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Jedynak P, Siroux V, Broséus L, Tost J, Busato F, Gabet S, Thomsen C, Sakhi AK, Sabaredzovic A, Lyon-Caen S, Bayat S, Slama R, Philippat C, Lepeule J. Epigenetic footprints: Investigating placental DNA methylation in the context of prenatal exposure to phenols and phthalates. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 189:108763. [PMID: 38824843 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as phthalates and phenols can affect placental functioning and fetal health, potentially via epigenetic modifications. We investigated the associations between pregnancy exposure to synthetic phenols and phthalates estimated from repeated urine sampling and genome wide placental DNA methylation. METHODS The study is based on 387 women with placental DNA methylation assessed with Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays and with 7 phenols, 13 phthalates, and two non-phthalate plasticizer metabolites measured in pools of urine samples collected twice during pregnancy. We conducted an exploratory analysis on individual CpGs (EWAS) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) as well as a candidate analysis focusing on 20 previously identified CpGs. Sex-stratified analyses were also performed. RESULTS In the exploratory analysis, when both sexes were studied together no association was observed in the EWAS. In the sex-stratified analysis, 114 individual CpGs (68 in males, 46 in females) were differentially methylated, encompassing 74 genes (36 for males and 38 for females). We additionally identified 28 DMRs in the entire cohort, 40 for females and 42 for males. Associations were mostly positive (for DMRs: 93% positive associations in the entire cohort, 60% in the sex-stratified analysis), with the exception of several associations for bisphenols and DINCH metabolites that were negative. Biomarkers associated with most DMRs were parabens, DEHP, and DiNP metabolite concentrations. Some DMRs encompassed imprinted genes including APC (associated with parabens and DiNP metabolites), GNAS (bisphenols), ZIM2;PEG3;MIMT1 (parabens, monoethyl phthalate), and SGCE;PEG10 (parabens, DINCH metabolites). Terms related to adiposity, lipid and glucose metabolism, and cardiovascular function were among the enriched phenotypes associated with differentially methylated CpGs. The candidate analysis identified one CpG mapping to imprinted LGALS8 gene, negatively associated with ethylparaben. CONCLUSIONS By combining improved exposure assessment and extensive placental epigenome coverage, we identified several novel genes associated with the exposure, possibly in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Jedynak
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valérie Siroux
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Lucile Broséus
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Stephan Gabet
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France; Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, ULR 4483-IMPacts de l'Environnement Chimique sur la Santé (IMPECS), 59000 Lille, France
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institue of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amrit K Sakhi
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institue of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Sarah Lyon-Caen
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Sam Bayat
- Department of Pulmonology and Physiology, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Rémy Slama
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Claire Philippat
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France.
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
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Shorey-Kendrick LE, Davis B, Gao L, Park B, Vu A, Morris CD, Breton CV, Fry R, Garcia E, Schmidt RJ, O’Shea TM, Tepper RS, McEvoy CT, Spindel ER. Development and Validation of a Novel Placental DNA Methylation Biomarker of Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy in the ECHO Program. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:67005. [PMID: 38885141 PMCID: PMC11218700 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes in infants and children with potential lifelong consequences. Negative effects of MSDP on placental DNA methylation (DNAm), placental structure, and function are well established. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to develop biomarkers of MSDP using DNAm measured in placentas (N = 96 ), collected as part of the Vitamin C to Decrease the Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy on Infant Lung Function double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial conducted between 2012 and 2016. We also aimed to develop a digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the top ranking cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) so that large numbers of samples can be screened for exposure at low cost. METHODS We compared the ability of four machine learning methods [logistic least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, logistic elastic net regression, random forest, and gradient boosting machine] to classify MSDP based on placental DNAm signatures. We developed separate models using the complete EPIC array dataset and on the subset of probes also found on the 450K array so that models exist for both platforms. For comparison, we developed a model using CpGs previously associated with MSDP in placenta. For each final model, we used model coefficients and normalized beta values to calculate placental smoking index (PSI) scores for each sample. Final models were validated in two external datasets: the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn observational study, N = 426 ; and the Rhode Island Children's Health Study, N = 237 . RESULTS Logistic LASSO regression demonstrated the highest performance in cross-validation testing with the lowest number of input CpGs. Accuracy was greatest in external datasets when using models developed for the same platform. PSI scores in smokers only (n = 72 ) were moderately correlated with maternal plasma cotinine levels. One CpG (cg27402634), with the largest coefficient in two models, was measured accurately by digital PCR compared with measurement by EPIC array (R 2 = 0.98 ). DISCUSSION To our knowledge, we have developed the first placental DNAm-based biomarkers of MSDP with broad utility to studies of prenatal disease origins. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13838.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey E. Shorey-Kendrick
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Brett Davis
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Lina Gao
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Byung Park
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Oregon Health & Science University–Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Annette Vu
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Cynthia D. Morris
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rebecca Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, UNC Gillings School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Erika Garcia
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - T. Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert S. Tepper
- Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Cindy T. McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Eliot R. Spindel
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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Derakhshan M, Kessler NJ, Hellenthal G, Silver MJ. Metastable epialleles in humans. Trends Genet 2024; 40:52-68. [PMID: 38000919 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
First identified in isogenic mice, metastable epialleles (MEs) are loci where the extent of DNA methylation (DNAm) is variable between individuals but correlates across tissues derived from different germ layers within a given individual. This property, termed systemic interindividual variation (SIV), is attributed to stochastic methylation establishment before germ layer differentiation. Evidence suggests that some putative human MEs are sensitive to environmental exposures in early development. In this review we introduce key concepts pertaining to human MEs, describe methods used to identify MEs in humans, and review their genomic features. We also highlight studies linking DNAm at putative human MEs to early environmental exposures and postnatal (including disease) phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Derakhshan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Noah J Kessler
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | | | - Matt J Silver
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Banjul, The Gambia.
