Transgenerational Abnormalities Induced by Paternal Preconceptual Alcohol Drinking: Findings from Humans and Animal Models

Chronic paternal alcohol exposures induce dose-dependent changes in offspring craniofacial shape and symmetry

Although dose-response analyses are a fundamental tool in developmental toxicology, few studies have examined the impacts of toxicant dose on the non-genetic paternal inheritance of offspring disease and dysgenesis. In this study, we used geometric morphometric analyses to examine the impacts of different levels of preconception paternal alcohol exposure on offspring craniofacial shape and symmetry in a mouse model. Procrustes ANOVA followed by canonical variant analysis of geometric facial relationships revealed that Low-, Medium-, and High-dose treatments each induced distinct changes in craniofacial shape and symmetry. Our analyses identified a dose threshold between 1.543 and 2.321 g/kg/day. Below this threshold, preconception paternal alcohol exposure induced changes in facial shape, including a right shift in facial features. In contrast, above this threshold, paternal exposures caused shifts in both shape and center, disrupting facial symmetry. Consistent with previous clinical studies, changes in craniofacial shape predominantly mapped to regions in the lower portion of the face, including the mandible (lower jaw) and maxilla (upper jaw). Notably, high-dose exposures also impacted the positioning of the right eye. Our studies reveal that paternal alcohol use may be an unrecognized factor contributing to the incidence and severity of alcohol-related craniofacial defects, complicating diagnostics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Nerve Growth Factor and Autoimmune Diseases

NGF plays a crucial immunomodulatory role and increased levels are found in numerous tissues during autoimmune states. NGF directly modulates innate and adaptive immune responses of B and T cells and causes the release of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters controlling the immune system activation in inflamed tissues. Evidence suggests that NGF is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous immune diseases including autoimmune thyroiditis, chronic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, mastocytosis, and chronic granulomatous disease. Furthermore, as NGF levels have been linked to disease severity, it could be considered an optimal early biomarker to identify therapeutic approach efficacy. In conclusion, by gaining insights into how these molecules function and which cells they interact with, future studies can devise targeted therapies to address various neurological, immunological, and other disorders more effectively. This knowledge may pave the way for innovative treatments based on NGF manipulation aimed at improving the quality of life for individuals affected by diseases involving neurotrophins.

Perinatal S-Adenosylmethionine Supplementation Represses PSEN1 Expression by the Cellular Epigenetic Memory of CpG and Non-CpG Methylation in Adult TgCRD8 Mice

DNA methylation, the main epigenetic modification regulating gene expression, plays a role in the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration. Previous evidence indicates that 5'-flanking hypomethylation of PSEN1, a gene involved in the amyloidogenic pathway in Alzheimer's disease (AD), boosts the AD-like phenotype in transgenic TgCRND8 mice. Supplementation with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the methyl donor in the DNA methylation reactions, reverts the pathological phenotype. Several studies indicate that epigenetic signatures, driving the shift between normal and diseased aging, can be acquired during the first stages of life, even in utero, and manifest phenotypically later on in life. Therefore, we decided to test whether SAM supplementation during the perinatal period (i.e., supplementing the mothers from mating to weaning) could exert a protective role towards AD-like symptom manifestation. We therefore compared the effect of post-weaning vs. perinatal SAM treatment in TgCRND8 mice by assessing PSEN1 methylation and expression and the development of amyloid plaques. We found that short-term perinatal supplementation was as effective as the longer post-weaning supplementation in repressing PSEN1 expression and amyloid deposition in adult mice. These results highlight the importance of epigenetic memory and methyl donor availability during early life to promote healthy aging and stress the functional role of non-CpG methylation.

Patterns of Cannabis- and Substance-Related Congenital General Anomalies in Europe: A Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study

INTRODUCTION

Recent series of congenital anomaly (CA) rates (CARs) have showed the close and epidemiologically causal relationship of cannabis exposure to many CARs. We investigated these trends in Europe where similar trends have occurred.

METHODS

CARs from EUROCAT. Drug use from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income data from World Bank.

RESULTS

CARs were higher in countries with increasing daily use overall (p = 9.99 × 10^-14, minimum E-value (mEV) = 2.09) and especially for maternal infections, situs inversus, teratogenic syndromes and VACTERL syndrome (p = 1.49 × 10^-15, mEV = 3.04). In inverse probability weighted panel regression models the series of anomalies: all anomalies, VACTERL, foetal alcohol syndrome, situs inversus (SI), lateralization (L), and teratogenic syndromes (TS; AAVFASSILTS) had cannabis metric p-values from: p < 2.2 × 10^-16, 1.52 × 10^-12, 1.44 × 10^-13, 1.88 × 10^-7, 7.39 × 10^-6 and <2.2 × 10^-16. In a series of spatiotemporal models this anomaly series had cannabis metric p-values from: 8.96 × 10^-6, 6.56 × 10^-6, 0.0004, 0.0019, 0.0006, 5.65 × 10^-5. Considering E-values, the cannabis effect size order was VACTERL > situs inversus > teratogenic syndromes > FAS > lateralization syndromes > all anomalies. 50/64 (78.1%) E-value estimates and 42/64 (65.6%) mEVs > 9. Daily cannabis use was the strongest predictor for all anomalies.

