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Prenatal Exposure to an EDC Mixture, NeuroMix: Effects on Brain, Behavior, and Stress Responsiveness in Rats. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10030122. [PMID: 35324748 PMCID: PMC8954446 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10030122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Humans and wildlife are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) throughout their lives. Environmental EDCs are implicated in a range of diseases/disorders with developmental origins, including neurodevelopment and behavior. EDCs are most often studied one by one; here, we assessed outcomes induced by a mixture designed to represent the real-world situation of multiple simultaneous exposures. The choice of EDCs, which we refer to as “NeuroMix,” was informed by evidence for neurobiological effects in single-compound studies and included bisphenols, phthalates, vinclozolin, and perfluorinated, polybrominated, and polychlorinated compounds. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were fed the NeuroMix or vehicle, and then offspring of both sexes were assessed for effects on postnatal development and behaviors and gene expression in the brain in adulthood. In order to determine whether early-life EDCs predisposed to subsequent vulnerability to postnatal life challenges, a subset of rats were also given a stress challenge in adolescence. Prenatal NeuroMix exposure decreased body weight and delayed puberty in males but not females. In adulthood, NeuroMix caused changes in anxiety-like, social, and mate preference behaviors only in females. Effects of stress were predominantly observed in males. Several interactions of NeuroMix and stress were found, especially for the mate preference behavior and gene expression in the brain. These findings provide novel insights into how two realistic environmental challenges lead to developmental and neurobehavioral deficits, both alone and in combination, in a sex-specific manner.
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Robaire B, Delbes G, Head JA, Marlatt VL, Martyniuk CJ, Reynaud S, Trudeau VL, Mennigen JA. A cross-species comparative approach to assessing multi- and transgenerational effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112063. [PMID: 34562476 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A wide range of chemicals have been identified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in vertebrate species. Most studies of EDCs have focused on exposure of both male and female adults to these chemicals; however, there is clear evidence that EDCs have dramatic effects when mature or developing gametes are exposed, and consequently are associated with in multigenerational and transgenerational effects. Several publications have reviewed such actions of EDCs in subgroups of species, e.g., fish or rodents. In this review, we take a holistic approach synthesizing knowledge of the effects of EDCs across vertebrate species, including fish, anurans, birds, and mammals, and discuss the potential mechanism(s) mediating such multi- and transgenerational effects. We also propose a series of recommendations aimed at moving the field forward in a structured and coherent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Robaire
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Geraldine Delbes
- Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Jessica A Head
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vicki L Marlatt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Stéphane Reynaud
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Université. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jan A Mennigen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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3
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Gillette R, Dias M, Reilly MP, Thompson LM, Castillo NJ, Vasquez EL, Crews D, Gore AC. Two Hits of EDCs Three Generations Apart: Effects on Social Behaviors in Rats, and Analysis by Machine Learning. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10010030. [PMID: 35051072 PMCID: PMC8779176 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
All individuals are directly exposed to extant environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and indirectly exposed through transgenerational inheritance from our ancestors. Although direct and ancestral exposures can each lead to deficits in behaviors, their interactions are not known. Here we focused on social behaviors based on evidence of their vulnerability to direct or ancestral exposures, together with their importance in reproduction and survival of a species. Using a novel "two hits, three generations apart" experimental rat model, we investigated interactions of two classes of EDCs across six generations. PCBs (a weakly estrogenic mixture Aroclor 1221, 1 mg/kg), Vinclozolin (antiandrogenic, 1 mg/kg) or vehicle (6% DMSO in sesame oil) were administered to pregnant rat dams (F0) to directly expose the F1 generation, with subsequent breeding through paternal or maternal lines. A second EDC hit was given to F3 dams, thereby exposing the F4 generation, with breeding through the F6 generation. Approximately 1200 male and female rats from F1, F3, F4 and F6 generations were run through tests of sociability and social novelty as indices of social preference. We leveraged machine learning using DeepLabCut to analyze nuanced social behaviors such as nose touching with accuracy similar to a human scorer. Surprisingly, social behaviors were affected in ancestrally exposed but not directly exposed individuals, particularly females from a paternally exposed breeding lineage. Effects varied by EDC: Vinclozolin affected aspects of behavior in the F3 generation while PCBs affected both the F3 and F6 generations. Taken together, our data suggest that specific aspects of behavior are particularly vulnerable to heritable ancestral exposure of EDC contamination, that there are sex differences, and that lineage is a key factor in transgenerational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - Michelle Dias
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - Michael P. Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - Lindsay M. Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - Norma J. Castillo
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - Erin L. Vasquez
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
| | - David Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.G.); (M.D.); (M.P.R.); (L.M.T.); (N.J.C.); (E.L.V.)
- Correspondence:
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Seralini GE, Jungers G. Endocrine disruptors also function as nervous disruptors and can be renamed endocrine and nervous disruptors (ENDs). Toxicol Rep 2021; 8:1538-1557. [PMID: 34430217 PMCID: PMC8365328 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disruption (ED) and endocrine disruptors (EDs) emerged as scientific concepts in 1995, after numerous chemical pollutants were found to be responsible for reproductive dysfunction. The World Health Organization established in the United Nations Environment Programme a list of materials, plasticizers, pesticides, and various pollutants synthesized from petrochemistry that impact not only reproduction, but also hormonal functions, directly or indirectly. Cells communicate via either chemical or electrical signals transmitted within the endocrine or nervous systems. To investigate whether hormone disruptors may also interfere directly or indirectly with the development or functioning of the nervous system through either a neuroendocrine or a more general mechanism, we examined the scientific literature to ascertain the effects of EDs on the nervous system, specifically in the categories of neurotoxicity, cognition, and behaviour. To date, we demonstrated that all of the 177 EDs identified internationally by WHO are known to have an impact on the nervous system. Furthermore, the precise mechanisms underlying this neurodisruption have also been established. It was previously believed that EDs primarily function via the thyroid. However, this study presents substantial evidence that approximately 80 % of EDs operate via other mechanisms. It thus outlines a novel concept: EDs are also neurodisruptors (NDs) and can be collectively termed endocrine and nervous disruptors (ENDs). Most of ENDs are derived from petroleum residues, and their various mechanisms of action are similar to those of "spam" in electronic communications technologies. Therefore, ENDs can be considered as an instance of spam in a biological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles-Eric Seralini
- University of Caen Normandy, Network on Risks, Quality and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Sciences, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032, Caen, France
| | - Gerald Jungers
- University of Caen Normandy, Network on Risks, Quality and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Sciences, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032, Caen, France
