SummaryChronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) system is a risk factor for a variety of physical and mental disorders, and yet the complexity of the system has made it difficult to define the role of genetic and environmental factors in producing long term individual differences in HPA activity. Cortisol levels in hair have been suggested as a marker of total HPA activation over a period of several months. This study takes advantage of a pedigreed nonhuman primate colony to investigate genetic and environmental influences on hair cortisol levels before and after an environmental change. A sample of 226 adult female vervet monkeys (age 3-18) living in multigenerational, matrilineal social groups at the Vervet Research Colony were sampled in a stable low stress baseline environment and 6 months after the entire colony was moved to a new facility with more frequent handling and group disturbances (higher stress environment). Variance components analysis using the extended colony pedigree was applied to determine heritability of hair cortisol levels in the two environments. Bivariate genetic correlation assessed degree of overlap in genes influencing hair cortisol levels in the low and higher stress environments. The results showed that levels of cortisol in hair of female vervets increased significantly from the baseline to the post-move environment. Hair cortisol levels were heritable in both environments (h 2 = 0.31), and there was a high genetic correlation across environments (rhoG = 0.79), indicating substantial overlap in the genes affecting HPA activity in low and higher stress environments. This is the first study to demonstrate that the level of cortisol in hair is a heritable trait. It shows the utility of hair cortisol as a marker for HPA activation, and a useful tool for identifying genetic influences on long term individual differences in HPA activity. The results provide support for an additive model of the effects of genes and environment on this measure of long term HPA activity.

Inhibition of the Src-FAK complex represents a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced thyroid cancer, and phospho-FAK represents a potential biomarker for response.

Reduced hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) activity is associated with greater novelty seeking in humans. Hair cortisol represents an integrated proxy measure of total cortisol production/release over an extended period of time and may be a valuable tool for tracking the HPA system. Sampling approaches (collection of blood, saliva, urine, or feces) for socially housed nonhuman primates present a number of technical challenges for collection particularly when repeated sampling is necessary. Herein we describe a relationship between cortisol levels measured in hair collected from 230 socially housed female vervet (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) monkeys and a free-choice novelty seeking phenotype. A predator-like object was placed at the periphery of the outdoor enclosures for 30 min and speed of approach (latency to approach within 1 m) and persistence of interest (number of 1 min intervals within 1 m) were scored. A composite Novelty Seeking score, combining these two measures, was calculated. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC=.68) for two different objects across years indicated that this score reflects a stable aspect of temperament. Hair samples were collected from each subject approximately 3–6 months following the second assessment; cortisol levels were determined from the hair. A significant inverse relationship of Novelty Seeking score with hair cortisol level (p < .01) was noted. The high hair cortisol groups had significantly lower Novelty Seeking scores than the low cortisol groups both years (p’s < .05). These results suggest that low average cortisol levels promote novelty seeking, while high average levels inhibit novelty seeking behavior.

Background: The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)=extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway plays an important role in papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer (PTC and ATC) due to activating mutations in BRAF, RAS, or rearrangements in RET=PTC1. The objective of this study was to thoroughly test whether the BRAF V600E mutation predicts response to mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1=2 (MKK1=2) inhibition, as shown in other tumor types, using an authenticated panel of thyroid cancer cell lines. Methods: PTC and ATC cells harboring distinct mutations in the MAPK pathway were treated with two different inhibitors selective for MKK1=2 (CI-1040 or U0126). The consequences of MKK1=2 inhibition on cell growth, survival, invasion, and MAPK signaling was determined. Results: Inhibition of MKK1=2 using CI-1040 or U0126 differentially inhibits the growth of a panel of PTC and ATC cell lines in two-dimensional culture, with those harboring the BRAF V600E mutation (SW1736) or BRAF-V600E=PI3K-E542K mutations (K1) being the most sensitive, the RET=PTC1 rearrangement (TPC1) and BRAF V600E mutant (BCPAP), intermediate, and the HRAS-G13R mutant (C643), the least sensitive. Growth of these cells is more sensitive to MKK1=2 inhibition when grown in 2% versus 10% serum. Baseline levels of phospho-ERK1=2 were similar in all of the cell lines, and inhibition phospho-ERK1=2 did not predict sensitivity to MKK1=2 inhibition. When cells are grown in three-dimensional culture, MKK1=2 inhibition of growth correlates with mutational status (BRAF > RET=PTC1 > RAS). Finally, PTC and ATC invasiveness is differentially inhibited by CI-1040, which is independent of tumor type or mutation present. Conclusions: Different mutations in the MAPK pathway play distinct roles in the growth and invasion of thyroid cancer cells. These results indicate that MKK1=2 inhibitors have the potential to inhibit thyroid cancer growth and invasion, but that responses differ based on mutation status and growth conditions.

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