiatric symptoms will also be considered. Lastly, this review will provide suggestions of clinical applicability for endocrinologists who are uniquely placed to measure outcomes related to endocrine, nervous and immune system functioning and identify areas of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Ann James
- Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuropsychology Team (ACSENT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Juliet Ilena Stromin
- Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuropsychology Team (ACSENT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nina Steenkamp
- Applied Cognitive Science and Experimental Neuropsychology Team (ACSENT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marc Irwin Combrinck
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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4
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Chin JSR, Phan TAN, Albert LT, Keene AC, Duboué ER. Long lasting anxiety following early life stress is dependent on glucocorticoid signaling in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12826. [PMID: 35896563 PMCID: PMC9329305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16257-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic adversity in early childhood is associated with increased anxiety and a propensity for substance abuse later in adulthood, yet the effects of early life stress (ELS) on brain development remain poorly understood. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is a powerful model for studying neurodevelopment and stress. Here, we describe a zebrafish model of ELS and identify a role for glucocorticoid signaling during a critical window in development that leads to long-term changes in brain function. Larval fish subjected to chronic stress in early development exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior and elevated glucocorticoid levels later in life. Increased stress-like behavior was only observed when fish were subjected to ELS within a precise time window in early development, revealing a temporal critical window of sensitivity. Moreover, enhanced anxiety-like behavior only emerges after two months post-ELS, revealing a developmentally specified delay in the effects of ELS. ELS leads to increased levels of baseline cortisol, and resulted in a dysregulation of cortisol receptors' mRNA expression, suggesting long-term effects on cortisol signaling. Together, these findings reveal a 'critical window' for ELS to affect developmental reprogramming of the glucocorticoid receptor pathway, resulting in chronic elevated stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline S R Chin
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL, 33407, USA
| | - Tram-Anh N Phan
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL, 33407, USA
| | - Lydia T Albert
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL, 33407, USA
| | - Alex C Keene
- College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Erik R Duboué
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL, 33407, USA.
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5
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Que nous apprenent les enfants des survivants de la shoah sur la transmission transgenerationnelle du traumatisme? EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAUMA & DISSOCIATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2021.100249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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6
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Leptin promoter methylation in female patients with painful multisomatoform disorder and chronic widespread pain. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:13. [PMID: 35063029 PMCID: PMC8783406 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01235-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Different functional somatic syndromes (FSS), fibromyalgia (FMS) and other unexplained painful conditions share many common clinical traits and are characterized by troubling and functionally disabling somatic symptoms. Chronic pain is most frequently reported and at the center of patients’ level of disease burden. The construct of multisomatoform disorder (MSD) allows to subsume severely impaired patients suffering from FSS, FMS and other unexplained painful conditions to be examined for common underlying processes. Altered leptin levels and a pathological response of the HPA-axis as a result of chronic stress and childhood trauma have been suggested as one of the driving factors of disease development and severity. Previous studies have demonstrated that methylation of the leptin promoter can play a regulatory role in addiction. In this study, we hypothesized that methylation of the leptin promoter is influenced by the degree of childhood traumatization and differs between patients with MSD and controls. A cohort of 151 patients with MSD and 149 matched healthy volunteers were evaluated using clinical and psychometric assessment while methylation level analysis of the leptin promoter was performed using DNA isolated from whole blood. Results In female controls, we found CpG C-167 to be negatively correlated with leptin levels, whereas in female patients CpG C-289, C-255, C-193, C-167 and methylation cluster (C-291 to C-167) at putative bindings sites for transcription factors Sp1 and c/EBPalpha were negatively correlated with leptin levels. Methylation levels were significantly lower in female patients CpG C-289 compared with controls. When looking at female patients with chronic widespread pain methylation levels were significantly lower at CpG C-289, C-255 and methylation cluster (C-291 to C-167). Conclusion Our findings support the hypothesis that epigenetic regulation of leptin plays a role in the regulation of leptin levels in patients with MSD. This effect is more pronounced in patients with chronic widespread pain. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-022-01235-5.
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Campbell KA. The neurobiology of childhood trauma, from early physical pain onwards: as relevant as ever in today's fractured world. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2131969. [PMID: 36276555 PMCID: PMC9586666 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2022.2131969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The situation in the world today, encompassing multiple armed conflicts, notably in Ukraine, the Coronavirus pandemic and the effects of climate change, increases the likelihood of childhood exposure to physical injury and pain. Other effects of these worldwide hardships include poverty, malnutrition and starvation, also bringing with them other forms of trauma, including emotional harm, neglect and deliberate maltreatment. Objective: To review the neurobiology of the systems in the developing brain that are most affected by physical and emotional trauma and neglect. Method: The review begins with those that mature first, such as the somatosensory system, progressing to structures that have a more protracted development, including those involved in cognition and emotional regulation. Explored next are developing stress response systems, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its central regulator, corticotropin-releasing hormone. Also examined are reward and anti-reward systems and genetic versus environmental influences. The behavioural consequences of interpersonal childhood trauma, focusing on self-harm and suicide, are also surveyed briefly. Finally, pointers to effective treatment are proffered. Results: The low-threshold nature of circuitry in the developing brain and lack of inhibitory connections therein result in heightened excitability, making the consequences of both physical and emotional trauma more intense. Sensitive and critical periods in the development of structures such as the amygdala render the nervous system more vulnerable to insults occurring at those points, increasing the likelihood of psychiatric disorders, culminating in self-harm and even suicide. Conclusion: In view of the greater excitability of the developing nervous system, and its vulnerability to physical and psychological injuries, the review ends with an exhortation to consider the long-term consequences of childhood trauma, often underestimated or missed altogether when faced with adults suffering mental health problems.
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8
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Jaimes-Hoy L, Pérez-Maldonado A, Narváez Bahena E, de la Cruz Guarneros N, Rodríguez-Rodríguez A, Charli JL, Soberón X, Joseph-Bravo P. Sex Dimorphic Changes in Trh Gene Methylation and Thyroid-Axis Response to Energy Demands in Maternally Separated Rats. Endocrinology 2021; 162:bqab110. [PMID: 34043769 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis regulates energy balance through the pleiotropic action of thyroid hormones. HPT basal activity and stimulation by cold or voluntary exercise are repressed by previous chronic stress in adults. Maternal separation (MS) modifies HPT basal activity; we thus studied the response of the axis to energy demands and analyzed possible epigenetic changes on Trh promoter. Nonhandled (NH) or MS male Wistar rats were cold exposed 1 h at adulthood; Trh expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentration were increased only in NH rats. Two weeks of voluntary exercise decreased fat mass and increased Trh expression, and thyroid hormones concentration changed proportionally to running distance in NH male rats and MS male rats. Although NH females ran more than MS and much more than males, exercise decreased body weight and fat mass only in NH rats with no change on any parameter of the HPT axis but increased Pomc expression in arcuate-nucleus of NH and Npy in MS females. Overall, the methylation pattern of PVN Trh gene promoter was similar in NH males and females; MS modified methylation of specific CpG sites, a thyroid hormone receptor (THR)-binding site present after the initiation site was hypomethylated in MS males; in MS females, the THR binding site of the proximal promoter (site 4) and 2 sites in the first intron were hypermethylated. Our studies showed that, in a sex-dimorphic manner, MS blunted the responses of HPT axis to energy demands in adult animals and caused methylation changes on Trh promoter that could alter T3 feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Jaimes-Hoy
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Adrián Pérez-Maldonado
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Elian Narváez Bahena
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Natalia de la Cruz Guarneros
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Adair Rodríguez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Jean-Louis Charli
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Xavier Soberón
- Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Patricia Joseph-Bravo
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
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Dick A, Chen A. The role of TET proteins in stress-induced neuroepigenetic and behavioural adaptations. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100352. [PMID: 34189192 PMCID: PMC8220100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, critical, non-redundant roles of the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family of dioxygenase enzymes have been identified in the brain during developmental and postnatal stages. Specifically, TET-mediated active demethylation, involving the iterative oxidation of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and subsequent oxidative derivatives, is dynamically regulated in response to environmental stimuli such as neuronal activity, learning and memory processes, and stressor exposure. Such changes may therefore perpetuate stable and dynamic transcriptional patterns within neuronal populations required for neuroplasticity and behavioural adaptation. In this review, we will highlight recent evidence supporting a role of TET protein function and active demethylation in stress-induced neuroepigenetic and behavioural adaptations. We further explore potential mechanisms by which TET proteins may mediate both the basal and pathological embedding of stressful life experiences within the brain of relevance to stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec Dick
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Corresponding author.
