1
|
Halloran KM, Saadat N, Pallas B, Vyas AK, Sargis R, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Testosterone excess masculinizes female pancreatic transcriptome and function in sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 588:112234. [PMID: 38588858 PMCID: PMC11231987 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112234] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Hyperandrogenic disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, are often associated with metabolic disruptions such as insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Studies in sheep, a precocial model of translational relevance, provide evidence that in utero exposure to excess testosterone during days 30-90 of gestation (the sexually dimorphic window where males naturally experience elevated androgens) programs insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in female offspring. Extending earlier findings that adverse effects of testosterone excess are evident in fetal day 90 pancreas, the end of testosterone treatment, the present study provides evidence that transcriptomic and phenotypic effects of in utero testosterone excess on female pancreas persist after cessation of treatment, suggesting lasting organizational changes, and induce a male-like phenotype in female pancreas. These findings demonstrate that the female pancreas is susceptible to programmed masculinization during the sexually dimorphic window of fetal development and shed light on underlying connections between hyperandrogenism and metabolic homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadia Saadat
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brooke Pallas
- Unit Lab Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Arpita K Vyas
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Robert Sargis
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bitsko RH, Holbrook JR, O'Masta B, Maher B, Cerles A, Saadeh K, Mahmooth Z, MacMillan LM, Rush M, Kaminski JW. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prenatal, Birth, and Postnatal Factors Associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2024; 25:203-224. [PMID: 35303250 PMCID: PMC9482663 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01359-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown mixed results on the relationship between prenatal, birth, and postnatal ("pregnancy-related") risk factors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted meta-analyses to identify potentially modifiable pregnancy-related factors associated with ADHD. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE in 2014, followed by an updated search in January 2021, identified 69 articles published in English on pregnancy-related risk factors and ADHD for inclusion. Risk factors were included in the meta-analysis if at least three effect sizes with clear pregnancy-related risk factor exposure were identified. Pooled effect sizes were calculated for ADHD overall, ADHD diagnosis, inattention, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for dichotomous measures and correlation coefficients (CC) for continuous measures. Prenatal factors (pre-pregnancy weight, preeclampsia, pregnancy complications, elevated testosterone exposure), and postnatal factors (Apgar score, neonatal illness, no breastfeeding) were positively associated with ADHD overall; the findings for ADHD diagnosis were similar with the exception that there were too few effect sizes available to examine pre-pregnancy weight and lack of breastfeeding. Prenatal testosterone was significantly associated with inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Effect sizes were generally small (range 1.1-1.6 ORs, -0.16-0.11 CCs). Risk factors occurring at the time of birth (perinatal asphyxia, labor complications, mode of delivery) were not significantly associated with ADHD. A better understanding of factors that are consistently associated with ADHD may inform future prevention strategies. The findings reported here suggest that prenatal and postnatal factors may serve as potential targets for preventing or mitigating the symptoms of ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca H Bitsko
- Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center On Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Joseph R Holbrook
- Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center On Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Brion Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer W Kaminski
- Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center On Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Noroozzadeh M, Rahmati M, Amiri M, Saei Ghare Naz M, Azizi F, Ramezani Tehrani F. Preconceptional maternal hyperandrogenism and metabolic syndrome risk in male offspring: a long-term population-based study. J Endocrinol Invest 2024:10.1007/s40618-024-02374-7. [PMID: 38647948 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-024-02374-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is limited research on the effects of maternal hyperandrogenism (MHA) on cardiometabolic risk factors in male offspring. We aimed to compare the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in sons of women with preconceptional hyperandrogenism (HA) to those of non-HA women in later life. METHODS Using data obtained from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Cohort Study, with an average of 20 years follow-up, 1913 sons were divided into two groups based on their MHA status, sons with MHA (n = 523) and sons without MHA (controls n = 1390). The study groups were monitored from the baseline until either the incidence of events, censoring, or the end of the study period, depending on which occurred first. Age-scaled unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models were utilized to evaluate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between MHA and MetS in their sons. RESULTS There was no significant association between MHA and HR of MetS in sons with MHA compared to controls, even after adjustment (unadjusted HR (95% CI) 0.94 (0.80-1.11), P = 0.5) and (adjusted HR (95% CI) 0.98 (0.81-1.18), P = 0.8). Sons with MHA showed a HR of 1.35 for developing high fasting blood sugar compared to controls (unadjusted HR (95% CI) 1.35 (1.01-1.81), P = 0.04), however, after adjustment this association did not remain significant (adjusted HR (95% CI) 1.25 (0.90-1.74), P = 0.1). CONCLUSION The results suggest that preconceptional MHA doesn't increase the risk of developing MetS in sons in later life. According to this suggestion, preconceptional MHA may not have long-term metabolic consequences in male offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Noroozzadeh
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Rahmati
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Amiri
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- The Foundation for Research & Education Excellence, Vestavia Hills, AL, USA
| | - M Saei Ghare Naz
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - F Azizi
- Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - F Ramezani Tehrani
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- The Foundation for Research & Education Excellence, Vestavia Hills, AL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Noroozzadeh M, Rahmati M, Farhadi-Azar M, Saei Ghare Naz M, Azizi F, Ramezani Tehrani F. Maternal androgen excess increases the risk of metabolic syndrome in female offspring in their later life: A long-term population-based follow-up study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2023; 308:1555-1566. [PMID: 37422863 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-023-07132-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hyperandrogenic intrauterine environment may lead to the development of metabolic disorders in offspring in their later life. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of maternal hyperandrogenism (MHA) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk in female offspring in their later life. METHODS In this cohort study conducted in Tehran, Iran, female offspring with MHA (n = 323) and without MHA (controls) (n = 1125) were selected. Both groups of female offspring were followed from the baseline to the date of the incidence of events, censoring, or end of the study period, whichever came first. We used age-scaled unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between MHA and MetS in female offspring. The software package STATA was used for statistical analysis, and the significance level was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS We observed a higher risk of MetS (unadjusted HR (95% CI), 1.36 (1.05-1.77)), (P = 0.02) and (adjusted HR (95% CI), 1.34 (1.00-1.80)), (P = 0.05, borderline)), in female offspring with MHA, compared to controls. The results were adjusted for the potential confounders including body mass index (BMI) at baseline, net changes of BMI, physical activity, education status, and birth weight. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that MHA increases the risk of developing MetS in female offspring in their later life. Screening of these female offspring for MetS may be recommended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Noroozzadeh
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 23 Arabi, Yaman Street, Velenjak, P.O.Code: 1985717413, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rahmati
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 23 Arabi, Yaman Street, Velenjak, P.O.Code: 1985717413, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahbanoo Farhadi-Azar
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 23 Arabi, Yaman Street, Velenjak, P.O.Code: 1985717413, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Saei Ghare Naz
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 23 Arabi, Yaman Street, Velenjak, P.O.Code: 1985717413, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereidoun Azizi
- Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani
- Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 23 Arabi, Yaman Street, Velenjak, P.O.Code: 1985717413, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yazawa T, Islam MS, Imamichi Y, Watanabe H, Yaegashi K, Ida T, Sato T, Kitano T, Matsuzaki S, Umezawa A, Muranishi Y. Comparison of Placental HSD17B1 Expression and Its Regulation in Various Mammalian Species. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040622. [PMID: 36830409 PMCID: PMC9951672 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian gestation, large amounts of progesterone are produced by the placenta and circulate for the maintenance of pregnancy. In contrast, primary plasma estrogens are different between species. To account for this difference, we compared the expression of ovarian and placental steroidogenic genes in various mammalian species (mouse, guinea pig, porcine, ovine, bovine, and human). Consistent with the ability to synthesize progesterone, CYP11A1/Cyp11a1, and bi-functional HSD3B/Hsd3b genes were expressed in all species. CYP17A1/Cyp17a1 was expressed in the placenta of all species, excluding humans. CYP19A/Cyp19a1 was expressed in all placental estrogen-producing species, whereas estradiol-producing HSD17B1 was only strongly expressed in the human placenta. The promoter region of HSD17B1 in various species possesses a well-conserved SP1 site that was activated in human placental cell line JEG-3 cells. However, DNA methylation analyses in the ovine placenta showed that the SP1-site in the promoter region of HSD17B1 was completely methylated. These results indicate that epigenetic regulation of HSD17B1 expression is important for species-specific placental sex steroid production. Because human HSD17B1 showed strong activity for the conversion of androstenedione into testosterone, similar to HSD17B1/Hsd17b1 in other species, we also discuss the biological significance of human placental HSD17B1 based on the symptoms of aromatase-deficient patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Yazawa
- Department of Biochemistry, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Hokkaido, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-166-68-2342
| | - Mohammad Sayful Islam
- Department of Biochemistry, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Imamichi
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Fukui Prefectural University, Obama 917-0003, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Life and Food Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | | | - Takanori Ida
- Center for Animal Disease Control, Frontiers Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-1692, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Takahiro Sato
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, Kurume University, Kurume 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kitano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8555, Kumamoto, Japan
| | | | - Akihiro Umezawa
- Department of Reproduction, National Center for Child Health and Development Research Institute, Setagaya 157-8535, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Muranishi
