Natural disaster stress during pregnancy is linked to reprogramming of the placenta transcriptome in relation to anxiety and stress hormones in young offspring.

ABSTRACT: Prenatal stress can lead to long-term adverse effects that increase the risk of anxiety and other emotional disorders in offspring. The in utero underpinnings contributing to such phenotypes remain unknown. We profiled the transcriptome of placental specimens from women who lived through Hurricane Sandy during pregnancy compared to those pregnant during non-Sandy conditions. Following birth, longitudinal assessments were conducted in their offspring during childhood (~3-4 years old) to measure steroid hormones (in hair) and behavioral and emotional problems. This revealed a significant link between prenatal Sandy stress (PNSS) and child HPA dysfunction, evident by altered cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and cortisol:DHEA levels. In addition, PNSS was associated with significantly

SUBMITTER: Nomura Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8586067 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature