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Kuttiyarthu Veetil N, Cedraz de Oliveira H, Gomez-Samblas M, Divín D, Melepat B, Voukali E, Świderská Z, Krajzingrová T, Těšický M, Jung F, Beneš V, Madsen O, Vinkler M. Peripheral inflammation-induced changes in songbird brain gene expression: 3' mRNA transcriptomic approach. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 151:105106. [PMID: 38013114 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.105106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Species-specific neural inflammation can be induced by profound immune signalling from periphery to brain. Recent advances in transcriptomics offer cost-effective approaches to study this regulation. In a population of captive zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we compare the differential gene expression patterns in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered peripheral inflammation revealed by RNA-seq and QuantSeq. The RNA-seq approach identified more differentially expressed genes but failed to detect any inflammatory markers. In contrast, QuantSeq results identified specific expression changes in the genes regulating inflammation. Next, we adopted QuantSeq to relate peripheral and brain transcriptomes. We identified subtle changes in the brain gene expression during the peripheral inflammation (e.g. up-regulation in AVD-like and ACOD1 expression) and detected co-structure between the peripheral and brain inflammation. Our results suggest benefits of the 3'end transcriptomics for association studies between peripheral and neural inflammation in genetically heterogeneous models and identify potential targets for the future brain research in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nithya Kuttiyarthu Veetil
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Haniel Cedraz de Oliveira
- Wageningen University and Research, Department of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
| | - Mercedes Gomez-Samblas
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic; Granada University, Science faculty, Department of Parasitology, CP:18071, Granada, Granada, Spain.
| | - Daniel Divín
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Balraj Melepat
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Eleni Voukali
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Świderská
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Krajzingrová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Těšický
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Ferris Jung
- EMBL, Genomics Core Facility, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Vladimír Beneš
- EMBL, Genomics Core Facility, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ole Madsen
- Wageningen University and Research, Department of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Lopes PC, Faber-Hammond JJ, Siemonsma C, Patel S, Renn SCP. The social environment alters neural responses to a lipopolysaccharide challenge. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:162-174. [PMID: 36878331 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sick animals display drastic changes in their behavioral patterns, including decreased activity, decreased food and water intake, and decreased interest in social interactions. These behaviors, collectively called "sickness behaviors", can be socially modulated. For example, when provided with mating opportunities, males of several species show reduced sickness behaviors. While the behavior is known to change, how the social environment affects neural molecular responses to sickness is not known. Here, we used a species, the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, where males have been shown to decrease sickness behaviors when presented with novel females. Using this paradigm, we obtained samples from three brain regions (the hypothalamus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the nucleus taeniae) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or control treated males housed under four different social environments. Manipulation of the social environment rapidly changed the strength and co-expression patterns of the neural molecular responses to the immune challenge in all brain regions tested, therefore suggesting that the social environment plays a significant role in determining the neural responses to an infection. In particular, brains of males paired with a novel female showed muted immune responses to LPS, as well as altered synaptic signaling. Neural metabolic activity in response to the LPS challenge was also affected by the social environment. Our results provide new insights into the effects of the social environment on brain responses to an infection, thereby improving our understanding of how the social environment can affect health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.
| | | | - Chandler Siemonsma
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Suzy C P Renn
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR, USA
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3
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Deviche P, Sweazea K, Angelier F. Past and future: Urbanization and the avian endocrine system. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 332:114159. [PMID: 36368439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Urban environments are evolutionarily novel and differ from natural environments in many respects including food and/or water availability, predation, noise, light, air quality, pathogens, biodiversity, and temperature. The success of organisms in urban environments requires physiological plasticity and adjustments that have been described extensively, including in birds residing in geographically and climatically diverse regions. These studies have revealed a few relatively consistent differences between urban and non-urban conspecifics. For example, seasonally breeding urban birds often develop their reproductive system earlier than non-urban birds, perhaps in response to more abundant trophic resources. In most instances, however, analyses of existing data indicate no general pattern distinguishing urban and non-urban birds. It is, for instance, often hypothesized that urban environments are stressful, yet the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis does not differ consistently between urban and non-urban birds. A similar conclusion is reached by comparing blood indices of metabolism. The origin of these disparities remains poorly understood, partly because many studies are correlative rather than aiming at establishing causality, which effectively limits our ability to formulate specific hypotheses regarding the impacts of urbanization on wildlife. We suggest that future research will benefit from prioritizing mechanistic approaches to identify environmental factors that shape the phenotypic responses of organisms to urbanization and the neuroendocrine and metabolic bases of these responses. Further, it will be critical to elucidate whether factors affect these responses (a) cumulatively or synergistically; and (b) differentially as a function of age, sex, reproductive status, season, and mobility within the urban environment. Research to date has used various taxa that differ greatly not only phylogenetically, but also with regard to ecological requirements, social systems, propensity to consume anthropogenic food, and behavioral responses to human presence. Researchers may instead benefit from standardizing approaches to examine a small number of representative models with wide geographic distribution and that occupy diverse urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Deviche
