title: Adverse parenting is associated with blunted salivary cortisol awakening response and altered expression of glucocorticoid receptor β and β2-adrenergic receptor mRNAs in leukocytes in Japanese medical students.
abstract: Adverse parenting is associated with an increased risk for the development of mood and behavioral disorders. In this study, we assessed the perceived parental bonding of 232 medical students using the parental bonding instrument (PBI) and extracted 22 students who reported their parents' rearing attitudes as affectionless control (LOW; low care, high overprotection). Using the 28-item general health questionnaire, the Zung self-rating depression scale (Zung-SDS), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the Spielberger state-trait-anxiety-inventory (STAI), physical and mental state of the LOW students were compared with those of 30 students who reported their parental bonding as optimal (OPT; high care and low overprotection). These questionnaire measurements demonstrated significantly higher anxiety and depressive mood in the LOW students versus the OPT students. Compared with the OPT students, the LOW students also exhibited a significantly reduced salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR) without changes across the rest of the diurnal salivary cortisol profile. Among glucocorticoid-related genes examined (GR, ADRB2, IκBα, IL10, IL1R2, IL1RN, MR, MC2R, TGFB1, TGFB2 and FASLG), real-time reverse transcription-PCR showed that the LOW students significantly increased expression of a dominant negative glucocorticoid receptor β (GRβ) mRNA and decreased β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) mRNA levels in circulating leukocytes. These results suggest that negative perception of parents' child-rearing attitudes may be associated with anxiety and depressive mood and altered glucocorticoid signaling even in healthy young adults.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kinuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rokutan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathophysiology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Kensei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Young adults; gene expression; glucocorticoid receptor β; leukocytes; mental health; parental bonding instrument; β2-adrenergic receptor