Chronic stress and epigenetics. Relation between academic sciences and theology

2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (14) ◽  
pp. 525-530
Author(s):  
Kornél Simon
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Causative Role ◽  
Short Account ◽  
Stress Theory ◽  
Therapeutic Consequences ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Somatic Alterations ◽  
Enzymatic Mechanisms

The author gives a short account on the principles of Selye’s stress theory, and discusses similarities and dissimilarities of acute and chronic stress. Both the external, and the internal environment, as well as the psycho-mental status are involved in the notion of the environment. Basic principles of epigenetics are reviewed: interaction between environment and genes, neuroendocrine and enzymatic mechanisms involved in silencing and activation of genes, notions of phenotypic plasticity, and epigenetic reprogramming are discussed. Epigenetic mechanisms of interrelation between pathological clinical states (diseases) and the characteristic phenotypes, causative role of psycho-mental status in evoking pathological somatic alterations, and the potential therapeutic consequences are briefly discussed. The etiological role of chronic, civilization stress in producing the worldwide increment of cardiovascular morbidity is cited, argumentation and criticism of the current therapeutical practice is discussed. The author concludes that recent advances in epigenetic knowledge seem to solve the controversy between the academic and theological sciences. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 525–530.

scholarly journals The Anteroventral Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Differentially Regulates Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Axis Responses to Acute and Chronic Stress

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 818-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis C. Choi ◽  
Nathan K. Evanson ◽  
Amy R. Furay ◽  
Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai ◽  
Michelle M. Ostrander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Paraventricular Nucleus ◽  
Restraint Stress ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Thymic Involution ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress

The anteroventral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) stimulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses to acute stress. However, the role of the anterior BST nuclei in chronic drive of the HPA axis has yet to be established. Therefore, this study tests the role of the anteroventral BST in physiological responses to chronic drive, using a chronic variable stress (CVS) model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either bilateral ibotenate lesions, targeting the anteroventral BST, or vehicle injection into the same region. Half of the lesion and control rats were exposed to a 14-d CVS paradigm consisting of twice-daily exposure to unpredictable, alternating stressors. The remaining rats were nonhandled control animals that remained in home cages. On the morning after the end of CVS exposure, all rats were exposed to a novel restraint stress challenge. CVS induced attenuated body weight gain, adrenal hypertrophy, thymic involution, and enhanced CRH mRNA in hypophysiotrophic neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, none of which were affected by anteroventral BST lesions. In the absence of CVS, lesions attenuated the plasma corticosterone and paraventricular nucleus c-fos mRNA responses to the acute restraint stress. In contrast, lesions of the anteroventral BST elevated plasma ACTH and corticosterone responses to novel restraint in the rats previously exposed to CVS. These data suggest that the anterior BST plays very different roles in integrating acute stimulation and chronic drive of the HPA axis, perhaps mediated by chronic stress-induced recruitment of distinct BST cell groups or functional reorganization of stress-integrative circuits.

scholarly journals The role of the posterior medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in modulating hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis responsiveness to acute and chronic stress

2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis C. Choi ◽  
Amy R. Furay ◽  
Nathan K. Evanson ◽  
Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai ◽  
Mary M.N. Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress

scholarly journals The role of acute and chronic stress in asthma attacks in children

The Lancet ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 356 (9234) ◽  
pp. 982-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seija Sandberg ◽  
James Y Paton ◽  
Sara Ahola ◽  
Donna C McCann ◽  
David McGuinness ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress

scholarly journals Investigating the Role of Prolactin as a Potential Biomarker of Stress in Castrated Male Domestic Dogs

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jara Gutiérrez ◽  
Angelo Gazzano ◽  
Federica Pirrone ◽  
Claudio Sighieri ◽  
Chiara Mariti
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Serum Prolactin ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Weak Negative Correlation ◽  
Stress Score

Prolactin has been recently regarded as a potential biomarker of both acute and chronic stress in several species. Since only few studies until now have focussed on domestic dogs, this study was aimed at evaluating whether prolactin, cortisol and stress behaviour correlated with each other in sheltered dogs. Both cortisol and prolactin analysis were performed in serum samples through a hormone-specific ELISA kit. For each dog, a stress score was calculated by summing the number of occurrences of stress-related behaviours. The presence/absence of fear during the time spent in the collection room was also scored for each individual. Results revealed a weak negative correlation between cortisol and prolactin levels. Neither of the hormones was correlated with the stress score, nor did their values seem to be influenced by showing fear in the collection room. The weak negative correlation found between cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. This, together with the high serum prolactin levels compared to those reported by other authors for healthy domestic dogs, may indicate that prolactin might be a good biomarker of chronic stress, and although further studies are needed to better understand the potential role of prolactin in the evaluation of canine welfare.

scholarly journals Intergenerational transmission and continuity of stress and depression: depressed women and their offspring in 20 years of follow-up

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hammen ◽  
N. A. Hazel ◽  
P. A. Brennan ◽  
J. Najman
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Youth Depression ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Depressed Mothers