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Hernandez Scudder ME, Young RL, Thompson LM, Kore P, Crews D, Hofmann HA, Gore AC. EDCs Reorganize Brain-Behavior Phenotypic Relationships in Rats. J Endocr Soc 2021; 5:bvab021. [PMID: 33928200 PMCID: PMC8055178 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All species, including humans, are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Previous experiments have shown behavioral deficits caused by EDCs that have implications for social competence and sexual selection. The neuromolecular mechanisms for these behavioral changes induced by EDCs have not been thoroughly explored. Here, we tested the hypothesis that EDCs administered to rats during a critical period of embryonic brain development would lead to the disruption of normal social preference behavior, and that this involves a network of underlying gene pathways in brain regions that regulate these behaviors. Rats were exposed prenatally to human-relevant concentrations of EDCs (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], vinclozolin [VIN]), or vehicle. In adulthood, a sociosexual preference test was administered. We profiled gene expression of in preoptic area, medial amygdala, and ventromedial nucleus. Prenatal PCBs impaired sociosexual preference in both sexes, and VIN disrupted this behavior in males. Each brain region had unique sets of genes altered in a sex- and EDC-specific manner. The effects of EDCs on individual traits were typically small, but robust; EDC exposure changed the relationships between gene expression and behavior, a pattern we refer to as dis-integration and reconstitution. These findings underscore the effects that developmental exposure to EDCs can have on adult social behavior, highlight sex-specific and individual variation in responses, and provide a foundation for further work on the disruption of genes and behavior after prenatal exposure to EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca L Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Pragati Kore
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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6
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De Serrano AR, Hughes KA, Rodd FH. Paternal exposure to a common pharmaceutical (Ritalin) has transgenerational effects on the behaviour of Trinidadian guppies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3985. [PMID: 33597600 PMCID: PMC7889922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence is emerging that paternal effects, the nongenetic influence of fathers on their offspring, can be transgenerational, spanning several generations. Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH; e.g. Ritalin) is a dopaminergic drug that is highly prescribed to adolescent males for the treatment of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It has been suggested that MPH could cause transgenerational effects because MPH can affect the male germline in rodents and because paternal effects have been observed in individuals taking similar drugs (e.g. cocaine). Despite these concerns, the transgenerational effects of paternal MPH exposure are unknown. Therefore, we exposed male and female Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to a low, chronic dose of MPH and observed that MPH affected the anxiety/exploratory behaviour of males, but not females. Because of this male-specific effect, we investigated the transgenerational effects of MPH through the paternal line. We observed behavioural effects of paternal MPH exposure on offspring and great-grandoffspring that were not directly administered the drug, making this the first study to demonstrate that paternal MPH exposure can affect descendants. These effects were not due to differential mortality or fecundity between control and MPH lines. These results highlight the transgenerational potential of MPH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R De Serrano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - F Helen Rodd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
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Sexual EDC-ucation: What we Have Learned About Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Reproduction. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-020-00269-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Martini M, Corces VG, Rissman EF. Mini-review: Epigenetic mechanisms that promote transgenerational actions of endocrine disrupting chemicals: Applications to behavioral neuroendocrinology. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104677. [PMID: 31927019 PMCID: PMC9942829 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
It is our hope this mini-review will stimulate discussion and new research. Here we briefly examine the literature on transgenerational actions of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on brain and behavior and their underlying epigenetic mechanisms including: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. We stress that epigenetic modifications need to be examined in a synergistic manner, as they act together in situ on chromatin to change transcription. Next we highlight recent work from one of our laboratories (VGC). The data provide new evidence that the sperm genome is poised for transcription. In developing sperm, gene enhancers and promoters are accessible for transcription and these activating motifs are also found in preimplantation embryos. Thus, DNA modifications associated with transcription factors during fertilization, in primordial germ cells (PGCs), and/or during germ cell maturation may be passed to offspring. We discuss the implications of this model to EDC exposures and speculate on whether natural variation in hormone levels during fertilization and PGC migration may impart transgenerational effects on brain and behavior. Lastly we discuss how this mechanism could apply to neural sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Martini
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States of America
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America.
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9
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Vassoler FM, Toorie AM, Teceno DN, Walia P, Moore DJ, Patton TD, Byrnes EM. Paternal morphine exposure induces bidirectional effects on cocaine versus opioid self-administration. Neuropharmacology 2020; 162:107852. [PMID: 31726075 PMCID: PMC8274248 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and is thus experiencing unprecedented levels of opioid exposure. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that this may have consequences on multiple generations. The current set of experiments examined the effect of male adolescent opioid exposure on cocaine and opioid self-administration in the F1 generation. Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered increasing doses of morphine (5-25 mg/kg, s.c.) for 10 days during adolescence (P30-39). Rats were then maintained drug free until adulthood (P70-80) at which point they were mated with drug-naïve females. Male and female F1 offspring were first examined for cocaine self-administration during adulthood. Naïve littermates were tested for morphine self-administration acquisition followed by a within subjects design progressive ratio test for morphine, oxycodone, and cocaine. Results show that male and female F1 rats have delayed acquisition and decreased intake of cocaine. In addition, they have blunted PR levels compared to Sal-F1 control rats. Female Mor-F1 rats also demonstrate increased levels of morphine intake during acquisition and increased PR responding for oxycodone. Surprisingly, even following acquisition of morphine self-administration, Mor-F1 males and females still demonstrate blunted effort for cocaine. There were no differences in sucrose self-administration in naïve littermates. MorF0 seminiferous tubules demonstrated increased levels of acetylated histone H3 and there were increased levels of BDNF mRNA in the mPFC in male and female F1 offspring. Together, these data identify systems that are vulnerable to the impact of opioids in the F0 generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fair M Vassoler
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA.
| | - Anika M Toorie
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Delaney N Teceno
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Pankhuri Walia
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Deion J Moore
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Trevor D Patton
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Byrnes
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
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Transgenerational impairment of ovarian induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) associated with Igf2 and H19 in adult female rat. Toxicology 2019; 428:152311. [PMID: 31629011 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2019.152311] [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] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorobenze-p-dioxin (TCDD), one of representive Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), has potential adverse effects on human health. Direct exposure to TCDD has been implicated in ovarian follicles development and functions deficits in adulthood. However, it is rarely reported whether indirect exposure to TCDD can cause similar negative impact on F3. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of ancestral TCDD exposure on ovarian toxicity in offspring rats (F3), focusing on the Igf2/H19 pathway which was important for follicular development. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley female rats (F0) were given with either vehicle or TCDD (100 or 500 ng/kg BW/day) by gavages during days 8-14 of gestation. Ovarian development and functions of F3 generation was assessed using the ovary coefficient, the vaginal opening time, and regularity of estrous cycle, ovarian pathology, follicles counts and apoptosis of granular cells. The level of E2, FSH and LH in the serum was also detected. Results showed that in the F3 generation 500 ng/kg BW/day TCDD group, ovarian coefficient, LH concentration in serum and number of primary follicles were decreased, and the apoptosis of granular cells was significantly increased. The abnormal rate of estrous cycle and advance rate of vaginal opening time displayed a significantly increase in TCDD-treated groups. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of H19 mRNA in ovary of TCDD treated F3 female rats was increased, compared to the control. Our data showed that ancestral TCDD exposure may impair transgenerational adult ovary development and functions, which may be related to an inhibition of the Igf2/H19 pathway in the ovarian.