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Karen Sweazea
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS - La Rochelle Universite, Villiers en Bois, France
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4
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Gormally BMG, Bridgette K, Emmi A, Schuerman D, Lopes PC. Female presence does not increase testosterone but still ameliorates sickness behaviours in male Japanese quail. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220450. [PMID: 35620017 PMCID: PMC9128847 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Infections can dramatically modify animal behaviour. The extent of these changes depends on an animal's environment. It has been proposed that testosterone modulates the suppression of behavioural symptoms of sickness under certain reproductive contexts. To further understand the role played by testosterone in modulating sickness behaviours under reproductive contexts, we studied a species, the Japanese quail, in which female exposure rapidly decreases circulating testosterone in males. Males received either an immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide - LPS) or a control injection and their behaviours, mass change and testosterone levels were quantified in the presence or absence of a female. Both the presence of a female and LPS treatment reduced testosterone levels. LPS-treated males maintained in isolation expressed expected sickness behaviours, including increased resting (quantified as crouching) and decreased food and water intake. Despite the reduction in testosterone, when paired with females LPS-treated males showed similar amounts of mating behaviours to controls and reduced crouching. In sum, even under very low levels of testosterone, male quail had reduced sickness behaviours when exposed to females, indicating that testosterone may not be key in modulating sickness behaviours, at least in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna M. G. Gormally
- Department of Biology, Chapman University, Orange, 1 University Drive, CA 92866, USA
| | - Kaelyn Bridgette
- Department of Biology, Chapman University, Orange, 1 University Drive, CA 92866, USA
| | - Aubrey Emmi
- Department of Biology, Chapman University, Orange, 1 University Drive, CA 92866, USA
| | - Delilah Schuerman
- Department of Biology, Chapman University, Orange, 1 University Drive, CA 92866, USA
| | - Patricia C. Lopes
- Department of Biology, Chapman University, Orange, 1 University Drive, CA 92866, USA
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Regulation of stress response on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis via gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 64:100953. [PMID: 34757094 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Under stressful condition, reproductive function is impaired due to the activation of various components of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis, which can suppress the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis at multiple levels. A hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a key negative regulator of reproduction that governs the HPG axis. Converging lines of evidence have suggested that different stress types and their duration, such as physical or psychological, and acute or chronic, can modulate the GnIH system. To clarify the sensitivity and reactivity of the GnIH system in response to stress, we summarize and critically review the available studies that investigated the effects of various stressors, such as restraint, nutritional/metabolic and social stress, on GnIH expression and/or its neuronal activity leading to altered HPG action. In this review, we focus on GnIH as the potential novel mediator responsible for stress-induced reproductive dysfunction.
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Kimmitt AA. Females as the Gatekeepers to Seasonal Breeding: What We Can Learn by Studying Reproductive Mechanisms in Both Sexes. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 60:703-711. [PMID: 32617554 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal reproduction is a widespread adaptation in vertebrates, such that individuals time their reproductive efforts to match peak resource abundance. Individuals rely on environmental cues to regulate hormonal mechanisms governing timing of breeding. Historically, studies on physiological mechanisms of seasonal reproduction, specifically in birds, have disproportionately focused on males compared to females. For this review, I conducted a literature search of the last decade of avian research and found a persistent sex bias in the field of physiological mechanisms of seasonal reproduction. Using work conducted with the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) as a case study, I present a possible solution to combat the sex bias: natural comparisons of populations that differ in reproductive timing to investigate mechanisms of reproduction in both sexes. Populations of dark-eyed juncos that differ in migratory behavior (i.e., migrant and resident) exhibit overlapping ranges during winter and early spring; residents begin breeding in early spring prior to the departure of migrants. This system, and others like it, provides an opportunity to compare mechanisms of reproduction in populations that differ in reproductive timing despite experiencing the same environmental conditions in early spring. In juncos, migrant and resident females and males exhibit similar patterns of hypothalamic regulation of reproduction in early spring, but sex differences in gonadal sensitivity between the populations could be an important distinction that partially explains sex differences in reproductive development. Comparing mechanisms of reproduction in free-living populations and in captivity can reveal important mechanisms that determine the onset of reproductive development, as well as potential sex differences in these mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms of reproductive phenology has important implications for understanding how species will survive and reproduce in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail A Kimmitt