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Jedynak P, Broséus L, Tost J, Busato F, Gabet S, Thomsen C, Sakhi AK, Pin I, Slama R, Lepeule J, Philippat C. Prenatal exposure to triclosan assessed in multiple urine samples and placental DNA methylation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 335:122197. [PMID: 37481027 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
A previous study reported positive associations of maternal urinary concentrations of triclosan, a synthetic phenol with widespread exposure in the general population, with placental DNA methylation of male fetuses. Given the high number of comparisons performed in -omic research, further studies were needed to validate and extend on these findings. Using a cohort of male and female fetuses with repeated maternal urine samples to assess exposure, we studied the associations between triclosan and placental DNA methylation. We assessed triclosan concentrations in two pools of 21 urine samples collected among 395 women from the SEPAGES cohort. We used Infinium Methylation EPIC arrays to measure DNA methylation in placental biopsies collected at delivery. We performed a candidate study restricted to a set of candidate CpGs (n = 500) identified in a previous work as well as an exploratory epigenome-wide association study to investigate the associations between triclosan and differentially methylated probes and regions. Analyses were conducted on the whole population and stratified by child's sex. Mediation analysis was performed to test whether heterogeneity of placental tissue may mediate the observed associations. In the candidate approach, we confirmed 18 triclosan-associated genes when both sexes were considered. After stratification for child's sex, triclosan was associated with 72 genes in females and three in males. Most of the associations were positive and several CpGs mapped to imprinted genes: FBRSL1, KCNQ1, RHOBTB3, and SMOC1. A mediation effect by placental tissue heterogeneity was identified for most of the observed associations. In the exploratory analysis, we identified a few isolated associations in the sex-stratified analysis. In line with a previous study on male placentas, our approach revealed several positive associations between triclosan exposure and placental DNA methylation. Several identified loci mapped to imprinted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Jedynak
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Lucile Broséus
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Stephan Gabet
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France; University Lille, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, ULR 4483-IMPacts de L'Environnement Chimique sur La Santé (IMPECS), Lille, France
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amrit K Sakhi
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Isabelle Pin
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France; Pediatric Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, La Tronche, France
| | - Rémy Slama
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France.
| | - Claire Philippat
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
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Bake S, Rouzer SK, Mavuri S, Miranda RC, Mahnke AH. The interaction of genetic sex and prenatal alcohol exposure on health across the lifespan. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 71:101103. [PMID: 37802472 PMCID: PMC10922031 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can reprogram the development of cells and tissues, resulting in a spectrum of physical and neurobehavioral teratology. PAE immediately impacts fetal growth, but its effects carry forward post-parturition, into adolescence and adulthood, and can result in a cluster of disabilities, collectively termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Emerging preclinical and clinical research investigating neurological and behavioral outcomes in exposed offspring point to genetic sex as an important modifier of the effects of PAE. In this review, we discuss the literature on sex differences following PAE, with studies spanning the fetal period through adulthood, and highlight gaps in research where sex differences are likely, but currently under-investigated. Understanding how sex and PAE interact to affect offspring health outcomes across the lifespan is critical for identifying the full complement of PAE-associated secondary conditions, and for refining targeted interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals with PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shameena Bake
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Siara K Rouzer
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Shruti Mavuri
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States
| | - Amanda H Mahnke
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Education Building I, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3620, United States.
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Jeong DS, Lee JY, Kim MH, Oh JH. Regulation of sexually dimorphic placental adaptation in LPS exposure-induced intrauterine growth restriction. Mol Med 2023; 29:114. [PMID: 37718409 PMCID: PMC10506314 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00688-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism in placental physiology affects the functionality of placental adaptation during adverse pregnancy. Defects of placental function compromise fetal programming, affecting the offspring's adult life. However, studies focusing on the relationship between sex-specific placental adaptation and consequent fetal maldevelopment under sub-optimal uterus milieu are still elusive. METHODS Here, we investigated the effects of maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure between placental sex. Pregnant ICR mice received intraperitoneal injection of phosphate-buffered saline or 100, 200, and 400 µg/kg LPS on the gestational day (GD) 15.5. To determine whether prenatal maternal LPS exposure resulted in complicated pregnancy outcomes, survival rate of embryos was calculated and the growth of embryos and placentas was examined. To elucidate global transcriptomic changes occurring in the placenta, total RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in female and male placentas. RESULTS LPS administration induced placental inflammation in both sexes at GD 17.5. Prenatal infection resulted in growth retardation in both sexes of embryos, and especially more prevalently in male. Impaired placental development was observed in a sex-specific manner. LPS 400 µg/kg reduced the percentage area of the labyrinth in females and junctional zone in males, respectively. RNA-sequencing revealed widespread sexually dimorphic transcriptional changes in placenta. In particular, representative changes were involved in biological processes such as trophoblast differentiation, nutrient/ion transporter, pregnancy, and immune system. CONCLUSIONS Our results present the sexually dimorphic responses of placental physiology in intrauterine growth restriction model and provide tentative relationship further to be elucidated between sex-biased placental functional change and long-term effects on the offspring's later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Som Jeong
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology Laboratory, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yeon Lee
- Vivozon, Inc, Kolon Digital Tower3, 49, Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Hee Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology Laboratory, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ji Hoon Oh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Keimyung University College of Natural Sciences, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea.
