Effects of prenatal and postnatal depression, and maternal stroking, at the glucocorticoid receptor gene.
In animal models, prenatal and postnatal stress is associated with elevated hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) reactivity mediated via altered glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene expression. Postnatal tactile stimulation is associated with reduced HPA reactivity mediated via increased GR gene expression. In this first study in humans to examine the joint effects of prenatal and postnatal environmental exposures, we report that GR gene (NR3C1) 1-F promoter methylation in infants is elevated in the presence of increased maternal postnatal depression following low prenatal depression, and that this effect is reversed by self-reported stroking of the infants by their mothers over the first weeks of life.
School of Healthcare Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
C
C
Murgatroyd
Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
J P
JP
Quinn
Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
H M
HM
Sharp
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
A
A
Pickles
School for Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
J
J
Hill
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation; D019052:Depression, Postpartum; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
C497713:NR3C1 protein, human; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid