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Rice RC, Gil DV, Baratta AM, Frawley RR, Hill SY, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Inter- and transgenerational heritability of preconception chronic stress or alcohol exposure: Translational outcomes in brain and behavior. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100603. [PMID: 38234394 PMCID: PMC10792982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and alcohol (ethanol) use are highly interrelated and can change an individual's behavior through molecular adaptations that do not change the DNA sequence, but instead change gene expression. A recent wealth of research has found that these nongenomic changes can be transmitted across generations, which could partially account for the "missing heritability" observed in genome-wide association studies of alcohol use disorder and other stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the molecular and behavioral outcomes of nongenomic inheritance of chronic stress and ethanol exposure and the germline mechanisms that could give rise to this heritability. In doing so, we outline the need for further research to: (1) Investigate individual germline mechanisms of paternal, maternal, and biparental nongenomic chronic stress- and ethanol-related inheritance; (2) Synthesize and dissect cross-generational chronic stress and ethanol exposure; (3) Determine cross-generational molecular outcomes of preconception ethanol exposure that contribute to alcohol-related disease risk, using cancer as an example. A detailed understanding of the cross-generational nongenomic effects of stress and/or ethanol will yield novel insight into the impact of ancestral perturbations on disease risk across generations and uncover actionable targets to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Rice
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela V. Gil
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Remy R. Frawley
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shirley Y. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gregg E. Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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2
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Yong R, Chai H, Ran L, Li Y, An B. Depression in the next generation is related with maternal behaviors: A cross-comparison by alternating rat's mother care. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291952. [PMID: 37733756 PMCID: PMC10513200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the potential impacts of depressive rats' maternal behavior as an early life stress on the outcome of offspring as an adulthood. Offspring from the same mother were divided into two groups, half of them were fostered or remained by a depressive mother, and the other half remained or fostered by a control mother, respectively. The results showed that offspring fostered by depressive mothers presented significant depressive behaviors. Meanwhile, depressive mothers engaged in more grooming during the light cycle, but less off-the-pup behavior during the dark phase. In conclusion, offspring exposed to a postnatal depressive maternal environment developed a depressive-like behavior. Contrarily, postpartum maternal behaviors play an essential role, which might determine the outcome of the next generation. Furthermore, the appropriate timing of postpartum maternal caring sequences, which might eliminate prenatal stressful influences, was recognized and might be a promising approach for reducing children's predisposition to mental disorders in their life time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Yong
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxia Chai
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lei Ran
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bei An
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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3
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Mbiydzenyuy NE, Hemmings SMJ, Qulu L. Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:977416. [PMID: 36212196 PMCID: PMC9539686 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including nature and timing of prenatal insults. The precise mechanisms in which prenatal maternal stress influence neuroendocrine signaling between the maternal-placental-fetal interface are still unclear. The aim of this review article is to bring comprehensive basic concepts about prenatal maternal stress and mechanisms of transmission of maternal stress to the fetus. This review covers recent studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring aggressive behavior, as well as the possible pathways for the “transmission” of maternal stress to the fetus: (1) maternal-fetal HPA axis dysregulation; (2) intrauterine environment disruption due to variations in uterine artery flow; (3) epigenetic modifications of genes implicated in aggressive behavior. Here, we present evidence for the phenomenon of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission, to better understands the mechanism(s) of transmission from parent to offspring. We discuss studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring taking note of neuroendocrine, brain architecture and epigenetic changes that may suggest risk for aggressive behavior. We highlight animal and human studies that focus on intergenerational transmission following exposure to stress from a biological mechanistic point of view, and maternal stress-induced epigenetic modifications that have potential to impact on aggressive behavior in later generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy
