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Rumpler É, Takács S, Göcz B, Baska F, Szenci O, Horváth A, Ciofi P, Hrabovszky E, Skrapits K. Kisspeptin Neurons in the Infundibular Nucleus of Ovariectomized Cats and Dogs Exhibit Unique Anatomical and Neurochemical Characteristics. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:598707. [PMID: 33343288 PMCID: PMC7738562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.598707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons co-synthesizing kisspeptin (KP), neurokinin B (NKB), and dynorphin (“KNDy neurons”) in the hypothalamic arcuate/infundibular nucleus (INF) form a crucial component of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinizing hormone (LH) “pulse generator.” The goal of our study was to characterize KP neuron distribution, neuropeptide phenotype and connectivity to GnRH cells in ovariectomized (OVX) dogs and cats with immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed hypothalamic tissue sections. In both species, KP and NKB neurons occurred in the INF and the two cell populations overlapped substantially. Dynorphin was detected in large subsets of canine KP (56%) and NKB (37%) cells and feline KP (64%) and NKB (57%) cells; triple-labeled (“KNDy”) somata formed ∼25% of all immunolabeled neurons. Substance P (SP) was present in 20% of KP and 29% of NKB neurons in OVX cats but not dogs, although 26% of KP and 24% of NKB neurons in a gonadally intact male dog also contained SP signal. Only in cats, cocaine- and amphetamine regulated transcript was also colocalized with KP (23%) and NKB (7%). In contrast with reports from mice, KP neurons did not express galanin in either carnivore. KP neurons innervated virtually all GnRH neurons in both species. Results of this anatomical study on OVX animals reveal species-specific features of canine and feline mediobasal hypothalamic KP neurons. Anatomical and neurochemical similarities to and differences from the homologous KP cells of more extensively studied rodent, domestic and primate species will enhance our understanding of obligate and facultative players in the molecular mechanisms underlying pulsatile GnRH/LH secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Rumpler
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Takács
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Göcz
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Baska
- Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ottó Szenci
- Department of Obstetrics and Food Animal Medicine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, Üllõ, Hungary.,MTA-SZIE Large Animal Clinical Research Group, University of Veterinary Medicine, Üllõ, Hungary
| | - András Horváth
- Department of Obstetrics and Food Animal Medicine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, Üllõ, Hungary
| | - Philippe Ciofi
- INSERM U1215, Neurocentre Magendie, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Erik Hrabovszky
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Skrapits
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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52
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Oliveira LLB, Del Bianco-Borges B, Franci CR. Estradiol and the feeding state modulate the interaction between leptin and the nitrergic system in female rats. Neuropeptides 2020; 84:102096. [PMID: 33059245 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2020.102096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Leptin mediates the interaction between reproductive function and energy balance. However, leptin receptors are not expressed in neurons that produce gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), likely indicating an indirect action through interneurons. Among likely neurons that modulate the secretion of GnRH are NO (nitric oxide) neurons. We assessed whether estradiol and feeding conditions modulate a possible interaction between leptin and NO in brain areas related to the control of reproductive function. Estradiol-treated and untreated ovariectomized rats were normally fed or fasted for 48 h. Then, saline (control) or leptin (3 μg/1 μl) intracerebroventricular microinjections were administered, and after thirty minutes, the brains collected subsequent to the decapitation or transcardially perfusion. Leptin and estradiol increased NO synthase (nNOS) gene expression (RT-PCR) and content (Western blotting) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) only in fasted rats. Leptin increased: 1-phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription-3(pSTAT3) (immunohistochemistry) in the MPOA and various hypothalamic nuclei [arcuate (ARC); ventromedial (VMH); dorsal/ventral dorsomedial (dDMH/vDMH); premammilar ventral (PMV)], effects potentiated by estradiol/fasting interaction; 2- nNOS/pSTAT3 coexpression in the MPOA only in estradiol-treated, fasted rats; 3- nNOS-immunoreactive cell expression in the VMH, DMH and PMV (areas related to reproductive function control) of estradiol -treated rats. Thus, when leptin is reduced during fasting, leptin replacement effectively increased the expression of nitric oxide, which activated the HPG axis only in the presence of estradiol. Estradiol modulates the nitrergic system, leptin sensitivity and consequently leptin's effects on the nitrergic system in hypothalamus and in particular vDMH and PMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L B Oliveira
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - C R Franci
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Department of Physiology, University of São Paulo, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Chen HP, Cui XF, Wang YR, Li ZY, Tian CX, Jiang DN, Zhu CH, Zhang Y, Li SS, Li GL. Identification, functional characterization, and estrogen regulation on gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the spotted scat, Scatophagus argus. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2020; 46:1743-1757. [PMID: 32514853 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00825-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a key neuropeptide of the reproductive system. However, little is known about the role of GnRH in the spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). Here, three GnRH subtypes (cGnRH-II, sGnRH, and sbGnRH) were identified in the spotted scat. cGnRH-II and sGnRH were only expressed in the brains and gonads of both male and female fish, exhibiting a tissue-specific expression pattern, while sbGnRH was expressed at different transcription levels in all examined tissues. During ovarian maturation, hypothalamus-associated sbGnRH was upregulated, while the expression of sGnRH was variable and cGnRH-II first increased and then decreased. In vivo experiments showed that sbGnRH significantly promoted the expression of fsh and lh genes in a dose-dependent manner and exhibited a desensitization effect on lh expression at high concentrations. For sGnRH and cGnRH-II, only high concentrations could induce fsh and lh expression. Furthermore, treatment with highly concentrated sbGnRH peptide also induced fsh and lh expression, whereas the sGnRH and cGnRH-II peptides only induced fsh expression in vitro. 17β-Estradiol (E2) significantly inhibited the expression of sbGnRH mRNA in a dose-dependent manner and did not impact sGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels in vivo or in vitro. The inhibitory effect of E2 on sbGnRH expression was attenuated by the estrogen receptor (ER) broad-spectrum antagonist (fulvestrant) and the ERα-specific antagonist (methyl-piperidinopyrazole), respectively, implying that the feedback regulation on sbGnRH is mediated via ERα. This study provides a theoretical basis for the reproductive endocrinology of the spotted scat by studying GnRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Pu Chen
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xue-Fan Cui
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yao-Rong Wang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhi-Yuan Li
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chang-Xu Tian
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Dong-Neng Jiang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chun-Hua Zhu
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, and the Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shui-Sheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, and the Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Guang-Li Li
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
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54
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Mitochondrial dysfunction in GnRH neurons impaired GnRH production. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 530:329-335. [PMID: 32828307 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The onset establishment and maintenance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion is an important phenomenon regulating pubertal development and reproduction. GnRH neurons as well as other neurons in the hypothalamus have high-energy demands and require a constant energy supply from their mitochondria machinery to maintain active functioning. However, the involvement of mitochondrial function in GnRH neurons is still unclear. In this study, we examined the role of NADH Dehydrogenase (Ubiquinone) Fe-S protein 4 (Ndufs4), a member of the mitochondrial complex 1, on GnRH neurons using Ndufs4-KO mice and Ndufs4-KO GT1-7 cells. Ndufs4 was highly expressed in GnRH neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and NPY/AgRP and POMC neurons in the arcuate (ARC) nucleus in WT mice. Conversely, there was a significant decrease in GnRH expression in MPOA and median eminence of Ndufs4-KO mice, followed by impaired peripheral endocrine system. In Ndufs4-KO GT1-7 cells, Gnrh1 expression was significantly decreased with or without stimulation with either kisspeptin or NGF, whereas, stimulation significantly increased Gnrh1 expression in control cells. In contrast, there was no difference in cell signaling activity including ERK and CREB as well as the expression of GPR54, TrkA and p75NTR, suggesting that Ndufs4 is involved in the transcriptional regulation system for GnRH production. These findings may be useful in understanding the mitochondrial function in GnRH neuron.
