Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder and the impact of the family environment: A pilot study of the Reducing Unwanted Stress in the Home (RUSH) prevention program.

BACKGROUND: The home environment of offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD) has been characterized by high levels of stress and disorganization, which may impact development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and their subsequent risk for affective disorders. The present study examined the effects of a family-based preventative intervention on the OBD's HPA axis functioning and whether intervention-related changes in the home environment might have driven change in the HPA axis. METHODS: Fifty-five children (6-11 years) were recruited from families having a parent with bipolar disorder (n=26) or families having two parents with no current mental disorders (n=29). Only those families with a parent having bipolar disorder participated in the preventative intervention. Both groups completed assessments at baseline, post-prevention, 3-, and 6-months post-prevention. At each assessment, family organization, control, cohesion, conflict, and expressiveness, in addition to childhood internalizing problems, were measured, and offspring saliva samples were collected across two consecutive days. RESULTS: Hierarchical Linear Modelling found no significant differences in HPA axis functioning between groups at baseline or across time. Improvements in family organization, however, were associated with elevations in participants' cortisol awakening response (CAR; p =.004) and total daily output (p =.023), and a steepening of their diurnal slope (p =.003) across time. Similar findings were obtained for family cohesion with respect to CAR (p <.001) and, to a lesser degree, diurnal slope (p =.064). DISCUSSION: HPA axis functioning did not differ between the OBD and healthy controls at baseline or in response to the preventative intervention. However, intervention-related improvements in family organization and, to a lesser degree, cohesion, were associated with adaptive changes in HPA functioning over time.

Long-term health outcomes of children born by cesarean section: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Taiwan had high cesarean rate which exceeded the recommended threshold (15%), set by WHO. However, there have not a comprehensive study to discuss the long-term offspring consequences of cesarean section (CS). This study aimed to show whether allergy disorders, obesity and respiratory infection of children are associated with modes of delivery, using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. METHODS: This study used the maternal and child health database of NHIRD. We included the children who birth between 2004 and 2013 and inter-linked the database of the mother and children. The participants were followed until 2018/12/31. We performed a Cox proportional hazards model to identify the association of CS with respiratory tract infection, allergy disorder, and obesity diagnosed in childhood. RESULTS: CS significantly increased the risk of developed childhood asthma (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.03), allergy rhinitis (aHR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.04-1.05), atopic dermatitis (aHR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04-1.06), respiratory tract infection (aHR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.06-1.07) and overweight (aHR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.18-1.40) even after adjusting with confounding factor. Development of food allergy (aHR = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.87-1.47) was not associated with cesarean section. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that children delivered by CS more commonly developed respiratory tract infections, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, obesity than children delivered vaginally. Among these, obesity have a stronger association with cesarean section.

Prenatal glucocorticoids exposure and adverse cardiovascular effects in offspring.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones fundamental to the body's normal physiological functions and are pivotal in fetal growth and development. During gestation, the mother's cortisol concentration (active GCs) escalates to accommodate the requirements of fetal organ development and maturation. A natural placental GCs barrier, primarily facilitated by 11ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2, exists between the mother and fetus. This enzyme transforms biologically active cortisol into biologically inactive corticosterone, thereby mitigating fetal GCs exposure. However, during pregnancy, the mother may be vulnerable to adverse factor exposures such as stress, hypoxia, caffeine, and synthetic GCs use. In these instances, maternal serum GCs levels may surge beyond the protective capacity of the placental GCs barrier. Moreover, these adverse factors could directly compromise the placental GCs barrier, resulting in excessive fetal exposure to GCs. It is well-documented that prenatal GCs exposure can detrimentally impact the offspring's cardiovascular system, particularly in relation to blood pressure, vascular function, and heart function. In this review, we succinctly delineate the alterations in GCs levels during pregnancy and the potential mechanisms driving these changes, and also analyze the possible causes of prenatal GCs exposure. Furthermore, we summarize the current advancements in understanding the adverse effects and mechanisms of prenatal GCs exposure on the offspring's cardiovascular system.