- Department of Basic Science, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy,
| | - Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lihle Qulu
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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4
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Schroeder R, Nguyen L, Pieper AA, Stevens HE. Maternal treatment with P7C3-A20 protects from impaired maternal care after chronic gestational stress. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113558. [PMID: 34453970 PMCID: PMC8573727 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress during pregnancy harms both the mother and developing child, and there is an urgent unmet need to understand this process in order to develop protective treatments. Here, we report that chronic gestational stress (CGS) causes aberrant maternal care behavior in the form of increased licking and grooming, decreased nursing, and increased time spent nest building. Treatment of CGS-exposed dams with the NAD+-stabilizing agent P7C3-A20 during pregnancy and postpartum, however, preserved normal maternal care behavior. CGS also caused abnormally low weight gain during gestation and postpartum, which was partially ameliorated by maternal treatment with P7C3-A20. Dams also displayed hyperactive locomotion after CGS, which was not affected by P7C3-A20. Although dams did not display a classic depressive-like phenotype after CGS, some changes in anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors were observed. Our results highlight the need for further characterization of the effects of chronic gestational stress on maternal care behavior and provide clues to possible protective mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Lynn Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Andrew A. Pieper
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA,Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University,Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA,University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas USA,Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers, Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA,Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, NY, NY, USA
| | - Hanna E. Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
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Burstein O, Simon N, Simchon-Tenenbaum Y, Rehavi M, Franko M, Shamir A, Doron R. Moderation of the transgenerational transference of antenatal stress-induced anxiety. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:268. [PMID: 33947833 PMCID: PMC8094124 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01383-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress has debilitating implications for both mother and child, including increased risk for anxiety. The current COVID-19 pandemic escalates these phenomena, thus, urging the need to further explore and validate feasible therapeutic options. Unlike the protracted nature of clinical studies, animal models could offer swift evidence. Prominent candidates for treatment are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to the mother, that putatively accommodate maternal functioning, and, thereby, also protect the child. However, SSRIs might have deleterious effects. It is important to assess whether SSRIs and other pharmacotherapies can moderate the transference of anxiety by soothing maternal anxiety and to examine the extent of offspring's exposure to the drugs via lactation. To our knowledge, the possibility that antenatal stress exacerbates lactation-driven exposure to SSRIs has not been tested yet. Thirty ICR-outbred female mice were exposed to stress during gestation and subsequently administered with either the SSRI, escitalopram, or the novel herbal candidate, shan-zha, during lactation. Upon weaning, both dams' and pups' anxiety-like behavior and serum escitalopram levels were assessed. The major findings of the current study show that both agents moderated the antenatal stress-induced transgenerational transference of anxiety by ameliorating dams' anxiety. Interestingly though, pups' exposure to escitalopram via lactation was exacerbated by antenatal stress. The latter finding provides a significant insight into the mechanism of lactation-driven exposure to xenobiotics and calls for a further consideration vis-à-vis the administration of other drugs during breastfeeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Burstein
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Noam Simon
- School of Behavioral Science, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel
| | - Yaarit Simchon-Tenenbaum
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Moshe Rehavi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Motty Franko
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel
| | - Alon Shamir
- Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Mazor Mental Health Center, Akko, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel.