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- The Ruhman Family Laboratory for Research on the Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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10
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Implications of Extended Inhibitory Neuron Development. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105113. [PMID: 34066025 PMCID: PMC8150951 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A prolonged developmental timeline for GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-expressing inhibitory neurons (GABAergic interneurons) is an amplified trait in larger, gyrencephalic animals. In several species, the generation, migration, and maturation of interneurons take place over several months, in some cases persisting after birth. The late integration of GABAergic interneurons occurs in a region-specific pattern, especially during the early postnatal period. These changes can contribute to the formation of functional connectivity and plasticity, especially in the cortical regions responsible for higher cognitive tasks. In this review, we discuss GABAergic interneuron development in the late gestational and postnatal forebrain. We propose the protracted development of interneurons at each stage (neurogenesis, neuronal migration, and network integration), as a mechanism for increased complexity and cognitive flexibility in larger, gyrencephalic brains. This developmental feature of interneurons also provides an avenue for environmental influences to shape neural circuit formation.
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11
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Lewis CR, Breitenstein RS, Henderson A, Sowards HA, Piras IS, Huentelman MJ, Doane LD, Lemery-Chalfant K. Harsh Parenting Predicts Novel HPA Receptor Gene Methylation and NR3C1 Methylation Predicts Cortisol Daily Slope in Middle Childhood. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:783-793. [PMID: 32472381 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00885-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adverse experiences in childhood are associated with altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and negative health outcomes throughout life. It is now commonly accepted that abuse and neglect can alter epigenetic regulation of HPA genes. Accumulated evidence suggests harsh parenting practices such as spanking are also strong predictors of negative health outcomes. We predicted harsh parenting at 2.5 years old would predict HPA gene DNA methylation similarly to abuse and neglect, and cortisol output at 8.5 years old. Saliva samples were collected three times a day across 3 days to estimate cortisol diurnal slopes. Methylation was quantified using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC array BeadChip (850 K) with DNA collected from buccal cells. We used principal components analysis to compute a summary statistic for CpG sites across candidate genes. The first and second components were used as outcome variables in mixed linear regression analyses with harsh parenting as a predictor variable. We found harsh parenting significantly predicted methylation of several HPA axis genes, including novel gene associations with AVPRB1, CRHR1, CRHR2, and MC2R (FDR corrected p < 0.05). Further, we found NR3C1 methylation predicted a steeper diurnal cortisol slope. Our results extend the current literature by demonstrating harsh parenting may influence DNA methylation similarly to more extreme early life experiences such as abuse and neglect. Further, we show NR3C1 methylation is associated with diurnal HPA function. Elucidating the molecular consequences of harsh parenting on health can inform best parenting practices and provide potential treatment targets for common complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R Lewis
- Neurogenomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
- Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | | | - Adrienne Henderson
- Neurogenomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | | | - Ignazio S Piras
- Neurogenomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Matthew J Huentelman
- Neurogenomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Leah D Doane
- Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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12
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Akbarabadi A, Sadat-Shirazi MS, Kabbaj M, Nouri Zadeh-Tehrani S, Khalifeh S, Pirri F, Zarrindast MR. Effects of Morphine and Maternal Care on Behaviors and Protein Expression of Male Offspring. Neuroscience 2021; 466:58-76. [PMID: 33915201 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Genes and environment interact during development to alter gene expression and behavior. Parental morphine exposure before conception has devastating effects on the offspring. In the present study, we evaluated the role of maternal care in the intergenerational effect of maternal morphine exposure. Female rats received morphine or saline for ten days and were drugfree for another ten days. Thereafter, they were allowed to mate with drug-naïve male rats. When pups were born, they were cross-fostered to assess the contribution of maternal care versus morphine effects on the offspring. Adult male offspring were examined for anxiety-like behavior, spatial memory, and obsessive-compulsive-like behavior. To determine the mechanisms underlying the observed behavioral changes, protein levels of acetylated histone H3, BDNF, Trk-B, NMDA subunits, p-CREB, and 5-HT3R were measured in the brain. Our results indicate that maternal caregiving is impaired in morphine-abstinent mothers. Interestingly, maternal care behaviors were also affected in drug-naïve mothers that raised offspring of morphine-exposed mothers. In addition, the offspring of morphine abstinent and non-drug dependent mothers, when raised by morphine abstinent mothers, exhibited more anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and impaired spatial memory. These altered behaviors were associated with alterations in the levels of the above-mentioned proteins. These data illustrate the intergenerational effects of maternal morphine exposure on offspring behaviors. Moreover, exposure to morphine before gestation not only affects maternal care and offspring behavior, but also has negative consequences on behaviors and protein expression in adoptive mothers of affected offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardeshir Akbarabadi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, United States; Program of Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, United States
| | | | - Solmaz Khalifeh
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Tehran Medical Sciences, Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fardad Pirri
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Tehran Medical Sciences, Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
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13
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Goodrich JM, Hector EC, Tang L, LaBarre JL, Dolinoy DC, Mercado-Garcia A, Cantoral A, Song PX, Téllez-Rojo MM, Peterson KE. Integrative Analysis of Gene-Specific DNA Methylation and Untargeted Metabolomics Data from the ELEMENT Cohort. Epigenet Insights 2020; 13:2516865720977888. [PMID: 33354655 PMCID: PMC7734565 DOI: 10.1177/2516865720977888] [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: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, influence gene expression and cardiometabolic phenotypes that are manifest in developmental periods in later life, including adolescence. Untargeted metabolomics analysis provide a comprehensive snapshot of physiological processes and metabolism and have been related to DNA methylation in adults, offering insights into the regulatory networks that influence cellular processes. We analyzed the cross-sectional correlation of blood leukocyte DNA methylation with 3758 serum metabolite features (574 of which are identifiable) in 238 children (ages 8-14 years) from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) study. Associations between these features and percent DNA methylation in adolescent blood leukocytes at LINE-1 repetitive elements and genes that regulate early life growth (IGF2, H19, HSD11B2) were assessed by mixed effects models, adjusting for sex, age, and puberty status. After false discovery rate correction (FDR q < 0.05), 76 metabolites were significantly associated with LINE-1 DNA methylation, 27 with HSD11B2, 103 with H19, and 4 with IGF2. The ten identifiable metabolites included dicarboxylic fatty acids (five associated with LINE-1 or H19 methylation at q < 0.05) and 1-octadecanoyl-rac-glycerol (q < 0.0001 for association with H19 and q = 0.04 for association with LINE-1). We then assessed the association between these ten known metabolites and adiposity 3 years later. Two metabolites, dicarboxylic fatty acid 17:3 and 5-oxo-7-octenoic acid, were inversely associated with measures of adiposity (P < .05) assessed approximately 3 years later in adolescence. In stratified analyses, sex-specific and puberty-stage specific (Tanner stage = 2 to 5 vs Tanner stage = 1) associations were observed. Most notably, hundreds of statistically significant associations were observed between H19 and LINE-1 DNA methylation and metabolites among children who had initiated puberty. Understanding relationships between subclinical molecular biomarkers (DNA methylation and metabolites) may increase our understanding of genes and biological pathways contributing to metabolic changes that underlie the development of adiposity during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Goodrich
- Deptartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily C Hector
- Deptartment of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Deptartment of Statistics, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Lu Tang
- Deptartment of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Jennifer L LaBarre
- Deptartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Deptartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Deptartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adriana Mercado-Garcia
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandra Cantoral
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Peter Xk Song
- Deptartment of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Martha Maria Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Karen E Peterson
- Deptartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Deptartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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14
