• Psychoneuroendocrinology · Jul 2010

    The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism affects HPA-axis reactivity to acute stress.

    • Nina Alexander, Roman Osinsky, Anja Schmitz, Eva Mueller, Yvonne Kuepper, and Juergen Hennig.
    • Center for Psychobiology and Behavioral Medicine, University of Giessen, Department of Psychology, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, D-35394 Giessen, Germany. nina.alexander@psychol.uni-giessen.de
    • Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010 Jul 1;35(6):949-53.

    BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests that individual differences in HPA-axis reactivity to psychosocial stress are partly due to heritable influences. However, knowledge about the role of specific genetic variants remains very limited to date. Since brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) not only exhibits neurotrophic actions but is also involved in the regulation of hypothalamic neuropeptides, we investigated the role of a common functional polymorphism within the BDNF gene (BDNF Val66Met) in the context of endocrine and cardiovascular stress reactivity.MethodsHealthy male adults (N=100) were genotyped and exposed to a standardized laboratory stress task (Public Speaking). Saliva cortisol and self-reported mood levels were obtained at 6 time points prior to the stressor and during an extended recovery period. Furthermore, heart rate reactivity as an indicator of sympathetic activation was monitored continuously during the experimental procedure.ResultsWe report a small, but significant effect of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on stress reactivity. More precisely, carriers of the met-allele showed a significantly attenuated HPA-axis and cardiovascular reactivity to the psychosocial stressor compared to subjects with the val/val genotype. Furthermore, the diminished physiological response in met-allele carriers was also attended by significantly lower self-reported ratings of perceived stress and nervousness.ConclusionOur findings of a diminished endocrine and cardiovascular stress response in healthy male adults is consistent with a previously published study and adds further evidence for a crucial role of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in the modulation of stress reactivity.Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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