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Krishnan K, Hasbum A, Morales D, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals alter the neuromolecular phenotype in F2 generation adult male rats. Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112674. [PMID: 31491443 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures to the fetus have long-lasting effects on health and disease in adulthood. Such EDC exposure to the F1 fetuses also reaches the germ cells that become the F2 generation. Previously, we demonstrated that adult social and communicative behaviors such as ultrasonic vocalizations and mating behaviors were altered by EDCs in F2 rats, especially males. In the current study, we used the brains of these F2 males to ascertain the underlying molecular changes in the hypothalamus related to these behavioral outcomes. Their progenitors were Sprague-Dawley rat dams, treated on pregnancy days 8 to 18 with one of three treatments: a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, Aroclor 1221, selected because it is weakly estrogenic; the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin (VIN); or the vehicle, 6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil (VEH). In adulthood, F1 male and female offspring were bred with untreated partners to generate paternal or maternal lineages of the F2 offspring, the subjects of molecular work. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted in the medial preoptic area (POA) and the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus, selected for their roles in social and sexual behaviors. Of the genes assessed, steroid hormone receptors (estrogen receptor α, androgen receptor, progesterone receptor) but not dopamine receptors 1 and 2 or DNA methyltransferase 3a expression were altered, particularly in the VIN males. Several significant correlations between behavior and gene expression were also detected. These results suggest that preconceptional exposure of male rats to EDCs at the germ cell stage alters the neuromolecular phenotype in adulthood in a lineage-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Asbiel Hasbum
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Daniel Morales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
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12
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Wolstenholme JT, Drobná Z, Henriksen AD, Goldsby JA, Stevenson R, Irvin JW, Flaws JA, Rissman EF. Transgenerational Bisphenol A Causes Deficits in Social Recognition and Alters Postsynaptic Density Genes in Mice. Endocrinology 2019; 160:1854-1867. [PMID: 31188430 PMCID: PMC6637794 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical. Developmental exposure produces changes in behavior and gene expression in the brain. Here, we examined social recognition behaviors in mice from the third familial generation (F3) after exposure to gestational BPA. Second-generation mice were bred in one of four mating combinations to reveal whether characteristics in F3 were acquired via maternal or paternal exposures. After repeated habituation to the same mouse, offspring of dams from the BPA lineage failed to display increased investigation of a novel mouse. Genes involved in excitatory postsynaptic densities (PSDs) were examined in F3 brains using quantitative PCR. Differential expression of genes important for function and stability of PSDs were assessed at three developmental ages. Several related PSD genes-SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 1 (Shank1), Homer scaffolding protein 1c (Homer1c), DLG associated protein 1 (Gkap), and discs large MAGUK scaffold protein 4 (PSD95)-were differentially expressed in control- vs BPA-lineage brains. Using a second strain of F3 inbred mice exposed to BPA, we noted the same differences in Shank1 and PSD95 expression in C57BL/6J mice. In sum, transgenerational BPA exposure disrupted social interactions in mice and dysregulated normal expression of PSD genes during neural development. The fact that the same genetic effects were found in two different mouse strains and in several brain regions increased potential for translation. The genetic and functional relationship between PSD and abnormal neurobehavioral disorders is well established, and our data suggest that BPA may contribute in a transgenerational manner to neurodevelopmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Wolstenholme
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Zuzana Drobná
- Center for Human Health and the Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Anne D Henriksen
- Department of Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
| | - Jessica A Goldsby
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Rachel Stevenson
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Joshua W Irvin
- Center for Human Health and the Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Jodi A Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
- Center for Human Health and the Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Correspondence: Emilie F. Rissman, PhD, North Carolina State University, Thomas Hall Room 3526, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695. E-mail:
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Gore AC, Krishnan K, Reilly MP. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Effects on neuroendocrine systems and the neurobiology of social behavior. Horm Behav 2019; 111:7-22. [PMID: 30476496 PMCID: PMC6527472 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A contribution to SBN/ICN special issue. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pervasive in the environment. They are found in plastics and plasticizers (bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates), in industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and include some pesticides and fungicides such as vinclozolin. These chemicals act on hormone receptors and their downstream signaling pathways, and can interfere with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and actions. Because the developing brain is particularly sensitive to endogenous hormones, disruptions by EDCs can change neural circuits that form during periods of brain organization. Here, we review the evidence that EDCs affect developing hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems, and change behavioral outcomes in juvenile, adolescent, and adult life in exposed individuals, and even in their descendants. Our focus is on social, communicative and sociosexual behaviors, as how an individual behaves with a same- or opposite-sex conspecific determines that individual's ability to exist in a community, be selected as a mate, and reproduce successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Aoued HS, Sannigrahi S, Doshi N, Morrison FG, Linsenbaum H, Hunter SC, Walum H, Baman J, Yao B, Jin P, Ressler KJ, Dias BG. Reversing Behavioral, Neuroanatomical, and Germline Influences of Intergenerational Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:248-256. [PMID: 30292395 PMCID: PMC6326876 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stressors affect populations exposed to them as well as offspring. Strategies preventing the intergenerational propagation of effects of stress would benefit public health. Olfactory cue-based fear conditioning provides a framework to address this issue. METHODS We 1) exposed adult male mice to an odor, acetophenone (Ace) or Lyral (parental generation [F0]-Exposed), 2) trained mice to associate these odors with mild foot shocks (F0-Trained), and 3) trained mice to associate these odors with mild foot shocks and then extinguished their fear toward these odors with odor-only presentations (F0-Extinguished). We then examined sensitivity of future generation (F1) offspring to these odors, expression of M71 odorant (Ace-responsive) and MOR23 odorant (Lyral-responsive) receptor-expressing cell populations in F1 offspring, and DNA methylation at genes encoding the Ace- (Olfr151, Olfr160) and Lyral- (Olfr16) responsive receptors in F0 sperm. RESULTS Extinguishing fear toward Ace or Lyral of F0 male mice (F0-Extinguished) that had been fear conditioned with Ace or Lyral, respectively, results in F1-Extinguished offspring that do not demonstrate behavioral sensitivity to Ace or Lyral, respectively, and do not have enhanced representation for M71 or MOR23 odorant receptors in the olfactory system, as is observed in F1-Trained-Ace or F1-Trained-Lyral cohorts, respectively. The promoters of genes encoding Olfr151 and Olfr160 receptors are less methylated in F0-Trained-Ace sperm compared with F0-Exposed-Ace sperm. The Olfr16 promoter is less methylated in F0-Trained-Lyral sperm compared with F0-Exposed-Lyral sperm, and F0-Extinguished-Lyral sperm have methylation levels comparable to F0-Exposed-Lyral sperm. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the potential of using extinction-based behavioral strategies to reverse influences of parental stress in offspring and in the parental germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadj S. Aoued
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Soma Sannigrahi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Nandini Doshi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Filomene G. Morrison
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Hannah Linsenbaum
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah C. Hunter
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hasse Walum
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Justin Baman
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Bing Yao
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Peng Jin
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Brian G. Dias
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Papalou O, Kandaraki EA, Papadakis G, Diamanti-Kandarakis E. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: An Occult Mediator of Metabolic Disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:112. [PMID: 30881345 PMCID: PMC6406073 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a heterogeneous group of exogenous chemicals that can interfere with any aspect of endogenous hormones, represent an emerging global threat for human metabolism. There is now considerable evidence that the observed upsurge of metabolic disease cannot be fully attributed to increased caloric intake, physical inactivity, sleep deficit, and ageing. Among environmental factors implicated in the global deterioration of metabolic health, EDCs have drawn the biggest attention of scientific community, and not unjustifiably. EDCs unleash a coordinated attack toward multiple components of human metabolism, including crucial, metabolically-active organs such as hypothalamus, adipose tissue, pancreatic beta cells, skeletal muscle, and liver. Specifically, EDCs' impact during critical developmental windows can promote the disruption of individual or multiple systems involved in metabolism, via inducing epigenetic changes that can permanently alter the epigenome in the germline, enabling changes to be transmitted to the subsequent generations. The clear effect of this multifaceted attack is the manifestation of metabolic disease, clinically expressed as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Although limitations of EDCs research do exist, there is no doubt that EDCs constitute a crucial parameter of the global deterioration of metabolic health we currently encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Papalou
- Department of Endocrinology & Diabetes, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis
- Department of Endocrinology & Diabetes, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece
- *Correspondence: Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis