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Breton-Larrivée M, Elder E, Legault LM, Langford-Avelar A, MacFarlane AJ, McGraw S. Mitigating the detrimental developmental impact of early fetal alcohol exposure using a maternal methyl donor-enriched diet. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22829. [PMID: 36856720 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201564r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure at any stage of pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a group of life-long conditions characterized by congenital malformations, as well as cognitive, behavioral, and emotional impairments. The teratogenic effects of alcohol have long been publicized; yet fetal alcohol exposure is one of the most common preventable causes of birth defects. Currently, alcohol abstinence during pregnancy is the best and only way to prevent FASD. However, alcohol consumption remains astoundingly prevalent among pregnant women; therefore, additional measures need to be made available to help protect the developing embryo before irreparable damage is done. Maternal nutritional interventions using methyl donors have been investigated as potential preventative measures to mitigate the adverse effects of fetal alcohol exposure. Here, we show that a single acute preimplantation (E2.5; 8-cell stage) fetal alcohol exposure (2 × 2.5 g/kg ethanol with a 2h interval) in mice leads to long-term FASD-like morphological phenotypes (e.g. growth restriction, brain malformations, skeletal delays) in late-gestation embryos (E18.5) and demonstrate that supplementing the maternal diet with a combination of four methyl donor nutrients, folic acid, choline, betaine, and vitamin B12, prior to conception and throughout gestation effectively reduces the incidence and severity of alcohol-induced morphological defects without altering DNA methylation status of imprinting control regions and regulation of associated imprinted genes. This study clearly supports that preimplantation embryos are vulnerable to the teratogenic effects of alcohol, emphasizes the dangers of maternal alcohol consumption during early gestation, and provides a potential proactive maternal nutritional intervention to minimize FASD progression, reinforcing the importance of adequate preconception and prenatal nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Breton-Larrivée
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Elder
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lisa-Marie Legault
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alexandra Langford-Avelar
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Amanda J MacFarlane
- Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center, Texas A&M University, Texas, Fort Worth, USA.,Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Serge McGraw
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
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Papageorgiou G, Amoah SK, Pierotti C, Otero M, Eckel S, Coffey K, Allan AM, Caldwell KK, Mellios N. Prenatal alcohol exposure results in brain region- and sex-specific changes in circHomer1 expression in adult mouse brain. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1087950. [PMID: 36875647 PMCID: PMC9983553 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1087950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel category of covalently-closed non-coding RNAs mainly derived from the back-splicing of exons or introns of protein-coding genes. In addition to their inherent high overall stability, circRNAs, have been shown to have strong functional effects on gene expression via a multitude of transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Furthermore, circRNAs, appear to be particularly enriched in the brain and able to influence both prenatal development and postnatal brain function. However, little is known about the potential involvement of circRNAs in the long term influence of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in the brain and their relevance for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Using circRNA-specific quantification, we have found that circHomer1, an activity-dependent circRNA derived from Homer protein homolog 1 (Homer1) and enriched in postnatal brain, is significantly down-regulated in the male frontal cortex and hippocampus of mice subjected to modest PAE. Our data further suggest that the expression of H19, an imprinted embryonic brain-enriched long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), is significantly up-regulated in the frontal cortex of male PAE mice. Furthermore, we show opposing changes in the developmental- and brain region specific- expression of circHomer1 and H19. Lastly, we show that knockdown of H19 results in robust increases in circHomer1 but not linear HOMER1 mRNA expression in human glioblastoma cell lines. Taken together, our work uncovers notable sex- and brain region-specific alterations in circRNA and lncRNA expression following PAE and introduces novel mechanistic insights with potential relevance to FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigorios Papageorgiou
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Stephen K. Amoah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Caroline Pierotti
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Madison Otero
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Sophie Eckel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kacie Coffey
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Andrea M. Allan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kevin K. Caldwell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Nikolaos Mellios
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Autophagy, Inflammation, and Metabolism (AIM) Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Auvinen P, Vehviläinen J, Marjonen H, Modhukur V, Sokka J, Wallén E, Rämö K, Ahola L, Salumets A, Otonkoski T, Skottman H, Ollikainen M, Trokovic R, Kahila H, Kaminen-Ahola N. Chromatin modifier developmental pluripotency associated factor 4 (DPPA4) is a candidate gene for alcohol-induced developmental disorders. BMC Med 2022; 20:495. [PMID: 36581877 PMCID: PMC9801659 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02699-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) affects embryonic development, causing a variable fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) phenotype with neuronal disorders and birth defects. We hypothesize that early alcohol-induced epigenetic changes disrupt the accurate developmental programming of embryo and consequently cause the complex phenotype of developmental disorders. To explore the etiology of FASD, we collected unique biological samples of 80 severely alcohol-exposed and 100 control newborns at birth. METHODS We performed genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) and gene expression analyses of placentas by using microarrays (EPIC, Illumina) and mRNA sequencing, respectively. To test the manifestation of observed PAE-associated DNAm changes in embryonic tissues as well as potential biomarkers for PAE, we examined if the changes can be detected also in white blood cells or buccal epithelial cells of the same newborns by EpiTYPER. To explore the early effects of alcohol on extraembryonic placental tissue, we selected 27 newborns whose mothers had consumed alcohol up to gestational week 7 at maximum to the separate analyses. Furthermore, to explore the effects of early alcohol exposure on embryonic cells, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as well as hESCs during differentiation into endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal cells were exposed to alcohol in vitro. RESULTS DPPA4, FOXP2, and TACR3 with significantly decreased DNAm were discovered-particularly the regulatory region of DPPA4 in the early alcohol-exposed placentas. When hESCs were exposed to alcohol in vitro, significantly altered regulation of DPPA2, a closely linked heterodimer of DPPA4, was observed. While the regulatory region of DPPA4 was unmethylated in both control and alcohol-exposed hESCs, alcohol-induced decreased DNAm similar to placenta was seen in in vitro differentiated mesodermal and ectodermal cells. Furthermore, common genes with alcohol-associated DNAm changes in placenta and hESCs were linked exclusively to the neurodevelopmental pathways in the enrichment analysis, which emphasizes the value of placental tissue when analyzing the effects of prenatal environment on human development. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows the effects of early alcohol exposure on human embryonic and extraembryonic cells, introduces candidate genes for alcohol-induced developmental disorders, and reveals potential biomarkers for prenatal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Auvinen
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Vehviläinen
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Marjonen
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - V Modhukur
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 50406, Tartu, Estonia
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - J Sokka
- Research Programs Unit, Stem cells and Metabolism and Biomedicum Stem Cell Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - E Wallén
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Rämö
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - L Ahola
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Salumets
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 50406, Tartu, Estonia
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T Otonkoski
- Research Programs Unit, Stem cells and Metabolism and Biomedicum Stem Cell Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Skottman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - M Ollikainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Finland, FIMM, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Trokovic
- Research Programs Unit, Stem cells and Metabolism and Biomedicum Stem Cell Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Kahila
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - N Kaminen-Ahola
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland.
