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Chasles M, Fleurot R, Giacobini P, Tillet Y. Prenatal Androgen Exposure Induces Anxiety-Like Behavior in Ewes. Neuroendocrinology 2024; 114:721-732. [PMID: 38697024 DOI: 10.1159/000539111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In humans, prenatal androgen excess can lead to a broad spectrum of pathologies in adulthood, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS present a variety of reproductive and metabolic disturbances and they also face increased risk to develop neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Despite the high prevalence, the cause of depressive and anxiety symptoms is not fully elucidated. The use of androgenized ewe models can provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of PCOS, as they closely mimic the reproductive, neuroendocrine, and metabolic characteristics observed in women with this condition. METHOD We studied the impact of prenatal exposure to testosterone propionate on cognitive and behavioral performances of Ile-de-France ewes, using a plethora of behavioral tests for anxiety and cognitive performances. RESULTS Our findings indicate that prenatal androgenized ewes exhibit markedly elevated levels of anxiety-like behavior compared to control animals, while showing no discernible differences in cognitive performance. CONCLUSION These discoveries offer novel perspectives on how maternal androgen excess contributes to anxiogenic effects in PCOS preclinical models, underscoring the ewe's significance as a model for conducting mechanistic studies to unravel the physiological and molecular aspects of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Chasles
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Inserm UMR-S1172, University Lille, Lille, France
| | - Renaud Fleurot
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Inserm UMR-S1172, University Lille, Lille, France
| | - Yves Tillet
- UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
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Dearing C, Handa RJ, Myers B. Sex differences in autonomic responses to stress: implications for cardiometabolic physiology. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2022; 323:E281-E289. [PMID: 35793480 PMCID: PMC9448273 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00058.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for negative health outcomes. Furthermore, imbalance of autonomic nervous system control leads to dysregulation of physiological responses to stress and contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic and psychiatric disorders. However, research on autonomic stress responses has historically focused on males, despite evidence that females are disproportionality affected by stress-related disorders. Accordingly, this mini-review focuses on the influence of biological sex on autonomic responses to stress in humans and rodent models. The reviewed literature points to sex differences in the consequences of chronic stress, including cardiovascular and metabolic disease. We also explore basic rodent studies of sex-specific autonomic responses to stress with a focus on sex hormones and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation of cardiovascular and metabolic physiology. Ultimately, emerging evidence of sex differences in autonomic-endocrine integration highlights the importance of sex-specific studies to understand and treat cardiometabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley Dearing
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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Yao Y, Silver R. Mutual Shaping of Circadian Body-Wide Synchronization by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Circulating Steroids. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:877256. [PMID: 35722187 PMCID: PMC9200072 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.877256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Steroids are lipid hormones that reach bodily tissues through the systemic circulation, and play a major role in reproduction, metabolism, and homeostasis. All of these functions and steroids themselves are under the regulation of the circadian timing system (CTS) and its cellular/molecular underpinnings. In health, cells throughout the body coordinate their daily activities to optimize responses to signals from the CTS and steroids. Misalignment of responses to these signals produces dysfunction and underlies many pathologies. Questions Addressed To explore relationships between the CTS and circulating steroids, we examine the brain clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the daily fluctuations in plasma steroids, the mechanisms producing regularly recurring fluctuations, and the actions of steroids on their receptors within the SCN. The goal is to understand the relationship between temporal control of steroid secretion and how rhythmic changes in steroids impact the SCN, which in turn modulate behavior and physiology. Evidence Surveyed The CTS is a multi-level organization producing recurrent feedback loops that operate on several time scales. We review the evidence showing that the CTS modulates the timing of secretions from the level of the hypothalamus to the steroidogenic gonadal and adrenal glands, and at specific sites within steroidogenic pathways. The SCN determines the timing of steroid hormones that then act on their cognate receptors within the brain clock. In addition, some compartments of the body-wide CTS are impacted by signals derived from food, stress, exercise etc. These in turn act on steroidogenesis to either align or misalign CTS oscillators. Finally this review provides a comprehensive exploration of the broad contribution of steroid receptors in the SCN and how these receptors in turn impact peripheral responses. Conclusion The hypothesis emerging from the recognition of steroid receptors in the SCN is that mutual shaping of responses occurs between the brain clock and fluctuating plasma steroid levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Yao
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York City, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Yifan Yao,
| | - Rae Silver
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Barnard College, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Graduate School, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
