scholarly journals Stress Responsiveness in Adult Life: Influence of Mother’s Diet in Late Pregnancy

2007 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 2208-2210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Reynolds ◽  
Keith M. Godfrey ◽  
Mary Barker ◽  
Clive Osmond ◽  
David I. W. Phillips

Abstract Context: Men and women whose mothers ate an unbalanced high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in late pregnancy have raised blood pressure. We recently showed that they also have raised fasting plasma cortisol concentrations. Because raised fasting cortisol concentrations probably reflect a greater response to the stress of fasting and venesection, we suspected that this diet may have led to increased stress responsiveness in the adult offspring. Objective: The aim was to determine whether an unbalanced high-protein diet during pregnancy is associated with increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring. Design and Participants: Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured during a modified Trier Social Stress Test in 70 men and women aged 36.3 yr whose mothers had taken part in a dietary intervention in which they were advised to eat 1 pound (0.45 kg) of red meat daily during pregnancy and to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. Results: The offspring of women who reported greater consumption of meat and fish in the second half of pregnancy had higher cortisol concentrations during the Trier Test. Compared with the offspring of mothers who had reported eating no more than 13 meat/fish portions per week, the average cortisol concentrations were raised by 22% (95% confidence interval, 13 to 71%) and 46% (5 to 103%) in the offspring of those eating 14–16 and at least 17 portions per week, respectively. Conclusions: These findings provide the first human evidence that an unbalanced high protein maternal diet during late pregnancy leads to increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring.

Author(s):  
Sisitha Udara Jayasinghe ◽  
Sarah Janet Hall ◽  
Susan Jane Torres ◽  
Anne Isabella Turner

While the patterns of response within the sympatho-adrenal medullary (SAM) system and hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis are interesting and important in their own accord, the overall response to acute psychological stress involves reactivity of both pathways We tested the hypothesis that consideration of the integrated response of these pathways may reveal dysregulation of the stress systems that is not evident when considering either system alone. Age matched lean and overweight/obese men were subjected to a Trier Social Stress Test and reactivity of the SAM system (salivary alpha amylase, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) and the HPA axis (salivary cortisol) were measured. Relative reactivity of SAM system and HPA axis was calculated as the ratio between the measures from each pathway. While analysis of reactivity of individual stress pathways showed no evidence of dysfunction in overweight/obese compared with lean men, analysis of HPA/SAM reactivity revealed significantly lower cortisol over systolic blood pressure (CoSBP) and cortisol over diastolic blood pressure (CoDBP) reactivity in overweight/obese compared with lean men. Other measures of HPA/SAM reactivity and all measures of SAM/HPA reactivity were unaltered in overweight/obese compared with lean men. These findings suggest that the cortisol response per unit of blood pressure response is blunted in men with elevated adiposity. Further, these findings support a notion of a coordinated overall approach to activation of the stress pathways with the degree of activation in one pathway being related to the degree of activation of the other.


2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan YANG ◽  
Yan HOU ◽  
Yu YANG ◽  
Qing-Lin ZHANG

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra J. Fiocco ◽  
Juliana N. Souza-Talarico ◽  
Pierrich Plusquellec ◽  
Sonia J. Lupien ◽  
Deborah Suchecki

Objective Several studies have emphasized the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inadequate response of the biological stress system. However, other factors related to SES are rarely considered, such as cultural values, social norms, organization, language and communication skills, which raises the need to investigate cross-country differences in stress response. Although some studies have shown differences in cortisol levels between immigrants and natives, there is no cross-country evidence regarding cortisol levels in country-native elders. This is particularly important given the high prevalence of stress-related disorders across nations during aging. The current study examined basal diurnal and reactive cortisol levels in healthy older adults living in two different countries. Methods Salivary cortisol of 260 older adults from Canada and Brazil were nalyzed. Diurnal cortisol was measured in saliva samples collected at home throughout two working days at awakening, 30 min after waking, 1400 h, 1600 h and before bedtime. Cortisol reactivity was assessed in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in both populations. Results Our results showed that even under similar health status, psychological and cognitive characteristics, Brazilian elders exhibited higher basal and stress-induced cortisol secretion compared to the Canadian participants. Conclusion These findings suggest that country context may modulate cortisol secretion and could impact the population health.