Associations of inflammation related prenatal adversities with neurodevelopment of offspring in one year: a longitudinal prospective birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The recent Maternal Immune Activation (MIA) theory suggests maternal systemic inflammation may serve as a mediator in associations between prenatal maternal adversities and neurodevelopmental diseases in offspring. Given the co-exposure to multiple adversities may be experienced by pregnant person, it is unclear whether a quantitative index can be developed to characterize the inflammation related exposure level, and whether this index is associated with neurodevelopmental delays in offspring. METHODS: Based on Jiangsu Birth Cohort (JBC), a total of 3051 infants were included in the analysis. Inflammation related Prenatal Adversity Index (IPAI) was constructed using maternal data. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition, screening test in one year. Multivariate linear regression and Poisson regression model were performed to analyze the associations between IPAI and neurodevelopment in offspring. RESULTS: Compared with "low IPAI" group, offspring with "high IPAI" have lower scores of cognition, receptive communication, expressive communication, and fine motor. The adjusted ß were - 0.23 (95%CI: -0.42, -0.04), -0.47 (95%CI: -0.66, -0.28), -0.30 (95%CI: -0.49, -0.11), and - 0.20 (95%CI: -0.33, -0.06). Additionally, the elevated risk for noncompetent development of cognition and receptive communication among "high IPAI" group was observed. The relative risk [RR] and 95% confidence interval [CI] were 1.35 (1.01, 1.69) and 1.37 (1.09, 1.72). CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed a significant association between higher IPAI and lower scores across cognition, receptive communication, expressive communication, and fine motor domains, and an increased risk of noncompetent development in the cognition and receptive communication domains.

Relationship between maternal serum uric acid in the first trimester and congenital heart diseases in offspring: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester and the incidence of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in offspring. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the southeast of China and involved 21,425 pregnant women and their offspring in the final analysis between 2019 and 2022. Fasting blood samples from pregnant women participating in the Fujian birth cohort study (11.3 ± 1.40 weeks of gestation) were analyzed for serum uric acid levels. The perinatal outcome was the incidence of CHDs. All fetuses with CHDs were confirmed by echocardiography doctors and pediatric cardiologists. Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling were employed to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid level and the incidence of CHDs. Results: We observed that maternal log2-transformed values of serum uric acid were strongly associated with odds of CHDs in offspring (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.589, 95 % CI [1.149, 2.198]). Compared to the lowest quartile, the AORs for maternal uric acid levels in the other quartiles and the corresponding risk of CHDs in offspring were 1.363 (95 % CI [1.036, 1.793]), 1.213 (95 % CI [0.914, 1.610]), and 1.472 (95 % CI [1.112, 1.949]), respectively. Hyperuricemia in the first trimester significantly increased the risk of CHDs in offspring 1.837 (95 % CI [1.073, 3.145]). Furthermore, RCS showed a linear relationship between maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester and the incidence of CHDs (P for nonlinearity = 0.71). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that elevated maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester were associated with an increased incidence of CHDs in offspring.

Pre-existing maternal cardiovascular disease and the risk of offspring cardiovascular disease from infancy to early adulthood.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A variety of maternal heart conditions are associated with abnormal placentation and reduced foetal growth. However, their impact on offspring's long-term cardiovascular health is poorly studied. This study aims to investigate the association between intrauterine exposure to pre-existing maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD) and offspring CVD occurring from infancy to early adulthood, using paternal CVD as a negative control. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study used register data of live singletons without major malformations or congenital heart disease born between 1992 and 2019 in Sweden. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for essential maternal characteristics. Paternal CVD served as a negative control for assessment of unmeasured genetic and environmental confounding. RESULTS: Of the 2 597 786 offspring analysed (49.1% female), 26 471 (1.0%) were born to mothers with pre-existing CVD. During a median follow-up of 14 years (range 1-29 years), 17 382 offspring were diagnosed with CVD. Offspring of mothers with CVD had 2.09 times higher adjusted HR of CVD (95% CI 1.83, 2.39) compared with offspring of mothers without CVD. Compared with maternal CVD, paternal CVD showed an association of smaller magnitude (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.32, 1.68). Increased hazards of offspring CVD were also found when stratifying maternal CVD into maternal arrhythmia (HR 2.94, 95% CI 2.41, 3.58), vascular (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.21, 2.10), and structural heart diseases (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.08, 2.02). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal CVD was associated with an increased risk of CVD in offspring during childhood and young adulthood. Paternal comparison suggests that genetic or shared familial factors may not fully explain this association.