- Department of Life and Food Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gurule S, Sustaita-Monroe J, Padmanabhan V, Cardoso R. Developmental programming of the neuroendocrine axis by steroid hormones: Insights from the sheep model of PCOS. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1096187. [PMID: 36755919 PMCID: PMC9899912 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1096187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive neuroendocrine system is a key target for the developmental programming effects of steroid hormones during early life. While gonadal steroids play an important role in controlling the physiological development of the neuroendocrine axis, human fetuses are susceptible to adverse programming due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals with steroidal activity, inadvertent use of contraceptive pills during pregnancy, as well as from disease states that result in abnormal steroid production. Animal models provide an unparalleled resource to understand the effects of steroid hormones on the development of the neuroendocrine axis and their role on the developmental origins of health and disease. In female sheep, exposure to testosterone (T) excess during fetal development results in an array of reproductive disorders that recapitulate those seen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including disrupted neuroendocrine feedback mechanisms, increased pituitary responsiveness to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH) hypersecretion, functional hyperandrogenism, multifollicular ovarian morphology, and premature reproductive failure. Similar to a large proportion of women with PCOS, these prenatally T-treated sheep also manifest insulin resistance and cardiovascular alterations, including hypertension. This review article focuses on the effects of prenatal androgens on the developmental programming of hypothalamic and pituitary alterations in the sheep model of PCOS phenotype, centering specifically on key neurons, neuropeptides, and regulatory pathways controlling GnRH and LH secretion. Insights obtained from the sheep model as well as other animal models of perinatal androgen excess can have important translational relevance to treat and prevent neuroendocrine dysfunction in women with PCOS and other fertility disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Gurule
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Rodolfo Cardoso
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dooley N, Ruigrok A, Holt R, Allison C, Tsompanidis A, Waldman J, Auyeung B, Lombardo MV, Baron-Cohen S. Is there an association between prenatal testosterone and autistic traits in adolescents? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105623. [PMID: 34896742 PMCID: PMC8783053 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (pT) is a crucial component in physiological masculinization in humans. In line with the Prenatal Sex Steroid Theory of autism, some studies have found a positive correlation between pT and autistic traits in childhood. However, effects in adolescence have not been explored. Hormonal and environmental changes occurring during puberty may alter the strength or the nature of prenatal effects on autistic traits. The current study examines if pT relates to autistic traits in a non-clinical sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 97, 170 observations; age 13-21 years old). It also explores pT interactions with pubertal stage and timing. PT concentrations were measured from amniotic fluid extracted in the 2nd trimester of gestation via amniocentesis conducted for clinical purposes. Autistic traits were measured by self- and parent-reports on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) which provides a total score and 5 sub-scores (social skills, communication, imagination, attention switching and attention to detail). Self-reported pubertal stage was regressed on age to provide a measure of relative timing. We found no statistical evidence for a direct association between pT and autistic traits in this adolescent sample (males, females or full sample). Exploratory analyses suggested that pT correlated positively with autistic traits in adolescents with earlier puberty-onset, but statistical robustness of this finding was limited. Further exploratory post-hoc tests suggested the pT-by-pubertal timing interaction was stronger in males relative to females, in self-reported compared to parent-reported AQ and specifically for social traits. These findings require replication in larger samples. Findings have implications for understanding the effects of pT on human behavior, specifically existence of effects in adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Dooley
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Amber Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jack Waldman
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK,Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn,Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jackson IJ, Puttabyatappa M, Anderson M, Muralidharan M, Veiga-Lopez A, Gregg B, Limesand S, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Prenatal testosterone excess disrupts pancreatic islet developmental trajectory in female sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110950. [PMID: 32726642 PMCID: PMC7609617 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)- treated female sheep manifest juvenile insulin resistance, post-pubertal increase in insulin sensitivity and return to insulin resistance during adulthood. Since compensatory hyperinsulinemia is associated with insulin resistance, altered pancreatic islet ontogeny may contribute towards metabolic defects. To test this, pregnant sheep were treated with or without T propionate from days 30-90 of gestation and pancreas collected from female fetuses at gestational day 90 and female offspring at 21 months-of-age. Uterine (maternal) and umbilical (fetal) arterial blood insulin/glucose ratios were determined at gestational day 90. The morphological and functional changes in pancreatic islet were assessed through detection of 1) islet hormones (insulin, glucagon) and apoptotic beta cells at fetal day 90 and 2) islet hormones (insulin, glucagon and somatostatin), and pancreatic lipid and collagen accumulation in adults. At gestational day 90, T-treatment led to maternal but not fetal hyperinsulinemia, decrease in pancreatic/fetal weight ratio and alpha cells, and a trend for increase in beta cell apoptosis in fetal pancreas. Adult prenatal T-treated female sheep manifested 1) significant increase in beta cell size and a tendency for increase in insulin and somatostatin stained area and proportion of beta cells in the islet; and 2) significant increase in pancreatic islet collagen and a tendency towards increased lipid accumulation. Gestational T-treatment induced changes in pancreatic islet endocrine cells during both fetal and adult ages track the trajectory of hyperinsulinemic status with the increase in adult pancreatic collagen accumulation indicative of impending beta cell failure with chronic insulin resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | | | - Miranda Anderson
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Meha Muralidharan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Brigid Gregg
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sean Limesand
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dumesic DA, Hoyos LR, Chazenbalk GD, Naik R, Padmanabhan V, Abbott DH. Mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of polycystic ovary syndrome. Reproduction 2020; 159:R1-R13. [PMID: 31376813 DOI: 10.1530/rep-19-0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Developmental origins of adult disease (DoHAD) refers to critical gestational ages during human fetal development and beyond when the endocrine metabolic status of the mother can permanently program the physiology and/or morphology of the fetus, modifying its susceptibility to disease after birth. The aim of this review is to address how DoHAD plays an important role in the phenotypic expression of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinopathy of women characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo-anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology. Clinical studies of PCOS women are integrated with findings from relevant animal models to show how intergenerational transmission of these central components of PCOS are programmed through an altered maternal endocrine-metabolic environment that adversely affects the female fetus and long-term offspring health. Prenatal testosterone treatment in monkeys and sheep have been particularly crucial in our understanding of developmental programming of PCOS because organ system differentiation in these species, as in humans, occurs during fetal life. These animal models, along with altricial rodents, produce permanent PCOS-like phenotypes variably characterized by LH hypersecretion from reduced steroid-negative feedback, hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, increased adiposity, impaired glucose-insulin homeostasis and other metabolic abnormalities. The review concludes that DoHAD underlies the phenotypic expression of PCOS through an altered maternal endocrine-metabolic environment that can induce epigenetic modifications of fetal genetic susceptibility to PCOS after birth. It calls for improved maternal endocrine-metabolic health of PCOS women to lower their risks of pregnancy-related complications and to potentially reduce intergenerational susceptibility to PCOS and its metabolic derangements in offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Dumesic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Luis R Hoyos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gregorio D Chazenbalk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rajanigandha Naik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - David H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Monniaux D, Genêt C, Maillard V, Jarrier P, Adriaensen H, Hennequet-Antier C, Lainé AL, Laclie C, Papillier P, Plisson-Petit F, Estienne A, Cognié J, di Clemente N, Dalbies-Tran R, Fabre S. Prenatal programming by testosterone of follicular theca cell functions in ovary. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1177-1196. [PMID: 31327046 PMCID: PMC11105072 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian ovaries, the theca layers of growing follicles are critical for maintaining their structural integrity and supporting androgen synthesis. Through combining the postnatal monitoring of ovaries by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging, endocrine profiling, hormonal analysis of the follicular fluid of growing follicles, and transcriptomic analysis of follicular theca cells, we provide evidence that the exposure of ovine fetuses to testosterone excess activates postnatal follicular growth and strongly affects the functions of follicular theca in adulthood. Prenatal exposure to testosterone impaired androgen synthesis in the small antral follicles of adults and affected the expression in their theca cells of a wide array of genes encoding extracellular matrix components, their membrane receptors, and signaling pathways. Most expression changes were uncorrelated with the concentrations of gonadotropins, steroids, and anti-Müllerian hormone in the recent hormonal environment of theca cells, suggesting that these changes rather result from the long-term developmental effects of testosterone on theca cell precursors in fetal ovaries. Disruptions of the extracellular matrix structure and signaling in the follicular theca and ovarian cortex can explain the acceleration of follicle growth through altering the stiffness of ovarian tissue. We propose that these mechanisms participate in the etiology of the polycystic ovarian syndrome, a major reproductive pathology in woman.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Monniaux
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Carine Genêt
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, INPT, ENVT, 31320, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Virginie Maillard
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Peggy Jarrier
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Hans Adriaensen
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Anne-Lyse Lainé
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Corinne Laclie
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Pascal Papillier
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Anthony Estienne
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Juliette Cognié
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Nathalie di Clemente
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), 75012, Paris, France
| | - Rozenn Dalbies-Tran
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Stéphane Fabre
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, INPT, ENVT, 31320, Castanet Tolosan, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
James WH, Grech V. Potential explanations of behavioural and other differences and similarities between males and females with autism spectrum disorder. Early Hum Dev 2020; 140:104863. [PMID: 31493928 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.104863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Several potential explanations may be dependent on the dynamics of prenatal and postnatal testosterone in males and females, and to be consistent with Baron-Cohen's concept of extreme male brain. This paper explores the evidence that male and female autistic subjects differ on the average in that they have had different exposures to the causes of autism, females bearing higher genetic burdens for ASD (autistic spectrum disorder), and males having a greater exposure to high intrauterine levels of testosterone (T). The high levels of intrauterine (and possibly postnatal) testosterone to which ASD cases have been exposed, cause a less masculinized physical habitus (including facial features) in exposed males, and a more masculinized physical habitus in exposed females. ASD genes (as opposed to intrauterine testosterone) are mainly responsible for a low mean IQ in ASD (especially female cases). Exposure to high intrauterine T increases the probability that foetuses will be male, thus potentially explaining the high sex ratio (proportion male) of cases of ASD. The Gender Incoherence Model seems to be based on facts unrelated directly to autism. The shifts towards the other sex are argued to be consequent on sex-different reactions to prenatal exposure to high T, not on the pathology itself. The suspected underdiagnosis of female cases is partially dependent on the different proportions of environmental and genetic causes to which male and female cases are hypothesized to have been exposed, and the consequent 'more normal' behaviour of female cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William H James
- Galton Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta.