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Krishnan K, Rahman S, Hasbum A, Morales D, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Maternal care modulates transgenerational effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on offspring pup vocalizations and adult behaviors. Horm Behav 2019; 107:96-109. [PMID: 30576639 PMCID: PMC6366859 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can act upon a developing organism to change its endocrine health and behavior in adulthood. Beyond actions on the exposed individuals, transgenerational effects of several EDCs have been reported. This study assessed the combinatorial impact of EDC-altered maternal care and transgenerational inheritance on F3 male and female offspring. Pregnant rats were exposed to EDCs with different modes of action: the weakly estrogenic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1221, the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil; VEH) during embryonic development. The F1 male and female offspring were bred through the paternal- or maternal-lineage with untreated partners to generate F2 offspring. This process was repeated through both maternal and paternal lineages to create the F3 generation. Maternal care of F2 dams towards their F3 offspring was altered in a lineage-dependent manner, particularly in PCB paternal-lineage animals. When F3 pups were recorded for ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) following separation from the mother, the rate of neonatal USVs in F3 offspring were decreased in PCB paternal-lineage pups. In adulthood, anxiety-like behaviors of the F3 rats were tested, with only small effects of EDCs detected. These interactions of maternal behaviors and EDC effects across generations, especially via the paternal lineage, has implications for health and environmental responses in wildlife and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shafaqat Rahman
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Asbiel Hasbum
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Daniel Morales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Gillette R, Son MJ, Ton L, Gore AC, Crews D. Passing experiences on to future generations: endocrine disruptors and transgenerational inheritance of epimutations in brain and sperm. Epigenetics 2018; 13:1106-1126. [PMID: 30444163 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1543506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All animals have body burdens of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) despite their ban decades ago. These and modern endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN) perturb hormone signaling and lead to dysfunctions following prenatal exposures. Beyond direct exposures, transgenerational disease phenotypes can persist for multiple generations without subsequent exposure. The mechanisms of action of these EDCs differ: VIN is anti-androgenic while the PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) is weakly estrogenic. Based on limited evidence for the inheritance of epimutations in germline, we measured DNA methylation in brain and sperm of rats. Pregnant dams were exposed from day 8-18 of gestation to low dosages of VIN, A1221, or the vehicle. To produce paternal lineages, exposed F1 males were bred with untreated females, creating the F2 and subsequently F3 generations. In adult F1 and F3 males, mature sperm was collected, and brain nuclei involved in anxiety and social behaviors (CA3 of the hippocampus; central amygdala) were selected for assays of epimutations in CpG islands using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. In F1 sperm, VIN and PCBs induced differential methylation in 215 and 284 CpG islands, respectively, compared to vehicle. The majority of effects were associated with hypermethylation. Fewer epimutations were detected in the brain. A subset of differentially methylated regions were retained from the F1 to the F3 generation, suggesting a common mechanism of EDC and germline epigenome interaction. Thus, EDCs can cause heritable epimutations in the sperm that may embody the future phenotype of brain-behavior disorders caused by direct or transgenerational exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Min Ji Son
- b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Lexi Ton
- b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.,c Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - David Crews
- a Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.,b Section of Integrative Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA
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Krishnan K, Mittal N, Thompson LM, Rodriguez-Santiago M, Duvauchelle CL, Crews D, Gore AC. Effects of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Vinclozolin and Polychlorinated Biphenyls, on Physiological and Sociosexual Phenotypes in F2 Generation Sprague-Dawley Rats. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:97005. [PMID: 30212226 PMCID: PMC6375392 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during gestation influences development of the F1 generation offspring and can result in disease and dysfunction in adulthood. Limited evidence suggests consequences on the F2 generation, exposed as germ cells within the F1 fetus. These F2s provide a unique window into the programming effects of EDCs. OBJECTIVE This study assessed intergenerational effects of EDC exposure on adult physiology and behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were exposed to either a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, Aroclor 1,221 (A1221), the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (VEH) (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil) alone. A1221 is weakly estrogenic, while VIN is antiandrogenic, enabling us to compare different classes of EDCs. The F1 male and female offspring were bred to generate the paternal- and maternal-lineage F2 generation. This F2 generation was assessed for physiological outcomes, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), and sexual behavior in adulthood. RESULTS Each EDC caused phenotypic effects in a sex- and lineage-dependent manner. The most robustly affected group was the paternal-lineage males. F2 VIN paternal male descendants had increased body weight throughout the lifespan, lower concentrations of circulating estradiol, and lower adrenal and testicular indices. Both VIN and A1221 paternal-lineage males also exhibited the greatest number of changes in the characteristics of USVs in response to an opposite-sex animal and changes in sexual behaviors in a mating test. CONCLUSION Exposure of rats to EDCs at the germ cell stage led to differences in the physiological and behavioral phenotype later in life, especially in males. This finding has implications for multigenerational physiological and reproductive health in wildlife and humans. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3550.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nitish Mittal
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Christine L Duvauchelle
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - David Crews
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 4 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 3 Institute of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
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Walker VR, Boyles AL, Pelch KE, Holmgren SD, Shapiro AJ, Blystone CR, Devito MJ, Newbold RR, Blain R, Hartman P, Thayer KA, Rooney AA. Human and animal evidence of potential transgenerational inheritance of health effects: An evidence map and state-of-the-science evaluation. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 115:48-69. [PMID: 29549716 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing number of reports suggest early life exposures result in adverse effects in offspring who were never directly exposed; this phenomenon is termed "transgenerational inheritance." Given concern for public health implications for potential effects of exposures transmitted to subsequent generations, it is critical to determine how widespread and robust this phenomenon is and to identify the range of exposures and possible outcomes. OBJECTIVES This scoping report examines the evidence for transgenerational inheritance associated with exposure to a wide range of stressors in humans and animals to identify areas of consistency, uncertainty, data gaps, and to evaluate general risk of bias issues for the transgenerational study design. METHODS A protocol was developed to collect and categorize the literature into a systematic evidence map for transgenerational inheritance by health effects, exposures, and evidence streams following the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) approach for conducting literature-based health assessments. RESULTS A PubMed search yielded 63,758 unique records from which 257 relevant studies were identified and categorized into a systematic evidence map by evidence streams (46 human and 211 animal), broad health effect categories, and exposures. Data extracted from the individual studies are available in the Health Assessment Workspace Collaborative (HAWC) program. There are relatively few bodies of evidence where multiple studies evaluated the same exposure and the same or similar outcomes. Studies evaluated for risk of bias generally had multiple issues in design or conduct. CONCLUSIONS The evidence mapping illustrated that risk of bias, few studies, and heterogeneity in exposures and endpoints examined present serious limitations to available bodies of evidence for assessing transgenerational effects. Targeted research is suggested to addressed inconsistencies and risk of bias issues identified, and thereby establish more robust bodies of evidence to critically assess transgenerational effects - particularly by adding data on exposure-outcome pairs where there is some evidence (i.e., reproductive, metabolic, and neurological effects).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vickie R Walker
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT), Division of National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Abee L Boyles
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT), Division of National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Katherine E Pelch
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT), Division of National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Shapiro
- Program Operations Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Chad R Blystone
- Toxicology Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Michael J Devito
- NTP Laboratory, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Retha R Newbold
- Researcher Emeritus, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Kristina A Thayer
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT), Division of National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Andrew A Rooney
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT), Division of National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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20
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Reilly MP, Weeks CD, Crews D, Gore AC. Application of a novel social choice paradigm to assess effects of prenatal endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure in rats (Rattus norvegicus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 132:253-267. [PMID: 29683687 DOI: 10.1037/com0000103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures during critical periods of gestation cause long-lasting behavioral effects, presumably by disturbing hormonal organization of the brain. Among such EDCs are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of industrial chemicals. PCB exposure in utero leads to alterations in mating behaviors and other sexually dimorphic social interactions in rats. Many of the previous studies on social behavior gave the experimental animal a single or binary choice. This study applied a more complex behavioral apparatus, an X-shaped Plexiglas apparatus (FourPlex), that enabled an experimental animal exposed to PCBs or a vehicle to distinguish and choose among 4 stimulus animals of the same or opposite sex, and of different hormonal status. We found that rats were able to differentiate among the stimuli in the FourPlex and showed the expected preference for an opposite sex, hormone-treated rat, particularly for behaviors conducted in proximity. Prenatal treatment caused subtle shifts in behavior toward stimulus rats in the FourPlex; more robust effects were seen for the sexual dimorphisms in behavior. Importantly, the results differ from our previous results of a simple binary choice model, showing that how an animal behaves in a more complex social paradigm does not predict the outcome in a simple choice model, and vice versa. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Connor D Weeks