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55
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Abreu AP, Toro CA, Song YB, Navarro VM, Bosch MA, Eren A, Liang JN, Carroll RS, Latronico AC, Rønnekleiv OK, Aylwin CF, Lomniczi A, Ojeda S, Kaiser UB. MKRN3 inhibits the reproductive axis through actions in kisspeptin-expressing neurons. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:4486-4500. [PMID: 32407292 PMCID: PMC7410046 DOI: 10.1172/jci136564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of loss-of-function mutations in MKRN3 in patients with central precocious puberty in association with the decrease in MKRN3 expression in the medial basal hypothalamus of mice before the initiation of reproductive maturation suggests that MKRN3 is acting as a brake on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion during childhood. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism by which MKRN3 prevents premature manifestation of the pubertal process. We showed that, as in mice, MKRN3 expression is high in the hypothalamus of rats and nonhuman primates early in life, decreases as puberty approaches, and is independent of sex steroid hormones. We demonstrated that Mkrn3 is expressed in Kiss1 neurons of the mouse hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and that MKRN3 repressed promoter activity of human KISS1 and TAC3, 2 key stimulators of GnRH secretion. We further showed that MKRN3 has ubiquitinase activity, that this activity is reduced by MKRN3 mutations affecting the RING finger domain, and that these mutations compromised the ability of MKRN3 to repress KISS1 and TAC3 promoter activity. These results indicate that MKRN3 acts to prevent puberty initiation, at least in part, by repressing KISS1 and TAC3 transcription and that this action may involve an MKRN3-directed ubiquitination-mediated mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Abreu
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carlos A. Toro
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center–OHSU, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
| | - Yong Bhum Song
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor M. Navarro
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martha A. Bosch
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Aysegul Eren
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joy N. Liang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rona S. Carroll
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ana Claudia Latronico
- Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular, Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Oline K. Rønnekleiv
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Carlos F. Aylwin
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center–OHSU, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
| | - Alejandro Lomniczi
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center–OHSU, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
| | - Sergio Ojeda
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center–OHSU, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
| | - Ursula B. Kaiser
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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56
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Lopez JA, Bowdridge EC, McCosh RB, Bedenbaugh MN, Lindo AN, Metzger M, Haller M, Lehman MN, Hileman SM, Goodman RL. Morphological and functional evidence for sexual dimorphism in neurokinin B signalling in the retrochiasmatic area of sheep. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12877. [PMID: 32572994 PMCID: PMC7449597 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurokinin B (NKB) is critical for fertility in humans and stimulates gonadotrophin-releasing hormone/luteinising hormone (LH) secretion in several species, including sheep. There is increasing evidence that the actions of NKB in the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) contribute to the induction of the preovulatory LH surge in sheep. In the present study, we determined whether there are sex differences in the response to RCh administration of senktide, an agonist to the NKB receptor (neurokinin receptor-3 [NK3R]), and in NKB and NK3R expression in the RCh of sheep. To normalise endogenous hormone concentrations, animals were gonadectomised and given implants to mimic the pattern of ovarian steroids seen in the oestrous cycle. In females, senktide microimplants in the RCh produced an increase in LH concentrations that lasted for at least 8 hours after the start of treatment, whereas a much shorter increment (approximately 2 hours) was seen in males. We next collected tissue from gonadectomised lambs 18 hours after the insertion of oestradiol implants that produce an LH surge in female, but not male, sheep for immunohistochemical analysis of NKB and NK3R expression. As expected, there were more NKB-containing neurones in the arcuate nucleus of females than males. Interestingly, there was a similar sexual dimorphism in NK3R-containing neurones in the RCh, NKB-containing close contacts onto these RCh NK3R neurones, and overall NKB-positive fibres in this region. These data demonstrate that there are both functional and morphological sex differences in NKB-NK3R signalling in the RCh and raise the possibility that this dimorphism contributes to the sex-dependent ability of oestradiol to induce an LH surge in female sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Lopez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Bowdridge
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Richard B McCosh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Michelle N Bedenbaugh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Ashley N Lindo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Makayla Metzger
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Megan Haller
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Stanley M Hileman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Robert L Goodman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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57
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Talbi R, Navarro VM. Novel insights into the metabolic action of Kiss1 neurons. Endocr Connect 2020; 9:R124-R133. [PMID: 32348961 PMCID: PMC7274555 DOI: 10.1530/ec-20-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Kiss1 neurons are essential regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis by regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release. Compelling evidence suggests that Kiss1 neurons of the arcuate nucleus (Kiss1ARC), recently identified as the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator driving fertility, also participate in the regulation of metabolism through kisspeptinergic and glutamatergic interactions with, at least, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP)/neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons, located in close apposition with Kiss1ARC. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the recent developments, mainly derived from animal models, on the role of Kiss1 neurons in the regulation of energy balance, including food intake, energy expenditure and the influence of circadian rhythms on this role. Furthermore, the possible neuroendocrine pathways underlying this effect, and the existing controversies related to the anorexigenic action of kisspeptin in the different experimental models, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajae Talbi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor M Navarro
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Correspondence should be addressed to V M Navarro:
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58
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Liu Y, Li X, Shen X, Ivanova D, Lass G, He W, Chen Q, Yu S, Wang Y, Long H, Wang L, Lyu Q, Kuang Y, O’Byrne KT. Dynorphin and GABAA Receptor Signaling Contribute to Progesterone's Inhibition of the LH Surge in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5808894. [PMID: 32181477 PMCID: PMC7153819 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone can block estrogen-induced luteinising hormone (LH) surge secretion and can be used clinically to prevent premature LH surges. The blocking effect of progesterone on the LH surge is mediated through its receptor in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of the hypothalamus. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The preovulatory LH surge induced by estrogen is preceded by a significant reduction in hypothalamic dynorphin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release. To test the detailed roles of dynorphin and GABA in an LH surge blockade by progesterone, ovariectomized and 17β-estradiol capsule-implanted (OVX/E2) mice received simultaneous injections of estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) or vehicle for 2 consecutive days. The LH level was monitored from 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm at 30-minute intervals. Progesterone coadministration resulted in the LH surge blockade. A continuous microinfusion of the dynorphin receptor antagonist nor-BNI or GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the AVPV from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm reversed the progesterone-mediated blockade of the LH surge in 7 of 9 and 6 of 10 mice, respectively. In addition, these LH surges started much earlier than the surge induced by estrogen alone. However, 5 of 7 progesterone-treated mice did not show LH surge secretion after microinfusion with the GABAB receptor antagonist CGP-35348. Additionally, peripheral administration of kisspeptin-54 promotes LH surge-like release in progesterone treated mice. These results demonstrated that the progesterone-mediated suppression of the LH surge is mediated by an increase in dynorphin and GABAA receptor signaling acting though kisspeptin neurons in the AVPV of the hypothalamus in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Liu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
| | - Xi Shen
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
| | - Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
| | - Geffen Lass
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
| | - Wen He
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuju Chen
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Sha Yu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Long
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Qifeng Lyu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanping Kuang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
- Correspondence: Kevin O’Byrne, PhD, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Guy’s Campus, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL. E-mail: ; or Yanping Kuang, Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. E-mail:
| | - Kevin T O’Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, UK
- Correspondence: Kevin O’Byrne, PhD, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Guy’s Campus, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL. E-mail: ; or Yanping Kuang, Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. E-mail:
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59
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Delaney A, Volochayev R, Meader B, Lee J, Almpani K, Noukelak GY, Henkind J, Chalmers L, Law JR, Williamson KA, Jacobsen CM, Buitrago TP, Perez O, Cho CH, Kaindl A, Rauch A, Steindl K, Garcia JE, Russell BE, Prasad R, Mondal UK, Reigstad HM, Clements S, Kim S, Inoue K, Arora G, Salnikov KB, DiOrio NP, Prada R, Capri Y, Morioka K, Mizota M, Zechi-Ceide RM, Kokitsu-Nakata NM, Tonello C, Vendramini-Pittoli S, da Silva Dalben G, Balasubramanian R, Dwyer AA, Seminara SB, Crowley WF, Plummer L, Hall JE, Graham JM, Lin AE, Shaw ND. Insight Into the Ontogeny of GnRH Neurons From Patients Born Without a Nose. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 105:dgaa065. [PMID: 32034419 PMCID: PMC7108682 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The reproductive axis is controlled by a network of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons born in the primitive nose that migrate to the hypothalamus alongside axons of the olfactory system. The observation that congenital anosmia (inability to smell) is often associated with GnRH deficiency in humans led to the prevailing view that GnRH neurons depend on olfactory structures to reach the brain, but this hypothesis has not been confirmed. OBJECTIVE The objective of this work is to determine the potential for normal reproductive function in the setting of completely absent internal and external olfactory structures. METHODS We conducted comprehensive phenotyping studies in 11 patients with congenital arhinia. These studies were augmented by review of medical records and study questionnaires in another 40 international patients. RESULTS All male patients demonstrated clinical and/or biochemical signs of GnRH deficiency, and the 5 men studied in person had no luteinizing hormone (LH) pulses, suggesting absent GnRH activity. The 6 women studied in person also had apulsatile LH profiles, yet 3 had spontaneous breast development and 2 women (studied from afar) had normal breast development and menstrual cycles, suggesting a fully intact reproductive axis. Administration of pulsatile GnRH to 2 GnRH-deficient patients revealed normal pituitary responsiveness but gonadal failure in the male patient. CONCLUSIONS Patients with arhinia teach us that the GnRH neuron, a key gatekeeper of the reproductive axis, is associated with but may not depend on olfactory structures for normal migration and function, and more broadly, illustrate the power of extreme human phenotypes in answering fundamental questions about human embryology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Delaney
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rita Volochayev
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Brooke Meader
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Janice Lee
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Germaine Y Noukelak
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Laura Chalmers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Jennifer R Law
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kathleen A Williamson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christina M Jacobsen
- Divisions of Endocrinology and Genetic and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Orlando Perez
- Academia Nacional de Medicina de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Chie-Hee Cho
- Department of Radiology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angela Kaindl
- Biology & Neurobiology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anita Rauch
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Radiz-Rare Disease Initiative Zurich, Clinical Research Priority Program for Rare Diseases, University of Zurich, Schlieren-Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Steindl
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Radiz-Rare Disease Initiative Zurich, Clinical Research Priority Program for Rare Diseases, University of Zurich, Schlieren-Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jose Elias Garcia
- División de Genética, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Bianca E Russell
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rameshwar Prasad
- Department of Neonatology, IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, India
| | - Uttam K Mondal
- Department of Neonatology, IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, India
| | - Hallvard M Reigstad
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Scott Clements
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Susan Kim
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kaoru Inoue
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gazal Arora
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kathryn B Salnikov
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nicole P DiOrio
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rolando Prada
- Department of Craniofacial Surgery, Children’s University Hospital of San Jose, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Yline Capri
- Service de Génétique Clinique, CHU Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Kosuke Morioka
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kagoshima City Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Michiyo Mizota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kagoshima Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Roseli M Zechi-Ceide
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (HRCA), University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Nancy M Kokitsu-Nakata
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (HRCA), University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | | | - Siulan Vendramini-Pittoli
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (HRCA), University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | | | - Ravikumar Balasubramanian
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew A Dwyer
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
| | - Stephanie B Seminara
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - William F Crowley
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lacey Plummer
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Janet E Hall
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John M Graham
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Angela E Lin
- Medical Genetics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Natalie D Shaw
- Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
- Harvard Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center and NICHD Center of Excellence in Translational Research in Fertility and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Single-Cell Gene Profiling Reveals Social Status-Dependent Modulation of Nuclear Hormone Receptors in GnRH Neurons in a Male Cichlid Fish. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082724. [PMID: 32326396 PMCID: PMC7215790 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is essential for the initiation and maintenance of reproductive functions in vertebrates. To date, three distinct paralogue lineages, GnRH1, GnRH2, and GnRH3, have been identified with different functions and regulatory mechanisms. Among them, hypothalamic GnRH1 neurons are classically known as the hypophysiotropic form that is regulated by estrogen feedback. However, the mechanism of action underlying the estrogen-dependent regulation of GnRH1 has been debated, mainly due to the coexpression of low levels of estrogen receptor (ER) genes. In addition, the role of sex steroids in the modulation of GnRH2 and GnRH3 neurons has not been fully elucidated. Using single-cell real-time PCR, we revealed the expression of genes for estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, thyroid, and xenobiotic receptors in GnRH1, GnRH2, and GnRH3 neurons in the male Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. We further quantified expression levels of estrogen receptor genes (ERα, ERβ, and ERγ) in three GnRH neuron types in male tilapia of two different social statuses (dominant and subordinate) at the single cell level. In dominant males, GnRH1 mRNA levels were positively proportional to ERγ mRNA levels, while in subordinate males, GnRH2 mRNA levels were positively proportional to ERβ mRNA levels. These results indicate that variations in the expression of nuclear receptors (and possibly steroid sensitivities) among individual GnRH cells may facilitate different physiological processes, such as the promotion of reproductive activities through GnRH1 neurons, and the inhibition of feeding and sexual behaviors through GnRH2 neurons.