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Kann RB, Romeo RD. Pubertal changes in the pituitary and adrenal glands of male and female rats: Relevance to stress reactivity. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100457. [PMID: 35592027 PMCID: PMC9112058 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The hormonal stress response mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis changes significantly during puberty in a variety of species, including humans. For example, stress-induced adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone responses are greater in prepubertal compared to adult rats, yet the mechanisms that mediate these age-related differences are unclear. It is possible that the pituitary and adrenal glands have higher hormonal concentrations prior to puberty, thus enabling a greater hormonal response if a stressor were to occur. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that resting levels of ACTH, and its precursor, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), are higher in the pituitary, and corticosterone levels are higher in the adrenals, of prepubertal compared to adult rats. Furthermore, to investigate any potential sex differences in these parameters, both males and females were assessed. Here we report that despite similar circulating plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels, prepubertal males and females have greater ACTH levels in the pituitary and greater corticosterone concentrations in the adrenals compared to adult males and females. Moreover, we show that POMC protein levels are significantly greater in the pituitary gland of prepubertal than adult rats, particularly in prepubertal females. These data suggest that increased glandular production of ACTH and corticosterone during puberty in part mediate pubertal differences in hormonal stress reactivity and highlight how each node of the HPA axis may contribute to these developmental changes. Given the dramatic increase in stress-related dysfunctions during puberty, continued study of all parts of the HPA axis will be imperative.
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Zhou JN, Fang H. Transcriptional regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone gene in stress response. IBRO Rep 2018; 5:137-146. [PMID: 30591954 PMCID: PMC6303479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a central player of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the corticotropin -releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) determine the state of HPA axis and play a key role in stress response. Evidence supports that during stress response the transcription and expression of CRH was finely tuned, which involved cis-element-transcriptional factor (TF) interactions and epigenetic mechanisms. Here we reviewed recent progress in CRH transcription regulation from DNA methylation to classic TFs regulation, in which a number of paired receptors were involved. The imbalance of multiple paired receptors in regulating the activity of CRH neurons indicates a possible molecular network mechanisms underlying depression etiology and directs novel therapeutic strategies of depression in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Corresponding author at: School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, PR China.
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Bangasser DA, Valentino RJ. Sex differences in stress-related psychiatric disorders: neurobiological perspectives. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:303-19. [PMID: 24726661 PMCID: PMC4087049 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 446] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stress is associated with the onset and severity of several psychiatric disorders that occur more frequently in women than men, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Patients with these disorders present with dysregulation of several stress response systems, including the neuroendocrine response to stress, corticolimbic responses to negatively valenced stimuli, and hyperarousal. Thus, sex differences within their underlying circuitry may explain sex biases in disease prevalence. This review describes clinical studies that identify sex differences within the activity of these circuits, as well as preclinical studies that demonstrate cellular and molecular sex differences in stress responses systems. These studies reveal sex differences from the molecular to the systems level that increase endocrine, emotional, and arousal responses to stress in females. Exploring these sex differences is critical because this research can reveal the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders and guide the development of novel pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Rita J Valentino
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Bangasser DA. Sex differences in stress-related receptors: ″micro″ differences with ″macro″ implications for mood and anxiety disorders. Biol Sex Differ 2013; 4:2. [PMID: 23336736 PMCID: PMC3556142 DOI: 10.1186/2042-6410-4-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as unipolar depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), occur more frequently in women than in men. Emerging research suggests that sex differences in receptors for the stress hormones, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoids, contribute to this disparity. For example, sex differences in CRF receptor binding in the amygdala of rats may predispose females to greater anxiety following stressful events. Additionally, sex differences in CRF receptor signaling and trafficking in the locus coeruleus arousal center combine to make females more sensitive to low levels of CRF, and less adaptable to high levels. These receptor differences in females could lead to hyperarousal, a dysregulated state associated with symptoms of depression and PTSD. Similar to the sex differences observed in CRF receptors, sex differences in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function also appear to make females more susceptible to dysregulation after a stressful event. Following hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activation, GRs are critical to the negative feedback process that inhibits additional glucocorticoid release. Compared to males, female rats have fewer GRs and impaired GR translocation following chronic adolescent stress, effects linked to slower glucocorticoid negative feedback. Thus, under conditions of chronic stress, attenuated negative feedback in females would result in hypercortisolemia, an endocrine state thought to cause depression. Together, these studies suggest that sex differences in stress-related receptors shift females more easily into a dysregulated state of stress reactivity, linked to the development of mood and anxiety disorders. The implications of these receptor sex differences for the development of novel pharmacotherapies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, 1701 North 13th Street, 873 Weiss Hall, Philadelphia, 19122, PA.
