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Immunization with #Mycobacterium vaccae induces an anti-inflammatory milieu in the CNS: Attenuation of #stress-induced microglial priming, alarmins and anxiety-like behavior

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915911830196X



Exposure to stressors induces anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, which are mediated, in part, by neuroinflammatory processes. Recent findings demonstrate that treatment with the immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae), attenuates stress-induced exaggeration of peripheral inflammation and stress-induced anxiety-like behavioral responses. However, the effects of M. vaccae on neuroimmune processes have largely been unexplored. In the present study, we examined the effect of M. vaccae NCTC11659 on neuroimmune regulation, stress-induced neuroinflammatory processes and anxiety-like behavior

The present findings suggest that M. vaccae enhances immunomodulation in the CNS and mitigates the neuroinflammatory and behavioral effects of stress, which may underpin its capacity to impart a stress resilient phenotype.

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#Stress related disorders and risk of #cardiovascular disease: population based, sibling controlled cohort study

https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1255

..In sibling based comparisons, the hazard ratio for any cardiovascular disease was 1.64 (95% confidence interval 1.45 to 1.84), with the highest subtype specific hazard ratio observed for heart failure (6.95, 1.88 to 25.68), during the first year after the diagnosis of any stress related disorder. Beyond one year, the hazard ratios became lower (overall 1.29, 1.24 to 1.34), ranging from 1.12 (1.04 to 1.21) for arrhythmia to 2.02 (1.45 to 2.82) for artery thrombosis/embolus. Stress related disorders were more strongly associated with early onset cardiovascular diseases (hazard ratio 1.40 (1.32 to 1.49) for attained age <50) than later onset ones (1.24 (1.18 to 1.30) for attained age ≥50; P for difference=0.002). Except for fatal cardiovascular diseases, these associations were not modified by the presence of psychiatric comorbidity. Analyses within the population matched cohort yielded similar results (hazard ratio 1.71 (1.59 to 1.83) for any cardiovascular disease during the first year of follow-up and 1.36 (1.33 to 1.39) thereafter).

Conclusion Stress related disorders are robustly associated with multiple types of cardiovascular disease, independently of familial background, history of somatic/psychiatric diseases, and psychiatric comorbidity.

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Combined effect of work #stress and impaired sleep on coronary and cardiovascular mortality in #hypertensive workers: The MONICA/KORA cohort study

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487319839183

Although work stress and impaired sleep are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among healthy individuals, their impact on hypertensive workers is largely unknown.

During a mean follow-up of 17.8 years covering 34,900 person-years, 134 fatal CVD and 73 coronary heart disease (CHD) events were observed. In comparison to participants with low work stress and non-impaired sleep, participants with work stress (hazard ratio (HR) 1.56, 95% CI 0.81-2.98), or impaired sleep (HR 1.76, 95% CI 0.96-3.22) had an increased risk of CVD, while participants with both work stress and impaired sleep had the highest risk of CVD mortality (HR 2.94, 95% CI 1.18-7.33). Participants with both risk conditions had an absolute CVD mortality risk of 7.13 cases per 1000 person-years in comparison to 3.05 cases per 1000-person years in the reference group. Similar risk patterns were found for CHD mortality.

Conclusions
Our findings add a new piece of evidence that work stress together with impaired sleep increase risk of coronary and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive workers.

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Relationship Between Daily #Stress, #Depression Symptoms, and #Facebook Addiction Disorder in Germany and in the United States

This study investigated the link between experience of daily stress, depression symptoms, and the Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) in Germany and in the United States. In samples from both countries (German sample: N = 531; U.S. sample: N = 909), daily stress was positively associated with FAD. Depression symptoms significantly positively moderated this positive relationship.

Thus, current findings demonstrate that depressed individuals who often tend to intensively use Facebook to escape from daily stress and to find relief and social support are at enhanced risk to develop FAD, which reinforces their negative symptoms. Therefore, interventions for depressed individuals should include alternative strategies to cope with daily stressors.

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/cyber.2019.0165

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#Stress related disorders and subsequent risk of life threatening #infections: population based sibling controlled cohort study

..144 919 individuals with stress related disorders (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress reaction, adjustment disorder, and other stress reactions) identified from 1987 to 2013

Stress related disorders were associated with all studied life threatening infections, with the highest relative risk observed for meningitis (sibling based analysis 1.63 (1.23 to 2.16)) and endocarditis (1.57 (1.08 to 2.30)). Younger age at diagnosis of a stress related disorder and the presence of psychiatric comorbidity, especially substance use disorders, were associated with higher hazard ratios, whereas use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the first year after diagnosis of a stress related disorder was associated with attenuated hazard ratios.