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61
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Herbison AE. A simple model of estrous cycle negative and positive feedback regulation of GnRH secretion. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100837. [PMID: 32240664 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The gonadal steroids estradiol and progesterone exert critical suppressive and stimulatory actions upon the brain to control gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release that drives the estrous/menstrual cycle. A simple model for understanding these interactions is proposed in which the activity of the "GnRH pulse generator" is restrained by post-ovulation progesterone secretion to bring about the estrus/luteal phase slowing of pulsatile gonadotropin release, while the activity of the "GnRH surge generator" is primed by the rising follicular phase levels of estradiol to generate the pre-ovulatory surge. The physiological fluctuations in estradiol levels across the cycle are considered to clamp the GnRH pulse generator output at a constant level. Independent pulse and surge generator circuitries regulate the excitability of different compartments of the GnRH neuron. As such, GnRH secretion through the cycle is determined simply by the summed influence of the estradiol-clamped, progesterone-regulated pulse and estradiol-regulated surge generators on the GnRH neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan E Herbison
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, University of Otago School of Biomedical Sciences, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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62
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McCosh RB, Lopez JA, Szeligo BM, Bedenbaugh MN, Hileman SM, Coolen LM, Lehman MN, Goodman RL. Evidence that Nitric Oxide Is Critical for LH Surge Generation in Female Sheep. Endocrinology 2020; 161:bqaa010. [PMID: 32067028 PMCID: PMC7060766 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Elevated and sustained estradiol concentrations cause a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) surge that is necessary for ovulation. In sheep, several different neural systems have been implicated in this stimulatory action of estradiol and this study focused on somatostatin (SST) neurons in the ventral lateral region of the ventral medial nucleus (vlVMN) which express c-Fos during the surge. First, we determined if increased activity of SST neurons could be related to elevated GnRH secretion by assessing SST synapses onto GnRH neurons and neurons coexpressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B, dynorphin (KNDy). We found that the percentage of preoptic area GnRH neurons that receive SST input increased during the surge compared with other phases of the cycle. However, since SST is generally inhibitory, and pharmacological manipulation of SST signaling did not alter the LH surge in sheep, we hypothesized that nitric oxide (NO) was also produced by these neurons to account for their activation during the surge. In support of this hypothesis we found that (1) the majority of SST cells in the vlVMN (>80%) contained neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS); (2) the expression of c-Fos in dual-labeled SST-nNOS cells, but not in single-labeled cells, increased during the surge compared with other phases of the cycle; and (3) intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, completely blocked the estrogen-induced LH surge. These data support the hypothesis that the population of SST-nNOS cells in the vlVMN are a source of NO that is critical for the LH surge, and we propose that they are an important site of estradiol positive feedback in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B McCosh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Justin A Lopez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Brett M Szeligo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Michelle N Bedenbaugh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Stanley M Hileman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
| | - Robert L Goodman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
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63
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Rosinger ZJ, De Guzman RM, Jacobskind JS, Saglimbeni B, Malone M, Fico D, Justice NJ, Forni PE, Zuloaga DG. Sex-dependent effects of chronic variable stress on discrete corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 cell populations. Physiol Behav 2020; 219:112847. [PMID: 32081812 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are strikingly more prevalent in women compared with men. Dysregulation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) binding to its cognate receptor (CRFR1) is thought to play a critical role in the etiology of these disorders. In the present study, we investigated whether there were sex differences in the effects of chronic variable stress (CVS) on CRFR1 cells using CRFR1-GFP reporter mice experiencing a 9-day CVS paradigm. Brains were collected from CVS and stress naïve female and male mice following exposure to the open field test. This CVS paradigm effectively increased anxiety-like behavior in female and male mice. In addition, we assessed changes in activation of CRFR1 cells (co-localization with c-Fos and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB)) in stress associated brain structures, including two sexually dimorphic CRFR1 cell groups in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN; F>M) and paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN; M>F). CVS increased CRFR1-GFP cell number as well as the number of CRFR1/pCREB co-expressing cells in the female but not male AVPV/PeN. In the PVN, the number of CRFR1/pCREB co-expressing cells was overall greater in males regardless of treatment and CVS resulted in a male-specific reduction of CRFR1/c-Fos cells. In addition, CVS induced a female-specific reduction in CRFR1/c-Fos cells within the anteroventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and both sexes exhibited a reduction in CRFR1/c-Fos co-expressing cells following CVS within the ventral basolateral amygdala. Overall, these sex-specific effects of CVS on CRFR1 populations may have implications for sex differences in stress-induction of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Rosinger
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Brianna Saglimbeni
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Margaret Malone
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Danielle Fico
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, The RNA Institute, and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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64
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Sen A, Hoffmann HM. Role of core circadian clock genes in hormone release and target tissue sensitivity in the reproductive axis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 501:110655. [PMID: 31756424 PMCID: PMC6962569 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Precise timing in hormone release from the hypothalamus, the pituitary and ovary is critical for fertility. Hormonal release patterns of the reproductive axis are regulated by a feedback loop within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The timing and rhythmicity of hormone release and tissue sensitivity in the HPG axis is regulated by circadian clocks located in the hypothalamus (suprachiasmatic nucleus, kisspeptin and GnRH neurons), the pituitary (gonadotrophs), the ovary (theca and granulosa cells), the testis (Leydig cells), as well as the uterus (endometrium and myometrium). The circadian clocks integrate environmental and physiological signals to produce cell endogenous rhythms generated by a transcriptional-translational feedback loop of transcription factors that are collectively called the "molecular clock". This review specifically focuses on the contribution of molecular clock transcription factors in regulating hormone release patterns in the reproductive axis, with an emphasis on the female reproductive system. Specifically, we discuss the contributions of circadian rhythms in distinct neuronal populations of the female hypothalamus, the molecular clock in the pituitary and its overall impact on female and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritro Sen
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Science Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hanne M Hoffmann
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Science Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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65
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Goodman RL, He W, Lopez JA, Bedenbaugh MN, McCosh RB, Bowdridge EC, Coolen LM, Lehman MN, Hileman SM. Evidence That the LH Surge in Ewes Involves Both Neurokinin B-Dependent and -Independent Actions of Kisspeptin. Endocrinology 2019; 160:2990-3000. [PMID: 31599937 PMCID: PMC6857763 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has implicated neurokinin B (NKB) signaling in the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) of the ewe in the LH surge. To test this hypothesis, we first lesioned NK3R neurons in this area by using a saporin conjugate (NK3-SAP). Three weeks after bilateral injection of NK3-SAP or a blank control (BLK-SAP) into the RCh, an LH surge was induced by using an artificial follicular-phase model in ovariectomized ewes. NK3-SAP lesioned approximately 88% of RCh NK3R-containing neurons and reduced the amplitude of the estrogen-induced LH surge by 58%, an inhibition similar to that seen previously with intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of a KISS1R antagonist (p271). We next tested the hypothesis that NKB signaling in the RCh acts via kisspeptin by determining whether the combined effects of NK3R-SAP lesions and icv infusion of p271 were additive. Experiment 1 was replicated except that ewes received two sequential artificial follicular phases with infusions of p271 or vehicle using a crossover design. The combination of the two treatments decreased the peak of the LH surge by 59%, which was similar to that seen with NK3-SAP (52%) or p271 (54%) alone. In contrast, p271 infusion delayed the onset and peak of the LH surge in both NK3-SAP- and BLK-SAP-injected ewes. Based on these data, we propose that NKB signaling in the RCh increases kisspeptin levels critical for the full amplitude of the LH surge in the ewe but that kisspeptin release occurs independently of RCh input at the onset of the surge to initiate GnRH secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Goodman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Correspondence: Robert L. Goodman, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506. E-mail:
| | - Wen He
- Brain Health Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
| | - Justin A Lopez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Michelle N Bedenbaugh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Richard B McCosh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Elizabeth C Bowdridge
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Brain Health Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Brain Health Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
| | - Stanley M Hileman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
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Moore AM, Coolen LM, Lehman MN. Kisspeptin/Neurokinin B/Dynorphin (KNDy) cells as integrators of diverse internal and external cues: evidence from viral-based monosynaptic tract-tracing in mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14768. [PMID: 31611573 PMCID: PMC6791851 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51201-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) that co-express kisspeptin, neurokinin B and dynorphin (KNDy cells) are essential for mammalian reproduction as key regulators of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. Although multiple endogenous and exogenous signals act indirectly via KNDy neurons to regulate GnRH, the identity of upstream neurons that provide synaptic input to this subpopulation is unclear. We used rabies-mediated tract-tracing in transgenic Kiss1-Cre mice combined with whole-brain optical clearing and multiple-label immunofluorescence to create a comprehensive and quantitative brain-wide map of neurons providing monosynaptic input to KNDy cells, as well as identify the estrogen receptor content and peptidergic phenotype of afferents. Over 90% of monosynaptic input to KNDy neurons originated from hypothalamic nuclei in both male and female mice. The greatest input arose from non-KNDy ARC neurons, including proopiomelanocortin-expressing cells. Significant female-dominant sex differences in afferent input were detected from estrogen-sensitive hypothalamic nuclei critical for reproductive endocrine function and sexual behavior in mice, indicating KNDy cells may provide a unique site for the coordination of sex-specific behavior and gonadotropin release. These data provide key insight into the structural framework underlying the ability of KNDy neurons to integrate endogenous and environmental signals important for the regulation of reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleisha M Moore
- Brain Health Research Institute and Dept. of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Brain Health Research Institute and Dept. of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Brain Health Research Institute and Dept. of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
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Ruddenklau A, Campbell RE. Neuroendocrine Impairments of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Endocrinology 2019; 160:2230-2242. [PMID: 31265059 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent and distressing disorder of largely unknown etiology. Although PCOS defined by ovarian dysfunction, accumulating evidence supports a critical role for the brain in the ontogeny and pathophysiology of PCOS. A critical pathological feature of PCOS is impaired gonadal steroid hormone negative feedback to the GnRH neuronal network in the brain that regulates fertility. This impairment is associated with androgen excess, a cardinal feature of PCOS. Impaired steroid hormone feedback to GnRH neurons is thought to drive hyperactivity of the neuroendocrine axis controlling fertility, leading to a vicious cycle of androgen excess and reproductive dysfunction. Decades of clinical research have been unable to uncover the mechanisms underlying this impairment, because of the extreme difficulty in studying the brain in humans. It is only recently, with the development of preclinical models of PCOS, that we have begun to unravel the role of the brain in the development and progression of PCOS. Here, we provide a succinct overview of what is known about alterations in the steroid hormone-sensitive GnRH neuronal network that may underlie the neuroendocrine defects in clinical PCOS, with a particular focus on those that may contribute to impaired progesterone negative feedback, and the likely role of androgens in driving this impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Ruddenklau
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Porteous R, Herbison AE. Genetic Deletion of Esr1 in the Mouse Preoptic Area Disrupts the LH Surge and Estrous Cyclicity. Endocrinology 2019; 160:1821-1829. [PMID: 31145462 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor α (ESR1) is critical for the generation of the preovulatory LH surge. Experiments in rodents have indicated a role for neurons located in the anteroventral periventricular area and preoptic periventricular nucleus [termed the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V)] in surge generation. In the current study, we aimed to examine whether ESR1 expressed by RP3V neurons was necessary for the LH surge. The estrous cycles of mice with estrogen receptor α (Esr1) exon 3 flanked by LoxP sites (Esr1 flox) and controls were monitored before and after bilateral stereotactic injection of adeno-associated virus encoding Cre recombinase into the RP3V. This resulted in 84% and 72% decreases in ESR1-immunoreactive cell numbers in the anteroventral periventricular area and preoptic periventricular nucleus, respectively, with no changes in the arcuate nucleus. Beginning three weeks after the adeno-associated virus injection, Esr1 flox mice began to show a loss of estrous cyclicity going, primarily, into constant estrus. Wild-type mice and Esr1 flox mice with injections outside the RP3V or unilateral ablations of ESR1 continued to exhibit normal estrous cycles. Mice were then gonadectomized and given an estradiol replacement regimen to generate the LH surge. This resulted in an absence of cFOS expression in GnRH neurons (1 ± 1% vs 28 ± 4% of GnRH neurons; P < 0.01) and markedly reduced LH surge levels (2.5 ± 0.6 vs 9.1 ± 1.0 ng/mL; P < 0.01) in Esr1 flox mice compared with controls. These results demonstrate that neurons expressing ESR1 within the RP3V are critical for the generation of the LH surge and estrous cyclicity in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Porteous
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Allan E Herbison
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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69
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Gonadoliberin – Synthesis, Secretion, Molecular Mechanisms and Targets of Action. ACTA BIOMEDICA SCIENTIFICA 2019. [DOI: 10.29413/abs.2019-4.2.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Decapeptide gonadoliberin (GnRH) is the most important regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis that controls the synthesis and secretion of the luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones by gonadotrophs in the adenohypophysis. GnRH is produced by the specialized hypothalamic neurons using the site-specific proteolysis of the precursor protein and is secreted into the portal pituitary system, where it binds to the specific receptors. These receptors belong to the family of G protein-coupled receptors, and they are located on the surface of gonadotrophs and mediate the regulatory effects of GnRH on the gonadotropins production. The result of GnRH binding to them is the activation of phospholipase C and the calcium-dependent pathways, the stimulation of different forms of mitogen-activated protein kinases, as well as the activation of the enzyme adenylyl cyclase and the triggering of cAMP-dependent signaling pathways in the gonadotrophs. The gonadotropins, kisspeptin, sex steroid hormones, insulin, melatonin and a number of transcription factors have an important role in the regulation of GnRH1 gene expression, which encodes the GnRH precursor, as well as the synthesis and secretion of GnRH. The functional activity of GnRH-producing neurons depends on their migration to the hypothalamic region at the early stages of ontogenesis, which is controlled by anosmin, ephrins, and lactosamine-rich surface glycoconjugate. Dysregulation of the migration of GnRH-producing neurons and the impaired production and secretion of GnRH, lead to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and other dysfunctions of the reproductive system. This review is devoted to the current state of the problem of regulating the synthesis and secretion of GnRH, the mechanisms of migration of hypothalamic GnRH-producing neurons at the early stages of brain development, the functional activity of the GnRH-producing neurons in the adult hypothalamus and the molecular mechanisms of GnRH action on the pituitary gonadotrophs. New experimental data are analyzed, which significantly change the current understanding of the functioning of GnRH-producing neurons and the secretion of GnRH, which is very important for the development of effective approaches for correcting the functions of the HPG axis.