Sevoflurane anesthesia during late gestation induces cognitive disorder in rat offspring via the TLR4/BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway.

Sevoflurane (Sevo) is widely used for general anesthesia during pregnancy. Emerging evidence indicates that maternal Sevo exposure can trigger developmental neurotoxicity in the offspring. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms need further investigation. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats on gestational day 18 were exposed to 3.5% Sevo to induce the rat model of neurotoxicity. TAK-242, a TLR4 inhibitor, was administrated to inhibit the signaling transduction. Hippocampal tissues of rat offspring were harvested for immunohistochemical staining, TUNEL staining, Western blotting, ELISA, and measurement of oxidative stress-related markers. Serum samples were collected to evaluate lipid metabolism-associated factors. Morris water maze was implemented to test the cognitive function of offspring rats. Rat hippocampal neurons were isolated to elucidate the effect of TAK-242 on the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling in vitro. The results showed that maternal Sevo exposure during the third trimester induced neuroinflammation, lipid metabolism disturbance, and oxidative stress, and impaired the spatial learning and memory of rat offspring. Sevo upregulated TLR4 and impeded BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling transduction in the hippocampus of rat offspring; TAK-242 administration reversed these effects. In conclusion, Sevo anesthesia during late gestation impairs the learning and memory ability of rat offspring possibly by promoting neuroinflammation and disturbing lipid metabolism via the TLR4/BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway.

Reproductive genetics and health.

For those affected, infertility is linked to impaired overall health and reduced life expectancy. In particular, infertile individuals bear an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and different types of cancer, partially due to lifestyle differences and to genetic alterations that cause both infertility and an increased cancer risk. Genetic variants causing an increased CVD risk are more commonly found in infertile individuals, but their link to infertility remains unclear. Offspring of infertile couples, conceived via medically assisted reproduction, are as likely as their parents to exhibit or develop adiposity, hormonal alterations such as insulin resistance, and infertility. The effects on health of subsequent generations are completely unclear.

Exposure to Smoking as a Predictor of ADHD Subtypes Among Children Within Saudi Arabia: An Observational Study.

Previous studies have found an association between maternal smoking and an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. However, the prevalence of maternal smoking, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure during pregnancy, and ADHD in children within the Saudi Arabian context is not well-documented. OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence of maternal smoking and SHS exposure during pregnancy among mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD and investigate exposure to smoking as a predictor of ADHD subtypes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, using an online questionnaire. The study included 217 parents of children aged 4-17 years diagnosed with ADHD and without a family history of the disorder. Data on sociodemographic determinants, academic achievement, ADHD types, and maternal smoking habits during pregnancy were collected. RESULTS: Among the mothers surveyed, 6.4% reported smoking during pregnancy, while 41% were exposed to SHS. The study found a predominance of the combined subtype of ADHD among the children. Logistic regression analysis revealed that families with monthly income <10 000 SR were 2.6 times more likely to have a child with inattentive or hyperactive ADHD (P < 0.03). Male gender was associated with a 46% reduced likelihood of these subtypes (P < 0.03). SHS smoking and active exposure to smoking during pregnancy did not show any significant effect on ADHD. CONCLUSION: The study found that child gender and family income were significantly associated with the distribution of ADHD subtypes, while maternal smoking and SHS exposure during pregnancy did not show a significant association. The high prevalence of SHS exposure emphasizes the need for increased public health awareness and interventions to promote smoke-free environments during pregnancy.

Neurotoxic effects of perinatal exposure to Bisphenol F on offspring mice.

Bisphenols constitute a diverse group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that impact hormone activity. Bisphenol F (BPF) is commonly used as a substitute for Bisphenol A (BPA). The disruption of the immune system by EDCs during embryonic brain development has been suggested as a plausible factor to neurodevelopmental disorders. We investigated the neurotoxic effects of perinatal exposure to BPF on offspring mice. Female mice were exposed to BPF through their drinking water on day 0.5 of pregnancy, and this exposure continued until the offspring mice were weaned, throughout the perinatal period. Our findings revealed that exposure to BPF hindered both growth and neurodevelopment in offspring mice, with a more pronounced effect observed in males. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis was conducted on the brains of male offspring mice exposed to high doses of BPF. In summary, our study indicates that perinatal exposure to BPF results in neurodevelopmental impairments in male offspring mice, linked to oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and immune dysregulation. These findings underscore that BPF may not be a safe substitute for BPA. Thus, there is a pressing need to reevaluate the current regulation of BPF.