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Sanchez CM, Titus DJ, Wilson NM, Freund JE, Atkins CM. Early Life Stress Exacerbates Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2020; 38:555-565. [PMID: 32862765 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurocognitive impairments associated with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) often resolve within 1-2 weeks; however, a subset of people exhibit persistent cognitive dysfunction for weeks to months after injury. The factors that contribute to these persistent deficits are unknown. One potential risk factor for worsened outcome after TBI is a history of stress experienced by a person early in life. Early life stress (ELS) includes maltreatment such as neglect, and interferes with the normal construction of cortical and hippocampal circuits. We hypothesized that a history of ELS contributes to persistent learning and memory dysfunction following a TBI. To explore this interaction, we modeled ELS by separating Sprague Dawley pups from their nursing mothers from post-natal days 2-14 for 3 h daily. At 2 months of age, male rats received sham surgery or mild to moderate parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury. We found that the combination of ELS with TBI in adulthood impaired hippocampal-dependent learning, as assessed with contextual fear conditioning, the water maze task, and spatial working memory. Cortical atrophy was significantly exacerbated in TBI animals exposed to ELS compared with normal-reared TBI animals. Changes in corticosterone in response to restraint stress were prolonged in TBI animals that received ELS compared with TBI animals that were normally reared or sham animals that received ELS. Our findings indicate that ELS is a risk factor for worsened outcome after TBI, and results in persistent learning and memory deficits, worsened cortical pathology, and an exacerbation of the hormonal stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M Sanchez
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - David J Titus
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nicole M Wilson
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Julie E Freund
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Coleen M Atkins
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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15
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Lewis CR, Sowards HA, Huentelman MJ, Doane LD, Lemery-Chalfant K. Epigenetic differences in inflammation genes of monozygotic twins are related to parent-child emotional availability and health. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 5:100084. [PMID: 34589859 PMCID: PMC8474531 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The inflammatory response is an immune defense engaged immediately after injury or infection. Chronic inflammation can be deleterious for various health outcomes and is characterized by high levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). A large body of research demonstrates these inflammatory markers are responsive to stress and quality of social relationships throughout the lifespan. For example, the quality of the early parental bond predicts various health outcomes and may be driven by changes in immune function. Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, may be one mechanism by which early social experiences shape immune functioning. The present study used a monozygotic twin difference design to assess if mother-reported emotional availability at 1 year and 2.5 years predicted immune gene methylation at 8 years of age. Further, we assessed if inflammation gene methylation was related to general health problems (e.g. infections, allergies, etc.). We found that mother-reported emotional availability at 1 year, but not 2.5 years, was related to methylation of various immune genes in monozygotic twins. Furthermore, twin pairs discordant in health problems have more difference in immune gene methylation compared to twin pairs concordant for health problems, suggesting that methylation of immune genes may have functional consequences for general health. These results suggest that the emotional component of attachment quality during infancy contributes to immune epigenetic profiles in childhood, which may influence general health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R Lewis
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Neurogenomics Division, United States.,Arizona State University, Psychology Department, United States
| | | | - Matthew J Huentelman
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Neurogenomics Division, United States
| | - Leah D Doane
- Arizona State University, Psychology Department, United States
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16
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Boison D, Rho JM. Epigenetics and epilepsy prevention: The therapeutic potential of adenosine and metabolic therapies. Neuropharmacology 2020; 167:107741. [PMID: 31419398 PMCID: PMC7220211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prevention of epilepsy and its progression remains the most urgent need for epilepsy research and therapy development. Novel conceptual advances are required to meaningfully address this fundamental challenge. Maladaptive epigenetic changes, which include methylation of DNA and acetylation of histones - among other mechanisms, are now well recognized to play a functional role in the development of epilepsy and its progression. The methylation hypothesis of epileptogenesis suggests that changes in DNA methylation are implicated in the progression of the disease. In this context, global DNA hypermethylation is particularly associated with chronic epilepsy. Likewise, acetylation changes of histones have been linked to epilepsy development. Clinical as well as experimental evidence demonstrate that epilepsy and its progression can be prevented by metabolic and biochemical manipulations that target previously unrecognized epigenetic functions contributing to epilepsy development and maintenance of the epileptic state. This review will discuss epigenetic mechanisms implicated in epilepsy development as well as metabolic and biochemical interactions thought to drive epileptogenesis. Therefore, metabolic and biochemical mechanisms are identified as novel targets for epilepsy prevention. We will specifically discuss adenosine biochemistry as a novel therapeutic strategy to reconstruct the DNA methylome as antiepileptogenic strategy as well as metabolic mediators, such as beta-hydroxybutyrate, which affect histone acetylation. Finally, metabolic dietary interventions (such as the ketogenic diet) which have the unique potential to prevent epileptogenesis through recently identified epigenetic mechanisms will be reviewed. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'New Epilepsy Therapies for the 21st Century - From Antiseizure Drugs to Prevention, Modification and Cure of Epilepsy'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlev Boison
- Dept. of Neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Jong M Rho
- Depts. of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, 92117, USA
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17
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Baumbach JL, Zovkic IB. Hormone-epigenome interactions in behavioural regulation. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104680. [PMID: 31927018 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between hormones and epigenetic factors are key regulators of behaviour, but the mechanisms that underlie their effects are complex. Epigenetic factors can modify sensitivity to hormones by altering hormone receptor expression, and hormones can regulate epigenetic factors by recruiting epigenetic regulators to DNA. The bidirectional nature of this relationship is becoming increasingly evident and suggests that the ability of hormones to regulate certain forms of behaviour may depend on their ability to induce changes in the epigenome. Moreover, sex differences have been reported for several epigenetic modifications, and epigenetic factors are thought to regulate sexual differentiation of behaviour, although specific mechanisms remain to be understood. Indeed, hormone-epigenome interactions are highly complex and involve both canonical and non-canonical regulatory pathways that may permit for highly specific gene regulation to promote variable forms of behavioural adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Iva B Zovkic
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.
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18
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Pucci M, Micioni Di Bonaventura MV, Wille-Bille A, Fernández MS, Maccarrone M, Pautassi RM, Cifani C, D’Addario C. Environmental stressors and alcoholism development: Focus on molecular targets and their epigenetic regulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:165-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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19
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D'Souza D, Sadananda M. Stressor during Early Adolescence in Hyperreactive Female Wistar Kyoto Rats Induces a 'Double Hit' Manifested by Variation in Neurobehaviors and Brain Monoamines. Neuroscience 2019; 414:200-209. [PMID: 31279049 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Stress is an additive factor in the development of depressive-like profiles that mainly onsets during adolescence. However, effects of early post-weaning stress on developing brain neurochemical pathways in inducing anxiety- and depressive-like profiles in vulnerable females have not been extensively studied. The Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat, a putative model of adolescent depression and stress-sensitivity could elucidate the pathophysiology of stress-related depression in vulnerability. Through such an approach, links between inherent risk for predisposition to depression and homotypic stress, as in a 'double hit' would unravel endocrine regulation, interference in developing neural pathways and neurobehaviors. Here, early adolescent WKY female rats were subjected to 1-h physical restraint over 7 days followed by neurobehavioral testing in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swim test (FST). The stressor's effectiveness was assayed by plasma corticosterone (CORT) and altered functioning in depression-implicated brain areas by assaying monoamines/metabolites. Homotypic stress induced an anxiolytic-like response in the EPM with learned helplessness and reduced struggling behavior in FST. Significant elevation in CORT levels (p < 0.05) indicated an upregulated HPA axis. Medial prefrontal cortex, a still maturing brain area, exhibited increased serotonin (5-HT) metabolite (p < 0.01) and turnover rates (p < 0.01) indicative of altered/maladaptive serotonergic functioning. Nucleus accumbens (p < 0.05) and dorsal striatum (p < 0.01) also depicted increased 5-HT metabolite, with the latter also demonstrating reduced Dopamine turnover (p < 0.01) as a result of homotypic stress. Hence, female WKY rats could constitute a diathesis-stress model to study underlying mechanisms of stress-related depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi D'Souza
- Brain Research Laboratory, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri- 574 199, Karnataka, India
| | - Monika Sadananda
- Brain Research Laboratory, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri- 574 199, Karnataka, India.
