Skip to main content
Journal cover image

HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR).

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brummett, BH; Boyle, SH; Siegler, IC; Kuhn, CM; Surwit, RS; Garrett, ME; Collins, A; Ashley-Koch, A; Williams, RB
Published in: Biol Psychol
October 2008

Caregiving stress is associated with negative health outcomes. Neuroendocrine functioning may be a mediator of such outcomes. The MAOA gene regulates activity of neurotransmitters involved with neuroendocrine responses to stress. Differences in polymorphisms of this gene have been shown to influence susceptibility to stress. Therefore, we examined allelic variation in MAOA-uVNTR, a functional polymorphism of MAOA, as a moderator of chronic stress effects on urinary cortisol excretion in 74 males enrolled in a case/control study of caregivers for relatives with dementia. Mixed models analysis of variance were used to examine MAOA-uVNTR genotype (3 repeats vs. 3.5/4 repeats) as a moderator of the impact of stress (caregiver vs. non-caregiver) on the urinary excretion pattern (overnight, daytime, evening) of cortisol. Caregivers with MAOA-uVNTR alleles associated with less transcriptional activity (3-repeats) displayed a pattern of cortisol excretion -- a decrease from overnight to daytime -- that was suggestive of HPA axis blunting, as compared to non-caregivers and those caregivers with the more active alleles (3.5/4 repeats) (cortisol p<.043). Individuals with less active MAOA-uVNTR alleles who are under chronic stress may be at increased risk for exhaustion of the HPA response to such stress.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Biol Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1873-6246

Publication Date

October 2008

Volume

79

Issue

2

Start / End Page

250 / 255

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Monoamine Oxidase
  • Minisatellite Repeats
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Humans
  • Genotype
  • Experimental Psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Brummett, B. H., Boyle, S. H., Siegler, I. C., Kuhn, C. M., Surwit, R. S., Garrett, M. E., … Williams, R. B. (2008). HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR). Biol Psychol, 79(2), 250–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.06.004
Brummett, Beverly H., Stephen H. Boyle, Ilene C. Siegler, Cynthia M. Kuhn, Richard S. Surwit, Melanie E. Garrett, Ann Collins, Allison Ashley-Koch, and Redford B. Williams. “HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR).Biol Psychol 79, no. 2 (October 2008): 250–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.06.004.
Brummett BH, Boyle SH, Siegler IC, Kuhn CM, Surwit RS, Garrett ME, et al. HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR). Biol Psychol. 2008 Oct;79(2):250–5.
Brummett, Beverly H., et al. “HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR).Biol Psychol, vol. 79, no. 2, Oct. 2008, pp. 250–55. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.06.004.
Brummett BH, Boyle SH, Siegler IC, Kuhn CM, Surwit RS, Garrett ME, Collins A, Ashley-Koch A, Williams RB. HPA axis function in male caregivers: effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR). Biol Psychol. 2008 Oct;79(2):250–255.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biol Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1873-6246

Publication Date

October 2008

Volume

79

Issue

2

Start / End Page

250 / 255

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Monoamine Oxidase
  • Minisatellite Repeats
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Humans
  • Genotype
  • Experimental Psychology