Longitudinal course of endocannabinoids andN-acylethanolamines in hair of mothers and their children in the first year postpartum: investigating the relevance of maternal childhood maltreatment experiences

Abstract

Background Childhood maltreatment (CM) exerts long-lasting psychological and biological alterations in affected individuals and might also affect the endocannabinoid (eCB) system which modulates inflammation and the endocrine stress response. Here, we investigated the eCB system of women with and without CM and their infants using hair samples representing eCB levels accumulated during the last trimester of pregnancy and 10–12 months postpartum. Methods CM exposure was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. At both timepoints, 3 cm hair strands were collected from mothers and children (N = 170 resp. 150) to measure anandamide (AEA), 2/1-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG/1-AG), stearoylethanolamide (SEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). Results Maternal hair levels of 2-AG/1-AG increased and SEA levels decreased from late pregnancy to one year postpartum. Maternal CM was associated with lower SEA levels in late pregnancy, but not one year later. In the children's hair, levels of 2-AG/1-AG increased while levels of SEA, OEA, and PEA decreased from late pregnancy to one year later. Maternal CM was not consistently associated with the eCB levels measured in children's hair. Conclusions We provide first evidence for longitudinal change in the eCB system of mothers and infants from pregnancy to one year later. While maternal CM influenced the maternal eCB system, we found no consistent intergenerational effects on early regulation of the eCB system in children. Longitudinal research on the importance of the eCB system for the course and immunoregulation of pregnancy as well as for the children's development.

Stability and inter-family associations of hair endocannabinoid and N-acyl-ethanolamines across the perinatal period in mothers, fathers, and children

“…Speci cally, maternal hair AEA during the third pregnancy trimester was signi cantly lower than at 8 weeks and at two years after birth, partly aligning with ndings by Kumbholz et al 36 who also found an increase from third trimester to nine weeks after birth. 1-AG/2-AG during pregnancy and 8 weeks after birth was signi cantly lower than at 14 months, consistent with prior research nding maternal 1-AG/2-AG increases from pregnancy to 12 months after birth 43 . Finally, PEA levels were higher during pregnancy and eight weeks after birth than at 14 months, which was descriptively also the case in Hitzler et al 43 , albeit not signi cant.…”

“…In contrast, 1-AG/2-AG levels were lower at T1, and increased at T4 to a level comparable to women outside the perinatal period 33 . ERC levels at T1 and T3 were comparable to previous research with postpartum mothers 43,48 and were higher than in women outside the perinatal period 33 , but decreased to comparable levels by T4. Fathers' hair AEA and 1-AG/2-AG across all time points were higher than reported outside the perinatal period 9 , whereas hair ERC concentrations were elevated at T1, but decreased to levels similar to outside the perinatal period by T4 9 .…”

“…Fathers' hair AEA and 1-AG/2-AG across all time points were higher than reported outside the perinatal period 9 , whereas hair ERC concentrations were elevated at T1, but decreased to levels similar to outside the perinatal period by T4 9 . Regarding children, concentrations can be compared with Hitzler et al 43 , who assessed hair ECs/ERCs in mothers and children shortly after birth and at one year postpartum. Shortly after birth, hair 1-AG/2-AG and SEA levels were lower and hair PEA and OEA higher compared to Hitzler et al 43 , whereas all hair ECs/ERCs were higher in this study at 14 months after birth compared to their levels at twelve months.…”

“…Regarding children, concentrations can be compared with Hitzler et al 43 , who assessed hair ECs/ERCs in mothers and children shortly after birth and at one year postpartum. Shortly after birth, hair 1-AG/2-AG and SEA levels were lower and hair PEA and OEA higher compared to Hitzler et al 43 , whereas all hair ECs/ERCs were higher in this study at 14 months after birth compared to their levels at twelve months. Overall, comparison of hair EC/ERC levels between studies is hampered by differences in hair segment length being analyzed, variations due to continuously evolving laboratory techniques, and different hair sample storage times.…”

“…Finally, only two studies have to date examined the relation between hair ECs/ERCs in children and maternal hair ECs/ERCs sampled shortly after birth 48 and at one year postpartum 43 , nding no consistent relationships between maternal and child hair ECs/ERCs. Findings regarding a more established biomarker in hair (i.e., HCC) indicate a positive relationship that attenuates with increasing age [49][50][51] , but see 7,52 for no signi cant relationship.…”