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10
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Schrott R, Song A, Ladd-Acosta C. Epigenetics as a Biomarker for Early-Life Environmental Exposure. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:604-624. [PMID: 35907133 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is interest in evaluating the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) which emphasizes the role of prenatal and early-life environments on non-communicable health outcomes throughout the life course. The ability to rigorously assess and identify early-life risk factors for later health outcomes, including those with childhood onset, in large population samples is often limited due to measurement challenges such as impractical costs associated with prospective studies with a long follow-up duration, short half-lives for some environmental toxicants, and lack of biomarkers that capture inter-individual differences in biologic response to external environments. RECENT FINDINGS Epigenomic patterns, and DNA methylation in particular, have emerged as a potential objective biomarker to address some of these study design and exposure measurement challenges. In this article, we summarize the literature to date on epigenetic changes associated with specific prenatal and early-life exposure domains as well as exposure mixtures in human observational studies and their biomarker potential. Additionally, we highlight evidence for other types of epigenetic patterns to serve as exposure biomarkers. Evidence strongly supports epigenomic biomarkers of exposure that are detectable across the lifespan and across a range of exposure domains. Current and future areas of research in this field seek to expand these lines of evidence to other environmental exposures, to determine their specificity, and to develop predictive algorithms and methylation scores that can be used to evaluate early-life risk factors for health outcomes across the life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Schrott
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley Song
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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11
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Pinson MR, Tseng AM, Adams A, Lehman TE, Chung K, Gutierrez J, Larin KV, Chambers C, Miranda RC. Prenatal alcohol exposure contributes to negative pregnancy outcomes by altering fetal vascular dynamics and the placental transcriptome. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1036-1049. [PMID: 35474222 PMCID: PMC9325399 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been shown to alter fetal blood flow in utero and is also associated with placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), suggesting an underlying connection between perturbed circulation and pregnancy outcomes. Methods Timed‐pregnant C57/BL6NHsd mice, bred in‐house, were exposed by gavage on gestational day 10 (GD10) to ethanol (3 g/kg) or purified water, as a control. Pulse‐wave Doppler ultrasound measurements for umbilical arteries and ascending aorta were obtained post‐gavage (GD12, GD14, GD18) on 2 fetuses/litter. RNA from the non‐decidual (labyrinthine and junctional zone) portion of placentas was isolated and processed for RNA‐seq and subsequent bioinformatic analyses, and the association between transcriptomic changes and fetal phenotypes assessed. Results Exposure to ethanol in pregnant mice on GD10 attenuates umbilical cord blood flow transiently during gestation, and is associated with indices of IUGR, specifically decreased fetal weight and morphometric indices of cranial growth. Moreover, RNA‐seq of the fetal portion of the placenta demonstrated that this single exposure has lasting transcriptomic changes, including upregulation of Tet3, which is associated with spontaneous abortion. Weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified erythrocyte differentiation and homeostasis as important pathways associated with improved umbilical cord blood flow as gestation progresses. WGCNA also identified sensory perception of chemical stimulus/odorant and receptor activity as important pathways associated with cranial growth. Conclusion Our data suggest that PAE perturbs the expression of placental genes relevant for placental hematopoiesis and environmental sensing, resulting in transient impairment of umbilical cord blood flow and, subsequently, IUGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa R Pinson
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Alexander M Tseng
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Amy Adams
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Tenley E Lehman
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Karen Chung
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Jessica Gutierrez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kirill V Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Christina Chambers
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA.,Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA.,Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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12
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Steane SE, Kumar V, Cuffe JSM, Moritz KM, Akison LK. Prenatal Choline Supplementation Alters One Carbon Metabolites in a Rat Model of Periconceptional Alcohol Exposure. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14091874. [PMID: 35565848 PMCID: PMC9100923 DOI: 10.3390/nu14091874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure disturbs fetal and placental growth and can alter DNA methylation (DNAm). Supplementation with the methyl donor choline can increase fetal and placental growth and restore DNAm, suggesting converging effects on one-carbon metabolism (1CM). We investigated the impact of periconceptional ethanol (PCE) exposure and prenatal choline supplementation on 1CM in maternal, placental, and fetal compartments. Female Sprague Dawley rats were given a liquid diet containing 12.5% ethanol (PCE) or 0% ethanol (control) for 4 days before and 4 days after conception. Dams were then placed on chow with different concentrations of choline (1.6 g, 2.6 g, or 7.2 g choline/kg chow). Plasma and tissues were collected in late gestation for the analysis of 1CM components by means of mass spectrometry and real-time PCR. PCE reduced placental components of 1CM, particularly those relating to folate metabolism, resulting in a 3−7.5-fold reduction in the ratio of s-adenosylmethionine:s-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM:SAH) (p < 0.0001). Choline supplementation increased placental 1CM components and the SAM:SAH ratio (3.5−14.5-fold, p < 0.0001). In the maternal and fetal compartments, PCE had little effect, whereas choline increased components of 1CM. This suggests that PCE impairs fetal development via altered placental 1CM, highlighting its role in modulating nutritional inputs to optimize fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Steane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (S.E.S.); (V.K.); (J.S.M.C.); (K.M.M.)
| | - Vinod Kumar
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (S.E.S.); (V.K.); (J.S.M.C.); (K.M.M.)
| | - James S. M. Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (S.E.S.); (V.K.); (J.S.M.C.); (K.M.M.)
| | - Karen M. Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (S.E.S.); (V.K.); (J.S.M.C.); (K.M.M.)
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
| | - Lisa K. Akison
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (S.E.S.); (V.K.); (J.S.M.C.); (K.M.M.)
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
- Correspondence:
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13
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Cleal JK, Poore KR, Lewis RM. The placental exposome, placental epigenetic adaptations and lifelong cardio-metabolic health. Mol Aspects Med 2022; 87:101095. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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14
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Finlay-Jones A, Elliott E, Chapman A, Halliday J, Jones H, Kippin N, Mullan N, Passmore H, Reibel T, Reynolds N, Symons M, Tsang TW, Watkins R, Bower C. It takes a village: Influencing policy and practice to prevent alcohol use in pregnancy and promote better outcomes for individuals living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Int J Popul Data Sci 2022; 6:1703. [PMID: 35309099 PMCID: PMC8900649 DOI: 10.23889/ijpds.v6i1.1703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by exposure to alcohol in utero. It has pervasive, lifelong impacts and is recognised as a major public health concern in many countries where alcohol is used. The FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council to generate and translate evidence to address prevention, diagnosis, and management of FASD in Australia. The current paper describes the approach to policy and practice impact taken by our CRE, including our stakeholder engagement processes and the key principles that underlie our approach. We provide examples of policy and practice influence in FASD prevention, diagnosis and management that have been achieved over the past five years and discuss challenges that are routinely faced in the translation of our work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Finlay-Jones
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Elizabeth Elliott
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead, NSW, Australia, 2145
- Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Kids Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia, 2145
| | - Astrid Chapman
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Reproductive Epidemiology, Genetics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Heather Jones
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Natalie Kippin
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Narelle Mullan
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Hayley Passmore
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Tracy Reibel
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity, Murdoch University, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Neil Reynolds
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
| | - Martyn Symons
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Tracey W Tsang
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead, NSW, Australia, 2145
- Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Kids Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia, 2145
| | - Rochelle Watkins
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
| | - Carol Bower
- FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
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15
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Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with offspring DNA methylation in mammals: a systematic review of the evidence. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:12. [PMID: 35073992 PMCID: PMC8785586 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with a range of adverse offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. Several studies suggest that PAE modifies DNA methylation in offspring cells and tissues, providing evidence for a potential mechanistic link to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We systematically reviewed existing evidence on the extent to which maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with offspring DNA methylation.
