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Zhang H, Zhang F, Zhu M, Wang J, Sheng X, Yuan Z, Han Y, Watanabe G, Taya K, Weng Q. Seasonal expressions of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor and luteinizing hormone receptor in the scented gland of the male muskrat ( Ondatra zibethicus). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2017; 312:R569-R574. [PMID: 28228419 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00506.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has shown that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) may influence the functions of nongonadal tissues in addition to their classic target gonads. Our previous studies revealed that the scented glands of male muskrats expressed prolactin receptor, steroidogenic enzymes, and inhibin/activin subunits. To further seek the evidence of the activities of pituitary gonadotropins in scented glands, we investigated the seasonal expression patterns of FSH receptor (FSHR) and LH/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR). The weight and size of scented glands during the breeding season were significantly higher than those during the nonbreeding season. Immunohistochemical studies showed that FSHR was present in the serous cells of scented glands, whereas LHCGR was present in the interstitial cells. The protein and mRNA expression levels of FSHR and LHCGR were significantly higher in the scented glands during the breeding season than those during the nonbreeding season. Importantly, the levels of circulating FSH and LH were remarkably higher during the breeding season. Taken together, these results suggested that gonadotropins may affect the function of muskrat scented gland via the locally expressed receptors in a season-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolin Zhang
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Fengwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Manyu Zhu
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Junjie Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Xia Sheng
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Zhengrong Yuan
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Yingying Han
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
| | - Gen Watanabe
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Taya
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Qiang Weng
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; and
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Kobayashi K, Kubota H, Hojo R, Miyagawa M. Dose-dependent effects of perinatal hypothyroidism on postnatal testicular development in rat offspring. J Toxicol Sci 2015; 39:867-74. [PMID: 25392277 DOI: 10.2131/jts.39.867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The role of thyroid hormones in gonad development remains incompletely understood. We examined the dose-related effects of perinatal hypothyroidism induced by a reversible goitrogen, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU), on reproductive development in male rat offspring. Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered PTU (0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg/day) by gavage from gestational day 15 through postnatal day 20. We observed a significant dose-dependent decrease in body weight in offspring with PTU exposure up to 13 weeks of age, but body weight became comparable among groups by 26 weeks of age. Testicular weight tended to be lower up to 7 weeks but was higher after 13 weeks of age. Epididymis weight was not different among the groups at any age. Plasma concentrations of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the PTU groups were significantly lower at 3 weeks of age but recovered to normal levels by 26 weeks of age. No dose-related trend in plasma testosterone concentrations was found. Seminiferous tubules were larger at 13 and 26 weeks of age with PTU exposure. The number of Sertoli cells was significantly higher from 3 through 26 weeks of age. The number of Leydig cells was significantly lower up to 7 weeks of age but was comparable among groups from 13 weeks of age onwards. Thus, transient gestational and lactational thyroid hormone suppression induced small testes in early life but led to paradoxical dose-dependent testicular enlargement in adults as indicated partly by larger seminiferous tubules with numerous Sertoli cells in male rat offspring.
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Karakaya C, Guzeloglu-Kayisli O, Hobbs RJ, Gerasimova T, Uyar A, Erdem M, Oktem M, Erdem A, Gumuslu S, Ercan D, Sakkas D, Comizzoli P, Seli E, Lalioti MD. Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) alternative skipping of exon 2 or 3 affects ovarian response to FSH. Mol Hum Reprod 2014; 20:630-43. [PMID: 24670307 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gau024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes critical for fertility are highly conserved in mammals. Interspecies DNA sequence variation, resulting in amino acid substitutions and post-transcriptional modifications, including alternative splicing, are a result of evolution and speciation. The mammalian follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene encodes distinct species-specific forms by alternative splicing. Skipping of exon 2 of the human FSHR was reported in women of North American origin and correlated with low response to ovarian stimulation with exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). To determine whether this variant correlated with low response in women of different genetic backgrounds, we performed a blinded retrospective observational study in a Turkish cohort. Ovarian response was determined as low, intermediate or high according to retrieved oocyte numbers after classifying patients in four age groups (<35, 35-37, 38-40, >40). Cumulus cells collected from 96 women undergoing IVF/ICSI following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation revealed four alternatively spliced FSHR products in seven patients (8%): exon 2 deletion in four patients; exon 3 and exons 2 + 3 deletion in one patient each, and a retention of an intron 1 fragment in one patient. In all others (92%) splicing was intact. Alternative skipping of exons 2, 3 or 2 + 3 were exclusive to low responders and was independent of the use of agonist or antagonist. Interestingly, skipping of exon 3 occurs naturally in the ovaries of domestic cats--a good comparative model for human fertility. We tested the signaling potential of human and cat variants after transfection in HEK293 cells and FSH stimulation. None of the splicing variants initiated cAMP signaling despite high FSH doses, unlike full-length proteins. These data substantiate the occurrence of FSHR exon skipping in a subgroup of low responders and suggest that species-specific regulation of FSHR splicing plays diverse roles in mammalian ovarian function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cengiz Karakaya
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Ozlem Guzeloglu-Kayisli
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rebecca J Hobbs
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA Present address: Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Duboo, NSW 2830, Australia
| | - Tsilya Gerasimova
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Asli Uyar
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mehmet Erdem
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Mesut Oktem
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Ahmet Erdem
