The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: Development, Programming Actions of Hormones, and Maternal-Fetal Interactions

Sheng, Julietta A.; Bales, Natalie J.; Myers, Sage A.; Bautista, Anna I.; Roueinfar, Mina; Hale, Taben M.; Handa, Robert J.

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2020.601939

Cited by 148 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 258 publications

(308 reference statements)

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“…Systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, for instance, entail the presence of IgG antiphospholipid antibodies, which can cross the placenta, interfering with the brain development and impacting the cardiovascular system of the fetus (Buyon, 1998 ; Nalli et al, 2017 ). These pathologies can dysregulate the neuroendocrine axis, altering, in particular, the cortisol production (Wilder, 1998 ; Sheng et al, 2020 ) and, thus, affecting sympathovagal balance development.…”

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, through the production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), the placenta stimulates adrenocorticotropic hormone release in the anterior pituitary of the fetus, affecting both fetal HPA axis and amygdala development (Seckl and Meaney, 2004 ). A dysregulation in CRH production, secondary to various maternal conditions, such as hypoxia, increased inflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoids, stress, preeclampsia, and eclampsia, may lead to altered neurodevelopmental patterns of these fetal structures (Allen, 2001 ; Bale, 2016 ; Sheng et al, 2020 ). It could also affect the role of placenta as the immune pacemaker of pregnancy, increasing the risk of preterm birth (Allen, 2001 ; Peterson et al, 2020 ) and thus impairing vagal development during the last weeks of gestation.…”

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As excessive maternal cortisol, sGCs override the placenta mediator system (Sheng et al, 2020 ) and induce transient HRV modification toward sympathetic suppression (Multon et al, 1997 ; Senat et al, 1998 ; Subtil et al, 2003 ; Mulder et al, 2004 ; Schneider et al, 2010 ). These modifications seem to last at worst 4 days after the first dose (Mulder et al, 2004 ; Verdurmen et al, 2013 ) and the influence on ANS modulation seems minor (Verdurmen et al, 2018 ; Noben et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This could lead to profound epigenetic changes in the fetal nervous system development and specifically in the vagal functionality, with possible long-term consequences (Crudo et al, 2013 ; Chang, 2014 ). This in utero programming effect on the fetal HPA axis could last until adulthood: there are recent observations of altered R-R interval variability in adult offspring exposed to elevated fetal sGCs (Sheng et al, 2020 ), a result that deserves further investigations to better understand the sGCs potential role in neurodevelopmental altered pathways.…”

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review on the Vagus Nerve and Autonomic Nervous System During Fetal Development: Searching for Critical Windows

Cerritelli¹,

Frasch²,

Antonelli³

et al. 2021

Front. Neurosci.

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The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is one of the main biological systems that regulates the body's physiology. Autonomic nervous system regulatory capacity begins before birth as the sympathetic and parasympathetic activity contributes significantly to the fetus' development. In particular, several studies have shown how vagus nerve is involved in many vital processes during fetal, perinatal, and postnatal life: from the regulation of inflammation through the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway, which may affect the functioning of each organ, to the production of hormones involved in bioenergetic metabolism. In addition, the vagus nerve has been recognized as the primary afferent pathway capable of transmitting information to the brain from every organ of the body. Therefore, this hypothesis paper aims to review the development of ANS during fetal and perinatal life, focusing particularly on the vagus nerve, to identify possible “critical windows” that could impact its maturation. These “critical windows” could help clinicians know when to monitor fetuses to effectively assess the developmental status of both ANS and specifically the vagus nerve. In addition, this paper will focus on which factors—i.e., fetal characteristics and behaviors, maternal lifestyle and pathologies, placental health and dysfunction, labor, incubator conditions, and drug exposure—may have an impact on the development of the vagus during the above-mentioned “critical window” and how. This analysis could help clinicians and stakeholders define precise guidelines for improving the management of fetuses and newborns, particularly to reduce the potential adverse environmental impacts on ANS development that may lead to persistent long-term consequences. Since the development of ANS and the vagus influence have been shown to be reflected in cardiac variability, this paper will rely in particular on studies using fetal heart rate variability (fHRV) to monitor the continued growth and health of both animal and human fetuses. In fact, fHRV is a non-invasive marker whose changes have been associated with ANS development, vagal modulation, systemic and neurological inflammatory reactions, and even fetal distress during labor.