Methods
A systematic literature search was conducted across five online databases according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Google Scholar and CINAHL Databases were searched for articles relating to PAE in placental mammals. Data were extracted from each study and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to assess the potential for bias in human studies.
Results
Forty-three articles were identified for inclusion. Twenty-six animal studies and 16 human studies measured offspring DNA methylation in various tissues using candidate gene analysis, methylome-wide association studies (MWAS), or total nuclear DNA methylation content. PAE dose and timing varied between studies. Risk of bias was deemed high in nearly all human studies. There was insufficient evidence in human and animal studies to support global disruption of DNA methylation from PAE. Inconclusive evidence was found for hypomethylation at IGF2/H19 regions within somatic tissues. MWAS assessing PAE effects on offspring DNA methylation showed inconsistent evidence. There was some consistency in the relatively small number of MWAS conducted in populations with FASD. Meta-analyses could not be conducted due to significant heterogeneity between studies.
Conclusion
Considering heterogeneity in study design and potential for bias, evidence for an association between PAE and offspring DNA methylation was inconclusive. Some reproducible associations were observed in populations with FASD although the limited number of these studies warrants further research.
Trail Registration: This review is registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020167686).
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16
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Steane SE, Young SL, Clifton VL, Gallo LA, Akison LK, Moritz KM. Prenatal alcohol consumption and placental outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021; 225:607.e1-607.e22. [PMID: 34181895 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.06.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A systematic review was conducted to determine placental outcomes following prenatal alcohol exposure in women. DATA SOURCES The search terms "maternal OR prenatal OR pregnant OR periconception" AND "placenta" AND "alcohol OR ethanol" were used across 5 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL) from inception until November 2020. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Articles were included if they reported placental outcomes in an alcohol exposure group compared with a control group. Studies were excluded if placentas were from elective termination before 20 weeks' gestation, animal studies, in vitro studies, case studies, or coexposure studies. METHODS Study quality was assessed by 2 reviewers using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Title and abstract screening was conducted by 2 reviewers to remove duplicates and irrelevant studies. Remaining full text articles were screened by 2 reviewers against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Placental outcome data were extracted and tabulated separately for studies of placentation, placental weight, placental morphology, and placental molecular studies. Meta-analyses were conducted for outcomes reported by >3 studies. RESULTS Database searching retrieved 640 unique records. Screening against inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in 33 included studies. The quality assessment identified that 61% of studies were high quality, 30% were average quality, and 9% were low quality. Meta-analyses indicated that prenatal alcohol exposure increased the likelihood of placental abruption (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-1.60) but not placenta previa (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.34) and resulted in a reduction in placental weight of 51 g (95% confidence interval, -82.8 to -19.3). Reports of altered placental vasculature, placental DNA methylation, and gene expression following prenatal alcohol exposure were identified. A single study examined placentas from male and female infants separately and found sex-specific placental outcomes. CONCLUSION Prenatal alcohol exposure increases the likelihood of placental abruption and is associated with decreased placental weight, altered placental vasculature, DNA methylation, and molecular pathways. Given the critical role of the placenta in determining pregnancy outcomes, further studies investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced placental dysfunction are required. Sex-specific placental adaptations to adverse conditions in utero have been well documented; thus, future studies should examine prenatal alcohol exposure-associated placental outcomes separately by sex.
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17
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Loke YJ, Muggli E, Saffery R, Ryan J, Lewis S, Elliott EJ, Halliday J, Craig JM. Sex- and tissue-specific effects of binge-level prenatal alcohol consumption on DNA methylation at birth. Epigenomics 2021; 13:1921-1938. [PMID: 34841896 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Binge-level prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes developmental abnormalities, which may be mediated in part by epigenetic mechanisms. Despite this, few studies have characterised the association of binge PAE with DNA methylation in offspring. Methods: We investigated the association between binge PAE and genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in a sex-specific manner in neonatal buccal and placental samples. Results: We identified no differentially methylated CpGs or differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at false discovery rate <0.05. However, using a sum-of-ranks approach, we identified a DMR in each tissue of female offspring. The DMR identified in buccal samples is located near regions with previously-reported associations to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and binge PAE. Conclusion: Our findings warrant further replication and highlight a potential epigenetic link between binge PAE and FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuk Jing Loke
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Evelyne Muggli
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Biological Neuropsychiatry & Dementia Unit, School of Public Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Sharon Lewis
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Elliott
- Specialty of Child & Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.,The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, NSW, 2045, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,The Institute of Mental & Physical Health & Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Victoria, 3220, Australia
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18
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Kwan STC, Ricketts DK, Presswood BH, Smith SM, Mooney SM. Prenatal choline supplementation during mouse pregnancy has differential effects in alcohol-exposed fetal organs. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2471-2484. [PMID: 34697823 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are preventable adverse outcomes consequent to prenatal alcohol exposure. Supplemental choline confers neuroprotection to the alcohol-exposed offspring, but its actions outside the brain are unclear. We previously reported that prenatal exposure of mice to 4.5 g/kg of alcohol decreased placental weight in females only, but decreased body weight and liver-to-body weight ratio and increased brain-to-body weight ratio in both sexes. Here we test the hypotheses that a lower alcohol dose will elicit similar outcomes, and that concurrent choline treatment will mitigate these outcomes. METHODS Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were gavaged with alcohol (3 g/kg; Alc) or maltodextrin (MD) from embryonic day (E) 8.5-17.5. Some also received a subcutaneous injection of 100 mg/kg choline chloride (Alc + Cho, MD + Cho). Outcomes were evaluated on E17.5. RESULTS Alc dams had lower gestational weight gain than MD; this was normalized by choline. In males, Alc decreased placental weight whereas choline increased placental efficiency, and Alc + Cho (vs. MD) tended to further reduce placental weight and increase efficiency. Despite no significant alcohol effects on these measures, choline increased fetal body weight but not brain weight, thus reducing brain-to-body weight ratio in both sexes. This ratio was also lower in the Alc + Cho (vs. MD) fetuses. Alc reduced liver weight and the liver-to-body weight ratio; choline did not improve these. Placental weight and efficiency correlated with litter size, whereas placental efficiency correlated with fetal morphometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS Choline prevents an alcohol-induced reduction in gestational weight gain and fetal body weight and corrects fetal brain sparing, consistent with clinical findings of improvements in alcohol-exposed children born to mothers receiving choline supplementation. Importantly, we show that choline enhances placental efficiency in the alcohol-exposed offspring but does not normalize fetal liver growth. Our findings support choline supplementation during pregnancy to mitigate the severity of FASD and emphasize the need to examine choline's actions in different organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sze Ting Cecilia Kwan