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843, USA
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7
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Lopes PC, French SS, Woodhams DC, Binning SA. Sickness behaviors across vertebrate taxa: proximate and ultimate mechanisms. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:260576. [PMID: 33942101 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.225847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is nothing like a pandemic to get the world thinking about how infectious diseases affect individual behavior. In this respect, sick animals can behave in ways that are dramatically different from healthy animals: altered social interactions and changes to patterns of eating and drinking are all hallmarks of sickness. As a result, behavioral changes associated with inflammatory responses (i.e. sickness behaviors) have important implications for disease spread by affecting contacts with others and with common resources, including water and/or sleeping sites. In this Review, we summarize the behavioral modifications, including changes to thermoregulatory behaviors, known to occur in vertebrates during infection, with an emphasis on non-mammalian taxa, which have historically received less attention. We then outline and discuss our current understanding of the changes in physiology associated with the production of these behaviors and highlight areas where more research is needed, including an exploration of individual and sex differences in the acute phase response and a greater understanding of the ecophysiological implications of sickness behaviors for disease at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology and The Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Douglas C Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Sandra A Binning
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7
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8
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Ying S, Qin J, Dai Z, An H, Zhu H, Chen R, Yang X, Wu W, Shi Z. Effects of LPS on the Secretion of Gonadotrophin Hormones and Expression of Genes in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovary (HPG) Axis in Laying Yangzhou Geese. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122259. [PMID: 33266293 PMCID: PMC7760895 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from E. coli, has been proven to impair follicle development and steroidogenesis, secretion of pituitary and hypothalamus reproductive hormones in mammals. However, the effects of LPS on the avian reproductive axis remain elusive. Pathogenic bacterial infection due to the particular mating behavior on the water containing pathogens was reported to decrease the laying rate and cause economic loss in goose production. In this study, we showed that LPS infection disturbed the plasma pituitary gonadotrophin hormone concentrations and the gene expression of the reproductive axis in Yangzhou geese. Notably, for the first time we proved that both the expression of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone (GnIH), two important reproductive genes from the hypothalamus, were altered after LPS treatment in birds. Our results can explain the decreased laying rate in goose after bacterial infection, and also provide new insights into reproductive dysfunction caused by LPS and the immune challenge in birds. Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria was found to be involved in the decrease in laying performance in goose flocks with high stocking density during summer months. LPS injection delayed the increase in the laying rate and altered hierarchical follicle morphology. While there is evidence that LPS exerts suppressive effects on goose reproduction, the time course effects of LPS on the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (HPG) axis remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the expression of genes in the HPG axis and the plasma gonadotrophin hormone concentrations in breeding geese at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 36 h after intravenous injection with LPS. The results showed that LPS treatment enhanced and suppressed expression of hypothalamic gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone (GnIH) and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA, respectively, and similar effects were observed on the mRNA expression of their receptors, GnIHR and GnRHR, in the pituitary. LPS treatment transiently increased follicle FSHβ mRNA expression at 12 h and exerted no significant effect on LHβ mRNA expression in the pituitary. Regardless of the expression of FSHβ and LHβ, plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were significantly increased during 24–36 h after LPS treatment. In the ovary, StAR and Cyp11a1 were mainly expressed in the granulosa layer (GL) of hierarchical follicles, while Cyp17a1 and Cyp19a1 were mainly expressed in white follicles (WFs) and yellowish follicles (YFs), and to a lesser extent in the theca layer (TL). After LPS treatment, the mRNA levels of Cyp11a1 in the GLs, Cyp17a1 in the WFs and TL, and Cyp19a1 in the WFs, YFs, and TL were significantly decreased. However, LPS treatment transiently upregulated StAR expression at 12 h. These results indicate that the exposure of laying geese to LPS may impair the HPG axis and disturb ovarian steroidogenesis. Our research provides new insights into reproductive dysfunction caused by LPS and the immune challenge in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijia Ying
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (H.Z.); (R.C.)
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China;
- Correspondence: (S.Y.); (Z.S.)
| | - Jialin Qin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.Q.); (H.A.); (X.Y.); (W.W.)
| | - Zichun Dai
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China;
| | - Hao An
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.Q.); (H.A.); (X.Y.); (W.W.)
| | - Huanxi Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (H.Z.); (R.C.)
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China;
| | - Rong Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (H.Z.); (R.C.)
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China;
| | - Xiaojin Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.Q.); (H.A.); (X.Y.); (W.W.)
| | - Wenda Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.Q.); (H.A.); (X.Y.); (W.W.)
| | - Zhendan Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (H.Z.); (R.C.)
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China;
- Correspondence: (S.Y.); (Z.S.)