2014 ◽  
Vol 171 (6) ◽  
pp. 737-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Siegenthaler ◽  
Carla Walti ◽  
Sandrine Andrea Urwyler ◽  
Philipp Schuetz ◽  
Mirjam Christ-Crain

ObjectiveThe prognostic/diagnostic biomarker copeptin, an arginine vasopressin surrogate, reflects physical stress. Whether copeptin concentration increases upon psychological stress is unknown. We investigated psychological stress effects on copeptin secretion in healthy volunteers and patients with central diabetes insipidus (DI).DesignA prospective observational study was conducted to study the relation between copeptin concentration and psychological stress.MethodsA total of 20 healthy adults (ten female) and eight patients with central DI (four female) underwent the Trier Social Stress Test including, in order, 30-min waiting period, 10-min anticipation period, 10-min test period and 40-min recovery. Serum copeptin and cortisol concentrations and self-rated stress component feelings were determined in the pre-/post-anticipation period, post-test period and twice post-recovery.ResultsIn healthy volunteers, the median (25th–75th percentile) copeptin concentration peaked immediately during the post-test period at 5.1 (3.2–7.0) pmol/l, vs 3.7 (2.6–5.4) pmol/l at baseline. Over the measurement course, copeptin concentration significantly elevated (coefficient; 95% CI) (0.14; 0.06–0.23, P=0.002). The important predictors of increase in copeptin concentration were feelings of tension (0.06; 0.04–0.08, P<0.001) and avoidance (0.07; 0.04–0.10; P<0.001). Copeptin and cortisol levels were associated (0.43; 0.13–0.72, P<0.005). Patients with DI had lower baseline concentrations (1.55 (1.2–3.1) pmol/l) when compared with healthy volunteers, P=0.006. Patients with DI showed no increase upon psychological stress (peak 2.15 pmol/l (1.5–2.28), P=0.79). By contrast, cortisol values were similar in patients and volunteers.ConclusionsIn healthy volunteers, copeptin levels significantly increased after psychological stress testing; this response was blunted in patients with DI.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
S U Jayasinghe ◽  
S J Torres ◽  
C A Nowson ◽  
A J Tilbrook ◽  
A I Turner

We tested the hypothesis that overweight/obese men aged 50–70 years will have a greater salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and heart rate (HR) responses to psychological stress compared with age matched lean men. Lean (BMI=20–25 kg/m2; n=19) and overweight/obese (BMI=27–35 kg/m2; n=17) men (50–70 years) were subjected to a well-characterised psychological stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) at 1500 h. Concentrations of cortisol and alpha amylase were measured in saliva samples collected every 7–15 min from 1400 to 1700 h. HR was recorded using electrocardiogram. Body weight, BMI, percentage body fat, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly higher (P<0.05) in overweight/obese men compared with lean men. Both groups responded to the TSST with a substantial elevation in salivary cortisol (372%), salivary alpha amylase (123%) and HR (22%). These responses did not differ significantly between the groups (time×treatment interaction for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR; P=0.187, P=0.288, P=0.550, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups for pretreatment values, peak height, difference between pretreatment values and peak height (reactivity) or area under the curve for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase or HR (P>0.05 for all). The results showed that, for men with a moderate level of overweight/obesity who were otherwise healthy, the response of salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR to acute psychological stress was not impaired.


2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayala Fridman ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
Abraham Sagi-Schwartz ◽  
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg

In the current study we tested whether ADRA2B moderates stress regulation of Holocaust survivors as indexed by their diurnal cortisol secretion and cortisol reactivity to a stressor. Salivary cortisol levels of 54 female Holocaust survivors and participants in the comparison group were assessed during a routine day and in response to a stress-evoking procedure (an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). ADRA2B did not moderate differences between Holocaust survivors and participants in the comparison group in terms of cortisol reactivity to the TSST. Holocaust survivors with the wildtype ADRA2B, however, displayed higher diurnal cortisol levels than did participants in the comparison group with the same genotype, whereas no difference was found between these groups in carriers of the deletion variant, previously associated with more reexperiencing of traumatic events. Carriers of the deletion variant might have been driven in the long run to resolve their vividly remembered experiences, and therefore currently show less stress dysregulation as evident from their cortisol levels.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
GV Krishnaveni ◽  
Kalyanaraman Kumaran ◽  
Murali Krishna ◽  
Sirazul Sahariah ◽  
Giriraj Chandak ◽  
...  

