Formation of emotional functions of next generation depending on paternal psychological stress

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16859
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU Noriyuki 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部(医学域), 助教 (70755470)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 心理的ストレス / 父親 / 次世代 / 情動機能 / グルココルチコイド / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of impairment of emotional behaviors (anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, extreme avoidance behavior in response to aversive stimuli, and decreased social behavior) occur in offspring from paternal mice that have continuously subjected psychological stress. We found that administration of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU-486) to paternal mice during the period of psychological stress can avoid the abnormality of emotional behaviors in next-generation offspring. On the other hand, we found that continuous administration of a glucocorticoid receptor agonist (dexamethasone) to paternal mice cause the change of emotional behaviors like next-generation offspring caused by psychological stress. These suggest that next-generation construction of emotional function may be influenced by the paternal glucocorticoid system.

Free Research Field

環境生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

不安障害・うつ病をはじめとする精神疾患の患者数は増加しており、予防策の構築が求められている。精神疾患は、遺伝的背景や環境因子が複雑に関連しており、その作用機序は未だ明らかではない。本研究では、父親が受ける継続的なストレスが、エピジェネティクスな制御機構に基づき、どのような作用機序を介して次世代の情動機能に影響を及ぼすかを明らかとする。本研究成果は、父親が次世代の情動機能構築に果たす新たな役割と重要性を見出せるものであり、ヒトの精神疾患に対して予防の視点から貢献できる可能性を提示できるものと考えられる。