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dane K Ricketts
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brandon H Presswood
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan M Smith
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sandra M Mooney
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Shorey-Kendrick LE, McEvoy CT, O'Sullivan SM, Milner K, Vuylsteke B, Tepper RS, Haas DM, Park B, Gao L, Vu A, Morris CD, Spindel ER. Impact of vitamin C supplementation on placental DNA methylation changes related to maternal smoking: association with gene expression and respiratory outcomes. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:177. [PMID: 34538263 PMCID: PMC8451157 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01161-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) affects development of multiple organ systems including the placenta, lung, brain, and vasculature. In particular, children exposed to MSDP show lifelong deficits in pulmonary function and increased risk of asthma and wheeze. Our laboratory has previously shown that vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy prevents some of the adverse effects of MSDP on offspring respiratory outcomes. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (DNAm), are a likely link between in utero exposures and adverse health outcomes, and MSDP has previously been associated with DNAm changes in blood, placenta, and buccal epithelium. Analysis of placental DNAm may reveal critical targets of MSDP and vitamin C relevant to respiratory health outcomes. RESULTS DNAm was measured in placentas obtained from 72 smokers enrolled in the VCSIP RCT: NCT03203603 (37 supplemented with vitamin C, 35 with placebo) and 24 never-smokers for reference. Methylation at one CpG, cg20790161, reached Bonferroni significance and was hypomethylated in vitamin C supplemented smokers versus placebo. Analysis of spatially related CpGs identified 93 candidate differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between treatment groups, including loci known to be associated with lung function, oxidative stress, fetal development and growth, and angiogenesis. Overlap of nominally significant differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) in never-smokers versus placebo with nominally significant DMCs in vitamin C versus placebo identified 9059 candidate "restored CpGs" for association with placental transcript expression and respiratory outcomes. Methylation at 274 restored candidate CpG sites was associated with expression of 259 genes (FDR < 0.05). We further identified candidate CpGs associated with infant lung function (34 CpGs) and composite wheeze (1 CpG) at 12 months of age (FDR < 0.05). Increased methylation in the DIP2C, APOH/PRKCA, and additional candidate gene regions was associated with improved lung function and decreased wheeze in offspring of vitamin C-treated smokers. CONCLUSIONS Vitamin C supplementation to pregnant smokers ameliorates changes associated with maternal smoking in placental DNA methylation and gene expression in pathways potentially linked to improved placental function and offspring respiratory health. Further work is necessary to validate candidate loci and elucidate the causal pathway between placental methylation changes and outcomes of offspring exposed to MSDP. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01723696. Registered November 6, 2012. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01723696 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey E Shorey-Kendrick
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA.
| | - Cindy T McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Shannon M O'Sullivan
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Kristin Milner
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Brittany Vuylsteke
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Robert S Tepper
- Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - David M Haas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Byung Park
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health and Science University-Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lina Gao
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Annette Vu
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Cynthia D Morris
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health and Science, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Eliot R Spindel
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
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20
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Steane SE, Fielding AM, Kent NL, Andersen I, Browne DJ, Tejo EN, Gårdebjer EM, Kalisch-Smith JI, Sullivan MA, Moritz KM, Akison LK. Maternal choline supplementation in a rat model of periconceptional alcohol exposure: Impacts on the fetus and placenta. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2130-2146. [PMID: 34342027 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal choline supplementation in rats can ameliorate specific neurological and behavioral abnormalities caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy. We tested whether choline supplementation ameliorates fetal growth restriction and molecular changes in the placenta associated with periconceptional ethanol exposure (PCE) in the rat. METHODS Sprague Dawley dams were given either 12.5% ethanol (PCE) or 0% ethanol (Con) in a liquid diet from 4 days prior to 4 days after conception. At day 5 of pregnancy, dams were either placed on a standard chow (1.6 g choline/kg chow) or an intermediate chow (2.6 g choline/kg chow). On day 10 of pregnancy, a subset of the intermediate dams were placed on a chow further supplemented with choline (7.2 g choline/kg chow), resulting in 6 groups. Fetuses and placentas were collected on day 20 of pregnancy for analysis. RESULTS Choline supplementation resulted in increased fetal weight at late gestation, ameliorating the deficits due to PCE. This was most pronounced in litters on a standard chow during pregnancy. Choline also increased fetal liver weight and decreased fetal brain:liver ratio, independent of alcohol exposure. Placental weight was reduced as choline levels in the chow increased, particularly in female placentas. This resulted in a greater ratio of fetal:placental weight, suggesting increased placental efficiency. Global DNA methylation in the placenta was altered in a sex-specific manner by both PCE and choline. However, the increased glycogen deposition in female placentas, previously reported in this PCE model, was not prevented by choline supplementation. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that choline has the potential to ameliorate fetal growth restriction associated with PCE and improve placental efficiency following prenatal alcohol exposure. Our study highlights the importance of maternal nutrition in moderating the severity of adverse fetal and placental outcomes that may arise from prenatal alcohol exposure around the time of conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Steane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Arree M Fielding
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nykola L Kent
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Isabella Andersen
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Daniel J Browne
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Ellen N Tejo
- Mater Research, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Emelie M Gårdebjer
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Lisa K Akison
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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21
