scholarly journals A Novel Mouse Model for Acute and Long-Lasting Consequences of Early Life Stress

Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (10) ◽  
pp. 4892-4900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney J. Rice ◽  
Curt A. Sandman ◽  
Mohammed R. Lenjavi ◽  
Tallie Z. Baram
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Paraventricular Nucleus ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Basal Plasma

Chronic early-life stress (ES) exerts profound acute and long-lasting effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, with relevance to cognitive function and affective disorders. Our ability to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects should benefit greatly from appropriate mouse models because these would enable use of powerful transgenic methods. Therefore, we have characterized a mouse model of chronic ES, which was provoked in mouse pups by abnormal, fragmented interactions with the dam. Dam-pup interaction was disrupted by limiting the nesting and bedding material in the cages, a manipulation that affected this parameter in a dose-dependent manner. At the end of their week-long rearing in the limited-nesting cages, mouse pups were stressed, as apparent from elevated basal plasma corticosterone levels. In addition, steady-state mRNA levels of CRH in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of ES-experiencing pups were reduced, without significant change in mRNA levels of arginine vasopressin. Rearing mouse pups in this stress-provoking cage environment resulted in enduring effects: basal plasma corticosterone levels were still increased, and CRH mRNA levels in paraventricular nucleus remained reduced in adult ES mice, compared with those of controls. In addition, hippocampus-dependent learning and memory functions were impaired in 4- to 8-month-old ES mice. In summary, this novel, robust model of chronic early life stress in the mouse results in acute and enduring neuroendocrine and cognitive abnormalities. This model should facilitate the examination of the specific genes and molecules involved in the generation of this stress as well as in its consequences.

scholarly journals Early life stress alters opioid receptor mRNA levels within the nucleus accumbens in a sex-dependent manner

2019 ◽  
Vol 1710 ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza Chang ◽  
Stacey L. Kigar ◽  
Jasmine H. Ho ◽  
Amelia Cuarenta ◽  
Haley C. Gunderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Opioid Receptor ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Receptor Mrna

scholarly journals Early-Life Stress Modulates Gut Microbiota and Peripheral and Central Inflammation in a Sex-Dependent Manner

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hae Jeong Park ◽  
Sang A. Kim ◽  
Won Sub Kang ◽  
Jong Woo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Separation ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Male And Female Rats

Recent studies have reported that changes in gut microbiota composition could induce neuropsychiatric problems. In this study, we investigated alterations in gut microbiota induced by early-life stress (ELS) in rats subjected to maternal separation (MS; 6 h a day, postnatal days (PNDs) 1–21), along with changes in inflammatory cytokines and tryptophan-kynurenine (TRP-KYN) metabolism, and assessed the differences between sexes. High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed that the relative abundance of the Bacteroides genus was increased and that of the Lachnospiraceae family was decreased in the feces of MS rats of both sexes (PND 56). By comparison, MS increased the relative abundance of the Streptococcus genus and decreased that of the Staphylococcus genus only in males, whereas the abundance of the Sporobacter genus was enhanced and that of the Mucispirillum genus was reduced by MS only in females. In addition, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines were increased in the colons (IFN-γ and IL-6) and sera (IL-1β) of the male MS rats, together with the elevation of the KYN/TRP ratio in the sera, but not in females. In the hippocampus, MS elevated the level of IL-1β and the KYN/TRP ratio in both male and female rats. These results indicate that MS induces peripheral and central inflammation and TRP-KYN metabolism in a sex-dependent manner, together with sex-specific changes in gut microbes.

Abstract 335: Vascular Histone Deacetylase Mediates Early Life Stress-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao H Ho ◽  
Jennifer S Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Dysfunction ◽  
Nadph Oxidase ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Histone Deacetylase ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Separation ◽  
Chromatin Modification ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Mrna Levels

Chromatin remodeling is an important factor in the etiology of vascular pathologies. Also, early life stress (ELS) is linked to increased risk of vascular disease in adults. We used maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) to study mechanisms of ELS-mediated adult vascular dysfunction in male C57BL/6J mice. Litters were subjected to maternal separation 4h/day (postnatal day (PD) 2-5) and 8h/day (PD6-16), and weaned at PD17. Control (CON) litters were undisturbed until weaning at PD21. Subsequent experiments were performed at 12 weeks old. MSEW blunted aortic ACh-mediated vasorelaxation (MSEW: 68% vs CON: 90%, p=0.01), while SNP-induced vasorelaxation was similar in CON and MSEW aortae. Apocynin (300 μM) and superoxide dismutase (100 U/mL) normalized MSEW-induced endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesize that ELS induces aortic endothelial dysfunction by increasing NADPH oxidase expression and/or decreasing nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) expression. Aortic protein expression of NADPH oxidase subunit p67 was elevated in MSEW mice (45% increase from CON, n=11, p=0.02). NOS3 protein expression and NOS3 serine 1177 phosphorylation was not different between groups, indicating that NOS3 activation by phosphorylation does not contribute to ELS-induced endothelial dysfunction. We further hypothesize that chromatin modification mediates ELS-induced endothelial dysfunction. Aortic mRNA expressions of 84 chromatin modification enzymes (methyltransferases, demethylases, acetyltransferases, deacetylases) were assessed by qRT-PCR. Only histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1, 6 and 9 mRNA levels were significantly upregulated in MSEW aortae compared to CON (17%, 29% and 67% increase, respectively, p<0.05). However, only HDAC 9 protein expression was elevated in MSEW aortae (2 fold increase from CON, n=6, p=0.01). Accordingly, histone 3 lysine acetylation was slightly decreased in MSEW aortae (16% decrease from CON, n=6, p = 0.06). Pretreatment of aortae with an HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), normalized ACh-induced vasorelaxation in MSEW mice (MSEW: 68% vs MSEW + TSA: 88%, p=0.02), while not affecting ACh-induced vasorelaxation in CON mice. We conclude that ELS induces endothelial dysfunction, most likely, through an HDAC 9-mediated pathway.