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6
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Alyamani R, Nephew B, Murgatroyd C. Intergenerational changes in hippocampal transcription in an animal model of maternal depression. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2242-2252. [PMID: 33687770 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress during early life, such as exposure to social conflict or deficits in parental care, can have persistent adverse behavioural effects. Offspring in a rodent model of maternal depression and early life stress have increased susceptibility to maternal depression themselves, suggesting a pathway by which maternal stress could be intergenerationally inherited. The overall aim of this study was to explore the genetic regulatory pathways underlying how maternal social stress and reduced care mediates stress-related behavioural changes in offspring across generations. This study investigated a social stress-based rat model of postpartum depression and the intergenerational inheritance of depressed maternal care where F0 (dams exposed to male intruder stress during lactation) and F1 offspring are directly exposed to social stress. RNASeq was used to investigate genome-wide transcriptome changes in the hippocampus of F1 and F2 generations. Transcriptome analyses revealed differential expression of 69 genes in the F1 generation and 14 in the F2 between controls versus social stress differences. Many of these genes were receptors and calcium-binding proteins in the F1 and involved in cellular oxidant detoxification in F2. The present data identify and characterize changes in the neural expression of key genes involved in the regulation of depression maintained between the generations, suggesting a potential neural pathway for the intergenerational transmission of depressed maternal care and maternal anxiety in the CSS model. Further work is needed to understand to what extent these results are due to molecular germline inheritance and/or the social propagation of deficits in maternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Alyamani
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Ben Nephew
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Chris Murgatroyd
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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7
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Antunes DF, Reyes-Contreras M, Glauser G, Taborsky B. Early social experience has life-long effects on baseline but not stress-induced cortisol levels in a cooperatively breeding fish. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104910. [PMID: 33309816 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, the early social environment has lifelong effects on the offspring's behaviour, life-history trajectories and brain gene expression. Here, we asked whether the presence or absence of parents and subordinate helpers during early life also shapes fluctuating levels of cortisol, the major stress hormone in the cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. To non-invasively characterize baseline and stress-induced cortisol levels, we adapted the 'static' holding-water method often used to collect waterborne steroid hormones in aquatic organisms by including a flow-through system allowing for repeated sampling without handling of the experimental subjects. We used 8-year-old N. pulcher either raised with (+F) or without (-F) parents and helpers in early life. We found that N. pulcher have a peak of their circadian cortisol cycle in the early morning, and that they habituated to the experimental procedure after four days. Therefore, we sampled the experimental fish in the afternoon after four days of habituation. -F fish had significantly lower baseline cortisol levels, whereas stress-induced cortisol levels did not differ between treatments. Thus, we show that the early social environment has life-long effects on aspects of the physiological stress system of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Interrenal (HPI) axis. We discuss how these differences in physiological state may have contributed to the specialization in different social and life-history trajectories of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo F Antunes
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Maria Reyes-Contreras
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland
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8
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Stenson AF, van Rooij SJH, Carter SE, Powers A, Jovanovic T. A legacy of fear: Physiological evidence for intergenerational effects of trauma exposure on fear and safety signal learning among African Americans. Behav Brain Res 2020; 402:113017. [PMID: 33197457 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of maternal trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on children's physiological response to threat and safety signals during a fear conditioning task in trauma-exposed mothers and children. METHOD Participants were African American mother-child dyads (N = 137; children aged 8-13 years). Mothers' trauma history and PTSD symptoms were assessed; Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted from these measures to identify distinct classes. Children reported violence exposure and completed a differential fear conditioning task using fear-potentiated startle (FPS) responses to conditioned danger (CS+) and safety (CS-) signals. RESULTS Four classes of maternal trauma history and PTSD symptoms emerged: 1) Lower Trauma, 2) Moderate Trauma, 3) High Sexual Abuse, and 4) High Trauma and PTSD Symptoms. Children's FPS to CS + and CS- were tested with maternal class as the between-subjects factor. FPS to the danger signal was not significantly different across maternal classes, but FPS to safety (CS-) was significantly higher for the Lower Trauma and High Trauma and PTSD Symptoms classes than either the Moderate Trauma or the High Sexual Abuse classes. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that maternal trauma impacts children's ability to modulate fear responses in the presence of a safety signal, independent of the children's own trauma exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that children's fear inhibition is impacted by maternal trauma exposure. Prior studies have linked fear inhibition to mental health outcomes, highlighting the need to understand intergenerational modulation of fear learning and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs F Stenson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
| | - Sanne J H van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sierra E Carter
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