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Seyhan Gumuslu
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Deniz Ercan
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara 06500 Turkey
| | - Denny Sakkas
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA Present address: Boston IVF, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Emre Seli
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maria D Lalioti
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Hobbs RJ, Howard J, Wildt DE, Comizzoli P. Absence of seasonal changes in FSHR gene expression in the cat cumulus-oocyte complex in vivo and in vitro. Reproduction 2012; 144:111-22. [PMID: 22596062 DOI: 10.1530/rep-12-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Domestic cat oocytes are seasonally sensitive to FSH. Compared with those collected during the breeding season, oocytes from the nonbreeding (NB) season require more FSH during in vitro maturation to achieve comparable developmental competence. This study tested the hypothesis that this seasonal variation was due to altered expression of FSH receptors (FSHR) and/or FSH-induced genes. Relative expression levels of FSHR mRNA and FSH-enhanced gene estrogen receptor β (ESR2) were measured by qPCR in whole ovaries and immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) isolated from cat ovaries during the natural breeding vs NB seasons. Expression levels of FSH-induced genes prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), early growth response protein-1 (EGR1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were examined in mature COCs from both seasons that were a) recovered in vivo or b) matured in vitro with conventional (1 μg/ml) or high (10 μg/ml) FSH concentrations. Overall, FSHR mRNA levels were lower in whole ovaries during the NB compared with breeding season but were similar in immature COCs, whereas ESR2 levels did not differ in either group between intervals. We observed changes in PTGS2, EGR1, and EGFR mRNA expression patterns across maturation in COCs within but not between the two seasons. The lack of seasonal differentiation in FSH-related genes was not consistent with the decreased developmental capacity of oocytes fertilized during the NB season. These findings reveal that the seasonal decrease in cat oocyte sensitivity to FSH occurs both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, this decline is unrelated to changes in expression of FSHR mRNA or mRNA of FSH-induced genes in COCs from antral follicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Hobbs
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, National Zoological Park, PO Box 37012, MRC 5502, Washington, District of Columbia 20013, USA.
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Abstract
To assess delayed fertility in male growth-retarded (grt) mice with congenital primary hypothyroidism, their testes were chronologically examined. The testicular weight in grt mice was significantly lower than age-matched normal mice until 8 weeks but was comparable at 13 and 26 weeks. While normal mice had mature sperm cells in both testes and epididymides at 5 weeks, age-matched grt mice did not. The size of the seminiferous tubules in testes of grt mice was smaller than that of normal mice before 13 weeks but was comparable at 26 weeks. These findings suggest that male grt mice might need more than 13 weeks to develop mature testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Kobayashi
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
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Kobayashi K, Sato M, Machida T, Kobayashi T. Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor levels and binding affinity in the thyroid gland of growth-retarded mice. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2005; 45:89-92. [PMID: 16131366 DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4520.2005.00073.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Growth-retarded (grt/grt) mice are congenitally primary hypothyroid. Our previous study indicated that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) responsiveness was defective in the grt/grt thyroid gland. We now report additional studies of impaired grt/grt thyroid function. Semiquantitative RT-PCR confirmed that TSH receptor (TSHR) mRNA expression in the grt/grt thyroid was significantly decreased compared with +/+ thyroids. Scatchard analysis revealed that grt/grt and +/+ mice have only one type of TSH binding site. grt/grt thyroids had fewer TSH binding sites, although this did not apparently affect the affinity of TSH for its receptor. The present data suggest that reduced TSHR levels or defects in TSHR signaling could be one of the possible defective sites in the grt/grt thyroid gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Kobayashi
- National Institute of Industrial Health, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Japan.
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Bowen RL, Atwood CS. Living and dying for sex. A theory of aging based on the modulation of cell cycle signaling by reproductive hormones. Gerontology 2005; 50:265-90. [PMID: 15331856 DOI: 10.1159/000079125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of aging has yet to be described; this paper puts forth a new theory that has the potential to explain aging in all sexually reproductive life forms. The theory also puts forth a new definition of aging - any change in an organism over time. This definition includes not only the changes associated with the loss of function (i.e. senescence, the commonly accepted definition of aging), but also the changes associated with the gain of function (growth and development). Using this definition, the rate of aging would be synonymous with the rate of change. The rate of change/aging is most rapid during the fetal period when organisms develop from a single cell at conception to a multicellular organism at birth. Therefore, 'fetal aging' would be determined by factors regulating the rate of mitogenesis, differentiation, and cell death. We suggest that these factors also are responsible for regulating aging throughout life. Thus, whatever controls mitogenesis, differentiation and cell death must also control aging. Since life-extending modalities consistently affect reproduction, and reproductive hormones are known to regulate mitogenesis and differentiation, we propose that aging is primarily regulated by the hormones that control reproduction (hence, the Reproductive-Cell Cycle Theory of Aging). In mammals, reproduction is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis hormones. Longevity inducing interventions, including caloric restriction, decrease fertility by suppressing HPG axis hormones and HPG hormones are known to affect signaling through the well-documented longevity regulating GH/IGF-1/PI3K/Akt/Forkhead pathway. This is exemplified by genetic alterations in Caenorhabditis elegans where homologues of the HPG axis pathways, as well as the daf-2 and daf-9 pathways, all converge on daf-16, the homologue of human Forkhead that functions in the regulation of cell cycle events. In summary, we propose that the hormones that regulate reproduction act in an antagonistic pleiotrophic manner to control aging via cell cycle signaling; promoting growth and development early in life in order to achieve reproduction, but later in life, in a futile attempt to maintain reproduction, become dysregulated and drive senescence.
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