Conclusion In the Swedish population, stress related disorders were associated with a subsequent risk of life threatening infections, after controlling for familial background and physical or psychiatric comorbidities.

https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l5784

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Effect of different #nap opportunity durations on short-term maximal performance, attention, feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, #stress and sleep.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of different nap opportunity durations on short-term maximal performance, attention, feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, stress and sleep. Twenty physically active men (age: 21.1 ± 3.6 years, height: 176.4 ± 5.7 cm, body-mass: 72 ± 10.8 kg) performed the 5-jump and the digit-cancellation (i.e., attention) tests after four randomized nap opportunity conditions: no-nap opportunity (N0), 25 min of nap opportunity (N25), 35 min of nap opportunity (N35) and 45 min of nap opportunity (N45).

Subjective measurement of feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, stress and sleep were performed during each test session. Compared to N0, there was a significant improvement of the 5-jump performance during N35 (Δ = +3.5%, p < .01) and N45 (Δ = +3.7%, p < .01). Attention was also better after N45 compared to N0 (Δ = +7.5%, p < .05). Fatigue, sleep and stress scores were significantly lower after N25, N35 and N45 compared to N0 (p < .05). However, no-significant effect of naps durations on feelings and fatigue scores was observed.

A nap opportunity has a beneficial effect on physical performance and attention with better results observed for naps ≥35 min.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31491444

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Improving mental health in health care practitioners: Randomized controlled trial of a gratitude intervention.

Chronic occupational #stress is common among health care practitioners, with potential impacts on personal mental health and staff turnover. This study investigated whether directing practitioners’ attention to #thankful events in work could reduce stress and depressive symptoms

..One hundred two practitioners were randomly assigned into 3 conditions: gratitude, hassle, and nil-treatment. Those with scheduled long leaves were excluded. Participants in the gratitude and hassle group wrote work-related gratitude and hassle diaries respectively twice a week for 4 consecutive weeks. A no-diary group served as control. Depressive symptoms (primary outcome) and perceived stress (secondary outcome) were collected at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up..

Conclusion: Taking stock of thankful events is an effective approach to reduce stress and depressive symptoms among health care practitioners.

https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2014-38568-001

Emotional #stress induces structural #plasticity in Bergmann glial cells via an AC5-CPEB3-GluA1 pathway
https://2medical.news/2020/04/18/emotional-stress-induces-structural-plasticity-in-bergmann-glial-cells-via-an-ac5-cpeb3-glua1-pathway/

Stress alters brain function by modifying the structure and function of neurons and astrocytes. The fine processes of astrocytes are critical for the clearance of neurotransmitters during synaptic transmission. Thus, experience-dependent remodeling of glial processes is anticipated to alter the output of neural circuits.. ..Significance statement Astrocytes play important roles in synaptic transmission by extending fine processes around synapses. In this study, we showed that …

Emotional #Stress Induces Structural Plasticity in Bergmann Glial Cells via an AC5–CPEB3–GluA1 Pathway
https://2medical.news/2020/05/01/emotional-stress-induces-structural-plasticity-in-bergmann-glial-cells-via-an-ac5-cpeb3-glua1-pathway-2/

..SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Astrocytes play important roles in synaptic transmission by extending fine processes around synapses. In this study, we showed that a single exposure to an acute stress triggered a retraction of lateral/fine processes in mouse cerebellar astrocytes. These astrocytes express GluA1, a glutamate receptor subunit known to lengthen astrocyte processes. We showed that astrocytic structural changes are associated with a reduction of GluA1 protein …

#Ageing attenuates the effect of extracellular hyperosmolality on whole‐body #heat exchange during exercise‐heat #stress
https://2medical.news/2020/10/14/ageing-attenuates-the-effect-of-extracellular-hyperosmolality-on-whole%E2%80%90body-heat-exchange-during-exercise%E2%80%90heat-stress/

Key points In humans, hypohydration attenuates sweat secretion and attenuates whole‐body heat loss, probably to mitigate further fluid losses and thereby support blood pressure regulation. Recently, however, we demonstrated that the hypohydration‐mediated reduction in net whole‐body heat exchange (evaporative heat loss – dry heat gain) was blunted in middle‐aged compared to younger men during moderate exercise in dry heat; albeit, the underpinning mechanisms could not …

The effects of acute #work #stress and appraisal on psychobiological stress responses in a group office environment
https://2medical.news/2020/11/08/the-effects-of-acute-work-stress-and-appraisal-on-psychobiological-stress-responses-in-a-group-office-environment/

The high prevalence of office stress and its detrimental health consequences are of concern to individuals, employers and society at large. Laboratory studies investigating office stress have mostly relied on data from participants that were tested individually on abstract tasks. In this study, we examined the effect of psychosocial office stress and work interruptions on the psychobiological stress response in a realistic but controlled group …