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin
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Liang X, Feswick A, Simmons D, Martyniuk CJ. Reprint of: Environmental toxicology and omics: A question of sex. J Proteomics 2018:S1874-3919(18)30113-1. [PMID: 29650353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Molecular initiating events and downstream transcriptional/proteomic responses provide valuable information for adverse outcome pathways, which can be used predict the effects of chemicals on physiological systems. There has been a paucity of research that addresses sex-specific expression profiling in toxicology and due to cost, time, and logistic considerations, sex as a variable has not been widely considered. In response to this deficiency, federal agencies in the United States, Canada, and Europe have highlighted the importance of including sex as a variable in scientific investigations. Using case studies from both aquatic and mammalian toxicology, we report that there can be less than ~20-25% consensus in how the transcriptome and proteome of each sex responds to chemicals. Chemicals that have been shown to elicit sex-specific responses in the transcriptome or proteome include pharmaceuticals, anti-fouling agents, anticorrosive agents, and fungicides, among others. Sex-specific responses in the transcriptome and proteome are not isolated to whole animals, as investigations demonstrate that primary cell cultures isolated from each sex responds differently to toxicants. This signifies that sex is important, even in cell lines. Sex has significant implications for predictive toxicology, and both male and female data are required to improve robustness of adverse outcome pathways. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Clinical toxicology recognizes that sex is an important variable, as pharmacokinetics (ADME; absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) can differ between females and males. However, few studies in toxicology have explored the implication of sex in relation to the transcriptome and proteome of whole organisms. High-throughput molecular approaches are becoming more frequently applied in toxicity screens (e.g. pre-clinical experiments, fish embryos, cell lines, synthetic tissues) and such data are expected to build upon reporter-based cell assays (e.g. receptor activation, enzyme inhibition) used in toxicant screening programs (i.e. Tox21, ToxCast, REACH). Thus, computational models can more accurately predict the diversity of adverse effects that can occur from chemical exposure within the biological system. Our studies and those synthesized from the literature suggest that the transcriptome and proteome of females and males respond quite differentially to chemicals. This has significant implications for predicting adverse effects in one sex when using molecular data generated in the other sex. While molecular initiating events are not expected to differ dramatically between females and males (i.e. an estrogen binds estrogen receptors in both sexes), it is important to acknowledge that the downstream transcriptomic and proteomic responses can differ based upon the presence/absence of co-regulators and inherent sex-specific variability in regulation of transcriptional and translational machinery. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies also reveal that cell processes affected by chemicals can differ due to sex, and this can undoubtedly lead to sex-specific physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefang Liang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - April Feswick
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Denina Simmons
- Department of Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Latchney SE, Fields AM, Susiarjo M. Linking inter-individual variability to endocrine disruptors: insights for epigenetic inheritance. Mamm Genome 2018; 29:141-152. [PMID: 29218402 PMCID: PMC5849504 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-017-9729-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can induce a myriad of adverse health effects. An area of active investigation is the multi- and transgenerational inheritance of EDC-induced adverse health effects referring to the transmission of phenotypes across multiple generations via the germline. The inheritance of EDC-induced adverse health effects across multiple generations can occur independent of genetics, spurring much research into the transmission of underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the development of an organism and are responsive to environmental exposures. To date, rodent studies have demonstrated that acquired epigenetic marks, particularly DNA methylation, that are inherited following parental EDC exposure can escape embryonic epigenome reprogramming. The acquired epimutations can lead to subsequent adult-onset diseases. Increasing studies have reported inter-individual variations that occur with epigenetic inheritance. Factors that underlie differences among individuals could reveal previously unidentified mechanisms of epigenetic transmission. In this review, we give an overview of DNA methylation and posttranslational histone modification as the potential mechanisms for disease transmission, and define the requirements for multi- and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. We subsequently evaluate rodent studies investigating how acquired changes in epigenetic marks especially DNA methylation across multiple generations can vary among individuals following parental EDC exposure. We also discuss potential sources of inter-individual variations and the challenges in identifying these variations. We conclude our review discussing the challenges in applying rodent generational studies to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Latchney
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Ashley M Fields
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Martha Susiarjo
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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Liang X, Feswick A, Simmons D, Martyniuk CJ. Environmental toxicology and omics: A question of sex. J Proteomics 2018; 172:152-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Rock KD, Horman B, Phillips AL, McRitchie SL, Watson S, Deese-Spruill J, Jima D, Sumner S, Stapleton HM, Patisaul HB. EDC IMPACT: Molecular effects of developmental FM 550 exposure in Wistar rat placenta and fetal forebrain. Endocr Connect 2018; 7:305-324. [PMID: 29351906 PMCID: PMC5817967 DOI: 10.1530/ec-17-0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Firemaster 550 (FM 550) is a flame retardant (FR) mixture that has become one of the most commonly used FRs in foam-based furniture and baby products. Human exposure to this commercial mixture, composed of brominated and organophosphate components, is widespread. We have repeatedly shown that developmental exposure can lead to sex-specific behavioral effects in rats. Accruing evidence of endocrine disruption and potential neurotoxicity has raised concerns regarding the neurodevelopmental effects of FM 550 exposure, but the specific mechanisms of action remains unclear. Additionally, we observed significant, and in some cases sex-specific, accumulation of FM 550 in placental tissue following gestational exposure. Because the placenta is an important source of hormones and neurotransmitters for the developing brain, it may be a critical target of toxicity to consider in the context of developmental neurotoxicity. Using a mixture of targeted and exploratory approaches, the goal of the present study was to identify possible mechanisms of action in the developing forebrain and placenta. Wistar rat dams were orally exposed to FM 550 (0, 300 or 1000 µg/day) for 10 days during gestation and placenta and fetal forebrain tissue collected for analysis. In placenta, evidence of endocrine, inflammatory and neurotransmitter signaling pathway disruption was identified. Notably, 5-HT turnover was reduced in placental tissue and fetal forebrains indicating that 5-HT signaling between the placenta and the embryonic brain may be disrupted. These findings demonstrate that environmental contaminants, like FM 550, have the potential to impact the developing brain by disrupting normal placental functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie D Rock
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian Horman
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allison L Phillips
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan L McRitchie
- NIH Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Res. CoreUniv. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott Watson
- NIH Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Res. CoreUniv. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jocelin Deese-Spruill
- NIH Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Res. CoreUniv. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dereje Jima
- Center for Human Health and the EnvironmentNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Bioinformatics Research CenterNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan Sumner
- NIH Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Res. CoreUniv. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the EnvironmentNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Heather M Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Health and the EnvironmentNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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25
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Beck D, Sadler-Riggleman I, Skinner MK. Generational comparisons (F1 versus F3) of vinclozolin induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of sperm differential DNA methylation regions (epimutations) using MeDIP-Seq. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2017; 3:dvx016. [PMID: 29147574 PMCID: PMC5685552 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvx016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation has been shown to involve DNA methylation alterations in the germline (e.g. sperm). These differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) are termed epimutations and in part transmit the transgenerational phenotypes. The agricultural fungicide vinclozolin exposure of a gestating female rat has previously been shown to promote transgenerational disease and epimutations in F3 generation (great-grand-offspring) animals. The current study was designed to investigate the actions of direct fetal exposure on the F1 generation rat sperm DMRs compared to the F3 transgenerational sperm DMRs. A protocol involving methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) followed by next-generation sequencing (Seq) was used in the current study. Bioinformatics analysis of the MeDIP-Seq data was developed and several different variations in the bioinformatic analysis were evaluated. Observations indicate needs to be considered. Interestingly, the F1 generation DMRs were found to be fewer in number and for the most part distinct from the F3 generation epimutations. Observations suggest the direct exposure induced F1 generation sperm DMRs appear to promote in subsequent generations alterations in the germ cell developmental programming that leads to the distinct epimutations in the F3 generation. This may help explain the differences in disease and phenotypes between the direct exposure F1 generation and transgenerational F3 generation. Observations demonstrate a distinction between the direct exposure versus transgenerational epigenetic programming induced by environmental exposures and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Ingrid Sadler-Riggleman
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Michael K. Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
- Correspondence address. Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA. Tel: +1-509-335-1524; Fax: +1-509-335-2176; E-mail:
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26