(267) The Influence of Long-Term Western Diet and Voluntary Exercise in an Early Life Stress Mouse Model of Co-Morbid Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. S41
Author(s):  
O. Eller-Smith ◽  
X. Yang ◽  
E. Morris ◽  
J. Thyfault ◽  
J. Christianson
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Western Diet ◽  
Voluntary Exercise

scholarly journals Early life stress reduces voluntary exercise and its prevention of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction in mice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia C. Eller-Smith ◽  
E. Matthew Morris ◽  
John P. Thyfault ◽  
Julie A. Christianson
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Wheel Running ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Diet Induced Obesity

AbstractThe development of obesity-related metabolic syndrome (MetS) involves a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. One environmental factor found to be significantly associated with MetS is early life stress (ELS). We have previously reported on our mouse model of ELS, induced by neonatal maternal separation (NMS), that displays altered regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increased sensitivity in the urogenital organs, which was attenuated by voluntary wheel running. Here, we are using our NMS model to determine if ELS-induced changes in the HPA axis also influence weight gain and MetS. Naïve (non-stressed) and NMS male mice were given free access to a running wheel and a low-fat control diet at 4-weeks of age. At 16-weeks of age, half of the mice were transitioned to a high fat/sucrose (HFS) diet to investigate if NMS influences the effectiveness of voluntary exercise to prevent diet-induced obesity and MetS. Overall, we observed a greater impact of voluntary exercise on prevention of HFS diet-induced outcomes in naïve mice, compared to NMS mice. Although body weight and fat mass were still significantly higher, exercise attenuated fasting insulin levels and mRNA levels of inflammatory markers in epididymal adipose tissue in HFS diet-fed naïve mice. Only moderate changes were observed in exercised NMS mice on a HFS diet, although this could partially be explained by reduced running distance within this group. Interestingly, sedentary NMS mice on a control diet displayed impaired glucose homeostasis and moderately increased pro-inflammatory mRNA levels in epididymal adipose, suggesting that early life stress alone impairs metabolic function and negatively impacts the therapeutic effect of voluntary exercise.

scholarly journals Early life stress increases Line1 within the developing brain in a sex-dependent manner

2020 ◽  
Vol 1748 ◽  
pp. 147123
Author(s):  
Amelia Cuarenta ◽  
Stacey L. Kigar ◽  
Ian C. Henion ◽  
Kaitlyn E. Karls ◽  
Liza Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Developing Brain ◽  
Dependent Manner

scholarly journals Early-Life Stress Reduces DNA Methylation of the Pomc Gene in Male Mice

Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (5) ◽  
pp. 1751-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghe Wu ◽  
Alexandre V. Patchev ◽  
Guillaume Daniel ◽  
Osborne F.X. Almeida ◽  
Dietmar Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Pomc Mrna ◽  
Pomc Gene

Early-life stress (ELS) increases the vulnerability thresholds for stress-related diseases such as major depression and anxiety by inducing alterations in the structure and function of neural circuits and endocrine pathways. We previously demonstrated the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to the long-term programming of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity following ELS exposure in male mice. Here, ELS comprising daily separation of pups from their dams on postnatal days 1–10 was observed to up-regulate the expression of the pituitary proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) gene; POMC serves as a prohormone for ACTH, a key mediator of the adrenocortical response to stress. Detailed analysis revealed that the increase in Pomc mRNA levels results from a reduction in DNA methylation at a critical regulatory region of the Pomc gene; interestingly, this change occurs with some delay after ELS and persists for up to 1 year. Using a Pomc-expressing pituitary cell line (AtT20), we confirmed a role for DNA methylation in restraining Pomc expression under resting conditions: specifically, we show that CpG site-specific methylation of the Pomc promoter represses Pomc mRNA transcription. Further, we show high-affinity binding of methyl-CpG binding protein-2 to the distal promoter of Pomc, suggesting that methyl-CpG binding protein-2 acts in association with the chromatin modifiers histone deacetylase 2 and DNA methyltransferase 1 to repress Pomc gene expression. Collectively, these experiments contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms through which environmental cues are translated into stable changes (“cellular memory”) in neuroendocrine cells.

Early life stress and brain plasticity: from molecular alterations to aberrant memory and behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga L. Lopatina ◽  
Yulia A. Panina ◽  
Natalia A. Malinovskaya ◽  
Alla B. Salmina
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Mediated Effects

AbstractEarly life stress (ELS) is one of the most critical factors that could modify brain plasticity, memory and learning abilities, behavioral reactions, and emotional response in adulthood leading to development of different mental disorders. Prenatal and early postnatal periods appear to be the most sensitive periods of brain development in mammals, thereby action of various factors at these stages of brain development might result in neurodegeneration, memory impairment, and mood disorders at later periods of life. Deciphering the processes underlying aberrant neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and cerebral angiogenesis as well as deeper understanding the effects of ELS on brain development will provide novel approaches to prevent or to cure psychiatric and neurological deficits caused by stressful conditions at the earliest stages of ontogenesis. Neuropeptide oxytocin serves as an amnesic, anti-stress, pro-angiogenic, and neurogenesis-controlling molecule contributing to dramatic changes in brain plasticity in ELS. In the current review, we summarize recent data on molecular mechanisms of ELS-driven changes in brain plasticity with the particular focus on oxytocin-mediated effects on neurogenesis and angiogenesis, memory establishment, and forgetting.

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