Prenatal exposure to environmental insults and enhanced risk of developing Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder : focus on biological pathways and epigenetic mechanisms

When considering neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), Schizophrenia (SZ) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are considered to be among the most severe in term of prevalence, morbidity and impact on the society. Similar features and overlapping symptoms have been observed at multiple levels, suggesting common pathophysiological bases. Indeed, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and epidemiological data report shared vulnerability genes and environmental triggers across the two disorders. In this review, we will discuss the possible biological mechanisms, including glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmissions, inflammatory signals and oxidative stress related systems, which are targeted by adverse environmental exposures and that have been associated with the development of SZ and ASD. We will also discuss the emerging role of the gut microbiome as possible interplay between environment, immune system and brain development. Finally, we will describe the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the maintenance of long-lasting effects of adverse environments early in life. This will allow us to better understand the pathophysiology of these NDDs, and also to identify novel targets for future treatment strategies

Amygdalar MicroRNA-15a Is Essential for Coping with Chronic Stress.

MicroRNAs are important regulators of gene expression and associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders. Here, we report that exposing mice tochronic stress led to a specific increase in microRNA-15a levels in the amygdala-Ago2 complex and a concomitant reduction in the levels of its predicted target, FKBP51, which is implicated in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Reciprocally, mice expressing reduced levels of amygdalar microRNA-15a following exposure to chronic stress exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviors. In humans, pharmacological activation of the glucocorticoid receptor, as well as exposure to childhood trauma, was associated with increased microRNA-15a levels in peripheral blood. Taken together, our results support an important role for microRNA-15ain stress adaptation and the pathogenesis of stress-related psychopathologies

Identification of a miRNAs signature associated with exposure to stress early in life and enhanced vulnerability for schizophrenia: New insights for the key role of miR-125b-1-3p in neurodevelopmental processes

Epidemiological and clinical studies have provided evidence for a role of both genetic and environmental factors, such as stressful experiences early in life, in the pathogenesis of Schizophrenia (SZ) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to play a key role in the interplay between the environment and our genome. In this study, we conducted a miRNOme analysis in different samples (blood of adult subjects exposed to childhood trauma, brain (hippocampus) of rats exposed to prenatal stress and human hippocampal progenitor cells treated with cortisol) and we identified miR-125b-1-3p as a down-regulated miRNA in all the three datasets. Interestingly, a significant down-regulation was observed also in SZ patients exposed to childhood trauma. To investigate the biological systems targeted by miR-125b-1-3p and also involved in the effects of stress, we combined the list of biological pathways modulated by predicted and validated target genes of miR-125b-1-3p, with the biological systems significantly regulated by cortisol in the in vitro model. We found, as common pathways, the CXCR4 signaling, the G-alpha signaling, and the P2Y Purigenic Receptor Signaling Pathway, which are all involved in neurodevelopmental processes. Our data, obtained from the combining of miRNAs datasets across different tissues and species, identified miR-125b-1-3p as a key marker associated with the long-term effects of stress early in life and also with the enhanced vulnerability of developing SZ. The identification of such a miRNA biomarker could allow the early detection of vulnerable subjects for SZ and could provide the basis for the development of preventive therapeutic strategies

The human BDNF gene: peripheral gene expression and protein levels as biomarkers for psychiatric disorders

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates the survival and growth of neurons, and influences synaptic efficiency and plasticity. The human BDNF gene consists of 11 exons, and distinct BDNF transcripts are produced through the use of alternative promoters and splicing events. The majority of the BDNF transcripts can be detected not only in the brain but also in the blood cells, although no study has yet investigated the differential expression of BDNF transcripts at the peripheral level. This review provides a description of the human BDNF gene structure as well as a summary of clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the role of BDNF in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. We will discuss several mechanisms as possibly underlying BDNF modulation, including epigenetic mechanisms. We will also discuss the potential use of peripheral BDNF as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders, focusing on the factors that can influence BDNF gene expression and protein levels. Within this context, we have also characterized, for we believe the first time, the expression of BDNF transcripts in the blood, with the aim to provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms and signaling that may regulate peripheral BDNF gene expression levels

Psychobiological effects of an eHealth psychoeducational intervention to informal caregivers of persons with dementia: a pilot study during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