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Gillette R, Reilly MP, Topper VY, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood are altered in male but not female rats exposed to low dosages of polychlorinated biphenyls in utero. Horm Behav 2017; 87:8-15. [PMID: 27794483 PMCID: PMC5603326 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can result in altered reproductive behavior in adulthood, especially when exposure occurs during critical periods of brain sexual differentiation in the fetus. Whether PCBs alter other sexually dimorphic behaviors such as those involved in anxiety is poorly understood. To address this, pregnant rat dams were injected twice, on gestational days 16 and 18, with the weakly estrogenic PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) at one of two low dosages (0.5mg/kg or 1.0mg/kg, hereafter 1.0 and 0.5), estradiol benzoate (EB; 50μg/kg) as a positive estrogenic control, or the vehicle (3% DMSO in sesame oil). We also conducted a comprehensive assessment of developmental milestones of the F1 male and female offspring. There were no effects of treatment on sex ratio at birth and age at eye opening. Puberty, assessed by vaginal opening in females and preputial separation in males, was not affected in females but was advanced in males treated with A1221 (1.0). Males and females treated with A1221 (both dosages) were heavier in early adulthood relative to controls. The earliest manifestation of this effect developed in males prior to puberty and in females slightly later, during puberty. Anxiety-like behaviors were tested using the light:dark box and elevated plus maze tests in adulthood. In females, anxiety behaviors were unaffected by treatment. Males treated with A1221 (1.0) showed reduced indices of anxiety and increased activity in the light:dark box but not the elevated plus maze. EB failed to replicate the phenotype produced by A1221 for any of the developmental and behavioral endpoints. Collectively, these results indicate that PCBs increase body weight in both sexes, but their effects on anxiety-like behaviors are specific to males. Furthermore, differences between the results of A1221 and EB suggest that the PCBs are likely acting through mechanisms distinct from their estrogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - David Crews
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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27
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Arambula SE, Belcher SM, Planchart A, Turner SD, Patisaul HB. Impact of Low Dose Oral Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) on the Neonatal Rat Hypothalamic and Hippocampal Transcriptome: A CLARITY-BPA Consortium Study. Endocrinology 2016; 157:3856-3872. [PMID: 27571134 PMCID: PMC5045502 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting, high volume production chemical found in a variety of products. Evidence of prenatal exposure has raised concerns that developmental BPA may disrupt sex-specific brain organization and, consequently, induce lasting changes on neurophysiology and behavior. We and others have shown that exposure to BPA at doses below the no-observed-adverse-effect level can disrupt the sex-specific expression of estrogen-responsive genes in the neonatal rat brain including estrogen receptors (ERs). The present studies, conducted as part of the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights of BPA Toxicity program, expanded this work by examining the hippocampal and hypothalamic transcriptome on postnatal day 1 with the hypothesis that genes sensitive to estrogen and/or sexually dimorphic in expression would be altered by prenatal BPA exposure. NCTR Sprague-Dawley dams were gavaged from gestational day 6 until parturition with BPA (0-, 2.5-, 25-, 250-, 2500-, or 25 000-μg/kg body weight [bw]/d). Ethinyl estradiol was used as a reference estrogen (0.05- or 0.5-μg/kg bw/d). Postnatal day 1 brains were microdissected and gene expression was assessed with RNA-sequencing (0-, 2.5-, and 2500-μg/kg bw BPA groups only) and/or quantitative real-time PCR (all exposure groups). BPA-related transcriptional changes were mainly confined to the hypothalamus. Consistent with prior observations, BPA induced sex-specific effects on hypothalamic ERα and ERβ (Esr1 and Esr2) expression and hippocampal and hypothalamic oxytocin (Oxt) expression. These data demonstrate prenatal BPA exposure, even at doses below the current no-observed-adverse-effect level, can alter gene expression in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl E Arambula
- Department of Biological Sciences (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (S.E.A., H.B.P.), and Center for Human Health and the Environment (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Department of Public Health Sciences (S.D.T.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Scott M Belcher
- Department of Biological Sciences (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (S.E.A., H.B.P.), and Center for Human Health and the Environment (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Department of Public Health Sciences (S.D.T.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Antonio Planchart
- Department of Biological Sciences (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (S.E.A., H.B.P.), and Center for Human Health and the Environment (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Department of Public Health Sciences (S.D.T.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Stephen D Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (S.E.A., H.B.P.), and Center for Human Health and the Environment (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Department of Public Health Sciences (S.D.T.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (S.E.A., H.B.P.), and Center for Human Health and the Environment (S.E.A., S.M.B., A.P., H.B.P.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Department of Public Health Sciences (S.D.T.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
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28
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Thorsell A, Nätt D. Maternal stress and diet may influence affective behavior and stress-response in offspring via epigenetic regulation of central peptidergic function. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvw012. [PMID: 29492293 PMCID: PMC5804527 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvw012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been shown that maternal stress and malnutrition, or experience of other adverse events, during the perinatal period may alter susceptibility in the adult offspring in a time-of-exposure dependent manner. The mechanism underlying this may be epigenetic in nature. Here, we summarize some recent findings on the effects on gene-regulation following maternal malnutrition, focusing on epigenetic regulation of peptidergic activity. Numerous neuropeptides within the central nervous system are crucial components in regulation of homeostatic energy-balance, as well as affective health (i.e. health events related to affective disorders, psychiatric disorders also referred to as mood disorders). It is becoming evident that expression, and function, of these neuropeptides can be regulated via epigenetic mechanisms during fetal development, thereby contributing to the development of the adult phenotype and, possibly, modulating disease susceptibility. Here, we focus on two such neuropeptides, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), both involved in regulation of endocrine function, energy homeostasis, as well as affective health. While a number of published studies indicate the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in CRH-dependent regulation of the offspring adult phenotype, NPY has been much less studied in this context and needs further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Thorsell
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, SE 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Nätt
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, SE 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
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29
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Cox KH. A Bisphenol by Any Other Name.. Endocrinology 2016; 157:449-51. [PMID: 26828808 PMCID: PMC4733127 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-2060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly H Cox
- Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02113
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30
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Klengel T, Dias BG, Ressler KJ. Models of Intergenerational and Transgenerational Transmission of Risk for Psychopathology in Mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:219-31. [PMID: 26283147 PMCID: PMC4677139 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Trajectories toward risk or resilience in psychiatric disorders are influenced by acquired and inherited factors. More recently, evidence from rodent studies suggest that acquired risk factors can be transmitted through non-genomic, epigenetic mechanisms to subsequent generations, potentially contributing to a cycle of disease and disease risk. Here, we review examples of transmission of environmental factors across generations and illustrate the difference between behavioral transmission and epigenetic inheritance. We highlight essential definitions of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of disease risk with corresponding examples. We then explore how these phenomena may influence our understanding of psychiatric disorders leading toward new prevention and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian G Dias
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA, Tel: +1 404 727 7739, Fax: +1 404 727 8070, E-mail:
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31
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Taguchi YH. Identification of aberrant gene expression associated with aberrant promoter methylation in primordial germ cells between E13 and E16 rat F3 generation vinclozolin lineage. BMC Bioinformatics 2015; 16 Suppl 18:S16. [PMID: 26677731 PMCID: PMC4682393 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-16-s18-s16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transgenerational epigenetics (TGE) are currently considered important in disease, but the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood. TGE abnormalities expected to cause disease are likely to be initiated during development and to be mediated by aberrant gene expression associated with aberrant promoter methylation that is heritable between generations. However, because methylation is removed and then re-established during development, it is not easy to identify promoter methylation abnormalities by comparing normal lineages with those expected to exhibit TGE abnormalities. Methods This study applied the recently proposed principal component analysis (PCA)-based unsupervised feature extraction to previously reported and publically available gene expression/promoter methylation profiles of rat primordial germ cells, between E13 and E16 of the F3 generation vinclozolin lineage that are expected to exhibit TGE abnormalities, to identify multiple genes that exhibited aberrant gene expression/promoter methylation during development. Results The biological feasibility of the identified genes were tested via enrichment analyses of various biological concepts including pathway analysis, gene ontology terms and protein-protein interactions. All validations suggested superiority of the proposed method over three conventional and popular supervised methods that employed t test, limma and significance analysis of microarrays, respectively. The identified genes were globally related to tumors, the prostate, kidney, testis and the immune system and were previously reported to be related to various diseases caused by TGE. Conclusions Among the genes reported by PCA-based unsupervised feature extraction, we propose that chemokine signaling pathways and leucine rich repeat proteins are key factors that initiate transgenerational epigenetic-mediated diseases, because multiple genes included in these two categories were identified in this study.