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Pittet F, Van Caenegem N, Hicks-Nelson AR, Santos HP, Bradburn S, Murgatroyd C, Nephew BC. Maternal social environment affects offspring cognition through behavioural and immune pathways in rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12711. [PMID: 30887654 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The social environment of lactation is a key etiological factor for the occurrence of postpartum disorders affecting women and their children. Postpartum depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in new mothers and negatively affect offspring's cognitive development through mechanisms which are still unclear. Here, using a rat model, we manipulated the maternal social environment during lactation and explored the pathways through which social isolation (vs. the opportunity for limited social interaction with another lactating female, from 1 day before parturition to postpartum day 16) and chronic social conflict (daily exposure to a male intruder from postpartum day 2 to day 16) affect offspring learning and memory, measured at 40 to 60 days of age. We specifically explored the consequences of these social treatments on two main hypothesized mediators likely to affect offspring neurophysiological development: the quality of maternal care and maternal inflammation factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) likely to influence offspring development through lactation. Maternal rats which had the opportunity to interact with another lactating female spent more time with their pups which, in turn, displayed improved working and reference memory. Social stress affected maternal plasma levels of cytokines that were associated with cognitive deficits in their offspring. However, females subjected to social stress were protected from these stress-induced immune changes and associated offspring cognitive impairment by increased social affiliation. These results underscore the effects of social interaction for new mothers and their offspring and can be used to inform the development of clinical preventative measures and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Nicolas Van Caenegem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Alexandria R Hicks-Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Department of comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Hudson P Santos
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Steven Bradburn
- Bioscience Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
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Adams RCM, Smith C. Chronic Gestational Inflammation: Transfer of Maternal Adaptation over Two Generations of Progeny. Mediators Inflamm 2019; 2019:9160941. [PMID: 31582905 PMCID: PMC6754931 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9160941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the in utero environment result in generational transfer of maladapted physiology in the context of conditions such as stress, obesity, and anxiety. Given the significant contribution of noncommunicable diseases-which are characterised by chronic inflammation-to population mortality, the potential for chronic maternal inflammation mediating foetal programming is a growing concern. The extent of generational transfer in terms of immune functionality and leukocyte glucocorticoid sensitivity was investigated over two generations of offspring (F1 and F2) in a model of chronic LPS-induced maternal inflammation in C57/BL/6 mice. Maternal inflammation resulted in glucocorticoid hypersensitivity (increased glucocorticoid receptor expression levels) in the majority of leukocyte subpopulations in both F1 and F2 offspring. Furthermore, splenocytes stimulated with LPS in vitro exhibited exacerbated inflammatory cytokine responses, which were even more prominent in F2 than F1; this effect could be ascribed to NLRP3 inflammasome hyperactivity in F1 but not F2. Current data illustrates that parental chronic inflammation may mediate the inflammatory profile in offspring, potentially propagating a maladapted proinflammatory phenotype in subsequent generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. C. M. Adams
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Science Faculty, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- Fluorescence Microscopy Unit, Central Analytical Facilities, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - C. Smith
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Science Faculty, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
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11
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Bell AM, Hellmann JK. An Integrative Framework for Understanding the Mechanisms and Multigenerational Consequences of Transgenerational Plasticity. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2019; 50:97-118. [PMID: 36046014 PMCID: PMC9427003 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) occurs when the environment experienced by a parent influences the development of their offspring. In this article, we develop a framework for understanding the mechanisms and multi-generational consequences of TGP. First, we conceptualize the mechanisms of TGP in the context of communication between parents (senders) and offspring (receivers) by dissecting the steps between an environmental cue received by a parent and its resulting effects on the phenotype of one or more future generations. Breaking down the problem in this way highlights the diversity of mechanisms likely to be involved in the process. Second, we review the literature on multigenerational effects and find that the documented patterns across generations are diverse. We categorize different multigenerational patterns and explore the proximate and ultimate mechanisms that can generate them. Throughout, we highlight opportunities for future work in this dynamic and integrative area of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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12
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Reshetnikov VV, Ryabushkina YA, Bondar NP. Impact of mothers’ experience and early‐life stress on aggression and cognition in adult male mice. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:36-49. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliy V. Reshetnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Yulia A. Ryabushkina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
- Novosibirsk State University Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Natalia P. Bondar
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Novosibirsk Russia
- Novosibirsk State University Novosibirsk Russia
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13
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Post C, Leuner B. The maternal reward system in postpartum depression. Arch Womens Ment Health 2019; 22:417-429. [PMID: 30554286 PMCID: PMC6784840 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The experience of motherhood is most often emotionally positive and rewarding, but for many new mothers suffering from postpartum depression (PPD), this is not the case. Preclinical and clinical research has sought to uncover brain changes underlying PPD in order to gain a better understanding of how this disorder develops. This review focuses on the mesolimbic dopamine system, particularly the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens pathway which has been implicated in the regulation of critical functions disrupted in PPD including mood, motivation, and mothering. Specifically, we discuss normative changes in the mesolimbic system during motherhood in both rodents and humans and how these are impacted in PPD. We also consider modulation of mesolimbic dopamine by the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin and how oxytocin-dopamine interactions regulate mood and mothering during the postpartum period. In addition to providing an overview of reward mechanisms in PPD, our goal is to highlight open questions which warrant further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Post
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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14
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Neither biological nor symptomatology reductionism: A call for integration in psychopathology research. Behav Brain Sci 2019; 42:e17. [PMID: 30940260 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x18001279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We agree with Borsboom et al. in challenging neurobiological reductionism, and underscore some specific strengths of a network approach. However, they do not acknowledge that a similar problem is present in current psychosocial frameworks. We discuss this challenge as well as describe valuable parallels between symptom and neurobiological network theories that will substantially augment psychopathological research when integrated.