Productive foraging grounds enhance maternal condition and offspring quality in a capital breeding species.

Feeding ecology is an essential component of an organism's life, but foraging comes with risks and energetic costs. Species in which populations exhibit more than one feeding strategy, such as sea turtles, are good systems for investigating how feeding ecology impacts life-history traits, reproduction and carried over effects across generations. Here, we investigated how the feeding ecology of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting at the Cabo Verde archipelago correlates with reproductive outputs and offspring quality. We determined the feeding ecology of female turtles before and during the breeding season from stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen and correlated isotopic ratio with female and offspring traits. We found that female turtles feeding at higher trophic positions produced larger clutches. We also found that females with higher δ13C values, typical of productive foraging areas, had greater fat reserves, were less likely to be infected by leech parasites and produced heavier offspring. The offspring of infected mothers with higher δ13C values performed best in crawling and self-righting trials than those of non-infected mothers with higher δ13C values. This study shows adult female loggerheads that exploit productive areas build capital reserves that impact their reproductive success and multiple proxies for offspring quality. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between feeding ecology and reproductive success, and reveal the transgenerational carry-over effects of both feeding ecology and health on offspring quality in sea turtles.

Considering management context when investigating behavioral profiles in a group of captive Javan gibbons (Hylobates moloch).

Effective animal husbandry aims to produce behavioral profiles consistent with those observed in wild counterparts. However, few studies have examined the impacts of management history on sociality. We investigate social dynamics in a group of Javan gibbons (Hylobates moloch) at Perth Zoo using behavioral and proximity data. The group consists of an aging adult female and her two offspring - a maturing sub-adult female and a juvenile male. This composition diverges from commonly observed groupings in the wild. The study group's social relationships generally align with species-typical behaviors, with the exception of the patterning of play behavior and resting-in-contact. These results indicate an uncharacteristically close bond between the mother and her maturing same sex-offspring, as well as an unexpectedly distant mother-juvenile bond. These relationships are best explained by the group's management history and resulting atypical group composition including: the absence of an adult male, the mother's advanced age, and the hand-rearing of the juvenile male. This study gives insight into the effects of a captive setting on social development and provides further evidence of social flexibility in gibbons.

Maternal immune activation upregulates the AU020206-IRFs-STAT1 axis in modulating cytokine production in the brain.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) is reported to increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in the offspring. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods: We constructed a MIA mouse model by intraperitoneal injection of LPS into pregnant mice and evaluated the behaviors and gene expression profiles in the brains of the female and male offspring, respectively. Results: We found that the MIA female offspring exhibited increased anxiety and a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brain, which were enriched with candidate gene sets of psychiatric disorders and immune functions. In contrast, the MIA male offspring exhibited no significant abnormal behaviors and only a small number of DEGs that were not enriched with disease genes and immune functions. Therefore, we further pursued the downstream study on the molecular mechanism underlying the increased anxiety in the female offspring. We identified the lncRNA AU020206-IRFs-STAT1-cytokine axis by integrating lncRNA-protein interaction data and TF-promoter interaction data, and verified the axis in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: This study illustrates that MIA upregulates the AU020206-IRFs-STAT1 axis in controlling the brain immunity linked to abnormal behaviors, providing a basis for understanding the role of MIA in psychiatric disorders.

B-vitamins and one-carbon metabolism during pregnancy: health impacts and challenges.

Folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin interact by functioning as cofactors within one-carbon metabolism (OCM), a network of interrelated cellular pathways essential for numerous biological processes, including the biosynthesis of DNA, amino acid interconversions and methylation reactions. The pathways of OCM are influenced by endocrine signals and genetic polymorphisms and are particularly responsive to relevant B-vitamin intakes. Physiological changes in healthy pregnancy, leading to a steady decline in B-vitamin status, add another layer of complexity to the regulation of OCM. Although significant advances have been made to improve our understanding of these pregnancy-related changes, no specific reference ranges yet exist for B-vitamin biomarkers in pregnancy to support normal fetal growth without depleting maternal stores. The lack of pregnancy-related criteria for adequacy of B-vitamin status is in turn a major limitation in identifying pregnant women most at risk of B-vitamin deficiency. Another challenge is that the evidence is very limited to provide a basis for establishing pregnancy-specific dietary recommendations for B-vitamins to support successful pregnancy outcomes. In terms of preventing adverse outcomes, periconceptional folic acid supplementation has a proven role, established more than 30 years ago, in protecting against neural tube defect-affected pregnancies and this has been the major focus of public health policy worldwide. This review evaluates the emerging evidence for the less well recognised role of B-vitamins in preventing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and the intergenerational effects of B-vitamins on offspring neurodevelopment and cognitive performance during childhood. We also consider the underlying biological mechanisms.

Advancing Maternal Transfer of Organic Pollutants across Reptiles for Conservation and Risk Assessment Purposes.

Embryonic exposure through maternally transferred pollutants can affect embryo vitality, survival, and health. Reptiles face global declines and are sensitive to embryonic pollutant exposure. Yet, they are often neglected in pollution risk assessment and conservation. We analyzed maternal transfer of organic pollutants in reptiles through a systematic extraction, homogenization, and integration of published data on organic pollutants measured in mother-egg pairs into a comprehensive database (DOI:10.5281/zenodo.10900226), complemented with molecular physical-chemical properties of the pollutants. Over four decades, 17 publications provided 19,955 data points shifting from legacy to emerging contaminants although research on newer contaminants lags regulatory and societal demands. Challenges including taxonomic bias, heterogeneity in sampled tissues, and 73% of censored data complicate comparative analyses. However, significant opportunities were identified including the use of the turtle Malachlemys terrapin and snake Enhydris chinensis as flagship species where a large amount of data is available across tissues (allowing investigation into physiological relations) and compounds (allowing insights into maternal transfer across the chemical universe). Data on other freshwater and marine turtles provide the possibility of exploring taxonomic patterns in this subgroup. The analysis, integrated database, and discussion present opportunities for research in an era where science needs to achieve more with limited wildlife data.

Gestational diabetes causes hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and hypertension in adult mice offspring.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes can lead to increased blood pressure in offspring, accompanied by impaired renal sodium excretion function and vasoconstriction and diastole dysfunction. However, there are few studies on whether it is accompanied by increased sympathetic nerve activity. METHODS: Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) or citrate buffer at day 0 of gestation. The mice of control mother offspring (CMO) and diabetic mother offspring (DMO) at 16 weeks of age were infused with vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid, aCSF, 0.4 µL/h) or tempol (1 mmol/L, 0.4 µL/h) into the bilateral paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of mice for 4 weeks, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with CMO group, SBP and peripheral sympathetic nerve activity (increased heart rate, LF/HF and plasma norepinephrine and decreased SDNN and RMSSD) were increased in DMO group, which was accompanied by increased angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1R) expression and function in PVN. The increase in AT1R expression levels was attributed to a decrease in the methylation level of the AT1R promoter region, resulting in an increase in AT1R mRNA levels in PVN of DMO. Moreover, compared with CMO group, the levels of oxidative stress were increased and DNMT1 expression was decreased in PVN of DMO. Bilateral PVN infusion of tempol attenuated oxidative stress increased the level of DNMT1 expression and the binding of DNMT1 to the AT1R promoter region, which reduced mRNA and protein expression level of AT1R, heart rate and SBP in DMO, but not in CMO. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence for overactive sympathetic nervous systems in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes-induced hypertension in offspring. Central antioxidant intervention in the PVN may be an important treatment strategy for fetal-programmed hypertension.

Maternal Dietary Deficiency in Choline Reduced Levels of MMP-2 Levels in Blood and Brain Tissue of Male Offspring Mice.