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Gore AC, Chappell VA, Fenton SE, Flaws JA, Nadal A, Prins GS, Toppari J, Zoeller RT. EDC-2: The Endocrine Society's Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. Endocr Rev 2015; 36:E1-E150. [PMID: 26544531 PMCID: PMC4702494 DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1244] [Impact Index Per Article: 138.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Endocrine Society's first Scientific Statement in 2009 provided a wake-up call to the scientific community about how environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect health and disease. Five years later, a substantially larger body of literature has solidified our understanding of plausible mechanisms underlying EDC actions and how exposures in animals and humans-especially during development-may lay the foundations for disease later in life. At this point in history, we have much stronger knowledge about how EDCs alter gene-environment interactions via physiological, cellular, molecular, and epigenetic changes, thereby producing effects in exposed individuals as well as their descendants. Causal links between exposure and manifestation of disease are substantiated by experimental animal models and are consistent with correlative epidemiological data in humans. There are several caveats because differences in how experimental animal work is conducted can lead to difficulties in drawing broad conclusions, and we must continue to be cautious about inferring causality in humans. In this second Scientific Statement, we reviewed the literature on a subset of topics for which the translational evidence is strongest: 1) obesity and diabetes; 2) female reproduction; 3) male reproduction; 4) hormone-sensitive cancers in females; 5) prostate; 6) thyroid; and 7) neurodevelopment and neuroendocrine systems. Our inclusion criteria for studies were those conducted predominantly in the past 5 years deemed to be of high quality based on appropriate negative and positive control groups or populations, adequate sample size and experimental design, and mammalian animal studies with exposure levels in a range that was relevant to humans. We also focused on studies using the developmental origins of health and disease model. No report was excluded based on a positive or negative effect of the EDC exposure. The bulk of the results across the board strengthen the evidence for endocrine health-related actions of EDCs. Based on this much more complete understanding of the endocrine principles by which EDCs act, including nonmonotonic dose-responses, low-dose effects, and developmental vulnerability, these findings can be much better translated to human health. Armed with this information, researchers, physicians, and other healthcare providers can guide regulators and policymakers as they make responsible decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Gore
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - V A Chappell
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - S E Fenton
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - J A Flaws
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - A Nadal
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - G S Prins
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - J Toppari
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - R T Zoeller
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
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Transgenerational Inheritance of Paternal Neurobehavioral Phenotypes: Stress, Addiction, Ageing and Metabolism. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:6367-6376. [PMID: 26572641 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9526-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modulation is found to get involved in multiple neurobehavioral processes. It is believed that different types of environmental stimuli could alter the epigenome of the whole brain or related neural circuits, subsequently contributing to the long-lasting neural plasticity of certain behavioral phenotypes. While the maternal influence on the health of offsprings has been long recognized, recent findings highlight an alternative way for neurobehavioral phenotypes to be passed on to the next generation, i.e., through the male germ line. In this review, we focus specifically on the transgenerational modulation induced by environmental stress, drugs of abuse, and other physical or mental changes (e.g., ageing, metabolism, fear) in fathers, and recapitulate the underlying mechanisms potentially mediating the alterations in epigenome or gene expression of offsprings. Together, these findings suggest that the inheritance of phenotypic traits through male germ-line epigenome may represent the unique manner of adaptation during evolution. Hence, more attention should be paid to the paternal health, given its equivalently important role in affecting neurobehaviors of descendants.
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Abstract
The placenta is an ephemeral but critical organ for the survival of all eutherian mammals and marsupials. It is the primary messenger system between the mother and fetus, where communicational signals, nutrients, waste, gases, and extrinsic factors are exchanged. Although the placenta may buffer the fetus from various environmental insults, placental dysfunction might also contribute to detrimental developmental origins of adult health and disease effects. The placenta of one sex over the other might possess greater ability to respond and buffer against environmental insults. Given the potential role of the placenta in effecting the lifetime health of the offspring, it is not surprising that there has been a resurging interest in this organ, including the Human Placental Project launched by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. In this review, we will compare embryological development of the laboratory mouse and human chorioallantoic placentae. Next, evidence that various species, including humans, exhibit normal sex-dependent structural and functional placental differences will be examined followed by how in utero environmental changes (nutritional state, stress, and exposure to environmental chemicals) might interact with fetal sex to affect this organ. Recent data also suggest that paternal state impacts placental function in a sex-dependent manner. The research to date linking placental maladaptive responses and later developmental origins of adult health and disease effects will be explored. Finally, we will focus on how sex chromosomes and epimutations may contribute to sex-dependent differences in placental function, the unanswered questions, and future directions that warrant further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Departments of Bond Life Sciences Center, Biomedical Sciences, Genetics Area Program, and Research Faculty Member for the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
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Abstract
Many, if not all, questions in biology and psychology today were formulated and considered in depth, though typically in a different language, from the 1700's to the early 1900's. However, because of politics or fashion, some topics fell out of favor or failed to recruit new scientists and hence languished. Despite greatly expanded scholarship in the history of the life sciences in the twentieth century, many such topics have had to be rediscovered in recent years, while much of the wisdom already accrued stays in the older literature and not in active minds. This is particularly true today when scientific advances appear at breakneck speed. It would not be an exaggeration to say that many 'breakthroughs' turn out really to be rediscoveries of forgotten observations. Two areas of particular significance to the interdisciplinary study of behavior are the Norms of Reaction (from Biology) and the concept of Plasticity (from Psychology). These and related fields benefit from the perspective of epigenetics so long as rigorous operational definitions are implemented. It is also important to revive Hogben's admonition that the interaction of hereditary and environment cannot be understood outside of the context of development. Five examples of increasing complexity in phenotypic plasticity in brain and behavior are presented to illustrate this perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Seth A Weisberg
- Institute of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sahotra Sarkar
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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36
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A review of the potential effects of suspended sediment on fishes: potential dredging-related physiological, behavioral, and transgenerational implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10669-015-9557-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Martos SN, Tang WY, Wang Z. Elusive inheritance: Transgenerational effects and epigenetic inheritance in human environmental disease. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 118:44-54. [PMID: 25792089 PMCID: PMC4784256 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2015.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation, histone modification, histone variants and nucleosome positioning, and noncoding RNAs regulate cell-, tissue-, and developmental stage-specific gene expression by influencing chromatin structure and modulating interactions between proteins and DNA. Epigenetic marks are mitotically inherited in somatic cells and may be altered in response to internal and external stimuli. The idea that environment-induced epigenetic changes in mammals could be inherited through the germline, independent of genetic mechanisms, has stimulated much debate. Many experimental models have been designed to interrogate the possibility of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and provide insight into how environmental exposures influence phenotypes over multiple generations in the absence of any apparent genetic mutation. Unexpected molecular evidence has forced us to reevaluate not only our understanding of the plasticity and heritability of epigenetic factors, but of the stability of the genome as well. Recent reviews have described the difference between transgenerational and intergenerational effects; the two major epigenetic reprogramming events in the mammalian lifecycle; these two events making transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of environment-induced perturbations rare, if at all possible, in mammals; and mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in non-mammalian eukaryotic organisms. This paper briefly introduces these topics and mainly focuses on (1) transgenerational phenotypes and epigenetic effects in mammals, (2) environment-induced intergenerational epigenetic effects, and (3) the inherent difficulties in establishing a role for epigenetic inheritance in human environmental disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne N Martos