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Gianatiempo O, Sonzogni SV, Fesser EA, Belluscio LM, Smucler E, Sued MR, Cánepa ET. Intergenerational transmission of maternal care deficiency and offspring development delay induced by perinatal protein malnutrition. Nutr Neurosci 2018; 23:387-397. [PMID: 30124115 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2018.1509178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Early life represents a sensitive and critical period for an individual. Nutrition plays a crucial role in the maturation and functional development of the central nervous system. Inadequate nutrition before birth and during the postnatal life can seriously interfere with brain development and lead to behavioral and neurological disorders such as learning disabilities and psychiatric diseases. In addition, the quality of mother-infant interactions represents an important adaptive pathway that prepares offspring for the conditions of life. In this work, we asked if protein malnutrition alters maternal care and offspring development and if these phenotypes can be transmitted to next generation.Methods: Female mice were fed with a normal or hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation. Nurturing behaviors, i.e. arched, blanket and passive nursing, and liking and grooming of the pups, were evaluated from postnatal day 1 (PD1) to postnatal day 7 (PD7). The same protocol was employed to evaluate maternal behavior for filial generation 1 (F1) and filial generation 2 (F2) dams. Offspring development was evaluated for F1, F2, and F3 generations. Developmental landmarks and neurological reflexes were assessed from PD8 until complete development of the landmark or acquisition of the reflex.Results: Our results show that malnourished dams provide a lesser and more fragmented maternal care than their normally fed counterparts. This altered maternal behavior as well as the delay in the physical and neurological development observed in the offspring from malnourished mothers was transmitted up to two generations at least.Conclusion: These results highlight the harmful effects of protein malnutrition even for generations that are not directly exposed to this environmental adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Octavio Gianatiempo
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina V Sonzogni
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Estefanía A Fesser
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura M Belluscio
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Smucler
- Instituto de Cálculo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela R Sued
- Instituto de Cálculo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Fischer A, Ziogas A, Anton-Culver H. Perception matters: Stressful life events increase breast cancer risk. J Psychosom Res 2018; 110:46-53. [PMID: 29764605 PMCID: PMC7793611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The relationship between psychological stress and breast cancer risk is unclear. The present study sought to understand how stressfulness appraisal of salient Life Events (LEs) influences breast cancer risk. METHODS A case-control design was used and included 664 female cases identified through the Cancer Surveillance Program of Orange County, CA and 203 female population-based controls. A LE questionnaire determined if events occurred prior to breast cancer diagnosis and if these events were considered to be stressful or not. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs while adjusting for known breast cancer covariates. RESULTS Cumulative adverse LEs perceived as stressful were associated with increased breast cancer risk in a dose response fashion (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.00-2.66, Ptrend = 0.045). Conversely, events perceived as non-stressful did not have a significant impact on breast cancer risk. Previous personal illness was directly related to increased breast cancer risk, whether perceived as stressful (OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.96-4.11) or non-stressful (OR = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.34-8.94). Abortion and relocation were observed to have a protective effect on breast cancer risk only when reported as stressful (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.32-0.92; OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.43-0.93, respectively). Pre/Peri-menopausal women who were nulliparous or who had their first child at ≥30 years of age were especially prone to the effects of appraised stress on increased breast cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the importance of stressfulness appraisal when determining the effect of major LEs on breast cancer risk. Our results support incorporating assessments of perceived stressfulness in future epidemiological investigation of this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avital Fischer
- University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, United States
| | - Argyrios Ziogas
- University of California Irvine, Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, United States
| | - Hoda Anton-Culver
- University of California Irvine, Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, United States; Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute, United States.
