Prenatal stress induces long term stress vulnerability, compromising stress response systems in the brain and impairing extinction of conditioned fear after adult stress

The effect of maternal stress or so-called prenatal stress (PS) on the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction and stress reactivity of the progeny was studied. Prenatal stress prevented the formation of sex dimorphism of catecholamine content and aromatase and androgen 5a-reductase activities in the preoptic region of the brain and mediobasal hypothalamus of 10-day-old rats. Leveling of sex-specific differences in the size of the neurocyte nuclei in the suprachiasmatic nucleus was the morphological equivalent of functional disorders induced by PS. Stress and adrenergic reactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system was changed in prenatally stressed males and females. Remote effects of PS are regarded as a manifestation of disorders in the hormone neurotransmitter imprinting of the neuroendocrine system.

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The stress response of the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) to air exposure and confinement

Journal of Endocrinology ◽

10.1677/joe.0.1630149 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 163 (1) ◽

pp. 149-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 224

Author(s):

RJ Arends ◽

JM Mancera ◽

JL Munoz ◽

SE Wendelaar Bonga ◽

G Flik

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Plasma Glucose ◽

Sparus Aurata ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Gilthead Sea Bream ◽

Sea Bream ◽

Air Exposure ◽

Beta Endorphin ◽

The Brain

We investigated short-term effects (up to 24 h) of air exposure and confinement, and long-term effects (up to 11 days) of confinement, to elucidate signalling pathways in the stress response of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata L. Plasma glucose and lactate were taken as indicators of sympathetic activation, and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol as indicators of activation of the brain-pituitary-interrenal (BPI) axis. Air exposure for 3 min resulted, within 30 min, in an increase in plasma concentrations of cortisol, alpha-MSH, glucose, lactate, osmolality and plasma Na, Cl and Mg. Plasma ACTH and beta-endorphin and plasma K, Ca and P did not change. We conclude that air exposure mainly activates the brain-sympathetic-chromaffin cell (BSC) axis. In fish confined at a density of 70 kg/m(3) (compared with 4 kg/m(3) in controls), cortisol, ACTH and alpha-MSH increased within 1 h, indicating activation of the BPI axis. Plasma glucose, Na, Cl and Mg increased with an 8 h delay compared with the response to air exposure. No changes in plasma lactate, osmolality, K, Ca and P were observed. Long-term confinement induced a biphasic cortisol response with peaks at 1 h and at 2 and 3 days. A gradual increase in plasma beta-endorphin concentrations peaked at 7 days; the concentration of alpha-MSH increased rapidly within 1 h and then declined to control values 4 days after the onset of confinement. No changes in ACTH were detected. Our data provide evidence that a stressor-specific activation of the BSC and BPI axes may occur in Sparus aurata.

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Dietary l-tryptophan leaves a lasting impression on the brain and the stress response

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114517001428 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (10) ◽

pp. 1351-1357 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Erik Höglund ◽

Øyvind Øverli ◽

Madelene Å. Andersson ◽

Patricia Silva ◽

Danielle Caroline Laursen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Plasma Cortisol ◽

General Pattern ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Vertebrate Lineage ◽

Stress Responsiveness ◽

Treated Fish ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Brain

AbstractComparative models suggest that effects of dietary tryptophan (Trp) on brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) neurochemistry and stress responsiveness are present throughout the vertebrate lineage. Moreover, hypothalamic 5-HT seems to play a central role in control of the neuroendocrine stress axis in all vertebrates. Still, recent fish studies suggest long-term effects of dietary Trp on stress responsiveness, which are independent of hypothalamic 5-HT. Here, we investigated if dietary Trp treatment may result in long-lasting effects on stress responsiveness, including changes in plasma cortisol levels and 5-HT neurochemistry in the telencephalon and hypothalamus of Atlantic salmon. Fish were fed diets containing one, two or three times the Trp content in normal feed for 1 week. Subsequently, fish were reintroduced to control feed and were exposed to acute crowding stress for 1 h, 8 and 21 d post Trp treatment. Generally, acute crowding resulted in lower plasma cortisol levels in fish treated with 3×Trp compared with 1×Trp- and 2×Trp-treated fish. The same general pattern was reflected in telencephalic 5-HTergic turnover, for which 3×Trp-treated fish showed decreased values compared with 2×Trp-treated fish. These long-term effects on post-stress plasma cortisol levels and concomitant 5-HT turnover in the telencephalon lends further support to the fact that the extrahypothalamic control of the neuroendocrine stress response is conserved within the vertebrate lineage. Moreover, they indicate that trophic/structural effects in the brain underlie the effects of dietary Trp treatment on stress reactivity.