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Mohr MA, Wong AM, Tomm RJ, Soma KK, Micevych PE. Pubertal development of estradiol-induced hypothalamic progesterone synthesis. Horm Behav 2019; 111:110-113. [PMID: 30552874 PMCID: PMC6527482 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In females, a hallmark of puberty is the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge that triggers ovulation. Puberty initiates estrogen positive feedback onto hypothalamic circuits, which underlie the stimulation of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. In reproductively mature female rodents, both estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) signaling are necessary to stimulate the surge release of GnRH and LH. Estradiol membrane-initiated signaling facilitates progesterone (neuroP) synthesis in hypothalamic astrocytes, which act on E2-induced progesterone receptors (PGR) to stimulate kisspeptin release, thereby activating GnRH release. How the brain changes during puberty to allow estrogen positive feedback remains unknown. In the current study, we hypothesized that a critical step in estrogen positive feedback was the ability for estradiol-induced neuroP synthesis. To test this idea, hypothalamic neuroP levels were measured in groups of prepubertal, pubertal and young adult female Long Evans rats. Steroids were measured with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Hypothalamic neuroP increases from pre-puberty to young adulthood in both gonad-intact females and ovariectomized rats treated with E2. The pubertal development of hypothalamic E2-facilitated progesterone synthesis appears to be one of the neural switches facilitating reproductive maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Mohr
- UCLA DGSOM Dept of Neurobiology, 650 Charles E Young Dr. S, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, United States of America.
| | - A M Wong
- UCLA DGSOM Dept of Neurobiology, 650 Charles E Young Dr. S, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, United States of America
| | - R J Tomm
- UBC Dept of Psychology and Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - K K Soma
- UBC Dept of Psychology and Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - P E Micevych
- UCLA DGSOM Dept of Neurobiology, 650 Charles E Young Dr. S, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, United States of America
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71
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Gore AC, Krishnan K, Reilly MP. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Effects on neuroendocrine systems and the neurobiology of social behavior. Horm Behav 2019; 111:7-22. [PMID: 30476496 PMCID: PMC6527472 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A contribution to SBN/ICN special issue. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pervasive in the environment. They are found in plastics and plasticizers (bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates), in industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and include some pesticides and fungicides such as vinclozolin. These chemicals act on hormone receptors and their downstream signaling pathways, and can interfere with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and actions. Because the developing brain is particularly sensitive to endogenous hormones, disruptions by EDCs can change neural circuits that form during periods of brain organization. Here, we review the evidence that EDCs affect developing hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems, and change behavioral outcomes in juvenile, adolescent, and adult life in exposed individuals, and even in their descendants. Our focus is on social, communicative and sociosexual behaviors, as how an individual behaves with a same- or opposite-sex conspecific determines that individual's ability to exist in a community, be selected as a mate, and reproduce successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Ozaki S, Higo S, Iwata K, Saeki H, Ozawa H. Region-specific changes in brain kisspeptin receptor expression during estrogen depletion and the estrous cycle. Histochem Cell Biol 2019; 152:25-34. [PMID: 30671658 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-01767-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin acts as a potent neuropeptide regulator of reproduction through modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Previous studies revealed sex differences in brain expression patterns as well as regulation of expression by estrogen. Alternatively, sex differences and estrogen regulation of the kisspeptin receptor (encoded by Kiss1r) have not been examined at cellular resolution. In the current study, we examined whether Kiss1r mRNA expression also exhibits estrogen sensitivity and sex-dependent differences using in situ hybridization. We compared Kiss1r mRNA expression between ovariectomized (OVX) rats and estradiol (E2)-replenished OVX rats to examine estrogen sensitivity, and compared expression between gonadally intact male rats and female rats in diestrus or proestrus to examine sex differences. In OVX rats, E2 replenishment significantly reduced Kiss1r expression specifically in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). A difference in Kiss1r expression was also observed between diestrus and proestrus rats in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), but not in the ARC. Thus, estrogen appears to have region- and context-specific effects on Kiss1r expression. However, immunostaining revealed minimal colocalization of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in Kiss1r-expressing neuronal populations of ARC and PVN, indicating indirect or ERα-independent regulation of Kiss1r expression. Surprisingly, unlike the kisspeptin ligand, no sexual dimorphisms were observed in either the brain distribution of Kiss1r expression or in the number of Kiss1r-expressing neurons within enriched brain nuclei. The current study reveals marked differences in regulation between kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor, and provides an essential foundation for further study of kisspeptin signaling and function in reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeko Ozaki
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1-1-5, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shimpei Higo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1-1-5, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Kinuyo Iwata
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1-1-5, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Hidehisa Saeki
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ozawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1-1-5, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
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73
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Hill JW, Elias CF. Neuroanatomical Framework of the Metabolic Control of Reproduction. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:2349-2380. [PMID: 30109817 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00033.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A minimum amount of energy is required for basic physiological processes, such as protein biosynthesis, thermoregulation, locomotion, cardiovascular function, and digestion. However, for reproductive function and survival of the species, extra energy stores are necessary. Production of sex hormones and gametes, pubertal development, pregnancy, lactation, and parental care all require energy reserves. Thus the physiological systems that control energy homeostasis and reproductive function coevolved in mammals to support both individual health and species subsistence. In this review, we aim to gather scientific knowledge produced by laboratories around the world on the role of the brain in integrating metabolism and reproduction. We describe essential neuronal networks, highlighting key nodes and potential downstream targets. Novel animal models and genetic tools have produced substantial advances, but critical gaps remain. In times of soaring worldwide obesity and metabolic dysfunction, understanding the mechanisms by which metabolic stress alters reproductive physiology has become crucial for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer W Hill
- Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research, Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toledo College of Medicine , Toledo, Ohio ; and Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Carol F Elias
- Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research, Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toledo College of Medicine , Toledo, Ohio ; and Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Hrabovszky E, Takács S, Göcz B, Skrapits K. New Perspectives for Anatomical and Molecular Studies of Kisspeptin Neurons in the Aging Human Brain. Neuroendocrinology 2019; 109:230-241. [PMID: 30612127 DOI: 10.1159/000496566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The human infundibular nucleus (corresponding to the rodent arcuate nucleus) serves as an important integration center for neuronal signals and hormones released by peripheral endocrine organs. Kisspeptin (KP)-producing neurons of this anatomical site, many of which also synthesize neurokinin B (NKB), are critically involved in sex hormone signaling to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. In recent years, the basic topography, morphology, neuropeptide content, and connectivity of human KP neurons have been investigated with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on postmortem tissues. These studies revealed that human KP neurons differ neurochemically from their rodent counterparts and show robust aging-related plasticity. Earlier immunohistochemical experiments also provided evidence for temporal changes in the hypothalamus of aging men whose NKB and KP neurons undergo hypertrophy, increase in number, exhibit increased neuropeptide mRNA expression and immunoreactivity and give rise to higher numbers of immunoreactive fibers and afferent contacts onto GnRH neurons. Increasing percentages of KP-expressing NKB perikarya, NKB axons, and NKB inputs to GnRH neurons raise the intriguing possibility that a significant subset of NKB neurons begins to cosynthesize KP as aging advances. Although use of postmortem tissues is technically challenging, recently available single-cell anatomical and molecular approaches discussed in this review provide promising new tools to investigate the aging-related anatomical and functional plasticity of the human KP neuronal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Hrabovszky
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary,
| | - Szabolcs Takács
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Göcz
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Skrapits
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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75
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Kim J, Cha S, Lee MY, Hwang YJ, Yang E, Ryou C, Jung HI, Cheon YP. Chronic Low-Dose Nonylphenol or Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate has a Different Estrogen-like Response in Mouse Uterus. Dev Reprod 2018; 22:379-391. [PMID: 30680337 PMCID: PMC6344359 DOI: 10.12717/dr.2018.22.4.379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Through the development of organic synthetic skill, chemicals that mimic signaling mediators such as steroid hormones have been exposed to the environment. Recently, it has become apparent that this circumstance should be further studied in the field of physiology. Estrogenic action of chronic low-dose nonylphenol (NP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in mouse uterus was assessed in this study. Ten to twelve-week-old female mice (CD-1) were fed drinking water containing NP (50 or 500 μg/L) or DEHP (133 or 1,330 μg/L) for 10 weeks. Uterine diameter, the thickness of myometrium and endometrium, and the height of luminal epithelial cells were measured and the number of glands were counted. The expression levels of the known 17β-estradiol (E2)-regulated genes were evaluated with real-time RT-PCR methodology. The ration of uterine weight to body weight increased in 133 μg/L DEHP. Endometrial and myometrial thickness increased in 133 and 1,330 μg/L DEHP treated groups, and in 50, 500 μg/L NP and 133 μg/L DEHP, respectively. The height of luminal epithelial cell decreased in NP groups. The numbers of luminal epithelial gland were decreased in NP groups but increased in 50 μg/L DEHP group. The histological characters of glands were not different between groups. The mRNA expression profiles of the known 17β-estradiol (E2) downstream genes, Esr1, Esr2, Pgr, Lox, and Muc1, were also different between NP and DEHP groups. The expression levels dramatically increased in some genes by the NP or DEHP. Based on these results, it is suggested that the chronic low-dose NP or DEHP works as estrogen-like messengers in uterus with their own specific gene expression-regulation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhye Kim
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
| | - Sunyeong Cha
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
| | - Min Young Lee
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
| | - Yeon Jeong Hwang
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
| | - Eunhyeok Yang
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
| | - Chongsuk Ryou
- Dept. of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
| | - Hyo-Il Jung
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Yong-Pil Cheon
- Division of Developmental Biology and Physiology, School of Bioscience and Chemistry, Institute for Basic Sciences, Sungshin University, Seoul 02844, Korea
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76
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Rosinger ZJ, Jacobskind JS, Bulanchuk N, Malone M, Fico D, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Characterization and gonadal hormone regulation of a sexually dimorphic corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 cell group. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:1056-1069. [PMID: 30499109 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor binds with high affinity to CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) and is implicated in stress-related mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Using a validated CRFR1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter mouse, our laboratory recently discovered a nucleus of CRFR1 expressing cells that is prominent in the female rostral anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN), but largely absent in males. This sex difference is present in the early postnatal period and remains dimorphic into adulthood. The present investigation sought to characterize the chemical composition and gonadal hormone regulation of these sexually dimorphic CRFR1 cells using immunohistochemical procedures. We report that CRFR1-GFP-ir cells within the female AVPV/PeN are largely distinct from other dimorphic cell populations (kisspeptin, tyrosine hydroxylase). However, CRFR1-GFP-ir cells within the AVPV/PeN highly co-express estrogen receptor alpha as well as glucocorticoid receptor. A single injection of testosterone propionate or estradiol benzoate on the day of birth completely eliminates the AVPV/PeN sex difference, whereas adult gonadectomy has no effect on CRFR1-GFP cell number. These results indicate that the AVPV/PeN CRFR1 is regulated by perinatal but not adult gonadal hormones. Finally, female AVPV/PeN CRFR1-GFP-ir cells are activated following an acute 30-min restraint stress, as assessed by co-localization of CRFR1-GFP cells with phosphorylated (p) CREB. CRFR1-GFP/pCREB cells were largely absent in the male AVPV/PeN. Together, these data indicate a stress and gonadal hormone responsive nucleus that is unique to females and may contribute to sex-specific stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicole Bulanchuk