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20
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Marrocco J, Gray JD, Kogan JF, Einhorn NR, O’Cinneide EM, Rubin TG, Carroll TS, Schmidt EF, McEwen BS. Early Life Stress Restricts Translational Reactivity in CA3 Neurons Associated With Altered Stress Responses in Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:157. [PMID: 31354448 PMCID: PMC6637287 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life experiences program brain structure and function and contribute to behavioral endophenotypes in adulthood. Epigenetic control of gene expression by those experiences affect discrete brain regions involved in mood, cognitive function and regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In rodents, acute restraint stress increases the expression of the repressive histone H3 lysine 9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) in hippocampal fields, including the CA3 pyramidal neurons. These CA3 neurons are crucially involved in cognitive function and mood regulation as well as activation of glucocorticoid (CORT) secretion. CA3 neurons also exhibit structural and functional changes after early-life stress (ELS) as well as after chronic stress in adulthood. Using a protocol of chronic ELS induced by limited bedding and nesting material followed by acute-swim stress (AS) in adulthood, we show that mice with a history of ELS display a blunted CORT response to AS, despite exhibiting activation of immediate early genes after stress similar to that found in control mice. We find that ELS induced persistently increased expression of the repressive H3K9me3 histone mark in the CA3 subfield at baseline that was subsequently decreased following AS. In contrast, AS induced a transient increase of this mark in control mice. Using translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) method to isolate CA3 translating mRNAs, we found that expression of genes of the epigenetic gene family, GABA/glutamate family, and glucocorticoid receptors binding genes were decreased transiently in control mice by AS and showed a persistent reduction in ELS mice. In most cases, AS in ELS mice did not induce gene expression changes. A stringent filtering of genes affected by AS in control and ELS mice revealed a noteworthy decrease in gene expression change in ELS mice compared to control. Only 18 genes were selectively regulated by AS in ELS mice and encompassed pathways such as circadian rhythm, inflammatory response, opioid receptors, and more genes included in the glucocorticoid receptor binding family. Thus, ELS programs a restricted translational response to stress in stress-sensitive CA3 neurons leading to persistent changes in gene expression, some of which mimic the transient effects of AS in control mice, while leaving in operation the immediate early gene response to AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Marrocco
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jason D. Gray
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joshua F. Kogan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Nathan R. Einhorn
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emma M. O’Cinneide
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Todd G. Rubin
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Thomas S. Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric F. Schmidt
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
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21
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Pinel C, Prainsack B, McKevitt C. Markers as mediators: A review and synthesis of epigenetics literature. BIOSOCIETIES 2019; 13:276-303. [PMID: 31105763 PMCID: PMC6520226 DOI: 10.1057/s41292-017-0068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics, the study of the processes that control gene expression without a change in DNA sequence, highlights the importance of environmental factors in gene regulation. This paper maps the terrain of epigenetics and identifies four main research subfields: gene expression; molecular epigenetics; clinical epigenetics and epigenetic epidemiology. Within and across these fields, we analyse of what is conceptualised as environment and demonstrate the variable ways authors understand epigenetics environments. Then, following an analysis of the discursive strategies employed by epigenetics researchers, we demonstrate how authors portray the interactions between genes, epigenetics, and environment as relationships linking the outside (where the environment is located) with the inside (where the genes are located). We argue that authors assign specific roles to each actor: the environment as the active player initiating the relationship, the genes as recipients, and epigenetics as mediators between environment and genes. Framed as mediators, epigenetic markers can be understood as enablers of communication between environment and genome, capable of processing and organising signals so as to regulate the interactions between the actors of epigenetic relationships. This finding complicates the observation by social science scholars that the interactions between environment and genes can be understood through the concept of signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Pinel
- School of Population Sciences and Health Services Research, King’s College London, UK
| | - Barbara Prainsack
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
- Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, King’s College London, UK
| | - Christopher McKevitt
- School of Population Sciences and Health Services Research, King’s College London, UK
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22
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The epigenetic dimension of psychological trauma — Prevention and psychotherapy. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAUMA & DISSOCIATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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23
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Lewis CR, Henderson-Smith A, Breitenstein RS, Sowards HA, Piras IS, Huentelman MJ, Doane LD, Lemery-Chalfant K. Dopaminergic gene methylation is associated with cognitive performance in a childhood monozygotic twin study. Epigenetics 2019; 14:310-323. [PMID: 30806146 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1583032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive function are due to a combination of heritable and non-heritable factors. A large body of evidence from clinical, cognitive, and pharmacological neuroscience implicates dopaminergic gene variants as modulators of cognitive functions. Neuroepigenetic studies demonstrate environmental factors also influence complex phenotypes by affecting gene expression regulation. To evaluate the mechanism of environmental influence on cognitive abilities, we examined if epigenetic regulation of dopaminergic genes plays a role in cognition. Using a DNA methylation profiling microarray, we used a monozygotic (MZ) twin difference design to evaluate if co-twin differences in methylation of CpG sites near six dopaminergic genes predicted differences in response inhibition and memory performance. Studying MZ twins allows us to assess if environmentally driven differences in methylation affect differences in phenotype while controlling for the influence of genotype and shared family environment. Response inhibition was assessed with the flanker task and short-term and working memory were assessed with digit span recall. We found MZ co-twin differences in DRD4 gene methylation predicted differences in short-term memory. MZ differences in COMT, DBH, DAT1, DRD1, and DRD2 gene methylation predicted differences in response inhibition. Taken together, findings suggest methylation status of dopaminergic genes may influence cognitive functions in a dissociable manner. Our results highlight the importance of the epigenome and environment, over and above the influence of genotype, in supporting complex cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R Lewis
- a Neurogenomics Division , Translational Genomics Research Institute , Phoenix , AZ , USA.,b Psychology Department , Arizona State University , Tempe , AZ , USA
| | | | | | - Hayley A Sowards
- b Psychology Department , Arizona State University , Tempe , AZ , USA
| | - Ignazio S Piras
- a Neurogenomics Division , Translational Genomics Research Institute , Phoenix , AZ , USA
| | - Matthew J Huentelman
- a Neurogenomics Division , Translational Genomics Research Institute , Phoenix , AZ , USA
| | - Leah D Doane
- b Psychology Department , Arizona State University , Tempe , AZ , USA
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Alterations in Systemic and Cognitive Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in Depression. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 4:310-320. [PMID: 30686583 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decades of research point to cortisol insensitivity as a biomarker of depression. Despite a vast literature on cortisol's effects on memory, the role of cortisol insensitivity in core psychological features of depression, such as emotional memory biases, is unknown. METHODS Sixty-five premenopausal women with varying levels of depression completed this study involving an at-home low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and four experimental sessions (i.e., two visits for memory encoding of emotionally arousing pictures, each of which was followed 48 hours later by a recall test). Participants received 20 mg of oral cortisol (CORT) or placebo prior to encoding. We tested whether systemic cortisol insensitivity measured with the dexamethasone suppression test predicted cognitive sensitivity to CORT, which was operationalized as the change in negatively biased memory formation for pictures encoded following CORT versus placebo administration. RESULTS Cortisol insensitivity was associated with more severe depression and flatter diurnal cortisol levels. Cortisol insensitivity predicted negative memory bias for pictures encoded during the placebo session and reduction in negative memory bias for pictures encoded during the CORT (compared with placebo) session, even after accounting for psychiatric symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS Our findings replicate research showing that cortisol insensitivity predicts depression severity and flatter diurnal cortisol levels. The results further suggest that systemic cortisol insensitivity is related to negative memory bias and its alleviation by cortisol administration. These novel cognitive findings tie together knowledge regarding endocrine and psychological dysfunction in depression and suggest that boosting cortisol signal may cognitively benefit individuals with cortisol insensitivity.