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9
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Lee CY, Li S, Li XF, Stalker DAE, Cooke C, Shao B, Kelestimur H, Henry BA, Conductier G, O Byrne KT, Clarke IJ. Lipopolysaccharide reduces gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression: role of RFamide-related peptide-3 and kisspeptin. Reprod Fertil Dev 2020; 31:1134-1143. [PMID: 30922440 DOI: 10.1071/rd18277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RFamide-related peptide (RFRP)-3 reduces luteinising hormone (LH) secretion in rodents. Stress has been shown to upregulate the expression of the RFRP gene (Rfrp) with a concomitant reduction in LH secretion, but an effect on expression of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene (Gnrh1) has not been shown. We hypothesised that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced stress affects expression of Rfrp, the gene for kisspeptin (Kiss1) and/or Gnrh1, leading to suppression of LH levels in rats. Intracerebroventricular injections of RFRP-3 (0.1, 1, 5 nmol) or i.v. LPS (15μgkg-1) reduced LH levels. Doses of 1 and 5 nmol RFRP-3 were then administered to analyse gene expression by in situ hybridisation. RFRP-3 (5 nmol) had no effect on Gnrh1 or Kiss1 expression. LPS stress reduced GnRH and Kiss1 expression, without affecting Rfrp1 expression. These data indicate that LPS stress directly or indirectly reduces Gnrh1 expression, but this is unlikely to be due to a change in Rfrp1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chooi Yeng Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - ShengYun Li
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Daniel A E Stalker
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Claire Cooke
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Bei Shao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China
| | - Haluk Kelestimur
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, 90424, Turkey
| | - Belinda A Henry
- Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Gregory Conductier
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Kevin T O Byrne
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Iain J Clarke
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia; and Corresponding author.
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DuRant S, Love AC, Belin B, Tamayo-Sanchez D, Santos Pacheco M, Dickens MJ, Calisi RM. Captivity alters neuroendocrine regulators of stress and reproduction in the hypothalamus in response to acute stress. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 295:113519. [PMID: 32470473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals are brought into captivity for many reasons. However, unlike laboratory-bred animals, wild caught animals often respond to the dramatic shift in their environment with physiological changes in the stress and reproductive pathways. Using wild-caught male and female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) we examined how time in captivity affects the expression of reproductive and stress-associated genes in the brain, specifically, the hypothalamus. We quantified relative mRNA expression of a neurohormone involved in the stress response (corticotropin releasing hormone [CRH]), a hypothalamic inhibitor of reproduction (gonadotropin inhibitory hormone [GnIH]), and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is important in terminating the stress response. To understand potential shifts at the cellular level, we also examined the presence of hypothalamic GnIH (GnIH-ir) using immunohistochemistry. We hypothesized that expression of these genes and the abundance of cells immunoreactive for GnIH would change in response to time in captivity as compared to free-living individuals. We found that GR mRNA expression and GnIH-ir cell abundance increased after 24 and 45 days in captivity, as compared to wild-caught birds. At 66 days in captivity, GR expression and GnIH cell abundance did not differ from wild-caught birds, suggesting birds had acclimated to captivity. Evaluation of CRH and GnIH mRNA expression yielded similar trends, though they were not statistically significant. In addition, although neuroendocrine factors appeared to acclimate to captivity, a previous study indicated that corticosterone release and immune responses of these same birds did not acclimate to captivity, suggesting that neuroendocrine endpoints may adapt more rapidly to captivity than downstream physiological measures. These data expand our understanding of the physiological shifts occurring when wild animals are brought into captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah DuRant
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States.
