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Transforming growth factor-beta 1 and cortisol in differentially reared primates
Eric L P Smith1, Olcay A Batuman, Ronald C Trost
1Primate Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, 11203, USA. esmith@downstate.edu
Insights
Adverse rearing in infant macaques led to lasting neuroendocrine and immune changes. Variable foraging demand rearing elevated stress hormones and TGF-beta 1 levels years later.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Immunology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Adverse early life experiences can cause long-term behavioral, neuroendocrine, and immunological issues in primates.
- The impact of differential rearing on cytokines, which influence immune responses and the HPA axis, remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between circulating transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and cortisol levels in macaques subjected to variable foraging demand (VFD) rearing compared to normal rearing.
- To assess the long-term effects of VFD rearing on the HPA axis and immune function markers.
Main Methods:
- Macaque infants were reared under normal conditions or VFD, where mothers required more effort to obtain food for 4 months.
- Two years post-rearing, a moderate stressor (confinement) was applied to assess serum TGF-beta 1 and plasma cortisol levels.
- Correlations between TGF-beta 1 and cortisol were analyzed in both rearing groups.
Main Results:
- VFD-reared monkeys exhibited elevated serum TGF-beta 1 and plasma cortisol levels after stress exposure compared to controls.
- A stronger correlation between TGF-beta 1 and cortisol was observed in normally reared macaques.
- These findings suggest lasting alterations in HPA axis and immune responses due to early-life stress.
Conclusions:
- Variable foraging demand rearing in early life induces persistent neuroendocrine and immune dysregulation in primates.
- Understanding the interplay between HPA axis activity and immune function is crucial for comprehending the pathophysiology of adverse rearing.
- This study highlights the long-term consequences of early-life stress on stress hormone and cytokine regulation.
Abstract:
Exposure of primate infants to adverse rearing conditions during the first half year of life can result in enduring behavioral, neuroendocrine, and immunologic abnormalities. However, the effects of differential rearing on cytokines, some of which can regulate immune and inflammatory responses and modulate activity of the central nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, are largely unexamined. The present study explored the relationship between circulating levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and cortisol in macaques reared either normally or under conditions of variable foraging demand (VFD). Under VFD rearing, for a period of 4 months, the infants' mothers intermittently had to expend more time and effort to obtain food than did the mothers of normally reared control subjects. Two years after cessation of the rearing experience, exposure to a moderate stressor (confinement in an unfamiliar room for 90 min) induced elevated levels of serum TGF-beta 1 and plasma cortisol in VFD-reared monkeys compared to normally reared controls. The correlation between TGF-beta 1 and cortisol levels was substantially higher in the normally reared subjects. Examination of the relationship between HPA axis and immune function will improve our understanding of the pathophysiological consequences of adverse rearing.