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25
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Vangopoulou C, Bourmpoula MT, Koupourtidou C, Giompres P, Stamatakis A, Kouvelas ED, Mitsacos A. Effects of an early life experience on rat brain cannabinoid receptors in adolescence and adulthood. IBRO Rep 2018; 5:1-9. [PMID: 30135950 PMCID: PMC6095101 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal handling is an experimental model of early life experience associated with resilience in later life challenges, altering the ability of animals to respond to stress. The endocannabinoid system of the brain modulates the neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of stress, while this system is also capable of being modulated by stress exposure itself. The present study has addressed the question of whether neonatal handling in rats could affect cannabinoid receptors, in an age- and sex-dependent manner, using in situ hybridization and receptor binding techniques. Different effects of neonatal handling were observed in adolescent and adult brain on CB1 receptor mRNA and [3H]CP55,940 binding levels, which in some cases were sexually dimorphic. Neonatal handling interfered in the developmental trajectories of CB1 receptor mRNA levels in striatum and amygdaloid nuclei, as well as of [3H]CP55,940 binding levels in almost all regions studied. Adult handled rats showed reduced [3H]CP55,940 binding levels in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens and basolateral amygdala, while binding levels in prefrontal cortex of adolescent handled rats were increased. Finally, handling resulted in decreases in female [3H]CP55,940 binding levels in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, CA3 and DG of dorsal hippocampus and basolateral amygdala. Our results suggest that a brief and repeated maternal separation during the neonatal period induces changes on cannabinoid receptors differently manifested between adolescence and adulthood, male and female brain, which could be correlated to their stress response.
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Key Words
- 2-AG, 2-arachidonoylglycerol
- ANOVA, analysis of variance
- Adolescence
- BLA, basolateral nucleus of amygdala
- BSA, bovine serum albumin
- CA1, dorsal field 1 of Ammon’s horn
- CA3, dorsal field 3 of Ammon’s horn
- CB1 cannabinoid receptors
- CB1, cannabinoid receptor 1
- CPu-DL, dorsolateral striatum
- CPu-VM, ventromedial striatum
- CeA, central amygdaloid nucleus
- Cg1, anterior cingulate cortex
- DG, dentate gyrus
- Female rat brain
- GR, glucocorticoid receptors
- GrDG, dentate gyrus granule cell layer
- HPA, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
- IL, infralimbic cortex
- LTD, long-term depression
- MO, medial orbital cortex
- Male rat brain
- Maternal separation
- MoDG, dentate gyrus molecular layer
- NAc, nucleus accumbens
- NS, not significant
- Neonatal handling
- PFC, prefrontal cortex
- PND, postnatal day
- PrL, prelimbic cortex
- ROD, relative optical density
- RT, room temperature
- eCB, endocannabinoid
- mPFC, medial prefrontal cortex
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Affiliation(s)
- Chara Vangopoulou
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500, Patras, Greece
| | - Maria T. Bourmpoula
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Giompres
- Laboratory of Human and Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 265040, Patras, Greece
| | - Antonios Stamatakis
- Laboratory of Biology-Biochemistry, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Elias D. Kouvelas
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500, Patras, Greece
| | - Ada Mitsacos
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500, Patras, Greece
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Maternal stress during pregnancy induces depressive-like behavior only in female offspring and correlates to their hippocampal Avp and Oxt receptor expression. Behav Brain Res 2018; 353:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Delpierre C, Castagné R, Lang T, Kelly-Irving M. [Social environment, biological embedding and social inequalities in health]. Med Sci (Paris) 2018; 34:740-744. [PMID: 30230448 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20183408023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The social gradient in health refers to the fact that the higher individuals rise in the social hierarchy, the better is their health. Understanding the construction of this gradient is a major challenge in social epidemiology. An original approach consists in looking at how the different exposures (chemical, physical, behavioural, psychosocial…) associated with the social environment are ultimately expressed at the biological level influencing health positively or negatively, referring to the concept of biological embedding. Data from animal models and life course epidemiology have shed new light on the biological mechanisms potentially at play. Recent discoveries from the field of epigenetics provide a better understanding of how the social environment, especially the early environment, can influence biological functioning over the long term or even over several generations. The work on the biological embedding of the social environment in connection with epigenetics still needs to be very largely consolidated, but could constitute a change of perspective in human biology, particularly by reconsidering the influence of the environment on biological functioning, which is not without consequences in terms of public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Delpierre
- UMR1027, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- UMR1027, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Thierry Lang
- UMR1027, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Inserm, Toulouse, France - Département d'épidémiologie, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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Dimeglio C, Kelly-Irving M, Lang T, Delpierre C. Expectations and boundaries for Big Data approaches in social medicine. J Forensic Leg Med 2018; 57:51-54. [PMID: 29801952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
It seems no longer possible to produce knowledge, even biological knowledge regardless of social, cultural and economic environments in which they were observed. Therefore never the term "social medicine" or more generally "social biology" has appeared more appropriate. This way of linking the social and the biological exceeds the sole social medicine by involving also other medical disciplines. As such, forensics, whose an important activity is represented by clinical forensics in charge of types of violence (physical, psychological, sexual, abuse) and persons held in custody could see its practice heavily modified through the use of various data describing both the clinical situation of patients but also their context of life. A better understanding of mechanisms of violence development and potentially a better prevention of these situations allow forensics not to be restricted (or seen as limited to) a "descriptive medicine", but to be seen also as a preventive and curative medicine. In this evolution, the potential contribution of Big Data appears significant insofar as information on a wide range of characteristics of the environment or context of life (social, economic, cultural) can be collected and be connected with health data, for example to develop models on social determinants of health. In the common thinking, the use of a larger amount of data and consequently a multiplicity of information via a multiplicity of databases would allow to access to a greater objectivity of a reality that we are approaching by fragmented viewpoints otherwise. In this light, the "bigger" and "more varied" would serve the "better" or at least the "more true". But to be able to consider together or to link different databases it will be necessary to know how to handle this diversity regarding hypotheses made to build databases and regarding their purposes (by whom, for what bases have been made). It will be equally important to question the representativeness of situations that led to the creation of a database and to question the validity of information and data according to the secondary or tertiary uses anticipated from their original purpose. This step of data validity control for the anticipated use is a sine qua non condition, particularly in the field of public health, to guarantee a sufficient level of quality and exploit in the best way the benefits of Big Data approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Dimeglio
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France; CHU de Toulouse Department of Epidemiology, France.
| | | | - Thierry Lang
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France; CHU de Toulouse Department of Epidemiology, France
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France
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Sominsky L, Jasoni CL, Twigg HR, Spencer SJ. Hormonal and nutritional regulation of postnatal hypothalamic development. J Endocrinol 2018; 237:R47-R64. [PMID: 29545398 DOI: 10.1530/joe-17-0722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus is a key centre for regulation of vital physiological functions, such as appetite, stress responsiveness and reproduction. Development of the different hypothalamic nuclei and its major neuronal populations begins prenatally in both altricial and precocial species, with the fine tuning of neuronal connectivity and attainment of adult function established postnatally and maintained throughout adult life. The perinatal period is highly susceptible to environmental insults that, by disrupting critical developmental processes, can set the tone for the establishment of adult functionality. Here, we review the most recent knowledge regarding the major postnatal milestones in the development of metabolic, stress and reproductive hypothalamic circuitries, in the rodent, with a particular focus on perinatal programming of these circuitries by hormonal and nutritional influences. We also review the evidence for the continuous development of the hypothalamus in the adult brain, through changes in neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and epigenetic modifications. This degree of plasticity has encouraging implications for the ability of the hypothalamus to at least partially reverse the effects of perinatal mal-programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba Sominsky
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christine L Jasoni
- School of Biomedical SciencesCentre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hannah R Twigg
- School of Biomedical SciencesCentre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation moderates the association of childhood trauma and cortisol stress reactivity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 90:68-75. [PMID: 29433075 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to childhood trauma (CT) has been linked to sustained dysregulations of major stress response systems, including findings of both exaggerated and attenuated hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Likewise, CT constitutes a common risk factor for a broad range of psychiatric conditions that involve distinct neuroendocrine profiles. In this study, we investigated the role of epigenetic variability in a stress-related gene as a potential mediator or moderator of such differential trajectories in CT survivors. For this, we screened adult volunteers for CT and recruited a healthy sample of 98 exposed (67 with mild-moderate, 31 with moderate-severe exposure) and 102 control individuals, with an equal number of males and females in each group. DNA methylation (DNAM) levels of the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F promoter (NR3C1-1F) at functionally relevant sites were analyzed via bisulfite pyrosequencing from whole blood samples. Participants were exposed to a laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) to assess salivary cortisol stress responses. The major finding of this study indicates that DNAM in a biologically relevant region of NR3C1-1F moderates the specific direction of HPA-axis dysregulation (hypo- vs. hyperreactivity) in adults exposed to moderate-severe CT. Those trauma survivors with increased NR3C1-1F DNAM displayed, on average, 10.4 nmol/l (62.3%) higher peak cortisol levels in response to the TSST compared to those with low DNAM. In contrast, unexposed and mildly-moderately exposed individuals displayed moderately sized cortisol stress responses irrespective of NR3C1-1F DNAM. Contrary to some prior work, however, our data provides no evidence for a direct association of CT and NR3C1-1F DNAM status. According to this study, epigenetic changes of NR3C1-1F may provide a more in-depth understanding of the highly variable neuroendocrine and pathological sequelae of CT.