Background: The workload associated with caring for a person with dementia (PwD) could negatively affect informal caregivers physical and mental health. According to the recent literature, there is a need for studies testing the implementation of affordable and accessible interventions for improving caregivers well-being. Aims: This study aimed to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of an 8 week eHealth psychoeducation intervention held during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy in reducing the psychological burden and neuroendocrine markers of stress in caregivers of PwD. Methods: Forty-one informal caregivers of PwD completed the eHealth psychoeducation intervention. Self-reported (i.e., caregiver burden, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and caregiver self-efficacy) and cortisol measurements were collected before and after the intervention. Results: Following the intervention, the caregivers self-efficacy regarding the ability to respond to disruptive behaviours improved (t = − 2.817, p = 0.007), anxiety and burden levels decreased (state anxiety: t = 3.170, p = 0.003; trait anxiety: t = 2.327, p = 0.025; caregiver burden: t = 2.290, p = 0.027), while depressive symptoms and cortisol levels did not change significantly. Correlation analyses showed that the increase in self-efficacy was positively associated with the improvement of caregiver burden from pre- to post-intervention (r = 0.386, p = 0.014). The intervention had a low rate of dropout (n = 1, due to the patient’s death) and high levels of appreciation. Discussion: The positive evidence and participation rate support the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed eHealth psychoeducational intervention to meet the need for knowledge of disease management and possibly reduce detrimental effects on caregivers’ psychological well-being. Conclusion: Further placebo-controlled trials are needed to test the generalizability and specificity of our results

FoxO1, A2M, and TGF-beta 1: three novel genes predicting depression in gene X environment interactions are identified using cross-species and cross-tissues transcriptomic and miRNomic analyses

To date, gene-environment (GxE) interaction studies in depression have been limited to hypothesis-based candidate genes, since genome-wide (GWAS)-based GxE interaction studies would require enormous datasets with genetics, environmental, and clinical variables. We used a novel, cross-species and cross-tissues "omics" approach to identify genes predicting depression in response to stress in GxE interactions. We integrated the transcriptome and miRNome profiles from the hippocampus of adult rats exposed to prenatal stress (PNS) with transcriptome data obtained from blood mRNA of adult humans exposed to early life trauma, using a stringent statistical analyses pathway. Network analysis of the integrated gene lists identified the Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M), and Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) as candidates to be tested for GxE interactions, in two GWAS samples of adults either with a range of childhood traumatic experiences (Grady Study Project, Atlanta, USA) or with separation from parents in childhood only (Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, Finland). After correction for multiple testing, a meta-analysis across both samples confirmed six FoxO1 SNPs showing significant GxE interactions with early life emotional stress in predicting depressive symptoms. Moreover, in vitro experiments in a human hippocampal progenitor cell line confirmed a functional role of FoxO1 in stress responsivity. In secondary analyses, A2M and TGF-beta 1 showed significant GxE interactions with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in the Grady Study. We therefore provide a successful 'hypothesis-free' approach for the identification and prioritization of candidate genes for GxE interaction studies that can be investigated in GWAS datasets

Transcriptomic analyses and leukocyte telomere length measurement in subjects exposed to severe recent stressful life events

Stressful life events occurring in adulthood have been found able to affect mood and behavior, thus increasing the vulnerability for several stress-related psychiatric disorders. However, although there is plenty of clinical data supporting an association between stressful life events in adulthood and an enhanced vulnerability for psychopathology, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly investigated. Thus, in this study we performed peripheral/whole-genome transcriptomic analyses in blood samples obtained from 53 adult subjects characterized for recent stressful life events occurred within the previous 6 months. Transcriptomic data were analyzed using Partek Genomics Suite; pathway and network analyses were performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and GeneMANIA Software. We found 207 genes significantly differentially expressed in adult subjects who reported recent stressful life experiences (n=21) compared with those without such experiences (n=32). Moreover, the same subjects exposed to such stressful experiences showed a reduction in leukocyte telomere length. A correlation analyses between telomere length and transcriptomic data indicated an association between the exposures to recent stressful life events and the modulation of several pathways, mainly involved in immune-inflammatory-related processes and oxidative stress, such as natural killer cell signaling, interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling, MIF regulation of innate immunity and IL-6 signaling. Our data suggest an association between exposures to recent stressful life events in adulthood and alterations in the immune, inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways, which could be also involved in the negative effect of stressful life events on leukocyte telomere length. The modulation of these mechanisms may underlie the clinical association between the exposure to recent Stressful life events in adulthood and an enhanced vulnerability to develop psychiatric diseases in adulthood