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Margaret Malone
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Danielle Fico
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
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Szeliga A, Czyzyk A, Podfigurna A, Genazzani AR, Genazzani AD, Meczekalski B. The role of kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin neurons in pathomechanism of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women: from physiology to potential therapeutic applications. Gynecol Endocrinol 2018; 34:913-919. [PMID: 29902942 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2018.1480711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Women during perimenopausal period experience a range of symptoms, which interfere with physical, sexual, and social life. About 65-75% of symptoms connected with postmenopausal period are vasomotor symptoms (VMS), such as hot flushes and night sweats. Hot flushes are subjective sensation of heat associated with cutaneous vasodilatation and drop in core temperature. It is suspected that VMS are strongly correlated with pulsatile oversecretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and subsequently luteinizing hormone (LH). Evidence has accumulated in parallel showing that lack of negative feedback of steroid hormones synthesized in ovary causes overactivation of hypertrophied kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons, located in infundibular nucleus. Oversecretion of both kisspeptin (KISS1) and neurokinin B (NKB), as well as downregulation of dynorphin, plays dominant role in creation of GnRH pulses. This in turn causes VMS. Administration of senktide, highly potent and selective NK3R agonist, resulted in increase of serum LH concentration, induction of VMS, increase in heart rate, and skin temperature in postmenopausal women. These finding suggest that modulation of KNDy neurons may become new therapeutic approach in the treatment of VMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Szeliga
- a Department of Gynecological Endocrinology , Poznan University of Medical Sciences , Poznan , Poland
| | - Adam Czyzyk
- a Department of Gynecological Endocrinology , Poznan University of Medical Sciences , Poznan , Poland
| | - Agnieszka Podfigurna
- a Department of Gynecological Endocrinology , Poznan University of Medical Sciences , Poznan , Poland
| | - Andrea R Genazzani
- b Department of Reproductive Medicine and Child Development, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics , University of Pisa , Pisa , Italy
| | - Alessandro D Genazzani
- c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Gynecological Endocrinology Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Modena , Italy
| | - Blazej Meczekalski
- a Department of Gynecological Endocrinology , Poznan University of Medical Sciences , Poznan , Poland
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Acevedo-Rodriguez A, Kauffman AS, Cherrington BD, Borges CS, Roepke TA, Laconi M. Emerging insights into hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis regulation and interaction with stress signalling. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30. [PMID: 29524268 PMCID: PMC6129417 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction and fertility are regulated via hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Control of this reproductive axis occurs at all levels, including the brain and pituitary, and allows for the promotion or inhibition of gonadal sex steroid secretion and function. In addition to guiding proper gonadal development and function, gonadal sex steroids also act in negative- and positive-feedback loops to regulate reproductive circuitry in the brain, including kisspeptin neurones, thereby modulating overall HPG axis status. Additional regulation is also provided by sex steroids made within the brain, including neuroprogestins. Furthermore, because reproduction and survival need to be coordinated and balanced, the HPG axis is able to modulate (and be modulated by) stress hormone signalling, including cortiscosterone, from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This review covers recent data related to the neural, hormonal and stress regulation of the HPG axis and emerging interactions between the HPG and HPA axes, focusing on actions at the level of the brain and pituitary.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Acevedo-Rodriguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A S Kauffman
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - B D Cherrington
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - C S Borges
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - T A Roepke
- Department of Animal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - M Laconi
- Laboratorio de Fisiopatología Ovárica, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU - CONICET), Universidad Juan Agustín Maza, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Ambientales, Universidad Juan Agustín Maza, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
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Kaprara A, Huhtaniemi IT. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis: Tales of mice and men. Metabolism 2018; 86:3-17. [PMID: 29223677 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons play a central role in this axis through production of GnRH, which binds to a membrane receptor on pituitary gonadotrophs and stimulates the biosynthesis and secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Multiple factors affect GnRH neuron migration, GnRH gene expression, GnRH pulse generator, GnRH secretion, GnRH receptor expression, and gonadotropin synthesis and release. Among them anosmin is involved in the guidance of the GnRH neuron migration, and a loss-of-function mutation in its gene leads to a failure of their migration from the olfactory placode to the hypothalamus, with consequent anosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (Kallmann syndrome). There are also cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadim with normal sense of smell, due to mutations of other genes. Another protein, kisspeptin plays a crucial role in the regulation of GnRH pulse generator and the pubertal development. GnRH is the main hypothalamic regulator of the release of gonadotropins. Finally, FSH and LH are the essential hormonal regulators of testicular functions, acting through their receptors in Sertoli and Leydig cells, respectively. The main features of the male HPG axis will be described in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athina Kaprara
- Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
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80
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Spergel DJ. Neuropeptidergic modulation of GnRH neuronal activity and GnRH secretion controlling reproduction: insights from recent mouse studies. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:179-191. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2893-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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81
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Katulski K, Podfigurna A, Czyzyk A, Meczekalski B, Genazzani AD. Kisspeptin and LH pulsatile temporal coupling in PCOS patients. Endocrine 2018; 61:149-157. [PMID: 29728876 PMCID: PMC5997113 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-018-1609-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the temporal coupling between spontaneous kisspeptin and luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsatile releases in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. METHODS We examined 71 patients diagnosed with PCOS. A 2 h pulsatility study was performed to evaluate serum kisspeptin and LH pulse frequency and concentration, sampled every 10 min; baseline follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), cortisol, 17-hydroksy-progesterone (17OHP), testosterone (T), free testosterone index (FTI, and insulin levels were also measured. Detect and Specific Concordance (SC) algorithms were used to evaluate the temporal coupling associations between spontaneous episodic secretion of kisspeptin and LH. RESULTS All PCOS patients demonstrated LH and kisspeptin pulsatile secretions. When the SC index was calculated across the sample of PCOS patients (n = 71), no temporal coupling was observed between kisspeptin and LH pulses. When PCOS patients were subdivided according to their menstrual cyclicity, oligomenorrheic patients demonstrated elevated kisspeptin pulse frequency. Additionally, the SC index reveled a temporal coupling between kisspeptin and LH secretory peaks only in eumenorrheic patients (n = 30, intermenstrual interval < 45 days). Oligomenorrheic PCOS patients (intermenstrual interval > 45 days) did not demonstrate temporal coupling between kisspeptin and LH secretory peaks. CONCLUSIONS The study of the endogenous kisspeptin and LH pulsatile release revealed the temporal coupling of kisspeptin with LH secretory pulses only in eumenorrheic. This data supports the hypothesis that neuroendocrine impairments in PCOS affect the coupling of kisspeptin with LH pulses and potentially worsen as the disease progresses, becoming unequivocally evident in oligomenorrheic PCOS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Katulski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Podfigurna
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Czyzyk
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Blazej Meczekalski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Alessandro D Genazzani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecological Endocrinology Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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82
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Weems PW, Lehman MN, Coolen LM, Goodman RL. The Roles of Neurokinins and Endogenous Opioid Peptides in Control of Pulsatile LH Secretion. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2018; 107:89-135. [PMID: 29544644 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Work over the last 15 years on the control of pulsatile LH secretion has focused largely on a set of neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) that contains two stimulatory neuropeptides, critical for fertility in humans (kisspeptin and neurokinin B (NKB)) and the inhibitory endogenous opioid peptide (EOP), dynorphin, and are now known as KNDy (kisspeptin-NKB-dynorphin) neurons. In this review, we consider the role of each of the KNDy peptides in the generation of GnRH pulses and the negative feedback actions of ovarian steroids, with an emphasis on NKB and dynorphin. With regard to negative feedback, there appear to be important species differences. In sheep, progesterone inhibits GnRH pulse frequency by stimulating dynorphin release, and estradiol inhibits pulse amplitude by suppressing kisspeptin. In rodents, the role of KNDy neurons in estrogen negative feedback remains controversial, progesterone may inhibit GnRH via dynorphin, but the physiological significance of this action is unclear. In primates, an EOP, probably dynorphin, mediates progesterone negative feedback, and estrogen inhibits kisspeptin expression. In contrast, there is now compelling evidence from several species that kisspeptin is the output signal from KNDy neurons that drives GnRH release during a pulse and may also act within the KNDy network to affect pulse frequency. NKB is thought to act within this network to initiate each pulse, although there is some redundancy in tachykinin signaling in rodents. In ruminants, dynorphin terminates GnRH secretion at the end of pulse, most likely acting on both KNDy and GnRH neurons, but the data on the role of this EOP in rodents are conflicting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peyton W Weems
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Michael N Lehman
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Lique M Coolen
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
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83
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Dynamics of GnRH Neuron Ionotropic GABA and Glutamate Synaptic Receptors Are Unchanged during Estrogen Positive and Negative Feedback in Female Mice. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-FTR-0259-17. [PMID: 29109970 PMCID: PMC5672547 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0259-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Inputs from GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons are suspected to play an important role in regulating the activity of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. The GnRH neurons exhibit marked plasticity to control the ovarian cycle with circulating estradiol concentrations having profound "feedback" effects on their activity. This includes "negative feedback" responsible for suppressing GnRH neuron activity and "positive feedback" that occurs at mid-cycle to activate the GnRH neurons to generate the preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge. In the present study, we employed brain slice electrophysiology to question whether synaptic ionotropic GABA and glutamate receptor signaling at the GnRH neuron changed at times of negative and positive feedback. We used a well characterized estradiol (E)-treated ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model to replicate negative and positive feedback. Miniature and spontaneous postsynaptic currents (mPSCs and sPSCs) attributable to GABAA and glutamatergic receptor signaling were recorded from GnRH neurons obtained from intact diestrous, OVX, OVX + E (negative feedback), and OVX + E+E (positive feedback) female mice. Approximately 90% of GnRH neurons exhibited spontaneous GABAA-mPSCs in all groups but no significant differences in the frequency or kinetics of mPSCs were found at the times of negative or positive feedback. Approximately 50% of GnRH neurons exhibited spontaneous glutamate mPSCs but again no differences were detected. The same was true for spontaneous PSCs in all cases. These observations indicate that the kinetics of ionotropic GABA and glutamate receptor synaptic transmission to GnRH neurons remain stable across the different estrogen feedback states.