CONCLUSION

Data confirmed laboratory, preclinical and recent epidemiological studies from Canada, Australia, Hawaii, Colorado and USA for teratological links between cannabis exposure and AAVFASSILTS anomalies, fulfilled epidemiological criteria for causality and underscored importance of cannabis teratogenicity. VACTERL data are consistent with causation via cannabis-induced Sonic Hedgehog inhibition. TS data suggest cannabinoid contribution. SI&L data are consistent with results for cardiovascular CAs. Overall, these data show that cannabis is linked across space and time and in a manner which fulfills epidemiological criteria for causality not only with many CAs, but with several multiorgan teratologic syndromes. The major clinical implication of these results is that access to cannabinoids should be tightly restricted in the interests of safeguarding the community's genetic heritage to protect and preserve coming generations, as is done for all other major genotoxins.

Neuroimmune Dysregulation in Prepubertal and Adolescent Individuals Affected by Klinefelter Syndrome

BACKGROUND

The syndrome Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is a genetic disorder due to an extra X chromosome in males. Many cases remain undiagnosed until the onset of major manifestations, which include hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and infertility. This condition is associated with many comorbidities that involve the cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems. Last but not the least, individuals with KS show a high risk of developing psychiatric and mood disorders in adult age.

OBJECTIVE

While many studies are accessible on KS in adult individuals, the neuroinflammatory condition in adolescent and prepubertal KS individuals is not fully known.

METHODS

Our study aims to evaluate in prepubertal and adolescent KS individuals, for the first time, the levels of the serum of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), cytokines having subtle roles in oxidative processes, and neuroinflammation with respect to the levels of TNF-α, TGF-β, MCP-1, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12 and oxidative stress by employing free oxygen radicals defense and free oxygen radicals test.

RESULTS

We found no changes in NGF and oxidative stress parameters, but BDNF decreased compared to healthy children. Quite interestingly, our data showed reduced levels of IL-2, IL-1α, IL- 12, IL-10, and IL-6 in prepubertal KS children.

CONCLUSION

The present study discloses disrupted immune system and neurotrophin pathways in KS children.

Epigenomic and Other Evidence for Cannabis-Induced Aging Contextualized in a Synthetic Epidemiologic Overview of Cannabinoid-Related Teratogenesis and Cannabinoid-Related Carcinogenesis

BACKGROUND

Twelve separate streams of empirical data make a strong case for cannabis-induced accelerated aging including hormonal, mitochondriopathic, cardiovascular, hepatotoxic, immunological, genotoxic, epigenotoxic, disruption of chromosomal physiology, congenital anomalies, cancers including inheritable tumorigenesis, telomerase inhibition and elevated mortality.

METHODS

Results from a recently published longitudinal epigenomic screen were analyzed with regard to the results of recent large epidemiological studies of the causal impacts of cannabis. We also integrate theoretical syntheses with prior studies into these combined epigenomic and epidemiological results.

RESULTS

Cannabis dependence not only recapitulates many of the key features of aging, but is characterized by both age-defining and age-generating illnesses including immunomodulation, hepatic inflammation, many psychiatric syndromes with a neuroinflammatory basis, genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity. DNA breaks, chromosomal breakage-fusion-bridge morphologies and likely cycles, and altered intergenerational DNA methylation and disruption of both the histone and tubulin codes in the context of increased clinical congenital anomalies, cancers and heritable tumors imply widespread disruption of the genome and epigenome. Modern epigenomic clocks indicate that, in cannabis-dependent patients, cannabis advances cellular DNA methylation age by 25-30% at age 30 years. Data have implications not only for somatic but also stem cell and germ line tissues including post-fertilization zygotes. This effect is likely increases with the square of chronological age.

CONCLUSION

Recent epigenomic studies of cannabis exposure provide many explanations for the broad spectrum of cannabis-related teratogenicity and carcinogenicity and appear to account for many epidemiologically observed findings. Further research is indicated on the role of cannabinoids in the aging process both developmentally and longitudinally, from stem cell to germ cell to blastocystoids to embryoid bodies and beyond.

Alcohol and Head and Neck Cancer: Updates on the Role of Oxidative Stress, Genetic, Epigenetics, Oral Microbiota, Antioxidants, and Alkylating Agents

Head and neck cancer (HNC) concerns more than 890,000 patients worldwide annually and is associated with the advanced stage at presentation and heavy outcomes. Alcohol drinking, together with tobacco smoking, and human papillomavirus infection are the main recognized risk factors. The tumorigenesis of HNC represents an intricate sequential process that implicates a gradual acquisition of genetic and epigenetics alterations targeting crucial pathways regulating cell growth, motility, and stromal interactions. Tumor microenvironment and growth factors also play a major role in HNC. Alcohol toxicity is caused both directly by ethanol and indirectly by its metabolic products, with the involvement of the oral microbiota and oxidative stress; alcohol might enhance the exposure of epithelial cells to carcinogens, causing epigenetic modifications, DNA damage, and inaccurate DNA repair with the formation of DNA adducts. Long-term markers of alcohol consumption, especially those detected in the hair, may provide crucial information on the real alcohol drinking of HNC patients. Strategies for prevention could include food supplements as polyphenols, and alkylating drugs as therapy that play a key role in HNC management. Indeed, polyphenols throughout their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions may counteract or limit the toxic effect of alcohol whereas alkylating agents inhibiting cancer cells’ growth could reduce the carcinogenic damage induced by alcohol. Despite the established association between alcohol and HNC, a concerning pattern of alcohol consumption in survivors of HNC has been shown. It is of primary importance to increase the awareness of cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption, both in oncologic patients and the general population, to provide advice for reducing HNC prevalence and complications.