Iron supplementation enhances RSL3-induced ferroptosis to treat naïve and prevent castration-resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of death in the male population commonly treated with androgen deprivation therapy that often relapses as androgen-independent and aggressive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Ferroptosis is a recently described form of cell death that requires abundant cytosolic labile iron to promote membrane lipid peroxidation and which can be induced by agents that inhibit the glutathione peroxidase-4 activity such as RSL3. Exploiting in vitro and in vivo human and murine PCa models and the multistage transgenic TRAMP model of PCa we show that RSL3 induces ferroptosis in PCa cells and demonstrate for the first time that iron supplementation significantly increases the effect of RSL3 triggering lipid peroxidation, enhanced intracellular stress and leading to cancer cell death. Moreover, the combination with the second generation anti-androgen drug enzalutamide potentiates the effect of the RSL3 + iron combination leading to superior inhibition of PCa and preventing the onset of CRPC in the TRAMP mouse model. These data open new perspectives in the use of pro-ferroptotic approaches alone or in combination with enzalutamide for the treatment of PCa

FGF trapping inhibits multiple myeloma growth through c-Myc degradation-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress

Multiple myeloma (MM), the second most common hematological malignancy, frequently relapses because of chemotherapeutic resistance. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) act as pro-angiogenic and mitogenic cytokines in MM. Here, we demonstrate that the autocrine FGF/FGFR axis is essential for MM cell survival and progression by protecting MM cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. In keeping with the hypothesis that the intracellular redox status can be a target for cancer therapy, FGF/FGFR blockade by FGF trapping or tyrosine kinase inhibitor impaired the growth and dissemination of MM cells by inducing mitochondrial oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptotic cell death that were prevented by the antioxidant vitamin E or mitochondrial catalase overexpression. In addition, mitochondrial oxidative stress occurred as a consequence of proteasomal degradation of the c-Myc oncoprotein that led to glutathione depletion. Accordingly, expression of a proteasome-non-degradable c-Myc protein mutant was sufficient to avoid glutathione depletion and rescue the pro-apoptotic effects due to FGF blockade. These findings were confirmed on Bortezomib-resistant MM cells as well as on bone marrow-derived primary MM cells from newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory patients, including plasma cells bearing the t(4;14) translocation obtained from high-risk MM patients. Altogether, these findings dissect the mechanism by which the FGF/FGFR system plays a non-redundant role in MM cell survival and disease progression, and indicate that FGF targeting may represent a therapeutic approach for MM patients with poor prognosis and advanced disease stage

FoxO1, A2M, and TGF-beta 1 : three novel genes predicting depression in gene X environment interactions are identified using cross-species and cross-tissues transcriptomic and miRNomic analyses

To date, gene-environment (GxE) interaction studies in depression have been limited to hypothesis-based candidate genes, since genome-wide (GWAS)-based GxE interaction studies would require enormous datasets with genetics, environmental, and clinical variables. We used a novel, cross-species and cross-tissues "omics" approach to identify genes predicting depression in response to stress in GxE interactions. We integrated the transcriptome and miRNome profiles from the hippocampus of adult rats exposed to prenatal stress (PNS) with transcriptome data obtained from blood mRNA of adult humans exposed to early life trauma, using a stringent statistical analyses pathway. Network analysis of the integrated gene lists identified the Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M), and Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) as candidates to be tested for GxE interactions, in two GWAS samples of adults either with a range of childhood traumatic experiences (Grady Study Project, Atlanta, USA) or with separation from parents in childhood only (Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, Finland). After correction for multiple testing, a meta-analysis across both samples confirmed six FoxO1 SNPs showing significant GxE interactions with early life emotional stress in predicting depressive symptoms. Moreover, in vitro experiments in a human hippocampal progenitor cell line confirmed a functional role of FoxO1 in stress responsivity. In secondary analyses, A2M and TGF-beta 1 showed significant GxE interactions with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in the Grady Study. We therefore provide a successful 'hypothesis-free' approach for the identification and prioritization of candidate genes for GxE interaction studies that can be investigated in GWAS datasets.Peer reviewe