Maternal perceived stress and green spaces during pregnancy are associated with adult offspring gene (NR3C1 and IGF2/H19) methylation patterns in adulthood: A pilot study.

Autor: Vos S; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium., Van den Bergh BRH; Health Psychology Research Group and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: bea.vandenbergh@kuleuven.be., Martens DS; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium., Bijnens E; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Environmental Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, the Netherlands., Shkedy Z; Data Science Institute, Centre for Statistics, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium., Kindermans H; Research Group Healthcare & ethics, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium., Platzer M; Genome Analysis Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany., Schwab M; Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany., Nawrot TS; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Belgium.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Psychoneuroendocrinology [Psychoneuroendocrinology] 2024 Sep; Vol. 167, pp. 107088. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 31.
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107088
Abstrakt: Background: Changes in NR3C1 and IGF2/H19 methylation patterns have been associated with behavioural and psychiatric outcomes. Maternal mental state has been associated with offspring NR3C1 promotor and IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) methylation patterns. However, there is a lack of prospective studies with long-term follow-up.
Methods: 52 mother-offspring pairs were studied from 12 to 22 weeks of pregnancy and offspring was followed-up until 28-29 years-of-age. During pregnancy, mothers filled in a Life Event Scale and a Daily Hassles Scale measuring perceived stress; i.e., appraisal or subjectively experienced severity of impact of important life events and of daily hassles in several life domains during pregnancy, respectively. Green space was quantified around the residence, using high-resolution (1 m 2 ) map data. Saliva and blood samples were obtained from the adult offspring. Absolute DNA methylation levels were determined in blood and saliva on four NR3C1 amplicons, and one IGF2/H19 ICR amplicon using a bisulfite PCR and sequencing method. Linear mixed effect models were used to test the associations between perceived stress and green spaces during pregnancy, and adult offspring methylation patterns.
Results: We found associations between maternal perceived stress during pregnancy and methylation patterns on two out of the four NR3C1 amplicons, measured in blood, from offspring in adulthood, but not with IGF2/H19 methylation. For an interquartile-range (IQR) increase in maternal perceived life event or daily hassles stress scores, absolute methylation levels on several NR3C1 CpG sites were significantly changed (-1.62 % to +5.89 %, p<0.05). Maternal perceived stress scores were not associated with IGF2/H19 methylation, neither in blood nor in saliva. Maternal exposure to green spaces surrounding the residence during the pregnancy was associated with IGF2/H19 ICR methylation (-0.80 % to -1.04 %, p<0.05) in saliva, but not with NR3C1 promotor methylation.
Conclusion: We observed significant long-term effects of maternal perceived stress during pregnancy on the methylation patterns of the NR3C1 promotor in offspring well into adulthood. This may imply that maternal psychological distress during pregnancy may influence the regulation of the HPA-axis well into adulthood. Additionally, maternal proximity to green spaces was associated with IGF2/H19 ICR methylation patterns, which is a novel finding.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the findings described in this manuscript were influenced by any financial source or sponsor. None of the authors have potential conflicts of interests to declare.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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