Stress Effects on Mood, HPA Axis, and Autonomic Response: Comparison of Three Psychosocial Stress Paradigms

Abstract Objectives Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy can lead to heightened activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing the risk of pre-term birth, intrauterine restriction, and preeclampsia. Maternal dietary intakes and nutrition status modify epigenetic marks in the placental and fetal HPA axis, which may then counter the negative influence of maternal stress. This study aims to determine the correlation of maternal psychosocial stress and nutrient intakes with biomarkers of HPA axis activity in human pregnancies. Methods Pregnant women (n = 60) were recruited to this observational study. Psychosocial stress survey, dietary recalls and blood samples were obtained in the 3rd trimester. Placentas and cord blood were retrieved at delivery. Results Maternal financial stress, neighborhood stress, and anxiety were positively or tended to be positively associated with maternal blood cortisol levels (P = 0.01-0.08), although none of the psychosocial stress measurements were correlated with placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), or 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11BHSD) expression. Placental NR3C1 expression was positively associated with birth weight (r = 0.42, P = 0.02) while placental CRH was negatively associated with gestational length (r = –0.45, P = 0.01). Overall dietary quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) was not associated with psychosocial stress or related biomarkers, while intakes of the methyl donor choline (r = 0.46, P = 0.04) and omega-3 fatty acids (r = 0.47, P = 0.03) were positively associated with placental NR3C1 expression. Placental choline content was also positively associated with NR3C1 expression (r = 0.39, P = 0.04) and negatively associated with maternal neighborhood stress (r = –0.72, P = 0.02). Conclusions In summary, these data suggest that maternal psychosocial stress may adversely affect HPA axis functioning during pregnancy, whereas choline and other nutrients have the potential to counteract some of the impacts of psychosocial stress. Funding Sources CUNY Interdisciplinary Research Grant.

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Differences in habituation to psychosocial stress between the HPA-axis, the cardiovascular system and peripheral catecholamines

Psychoneuroendocrinology ◽

10.1016/s0306-4530(00)90163-x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. S53 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicole C. Schommer ◽

Matthias Kuhr ◽

Dirk H. Hellhammer ◽

Rainer Luedke ◽

Ulrike Rothe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular System ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Psychosocial Stress

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A sustained hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to acute psychosocial stress in irritable bowel syndrome

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s003329171400052x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (14) ◽

pp. 3123-3134 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

P. J. Kennedy ◽

J. F. Cryan ◽

E. M. M. Quigley ◽

T. G. Dinan ◽

G. Clarke

Keyword(s):

Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Psychosocial Stress ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽

Gi Symptoms ◽

Irritable Bowel ◽

Acute Psychosocial Stress ◽

Novel Therapeutic ◽

The Way

BackgroundDespite stress being considered a key factor in the pathophysiology of the functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), there is a paucity of information regarding the ability of IBS patients to respond to acute experimental stress. Insights into the stress response in IBS could open the way to novel therapeutic interventions. To this end, we assessed the response of a range of physiological and psychological parameters to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in IBS.MethodThirteen female patients with IBS and 15 healthy female age-matched control participants underwent a single exposure to the TSST. Salivary cortisol, salivary C-reactive protein (CRP), skin conductance level (SCL), GI symptoms, mood and self-reported stress were measured pre- and post-exposure to the TSST.ResultsThe hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis response to the TSST was sustained in IBS, as shown by a greater total cortisol output throughout (p = 0.035) and higher cortisol levels measured by an area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCG) analysis (p = 0.044). In IBS patients, GI symptoms increased significantly during the recovery period following exposure to the TSST (p = 0.045). Salivary CRP and SCL activity showed significant changes in relation to stress but with no differential effect between experimental groups.ConclusionsPatients with IBS exhibit sustained HPA axis activity, and an increase in problematic GI symptoms in response to acute experimental psychosocial stress. These data pave the way for future interventional studies aimed at identifying novel therapeutic approaches to modulate the HPA axis and GI symptom response to acute psychosocial stress in IBS.

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Rats Lacking Dopamine Transporter Display Increased Vulnerability and Aberrant Autonomic Response to Acute Stress

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10060842 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 842

Author(s):

Placido Illiano ◽

Gregory E. Bigford ◽

Raul R. Gainetdinov ◽

Marta Pardo

Keyword(s):

Dopamine Transporter ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Female Rats ◽

Autonomic Response ◽

Before And After ◽

Response To Stress ◽

Vulnerability To Stress ◽

Body Temperature Increase ◽

Reduced Temperature

The activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is pivotal in homeostasis and presides the adaptative response to stress. Dopamine Transporter (DAT) plays a key role in the regulation of the HPA axis. We used young adult female DAT Knockout (KO) rats to assess the effects of DAT ablation (partial, heterozygous DAT+/-, or total, homozygous DAT-/-) on vulnerability to stress. DAT-/- rats show profound dysregulation of pituitary homeostasis, in the presence of elevated peripheral corticosterone, before and after acute restraint stress. During stress, DAT-/- rats show abnormal autonomic response at either respiratory and cardiovascular level, and delayed body temperature increase. DAT+/- rats display minor changes of hypophyseal homeostatic mechanisms. These rats display a similar pituitary activation to that of the control animals, albeit in the presence of higher release of peripheral corticosterone than DAT-/- after stress, and reduced temperature during stress. Our data indicate that DAT regulates the HPA axis at both the central and peripheral level, including autonomic function during stress. In particular, the partial deletion of DAT results in increased vulnerability to stress in female rats, which display central and peripheral alterations that are reminiscent of PTSD, and they might provide new insights in the pathophysiology of this disorder.

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