| | - Ashley C Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States; Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74074, United States
| | - Bryana Belin
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Doris Tamayo-Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Michelle Santos Pacheco
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Molly J Dickens
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Rebecca M Calisi
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
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11
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Schreier KC, Grindstaff JL. Repeatable behavioural and immune defence strategies against infection are not traded off. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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12
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Lainez NM, Coss D. Obesity, Neuroinflammation, and Reproductive Function. Endocrinology 2019; 160:2719-2736. [PMID: 31513269 PMCID: PMC6806266 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The increasing occurrence of obesity has become a significant public health concern. Individuals with obesity have higher prevalence of heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and reproductive disorders. Reproductive problems include menstrual irregularities, pregnancy complications, and infertility due to anovulation, in women, and lower testosterone and diminished sperm count, in men. In particular, women with obesity have reduced levels of both gonadotropin hormones, and, in obese men, lower testosterone is accompanied by diminished LH. Taken together, these findings indicate central dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, specifically at the level of the GnRH neuron function, which is the final brain output for the regulation of reproduction. Obesity is a state of hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperleptinemia, and chronic inflammation. Herein, we review recent advances in our understanding of how these metabolic and immune changes affect hypothalamic function and regulation of GnRH neurons. In the latter part, we focus on neuroinflammation as a major consequence of obesity and discuss findings that reveal that GnRH neurons are uniquely positioned to respond to inflammatory changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy M Lainez
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Djurdjica Coss
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California
- Correspondence: Djurdjica Coss, PhD, Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 303 SOM Research Building, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521. E-mail:
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13
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Lainez NM, Coss D. Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Represses GnRH Gene Expression via cFOS during Inflammation in Male Mice. Neuroendocrinology 2019; 108:291-307. [PMID: 30630179 PMCID: PMC6561803 DOI: 10.1159/000496754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms whereby neuroinflammation negatively affects neuronal function in the hypothalamus are not clear. Our previous study determined that obesity-mediated chronic inflammation elicits sex-specific impairment in reproductive function via reduction in spine density in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Neuroinflammation and subsequent decrease in GnRH neuron spine density was specific for male mice, while protection in females was independent of ovarian estrogens. METHODS To examine if neuroinflammation-induced cytokines can directly regulate GnRH gene expression, herein we examined signaling pathways and mechanisms in males in vivo and in GnRH-expressing cell line, GT1-7. RESULTS GnRH neurons express cytokine receptors, and chronic or acute neuroinflammation represses GnRH gene expression in vivo. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in particular represses GnRH expression in GT1-7 cells, while other cytokines do not. STAT3 and MAPK pathways are activated following LIF treatment, but only MAPK pathway, specifically p38α, is sufficient to repress the GnRH gene. LIF induces cFOS that represses the GnRH gene via the -1,793 site in the enhancer region. In vivo, following high-fat diet, cFOS is induced in GnRH neurons and neurons juxtaposed to the leaky blood brain barrier of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, but not in the neurons further away. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the increase in LIF due to neuroinflammation induces cFOS and represses the GnRH gene. Therefore, in addition to synaptic changes in GnRH neurons, neuroinflammatory cytokines directly regulate gene expression and reproductive function, and the specificity for neuronal targets may stem from the proximity to the fenestrated capillaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy M Lainez
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Djurdjica Coss
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA,
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Bentley GE, Wilsterman K, Ernst DK, Lynn SE, Dickens MJ, Calisi RM, Kriegsfeld LJ, Kaufer D, Geraghty AC, viviD D, McGuire NL, Lopes PC, Tsutsui K. Neural Versus Gonadal GnIH: Are they Independent Systems? A Mini-Review. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:1194-1203. [PMID: 28992195 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on research in protochordates and basal vertebrates, we know that communication across the first endocrine axes likely relied on diffusion. Because diffusion is relatively slow, rapid responses to some cues, including stress-related cues, may have required further local control of axis outputs (e.g., steroid hormone production by the gonads). Despite the evolution of much more efficient circulatory systems and complex nervous systems in vertebrates, production of many "neuro"transmitters has been identified outside of the hypothalamus across the vertebrate phylogeny and these neurotransmitters are known to locally regulate endocrine function. Our understanding of tissue-specific neuropeptide expression and their role coordinating physiological/behavioral responses of the whole organism remains limited, in part, due to nomenclature and historic dogma that ignores local regulation of axis output. Here, we review regulation of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) across the reproductive axis in birds and mammals to bring further attention to context-dependent disparities and similarities in neuropeptide production by the brain and gonads. We find that GnIH responsiveness to cues of stress appears conserved across species, but that the response of specific tissues and the direction of GnIH regulation varies. The implications of differential regulation across tissues remain unclear in most studies, but further work that manipulates and contrasts function in different tissues has the potential to inform us about both organism-specific function and endocrine axis evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathryn Wilsterman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Darcy K Ernst
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sharon E Lynn
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Molly J Dickens
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rebecca M Calisi
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Daniela Kaufer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna C Geraghty
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dax viviD
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nicolette L McGuire
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Patricia C Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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15
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Iwasa T, Matsuzaki T, Yano K, Mayila Y, Irahara M. The roles of kisspeptin and gonadotropin inhibitory hormone in stress-induced reproductive disorders. Endocr J 2018; 65:133-140. [PMID: 29375085 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.ej18-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several kinds of stress suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and reproductive behavior in humans and animals. These changes can eventually cause diseases and disorders, such as amenorrhea and infertility. In previous studies, it has been shown that stress-related factors, e.g., corticotropin-releasing hormone, cortisol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, promote the stress-induced suppression of the HPG axis. However, these mechanisms are not sufficient to explain how stress suppresses HPG axis activity, and it has been suggested that some other factors might also be involved. In the early 21st century, novel neuroendocrine peptides, kisspeptin and gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH)/RFamide-related peptide 3 (RFRP-3), which directly regulate GnRH/gonadotropin synthesis and secretion, were newly discovered. Growing evidence indicates that kisspeptin and GnIH/RFRP-3 play pivotal roles in the stress-induced disruption of the HPG axis and reproductive behavior in addition to their physiological functions. This review summarizes what is currently known about the roles of kisspeptin and GnIH/RFRP-3 in stress-induced reproductive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Iwasa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Toshiya Matsuzaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Yano
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yiliyasi Mayila
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Minoru Irahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Stress and the HPA Axis: Balancing Homeostasis and Fertility. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18102224. [PMID: 29064426 PMCID: PMC5666903 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An organism’s reproductive fitness is sensitive to the environment, integrating cues of resource availability, ecological factors, and hazards within its habitat. Events that challenge the environment of an organism activate the central stress response system, which is primarily mediated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The regulatory functions of the HPA axis govern the cardiovascular and metabolic system, immune functions, behavior, and reproduction. Activation of the HPA axis by various stressors primarily inhibits reproductive function and is able to alter fetal development, imparting a biological record of stress experienced in utero. Clinical studies and experimental data indicate that stress signaling can mediate these effects through direct actions in the brain, gonads, and embryonic tissues. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which stress activation of the HPA axis impacts fertility and fetal development.