| | - Victor Grech
- Galton Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ferreira SR, Goyeneche AA, Heber MF, Abruzzese GA, Telleria CM, Motta AB. Prenatally androgenized female rats develop uterine hyperplasia when adult. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 499:110610. [PMID: 31589912 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal hyperandrogenization (PH) is hypothesized as one of the main factors contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to androgen excess on the uterus when animals reach their adulthood. We found that PH altered the morphology of the uteri that show a hyperplastic morphology with increased total uterine thickness as well as luminal epithelium thickness, with both enhanced and altered distribution of glands as compared with controls. Morphological alterations were associated with an unbalanced homeostasis as assessed by the expression of regulators of cell cycle progression and cell death dynamics. PH also causes disturbances in the cell cycle of the uterine tissue and dysregulates cell death and survival pathways leading to the development of uterine hyperplasia. These findings suggest that PH may have a deleterious effect on the uterus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Rocío Ferreira
- Laboratorio de Fisio-Patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina.
| | - Alicia Alejandra Goyeneche
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - María Florencia Heber
- Laboratorio de Fisio-Patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
| | - Giselle Adriana Abruzzese
- Laboratorio de Fisio-Patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
| | - Carlos Marcelo Telleria
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alicia Beatriz Motta
- Laboratorio de Fisio-Patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Perret M. Litter sex composition affects first reproduction in female grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Physiol Behav 2019; 208:112575. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
|
14
|
Astapova O, Minor BMN, Hammes SR. Physiological and Pathological Androgen Actions in the Ovary. Endocrinology 2019; 160:1166-1174. [PMID: 30912811 PMCID: PMC6937455 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Androgens, although traditionally thought to be male sex steroids, play important roles in female reproduction, both in healthy and pathological states. This mini-review focuses on recent advances in our knowledge of the role of androgens in the ovary. Androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in oocytes, granulosa cells, and theca cells, and is temporally regulated during follicular development. Mouse knockout studies have shown that AR expression in granulosa cells is critical for normal follicular development and subsequent ovulation. In addition, androgens are involved in regulating dynamic changes in ovarian steroidogenesis that are critical for normal cycling. Androgen effects on follicle development have been incorporated into clinical practice in women with diminished ovarian reserve, albeit with limited success in available literature. At the other extreme, androgen excess leads to disordered follicle development and anovulatory infertility known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with studies suggesting that theca cell AR may mediate many of these negative effects. Finally, both prenatal and postnatal animal models of androgen excess have been developed and are being used to study the pathophysiology of PCOS both within the ovary and with regard to overall metabolic health. Taken together, current scientific consensus is that a careful balance of androgen activity in the ovary is necessary for reproductive health in women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Astapova
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Briaunna M N Minor
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Stephen R Hammes
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
- Correspondence: Stephen R. Hammes, MD, PhD, Box 693, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kupreeva M, Diane A, Lehner R, Watts R, Ghosh M, Proctor S, Vine D. Effect of metformin and flutamide on insulin, lipogenic and androgen-estrogen signaling, and cardiometabolic risk in a PCOS-prone metabolic syndrome rodent model. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2019; 316:E16-E33. [PMID: 30153063 PMCID: PMC6417686 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00018.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is highly associated with cardiometabolic risk and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), predisposing women to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Metformin is commonly used to treat insulin resistance-glucose intolerance, and flutamide, an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, is used to target hyperandrogenemia and dyslipidemia. Currently, the physiological mechanism of action of these treatments on androgen, lipidogenic, and insulin signaling pathways remains unclear in PCOS. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of metformin and flutamide on plasma lipid-apolipoprotein (Apo)B-lipoprotein and insulin-glucose metabolism, and endocrine-reproductive indices in a PCOS-prone MetS rodent model. PCOS-prone rodents were treated with metformin (300 mg/kg body wt), flutamide (30 mg/kg body wt), or metformin + flutamide combination treatment for 6 wk. Metformin was shown to improve fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, whereas flutamide and combination treatment were shown to reduce plasma triglycerides, ApoB48, and ApoB100, and this was associated with decreased intestinal secretion of ApoB48/triglyceride. Flutamide and metformin were shown to reduce plasma androgen indices and to improve ovarian primary and preovulatory follicle frequency. Metformin treatment increased hepatic estrogen receptor (ER)α, and metformin-flutamide decreased intestinal AR and increased ERα mRNA expression. Metformin-flutamide treatment upregulated hepatic and intestinal insulin signaling, including insulin receptor, MAPK1, and AKT2. In conclusion, cardiometabolic risk factors, in particular ApoB-hypertriglyceridemia, are independently modulated via the AR, and understanding the contribution of AR and insulin-signaling pathways further may facilitate the development of targeted interventions in high-risk women with PCOS and MetS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Kupreeva
- Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Laboratory, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - A. Diane
- Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Laboratory, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R. Lehner
- Group on Molecular Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R. Watts
- Group on Molecular Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - M. Ghosh
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - S. Proctor
- Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Laboratory, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Group on Molecular Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - D. Vine
- Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Laboratory, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Group on Molecular Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Heber MF, Ferreira SR, Abruzzese GA, Raices T, Pignataro OP, Vega M, Motta AB. Metformin improves ovarian insulin signaling alterations caused by fetal programming. J Endocrinol 2019; 240:JOE-18-0520.R1. [PMID: 30620715 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Insulin resistance is the decreased ability of insulin to mediate metabolic actions. In the ovary, insulin controls ovulation and oocyte quality. Alterations in ovarian insulin signaling pathway could compromise ovarian physiology. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of fetal programming on ovarian insulin signaling and evaluate the effect of metformin treatment. Pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with testosterone and female offspring born to those dams were employed; at adulthood, prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) offspring presented two phenotypes: irregular ovulatory (PHiov) and anovulatory (PHanov). Half of each group was orally treated with metformin. Metformin treatment improved the estrous cyclicity in both PH groups. Both PH groups showed low mRNA levels of IR, IRS1 and Glut4. IRS2 was decreased only in PHanov. Metformin upregulated the mRNA levels of some of the mediators studied. Protein expression of IR, IRS1/2 and GLUT4 was decreased in both PH groups. In PHiov, metformin restored the expression of all the mediators, whereas, in PHanov, metformin restored only that of IR and IRS1/2. IRS1 phosphorylation was measured in tyrosine residues, which activates the pathway, and in serine residues, which impairs insulin action. PHiov presented high IRS1 phosphorylation on tyrosine and serine residues, whereas PHanov showed high serine phosphorylation and low tyrosine phosphorylation. Metformin treatment lowered serine phosphorylation only in PHanov rats. Our results suggest that PHanov rats have a defective insulin action, partially restored with metformin. PHiov rats had less severe alterations, and metformin treatment was more effective in this phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria F Heber
- M Heber, Laboratorio de Fisio-patologia Ovarica, CEFYBO, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1121ABG, Argentina
| | - Silvana R Ferreira
- S Ferreira, Laboratorio de Fisio-patologia Ovarica, Centro de Estudios Farmacologicos y Botanicos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Trinidad Raices
- T Raices, Laboratorio de Endocrinología Molecular y Transducción de Señales, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Omar Pedro Pignataro
- O Pignataro, Laboratorio de Endocrinología Molecular y Transducción de Señales, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Margarita Vega
- M Vega, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chile Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alicia B Motta