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84
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Xiang W, Zhang B, Lv F, Feng G, Chen L, Yang F, Zhang K, Cao C, Wang P, Chu M. The potential regulatory mechanisms of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone in gonadotropin transcriptions identified with bioinformatics analyses. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2017; 15:46. [PMID: 28623929 PMCID: PMC5474292 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-017-0264-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The regulation of gonadotropin synthesis and release by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays an essential role in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. However, the mechanisms underlying gonadotropin regulation by GnRH pulse frequency and amplitude are still ambiguous. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with gonadotropin synthesis by GnRH pulse frequencies and amplitudes. METHODS Using GSE63251 datasets downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by comparing the RNA expression from the GnRH pulse group, the GnRH tonic group and the control group. Pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs was performed, followed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. Furthermore, sub-network modules were constructed by ClusterONE and GO function and pathways analysed by DAVID. In addition, the relationship between the metabolic pathways and the GnRH pathway was verified in vitro. RESULTS In total, 531 common DEGs were identified in GnRH groups, including 290 up-regulated and 241 down-regulated genes. DEGs predominantly enriched in 16 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, including 11 up-regulated pathways (signallingsignallingmetabolic pathways, signallingand GnRH signalling pathway) and 5 down-regulated pathways (type II diabetes mellitus). Moreover, FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene (FOS) and jun proto-oncogene (JUN) had higher connectivity degrees in the PPI network. Three modules in the PPI were identified with ClusterONE. The genes in module 1 were significantly enriched in five pathways, including signallingthe insulin resistance and GnRH signalling pathway. The genes in modules 2 and 3 were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and steroid hormone biosynthesis, respectively. Finally, knockdown leptin receptor (LEPR) and insulin receptor (INSR) reversed the GnRH-modulated metabolic related-gene expression. CONCLUSIONS The present study revealed the involvement of GnRH in the regulation of gonadotropin biosynthesis and metabolism in the maintenance of reproduction, achieved by bioinformatics analyses. This, indicates that the GnRH signalling pathway played a central linkings role in reproductive function and metabolic balance. In addition, the present study identified the difference response between GnRH pulse and GnRH tone, indicated that abnormal GnRH pulse and amplitude may cause disease, which may provide an improved understanding of the GnRH pathway and a new insight for disease diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Baoyun Zhang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Fenglin Lv
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Guangde Feng
- Sichuan TQLS Animal Husbandry Science and Technology Co.,LTD, City, Mianyang, Sichuan 621000 China
| | - Long Chen
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Fang Yang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Ke Zhang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Chunyu Cao
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Pingqing Wang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030 China
| | - Mingxing Chu
- Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Genetic Resources and Germplasm Innovation of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
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85
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Mittelman-Smith MA, Wong AM, Micevych PE. Estrogen and Progesterone Integration in an in vitro Model of RP3V Kisspeptin Neurons. Neuroendocrinology 2017; 106:101-115. [PMID: 28384629 PMCID: PMC5750133 DOI: 10.1159/000471878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Positive feedback on gonadotropin release requires not only estrogen but also progesterone to activate neural circuits. In rodents, ovarian estradiol (E2) stimulates progesterone synthesis in hypothalamic astrocytes (neuroP), needed for the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Kisspeptin (kiss) neurons are the principal stimulators of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, and disruption of kiss signaling abrogates the LH surge. Similarly, blocking steroid synthesis in the hypothalamus or deleting classical progesterone receptor (PGR) selectively in kiss neurons prevents the LH surge. These results suggest a synergistic action of E2 and progesterone in kiss neurons to affect gonadotropin release. The mHypoA51, immortalized kiss-expressing neuronal cell line derived from adult female mice, is a tractable model for examining integration of steroid signaling underlying estrogen positive feedback. Here, we report that kiss neurons in vitro integrate E2 and progesterone signaling to increase levels of kiss translation and release. mHypoA51 neurons expressed nonclassical membrane progesterone receptors (mPRα and mPRβ) and E2-inducible PGR, required for progesterone-augmentation of E2-induced kiss expression. With astrocyte-conditioned media or in mHypoA51-astrocyte co-culture, neuroP augmented stimulatory effects of E2 on kiss protein. Progesterone activation of classical, membrane-localized PGR led to activation of MAPK and Src kinases. Importantly, progesterone or Src activation induced release of kiss from E2-primed mHypoA51 neurons. Consistent with previous studies, the present results provide compelling evidence that the interaction of E2 and progesterone stimulates kiss expression and release. Further, these results demonstrate a mechanism though which peripheral E2 may prime kiss neurons to respond to neuroP, mediating estrogen positive feedback.
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86
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Marraudino M, Miceli D, Farinetti A, Ponti G, Panzica G, Gotti S. Kisspeptin innervation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: sexual dimorphism and effect of estrous cycle in female mice. J Anat 2017; 230:775-786. [PMID: 28295274 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is the major autonomic output area of the hypothalamus and a critical regulatory center for energy homeostasis. The organism's energetic balance is very important for both the regular onset of puberty and regulation of fertility. Several studies have suggested a relationship among neural circuits controlling food intake, energy homeostasis and the kisspeptin peptide. The kisspeptin system is clustered in two main groups of cell bodies [the anterior ventral periventricular region (AVPV) and the arcuate nucleus (ARC)] projecting mainly to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and to a few other locations, including the PVN. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of the kisspeptin fibers within the PVN of adult CD1 mice. We observed a significant sexual dimorphism for AVPV and ARC, as well as for the PVN innervation. Kisspeptin fibers showed a different density within the PVN, being denser in the medial part than in the lateral one; moreover, in female, the density changed, according to different phases of the estrous cycle (the highest density being in estrus phase). The presence of a profound effect of estrous cycle on the kisspeptin immunoreactivity in AVPV (with a higher signal in estrus) and ARC, and the strong co-localization between kisspeptin and NkB only in ARC and not in PVN suggested that the majority of the kisspeptin fibers found in the PVN might arise directly from AVPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena Marraudino
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Dèsirèe Miceli
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Alice Farinetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Giovanna Ponti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - GianCarlo Panzica
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Stefano Gotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
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87
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Mittelman-Smith MA, Rudolph LM, Mohr MA, Micevych PE. Rodent Models of Non-classical Progesterone Action Regulating Ovulation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:165. [PMID: 28790975 PMCID: PMC5522857 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is becoming clear that steroid hormones act not only by binding to nuclear receptors that associate with specific response elements in the nucleus but also by binding to receptors on the cell membrane. In this newly discovered manner, steroid hormones can initiate intracellular signaling cascades which elicit rapid effects such as release of internal calcium stores and activation of kinases. We have learned much about the translocation and signaling of steroid hormone receptors from investigations into estrogen receptor α, which can be trafficked to, and signal from, the cell membrane. It is now clear that progesterone (P4) can also elicit effects that cannot be exclusively explained by transcriptional changes. Similar to E2 and its receptors, P4 can initiate signaling at the cell membrane, both through progesterone receptor and via a host of newly discovered membrane receptors (e.g., membrane progesterone receptors, progesterone receptor membrane components). This review discusses the parallels between neurotransmitter-like E2 action and the more recently investigated non-classical P4 signaling, in the context of reproductive behaviors in the rodent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A. Mittelman-Smith
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Melinda A. Mittelman-Smith,
| | - Lauren M. Rudolph
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Margaret A. Mohr
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Paul E. Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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88
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Beymer M, Henningsen J, Bahougne T, Simonneaux V. The role of kisspeptin and RFRP in the circadian control of female reproduction. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 438:89-99. [PMID: 27364888 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In female mammals, reproduction shows ovarian and daily rhythms ensuring that the timing of the greatest fertility coincides with maximal activity and arousal. The ovarian cycle, which lasts from a few days to a few weeks, depends on the rhythm of follicle maturation and ovarian hormone production, whereas the daily cycle depends on a network of circadian clocks of which the main one is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In the last ten years, major progress has been made in the understanding of the neuronal mechanisms governing mammalian reproduction with the finding that two hypothalamic Arg-Phe-amide peptides, kisspeptin (Kp) and RFRP, regulate GnRH neurons. In this review we discuss the pivotal role of Kp and RFRP neurons at the interface between the SCN clock signal and GnRH neurons to properly time gonadotropin-induced ovulation. We also report recent findings indicating that these neurons may be part of the multi-oscillatory circadian system that times female fertility. Finally, we will discuss recent investigations indicating a role, and putative therapeutic use, of these neuropeptides in human reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Beymer
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jo Henningsen
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibault Bahougne
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France; Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabète, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
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89
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Abstract
Kisspeptins are a group of peptide fragments encoded by the KISS1 gene in humans. They bind to kisspeptin receptors with equal efficacy. Kisspeptins and their receptors are expressed by neurons in the arcuate and anteroventral periventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. Oestrogen mediates negative feedback of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone secretion via the arcuate nucleus. Conversely, it exerts positive feedback via the anteroventral periventricular nucleus. The sexual dimorphism of these nuclei accounts for the differential behaviour of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis between genders. Kisspeptins are essential for reproductive function. Puberty is regulated by the maturation of kisspeptin neurons and by interactions between kisspeptins and leptin. Hence, kisspeptins have potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Kisspeptin agonists may be used to localise lesions in cases of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction and evaluate the gonadotrophic potential of subfertile individuals. Kisspeptin antagonists may be useful as contraceptives in women, through the prevention of premature luteinisation during in vitro fertilisation, and in the treatment of sex steroid-dependent diseases and metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eng Loon Tng
