Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance
Even though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including natu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416/full |
| _version_ | 1811209191247839232 |
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| author | Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings Lihle Qulu |
| author_facet | Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings Lihle Qulu |
| author_sort | Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Even though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including nature and timing of prenatal insults. The precise mechanisms in which prenatal maternal stress influence neuroendocrine signaling between the maternal-placental-fetal interface are still unclear. The aim of this review article is to bring comprehensive basic concepts about prenatal maternal stress and mechanisms of transmission of maternal stress to the fetus. This review covers recent studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring aggressive behavior, as well as the possible pathways for the “transmission” of maternal stress to the fetus: (1) maternal-fetal HPA axis dysregulation; (2) intrauterine environment disruption due to variations in uterine artery flow; (3) epigenetic modifications of genes implicated in aggressive behavior. Here, we present evidence for the phenomenon of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission, to better understands the mechanism(s) of transmission from parent to offspring. We discuss studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring taking note of neuroendocrine, brain architecture and epigenetic changes that may suggest risk for aggressive behavior. We highlight animal and human studies that focus on intergenerational transmission following exposure to stress from a biological mechanistic point of view, and maternal stress-induced epigenetic modifications that have potential to impact on aggressive behavior in later generations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:34:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18d889e181b1481393a5d92286d129f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:34:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-18d889e181b1481393a5d92286d129f72022-12-22T03:47:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532022-09-011610.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416977416Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritanceNgala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy0Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy1Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings2Lihle Qulu3Department of Basic Science, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, ZambiaDivision of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South AfricaDivision of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South AfricaEven though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including nature and timing of prenatal insults. The precise mechanisms in which prenatal maternal stress influence neuroendocrine signaling between the maternal-placental-fetal interface are still unclear. The aim of this review article is to bring comprehensive basic concepts about prenatal maternal stress and mechanisms of transmission of maternal stress to the fetus. This review covers recent studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring aggressive behavior, as well as the possible pathways for the “transmission” of maternal stress to the fetus: (1) maternal-fetal HPA axis dysregulation; (2) intrauterine environment disruption due to variations in uterine artery flow; (3) epigenetic modifications of genes implicated in aggressive behavior. Here, we present evidence for the phenomenon of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission, to better understands the mechanism(s) of transmission from parent to offspring. We discuss studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring taking note of neuroendocrine, brain architecture and epigenetic changes that may suggest risk for aggressive behavior. We highlight animal and human studies that focus on intergenerational transmission following exposure to stress from a biological mechanistic point of view, and maternal stress-induced epigenetic modifications that have potential to impact on aggressive behavior in later generations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416/fullaggressionstressepigeneticssexual aggressionneuromodulationprenatal stress |
| spellingShingle | Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings Lihle Qulu Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience aggression stress epigenetics sexual aggression neuromodulation prenatal stress |
| title | Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| title_full | Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| title_fullStr | Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| title_short | Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| title_sort | prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance |
| topic | aggression stress epigenetics sexual aggression neuromodulation prenatal stress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416/full |
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