HLTH 210 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Horsepower, Longitudinal Study, Cortisol
7 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Shaping long-term primate development: Telomere length trajectory as an indicator of
early maternal maltreatment and predictor of future physiologic regulation
● Telomere length decline is an emerging molecular indicator of stress exposure with
definitive links to negative halth outcomes in maltreated individuals
● At birth, newborn macaques were randomly assigned to either a maltreating or a
competent control mother
○ Offspring TL was measure longitudinally across the first 6 months of life from
peripheral blood
○ Hair cortisol accumulation was also determined at 6, 12, and 18 months of age
● Nonhuman primate models, particularly rhesus macaques, represent an ecologically
valid child maltreatment model system
○ Close phylogenetic relatives of humans exhibiting similar parenting behaviors
with strong mother-infant bonds and maltreatmn=ent
○ Develop approximately four times faster than humans, enhancing the feasibility
of longitudinal studies
● Telomeres shorten with age and are affected bt oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA
damage, yet also serve as critical regulators of chromosome structure and epigenetic
regulation of gene expression
○ Childhood adversity has been associated with shorter TL and accelerated TL
loss
○ TL has also been associated with cortisol levels in offspring of depressed
mothers
● Results
○ Exposure to early maternal maltreatment was associated with accelerated TL
decline, particularly in females born to control biological mothers
○ Similar with cortisol levels!!! Mean cortisol levels through 18 months of age were
significantly higher in animals reared y maltreating mothers
○ The effects of childhood maltreatment, when confounded by poor nutrtion, lower
socioeconomic status, and other components of toxic stress, result in magnified
negative outcomes throughout the life course
○ Sex differences
■ Fit with both biological and evolutionary factors and theories
■ Ther is greater maternal energy/maternal investment in sons compared to
daughters in rhesus monkeys and other NHP species
■ Males are larger at bith, have accelerated physical growth, spend more
time in ventral contact with mothers, and are fed maternal milk with a
higher energy density
■ The greater maternal investment in infant sons show why males take a
greater hit when it comes to childhood maltreatment by their mothers
■ Daughters born to maltreating biological mothers have longer TL than
their sons because females are prenatally preparng for a more stressful
experience
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Shaping long-term primate development: telomere length trajectory as an indicator of early maternal maltreatment and predictor of future physiologic regulation. Telomere length decline is an emerging molecular indicator of stress exposure with definitive links to negative halth outcomes in maltreated individuals. At birth, newborn macaques were randomly assigned to either a maltreating or a competent control mother. Offspring tl was measure longitudinally across the first 6 months of life from peripheral blood. Hair cortisol accumulation was also determined at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Nonhuman primate models, particularly rhesus macaques, represent an ecologically valid child maltreatment model system. Close phylogenetic relatives of humans exhibiting similar parenting behaviors with strong mother-infant bonds and maltreatmn=ent. Develop approximately four times faster than humans, enhancing the feasibility of longitudinal studies. Telomeres shorten with age and are affected bt oxidative stress, inflammation, and dna damage, yet also serve as critical regulators of chromosome structure and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