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17
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Nephew BC, Febo M, Huang W, Colon-Perez LM, Payne L, Poirier GL, Greene O, King JA. Early life social stress and resting state functional connectivity in postpartum rat anterior cingulate circuits. J Affect Disord 2018; 229:213-223. [PMID: 29324369 PMCID: PMC5807174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Continued development and refinement of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) fMRI techniques in both animal and clinical studies has enhanced our comprehension of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. The objective of the current study was to assess both maternal behavior and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes in these animals when they were dams caring for their own young. It was hypothesized that ECSS exposed dams would express depressed maternal care and exhibit similar (same networks), yet different specific changes in RSFC (different individual nuclei) than reported when they were adult females. METHODS We have developed an ethologically relevant transgenerational model of the role of chronic social stress (CSS) in the etiology of postpartum depression and anxiety. Initial fMRI investigation of the CSS model indicates that early life exposure to CSS (ECSS) induces long term changes in functional connectivity in adult nulliparous female F1 offspring. RESULTS ECSS in F1 dams resulted in depressed maternal care specifically during early lactation, consistent with previous CSS studies, and induced changes in functional connectivity in regions associated with sensory processing, maternal and emotional responsiveness, memory, and the reward pathway, with robust changes in anterior cingulate circuits. LIMITATIONS The sample sizes for the fMRI groups were low, limiting statistical power. CONCLUSION This behavioral and functional neuroanatomical foundation can now be used to enhance our understanding of the neural etiology of early life stress associated disorders and test preventative measures and treatments for stress related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Owen Greene
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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18
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Hicks-Nelson A, Beamer G, Gurel K, Cooper R, Nephew BC. Transgenerational Social Stress Alters Immune-Behavior Associations and the Response to Vaccination. Brain Sci 2017; 7:E89. [PMID: 28753980 PMCID: PMC5532602 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7070089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to the multi-hit theory of schizophrenia, social behavior pathologies are mediated by multiple factors across generations, likely acting additively, synergistically, or antagonistically. Exposure to social adversity, especially during early life, has been proposed to induce depression symptoms through immune mediated mechanisms. Basal immune factors are altered in a variety of neurobehavioral models. In the current study, we assessed two aspects of a transgenerational chronic social stress (CSS) rat model and its effects on the immune system. First, we asked whether exposure of F0 dams and their F1 litters to CSS changes basal levels of IL-6, TNF, IFN-γ, and social behavior in CSS F1 female juvenile rats. Second, we asked whether the F2 generation could generate normal immunological responses following vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). We report several changes in the associations between social behaviors and cytokines in the F1 juvenile offspring of the CSS model. It is suggested that changes in the immune-behavior relationships in F1 juveniles indicate the early stages of immune mediated disruption of social behavior that becomes more apparent in F1 dams and the F2 generation. We also report preliminary evidence of elevated IL-6 and impaired interferon-gamma responses in BCG-vaccinated F2 females. In conclusion, transgenerational social stress alters both immune-behavior associations and responses to vaccination. It is hypothesized that the effects of social stress may accumulate over generations through changes in the immune system, establishing the immune system as an effective preventative or treatment target for social behavior pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Hicks-Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Gillian Beamer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Kursat Gurel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Rachel Cooper
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
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