- Associate Consultant, Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, 1 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609606
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90
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Montagnini BG, Silveira KM, Pierone BC, de Azevedo Camim N, Anselmo-Franci JA, de Fátima Paccola Mesquita S, Kiss ACI, Gerardin DCC. Reproductive parameters of female Wistar rats treated with methylphenidate during development. Physiol Behav 2016; 167:118-124. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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91
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Seymour AJ, Scott V, Augustine RA, Bouwer GT, Campbell RE, Brown CH. Development of an excitatory kisspeptin projection to the oxytocin system in late pregnancy. J Physiol 2016; 595:825-838. [PMID: 27589336 DOI: 10.1113/jp273051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Oxytocin release from the posterior pituitary gland stimulates uterine contraction during birth but the central mechanisms that activate oxytocin neurones for birth are not well characterized. We found that that kisspeptin fibre density around oxytocin neurones increases in late-pregnant rats. These kisspeptin fibres originated from hypothalamic periventricular nucleus neurones that upregulated kisspeptin expression in late pregnancy. Oxytocin neurones were excited by central kisspeptin administration in late-pregnant rats but not in non-pregnant rats or early- to mid-pregnant rats. Our results reveal the emergence of a new excitatory kisspeptin projection to the oxytocin system in late pregnancy that might contribute to oxytocin neurone activation for birth. ABSTRACT The hormone oxytocin promotes uterine contraction during parturition. Oxytocin is synthesized by magnocellular neurones in the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and is released into the circulation from the posterior pituitary gland in response to action potential firing. Systemic kisspeptin administration increases oxytocin neurone activity to elevate plasma oxytocin levels. Here, immunohistochemistry revealed that rats on the expected day of parturition (day 21 of gestation) had a higher density of kisspeptin-positive fibres in the perinuclear zone surrounding the supraoptic nucleus (which provides dense glutamatergic and GABAergic innervation to the supraoptic nucleus) than was evident in non-pregnant rats. Retrograde tracing showed the kisspeptin projections to the perinuclear zone originated from the hypothalamic periventricular nucleus. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that kisspeptin receptor mRNA, Kiss1R mRNA, was expressed in the perinuclear zone-supraoptic nucleus and that the relative Kiss1R mRNA expression does not change over the course of pregnancy. Finally, intracerebroventricular administration of kisspeptin increased the firing rate of oxytocin neurones in anaesthetized late-pregnant rats (days 18-21 of gestation) but not in non-pregnant rats, or in early- or mid-pregnant rats. Taken together, these results suggest that kisspeptin expression is upregulated in the periventricular nucleus projection to the perinuclear zone of the supraoptic nucleus towards the end of pregnancy. Hence, this input might activate oxytocin neurones during parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Seymour
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Victoria Scott
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rachael A Augustine
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory T Bouwer
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Colin H Brown
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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92
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Jacobs DC, Veitch RE, Chappell PE. Evaluation of Immortalized AVPV- and Arcuate-Specific Neuronal Kisspeptin Cell Lines to Elucidate Potential Mechanisms of Estrogen Responsiveness and Temporal Gene Expression in Females. Endocrinology 2016; 157:3410-9. [PMID: 27409645 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In females, ovarian estradiol modulates kisspeptin (Kiss-1) synthesis to act as an obligatory regulator of downstream gonadotropin release in vivo, via stimulation of GnRH neurons. Changes in the ovarian condition are relayed to the neuroendocrine hypothalamus via two sexually dimorphic Kiss-1 populations, located in the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate nuclei, conveying estradiol-positive and -negative feedback, respectively. To elucidate how differential responsiveness to estradiol is mediated in these populations, we generated two kisspeptin-secreting cell lines from an adult kiss1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) female mouse. These lines recapitulate in vivo responsiveness to estradiol, with KTaV-3 (AVPV) cells demonstrating significantly increased kiss1 expression under high physiological estradiol exposure, whereas KTaR-1 (arcuate) cells exhibit kiss1 suppression after lower estradiol exposure. Baseline expression of estrogen receptor-α (esr1) differs significantly between KTaV-3 and KTaR-1 cells, with KTaR-1 cells demonstrating higher basal expression of esr1. Estradiol stimulation of kiss1 expression in KTaV-3 cells is modulated in a dose-dependent manner up to 25.0 pM, with less responsiveness observed at higher doses (>50.0 pM). In contrast, KTaR-1 kiss1 attenuates at lower estradiol doses (2.0-5.0 pM), returning to baseline levels at 25.0 pM and greater. Furthermore, the expression of the core clock genes bmal1 and per2 show normal rhythms in KTaV-3 cells, regardless of estradiol treatment. Conversely, KTaR-1 antiphasic transcription of bmal1 and per2 is phase delayed by low estradiol treatment. Strikingly, estradiol induces circadian rhythms of kiss1 expression only in KTaV-3 cells. Further exploration into estradiol responsiveness will reveal mechanisms responsible for the differential expression pattern demonstrated in vivo between these cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota C Jacobs
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (D.C.J.), College of Agricultural Science; and Department of Biomedical Sciences (R.E.V., P.E.C.), College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Rebecca E Veitch
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (D.C.J.), College of Agricultural Science; and Department of Biomedical Sciences (R.E.V., P.E.C.), College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Patrick E Chappell
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (D.C.J.), College of Agricultural Science; and Department of Biomedical Sciences (R.E.V., P.E.C.), College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
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93
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Abstract
The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal network generates pulse and surge modes of gonadotropin secretion critical for puberty and fertility. The arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons that innervate the projections of GnRH neurons in and around their neurosecretory zone are key components of the pulse generator in all mammals. By contrast, kisspeptin neurons located in the preoptic area project to GnRH neuron cell bodies and proximal dendrites and are involved in surge generation in female rodents (and possibly other species). The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis develops embryonically but, apart from short periods of activation immediately after birth, remains suppressed through a combination of gonadal and non-gonadal mechanisms. At puberty onset, the pulse generator reactivates, probably owing to progressive stimulatory influences on GnRH neurons from glial and neurotransmitter signalling, and the re-emergence of stimulatory arcuate kisspeptin input. In females, the development of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion enables final maturation of the surge generator that ultimately triggers the first ovulation. Representation of the GnRH neuronal network as a series of interlocking functional modules could help conceptualization of its functioning in different species. Insights into pulse and surge generation are expected to aid development of therapeutic strategies ameliorating pubertal disorders and infertility in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan E Herbison
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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94
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Abstract
Successfully rearing young places multiple demands on the mammalian female. These are met by a wide array of alterations in maternal physiology and behavior that are coordinated with the needs of the developing young, and include adaptations in neuroendocrine systems not directly involved in maternal behavior or lactation. In this article, attenuations in the behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to stressors, the alterations in metabolic pathways facilitating both increased food intake and conservation of energy, and the changes in fertility that occur postpartum are described. The mechanisms underlying these processes as well as the factors that contribute to them and the relative contributions of these stimuli at different times postpartum are also reviewed. The induction and maintenance of the adaptations observed in the postpartum maternal brain are dependent on mother-young interaction and, in most cases, on suckling stimulation and its consequences for the hormonal profile of the mother. The peptide hormone prolactin acting on receptors within the brain makes a major contribution to changes in metabolic pathways, suppression of fertility and the attenuation of the neuroendocrine response to stress during lactation. Oxytocin is also released, both into the circulation and in some hypothalamic nuclei, in response to suckling stimulation and this hormone has been implicated in the decrease in anxiety behavior seen in the early postpartum period. The relative importance of these hormones changes across lactation and it is becoming increasingly clear that many of the adaptations to motherhood reviewed here reflect the outcome of multiple influences. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1493-1518, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Woodside
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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95
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Grachev P, Porter KL, Coolen LM, McCosh RB, Connors JM, Hileman SM, Lehman MN, Goodman RL. Surge-Like Luteinising Hormone Secretion Induced by Retrochiasmatic Area NK3R Activation is Mediated Primarily by Arcuate Kisspeptin Neurones in the Ewe. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:10.1111/jne.12393. [PMID: 27059932 PMCID: PMC5157122 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptides neurokinin B (NKB) and kisspeptin are potent stimulators of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinsing hormone (LH) secretion and are essential for human fertility. We have recently demonstrated that selective activation of NKB receptors (NK3R) within the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) and the preoptic area (POA) triggers surge-like LH secretion in ovary-intact ewes, whereas blockade of RCh NK3R suppresses oestradiol-induced LH surges in ovariectomised ewes. Although these data suggest that NKB signalling within these regions of the hypothalamus mediates the positive-feedback effects of oestradiol on LH secretion, the pathway through which it stimulates GnRH/LH secretion remains unclear. We proposed that the action of NKB on RCh neurones drives the LH surge by stimulating kisspeptin-induced GnRH secretion. To test this hypothesis, we quantified the activation of the preoptic/hypothalamic populations of kisspeptin neurones in response to POA or RCh administration of senktide by dual-label immunohistochemical detection of kisspeptin and c-Fos (i.e. marker of neuronal activation). We then administered the NK3R agonist, senktide, into the RCh of ewes in the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle and conducted frequent blood sampling during intracerebroventricular infusion of the kisspeptin receptor antagonist Kp-271 or saline. Our results show that the surge-like secretion of LH induced by RCh senktide administration coincided with a dramatic increase in c-Fos expression within arcuate nucleus (ARC) kisspeptin neurones, and was completely blocked by Kp-271 infusion. We substantiate these data with evidence of direct projections of RCh neurones to ARC kisspeptin neurones. Thus, NKB-responsive neurones in the RCh act to stimulate GnRH secretion by inducing kisspeptin release from KNDy neurones.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grachev
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - K L Porter
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - L M Coolen
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - R B McCosh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - J M Connors
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - S M Hileman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - M N Lehman