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17
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Activation of the peripheral immune system regulates neuronal aromatase in the adult zebra finch brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10191. [PMID: 28860515 PMCID: PMC5579002 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10573-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol provision via neural aromatization decreases neuro-inflammation and –degeneration, but almost nothing is known about the interactions between the peripheral immune system and brain aromatase. Given the vulnerability of the CNS we reasoned that brain aromatization may protect circuits from the threats of peripheral infection; perhaps shielding cells that are less resilient from the degeneration associated with peripheral infection or trauma. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or vehicle was administered peripherally to adult zebra finches and sickness behavior was recorded 2 or 24 hours later. The central transcription of cytokines and aromatase was measured, as were telencephalic aromatase activity and immunoreactive aromatase (24 hour time point only). Two hours post LPS, sickness-like behaviors increased, the transcription of IL-1β was higher in both sexes, and TNFα was elevated in females. 24 hours post-LPS, the behavior of LPS birds was similar to controls, and cytokines had returned to baseline, but aromatase mRNA and activity were elevated in both sexes. Immunocytochemistry revealed greater numbers of aromatase-expressing neurons in LPS birds. These data suggest that the activation of the immune system via peripheral endotoxin increases neuronal aromatase; a mechanism that may rapidly generate a potent anti-neuroinflammatory steroid in response to peripheral activation of the immune system.
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18
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Iwasa T, Matsuzaki T, Yano K, Irahara M. Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone Plays Roles in Stress-Induced Reproductive Dysfunction. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:62. [PMID: 28424661 PMCID: PMC5380668 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical and psychological stressors suppress hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity and sexual behavior and consequently induce reproductive dysfunction. Recently, it has been shown that gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), also called RFamide-related peptide 3 (RFRP) in mammals, which is a potent inhibitory regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropin, is involved in stress-induced reproductive dysfunction. GnIH/Rfrp (the gene coding RFRP-3) expression and activity are increased by psychological and immune stress, and this alteration suppresses GnRH and gonadotropin secretion. Glucocorticoid acts as a mediator that interacts between stress and hypothalamic GnIH/RFRP-3. GnIH/RFRP-3 also plays important roles in stress-induced suppression of sexual behavior and infertility, and genetic silencing of GnIH/Rfrp completely recovers sexual behavior and fertility. This review summarizes what is currently known about the roles of GnIH in stress-induced reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Iwasa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takeshi Iwasa,
| | - Toshiya Matsuzaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Yano
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Minoru Irahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
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19
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Zaid E, Eens M. Positive effect of dietary lutein and cholesterol on the undirected song activity of an opportunistic breeder. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2512. [PMID: 27761321 PMCID: PMC5068346 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Song is a sexually selected trait that is thought to be an honest signal of the health condition of an individual in many bird species. For species that breed opportunistically, the quantity of food may be a determinant of singing activity. However, it is not yet known whether the quality of food plays an important role in this respect. The aim of the present study was to experimentally investigate the role of two calorie-free nutrients (lutein and cholesterol) in determining the expression of a sexually selected behavior (song rate) and other behaviors (locomotor activity, self-maintenance activity, eating and resting) in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We predicted that males supplemented with lutein and cholesterol would sing at higher rates than controls because both lutein and cholesterol have important health-related physiological functions in birds and birdsong mirrors individual condition. To control for testosterone secretion that may upregulate birdsong, birds were exposed to a decreasing photoperiod. Our results showed that control males down-regulated testosterone in response to a decreasing photoperiod, while birds treated with lutein or cholesterol maintained a constant singing activity. Both lutein- and cholesterol-supplemented groups sang more than control groups by the end of the experiment, indicating that the quality of food can affect undirected song irrespective of circulating testosterone concentrations. None of the other measured behaviors were affected by the treatment, suggesting that, when individuals have full availability of food, sexually selected song traits are more sensitive to the effect of food quality than other behavioral traits. Overall the results support our prediction that undirected song produced by male zebra finches signals access to high-quality food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Evolutionary Physiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany; Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erika Zaid
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium
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20