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Social defeat protocol and relevant biomarkers, implications for stress response physiology, drug abuse, mood disorders and individual stress vulnerability: a systematic review of the last decade

Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ◽

10.1590/2237-6089-2014-0034 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 51-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Mailton Vasconcelos ◽

Dirson João Stein ◽

Rosa Maria M. de Almeida

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Stress Response ◽

Social Defeat ◽

Stress Adaptation ◽

Addictive Behaviors ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Stress Effects ◽

Stress Vulnerability ◽

Search Terms ◽

The Brain

Introduction: Social defeat (SD) in rats, which results from male intraspecific confrontations, is ethologically relevant and useful to understand stress effects on physiology and behavior.Methods: A systematic review of studies about biomarkers induced by the SD protocol and published from 2002 to 2013 was carried out in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Knowledge and ScienceDirect. The search terms were: social defeat, rat, neurotrophins, neuroinflammatory markers, and transcriptional factors.Results: Classical and recently discovered biomarkers were found to be relevant in stress-induced states. Findings were summarized in accordance to the length of exposure to stress: single, repeated, intermittent and continuous SD. This review found that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a distinct marker of stress adaptation. Along with glucocorticoids and catecholamines, BDNF seems to be important in understanding stress physiology.Conclusion: The SD model provides a relevant tool to study stress response features, development of addictive behaviors, clinic depression and anxiety, as well as individual differences in vulnerability and resilience to stress.

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Stress Responsivity in Childhood and Adulthood: Role of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70537-1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

S. Claes ◽

D. van West ◽

J. Del-Favero ◽

D. Deboutte

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Prenatal Stress ◽

Psychosocial Stress ◽

Gene Polymorphisms ◽

Cortisol Responses ◽

Response Systems ◽

The Impact

Aims:Prenatal stress has been associated with lifelong disturbances in stress response systems and with an increased vulnerability for psychiatric disorders. However, the effect of prenatal stress is at least partially determined by individual genetic makeup. Recent data confim the potential role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in modulating stress response and in the liability to develop mood disorders. In genetic association studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GR gene were linked to variation in stress response systems (1). In a preliminary investigation, we studied 106 prepubertal children to estimate the impact of four GR gene polymorphisms on cortisol responses after a psychosocial stress test.Results:Carriers of the ER22/23EK mutation displayed significant lower cortisol responses to psychosocial stress compared to noncarriers. This particular polymorphism has earlier been associated to the vulnerability to develop MDD by our own research group (2) and independently by another publication (3).Conclusion:These findings support the relevance of GR gene polymorphisms in general and of the ER22/23EK polymorphism in particular in HPA axis regulation and in the vulnerability for psychiatric disorders.

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Exogenous prenatal corticosterone exposure mimics the effects of prenatal stress on adult brain stress response systems and fear extinction behavior

Psychoneuroendocrinology ◽

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.07.003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 38 (11) ◽

pp. 2746-2757 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Brian C. Bingham ◽

C.S. Sheela Rani ◽

Alan Frazer ◽

Randy Strong ◽

David A. Morilak

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Prenatal Stress ◽

Fear Extinction ◽

Adult Brain ◽

Response Systems

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The Acute Effect of Alcohol on Various Memory Processes

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000038 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 249-252 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Márk Molnár ◽

Roland Boha ◽

Balázs Czigler ◽

Zsófia Anna Gaál

Keyword(s):

Low Dose ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Acute Effect ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Memory Processes ◽

Different Types ◽

The Brain ◽

Legal Consequences

This review surveys relevant and recent data of the pertinent literature regarding the acute effect of alcohol on various kinds of memory processes with special emphasis on working memory. The characteristics of different types of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) processes are summarized with an attempt to relate these to various structures in the brain. LTM is typically impaired by chronic alcohol intake but according to some data a single dose of ethanol may have long lasting effects if administered at a critically important age. The most commonly seen deleterious acute effect of alcohol to STM appears following large doses of ethanol in conditions of “binge drinking” causing the “blackout” phenomenon. However, with the application of various techniques and well-structured behavioral paradigms it is possible to detect, albeit occasionally, subtle changes of cognitive processes even as a result of a low dose of alcohol. These data may be important for the consideration of legal consequences of low-dose ethanol intake in conditions such as driving, etc.