- A Motta, Laboratorio de Fisio-patologia Ovarica, CEFYBO, Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Huang G, Cherkerzian S, Loucks EB, Buka SL, Handa RJ, Lasley BL, Bhasin S, Goldstein JM. Sex Differences in the Prenatal Programming of Adult Metabolic Syndrome by Maternal Androgens. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103:3945-3953. [PMID: 30113645 PMCID: PMC6182312 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-01243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Growing preclinical evidence suggests that hormonal programming by androgens in utero may contribute to cardiovascular disease risk in adult offspring. However, the effect of prenatal androgens on cardiometabolic outcomes in the human population, especially their potential differential impact on male vs female offspring, has not been well studied. DESIGN Adult offspring (n = 274) of mothers enrolled in the New England birth cohorts of the Collaborative Perinatal Project were assessed at ages 39 to 50. Androgen bioactivity was measured in maternal serum during the third trimester using a receptor-mediated luciferase expression bioassay. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) using Adult Treatment Panel III criteria was assessed in adult offspring. Bioactive androgens were analyzed as quartiles, with the lowest quartile (Q1) defined as the reference. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationship of maternal bioactive androgens on offspring MetS risk overall and by sex, controlling for potential confounders and intrafamilial correlation. RESULTS Mean age and body mass index of adult offspring were 44.7 ± 2.6 years and 29.7 ± 6.7 kg/m2, respectively. Participants born to mothers with the highest quartile (Q4) compared with Q1 of bioactive androgens had higher risk for MetS [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.53(1.07 to 6.02)]. Stratified by sex, this association was found to be significant among women [Q4 vs Q1; aOR: 4.06 (1.10 to 14.93)] but not men [Q4 vs Q1; aOR: 1.67 (0.53 to 5.26)]. Women born to mothers with the highest levels of maternal bioactive androgens also demonstrated a 4.84-fold increased odds for having hypertension [Q4 vs Q1; aOR: 4.84 (1.12 to 20.85)]. CONCLUSION Higher levels of maternal androgens were associated with increased risk for incident MetS in adult offspring, an effect that was significant in women but not men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Huang
- Research Program in Men’s Health: Aging and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Grace Huang, MD, Section on Men’s Health, Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, BLI-541, Boston, Massachusetts 02115. E-mail:
| | - Sara Cherkerzian
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Eric B Loucks
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Stephen L Buka
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Bill L Lasley
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Shalender Bhasin
- Research Program in Men’s Health: Aging and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jill M Goldstein
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cavalieri V, Spinelli G. Environmental epigenetics in zebrafish. Epigenetics Chromatin 2017; 10:46. [PMID: 28982377 PMCID: PMC5629768 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-017-0154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that the epigenome can act as the link between environmental cues, both external and internal, to the organism and phenotype by converting the environmental stimuli to phenotypic responses through changes in gene transcription outcomes. Environmental stress endured by individual organisms can also enforce epigenetic variations in offspring that had never experienced it directly, which is termed transgenerational inheritance. To date, research in the environmental epigenetics discipline has used a wide range of both model and non-model organisms to elucidate the various epigenetic mechanisms underlying the adaptive response to environmental stimuli. In this review, we discuss the advantages of the zebrafish model for studying how environmental toxicant exposures affect the regulation of epigenetic processes, especially DNA methylation, which is the best-studied epigenetic mechanism. We include several very recent studies describing the state-of-the-art knowledge on this topic in zebrafish, together with key concepts in the function of DNA methylation during vertebrate embryogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cavalieri
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy. .,Zebrafish Laboratory, Advanced Technologies Network (ATeN) Center, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 18, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Spinelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ma X, Hayes E, Biswas A, Seger C, Prizant H, Hammes SR, Sen A. Androgens Regulate Ovarian Gene Expression Through Modulation of Ezh2 Expression and Activity. Endocrinology 2017; 158:2944-2954. [PMID: 28666321 PMCID: PMC5659665 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A substantial amount of evidence suggests that androgen signaling through classical androgen receptors is critical for both normal and pathologic ovarian physiology. Specifically, we and others have shown that, in mouse granulosa cells, androgen actions through both extranuclear and nuclear androgen receptor signaling are critical for normal follicle development and ovulation. Here, we show that androgens through the PI3K/Akt pathway rapidly (within minutes) phosphorylate and inhibit activity of the Polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2). Over the course of 24 to 48 hours, androgens then induce expression of the microRNA miR-101, which targets Ezh2 messenger RNA (mRNA), leading to a nearly complete loss of Ezh2 protein expression. This long-term androgen-induced loss of Ezh2 actions ultimately results in sustained reduction of the H3K27me3-repressive mark in the promoter region of the Runt-related transcription factor-1 (Runx1) gene, a luteinizing hormone (LH)-induced transcription factor essential for ovulation, leading to increased Runx1 mRNA expression. Accordingly, blocking androgen-induced inhibition of Ezh2 in vivo adversely affects LH-induced Runx1 mRNA expression and subsequent ovulation. Importantly, although estrogen treatment of granulosa cells similarly causes rapid activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and short-term phosphorylation of Ezh2, it does not induce miR-101 expression and thereby does not reduce overall Ezh2 expression, demonstrating the androgen specificity of long-term Ezh2 suppression. Thus, this study provides insight regarding how androgen-induced extranuclear kinase signaling and intranuclear transcription through Ezh2 modifications may influence the expression pattern of genes, ultimately affecting various downstream physiological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoting Ma
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Emily Hayes
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Anindita Biswas
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Christina Seger
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Hen Prizant
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Stephen R. Hammes
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Aritro Sen
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Moore AM, Campbell RE. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Understanding the role of the brain. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 46:1-14. [PMID: 28551304 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder and the leading cause of anovulatory infertility. Characterised by hyperandrogenism, menstrual dysfunction and polycystic ovaries, PCOS is a broad-spectrum disorder unlikely to stem from a single common origin. Although commonly considered an ovarian disease, the brain is now a prime suspect in both the ontogeny and pathology of PCOS. We discuss here the neuroendocrine impairments present in PCOS that implicate involvement of the brain and review evidence gained from pre-clinical models of the syndrome about the specific brain circuitry involved. In particular, we focus on the impact that developmental androgen excess and adult hyperandrogenemia have in programming and regulating brain circuits important in the central regulation of fertility. The studies discussed here provide compelling support for the importance of the brain in PCOS ontogeny and pathophysiology and highlight the need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleisha M Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Puttabyatappa M, Cardoso RC, Padmanabhan V. Effect of maternal PCOS and PCOS-like phenotype on the offspring's health. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 435:29-39. [PMID: 26639019 PMCID: PMC4884168 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder with both reproductive and metabolic abnormalities affecting women of reproductive age. While the exact origin of PCOS is unknown, observations from clinical and animal studies suggest that maternal hyperandrogenism may be a contributing factor. Because women with PCOS manifest hyperandrogenism during pregnancy, changes in the gestational endocrine milieu may play a role in the vertical transmission of this syndrome. This review discusses the potential developmental origins of PCOS, the impact of maternal PCOS on the offspring's health and contributions of the postnatal environment, capitalizing on findings from animal models that exhibit a PCOS-like phenotype. In addition, this review highlights the scarcity of data at early gestational stages in humans and the importance of animal experimentation to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the programming of adult diseases, therefore, helping identify therapeutic targets for preventive and treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Roselli CE, Amodei R, Gribbin KP, Corder K, Stormshak F, Estill CT. Excess Testosterone Exposure Alters Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis Dynamics and Gene Expression in Sheep Fetuses. Endocrinology 2016; 157:4234-4245. [PMID: 27673555 PMCID: PMC5086533 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to excess androgen may result in impaired adult fertility in a variety of mammalian species. However, little is known about what feedback mechanisms regulate gonadotropin secretion during early gestation and how they respond to excess T exposure. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous exposure to T on key genes that regulate gonadotropin and GnRH secretion in fetal male lambs as compared with female cohorts. We found that biweekly maternal testosterone propionate (100 mg) treatment administered from day 30 to day 58 of gestation acutely decreased (P < .05) serum LH concentrations and reduced the expression of gonadotropin subunit mRNA in both sexes and the levels of GnRH receptor mRNA in males. These results are consistent with enhanced negative feedback at the level of the pituitary and were accompanied by reduced mRNA levels for testicular steroidogenic enzymes, suggesting that Leydig cell function was also suppressed. The expression of kisspeptin 1 mRNA, a key regulator of GnRH neurons, was significantly greater (P < .01) in control females than in males and reduced (P < .001) in females by T exposure, indicating that hypothalamic regulation of gonadotropin secretion was also affected by androgen exposure. Although endocrine homeostasis was reestablished 2 weeks after maternal testosterone propionate treatment ceased, additional differences in the gene expression of GnRH, estrogen receptor-β, and kisspeptin receptor (G protein coupled receptor 54) emerged between the treatment cohorts. These changes suggest the normal trajectory of hypothalamic-pituitary axis development was disrupted, which may, in turn, contribute to negative effects on fertility later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Roselli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| | - Rebecka Amodei
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| | - Kyle P Gribbin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| | - Keely Corder
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| | - Fred Stormshak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| | - Charles T Estill