BackgroundChildren of depressed mothers not only have higher risk of depression, but also may experience both elevated and continuing exposure to stressful experiences. The study tested hypotheses of the intergenerational transmission of stress and depression and examined the role of early childhood adversity and maternal depression in the interplay between youth depression and stress over 20 years.MethodIn a longitudinal community study of 705 families selected for history or absence of maternal depression, mothers and youth were studied from pregnancy to age 5 years and at youth ages 15 and 20 years. Youth and maternal depression were assessed with diagnostic interviews, acute and chronic interview-based stress assessment in the youth and contemporaneous measures of childhood adversity obtained between pregnancy and youth age 5 years.ResultsRegression analyses indicated evidence of intergenerational transmission and continuity of depression over time, continuity of acute and chronic stress and reciprocal predictive associations between depression and stress. Maternal depression and exposure to adversities by child's age 5 years contributed to the youth's continuing experiences of depression and stress. An overall path model was consistent with stress continuity and intergenerational transmission and highlighted the mediating role of age 15 youth chronic interpersonal stress.ConclusionsYouth of depressed mothers are at risk not only for depression but also for continuing experiences of acute and chronic stress from childhood to age 20. The associations among depression and stress are bidirectional and portend continuing experiences of depression and further stress.

scholarly journals Vasopressin in mechanisms of stress reactions and modulation of emotion

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Svetlana G. Belokoskova ◽  
Sergey G. Tsikunov
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Adrenal System ◽  
Vasopressin Receptors ◽  
Response To Stress

The review presents modern conceptions about the role of the vasopressinergic system in regulating reactions to stress and modulation of emotions in animals and humans. The contribution of vasopressin to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system in conditions of acute and chronic stress is reflected in the work. It is noted that the activation of vasopressin receptors of type 1 enhances the response to stress, which contributes to the development of psychopathology. It is emphasized that the role of vasopressin receptors of type 2 in the regulation of emotions has been studied little. At the same time, there is evidence that the activation of vasopressin receptors of type 2 in patients with depressive disorders after a stroke is accompanied by effects that are opposite in direction to the effects of activation of vasopressin receptors of type 1. The review examines promising areas of further studies of the involvement of vasopressin receptors of type 2 in modulating stress reactions and emotions. The use of receptor antagonist’s vasopressin of type 1 and receptor agonists of type 2 in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders are discussed.

scholarly journals Influences of Stress and Sex on the Paraventricular Thalamus: Implications for Motivated Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney A. Rowson ◽  
Kristen E. Pleil
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress ◽  
Motivated Behavior ◽  
Neuroendocrine Response ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Motivated Behaviors

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a critical neural hub for the regulation of a variety of motivated behaviors, integrating stress and reward information from environmental stimuli to guide discrete behaviors via several limbic projections. Neurons in the PVT are activated by acute and chronic stressors, however several roles of the PVT in behavior modulation emerge only following repeated stress exposure, pointing to a role for hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis modulation of PVT function. Further, there may be a reciprocal relationship between the PVT and HPA axis in which chronic stress-induced recruitment of the PVT elicits an additional role for the PVT to regulate motivated behavior by modulating HPA physiology and thus the neuroendocrine response to stress itself. This complex interaction may make the PVT and its role in influencing motivated behavior particularly susceptible to chronic stress-induced plasticity in the PVT, especially in females who display increased susceptibility to stress-induced maladaptive behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. Though literature is describing the sex-specific effects of acute and chronic stress exposure on HPA axis activation and motivated behaviors, the impact of sex on the role of the PVT in modulating the behavioral and neuroendocrine response to stress is less well established. Here, we review what is currently known regarding the acute and chronic stress-induced activation and behavioral role of the PVT in male and female rodents. We further explore stress hormone and neuropeptide signaling mechanisms by which the HPA axis and PVT interact and discuss the implications for sex-dependent effects of chronic stress on the PVT’s role in motivated behaviors.

scholarly journals Role of paraventricular nucleus-projecting norepinephrine/epinephrine neurons in acute and chronic stress

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1903-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan N. Flak ◽  
Brent Myers ◽  
Matia B. Solomon ◽  
Jessica M. McKlveen ◽  
Eric G. Krause ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Paraventricular Nucleus ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress

scholarly journals Impact of Acute and Chronic Stress on Thrombosis in Healthy Individuals and Cardiovascular Disease Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7818
Author(s):  
Leonardo Sandrini ◽  
Alessandro Ieraci ◽  
Patrizia Amadio ◽  
Marta Zarà ◽  
Silvia Stella Barbieri
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Coagulation Factors ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Acute And Chronic Stress

Psychological stress induces different alterations in the organism in order to maintain homeostasis, including changes in hematopoiesis and hemostasis. In particular, stress-induced hyper activation of the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis can trigger cellular and molecular alterations in platelets, coagulation factors, endothelial function, redox balance, and sterile inflammatory response. For this reason, mental stress is reported to enhance the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, contrasting results are often found in the literature considering differences in the response to acute or chronic stress and the health condition of the population analyzed. Since thrombosis is the most common underlying pathology of CVDs, the comprehension of the mechanisms at the basis of the association between stress and this pathology is highly valuable. The aim of this work is to give a comprehensive review of the studies focused on the role of acute and chronic stress in both healthy individuals and CVD patients, focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between stress and thrombosis.

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