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31
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Nagy C, Vaillancourt K, Turecki G. A role for activity-dependent epigenetics in the development and treatment of major depressive disorder. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12446. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry; McGill University; Montreal Canada
| | - K. Vaillancourt
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry; McGill University; Montreal Canada
| | - G. Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry; McGill University; Montreal Canada
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Császár-Nagy N, Bókkon I. Mother-newborn separation at birth in hospitals: A possible risk for neurodevelopmental disorders? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 84:337-351. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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33
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Dick A, Provencal N. Central Neuroepigenetic Regulation of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 158:105-127. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Sild M, Ruthazer ES, Booij L. Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders from the glial perspective: Etiological mechanisms, intervention and monitoring. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:474-488. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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35
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Letourneau NL, Hart JM, MacMaster FP. Association Between Nonparenting Adult’s Attachment Patterns and Brain Structure and Function. SAGE Open Nurs 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/2377960816685572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lyn Letourneau
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics & Psychiatry), University of Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - J. Martha Hart
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics & Psychiatry), University of Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Frank P. MacMaster
- Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics & Psychiatry), University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- Strategic Clinical Network for Addictions and Mental Health, Alberta Heath Services, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
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36
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Caldwell KK, Hafez A, Solomon E, Cunningham M, Allan AM. Arsenic exposure during embryonic development alters the expression of the long noncoding RNA growth arrest specific-5 (Gas5) in a sex-dependent manner. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2017; 66:102-112. [PMID: 29132937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Our previous studies suggest that prenatal arsenic exposure (50ppb) modifies epigenetic control of the programming of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling system in the developing mouse brain. These deficits may lead to long-lasting consequences, including deficits in learning and memory, increased depressive-like behaviors, and an altered set-point of GR feedback throughout life. To understand the arsenic-induced changes within the GR system, we assessed the impact of in utero arsenic exposure on the levels of the GR and growth arrest-specific-5 (Gas5), a noncoding RNA, across a key gestational period for GR programming (gestational days, GD 14-18) in mice. Gas5 contains a glucocorticoid response element (GRE)-like sequence that binds the GR, thereby decreasing GR-GRE-dependent gene transcription and potentially altering GR programming. Prenatal arsenic exposure resulted in sex-dependent and age-dependent shifts in the levels of GR and Gas5 expression in fetal telencephalon. Nuclear GR levels were reduced in males, but unchanged in females, at all gestational time points tested. Total cellular Gas5 levels were lower in arsenic-exposed males with no changes seen in arsenic-exposed females at GD16 and 18. An increase in total cellular Gas-5 along with increased nuclear levels in GD14 arsenic-exposed females, suggests a differential regulation of cellular compartmentalization of Gas5. RIP assays revealed reduced Gas5 associated with the GR on GD14 in the nuclear fraction prepared from arsenic-exposed males and females. This decrease in levels of GR-Gas5 binding continued only in the females at GD18. Thus, nuclear GR signaling potential is decreased in prenatal arsenic-exposed males, while it is increased or maintained at levels approaching normal in prenatal arsenic-exposed females. These findings suggest that females, but not males, exposed to arsenic are able to regulate the levels of nuclear free GR by altering Gas5 levels, thereby keeping GR nuclear signaling closer to control (unexposed) levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Caldwell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Alexander Hafez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Elizabeth Solomon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Matthew Cunningham
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Andrea M Allan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.
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37
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Perinatal inflammation and adult psychopathology: From preclinical models to humans. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 77:104-114. [PMID: 28890420 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal environment plays a crucial role in brain development and determines its function through life. Epidemiological studies and clinical reports link perinatal exposure to infection and/or immune activation to various psychiatric disorders. In addition, accumulating evidence from animal models shows that perinatal inflammation can affect various behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, anxiety and depression. Remarkably, the effects on behavior and brain function do not always depend on the type of inflammatory stimulus or the perinatal age targeted, so diverse inflammatory events can have similar consequences on the brain. Moreover, other perinatal environmental factors that affect behavior (e.g. diet and stress) also elicit inflammatory responses. Understanding the interplay between perinatal environment and inflammation on brain development is required to identify the mechanisms through which perinatal inflammation affect brain function in the adult animal. Evidence for the role of the peripheral immune system and glia on perinatal programming of behavior is discussed in this review, along with recent evidence for the role of epigenetic mechanisms affecting gene expression in the brain.
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38
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Abstract
This article highlights the emerging therapeutic potential of specific epigenetic modulators as promising antiepileptogenic or disease-modifying agents for curing epilepsy. Currently, there is an unmet need for antiepileptogenic agents that truly prevent the development of epilepsy in people at risk. There is strong evidence that epigenetic signaling, which exerts high fidelity regulation of gene expression, plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of epileptogenesis and chronic epilepsy. These modifications are not hard-wired into the genome and are constantly reprogrammed by environmental influences. The potential epigenetic mechanisms, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, microRNA-based transcriptional control, and bromodomain reading activity, can drastically alter the neuronal gene expression profile by exerting their summative effects in a coordinated fashion. Such an epigenetic intervention appears more rational strategy for preventing epilepsy because it targets the primary pathway that initially triggers the numerous downstream cellular and molecular events mediating epileptogenesis. Among currently approved epigenetic drugs, the majority are anticancer drugs with well-established profiles in clinical trials and practice. Evidence from preclinical studies supports the premise that these drugs may be applied to a wide range of brain disorders. Targeting histone deacetylation by inhibiting histone deacetylase enzymes appears to be one promising epigenetic therapy since certain inhibitors have been shown to prevent epileptogenesis in animal models. However, developing neuronal specific epigenetic modulators requires rational, pathophysiology-based optimization to efficiently intercept the upstream pathways in epileptogenesis. Overall, epigenetic agents have been well positioned as new frontier tools towards the national goal of curing epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iyan Younus
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA.
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39
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Influence of parental care on offspring hippocampal volume in young adults varies as a function of overprotection. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46429. [PMID: 28401913 PMCID: PMC5388869 DOI: 10.1038/srep46429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care results in increased hippocampal volumes through adaptive stress responses in developing animals. However, human studies have not yet provided consistent findings analogous to the animal literature, possibly because parental care in humans is likely intermingled with parental overprotection, as suggested by the optimal parenting theory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the effect of parental care on offspring hippocampal volume varies as a function of parental overprotection with a large cohort of young adult participants (N = 257). Consistent with some previous human studies, we found that parental care in childhood alone had little association with the hippocampal volume in adulthood. However, when parental overprotection was low, parental care was positively correlated with offspring hippocampal volume, whereas there was no association between parental care and offspring hippocampal volume when parental overprotection was high. Thus, an interaction exists between parental care and overprotection in human’s hippocampal development, which contributes to the elucidation of the complex relationship between brain structure and environmental factors.