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Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Environmental Factors Affecting the Ans Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Review on the Vagus Nerve and Autonomic Nervous System During Fetal Development: Searching for Critical Windows

Cerritelli¹,

Frasch²,

Antonelli³

et al. 2021

Front. Neurosci.

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show abstract

“…CRH is chemically classified as a neuropeptide hormone and acts as central coordinator for neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress with the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The process begins with the hypothalamic release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) which stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and other proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides via the activation of CRH receptor type 1 (CRH-R1) [ 6 ]. ACTH in turn acts on the adrenal cortex, which produces glucocorticoid hormones.…”

Section: Hypothalamic Releasing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Neuropeptide System of Keratinocytes

Cirillo

2021

Biomedicines

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Neuropeptides have been known for over 50 years as chemical signals in the brain. However, it is now well established that the synthesis of this class of peptides is not restricted to neurons. For example, human skin not only expresses several functional receptors for neuropeptides but, also, can serve as a local source of neuroactive molecules such as corticotropin-releasing hormone, melanocortins, and β-endorphin. In contrast, an equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in the oral mucosa has not been well characterized to date. In view of the differences in the morphology and function of oral mucosal and skin cells, in this review I surveyed the existing evidence for a local synthesis of hypothalamic-pituitary, opiate, neurohypophyseal, and neuroendocrine neuropeptides in both epidermal and oral keratinocytes.

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Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Fetal Growth During the Critical Rapid Growth Stage

Zhang,

Li,

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceFetal growth in the critical rapid growth stage (CRGS) before delivery, approximately between 30 to 37 gestational weeks, carries significant implications for subsequent overweight, obesity, and arterial health. Previous evidence has demonstrated the association between maternal depressive symptoms and fetal growth trajectories from early to late pregnancy, but there remains limited understanding of the association of these symptoms with the longitudinal fetal growth change within the CRGS.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between maternal depressive symptoms and fetal growth during the CRGS before delivery.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis prospective birth cohort study was conducted from January 2018 to December 2020. Volunteer pregnant women were enrolled in their first trimester of prenatal visits. Women with severe disease before pregnancy and multiple births, fetuses with congenital anomalies, and preterm or postterm births were excluded. This multicenter study was based in 13 hospitals covering 81 counties across 12 cities in Sichuan Province, China. Follow-up visits were performed at the second trimester, the third trimester, and 24 hours after delivery. The analysis was conducted from January to May 2023.ExposuresMaternal depressive symptoms, as a continuous variable, measured by the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) at a median gestational week of 24 (range, 14 to 27) weeks of gestation. A higher score on the EPDS indicates worse depressive symptoms.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcomes included ultrasonography-measured biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), and abdominal circumference (AC), along with calculated estimated fetal weight (EFW). These parameters were evaluated longitudinally at a median gestational week of 30 (range, 28 to 32) and 37 (range, 35 to 39) weeks. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and fetal growth parameters.ResultsA total of 2676 mother-offspring dyads were included, in which the mean (SD) age of mothers was 28.0 (4.4) years, and 1294 (48.4%) of the offspring were female. The median (IQR) maternal EPDS score was 5.0 (4.0 to 9.0). After adjustment for confounders, a significant correlation was found between a higher score of depressive symptoms in mothers and a slower rate of fetal growth across FL (β = −0.40; 95% CI, −0.58 to −0.22), AC (β = −1.97; 95% CI, −2.90 to −1.03), and EFW (β = −50.11; 95% CI, −68.46 to −31.75). These associations were stronger in female fetuses or those with better family socioeconomic conditions.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this prospective cohort study, maternal depressive symptoms were associated with slower fetal growth rate in the CRGS before delivery. Early screening for depressive disorders in pregnant women appears to be essential for fetal growth and later health.

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The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: Development, Programming Actions of Hormones, and Maternal-Fetal Interactions

Cited by 148 publications

References 258 publications

A Review on the Vagus Nerve and Autonomic Nervous System During Fetal Development: Searching for Critical Windows

A Review on the Vagus Nerve and Autonomic Nervous System During Fetal Development: Searching for Critical Windows

The Local Neuropeptide System of Keratinocytes

Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Fetal Growth During the Critical Rapid Growth Stage

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