Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin and glucocorticoid receptor genes is linked to attachment avoidance in young adults.

Attachment in the context of intimate pair bonds is most frequently studied in terms of the universal strategy to draw near, or away, from significant others at moments of personal distress. However, important interindividual differences in the quality of attachment exist, usually captured through secure versus insecure - anxious and/or avoidant - attachment orientations. Since Bowlby's pioneering writings on the theory of attachment, it has been assumed that attachment orientations are influenced by both genetic and social factors - what we would today describe and measure as gene by environment interaction mediated by epigenetic DNA modification - but research in humans on this topic remains extremely limited. We for the first time examined relations between intra-individual differences in attachment and epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene promoter in 109 young adult human participants. Our results revealed that attachment avoidance was significantly and specifically associated with increased OXTR and NR3C1 promoter methylation. These findings offer first tentative clues on the possible etiology of attachment avoidance in humans by showing epigenetic modification in genes related to both social stress regulation and HPA axis functioning.

Multiplexed array-based and in-solution genomic enrichment for flexible and cost-effective targeted next-generation sequencing.

The unprecedented increase in the throughput of DNA sequencing driven by next-generation technologies now allows efficient analysis of the complete protein-coding regions of genomes (exomes) for multiple samples in a single sequencing run. However, sample preparation and targeted enrichment of multiple samples has become a rate-limiting and costly step in high-throughput genetic analysis. Here we present an efficient protocol for parallel library preparation and targeted enrichment of pooled multiplexed bar-coded samples. The procedure is compatible with microarray-based and solution-based capture approaches. The high flexibility of this method allows multiplexing of 3-5 samples for whole-exome experiments, 20 samples for targeted footprints of 5 Mb and 96 samples for targeted footprints of 0.4 Mb. From library preparation to post-enrichment amplification, including hybridization time, the protocol takes 5-6 d for array-based enrichment and 3-4 d for solution-based enrichment. Our method provides a cost-effective approach for a broad range of applications, including targeted resequencing of large sample collections (e.g., follow-up genome-wide association studies), and whole-exome or custom mini-genome sequencing projects. This protocol gives details for a single-tube procedure, but scaling to a manual or automated 96-well plate format is possible and discussed.

Histological assessment of the effect of laser irradiation on skin wound healing in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, from the histological point of view, the effect of diode laser irradiation on skin wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats. BACKGROUND DATA: Various biological effects have been described in different studies after low-level laser therapy (LLLT). METHODS: Two parallel full-thickness skin incisions were performed on the back of each rat (n = 49) and immediately sutured. After surgery, one wound of each rat was exposed to laser irradiation (continuous mode, 670 nm, daily dose 30 J/cm2), whereas the parallel wound was not irradiated and served as control. Both wounds were removed 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 h after surgery and routinely fixed and embedded in paraffin sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, van Gieson, periodic acid Schiff + periodic acid Schiff diastase, Mallory's phosphotungstic hematoxylin, and azur and eosin, and histopathologically evaluated. RESULTS: As compared to nonirradiated control wounds, laser stimulation shortened the inflammatory phase as well as accelerated the proliferative and maturation phase, and positively stimulated the regeneration of injured epidermis and the reparation of injured striated muscle. CONCLUSION: LLLT at 670 nm positively influences all phases of rat skin wound healing.