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Calisi RM, Geraghty AC, Avila A, Kaufer D, Bentley GE, Wingfield JC. Patterns of hypothalamic GnIH change over the reproductive period in starlings and rats. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 237:140-146. [PMID: 27591072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH) exerts powerful inhibitory effects on various levels of the vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (reproductive) axis, yet little is known of how it might change naturally over the course of reproduction. We characterized patterns of hypothalamic GnIH cell abundance over the reproductive period in two popular models used for the study of reproductive endocrinology: European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus). We also examined the effects on an unpredictable change in the environment on GnIH cell abundance during the reproductive period, specifically during the period of parental care, by simulating a nest predation event and removing eggs/pups. In both species, we report changes in GnIH cell abundance are occurring at similar reproductive time points but are not always directionally parallel; this may be due to a difference in life histories and physiology mediating parental care. We discovered that cells immunoreactive for the GnIH peptide in male and female starlings are most highly abundant on the first day of incubation and the first day after the first chick hatches. Conversely in rats, GnIH cell abundance decreases in dams on the first day after pups are born. In both male and female starlings and female rats, GnIH cell abundance increases in response to egg/pup loss, indicating that GnIH responds to an unpredictable change in the environment in a potentially conserved fashion. These changes in GnIH cell abundance during the reproductive period inspire further investigation of its adaptive role in reproductive physiological events and behaviors, especially parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Calisi
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - A C Geraghty
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - A Avila
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - D Kaufer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - G E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - J C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Rudolph LM, Bentley GE, Calandra RS, Paredes AH, Tesone M, Wu TJ, Micevych PE. Peripheral and Central Mechanisms Involved in the Hormonal Control of Male and Female Reproduction. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:10.1111/jne.12405. [PMID: 27329133 PMCID: PMC5146987 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction involves the integration of hormonal signals acting across multiple systems to generate a synchronised physiological output. A critical component of reproduction is the luteinising hormone (LH) surge, which is mediated by oestradiol (E2 ) and neuroprogesterone interacting to stimulate kisspeptin release in the rostral periventricular nucleus of the third ventricle in rats. Recent evidence indicates the involvement of both classical and membrane E2 and progesterone signalling in this pathway. A metabolite of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), GnRH-(1-5), has been shown to stimulate GnRH expression and secretion, and has a role in the regulation of lordosis. Additionally, gonadotrophin release-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) projects to and influences the activity of GnRH neurones in birds. Stress-induced changes in GnIH have been shown to alter breeding behaviour in birds, demonstrating another mechanism for the molecular control of reproduction. Peripherally, paracrine and autocrine actions within the gonad have been suggested as therapeutic targets for infertility in both males and females. Dysfunction of testicular prostaglandin synthesis is a possible cause of idiopathic male infertility. Indeed, local production of melatonin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone could influence spermatogenesis via immune pathways in the gonad. In females, vascular endothelial growth factor A has been implicated in an angiogenic process that mediates development of the corpus luteum and thus fertility via the Notch signalling pathway. Age-induced decreases in fertility involve ovarian kisspeptin and its regulation of ovarian sympathetic innervation. Finally, morphological changes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus influence female sexual receptivity in rats. The processes mediating these morphological changes have been shown to involve the rapid effects of E2 controlling synaptogenesis in this hypothalamic nucleus. In summary, this review highlights new research in these areas, focusing on recent findings concerning the molecular mechanisms involved in the central and peripheral hormonal control of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Rudolph
- Department of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - G E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - R S Calandra
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A H Paredes
- Laboratory of Neurobiochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - M Tesone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - T J Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - P E Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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22
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Pedersen AL, Nelson LH, Saldanha CJ. Centrally Synthesized Estradiol Is a Potent Anti-Inflammatory in the Injured Zebra Finch Brain. Endocrinology 2016; 157:2041-51. [PMID: 26963472 PMCID: PMC4870876 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In homeotherms, injury to the brain, such as a penetrating wound, increases microglial cytokine expression and astroglial aromatase (estrogen synthase). In songbirds, injury-induced synthesis of estrogens is neuroprotective as aromatase inhibition and replacement with estradiol (E2) exacerbates and mitigates the extent of damage, respectively. The influence of induced aromatization on inflammation, however, remains unstudied. We hypothesized that injury-induced aromatization, via E2 synthesis, may affect neuroinflammation after a penetrating brain injury. Using adult zebra finches, we first documented an increase in the transcription of