The saNeuroGut Initiative: Investigating the Gut Microbiome and Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Posttraumatic Stress.

Introduction: Common mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), present a substantial health and economic burden. The gut microbiome has been associated with these psychiatric disorders via the microbiome-gut-brain axis. However, previous studies have focused on the associations between the gut microbiome and common mental disorders in European, North American, and Asian populations.

Identifying genetic loci that are associated with changes in gene expression in PTSD in a South African cohort.

The molecular mechanisms underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are yet to be fully elucidated, especially in underrepresented population groups. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) are DNA sequence variants that influence gene expression, in a local (cis-) or distal (trans-) manner, and subsequently impact cellular, tissue, and system physiology. This study aims to identify genetic loci associated with gene expression changes in a South African PTSD cohort.

A network analysis investigating the associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms, markers of inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Chronic systemic inflammation has been implicated in trauma exposure, independent of a psychiatric diagnosis, and in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its highly comorbid conditions, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). The present study used network analysis to examine the interacting associations between pro-inflammatory cytokines, posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and symptom clusters, and individual components of MetS, in a cohort of 312 participants (n = 139 PTSD cases, n = 173 trauma-exposed controls). Pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum samples using immunoturbidimetric and multiplex assays.

Childhood trauma and genetic variation in the 40-bp VNTR contribute to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

HIV/AIDS is a major public health burden in South Africa, currently affecting an estimated 13.5% of the population. Despite improved access to antiretroviral therapies, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), characterised by a spectrum of neurocognitive impairment, emotional disturbances and motor abnormalities, continue to persist.

RNA-seq analysis of gene expression profiles in posttraumatic stress disorder, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia identifies roles for common and distinct biological pathways.

Evidence suggests that shared pathophysiological mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) may contribute to risk and resilience. We used single-gene and network-level transcriptomic approaches to investigate shared and disorder-specific processes underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia in a South African sample. RNA-seq was performed on blood obtained from cases and controls from each cohort.

A Genome-Wide Association Study and Polygenic Risk Score Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Metabolic Syndrome in a South African Population.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related disorder that frequently co-occurs with metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is characterized by obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. To provide insight into these co-morbidities, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis to identify genetic variants associated with PTSD, and determined if PTSD polygenic risk scores (PRS) could predict PTSD and MetS in a South African mixed-ancestry sample.

Early-Ethanol Exposure Induced Region-Specific Changes in Metabolic Proteins in the Rat Brain: A Proteomics Study.

In utero exposure to alcohol has been shown to cause a spectrum of cognitive and behavioral deficits. This study aimed to explore the long-term effects of early-ethanol exposure on proteins in the brain. Male Sprague-Dawley rat pups were exposed to 12% ethanol (4 g/kg/day i.

Maternal separation stress reduced prenatal-ethanol-induced increase in exploratory behaviour and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity.

In an attempt to better represent the aetiology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and the associated psychological deficits, prenatal-ethanol exposure was followed by maternal separation in a rat model in order to account for the effects of early-life adversities in addition to in utero alcohol exposure. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3β) are converging points for many signalling cascades and have been implicated in models of FASD and models of early-life stress. Therefore, these kinases may also contribute to the behavioural changes observed after the combination of both developmental insults.

Early ethanol exposure and vinpocetine treatment alter learning- and memory-related proteins in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

This study investigates the effects of early exposure to ethanol on cognitive function and neural plasticity-related proteins in the rat brain. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 12% ethanol solution (4 g/kg/day i.p.