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Browsing by Author "Kerman, Ilan A."

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    Antibiotic exposure is associated with decreased risk of psychiatric disorders
    Kerman, Ilan A.; Glover, Matthew E.; Lin, Yezhe; West, Jennifer L.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Kablinger, Anita S.; Clinton, Sarah M. (Frontiers, 2024-01-08)
    Objective: This study sought to investigate the relationship between antibiotic exposure and subsequent risk of psychiatric disorders. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used a national database of 69 million patients from 54 large healthcare organizations. We identified a cohort of 20,214 (42.5% male; 57.9 ± 15.1 years old [mean ± SD]) adults without prior neuropsychiatric diagnoses who received antibiotics during hospitalization. Matched controls included 41,555 (39.6% male; 57.3 ± 15.5 years old) hospitalized adults without antibiotic exposure. The two cohorts were balanced for potential confounders, including demographics and variables with potential to affect: the microbiome, mental health, medical comorbidity, and overall health status. Data were stratified by age and by sex, and outcome measures were assessed starting 6 months after hospital discharge. Results: Antibiotic exposure was consistently associated with a significant decrease in the risk of novel mood disorders and anxiety and stressor-related disorders in: men (mood (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.77, 0.91), anxiety (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82, 0.95), women (mood (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89,1.00), anxiety (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88, 0.98), those who are 26–49 years old (mood (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80, 0.94), anxiety (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84, 0.97)), and in those ≥50 years old (mood (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86, 0.97), anxiety (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87, 0.97). Risk of intentional harm and suicidality was decreased in men (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55, 0.98) and in those ≥50 years old (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49, 0.92). Risk of psychotic disorders was also decreased in subjects ≥50 years old (OR 0.83, 95 CI: 0.69, 0.99). Conclusion: Use of antibiotics in the inpatient setting is associated with protective effects against multiple psychiatric outcomes in an age- and sex-dependent manner.
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    Differential stress induced c-Fos expression and identification of region-specific miRNA-mRNA networks in the dorsal raphe and amygdala of high-responder/low-responder rats
    Cohen, Joshua L.; Ata, Anoosha E.; Jackson, Nateka L.; Rahn, Elizabeth J.; Ramaker, Ryne C.; Cooper, Sara; Kerman, Ilan A.; Clinton, Sarah M. (2017-02)
    Chronic stress triggers a variety of physical and mental health problems, and how individuals 2 cope with stress influences risk for emotional disorders. To investigate molecular mechanisms 3 underlying distinct stress coping styles, we utilized rats that were selectively-bred for differences 4 in emotionality and stress reactivity. We show that high novelty responding (HR) rats readily 5 bury a shock probe in the defensive burying test, a measure of proactive stress coping behavior, 6 while low novelty responding (LR) rats exhibit enhanced immobility, a measure of reactive 7 coping. Shock exposure in the defensive burying test elicited greater activation of HR rats’ 8 caudal dorsal raphe serotonergic cells compared to LRs, but lead to more pronounced 9 activation throughout LRs’ amygdala (lateral, basolateral, central, and basomedial nuclei) 10 compared to HRs. RNA-sequencing revealed 271 mRNA transcripts and 33 microRNA species 11 that were differentially expressed in HR/LR raphe and amygdala. We mapped potential 12 microRNA-mRNA networks by correlating and clustering mRNA and microRNA expression and 13 identified networks that differed in either the HR/LR dorsal raphe or amygdala. A dorsal raphe 14 network linked three microRNAs which were down-regulated in LRs (miR-206-3p, miR-3559-5p, 15 and miR-378a-3p) to repression of genes related to microglia and immune response (Cd74, 16 Cyth4, Nckap1l, and Rac2), the genes themselves were up-regulated in LR dorsal raphe. In the 17 amygdala, another network linked miR-124-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-3068-3p, miR-380-5p, miR-18 539-3p, and miR-7a-1-3p with repression of chromatin remodeling-related genes (Cenpk, 19 Cenpq, Itgb3bp, and Mis18a). Overall this work highlights potential drivers of gene-networks 20 and downstream molecular pathways within the raphe and amygdala that contribute to 21 individual differences in stress coping styles and stress vulnerabilities.
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    Neonatal maternal separation stress elicits lasting DNA methylation changes in the hippocampus of stress-reactive Wistar Kyoto rats
    McCoy, Chelsea R.; Rana, Samir; Stringfellow, Sara anne; Day, Jeremy; Wyss, J. Michael; Clinton, Sarah M.; Kerman, Ilan A. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016-11-01)
    Early-life stress (ELS) can alter neurodevelopment in variable ways, ranging from producing deleterious outcomes to stress resilience. While most ELS studies focus on its harmful effects, recent work by our lab and others shows that ELS elicits positive effects in certain individuals. We exposed Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, known for a stress reactive, anxiety-/depression-like phenotype, to maternal separation (MS), a model of ELS. MS exposure elicited anxiolytic and antidepressant behavioral effects as well as improved cardiovascular function in adult WKY offspring. The present study interrogates an epigenetic mechanism (DNA methylation) that may confer the adaptive effects of MS in WKY offspring. We quantified global genome methylation levels in limbic brain regions of adult WKYs exposed to daily 180-min MS or neonatal handling from postnatal day 1-14. MS exposure triggered dramatic DNA hypermethylation specifically in the hippocampus. Next-generation sequencing methylome profiling revealed reduced methylation at intragenic sites within two key nodes of insulin signaling pathways: the insulin receptor and one of its major downstream targets, mitogen activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5 (Map3k5). We then tested the hypothesis that enhancing DNA methylation in WKY rats would elicit adaptive changes akin to the effects of MS. Dietary methyl donor supplementation improved WKY rats’ anxiety/depression-like behaviors and also improved cardiovascular measures, similar to previous observations following MS. Overall these data suggest a potential molecular mechanism that mediates a predicted adaptive response whereby ELS induces DNA methylation changes in the brain that may contribute to successful stress coping and adaptive physiological changes in adulthood.