Yogic meditation reverses NF-κB and IRF-related transcriptome dynamics in leukocytes of family dementia caregivers in a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Although yoga and meditation have been used for stress reduction with reported improvement in inflammation, little is known about the biological mechanisms mediating such effects. The present study examined if a yogic meditation might alter the activity of inflammatory and antiviral transcription control pathways that shape immune cell gene expression.


METHODS
Forty-five family dementia caregivers were randomized to either Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KKM) or Relaxing Music (RM) listening for 12 min daily for 8 weeks and 39 caregivers completed the study. Genome-wide transcriptional profiles were collected from peripheral blood leukocytes sampled at baseline and 8-week follow-up. Promoter-based bioinformatics analyses tested the hypothesis that observed transcriptional alterations were structured by reduced activity of the pro-inflammatory nuclear factor (NF)-κB family of transcription factors and increased activity of Interferon Response Factors (IRFs; i.e., reversal of patterns previously linked to stress).


RESULTS
In response to KKM treatment, 68 genes were found to be differentially expressed (19 up-regulated, 49 down-regulated) after adjusting for potentially confounded differences in sex, illness burden, and BMI. Up-regulated genes included immunoglobulin-related transcripts. Down-regulated transcripts included pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation-related immediate-early genes. Transcript origin analyses identified plasmacytoid dendritic cells and B lymphocytes as the primary cellular context of these transcriptional alterations (both p<.001). Promoter-based bioinformatic analysis implicated reduced NF-κB signaling and increased activity of IRF1 in structuring those effects (both p<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A brief daily yogic meditation intervention may reverse the pattern of increased NF-κB-related transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased IRF1-related transcription of innate antiviral response genes previously observed in healthy individuals confronting a significant life stressor.
Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
David S
DS
Black
Steve W
SW
Cole
Michael R
MR
Irwin
Elizabeth
E
Breen
Natalie M
NM
St Cyr
Nora
N
Nazarian
Dharma S
DS
Khalsa
Helen
H
Lavretsky
D017028:Caregivers; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*; D015013:Yoga
D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D016328:NF-kappa B