Authors

    Language

    English

    Publication Date

    4-1-2024

    Journal

    Developmental Psychobiology

    DOI

    10.1002/dev.22479

    PMID

    38470450

    PMCID

    PMC10959231

    PubMedCentral® Posted Date

    4-1-2025

    PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

    Author MSS

    Abstract

    Maternal care during the early postnatal period of altricial mammals is a key factor in the survival and adaptation of offspring to environmental conditions. Natural variations in maternal care and experimental manipulations with maternal-child relationships modeling early-life adversity (ELA) in laboratory rats and mice have a strong long-term influence on the physiology and behavior of offspring in rats and mice. This literature review is devoted to the latest research on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in these effects of ELA and mother-infant relationship, with a focus on the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. An important part of this review is dedicated to pharmacological interventions and epigenetic editing as tools for studying the causal role of epigenetic mechanisms in the development of physiological and behavioral profiles. A special section of the manuscript will discuss the translational potential of the discussed research.

    Keywords

    Humans, Infant, Female, Mice, Rats, Animals, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Mothers, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Epigenesis, Genetic, Mammals

    Published Open-Access

    yes

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