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (C.E.R., R.A., K.P.G.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098; and Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences (K.C., F.S., C.T.E.) and College of Veterinary Medicine (C.T.E.), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cernea M, Phillips R, Padmanabhan V, Coolen LM, Lehman MN. Prenatal testosterone exposure decreases colocalization of insulin receptors in kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin and agouti-related peptide neurons of the adult ewe. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2557-2568. [PMID: 27543746 PMCID: PMC5067216 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Insulin serves as a link between the metabolic and reproductive systems, communicating energy availability to the hypothalamus and enabling reproductive mechanisms. Adult Suffolk ewes prenatally exposed to testosterone (T) display an array of reproductive and metabolic dysfunctions similar to those seen in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), including insulin resistance. Moreover, prenatal T treatment alters neuropeptide expression in KNDy (co-expressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B/dynorphin) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the arcuate nucleus, two populations that play key roles in the control of reproduction and metabolism, respectively. In this study, we determined whether prenatal T treatment also altered insulin receptors in KNDy and AgRP neurons, as well as in preoptic area (POA) kisspeptin, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons of the adult sheep brain. Immunofluorescent detection of the beta subunit of insulin receptor (IRβ) revealed that KNDy, AgRP and POMC neurons, but not GnRH or POA kisspeptin neurons, colocalize IRβ in control females. Moreover, prenatal T treatment decreased the percentage of KNDy and AgRP neurons that colocalized IRβ, consistent with reduced insulin sensitivity. Administration of the anti-androgen drug, Flutamide, during prenatal T treatment, prevented the reduction in IRβ colocalization in AgRP, but not in KNDy neurons, suggesting that these effects are programmed by androgenic and oestrogenic actions, respectively. These findings provide novel insight into the effects of prenatal T treatment on hypothalamic insulin sensitivity and raise the possibility that decreased insulin receptors, specifically within KNDy and AgRP neurons, may contribute to the PCOS-like phenotype of this animal model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cernea
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Rebecca Phillips
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Reproductive Sciences Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
More AS, Mishra JS, Hankins GD, Kumar S. Prenatal Testosterone Exposure Decreases Aldosterone Production but Maintains Normal Plasma Volume and Increases Blood Pressure in Adult Female Rats. Biol Reprod 2016; 95:42. [PMID: 27385784 PMCID: PMC5029475 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.141705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasma testosterone levels are elevated in pregnant women with preeclampsia and polycystic ovaries; their offspring are at increased risk for hypertension during adult life. We tested the hypothesis that prenatal testosterone exposure induces dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which is known to play an important role in water and electrolyte balance and blood pressure regulation. Female rats (6 mo old) prenatally exposed to testosterone were examined for adrenal expression of steroidogenic genes, telemetric blood pressure, blood volume and Na+ and K+ levels, plasma aldosterone, angiotensin II and vasopressin levels, and vascular responses to angiotensin II and arg8-vasopressin. The levels of Cyp11b2 (aldosterone synthase), but not the other adrenal steroidogenic genes, were decreased in testosterone females. Accordingly, plasma aldosterone levels were lower in testosterone females. Plasma volume and serum and urine Na+ and K+ levels were not significantly different between control and testosterone females; however, prenatal testosterone exposure significantly increased plasma vasopressin and angiotensin II levels and arterial pressure in adult females. In testosterone females, mesenteric artery contractile responses to angiotensin II were significantly greater, while contractile responses to vasopressin were unaffected. Angiotensin II type-1 receptor expression was increased, while angiotensin II type-2 receptor was decreased in testosterone arteries. These results suggest that prenatal testosterone exposure downregulates adrenal Cyp11b2 expression, leading to decreased plasma aldosterone levels. Elevated angiotensin II and vasopressin levels along with enhanced vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II may serve as an underlying mechanism to maintain plasma volume and Na+ and K+ levels and mediate hypertension in adult testosterone females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar S More
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Jay S Mishra
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Gary D Hankins
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Sathish Kumar
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Moore AM, Campbell RE. The neuroendocrine genesis of polycystic ovary syndrome: A role for arcuate nucleus GABA neurons. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 160:106-17. [PMID: 26455490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent and distressing endocrine disorder lacking a clearly identified aetiology. Despite its name, PCOS may result from impaired neuronal circuits in the brain that regulate steroid hormone feedback to the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. Ovarian function in all mammals is controlled by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, a small group of neurons that reside in the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus. GnRH neurons drive the secretion of the gonadotropins from the pituitary gland that subsequently control ovarian function, including the production of gonadal steroid hormones. These hormones, in turn, provide important feedback signals to GnRH neurons via a hormone sensitive neuronal network in the brain. In many women with PCOS this feedback pathway is impaired, resulting in the downstream consequences of the syndrome. This review will explore what is currently known from clinical and animal studies about the identity, relative contribution and significance of the individual neuronal components within the GnRH neuronal network that contribute to the pathophysiology of PCOS. We review evidence for the specific neuronal pathways hypothesised to mediate progesterone negative feedback to GnRH neurons, and discuss the potential mechanisms by which androgens may evoke disruptions in these circuits at different developmental time points. Finally, this review discusses data providing compelling support for disordered progesterone-sensitive GABAergic input to GnRH neurons, originating specifically within the arcuate nucleus in prenatal androgen induced forms of PCOS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleisha M Moore
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
More AS, Mishra JS, Gopalakrishnan K, Blesson CS, Hankins GD, Sathishkumar K. Prenatal Testosterone Exposure Leads to Gonadal Hormone-Dependent Hyperinsulinemia and Gonadal Hormone-Independent Glucose Intolerance in Adult Male Rat Offspring. Biol Reprod 2015; 94:5. [PMID: 26586841 PMCID: PMC4809560 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.133157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated testosterone levels during prenatal life lead to hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in adult females. This study evaluated whether prenatal testosterone exposure leads to the development of insulin resistance in adult male rats in order to assess the influence of gonadal hormones on glucose homeostasis in these animals. Male offspring of pregnant rats treated with testosterone propionate or its vehicle (control) were examined. A subset of male offspring was orchiectomized at 7 wk of age and reared to adulthood. At 24 wk of age, fat weights, plasma testosterone, glucose homeostasis, pancreas morphology, and gastrocnemius insulin receptor (IR) beta levels were examined. The pups born to testosterone-treated mothers were smaller at birth and remained smaller through adult life, with levels of fat deposition relatively similar to those in controls. Testosterone exposure during prenatal life induced hyperinsulinemia paralleled by an increased HOMA-IR index in a fasting state and glucose intolerance and exaggerated insulin responses following a glucose tolerance test. Prenatal androgen-exposed males had more circulating testosterone during adult life. Gonadectomy prevented hyperandrogenism, reversed hyperinsulinemia, and attenuated glucose-induced insulin responses but did not alter glucose intolerance in these rats. Prenatal androgen-exposed males had decreased pancreatic islet numbers, size, and beta-cell area along with decreased expression of IR in gastrocnemius muscles. Gonadectomy restored pancreatic islet numbers, size, and beta-cell area but did not normalize IRbeta expression. This study shows that prenatal testosterone exposure leads to a defective pancreas and skeletal muscle function in male offspring. Hyperinsulinemia during adult life is gonad-dependent, but glucose intolerance appears to be independent of postnatal testosterone levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar S More
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Jay S Mishra
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Kathirvel Gopalakrishnan
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Chellakkan S Blesson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Gary D Hankins
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Kunju Sathishkumar
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gur EB, Karadeniz M, Turan GA. Fetal programming of polycystic ovary syndrome. World J Diabetes 2015; 6:936-42. [PMID: 26185601 PMCID: PMC4499527 DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder that affects up to 6.8% of reproductive age women. Experimental research and clinical observations suggest that PCOS may originate in the very early stages of development, possibly even during intrauterine life. This suggests that PCOS is either genetically-transmitted or is due to epigenetic alterations that develop in the intrauterine microenvironment. Although familial cases support the role of genetic factors, no specific genetic pattern has been defined in PCOS. Several candidate genes have been implicated in its pathogenesis, but none can specifically be implicated in PCOS development. Hypotheses based on the impact of the intrauterine environment on PCOS development can be grouped into two categories. The first is the "thrifty" phenotype hypothesis, which states that intrauterine nutritional restriction in fetuses causes decreased insulin secretion and, as a compensatory mechanism, insulin resistance. Additionally, an impaired nutritional environment can affect the methylation of some specific genes, which can also trigger PCOS. The second hypothesis postulates that fetal exposure to excess androgen can induce changes in differentiating tissues, causing the PCOS phenotype to develop in adult life. This review aimed to examine the role of fetal programming in development of PCOS.
