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Rowe K, Bröcker E, Suliman S, Blaauw R, Seedat S, van den Heuvel LL. The relationship between nutrient intake and executive function in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 349:125-131. [PMID: 38199386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive function (EF) deficits are common in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Macro- and micronutrient intake are potential modifiable factors that may influence EF in PTSD. OBJECTIVES To explore the relationship between the daily dietary intake of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and folate, and EF in adults with PTSD. METHODS This was a cross-sectional observational study of adults with PTSD who completed neurocognitive assessments (n = 201). Digit span backwards, spatial span backwards, Stroop test and the Ruff Figural Fluency Task were used to assess EF. FoodFinder nutrient intake based on 24-h dietary recalls was used to calculate average daily nutrient intake. Multivariable linear regression models were used to regress EF on the nutrient variables. RESULTS Intake of vitamin E, ω-3 PUFAs, and ω-6 PUFAs were all positively associated with planning and set-shifting, with vitamin E (adjusted β = 0.20, p = 0.004) and ω-6 (adjusted β = 0.17, p = 0.01) remaining significant after adjustment for age; sex; education and body mass index. Vitamin D intake was negatively associated with interference (adjusted β = -0.21, p = 0.01). Vitamin C, vitamin B12 and folate intake were not associated with EF. LIMITATIONS 24-h dietary recall data is limited by recall bias. Circulating nutrient levels were not measured. CONCLUSIONS Dietary intake of vitamins E, ω-3 and ω-6 may be important modifiable factors affecting EF in adults with PTSD. Randomised controlled trials are needed to investigate whether micro- and macronutrient interventions can improve EF and other outcomes in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Rowe
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Erine Bröcker
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sharain Suliman
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Renée Blaauw
- Division of Human Nutrition, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leigh Luella van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Shetty S, Duesman SJ, Patel S, Huyhn P, Shroff S, Das A, Chowhan D, Sebra R, Beaumont K, McAlpine CS, Rajbhandari P, Rajbhandari AK. Sexually dimorphic role of diet and stress on behavior, energy metabolism, and the ventromedial hypothalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.17.567534. [PMID: 38014350 PMCID: PMC10680837 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.567534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Scientific evidence underscores the influence of biological sex on the interplay between stress and metabolic dysfunctions. However, there is limited understanding of how diet and stress jointly contribute to metabolic dysregulation in both males and females. To address this gap, our study aimed to investigate the combined effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) and repeated footshock stress on fear-related behaviors and metabolic outcomes in male and female mice. Using a robust rodent model that recapitulates key aspects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we subjected mice to footshock stressor followed by weekly reminder footshock stressor or no stressor for 14 weeks while on either an HFD or chow diet. Our findings revealed that HFD impaired fear memory extinction in male mice that received initial stressor but not in female mice. Blood glucose levels were influenced by both diet and sex, with HFD-fed female mice displaying elevated levels that returned to baseline in the absence of stress, a pattern not observed in male mice. Male mice on HFD exhibited higher energy expenditure, while HFD-fed female mice showed a decreased respiratory exchange ratio (RER). Sex-specific alterations in pro-inflammatory markers and abundance of hematopoietic stem cells were observed in chronically stressed mice on an HFD in different peripheral tissues, indicating the manifestation of distinct comorbid disorders. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing of the ventromedial hypothalamus from stressed mice on an HFD provided insights into sex-specific glial cell activation and cell-type-specific transcriptomic changes. In conclusion, our study offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interactions between stress, diet, sex, and various physiological and behavioral outcomes, shedding light on a potential brain region coordinating these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanutha Shetty
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Samuel J. Duesman
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Sanil Patel
- Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Pacific Huyhn
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Sanjana Shroff
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anika Das
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
- Center for Excellence in Youth Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Disha Chowhan
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Sebra
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristin Beaumont
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cameron S. McAlpine
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
| | - Prashant Rajbhandari
- Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
- Disease Mechanism and Therapeutics Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Senior authors
| | - Abha K. Rajbhandari
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York 10029
- Senior authors
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Swart PC, Du Plessis M, Rust C, Womersley JS, van den Heuvel LL, Seedat S, Hemmings SMJ. Identifying genetic loci that are associated with changes in gene expression in PTSD in a South African cohort. J Neurochem 2023; 166:705-719. [PMID: 37522158 PMCID: PMC10953375 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15919] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are yet to be fully elucidated, especially in underrepresented population groups. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) are DNA sequence variants that influence gene expression, in a local (cis-) or distal (trans-) manner, and subsequently impact cellular, tissue, and system physiology. This study aims to identify genetic loci associated with gene expression changes in a South African PTSD cohort. Genome-wide genotype and RNA-sequencing data were obtained from 32 trauma-exposed controls and 35 PTSD cases of mixed-ancestry, as part of the SHARED ROOTS project. The first approach utilised 108 937 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (MAF > 10%) and 11 312 genes with Matrix eQTL to map potential eQTLs, while controlling for covariates as appropriate. The second analysis was focused on 5638 SNPs related to a previously calculated PTSD polygenic risk score for this cohort. SNP-gene pairs were considered eQTLs if they surpassed Bonferroni correction and had a false discovery rate <0.05. We did not identify eQTLs that significantly influenced gene expression in a PTSD-dependent manner. However, several known cis-eQTLs, independent of PTSD diagnosis, were observed. rs8521 (C > T) was associated with TAGLN and SIDT2 expression, and rs11085906 (C > T) was associated with ZNF333 expression. This exploratory study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms associated with PTSD in a non-European, admixed sample population. This study was limited by the cross-sectional design and insufficient statistical power. Overall, this study should encourage further multi-omics approaches towards investigating PTSD in diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C. Swart
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Morne Du Plessis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Carlien Rust
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Jacqueline S. Womersley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Leigh L. van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Sian M. J. Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityCape TownSouth Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders UnitCape TownSouth Africa
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Hemmings SMJ, Swart P, Womersely JS, Ovenden ES, van den Heuvel LL, McGregor NW, Meier S, Bardien S, Abrahams S, Tromp G, Emsley R, Carr J, Seedat S. RNA-seq analysis of gene expression profiles in posttraumatic stress disorder, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia identifies roles for common and distinct biological pathways. DISCOVER MENTAL HEALTH 2022; 2:6. [PMID: 37861850 PMCID: PMC10501040 DOI: 10.1007/s44192-022-00009-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that shared pathophysiological mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) may contribute to risk and resilience. We used single-gene and network-level transcriptomic approaches to investigate shared and disorder-specific processes underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia in a South African sample. RNA-seq was performed on blood obtained from cases and controls from each cohort. Gene expression and weighted gene correlation network analyses (WGCNA) were performed using DESeq2 and CEMiTool, respectively. Significant differences in gene expression were limited to the PTSD cohort. However, WGCNA implicated, amongst others, ribosomal expression, inflammation and ubiquitination as key players in the NPDs under investigation. Differential expression in ribosomal-related pathways was observed in the PTSD and PD cohorts, and focal adhesion and extracellular matrix pathways were implicated in PD and schizophrenia. We propose that, despite different phenotypic presentations, core transdiagnostic mechanisms may play important roles in the molecular aetiology of NPDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sian M J Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Patricia Swart
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline S Womersely
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ellen S Ovenden
- Systems Genetics Working Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Leigh L van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nathaniel W McGregor
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- Systems Genetics Working Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Stuart Meier
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Bardien
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shameemah Abrahams
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gerard Tromp
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Robin Emsley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Carr
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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