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40
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Ashbrook DG, Hager R. Social Interactions and Indirect Genetic Effects on Complex Juvenile and Adult Traits. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1488:499-517. [PMID: 27933541 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6427-7_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Most animal species are social in one form or another, yet many studies in rodent model systems use either individually housed animals or ignore potential confounds caused by group housing. While such social interaction effects on developmental and behavioral traits are well established, the genetic basis of social interactions has not been researched in as much detail. Specifically, the effects of genetic variation in social partners on the phenotype of a focal individual have mostly been studied at the phenotypic level. Such indirect genetic effects (IGEs), where the genotype of one individual influences the phenotype of a second individual, can have important evolutionary and medically relevant consequences. In this chapter, we give a brief outline of social interaction effects, and how systems genetics approaches using recombinant inbred populations can be used to investigate indirect genetic effects specifically, including maternal genetic effects. We discuss experimental designs for the study of IGEs and show how indirect genetic loci can be identified that underlie social interaction effects, their mechanisms, and consequences for trait variation in focal individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ashbrook
- Dept. of Biological Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Science Wing, SW3261265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C, UK
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Department of Computational and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, C1.261 Michael Smith Bldg., Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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41
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Mifsud KR, Saunderson EA, Spiers H, Carter SD, Trollope AF, Mill J, Reul JMHM. Rapid Down-Regulation of Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Expression in the Dentate Gyrus after Acute Stress in vivo: Role of DNA Methylation and MicroRNA Activity. Neuroendocrinology 2017; 104:157-169. [PMID: 27054829 DOI: 10.1159/000445875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus play a vital role in the regulation of physiological and behavioural responses to stress, the regulation of receptor expression remains unclear. This work investigates the molecular mechanisms underpinning stress-induced changes in hippocampal GR mRNA levels in vivo. METHODS Male Wistar rats were killed either under baseline conditions or after forced swim stress (FSS; 15 min in 25°C water). Rat hippocampi were micro-dissected (for mRNA, microRNA, and DNA methylation analysis) or frozen whole (for chromatin immunoprecipitation). In an additional experiment, rats were pre-treated with RU486 (a GR antagonist) or vehicle. RESULTS FSS evoked a dentate gyrus-specific reduction in GR mRNA levels. This was related to an increased DNMT3a protein association with a discreet region of the Nr3c1 (GR gene) promoter, shown here to undergo increased DNA methylation after FSS. FSS also caused a time-dependent increase in the expression of miR-124a, a microRNA known to reduce GR mRNA expression, which was inversely correlated with a reduction in GR mRNA levels 30 min after FSS. FSS did not affect GR binding to a putative negative glucocorticoid response element within the Nr3c1 gene. CONCLUSIONS Acute stress results in decreased GR mRNA expression specifically in the dentate gyrus. Our results indicate that a complex interplay of multiple molecular mechanisms - including increased DNA methylation of discrete CpG residues within the Nr3c1 gene, most likely facilitated by DNMT3a, and increased expression of miR-124a - could be responsible for these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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42
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Stotz K, Griffiths P. Epigenetics: ambiguities and implications. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2016; 38:22. [PMID: 27854053 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-016-0121-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Everyone has heard of 'epigenetics', but the term means different things to different researchers. Four important contemporary meanings are outlined in this paper. Epigenetics in its various senses has implications for development, heredity, and evolution, and also for medicine. Concerning development, it cements the vision of a reactive genome strongly coupled to its environment. Concerning heredity, both narrowly epigenetic and broader 'exogenetic' systems of inheritance play important roles in the construction of phenotypes. A thoroughly epigenetic model of development and evolution was Waddington's aim when he introduced the term 'epigenetics' in the 1940s, but it has taken the modern development of molecular epigenetics to realize this aim. In the final sections of the paper we briefly outline some further implications of epigenetics for medicine and for the nature/nurture debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Stotz
- Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Paul Griffiths
- Department of Philosophy and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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43
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Lewis CR, Bastle RM, Manning TB, Himes SM, Fennig P, Conrad PR, Colwell J, Pagni BA, Hess LA, Matekel CG, Newbern JM, Olive MF. Interactions between Early Life Stress, Nucleus Accumbens MeCP2 Expression, and Methamphetamine Self-Administration in Male Rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2851-2861. [PMID: 27312406 PMCID: PMC5061895 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is highly related to the development of psychiatric illnesses in adulthood, including substance use disorders. A recent body of literature suggests that long-lasting changes in the epigenome may be a mechanism by which experiences early in life can alter neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes in adulthood. In this study, we replicate our previous findings that ELS, in the form of prolonged maternal separation, increases adult methamphetamine self-administration (SA) in male rats as compared with handled controls. In addition, we show new evidence that both ELS and methamphetamine SA alter the expression of the epigenetic regulator methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in key brain reward regions, particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. In turn, viral-mediated knockdown of MeCP2 expression in the NAc core reduces methamphetamine SA, as well as saccharin intake. Furthermore, NAc core MeCP2 knockdown reduces methamphetamine, but not saccharin, SA on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. These data suggest that NAc core MeCP2 may be recruited by both ELS and methamphetamine SA and promote the development of certain aspects of drug abuse-related behavior. Taken together, functional interactions between ELS, methamphetamine SA, and the expression of MeCP2 in the NAc may represent novel mechanisms that can ultimately be targeted for intervention in individuals with adverse early life experiences who are at risk for developing substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R Lewis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,Arizona State University, 950 S McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA, Tel: +1 602 680 8786, E-mail:
| | - Ryan M Bastle
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Tawny B Manning
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Sarah M Himes
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Paulette Fennig
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Phoebe R Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jenna Colwell
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Broc A Pagni
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lyndsay A Hess
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Jason M Newbern
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - M Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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44
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Zhu J, Zhu F, Zhao N, Mu X, Li P, Wang W, Liu J, Ma X. Methylation of glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter modulates morphine dependence and accompanied hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:1459-1473. [PMID: 27618384 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated that dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis played an important role in morphine dependence. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism underlying morphine-induced HPA axis dysfunction and morphine dependence remains unclear. In the current study, 5'-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), was used to examine the effects of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) promoter 17 methylation on chronic morphine-induced HPA axis dysfunction and behavioral changes in rats and the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that chronic but not acute morphine downregulated the expression of nuclear GR protein and GR exon 17 variant mRNA, and upregulated the methylation of GR 17 exon promoter in the hippocampus of rats. Meanwhile, 5-aza per se had no effect on observed molecular and behavior change. In contrast, pretreatment of 5-aza into rat hippocampus reversed chronic morphine-induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter and decrease in GR expression. Moreover, pretreatment of 5-aza attenuated chronic morphine-enhanced HPA axis reactivity and the naloxone-precipitated somatic signs in morphine-dependent rats. Our results suggest that chronic morphine induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter, which then downregulated the expression of hippocampal GR, and was thus involved in chronic morphine-induced dysfunction of the HPA axis and the modulation of morphine dependence. Moreover, chronic morphine-induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter may be at least partially due to the increase in hippocampal DNMT 1 expression and its binding at GR 17 promoter in the rat hippocampus. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Zhao
- Northwest University of Politics and Law School of Police, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Mu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shaanxi Province & Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingping Li
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiancang Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