Collapse
|
28
|
Brown ECZ, Steadman CJ, Lee TM, Padmanabhan V, Lehman MN, Coolen LM. Sex differences and effects of prenatal exposure to excess testosterone on ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in adult sheep. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1157-66. [PMID: 25784297 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess in sheep results in a wide array of reproductive neuroendocrine deficits and alterations in motivated behavior. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays a critical role in reward and motivated behaviors and is hypothesised to be targeted by prenatal T. Here we report a sex difference in the number VTA dopamine cells in the adult sheep, with higher numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (-ir) cells in males than females. Moreover, prenatal exposure to excess T during either gestational days 30-90 or 60-90 resulted in increased numbers of VTA TH-ir cells in adult ewes compared to control females. Stereological analysis confirmed significantly greater numbers of neurons in the VTA of males and prenatal T-treated ewes, which was primarily accounted for by greater numbers of TH-ir cells. In addition, immunoreactivity for TH in the cells was denser in males and prenatal T-treated females, suggesting that sex differences and prenatal exposure to excess T affects both numbers of cells expressing TH and the protein levels within dopamine cells. Sex differences were also noted in numbers of TH-ir cells in the substantia nigra, with more cells in males than females. However, prenatal exposure to excess T did not affect numbers of TH-ir cells in the substantia nigra, suggesting that this sex difference is organised independently of prenatal actions of T. Together, these results demonstrate sex differences in the sheep VTA dopamine system which are mimicked by prenatal treatment with excess T.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erinna C Z Brown
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mereness AL, Murphy ZC, Sellix MT. Developmental programming by androgen affects the circadian timing system in female mice. Biol Reprod 2015; 92:88. [PMID: 25695720 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.126409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks play essential roles in the timing of events in the mammalian hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis. The molecular oscillator driving these rhythms has been localized to tissues of the HPO axis. It has been suggested that synchrony among these oscillators is a feature of normal reproductive function. The impact of fertility disorders on clock function and the role of the clock in the etiology of endocrine pathology remain unknown. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a particularly devastating fertility disorder, affecting 5%-10% of women at childbearing age with features including a polycystic ovary, anovulation, and elevated serum androgen. Approximately 40% of these women have metabolic syndrome, marked by hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. It has been suggested that developmental exposure to excess androgen contributes to the etiology of fertility disorders, including PCOS. To better define the role of the timing system in these disorders, we determined the effects of androgen-dependent developmental programming on clock gene expression in tissues of the metabolic and HPO axes. Female PERIOD2::luciferase (PER2::LUC) mice were exposed to androgen (dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) in utero (Days 16-18 of gestation) or for 9-10 wk (DHT pellet) beginning at weaning (pubertal androgen excess [PAE]). As expected, both groups of androgen-treated mice had disrupted estrous cycles. Analysis of PER2::LUC expression in tissue explants revealed that excess androgen produced circadian misalignment via tissue-dependent effects on phase distribution. In vitro treatment with DHT differentially affected the period of PER2::LUC expression in tissue explants and granulosa cells, indicating that androgen has direct and tissue-specific effects on clock gene expression that may account for the effects of developmental programming on the timing system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Mereness
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Zachary C Murphy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Michael T Sellix
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Connolly F, Rae MT, Butler M, Klibanov AL, Sboros V, McNeilly AS, Duncan WC. The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111280. [PMID: 25343339 PMCID: PMC4208840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to develop a medical alternative to surgical ovarian diathermy (OD) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) more mechanistic information is required about OD. We therefore studied the cellular, molecular and vascular effects of diathermy on the ovary using an established ovine model of PCOS. Pregnant sheep were treated twice weekly with testosterone propionate (100 mg) from day 30–100 gestation. Their female offspring (n = 12) were studied during their second breeding season when the PCOS-like phenotype, with anovulation, is fully manifest. In one group (n = 4) one ovary underwent diathermy and it was collected and compared to the contralateral ovary after 24 hours. In another group a treatment PCOS cohort underwent diathermy (n = 4) and the ovaries were collected and compared to the control PCOS cohort (n = 4) after 5 weeks. Ovarian vascular indices were measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and colour Doppler before, immediately after, 24 hours and five weeks after diathermy. Antral follicles were assessed by immunohistochemistry and ovarian stromal gene expression by quantitative RT-PCR 24 hours and 5 weeks after diathermy. Diathermy increased follicular atresia (P<0.05) and reduced antral follicle numbers after 5 weeks (P<0.05). There was an increase in stromal CCL2 expression 24 hours after diathermy (P<0.01) but no alteration in inflammatory indices at 5 weeks. Immediately after diathermy there was increased microbubble transit time in the ovarian microvasculature (P = 0.05) but this was not seen at 24 hours. However 24 hours after diathermy there was a reduction in the stromal Doppler blood flow signal (P<0.05) and an increased ovarian resistance index (P<0.05) both of which persisted at 5 weeks (P<0.01; P<0.05). In the ovine model of PCOS, OD causes a sustained reduction in ovarian stromal blood flow with an increased ovarian artery resistance index associated with atresia of antral follicles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Connolly
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T. Rae
- School of Health, Life and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mairead Butler
- Institute of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Bio-Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander L. Klibanov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Vassilis Sboros
- Institute of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Bio-Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alan S. McNeilly
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - W. Colin Duncan
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Amaral FG, Castrucci AM, Cipolla-Neto J, Poletini MO, Mendez N, Richter HG, Sellix MT. Environmental control of biological rhythms: effects on development, fertility and metabolism. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:603-12. [PMID: 24617798 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Internal temporal organisation properly synchronised to the environment is crucial for health maintenance. This organisation is provided at the cellular level by the molecular clock, a macromolecular transcription-based oscillator formed by the clock and the clock-controlled genes that is present in both central and peripheral tissues. In mammals, melanopsin in light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells plays a considerable role in the synchronisation of the circadian timing system to the daily light/dark cycle. Melatonin, a hormone synthesised in the pineal gland exclusively at night and an output of the central clock, has a fundamental role in regulating/timing several physiological functions, including glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion and energy metabolism. As such, metabolism is severely impaired after a reduction in melatonin production. Furthermore, light pollution during the night and shift work schedules can abrogate melatonin synthesis and impair homeostasis. Chronodisruption during pregnancy has deleterious effects on the health of progeny, including metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive dysfunction. Developmental programming by steroids or steroid-mimetic compounds also produces internal circadian disorganisation that may be a significant factor in the aetiology of fertility disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Thus, both early and late in life, pernicious alterations of the endogenous temporal order by environmental factors can disrupt the homeostatic function of the circadian timing system, leading to pathophysiology and/or disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F G Amaral
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Developmental programming: Impact of prenatal testosterone treatment and postnatal obesity on ovarian follicular dynamics. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2014; 3:276-86. [PMID: 23766891 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174412000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess leads to reproductive dysfunctions in sheep with obesity exaggerating such defects. Developmental studies found ovarian reserve is similar in control and prenatal T sheep at fetal day 140, with prenatal T females showing increased follicular recruitment and persistence at 10 months of age (postpubertal). This study tested if prenatal T sheep show accelerated depletion prepubertally and if depletion of ovarian reserve would explain loss of cyclicity in prenatal T females and its amplification by postnatal obesity. Stereological examinations were performed at 5 (prepubertal, control and prenatal T) and 21 months (control, prenatal T and prenatal T obese, following estrus synchronization) of age. Obesity was induced by overfeeding from weaning. At 5 months, prenatal T females had 46% less primordial follicles than controls (P < 0.01), supportive of increased follicular depletion. Depletion rate was slower and a higher percentage of growing follicles was present in 21 month than 5 month old prenatal T females (P < 0.01). Postnatal obesity did not exaggerate the impact of prenatal T on follicular recruitment indicating that compounding effects of obesity on loss of cyclicity females is not due to depletion of ovarian reserve. Assessment of follicular dynamics across several time points during the reproductive life span (this and earlier study combined) provides evidence supportive of a shift in follicular dynamics in prenatal T females from one of accelerated follicular depletion initiated prior to puberty to stockpiling of growing follicles after puberty, a time point critical in the development of the polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype.
Collapse
|
33
|
An update on the hypothesis that one cause of autism is high intrauterine levels of testosterone of maternal origin. J Theor Biol 2014; 355:33-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
34
|
Zambrano E, Guzmán C, Rodríguez-González GL, Durand-Carbajal M, Nathanielsz PW. Fetal programming of sexual development and reproductive function. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 382:538-549. [PMID: 24045010 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The recent growth of interest in developmental programming of physiological systems has generally focused on the cardiovascular system (especially hypertension) and predisposition to metabolic dysfunction (mainly obesity and diabetes). However, it is now clear that the full range of altered offspring phenotypes includes impaired reproductive function. In rats, sheep and nonhuman primates, reproductive capacity is altered by challenges experienced during critical periods of development. This review will examine available experimental evidence across commonly studied experimental species for developmental programming of female and male reproductive function throughout an individual's life-course. It is necessary to consider events that occur during fetal development, early neonatal life and prior to and during puberty, during active reproductive life and aging as reproductive performance declines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Zambrano
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México.