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Maejima Y, Kohno D, Iwasaki Y, Yada T. Insulin suppresses ghrelin-induced calcium signaling in neuropeptide Y neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. Aging (Albany NY) 2012; 3:1092-7. [PMID: 22081645 PMCID: PMC3249454 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) play an important role in feeding regulation. Plasma levels of ghrelin and insulin show reciprocal dynamics before and after meals. We hypothesized that ghrelin and insulin also exert reciprocal effects on ARC NPY neurons. Cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured by fura-2 microfluorometry in single neurons isolated from ARC of adult rats, followed by immunocytochemical identification of NPY neurons. Ghrelin at 10−10 M increased [Ca2+]i in isolated ARC neurons, and co-administration of insulin concentration-dependently suppressed the ghrelin-induced [Ca2+]i increases. Insulin at 10−16 M, 10−14 M, 10−12 M and 10−10 M counteracted ghrelin action in 26%, 41%, 61% and 53% of ghrelin-responsive neurons, respectively, showing a maximal effect at 10−12 M, the estimated postprandial concentration of insulin in the brain. The majority (>70%) of the ghrelin-activated insulin-inhibited neurons were shown to contain NPY. Double-immunohistochemistry revealed that 85% of NPY neurons in ARC express insulin receptors. These data demonstrate that insulin directly interacts with ARC NPY neurons and counteracts ghrelin action. Our results suggest that postprandial increase in plasma insulin/ghrelin ratio and insulin inhibition of ghrelin action on ARC NPY neurons cooperate to effectively inhibit the neuron activity and terminate feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Maejima
- Department of Physiology, Division of Integrative Physiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, 3311-1 Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
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Cell-specific distributions of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR) in anterior pituitary glands from adult cockerels as revealed by immunohistochemistry. Cell Tissue Res 2012; 348:551-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1399-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Iranmanesh A, Bowers CY, Veldhuis JD. Secretagogue type, sex-steroid milieu, and abdominal visceral adiposity individually determine secretagogue-stimulated cortisol secretion. Eur J Endocrinol 2010; 162:1043-9. [PMID: 20299490 PMCID: PMC3108036 DOI: 10.1530/eje-10-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
DESIGN While androgens and estrogens control glucocorticoid secretion in animal models, how the sex-steroid milieu determines cortisol secretion in humans is less clear. To address this issue, cortisol was measured in archival sera obtained at 10-min intervals for 5 h in 42 healthy men administered double placebo, placebo and testosterone, testosterone and dutasteride (to block 5alpha-reductases type I and type II), or testosterone and anastrozole (to block aromatase) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospectively randomized design. METHODS Subjects received i.v. injection of saline, GHRH, GH-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), somatostatin (SS), and GHRP-2/GHRH/l-arginine (triple stimulus) each on separate mornings fasting. Outcomes comprised cortisol concentrations, pulsatile cortisol secretion, and relationships with age or abdominal visceral fat (AVF). RESULTS By ANCOVA, baseline (saline-infused) cortisol concentrations (nmol/l) did not differ among the sex-steroid milieus (overall mean 364+/-14). In contrast, stimulated peak cortisol concentrations were strongly determined by secretagogue type (P<0.001) as follows: triple stimulus (868+/-27)>GHRP-2 (616+/-42)>saline=SS=GHRH (grand mean 420+/-21). After GHRP-2 injection, pulsatile cortisol secretion increased with age (R(2)=0.16, P=0.012). After the triple stimulus, pulsatile cortisol secretion correlated i) inversely with serum 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations (R(2)=0.53, P=0.026) and ii) directly with computerized tomography-estimated AVF (R(2)=0.11, P=0.038). CONCLUSION Age, DHT concentrations, AVF, and secretagogue type influence pulsatile cortisol secretion at least in men. Further studies should be performed to assess ACTH secretion and native ghrelin action in defined sex-steroid milieus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Iranmanesh
- Endocrine Section, Department of Medicine, Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, VA 24153
| | - Cyril Y. Bowers
- Endocrine Division, Department of Medicine, Tulane University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Johannes D. Veldhuis
- Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Clinical Translational Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905
- Corresponding author: Tel: 507-255-0902, Fax: 507-255-0901,
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