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Sims JR, Ow MC, Nishiguchi MA, Kim K, Sengupta P, Hall SE. Developmental programming modulates olfactory behavior in C. elegans via endogenous RNAi pathways. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27351255 PMCID: PMC4924998 DOI: 10.7554/elife.11642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental stress during early development can impact adult phenotypes via programmed changes in gene expression. C. elegans larvae respond to environmental stress by entering the stress-resistant dauer diapause pathway and resume development once conditions improve (postdauers). Here we show that the osm-9 TRPV channel gene is a target of developmental programming and is down-regulated specifically in the ADL chemosensory neurons of postdauer adults, resulting in a corresponding altered olfactory behavior that is mediated by ADL in an OSM-9-dependent manner. We identify a cis-acting motif bound by the DAF-3 SMAD and ZFP-1 (AF10) proteins that is necessary for the differential regulation of osm-9, and demonstrate that both chromatin remodeling and endo-siRNA pathways are major contributors to the transcriptional silencing of the osm-9 locus. This work describes an elegant mechanism by which developmental experience influences adult phenotypes by establishing and maintaining transcriptional changes via RNAi and chromatin remodeling pathways. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11642.001 Increasing evidence suggests that experiencing stressful environments early on in life can have profound effects on the health and behavior of adults. For example, stressful conditions in the womb have been linked to adult depression and metabolic disorders. These effects are thought to be the result of changes in the way that genes in specific tissues are regulated in the individuals that have experienced the stress. However, it is not clear how a particular stress can cause long-term changes in gene activity in specific tissues. A microscopic worm called Caenorhabditis elegans is often used as a simple animal model to study how animals develop and behave. Previous studies have shown that adult worms that experienced stress early in life show differences in behavior and gene activity compared to genetically identical worms that did not experience the stress. Here, Sims, Ow et al. asked what signals are required for these changes to happen. The experiments show that a gene called osm-9 – which plays a role in the nervous system – is less active in sensory nerve cells in worms that experienced stress early on in life. This loss of activity resulted in the worms being unable to respond to a particular odor. Two proteins called DAF-3 and ZFP-1 are able to bind to a section of DNA in the osm-9 gene to decrease its activity in response to stress. These proteins are similar to human proteins that are important for development and are associated with some types of leukemia. Further experiments show that small molecules of ribonucleic acid in the “RNA interference” pathway also help to decrease the activity of osm-9 after stress. Together, Sims, Ow et al.’s findings suggest that environmental conditions in early life regulate the osm-9 gene through the coordinated effort of DAF-3, ZFP-1 and the RNA interference pathway. The next steps are to investigate how these molecules are able to target osm-9 and to identify other proteins that regulate gene activity in response to stress in early life. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11642.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R Sims
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, United States
| | - Maria C Ow
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, United States
| | | | - Kyuhyung Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Piali Sengupta
- National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
| | - Sarah E Hall
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, United States
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Bath K, Manzano-Nieves G, Goodwill H. Early life stress accelerates behavioral and neural maturation of the hippocampus in male mice. Horm Behav 2016; 82:64-71. [PMID: 27155103 PMCID: PMC5308418 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk for later cognitive and emotional dysfunction. ELS is known to truncate neural development through effects on suppressing cell birth, increasing cell death, and altering neuronal morphology, effects that have been associated with behavioral profiles indicative of precocious maturation. However, how earlier silencing of growth drives accelerated behavioral maturation has remained puzzling. Here, we test the novel hypothesis that, ELS drives a switch from growth to maturation to accelerate neural and behavioral development. To test this, we used a mouse model of ELS, fragmented maternal care, and a cross-sectional dense sampling approach focusing on hippocampus and measured effects of ELS on the ontogeny of behavioral development and biomarkers of neural maturation. Consistent with previous work, ELS was associated with an earlier developmental decline in expression of markers of cell proliferation (Ki-67) and differentiation (doublecortin). However, ELS also led to a precocious arrival of Parvalbumin-positive cells, led to an earlier switch in NMDA receptor subunit expression (marker of synaptic maturity), and was associated with an earlier rise in myelin basic protein expression (key component of the myelin sheath). In addition, in a contextual fear-conditioning task, ELS accelerated the timed developmental suppression of contextual fear. Together, these data provide support for the hypothesis that ELS serves to switch neurodevelopment from processes of growth to maturation and promotes accelerated development of some forms of emotional learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States.
| | - G Manzano-Nieves
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
| | - H Goodwill
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
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Hypomethylation of ERVs in the sperm of mice haploinsufficient for the histone methyltransferase Setdb1 correlates with a paternal effect on phenotype. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25004. [PMID: 27112447 PMCID: PMC4845014 DOI: 10.1038/srep25004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of reports of paternal epigenetic influences on the phenotype of offspring in rodents is increasing but the molecular events involved remain unclear. Here, we show that haploinsufficiency for the histone 3 lysine 9 methyltransferase Setdb1 in the sire can influence the coat colour phenotype of wild type offspring. This effect occurs when the allele that directly drives coat colour is inherited from the dam, inferring that the effect involves an “in trans” step. The implication of this finding is that epigenetic state of the sperm can alter the expression of genes inherited on the maternally derived chromosomes. Whole genome bisulphite sequencing revealed that Setdb1 mutant mice show DNA hypomethylation at specific classes of transposable elements in the sperm. Our results identify Setdb1 as a paternal effect gene in the mouse and suggest that epigenetic inheritance may be more likely in individuals with altered levels of epigenetic modifiers.
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48
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Taormina G, Mirisola MG. Longevity: epigenetic and biomolecular aspects. Biomol Concepts 2016; 6:105-17. [PMID: 25883209 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2014-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aging theories and their related molecular mechanisms have been proposed. Simple model organisms such as yeasts, worms, fruit flies and others have massively contributed to their clarification, and many genes and pathways have been associated with longevity regulation. Among them, insulin/IGF-1 plays a key and evolutionary conserved role. Interestingly, dietary interventions can modulate this pathway. Calorie restriction (CR), intermittent fasting, and protein and amino acid restriction prolong the lifespan of mammals by IGF-1 regulation. However, some recent findings support the hypothesis that the long-term effects of diet also involve epigenetic mechanisms. In this review, we describe the best characterized aging pathways and highlight the role of epigenetics in diet-mediated longevity.
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Xiong F, Lin T, Song M, Ma Q, Martinez SR, Lv J, MataGreenwood E, Xiao D, Xu Z, Zhang L. Antenatal hypoxia induces epigenetic repression of glucocorticoid receptor and promotes ischemic-sensitive phenotype in the developing heart. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2016; 91:160-71. [PMID: 26779948 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Large studies in humans and animals have demonstrated a clear association of an adverse intrauterine environment with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Yet mechanisms remain largely elusive. The present study tested the hypothesis that gestational hypoxia leads to promoter hypermethylation and epigenetic repression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in the developing heart, resulting in increased heart susceptibility to ischemia and reperfusion injury in offspring. Hypoxic treatment of pregnant rats from day 15 to 21 of gestation resulted in a significant decrease of GR exon 14, 15, 16, and 17 transcripts, leading to down-regulation of GR mRNA and protein in the fetal heart. Functional cAMP-response elements (CREs) at -4408 and -3896 and Sp1 binding sites at -3425 and -3034 were identified at GR untranslated exon 1 promoters. Hypoxia significantly increased CpG methylation at the CREs and Sp1 binding sites and decreased transcription factor binding to GR exon 1 promoter, accounting for the repression of the GR gene in the developing heart. Of importance, treatment of newborn pups with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine reversed hypoxia-induced promoter methylation, restored GR expression and prevented hypoxia-mediated increase in ischemia and reperfusion injury of the heart in offspring. The findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of epigenetic repression of the GR gene in fetal stress-mediated programming of ischemic-sensitive phenotype in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxia Xiong
- Institute for Fetology and Reproductive Medicine Center, First Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Thant Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Minwoo Song
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Qingyi Ma
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Shannalee R Martinez
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Juanxiu Lv
- Institute for Fetology and Reproductive Medicine Center, First Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Eugenia MataGreenwood
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Daliao Xiao
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Zhice Xu
- Institute for Fetology and Reproductive Medicine Center, First Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Lubo Zhang
- Institute for Fetology and Reproductive Medicine Center, First Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
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50
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de Moura AC, Lazzari VM, Becker RO, Gil MS, Ruthschilling CA, Agnes G, Almeida S, da Veiga ABG, Lucion AB, Giovenardi M. Gene expression in the CNS of lactating rats with different patterns of maternal behavior. Neurosci Res 2015; 99:8-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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