2. Academic Validation
  3. Epigenetic modulation of inflammation and synaptic plasticity promotes resilience against stress in mice

Epigenetic modulation of inflammation and synaptic plasticity promotes resilience against stress in mice

  • Nat Commun. 2018 Feb 2;9(1):477. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02794-5.
Jun Wang 1 2,  Georgia E Hodes 3,  Hongxing Zhang 4,  Song Zhang 4,  Wei Zhao 1,  Sam A Golden 3,  Weina Bi 1,  Caroline Menard 3,  Veronika Kana 5,  Marylene Leboeuf 5,  Marc Xie 1,  Dana Bregman 3,  Madeline L Pfau 3,  Meghan E Flanigan 3,  Adelaida Esteban-Fernández 1,  Shrishailam Yemul 1,  Ali Sharma 1,  Lap Ho 1,  Richard Dixon 6,  Miriam Merad 5,  Ming-Hu Han 3 4,  Scott J Russo 3,  Giulio M Pasinetti 7 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
  • 2 Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
  • 3 Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
  • 4 Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
  • 5 Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute and Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
  • 6 Department of Biological Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
  • 7 Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA. giulio.pasinetti@mssm.edu.
  • 8 Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA. giulio.pasinetti@mssm.edu.
PMID: 29396460 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02794-5
Abstract

Major depressive disorder is associated with abnormalities in the brain and the immune system. Chronic stress in Animals showed that epigenetic and inflammatory mechanisms play important roles in mediating resilience and susceptibility to depression. Here, through a high-throughput screening, we identify two phytochemicals, dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3'-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc) that are effective in promoting resilience against stress by modulating brain synaptic plasticity and peripheral inflammation. DHCA/Mal-gluc also significantly reduces depression-like phenotypes in a mouse model of increased systemic inflammation induced by transplantation of hematopoietic progenitor cells from stress-susceptible mice. DHCA reduces pro-inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL-6) generations by inhibiting DNA methylation at the CpG-rich IL-6 sequences introns 1 and 3, while Mal-gluc modulates synaptic plasticity by increasing histone acetylation of the regulatory sequences of the Rac1 gene. Peripheral inflammation and synaptic maladaptation are in line with newly hypothesized clinical intervention targets for depression that are not addressed by currently available antidepressants.

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