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Bermudez LG, Madariaga I, Zuñiga MI, Olaya M, Cañas A, Rodriguez LS, Moreno OM, Rojas A. RUNX1 gene expression changes in the placentas of women smokers. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:902. [PMID: 34257715 PMCID: PMC8243315 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta can be affected by environmental factors, such as exposure to cigarette smoke. This exposure in the fetal context is considered a risk factor for the development of short-term postnatal diseases, such as asthma. Asthma is an inflammatory disease characterized by predominant acquisition of CD4 T lymphocytes (TLs) of the Th2 type. Transcription factors such as GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) and STAT6 actively participate in the differentiation of virgin TLs towards the Th2 profile, while transcription factors such as STAT1, T-Box transcription factor 21 (T-BET), RUNX1 and RUNX3 participate in their differentiation towards the Th1 profile. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to cigarette smoke on the gene expression of STAT1, T-BET, GATA3, IL-4, RUNX1 and RUNX3 during the gestation period, and to determine whether the expression levels of these genes are associated with changes in global methylation. STAT1, GATA3, RUNX1 and RUNX3 protein and mRNA expression levels in the placental tissue of women smokers and non-smoking women were determined via immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR (qPCR) respectively. Additionally, T-BET and IL-4 mRNA expression levels were determined by qPCR. On the other hand, global methylation was determined via ELISA. In the present study, significant increases were observed in RUNX1 transcription factor expression in placentas from women smokers when compared with placentas of non-smoking women. Similarly, significant increases in the expression of GATA3, IL-4 and RUNX3 mRNA were observed. The changes in gene expression were not associated with changes in the global methylation levels. Finally, a higher frequency of low-birth-weight infants were identified in cases of exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy when compared with infants not exposed to cigarette smoke during pregnancy. Thus, the data of the present study contributed to the understanding of the genetic and clinical impacts of exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy and its importance in maternal and fetal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Litzy Gisella Bermudez
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Ithzayana Madariaga
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Maria Isabel Zuñiga
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Mercedes Olaya
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Alejandra Cañas
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Luz-Stella Rodriguez
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Olga Maria Moreno
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Adriana Rojas
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
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Römer P, Mathes B, Reinelt T, Stoyanova P, Petermann F, Zierul C. Systematic review showed that low and moderate prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure affected early child development. Acta Paediatr 2020; 109:2491-2501. [PMID: 32603488 DOI: 10.1111/apa.15453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
AIM We systematically reviewed the literature on the influence of low and moderate amounts of prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure on early child development. This paper also suggests possible directions for future research in order to tackle the controversial findings identified. METHODS The PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases were searched together with the reference lists of the selected papers. Empirical studies were included if they focused on the effects of low or moderate exposure, reported outcomes on child development within the first 2 years of life and were published in English between January 2009 and December 2019. The eligibility of the included studies was based on three authors reading the full text. RESULTS The final sample comprised 17 papers. Of these, 13 focused on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and they reported decreased sensory sensibility, smaller body sizes and increased cognitive capacities. The other four looked at prenatal nicotine exposure, and they primarily found impairments in children's orienting, communication and motor skills. CONCLUSION Any amount of prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure appeared to risk healthy child development. There were many reasons for consumption and numerous effects on the child, but representative data from interdisciplinary research were missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Römer
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Birgit Mathes
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Tilman Reinelt
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Polina Stoyanova
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Franz Petermann
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Claudia Zierul
- Centre for Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation University of Bremen Bremen Germany
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23
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Paudel P, Pierotti C, Lozano E, Amoah SK, Gardiner AS, Caldwell KK, Allan AM, Mellios N. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Results in Sex-Specific Alterations in Circular RNA Expression in the Developing Mouse Brain. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:581895. [PMID: 33304235 PMCID: PMC7693437 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.581895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are heterogeneous disorders associated with alcohol exposure to the developing fetus that are characterized by a range of adverse neurodevelopmental deficits. Despite the numerous genomics and genetic studies on FASD models, the comprehensive molecular understanding of the mechanisms that underlie FASD-related neurodevelopmental deficits remains elusive. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a subtype of long non-coding RNAs that are derived from back-splicing and covalent joining of exons and/or introns of protein-coding genes. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs are highly enriched in the brain, where they are developmentally regulated. However, the role of the majority of brain-enriched circRNAs in normal and pathological brain development and function has not been explored yet. Here we carried out the first systematic profiling of circRNA expression in response to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in male and female embryonic day 18 (E18) whole brains. We observed that the changes in circRNA expression in response to PAE were notably sex-specific and that PAE tended to erase most of the sex-specificity in circRNA expression present in control (saccharin-treated) mice. On the other hand, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in the same samples showed that changes in protein-coding gene expression were not predominantly sex-specific. Using circRNA quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we validated that circSatb2, which is generated from the special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (Satb2) gene, is significantly upregulated in the brain of E18 male PAE mice. We also show that circPtchd2, a circRNA synthesized from dispatched RND transporter family member 3 (Disp3, also known as Ptchd2), exhibits significantly higher expression in E18 control but not PAE female mouse brain relative to males. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PAE differentially alters circRNA expression in the developing brain in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Paudel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Caroline Pierotti
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Evelyn Lozano
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Stephen K. Amoah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Amy S. Gardiner
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kevin K. Caldwell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Andrea M. Allan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Nikolaos Mellios
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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24
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Epigenetics, pregnancy and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Autoimmun Rev 2020; 19:102685. [PMID: 33115633 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) are chronic conditions with a striking female predominance, frequently affecting women of childbearing age. Sex hormones and gender dimorphism of immune response are major determinants in the multifactorial pathogenesis of ARDs, with significant implications throughout reproductive life. Particularly, pregnancy represents a challenging condition in the context of autoimmunity, baring profound hormonal and immunologic changes, which are responsible for the bi-directional interaction between ARDs outcome and pregnancy course. In the latest years epigenetics has proven to be an important player in ARDs pathogenesis, finely modulating major immune functions and variably tuning the significant gender effects in autoimmunity. Additionally, epigenetics is a recognised influencer of the physiological dynamic modifications occurring during pregnancy. Still, there is currently little evidence on the pregnancy-related epigenetic modulation of immune response in ARDs patients. This review aims to overview the current knowledge of the role of epigenetics in the context of autoimmunity, as well as during physiologic and pathologic pregnancy, discussing under-regarded aspects in the interplay between ARDs and pregnancy pathology. The outline of a new ongoing European project will be presented.
