Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts
Psychosocial stress, especially when chronic or excessive, can increase disease risk and accelerate biological aging. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, in vivo studies have associated exposure to stress and glucocorticoid stress hormones with shorter telomere length. However, the exten...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/12/1425 |
| _version_ | 1797546486740811776 |
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| author | Anthony S. Zannas Oksana Kosyk Calvin S. Leung |
| author_facet | Anthony S. Zannas Oksana Kosyk Calvin S. Leung |
| author_sort | Anthony S. Zannas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Psychosocial stress, especially when chronic or excessive, can increase disease risk and accelerate biological aging. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, in vivo studies have associated exposure to stress and glucocorticoid stress hormones with shorter telomere length. However, the extent to which prolonged glucocorticoid exposure can shorten telomeres in controlled experimental settings remains unknown. Using a well-characterized cell line of human fibroblasts that undergo gradual telomere shortening during serial passaging in culture, we show that prolonged exposure (up to 51 days) to either naturalistic levels of the human endogenous glucocorticoid cortisol or the more potent synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone is not sufficient to accelerate telomere shortening. While our findings await extension in other cell types and biological contexts, they indicate that the in vivo association of psychosocial stress with telomere shortening is unlikely to be mediated by a direct and universal glucocorticoid effect on telomere length. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:30:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c74638364b094fa4a583a6e6f54b3155 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:30:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-c74638364b094fa4a583a6e6f54b31552023-11-20T22:40:31ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252020-11-011112142510.3390/genes11121425Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human FibroblastsAnthony S. Zannas0Oksana Kosyk1Calvin S. Leung2Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USAPsychosocial stress, especially when chronic or excessive, can increase disease risk and accelerate biological aging. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, in vivo studies have associated exposure to stress and glucocorticoid stress hormones with shorter telomere length. However, the extent to which prolonged glucocorticoid exposure can shorten telomeres in controlled experimental settings remains unknown. Using a well-characterized cell line of human fibroblasts that undergo gradual telomere shortening during serial passaging in culture, we show that prolonged exposure (up to 51 days) to either naturalistic levels of the human endogenous glucocorticoid cortisol or the more potent synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone is not sufficient to accelerate telomere shortening. While our findings await extension in other cell types and biological contexts, they indicate that the in vivo association of psychosocial stress with telomere shortening is unlikely to be mediated by a direct and universal glucocorticoid effect on telomere length.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/12/1425cortisoldexamethasone<i>FKBP5</i>glucocorticoidstresstelomere |
| spellingShingle | Anthony S. Zannas Oksana Kosyk Calvin S. Leung Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts Genes cortisol dexamethasone <i>FKBP5</i> glucocorticoid stress telomere |
| title | Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts |
| title_full | Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts |
| title_fullStr | Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts |
| title_short | Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts |
| title_sort | prolonged glucocorticoid exposure does not accelerate telomere shortening in cultured human fibroblasts |
| topic | cortisol dexamethasone <i>FKBP5</i> glucocorticoid stress telomere |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/12/1425 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anthonyszannas prolongedglucocorticoidexposuredoesnotacceleratetelomereshorteninginculturedhumanfibroblasts AT oksanakosyk prolongedglucocorticoidexposuredoesnotacceleratetelomereshorteninginculturedhumanfibroblasts AT calvinsleung prolongedglucocorticoidexposuredoesnotacceleratetelomereshorteninginculturedhumanfibroblasts |