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Wan-Yee Tang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhibin Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Reilly MP, Weeks CD, Topper VY, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. The effects of prenatal PCBs on adult social behavior in rats. Horm Behav 2015; 73:47-55. [PMID: 26093262 PMCID: PMC4546928 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures during critical periods of development may influence neuronal development and the manifestation of sexually dimorphic sociability and social novelty behaviors in adulthood. In this study, we assessed the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on the social behavior of males and females later in adulthood. A weakly estrogenic PCB mixture, Aroclor 1221 (A1221, 0.5 or 1mg/kg) was administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat dams. Both a positive control (estradiol benzoate; EB, 50μg/kg) and negative control (dimethylsulfoxide; DMSO in sesame oil vehicle) were similarly administered to separate sets of dams. The sexes responded differently in two tasks essential to sociality. Using a three-chamber apparatus that contained a caged, same-sex, gonadectomized stimulus animal and an empty stimulus cage, we found that both sexes showed a strong preference for affiliating with a stimulus animal (vs. an empty cage), an effect that was much more pronounced in the males. In the second task, a novel and a familiar stimulus animal were caged at opposite ends of the same apparatus. Females displayed a higher degree of novelty preference than the males. During both tests, females had significantly higher social approach behaviors while male engaged in significantly more interactive behaviors with the conspecific. Of particular interest, males born of dams that received prenatal A1221 (0.5mg/kg) exhibited an overall decrease in nose-to-nose investigations. These behavioral data suggest that the males are more sensitive to A1221 treatment than are females. In addition to behavioral analysis, serum corticosterone was measured. Females born of dams treated with A1221 (0.5mg/kg) had significantly higher concentrations of corticosterone than the DMSO female group; males were unaffected. Females also had significantly higher corticosterone concentrations than did males. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on adult social behavior are relatively limited within this particular paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Connor D Weeks
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Gillette R, Miller-Crews I, Skinner MK, Crews D. Distinct actions of ancestral vinclozolin and juvenile stress on neural gene expression in the male rat. Front Genet 2015; 6:56. [PMID: 25784924 PMCID: PMC4345841 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to the endocrine disrupting chemical vinclozolin during gestation of an F0 generation and/or chronic restraint stress during adolescence of the F3 descendants affects behavior, physiology, and gene expression in the brain. Genes related to the networks of growth factors, signaling peptides, and receptors, steroid hormone receptors and enzymes, and epigenetic related factors were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction via Taqman low density arrays targeting 48 genes in the central amygdaloid nucleus, medial amygdaloid nucleus, medial preoptic area (mPOA), lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. We found that growth factors are particularly vulnerable to ancestral exposure in the central and medial amygdala; restraint stress during adolescence affected neural growth factors in the medial amygdala. Signaling peptides were affected by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence primarily in hypothalamic nuclei. Steroid hormone receptors and enzymes were strongly affected by restraint stress in the mPOA. Epigenetic related genes were affected by stress in the ventromedial nucleus and by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence independently in the central amygdala. It is noteworthy that the LH showed no effects of either manipulation. Gene expression is discussed in the context of behavioral and physiological measures previously published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Gillette
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Isaac Miller-Crews
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Pullman, WA, USA
| | - David Crews
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA ; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
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Logan AC, Katzman MA, Balanzá-Martínez V. Natural environments, ancestral diets, and microbial ecology: is there a modern "paleo-deficit disorder"? Part I. J Physiol Anthropol 2015; 34:1. [PMID: 25636731 PMCID: PMC4318214 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-015-0041-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Famed microbiologist René J. Dubos (1901-1982) was an early pioneer in the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) construct. In the 1960s, he conducted groundbreaking experimental research concerning the ways in which early-life experience with nutrition, microbiota, stress, and other environmental variables could influence later-life health outcomes. He also wrote extensively on potential health consequences of a progressive loss of contact with natural environments (now referred to as green or blue space), arguing that Paleolithic experiences have created needs, particularly in the mental realm, that might not be met in the context of rapid global urbanization. He posited that humans would certainly adapt to modern urban landscapes and high technology, but there might be a toll to be paid in the form of higher psychological distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression) and diminished quality of life. In particular, there might be an erosion of humanness, exemplified by declines in altruism/empathy. Here in the first of a two-part review, we examine contemporary research related to natural environments and question to what extent Dubos might have been correct in some of his 50-year-old assertions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Logan
- CAMNR, 23679 Calabasas Road Suite 542, Calabasas, CA, 91302, USA.
| | - Martin A Katzman
- START Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders, 32 Park Road, Toronto, ON, M4W 2 N4, Canada.
| | - Vicent Balanzá-Martínez
- Department of Medicine, Section of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University of Valencia Medical School, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, E46010, Valencia, Spain.
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Gore AC, Martien KM, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D. Implications of prenatal steroid perturbations for neurodevelopment, behavior, and autism. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:961-91. [PMID: 25211453 PMCID: PMC4234775 DOI: 10.1210/er.2013-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal brain develops under the influence of an ever-changing hormonal milieu that includes endogenous fetal gonadal and adrenal hormones, placental and maternal hormones, and exogenous substances with hormonal activity that can cross the placental barrier. This review discusses the influences of endogenous fetal and maternal hormones on normal brain development and potential consequences of pathophysiological hormonal perturbations to the developing brain, with particular reference to autism. We also consider the effects of hormonal pharmaceuticals used for assisted reproduction, the maintenance of pregnancy, the prevention of congenital adrenal hypertrophy, and hormonal contraceptives continued into an unanticipated pregnancy, among others. These treatments, although in some instances life-saving, may have unintended consequences on the developing fetuses. Additional concern is raised by fetal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered universally by pregnant women from food/water containers, contaminated food, household chemicals, and other sources. What are the potential outcomes of prenatal steroid perturbations on neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, including autism-spectrum disorders? Our purposes here are 1) to summarize some consequences of steroid exposures during pregnancy for the development of brain and behavior in the offspring; 2) to summarize what is known about the relationships between exposures and behavior, including autism spectrum disorders; 3) to discuss the molecular underpinnings of such effects, especially molecular epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal steroid manipulations, a field that may explain effects of direct exposures, and even transgenerational effects; and 4) for all of these, to add cautionary notes about their interpretation in the name of scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (K.M.M.), Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421; and Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior (K.G., D.P.), Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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Crews D, Gillette R, Miller-Crews I, Gore AC, Skinner MK. Nature, nurture and epigenetics. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 398:42-52. [PMID: 25102229 PMCID: PMC4300943 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Real life by definition combines heritability (e.g., the legacy of exposures) and experience (e.g. stress during sensitive or 'critical' periods), but how to study or even model this interaction has proven difficult. The hoary concept of evaluating traits according to nature versus nurture continues to persist despite repeated demonstrations that it retards, rather than advances, our understanding of biological processes. Behavioral genetics has proven the obvious, that genes influence behavior and, vice versa, that behavior influences genes. The concept of Genes X Environment (G X E) and its modern variants was viewed as an improvement on nature-nurture but has proven that, except in rare instances, it is not possible to fractionate phenotypes into these constituent elements. The entanglement inherent in terms such as nature-nurture or G X E is a Gordian knot that cannot be dissected or even split. Given that the world today is not what it was less than a century ago, yet the arbitrator (differential survival and reproduction) has stayed constant, de novo principles and practices are needed to better predict what the future holds. Put simply, the transformation that is now occurring within and between individuals as a product of global endocrine disruption is quite independent of what has been regarded as evolution by selection. This new perspective should focus on how epigenetic modifications might revise approaches to understand how the phenotype and, in particular its components, is shaped. In this review we summarize the literature in this developing area, focusing on our research on the fungicide vinclozolin.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Ross Gillette
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Isaac Miller-Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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Abstract
Previous studies have shown a wide variety of environmental toxicants and abnormal nutrition can promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. More recently a number of studies have indicated environmental stress can also promote epigenetic alterations that are transmitted to subsequent generations to induce pathologies. A recent study by Yao and colleagues demonstrated gestational exposure to restraint stress and forced swimming promoted preterm birth risk and adverse newborn outcomes generationally. This ancestral stress promoted the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of abnormalities in the great-grand offspring of the exposed gestating female. Several studies now support the role of environmental stress in promoting the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Observations suggest ancestral environmental stress may be a component of disease etiology in the current population.
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