| | - Carolina Guzmán
- HIPAM, Unidad de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)/Hospital General de México, México
| | - Guadalupe L Rodríguez-González
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México
| | - Marta Durand-Carbajal
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México
| | - Peter W Nathanielsz
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
|
36
|
Knickmeyer RC, Auyeung B, Davenport ML. Assessing prenatal and neonatal gonadal steroid exposure for studies of human development: methodological and theoretical challenges. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:242. [PMID: 25642209 PMCID: PMC4294212 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Knickmeyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- *Correspondence:
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marsha L. Davenport
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sorensen K, Juul A, Christensen K, Skytthe A, Scheike T, Kold Jensen T. Birth size and age at menarche: a twin perspective. Hum Reprod 2013; 28:2865-71. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/det283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
|
38
|
Recabarren MP, Rojas-Garcia PP, Einspanier R, Padmanabhan V, Sir-Petermann T, Recabarren SE. Pituitary and testis responsiveness of young male sheep exposed to testosterone excess during fetal development. Reproduction 2013; 145:567-76. [PMID: 23579187 DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to excess testosterone induces reproductive disturbances in both female and male sheep. In females, it alters the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis. In males, prenatal testosterone excess reduces sperm count and motility. Focusing on males, this study tested whether pituitary LH responsiveness to GNRH is increased in prenatal testosterone-exposed males and whether testicular function is compromised in the testosterone-exposed males. Control males (n=6) and males born to ewes exposed to twice weekly injections of 30 mg testosterone propionate from days 30 to 90 and of 40 mg testosterone propionate from days 90 to 120 of gestation (n=6) were studied at 20 and 30 weeks of age. Pituitary and testicular responsiveness was tested by administering a GNRH analog (leuprolide acetate). To complement the analyses, the mRNA expression of LH receptor (LHR) and that of steroidogenic enzymes were determined in testicular tissue. Basal LH and testosterone concentrations were higher in the testosterone-exposed-males. While LH response to the GNRH analog was higher in the testosterone-exposed males than in the control males, testosterone responses did not differ between the treatment groups. The testosterone:LH ratio was higher in the control males than in the testosterone-exposed males of 30 weeks of age, suggestive of reduced Leydig cell sensitivity to LH in the testosterone-exposed males. The expression of LHR mRNA was lower in the testosterone-exposed males, but the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes did not differ between the groups. These findings indicate that prenatal testosterone excess has opposing effects at the pituitary and testicular levels, namely increased pituitary sensitivity to GNRH at the level of pituitary and decreased sensitivity of the testes to LH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica P Recabarren
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán CP 3812120, Chile
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Connolly F, Rae MT, Bittner L, Hogg K, McNeilly AS, Duncan WC. Excess androgens in utero alters fetal testis development. Endocrinology 2013; 154:1921-33. [PMID: 23546603 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal androgenization induces a polycystic ovary syndrome-like phenotype in adult female offspring, which is associated with alterations that can be detected in the fetal ovary, suggesting gestational origins of this condition. We therefore investigated whether increased prenatal androgen exposure also altered testicular development using ovine animal models. Biweekly maternal testosterone propionate (TP; 100 mg) from day 62 to day 70/day 90 of gestation altered male developmental trajectory. In male fetuses serum LH was decreased (P < .01), and testicular STAR, CYP11, and CYP17 abundance were reduced. Coincident with this, basal testicular T synthesis was decreased in vitro (P < .001). Leydig cell distribution was severely perturbed in all testes prenatally exposed to TP (P < .001). To examine the contribution of estrogens, fetuses were injected with TP (20 mg), the potent estrogen agonist, diethylstilbestrol (DES; 20 mg), or vehicle control at day 62 and day 82 and assessed at day 90. The effects of fetal (direct) TP treatment, but not DES, paralleled maternal (indirect) TP exposure, supporting a direct androgen effect. Cessation of maternal androgenization at day 102 returned Leydig cell distribution to normal but increased basal T output, at day 112, demonstrating Leydig cell developmental plasticity. Earlier maternal androgen exposure from day 30 similarly influenced Leydig cell development at day 90 but additionally affected the expression of Sertoli and germ cell markers. We show in this study that increased prenatal androgen exposure alters development and function of Leydig cells at a time when androgen production is paramount for male development. This supports the concept that gestational antecedents associated with polycystic ovary syndrome may have effects on the male fetus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Connolly
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Sellix MT, Murphy ZC, Menaker M. Excess androgen during puberty disrupts circadian organization in female rats. Endocrinology 2013; 154:1636-47. [PMID: 23417420 PMCID: PMC3602624 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Circadian clocks have been described in each tissue of the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis. Although a role for the clock in the timing of ovulation is indicated, the impact of diseases that disrupt fertility on clock function or the clocks' role in the etiology of these pathologies has yet to be fully appreciated. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a particularly devastating endocrinopathy, affecting approximately 10% of women at childbearing age. Common features of PCOS are a polycystic ovary, amenorrhea, and excess serum androgen. Approximately 40% of these women have metabolic syndrome, including hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and hyperleptinemia. It has been suggested that excess androgen is a critical factor in the etiology of PCOS. We have examined the effects of androgen excess during puberty on the phase of circadian clocks in tissues of the metabolic and hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axes. Female period1-luciferase (per1-luc) rats were exposed to androgen (5α-dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) or placebo for 4-6 weeks (short term) or 9-15 weeks (long term). As expected, DHT-treated animals gained more weight than controls and had disrupted estrous cycles. At the end of treatment, tissues, including the liver, lung, kidney, white adipose, cornea, pituitary, oviduct, and ovarian follicles, were cultured, and per1-luc expression in each was recorded. Analysis of per1-luc expression revealed that DHT exposure increased phase distribution of multiple oscillators, including ovarian follicles, liver, and adipose, and altered phase synchrony between animals. These data suggest that excess androgen during puberty, a common feature of PCOS, negatively affects internal circadian organization in both the reproductive and metabolic axes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Sellix
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 693, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Dumesic DA, Richards JS. Ontogeny of the ovary in polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertil Steril 2013; 100:23-38. [PMID: 23472949 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Activation of primordial follicles into the growing pool, selection of the dominant follicle, and its eventual ovulation require complex endocrine and metabolic interactions as well as intraovarian paracrine signals to coordinate granulosa cell proliferation, theca cell differentiation, and oocyte maturation. Early preantral follicle development relies mostly upon mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions, intraovarian paracrine signals, and oocyte-secreted factors, whereas development of the antral follicle depends on circulating gonadotropins as well as locally derived regulators. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian hyperandrogenism, hyperinsulinemia from insulin resistance, and altered intrafollicular paracrine signaling perturb the activation, survival, growth, and selection of follicles, causing accumulation of small antral follicles within the periphery of the ovary, giving it a polycystic morphology. Altered adipocyte-ovarian interactions further compound these adverse events on follicle development and also can harm the oocyte, particularly in the presence of increased adiposity. Finally, endocrine antecedents of PCOS occur in female infants born to mothers with PCOS, which suggests that interactions between genes and the maternal-fetal hormonal environment may program ovarian function after birth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Dumesic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Rae M, Grace C, Hogg K, Wilson LM, McHaffie SL, Ramaswamy S, MacCallum J, Connolly F, McNeilly AS, Duncan C. The pancreas is altered by in utero androgen exposure: implications for clinical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PLoS One 2013; 8:e56263. [PMID: 23457541 PMCID: PMC3574134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), (pregnant ewes injected with testosterone propionate (TP) (100 mg twice weekly) from day (d)62 to d102 of d147 gestation (maternal injection - MI-TP)), we previously reported female offspring with normal glucose tolerance but hyperinsulinemia. We therefore examined insulin signalling and pancreatic morphology in these offspring using quantitative (Q) RT-PCR and western blotting. In addition the fetal pancreatic responses to MI-TP, and androgenic and estrogenic contributions to such responses (direct fetal injection (FI) of TP (20 mg) or diethylstilbestrol (DES) (20 mg) at d62 and d82 gestation) were assessed at d90 gestation. Fetal plasma was assayed for insulin, testosterone and estradiol, pancreatic tissue was cultured, and expression of key β-cell developmental genes was assessed by QRT-PCR. In female d62MI-TP offspring insulin signalling was unaltered but there was a pancreatic phenotype with increased numbers of β-cells (P<0.05). The fetal pancreas expressed androgen receptors in islets and genes involved in β-cell development and function (PDX1, IGF1R, INSR and INS) were up-regulated in female fetuses after d62MI-TP treatment (P<0.05-0.01). In addition the d62MI-TP pancreas showed increased insulin secretion under euglycaemic conditions (P<0.05) in vitro. The same effects were not seen in the male fetal pancreas or when MI-TP was started at d30, before the male programming window. As d62MI-TP increased both fetal plasma testosterone (P<0.05) and estradiol concentrations (P<0.05) we assessed the relative contribution of androgens and estrogens. FI-TP (commencing d62) (not FI-DES treatment) caused elevated basal insulin secretion in vitro and the genes altered by d62MI-TP treatment were similarly altered by FI-TP but not FI-DES. In conclusion, androgen over-exposure alters fetal pancreatic development and β-cell numbers in offspring. These data suggest that that there may be a primary pancreatic phenotype in models of PCOS, and that there may be a distinct male and female pancreas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mick Rae