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25
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Roselli V, Guo C, Huang D, Wen D, Zona D, Liang T, Ma YY. Prenatal alcohol exposure reduces posterior dorsomedial striatum excitability and motivation in a sex- and age-dependent fashion. Neuropharmacology 2020; 180:108310. [PMID: 32950559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE)-induced clinical symptoms have been widely reported but effective treatments are not yet available due to our limited knowledge of the neuronal mechanisms underlying behavioral outputs. Operant behaviors, including both goal-directed and habitual actions, are essential for everyday life. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) have been identified as mediating each type of instrumental behavior, respectively. The current studies were designed to evaluate the effects of PAE (i.e., 3 g/kg, twice a day on gestational days 17-20) on goal-directed vs. habitual behaviors in both females and males during their adolescent and adult stages. We found that PAE-treated adult, but not adolescent, males display similar habitual oral sucrose self-administration but reduced goal-directed sucrose self-administration, compared to those treated by prenatal control (water) exposure (PCE). There were no differences in either habitual or goal-directed sucrose taking between PCE- vs. PAE-treated adolescent and adult females. These results indicate sex- and age-specific effects of PAE on operant behaviors. Further, whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed that the excitability of medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) in the posterior DMS (pDMS), but not the anterior DMS (aDMS), was significantly decreased in PAE-treated adult male rats. Notably, chemogenetic enhancement of MSN excitability in the pDMS by the DREADD agonist, compound 21, rescued the motivation of PAE-treated male adult rats. These data suggest that the pDMS may be a key neuronal substrate mediating the PAE-induced low motivation in male adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Roselli
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Changyong Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Donald Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Di Wen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Daniel Zona
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Tiebing Liang
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Yao-Ying Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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26
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Sautreuil C, Laquerrière A, Lecuyer M, Brasse-Lagnel C, Jégou S, Bekri S, Marcorelles P, Gil S, Marret S, Gonzalez BJ. [Fetal alcohol exposure: when placenta would help to the early diagnosis of child brain impairments]. Med Sci (Paris) 2019; 35:859-865. [PMID: 31845877 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2019167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy constitutes a major cause of neurodevelopmental and behavioral disabilities. Whereas it is possible for clinicians to establish a perinatal diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, the more severe expression of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), most FASD children are late or mis-diagnosed due to a lack of clear morphological and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Several precious years of care are consequently lost. Recent data revealed a functional placenta-brain axis involved in the control of the fetal brain angiogenesis which is impaired by in utero alcohol exposure. Because in the developing fetal brain a correct angiogenesis is required for a correct neurodevelopment, these preclinical and clinical advances pave the way for a new generation of placental biomarkers for early diagnosis of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Sautreuil
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | - Annie Laquerrière
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, France
| | - Matthieu Lecuyer
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | | | - Sylvie Jégou
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
| | - Soumeya Bekri
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Biochimie métabolique, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, France
| | | | - Sophie Gil
- Inserm UMR-S1139, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Fondation PremUp, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Marret
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France - Service de Pédiatrie Néonatale et Réanimation, Neuropédiatrie, Camsp, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, 37 boulevard Gambetta, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Bruno J Gonzalez
- Inserm U1245, Équipe 4, Rouen Université, Normandie Université, Rouen, France
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Hollister BM, Yaremych HE, Goldring MR, Persky S. Mothers' and fathers' cognitive and affective responses to epigenetics concepts. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz021. [PMID: 33244405 PMCID: PMC6875654 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in our understanding of epigenetics present new opportunities to improve children's health through the counseling of parents about epigenetics concepts. However, it is important to first evaluate how parents respond to this type of information and determine the consequences of educating parents about epigenetics. We have taken an initial step toward this goal by assessing parental responses to an epigenetics learning module. Parents (n = 190, 126 mothers) responded to pre- and post-module survey questions. Prior to the module, parents reported that mothers' lifestyles prior to conception were more important for children's health than fathers' lifestyles prior to conception (t = 4.49, df = 316.5, P < 0.0001). However, after the module, there was no difference between ratings of the importance of mothers' and fathers' preconception lifestyles (t = 1.18, df = 319.8, P = NS). Furthermore, after viewing the module, parents increased their ratings of the importance of both mothers' (t = -5.65, df = 294.8, P < 0.0001) and father's (t = -9.01, df = 287.2, P < 0.0001) preconception lifestyles for child health. After viewing the module, most parents reported feelings of guilt and negativity regarding epigenetics (78 and 55%, respectively). When compared with lean parents, parents with overweight more often reported feelings of guilt (χ 2 =10.27, P = 0.001). This work represents an important first step in evaluating parental responses to epigenetics concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany M Hollister
- Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Haley E Yaremych
- Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Megan R Goldring
- Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan Persky
- Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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28
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Human placental methylome in the interplay of adverse placental health, environmental exposure, and pregnancy outcome. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008236. [PMID: 31369552 PMCID: PMC6675049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is the interface between maternal and fetal circulations, integrating maternal and fetal signals to selectively regulate nutrient, gas, and waste exchange, as well as secrete hormones. In turn, the placenta helps create the in utero environment and control fetal growth and development. The unique epigenetic profile of the human placenta likely reflects its early developmental separation from the fetus proper and its role in mediating maternal–fetal exchange that leaves it open to a range of exogenous exposures in the maternal circulation. In this review, we cover recent advances in DNA methylation in the context of placental function and development, as well as the interaction between the pregnancy and the environment.
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29
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Römer P, Reinelt T, Petermann F, Teickner C. Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft. KINDHEIT UND ENTWICKLUNG 2019. [DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403/a000267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Kinder sind bereits im Mutterleib sensitiv für Umwelteinflüsse. Pränataler Alkoholkonsum zählt dabei zu den einflussreichsten Risikofaktoren für die frühkindliche Entwicklung. Das Ziel ist es, einen Überblick über die aktuelle Forschungslage zum Thema Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft zu geben. Darüber hinaus wird der Forschungsstand zu Belastungen und Folgeschäden für die frühkindliche Entwicklung durch pränatale Alkoholexposition, aber auch zu weiteren Risikofaktoren zusammengefasst. Es wird gezeigt, dass das Wissen um die Prävalenz für Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft sowohl für die Erforschung der Folgen als auch für das Umsetzen von präventiven Maßnahmen ausschlaggebend ist. Die Prävalenzen unterscheiden sich nicht nur regional, sondern können auch durch andere Faktoren beeinflusst werden. Es wird deutlich, dass der Risikofaktor Alkohol und dessen mögliche Auswirkungen auf die frühkindliche Entwicklung nicht isoliert, sondern in Abhängigkeit von weiteren genetischen und Umweltfaktoren betrachtet werden müssen. Denn auch Folgen von weiteren perinatalen Risikofaktoren machen sich in den ersten beiden Lebensjahren bemerkbar. Beispiele für Entwicklungsstörungen in dieser Entwicklungsspanne sind externalisierendes Verhalten und kognitive Beeinträchtigungen. Inwieweit sich perinatale Risikofaktoren jedoch auf Entwicklungsverläufe von Kindern, die durch pränatalen Alkoholkonsum belastet sind, auswirken, erfasst eine umfassende Diskussion. Diese Lücke gilt es zu schließen um das Zusammenspiel perinataler Risiken genauer zu verstehen und adäquat entgegenwirken zu können.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Römer
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen
| | - Tilman Reinelt
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen
| | - Franz Petermann
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen
| | - Claudia Teickner
- Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen
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