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - R L Goodman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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96
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Mittelman-Smith MA, Krajewski-Hall SJ, McMullen NT, Rance NE. Ablation of KNDy Neurons Results in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism and Amplifies the Steroid-Induced LH Surge in Female Rats. Endocrinology 2016; 157:2015-27. [PMID: 26937713 PMCID: PMC4870865 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the human infundibular (arcuate) nucleus, a subpopulation of neurons coexpress kisspeptin and neurokinin B (NKB), 2 peptides required for normal reproductive function. A homologous group of neurons exists in the arcuate nucleus of rodents, termed KNDy neurons based on the coexpression of kisspeptin, NKB, and dynorphin. To study their function, we recently developed a method to selectively ablate KNDy neurons using NK3-SAP, a neurokinin 3 receptor agonist conjugated to saporin (SAP). Here, we ablated KNDy neurons in female rats to determine whether these neurons are required for estrous cyclicity and the steroid induced LH surge. NK3-SAP or Blank-SAP (control) was microinjected into the arcuate nucleus using stereotaxic surgery. After monitoring vaginal smears for 3-4 weeks, rats were ovariectomized and given 17β-estradiol and progesterone in a regimen that induced an afternoon LH surge. Rats were killed at the time of peak LH levels, and brains were harvested for NKB and dual labeled GnRH/Fos immunohistochemistry. In ovary-intact rats, ablation of KNDy neurons resulted in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, characterized by low levels of serum LH, constant diestrus, ovarian atrophy with increased follicular atresia, and uterine atrophy. Surprisingly, the 17β-estradiol and progesterone-induced LH surge was 3 times higher in KNDy-ablated rats. Despite the marked increase in the magnitude of the LH surge, the number of GnRH or anterior ventral periventricular nucleus neurons expressing Fos was not significantly different between groups. Our studies show that KNDy neurons are essential for tonic levels of serum LH and estrous cyclicity and may play a role in limiting the magnitude of the LH surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Mittelman-Smith
- Departments of Pathology (M.A.M.-S., S.J.K.-H., N.E.R.) and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Neurology (N.T.M., N.E.R.) and The Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (N.E.R.), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona 85724
| | - Sally J Krajewski-Hall
- Departments of Pathology (M.A.M.-S., S.J.K.-H., N.E.R.) and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Neurology (N.T.M., N.E.R.) and The Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (N.E.R.), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona 85724
| | - Nathaniel T McMullen
- Departments of Pathology (M.A.M.-S., S.J.K.-H., N.E.R.) and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Neurology (N.T.M., N.E.R.) and The Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (N.E.R.), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona 85724
| | - Naomi E Rance
- Departments of Pathology (M.A.M.-S., S.J.K.-H., N.E.R.) and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Neurology (N.T.M., N.E.R.) and The Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (N.E.R.), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona 85724
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97
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Higo S, Honda S, Iijima N, Ozawa H. Mapping of Kisspeptin Receptor mRNA in the Whole Rat Brain and its Co-Localisation with Oxytocin in the Paraventricular Nucleus. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26709462 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor play an essential role in reproduction as a potent modulator of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurone. In addition to its reproductive function, kisspeptin signalling is also involved in extra-hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis systems, including oxytocin and arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion. By contrast to the accumulating information for kisspeptin neurones and kisspeptin fibres, the histological distribution and function of the kisspeptin receptor in the rat brain remain poorly characterised. Using in situ hybridisation combined with immunofluorescence, the present study aimed to determine the whole brain map of Kiss1r mRNA (encoding the kisspeptin receptor), and to examine whether oxytocin or AVP neurones express Kiss1r. Neurones with strong Kiss1r expression were observed in several rostral brain areas, including the olfactory bulb, medial septum, diagonal band of Broca and throughout the preoptic area, with the most concentrated population being around 0.5 mm rostral to the bregma. Co-immunofluorescence staining revealed that, in these rostral brain areas, the vast majority of the Kiss1r-expressing neurones co-expressed GnRH. Moderate levels of Kiss1r mRNA were also noted in the rostral periventricular area, paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and throughout the arcuate nucleus. Relatively weak Kiss1r expression was observed in the supraoptic nucleus and supramammillary nuclei. Moderate to weak expression of Kiss1r was also observed in several regions in the midbrain, including the periaqueductal gray and dorsal raphe nucleus. We also examined whether oxytocin and AVP neurones in the PVN co-express Kiss1r. Immunofluorescence revealed the co-expression of Kiss1r in a subset of the oxytocin neurones but not in the AVP neurones in the PVN. The present study provides a fundamental anatomical basis for further examination of the kisspeptin signalling system in the extra-HPG axis, as well as in reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Higo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, , Japan
| | - S Honda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, , Japan
| | - N Iijima
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, , Japan
| | - H Ozawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, , Japan
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98
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Luo E, Stephens SBZ, Chaing S, Munaganuru N, Kauffman AS, Breen KM. Corticosterone Blocks Ovarian Cyclicity and the LH Surge via Decreased Kisspeptin Neuron Activation in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2016; 157:1187-99. [PMID: 26697722 PMCID: PMC4769373 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress elicits activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which leads to enhanced circulating glucocorticoids, as well as impaired gonadotropin secretion and ovarian cyclicity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that elevated, stress-levels of glucocorticoids disrupt ovarian cyclicity by interfering with the preovulatory sequence of endocrine events necessary for the LH surge. Ovarian cyclicity was monitored in female mice implanted with a cholesterol or corticosterone (Cort) pellet. Cort, but not cholesterol, arrested cyclicity in diestrus. Subsequent studies focused on the mechanism whereby Cort stalled the preovulatory sequence by assessing responsiveness to the positive feedback estradiol signal. Ovariectomized mice were treated with an LH surge-inducing estradiol implant, as well as Cort or cholesterol, and assessed several days later for LH levels on the evening of the anticipated surge. All cholesterol females showed a clear LH surge. At the time of the anticipated surge, LH levels were undetectable in Cort-treated females. In situ hybridization analyses the anteroventral periventricular nucleus revealed that Cort robustly suppressed the percentage of Kiss1 cells coexpressing cfos, as well as reduced the number of Kiss1 cells and amount of Kiss1 mRNA per cell, compared with expression in control brains. In addition, Cort blunted pituitary expression of the genes encoding the GnRH receptor and LHβ, indicating inhibition of gonadotropes during the blockage of the LH surge. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that physiological stress-levels of Cort disrupts ovarian cyclicity, in part, through disruption of positive feedback mechanisms at both the hypothalamic and pituitary levels which are necessary for generation of the preovulatory LH surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Luo
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Shannon B Z Stephens
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Sharon Chaing
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Nagambika Munaganuru
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Kellie M Breen
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
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99
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Meczekalski B, Katulski K, Podfigurna-Stopa A, Czyzyk A, Genazzani AD. Spontaneous endogenous pulsatile release of kisspeptin is temporally coupled with luteinizing hormone in healthy women. Fertil Steril 2016; 105:1345-1350.e2. [PMID: 26859129 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 12/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the presence of a spontaneous pulsatile release of kisspeptin and whether it is temporally coupled to LH pulses. DESIGN Experimental study. SETTING Academic medical center. PATIENT(S) Thirty young healthy eumenorrheic women aged 20-37 years were included in the study group. All subjects were white women admitted to the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. INTERVENTION(S) Kisspeptin, FSH, LH, E2, PRL, and insulin were evaluated in all subjects at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) All women underwent a pulsatility study measuring LH and kisspeptin plasma concentrations to assess the spontaneous episodic secretion of both hormones, sampling every 10 minutes for 2 hours from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for a total of 12 blood samples. Detection and specific concordance (SC) algorithms were used to detect pulses and their concordance. RESULT(S) A significant endogenous secretory pattern was demonstrated for both LH and kisspeptin over the 2-hour duration of the study (2.4 ± 0.1 peaks/2 h). The computation of the SC index showed for the first time that kisspeptin and LH are cosecreted and temporally coupled at time "0," and their peaks occur at the same point in time. CONCLUSION(S) The present study provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that kisspeptin is highly relevant in the regulation and modulation of reproductive functions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blazej Meczekalski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Katulski
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Adam Czyzyk
- Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Alessandro D Genazzani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecological Endocrinology Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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100
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Expression of ESR1 in Glutamatergic and GABAergic Neurons Is Essential for Normal Puberty Onset, Estrogen Feedback, and Fertility in Female Mice. J Neurosci 2016; 35:14533-43. [PMID: 26511244 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1776-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating estradiol exerts a profound influence on the activity of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal network controlling fertility. Using genetic strategies enabling neuron-specific deletion of estrogen receptor α (Esr1), we examine here whether estradiol-modulated GABA and glutamate transmission are critical for the functioning of the GnRH neuron network in the female mouse. Using Vgat- and Vglut2-ires-Cre knock-in mice and ESR1 immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that subpopulations of GABA and glutamate neurons throughout the limbic forebrain express ESR1, with ESR1-GABAergic neurons being more widespread and numerous than ESR1-glutamatergic neurons. We crossed Vgat- and Vglut2-ires-Cre mice with an Esr1(lox/lox) line to generate animals with GABA-neuron-specific or glutamate-neuron-specific deletion of Esr1. Vgat-ires-Cre;Esr1(lox/lox) mice were infertile, with abnormal estrous cycles, and exhibited a complete failure of the estrogen positive feedback mechanism responsible for the preovulatory GnRH surge. However, puberty onset and estrogen negative feedback were normal. Vglut2-ires-Cre;Esr1(lox/lox) mice were also infertile but displayed a wider range of deficits, including advanced puberty onset, abnormal negative feedback, and abolished positive feedback. Whereas <25% of preoptic kisspeptin neurons expressed Cre in Vgat- and Vglut2-ires-Cre lines, ∼70% of arcuate kisspeptin neurons were targeted in Vglut2-ires-Cre;Esr1(lox/lox) mice, possibly contributing to their advanced puberty phenotype. These observations show that, unexpectedly, ESR1-GABA neurons are only essential for the positive feedback mechanism. In contrast, we reveal the key importance of ESR1 in glutamatergic neurons for multiple estrogen feedback loops within the GnRH neuronal network required for fertility in the female mouse.
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