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Moving past the vaccine/autism controversy - to examine potential vaccine neurological harms

International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine ◽

10.3233/jrs-200052 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Peter R. Breggin

Keyword(s):

Neurological Disorders ◽

Developmental Disorder ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Psychosocial Disorders ◽

The Us ◽

Potential Vaccine ◽

Research And Education ◽

The Brain ◽

New Vaccines

BACKGROUND: The vaccine/autism controversy has caused vast scientific and public confusion, and it has set back research and education into genuine vaccine-induced neurological disorders. The great strawman of autism has been so emphasized by the vaccine industry that it, and it alone, often appears in authoritative discussions of adverse effects of the MMR and other vaccines. By dismissing the chimerical vaccine/autism controversy, vaccine defenders often dismiss all genuinely neurological aftereffects of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) and other vaccines, including well-documented events, such as relatively rare cases of encephalopathy and encephalitis. OBJECTIVE: This report explains that autism is not a physical or neurological disorder. It is not caused by injury or disease of the brain. It is a developmental disorder that has no physical origins and no physical symptoms. It is extremely unlikely that vaccines are causing autism; but it is extremely likely that they are causing more neurological damage than currently appreciated, some of it resulting in psychosocial disabilities that can be confused with autism and other psychosocial disorders. This confusion between a developmental, psychosocial disorder and a physical neurological disease has played into the hands of interest groups who want to deny that vaccines have any neurological and associated neuropsychiatric effects. METHODS: A review of the scientific literature, textbooks, and related media commentary is integrated with basic clinical knowledge. RESULTS: This report shows how scientific sources have used the vaccine/autism controversy to avoid dealing with genuine neurological risks associated with vaccines and summarizes evidence that vaccines, including the MMR, can cause serious neurological disorders. Manufacturers have been allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain vaccine approval without placebo-controlled clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: The misleading vaccine autism controversy must be set aside in favor of examining actual neurological harms associated with vaccines, including building on existing research that has been ignored. Manufacturers of vaccines must be required to conduct placebo-controlled clinical studies for existing vaccines and for government approval of new vaccines. Many probable or confirmed neurological adverse events occur within a few days or weeks after immunization and could be detected if the trials were sufficiently large. Contrary to current opinion, large, long-term placebo-controlled trials of existing and new vaccines would be relatively easy and safe to conduct.

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Long-term management of patients with multiple brain metastases after shaped beam radiosurgery

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/jns.2004.101.supplement_3.0406 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 406-412

Author(s):

Paul Okunieff ◽

Michael C. Schell ◽

Russell Ruo ◽

E. Ronald Hale ◽

Walter G. O'Dell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Metastases ◽

Tumor Control ◽

Content Type ◽

Negative Results ◽

Multiple Metastases ◽

Extracranial Disease ◽

Successful Control ◽

The Brain

✓ The role of radiosurgery in the treatment of patients with advanced-stage metastatic disease is currently under debate. Previous randomized studies have not consistently supported the use of radiosurgery to treat patients with numbers of brain metastases. In negative-results studies, however, intracranial tumor control was high but extracranial disease progressed; thus, patient survival was not greatly affected, although neurocognitive function was generally maintained until death. Because the future promises improved systemic (extracranial) therapy, the successful control of brain disease is that much more crucial. Thus, for selected patients with multiple metastases to the brain who remain in good neurological condition, aggressive lesion-targeting radiosurgery should be very useful. Although a major limitation to success of this therapy is the lack of control of extracranial disease in most patients, it is clear that well-designed, aggressive treatment substantially decreases the progression of brain metastases and also improves neurocognitive survival. The authors present the management and a methodology for rational treatment of a patient with breast cancer who has harbored 24 brain metastases during a 3-year period.

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