Effects of prenatal and postnatal depression, and maternal stroking, at the glucocorticoid receptor gene

Murgatroyd, C., Quinn, J. P., Sharp, H. M., Pickles, A. and Hill, J. (2015) Effects of prenatal and postnatal depression, and maternal stroking, at the glucocorticoid receptor gene. Translational Psychiatry, 5 (5). e560. ISSN 2158-3188 doi: 10.1038/tp.2014.140

Abstract/Summary

In animal models, prenatal and postnatal stress is associated with elevated hypothalamic–pituitary axis (HPA) reactivity mediated via altered glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene expression. Postnatal tactile stimulation is associated with reduced HPA reactivity mediated via increased GR gene expression. In this first study in humans to examine the joint effects of prenatal and postnatal environmental exposures, we report that GR gene (NR3C1) 1-F promoter methylation in infants is elevated in the presence of increased maternal postnatal depression following low prenatal depression, and that this effect is reversed by self-reported stroking of the infants by their mothers over the first weeks of life.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/40738
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Publisher	Nature
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