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Early life stress (ELS) has been associated with biological and psychosocial alterations due to developmental reprogramming. Here, we investigated whether childhood maltreatment is associated with an imbalance between the production of oxidative markers and antioxidant defenses. Thirty adolescents with no psychiatric disorder but reporting childhood maltreatment and twenty-seven adolescents with no psychiatric disorder and no history of ELS were recruited for the study. Childhood maltreatment was investigated by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Redox state was estimated by plasma levels of protein carbonylation, total thiol content (SH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), as well as total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP). Childhood maltreatment was associated with oxidative stress as shown by increased protein carbonylation. Interestingly, adolescents exposed to maltreatment also displayed higher SOD levels, TRAP kinetics and reduced GPx levels when compared with adolescents who had not undergone childhood maltreatment. No significant differences were observed for SH levels. Taken together, we provide novel evidence indicating that childhood maltreatment is associated with increased oxidative stress markers in otherwise healthy adolescents., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Poor sleep in elderly populations is associated with detrimental neuropsychological, and physiological changes including premature immunosenescence and reduced brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Here, we evaluated the effects of acupuncture on sleep quality, psychological distress and immunosenescence in elderly, as well as effects on BDNF levels. Forty-eight community-dwelling elderly were randomized into true or placebo acupuncture, and intervention consisted of ten sessions. Sleep quality, depression and stress scores were evaluated by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), beck depression inventory (BDI II) and perceived stress scale (PSS), respectively, before and after the intervention. Lymphocyte subsets commonly associated with stress, sleep impairment and immunosenescence were phenotyped by flow cytometry. BDNF plasma levels were assessed by ELISAs. Acupuncture was highly effective for improving sleep quality (-53.23%; p<0.01), depression (-48.41%; p<0.01), and stress (-25.46%; p<0.01). However, neither lymphocyte subpopulations nor BDNF levels changed following the intervention., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mounting evidence suggests a chronic pro-inflammatory state in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Stress exposure is known to exacerbate several inflammatory conditions as well as psychiatric disorders. Here, we analyzed plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and their soluble receptors to realistic acute psychosocial stress challenge in BD. Thirteen euthymic type 1 BD patients and 15 matched controls underwent the Trier Social Stress Test protocol (TSST). Blood samples were collected before and after TSST and plasma cytokines interleukin IL-2, IL-6, IL-33, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured. In addition TNF-α soluble receptors TNFR1 and TNFR2, and IL-33 soluble receptor sST2 were assessed. Increased IL-33 and reduced sST2 levels were observed in BD subjects as compared to controls, independently of stress exposure. Following TSST, there were higher levels of IL-2 and reduced levels of sTNFR1 in both groups. However, the magnitude change for both cytokines was found higher in controls than BD subjects. Our data suggest that BD patients have differential stress reactivity as compared to controls, possibly related to an immunologic imbalance and failure of regulatory mechanisms., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Neurotrophic factors regulate the survival and growth of neurons, and influence synaptic efficiency and plasticity. Several studies suggest the existence of a relationship between changes in neurotrophic levels and bipolar disorder (BD). The glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) influences monoaminergic neurons and glial cells, but its role in BD patients is controversial. In order to elucidate it we evaluated plasma levels of GDNF in a sample of 70 BD patients (35 in mania and 35 in euthymia) and compared with 50 healthy controls matched for age, gender and educational levels. GDNF plasma levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were assessed by a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-plus), Young Mania and Hamilton Depression Rating Scales. Plasma GDNF levels were significantly increased in BD patients in euthymia compared with BD patients in mania and healthy controls (p<0.05). GDNF plasma levels were correlated with age (ρ=0.30, p<0.05) and negatively correlated with manic symptoms in BD patients (ρ=-0.54, p<0.05). Our results provide evidence that peripheral levels of GDNF are related with different mood states in BD, reinforcing the involvement of neurotrophic factors in its physiopathology., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Acupuncture has increasingly been used to treat many conditions, including psychiatric disorders and immunological-related disorders. However, the effects of acupuncture as stress management and immune functions in the elderly are largely unclear. Here we investigated the effects of acupuncture on stress-related psychological symptoms and cellular immunity in young adults and elderly subjects. The acupuncture treatment consisted of six sessions and the procedures included the insertion of needles at bilateral acupoints LI4, SP6 and ST36. Psychological variables (depression, anxiety and stress) were investigated by means of self-assessment inventories. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured in vitro to measure mitogen-induced T-cell proliferation as well as cellular sensitivity to dexamethasone. All data were assessed before and after the intervention. Acupuncture was able to significantly reduce depression (p<0.001), anxiety (p<0.001) and stress (p<0.001) scores. The intervention also increased T-cell proliferation, with greater intensity in the elderly group (p=0.004). No changes in cellular sensitivity to dexamethasone were observed following acupuncture. We conclude that acupuncture was efficient to attenuate the psychological distress as well as to increase an important feature of cellular immunosenescence., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recent data indicate that neurotrophins may play a role in the physiopathology of bipolar disorder (BD) and may be useful as biomarkers of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in BD patients, and to correlate their levels with clinical parameters. BDNF was measured in plasma from 53 BD type I subjects (34 during mania and 19 during euthymia) and 38 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were assessed by a structured clinical interview (Mini-plus), Young mania and Hamilton depression rating scales. Plasma BDNF levels were significantly increased in patients with mania (P