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death globally, with a rising incidence in younger age groups. It is well known that maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation is vital for the early neurodevelopment of offspring. One-carbon (1C) metabolism, including folic acid and choline, plays a vital role in closure of the neural tube in utero. However, the impact of maternal dietary deficiencies in 1C on offspring neurological function following ischemic stroke later in life remains undefined. The aim of this study was to investigate inflammation in the blood and brain tissue of offspring from mothers deficient in dietary folic acid or choline. Female mice were maintained on either a control or deficient diet prior to and during pregnancy and lactation. When offspring were 3 months of age, ischemic stroke was induced. One and a half months later, blood and brain tissue were collected. We measured levels of matrix metalloproteases (MMP)-2 and 9 in both plasma and brain tissue, and reported reduced levels of MMP-2 in ChDD male offspring in both tissue types. No changes were observed in MMP-9. This observation supports our working hypothesis that maternal dietary deficiencies in folic acid or choline during early neurodevelopment impact the levels of inflammation in offspring after ischemic stroke.

Effects of multisuperovulation on the transcription and genomic methylation of oocytes and offspring.

BACKGROUND: Controlled ovarian stimulation is a common skill of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). In the clinic, some females would undergo more than one controlled ovarian stimulation cycle. However, few studies have focused on the influence of multi-superovulation on oocytes and offspring. RESULTS: Here, we found that multi-superovulation disrupted the transcriptome of oocytes and that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated mainly with metabolism and fertilization. The disruption of mRNA degradation via poly (A) size and metabolism might be a reason for the reduced oocyte maturation rate induced by repeated superovulation. Multi-superovulation results in hypo-genomic methylation in oocytes. However, there was an increase in the methylation level of CGIs. The DMRs are not randomly distributed in genome elements. Genes with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in promoters are enriched in metabolic pathways. With increasing of superovulation cycles, the glucose and insulin tolerance of offspring is also disturbed. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that multi-superovulation has adverse effects on oocyte quality and offspring health.

Revealing the key signals in nestling begging behavior perceived by parent birds during parent-offspring conflict.

The parent-offspring conflict in avian species encompasses resource allocation and a balance necessary for survival for both parties. Parental investment is modulated according to various factors, among which begging is important. Endogenous hormones, particularly corticosterone (CORT), play a role in modulating begging behavior. However, most studies on hormonal regulation of begging behavior induced elevated hormone levels in the offspring through feeding or injections, thus, limiting our knowledge of the evolution of the parent-offspring conflict under natural conditions. In this study, we aimed to identify the key signals that parents respond to during interactions with their nestlings in the wild, considering factors such as endogenous hormone CORT, nestling age, and brood size, which may affect nestling begging behavior. Begging performance was evaluated by measuring the begging frequency and score of the red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), along with assessing CORT levels in feathers. CORT levels were significantly correlated with both the begging frequency and score of nestlings, while variables such as body mass and tarsus length did not influence parental feeding frequency. Additionally, factors such as the number of nestlings (brood size), age, and begging frequency were predictors of parental feeding frequency. Our findings indicate that begging frequency, nestling age, and brood size are signals that help navigate the intricacies of the parent-offspring conflict and that parents may rely on these key signals from the range of begging cues exhibited by nestlings to adjust their feeding strategies.

Effects of tire particles and associated-chemicals on the Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas) physiology, reproduction and next-generation.

By 2040, tire particles (TP) are expected to dominate marine plastic contamination, raising concerns about their effects on marine animals. This study employed a multidisciplinary and multigenerational approach on the Pacific oyster Magallana gigas to investigate the effects of TP and their leachates (LEA). Effects were analyzed at the individual scale, from cellular, molecular, and microbiota changes to reproductive outputs and offspring performance. Microbiota characterization revealed potential dysbiosis in oysters treated with high concentration of both TP and LEA. RNA-seq analyses highlighted the activation of energy metabolism and stress responses in the LEA treatment. Additionally, transcriptional changes in oocytes and the reduction of motile spermatozoa suggested potential effects on gamete quality. Notably, possible oyster resilience was pointed out by the lack of significant ecophysiological modifications in adults and impacts on the growth and reproductive outputs of the offspring. Overall, the implications of the observed oyster resilience under our experimental setting are discussed in relation to available toxicity data and within a comprehensive view of coastal ecosystems, where a higher diversity of plastic/rubber materials and harsher environmental conditions occur.