Background: Early life nutrition may affect individuals’ susceptibility to adult non-communicable diseases (NCD). Psychological stress is a well-recognised NCD risk factor. Recent evidence suggests that impaired foetal nutrition alters neuro-endocrine pathways, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis feedback systems, resulting in abnormal stress responses, and NCD risk. This study aims to examine adolescent cortisol and cardiovascular stress responses in relation to maternal nutrition and contemporaneous NCD risk markers. Methods: The study sample will be drawn from three well-established birth cohorts in India; the Parthenon cohort, Mysore (N=550, age~20y), the SARAS KIDS prenatal intervention cohort, Mumbai (N=300, age~10-12y) and the Pune Rural Intervention in Young Adults/ PRIYA cohort, Pune (N=100, age~22y). We will perform the ‘Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)’, a well-accepted stress-test module which involves participants performing 5-minutes each of public speaking and mental arithmetic tasks in front of unfamiliar ‘judges’ (stressor). Repeated measures of salivary cortisol and autonomic cardiovascular outcomes relative to the stressor will be assessed. Measures of psychological stress, cognitive function, blood pressure, glucose-insulin metabolism and depression will be carried out. Mechanistic studies including DNA methylation in gluco-corticoid receptor (NR3C1) and 11β-HSD2 gene loci and neuroimaging will be carried out in a subsample. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions in a subsample of the Parthenon cohort will explore the perception of stress and stressors among the youth. We will convert repeated measures into time-weighted averages before analysis. We will carry out multivariable regression analysis to test the associations. We will further refine the analyses using the mixed-model regression and conditional analyses for the association with repeated measures.   Ethics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the research ethics committee of CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore. The findings will be disseminated locally and at international meetings, and reports will be submitted to open access peer reviewed journals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika M. Yamazaki ◽  
Caroline A. Antler ◽  
Courtney E. Casale ◽  
Laura E. MacMullen ◽  
Adrian J. Ecker ◽  
...  

Cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) typically change during total sleep deprivation (TSD) and psychological stress; however, it remains unknown whether these biological markers can differentiate robust individual differences in neurobehavioral performance and self-rated sleepiness resulting from these stressors. Additionally, little is known about cortisol and CRP recovery after TSD. In our study, 32 healthy adults (ages 27–53; mean ± SD, 35.1 ± 7.1 years; 14 females) participated in a highly controlled 5-day experiment in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a high-fidelity National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space analog isolation facility, consisting of two baseline nights, 39 h TSD, and two recovery nights. Psychological stress was induced by a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on the afternoon of TSD. Salivary cortisol and plasma CRP were obtained at six time points, before (pre-study), during [baseline, the morning of TSD (TSD AM), the afternoon of TSD (TSD PM), and recovery], and after (post-study) the experiment. A neurobehavioral test battery, including measures of behavioral attention and cognitive throughput, and a self-report measure of sleepiness, was administered 11 times. Resilient and vulnerable groups were defined by a median split on the average TSD performance or sleepiness score. Low and high pre-study cortisol and CRP were defined by a median split on respective values at pre-study. Cortisol and CRP both changed significantly across the study, with cortisol, but not CRP, increasing during TSD. During recovery, cortisol levels did not return to pre-TSD levels, whereas CRP levels did not differ from baseline. When sex was added as a between-subject factor, the time × sex interaction was significant for cortisol. Resilient and vulnerable groups did not differ in cortisol and CRP, and low and high pre-study cortisol/CRP groups did not differ on performance tasks or self-reported sleepiness. Thus, both cortisol and CRP reliably changed in a normal, healthy population as a result of sleep loss; however, cortisol and CRP were not markers of neurobehavioral resilience to TSD and stress in this study.


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