Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation

Unternaehrer, Eva; Bolten, Margarete; Nast, Irina; Staehli, Simon; Meyer, Andrea H.; Dempster, Emma; Hellhammer, Dirk H.; Lieb, Roselind; Meinlschmidt, Gunther

doi:10.1093/scan/nsw051

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22707

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation
Authors:	Unternaehrer, Eva Bolten, Margarete Nast, Irina Staehli, Simon Meyer, Andrea H. Dempster, Emma Hellhammer, Dirk H. Lieb, Roselind Meinlschmidt, Gunther
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1093/scan/nsw051 10.21256/zhaw-22707
Published in:	Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Volume(Issue):	11
Issue:	9
Page(s):	1460
Pages to:	1470
Issue Date:	2016
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	1749-5016 1749-5024
Language:	English
Subjects:	Early life stress; Epigenetics; Intrauterine exposures delayed effect; Intrauterine programming; Psychosocial stress during pregnancy; Adult; Cross-sectional study; Depression; Female; Fetal blood; Human; Hydrocortisone; Infant; Life change event; Maternal behavior; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Pregnancy trimester, third; Prenatal exposure delayed effect; Psychiatric status rating scale; Receptor, oxytocin; Stress, psychological; DNA methylation
Subject (DDC):	572: Biochemistry 610: Medicine and health
Abstract:	The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal adversities and cortisol levels during pregnancy predict cord blood DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR). We collected cord blood of 39 babies born to mothers participating in a cross-sectional study (N = 100) conducted in Basel, Switzerland (2007-10). Mothers completed the Inventory of Life Events (second trimester: T2), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS, third trimester: T3), the Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress (TICS-K, 1-3 weeks postpartum) and provided saliva samples (T2, T3) for maternal cortisol profiles, as computed by the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) or increase (AUCi) for the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and for diurnal cortisol profiles (DAY). OXTR DNA methylation was quantified using Sequenom EpiTYPER. The number of stressful life events (P = 0.032), EPDS score (P = 0.007) and cortisol AUCgs at T2 (CAR: P = 0.020; DAY: P = 0.024) were negatively associated with OXTR DNA methylation. Our findings suggest that distinct prenatal adversities predict decreased DNA methylation in a gene that is relevant for childbirth, maternal behavior and wellbeing of mother and offspring. If a reduced OXTR methylation increases OXTR expression, our findings could suggest an epigenetic adaptation to an adverse early environment.
Further description:	Erworben im Rahmen der Schweizer Nationallizenzen (http://www.nationallizenzen.ch)
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/22707
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Health Sciences
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Physiotherapy (IPT)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Gesundheit

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Unternaehrer, E., Bolten, M., Nast, I., Staehli, S., Meyer, A. H., Dempster, E., Hellhammer, D. H., Lieb, R., & Meinlschmidt, G. (2016). Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(9), 1460–1470. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw051

Unternaehrer, E. et al. (2016) ‘Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation’, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(9), pp. 1460–1470. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw051.

E. Unternaehrer et al., “Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation,” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 11, no. 9, pp. 1460–1470, 2016, doi: 10.1093/scan/nsw051.

UNTERNAEHRER, Eva, Margarete BOLTEN, Irina NAST, Simon STAEHLI, Andrea H. MEYER, Emma DEMPSTER, Dirk H. HELLHAMMER, Roselind LIEB und Gunther MEINLSCHMIDT, 2016. Maternal adversities during pregnancy and cord blood oxytocin receptor (OXTR) DNA methylation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2016. Bd. 11, Nr. 9, S. 1460–1470. DOI 10.1093/scan/nsw051

Unternaehrer, Eva, Margarete Bolten, Irina Nast, Simon Staehli, Andrea H. Meyer, Emma Dempster, Dirk H. Hellhammer, Roselind Lieb, and Gunther Meinlschmidt. 2016. “Maternal Adversities during Pregnancy and Cord Blood Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) DNA Methylation.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 11 (9): 1460–70. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw051.

Unternaehrer, Eva, et al. “Maternal Adversities during Pregnancy and Cord Blood Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) DNA Methylation.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 11, no. 9, 2016, pp. 1460–70, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw051.