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Salvetti NR, Ortega HH, Veiga-Lopez A, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: impact of prenatal testosterone excess on ovarian cell proliferation and apoptotic factors in sheep. Biol Reprod 2012; 87:22, 1-10. [PMID: 22539681 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess leads to reproductive dysfunctions in sheep, which include increased ovarian follicular recruitment and persistence. To test the hypothesis that follicular disruptions in T sheep stem from changes in the developmental ontogeny of ovarian proliferation and apoptotic factors, pregnant Suffolk sheep were injected twice weekly with T propionate or dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHT; a nonaromatizable androgen) from Days 30 to 90 of gestation. Changes in developmental expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), BCL2, BAX, activated CASP3, and FAS/FASLG were determined at Fetal Days 90 and 140, 22 wk, 10 mo, and 21 mo of age by immunocytochemisty. Prenatal T treatment induced changes in expression of proliferative and apoptotic markers in a follicle-, age-, and steroid-specific manner. Changes in BAX were evident only during fetal life and PCNA, BCL2, and CASP3 only postnatally. Prenatal T and not DHT increased PCNA and decreased BCL2 in granulosa/theca cells of antral follicles at 10 and 21 mo but decreased CASP3 in granulosa/theca cells of antral follicles at 22 wk (prepubertal) and 10 and 21 mo. Both treatments decreased BAX immunostaining in granulosa cells of Fetal Day 90 primordial/primary follicles. Neither treatment affected FAS expression at any developmental time point in any follicular compartment. Effects on BAX appear to be programmed by androgenic actions and PCNA, BCL2, and CASP3 by estrogenic actions of T. Overall, the findings demonstrate that fetal exposure to excess T disrupts the ovarian proliferation/apoptosis balance, thus providing a basis for the follicular disruptions evidenced in these females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia R Salvetti
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of Litoral, Esperanza, Argentina
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Nugent BM, Tobet SA, Lara HE, Lucion AB, Wilson ME, Recabarren SE, Paredes AH. Hormonal programming across the lifespan. Horm Metab Res 2012; 44:577-86. [PMID: 22700441 PMCID: PMC3756611 DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1312593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Hormones influence countless biological processes across an animal's lifespan. Many hormone-mediated events occur within developmental sensitive periods, during which hormones have the potential to cause permanent tissue-specific alterations in anatomy and physiology. There are numerous selective critical periods in development with different targets being affected during different periods. This review outlines the proceedings of the Hormonal Programming in Development session at the US-South American Workshop in Neuroendocrinology in August 2011. Here we discuss how gonadal steroid hormones impact various biological processes within the brain and gonads during early development and describe the changes that take place in the aging female ovary. At the cellular level, hormonal targets in the brain include neurons, glia, or vasculature. On a genomic/epigenomic level, transcription factor signaling and epigenetic changes alter the expression of critical hormone receptor genes across development and following ischemic brain insult. In addition, organizational hormone exposure alters epigenetic processes in specific brain nuclei and may be an important mediator of sexual differentiation of the neonatal brain. Brain targets of hormonal programming, such as the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, may be critical in influencing the development of peripheral targets, such as the ovary. Exposure to excess hormones can cause abnormalities in the ovary during development leading to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Exposure to excess androgens during fetal development also has a profound effect on the development of the male reproductive system. In addition, increased activity of the sympathetic nerve and stress during early life have been linked to PCOS symptomology in adulthood. Finally, we describe how age-related decreases in fertility are linked to high levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), which enhances sympathetic nerve activity and alters ovarian function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B M Nugent
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Shi D, Vine DF. Animal models of polycystic ovary syndrome: a focused review of rodent models in relationship to clinical phenotypes and cardiometabolic risk. Fertil Steril 2012; 98:185-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
46
|
Abi Salloum B, Herkimer C, Lee JS, Veiga-Lopez A, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: prenatal and postnatal contribution of androgens and insulin in the reprogramming of estradiol positive feedback disruptions in prenatal testosterone-treated sheep. Endocrinology 2012; 153:2813-22. [PMID: 22454153 PMCID: PMC3359592 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess compromises the estradiol (E(2)) positive feedback. This study tested the hypothesis that antagonizing androgen action or improving insulin sensitivity prenatally would prevent positive feedback disruptions from developing, whereas postnatal intervention with androgen antagonist or insulin sensitizer would ameliorate the severity of disruptions in prenatal T-treated females. The E(2) positive feedback response was tested at 16 wk of age in the following groups of animals: 1) control, 2) prenatal T, 3) prenatal T plus the androgen antagonist, flutamide, 4) prenatal T plus insulin sensitizer, rosiglitazone, 5) prenatal T and postnatal androgen antagonist, and 6) prenatal T and postnatal insulin sensitizer (n = 7-21 animals/group). Prenatal T treatment involved the administration of T propionate (100 mg, im) twice weekly from d 30 to 90 of gestation. Prenatal interventions involved daily sc administration of androgen antagonist (15 mg/kg) or oral administration of insulin sensitizer (8 mg) for the same duration. Postnatal treatments began at 8 wk of age and involved daily oral administration of androgen antagonist (15 mg/kg) or insulin sensitizer (0.11 mg/kg). None of the prenatal/postnatal interventions increased number of animals responding or prevented the time delay in LH surge response to the E(2) positive feedback challenge. In contrast, the postnatal treatment with androgen antagonist or insulin sensitizer increased total LH released in response to E(2) positive feedback challenge, compared with the T animals. Overall, these interventional studies indicate that timing and magnitude of the LH surge are programmed by different neuroendocrine mechanisms with postnatal androgens and insulin determining the size and prenatal estrogen likely the timing of the LH surge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bachir Abi Salloum
- Department of Pediatrics and Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Chinnathambi V, Balakrishnan M, Yallampalli C, Sathishkumar K. Prenatal testosterone exposure leads to hypertension that is gonadal hormone-dependent in adult rat male and female offspring. Biol Reprod 2012; 86:137, 1-7. [PMID: 22302690 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.097550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone exposure impacts postnatal reproductive and endocrine function, leading to alterations in sex steroid levels. Because gonadal steroids are key regulators of cardiovascular function, it is possible that alteration in sex steroid hormones may contribute to development of hypertension in prenatally testosterone-exposed adults. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether prenatal testosterone exposure leads to development of hypertension in adult males and females and to assess the influence of gonadal hormones on arterial pressure in these animals. Offspring of pregnant rats treated with testosterone propionate or its vehicle (controls) were examined. Subsets of male and female offspring were gonadectomized at 7 wk of age, and some offspring from age 7 to 24 wk received hormone replacement, while others did not. Testosterone exposure during prenatal life significantly increased arterial pressure in both male and female adult offspring; however, the effect was greater in males. Prenatal androgen-exposed males and females had more circulating testosterone during adult life, with no change in estradiol levels. Gonadectomy prevented hyperandrogenism and also reversed hypertension in these rats. Testosterone replacement in orchiectomized males restored hypertension, while estradiol replacement in ovariectomized females was without effect. Steroidal changes were associated with defective expression of gonadal steroidogenic genes, with Star, Sf1, and Hsd17b1 upregulation in testes. In ovaries, Star and Cyp11a1 genes were upregulated, while Cyp19 was downregulated. This study showed that prenatal testosterone exposure led to development of gonad-dependent hypertension during adult life. Defective steroidogenesis may contribute in part to the observed steroidal changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijayakumar Chinnathambi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1062, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Crisosto N, Echiburú B, Maliqueo M, Pérez V, Ladrón de Guevara A, Preisler J, Sánchez F, Sir-Petermann T. Improvement of hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinemia during pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: possible effect in the ovarian follicular mass of their daughters. Fertil Steril 2012; 97:218-24. [PMID: 22088206 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2011] [Revised: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 10/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
|
49
|
Hogg K, Young JM, Oliver EM, Souza CJ, McNeilly AS, Duncan WC. Enhanced thecal androgen production is prenatally programmed in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Endocrinology 2012; 153:450-61. [PMID: 22087026 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is increased ovarian androgen secretion that contributes to the ovarian, hormonal, and metabolic features of this condition. Thecal cells from women with PCOS have an enhanced capacity for androgen synthesis. To investigate whether this propensity is a potential cause, rather than a consequence, of PCOS, we used an ovine prenatal androgenization model of PCOS and assessed ewes at 11 months of age. Pregnant Scottish Greyface ewes were administered 100 mg testosterone propionate (TP) or vehicle control twice weekly from d 62 to 102 of gestation, and female offspring (TP = 9, control = 5) were studied. Prenatal TP exposure did not alter ovarian morphology or cyclicity, or plasma androgen, estrogen, and gonadotropin concentrations, at this stage. However, follicle function was reprogrammed in vivo with increased proportions of estrogenic follicles (P < 0.05) in the TP-exposed cohort. Furthermore, in vitro the thecal cells of follicles (>4 mm) secreted more LH-stimulated androstenedione after prenatal androgenization (P < 0.05), associated with increased basal expression of thecal StAR (P < 0.01), CYP11A (P < 0.05), HSD3B1 (P < 0.01), CYP17 (P < 0.05), and LHR (P < 0.05). This provides the first evidence of increased thecal androgenic capacity in the absence of a PCOS phenotype, suggesting a thecal defect induced during fetal life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Hogg
- Medical Research Council, Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Monclús R, Blumstein DT. Litter sex composition affects life-history traits in yellow-bellied marmots. J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:80-6. [PMID: 21801175 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01888.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. The presence of siblings might have long-lasting fitness consequences because they influence the early environment in which an animal develops. Several studies under laboratory conditions have shown long-lasting consequences from the presence of male siblings in utero on morphology and life-history traits. However, in wild animals, such effects of litter sex composition are unexplored. 2. We capitalized on a long-term study of individually marked yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) and documented the effects of weaned litter sex composition and anogenital distance on several life-history and fitness traits. 3. First, we demonstrated that the number of males in a litter influenced anogenital distance. Then, we found that masculinized females, those with larger anogenital distances, were less likely to survive their first hibernation, were more likely to disperse and were less likely to become pregnant and wean young. Males from male-biased litters had lower growth rates, but we failed to detect longer-term consequences. 4. Taken together, our results show profound sex-dependent effects of litter sex composition, probably due to differential prenatal exposure to androgens, in free-living animals. We conclude that masculinization might constitute an alternative mechanism explaining variation in different demographic traits. This finding highlights the importance of studying these maternal effects, and they enhance our concern over the widespread use of endocrine disrupting compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Monclús
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|