cytokines but not aromatase, 2 hours after the injury. Twenty-four hours after the injury, however, aromatase was dramatically elevated and cytokine expression had returned to baseline, suggesting that aromatization may be involved in the decrease of cytokines and neuroinflammation. In two subsequent experiments, we tested the influence of the inhibition of induced aromatization and aromatase inhibition with concomitant central E2 replacement on the transcription of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2), and its product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Administration of fadrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, caused a sustained elevation of IL-1β in females and TNF-α, cox-2, and PGE2 in both sexes. This prolonged neuroinflammation appears to be due to a failure to synthesize E2 locally because intracranial E2 replacement lowered IL-1β in females, TNF-α in males, and cox-2 and PGE2 in both sexes. IL-6 was not affected by injury, aromatase inhibition, or E2 replacement in either sex. These data suggest that E2 synthesis after a penetrating brain injury is a potent and inducible anti-inflammatory signal, with specific modulation of discrete cytokine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Pedersen
- Department of Biology, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience Program and The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC 20016
| | - Lars H Nelson
- Department of Biology, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience Program and The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC 20016
| | - Colin J Saldanha
- Department of Biology, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience Program and The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC 20016
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23
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The effect of maternal immunization on female oxidative status, yolk antioxidants and offspring survival in a songbird. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 194:56-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Revised: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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24
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Ernst DK, Lynn SE, Bentley GE. Differential response of GnIH in the brain and gonads following acute stress in a songbird. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:51-7. [PMID: 26158243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) acts to inhibit reproduction at all levels of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonad axis. GnIH expression and/or immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus increase with acute stress in some birds and mammals, and thus may be involved in stress-induced reproductive inhibition. Much is known about GnIH and stress in seasonal and continuous breeders, but far less is known about these interactions in opportunistic breeders. For opportunistically breeding animals, reproductive readiness is closely associated with unpredictable environmental cues, and thus the GnIH system may be more sensitive to stress. To test this, we collected tissues from zebra finches immediately following capture or after 60 min of restraint. Restraint significantly increased plasma corticosterone in males and females but, contrary to studies on other species, restrained birds had significantly fewer GnIH immunoreactive (GnIH-ir) cell bodies than control birds. GnIH-ir cell number did not differ between the sexes. Stressed females had lower mRNA expression of the beta subunit of follicle stimulating hormone (FSHβ) in the pituitary, suggesting that the reduction in observed GnIH immunoreactivity in females may have been due to increased GnIH release in response to acute stress. GnIH expression increased in the testes, but not the ovaries, of restrained animals. Our data suggest that although GnIH responsiveness to stress appears to be conserved across species, specific tissue response and direction of GnIH regulation is not. Variation in the GnIH response to stress between species might be the result of ecological adaptations or other species differences in the response of the GnIH system to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darcy K Ernst
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Sharon E Lynn
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Wingfield JC, Perfito N, Calisi R, Bentley G, Ubuka T, Mukai M, O'Brien S, Tsutsui K. Putting the brakes on reproduction: Implications for conservation, global climate change and biomedicine. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:16-26. [PMID: 26474923 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal breeding is widespread in vertebrates and involves sequential development of the gonads, onset of breeding activities (e.g. cycling in females) and then termination resulting in regression of the reproductive system. Whereas males generally show complete spermatogenesis prior to and after onset of breeding, females of many vertebrate species show only partial ovarian development and may delay onset of cycling (e.g. estrous), yolk deposition or germinal vesicle breakdown until conditions conducive for ovulation and onset of breeding are favorable. Regulation of this "brake" on the onset of breeding remains relatively unknown, but could have profound implications for conservation efforts and for "mismatches" of breeding in relation to global climate change. Using avian models it is proposed that a brain peptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), may be the brake to prevent onset of breeding in females. Evidence to date suggests that although GnIH may be involved in the regulation of gonadal development and regression, it plays more regulatory roles in the process of final ovarian development leading to ovulation, transitions from sexual to parental behavior and suppression of reproductive function by environmental stress. Accumulating experimental evidence strongly suggests that GnIH inhibits actions of gonadotropin-releasing hormones on behavior (central effects), gonadotropin secretion (central and hypophysiotropic effects), and has direct actions in the gonad to inhibit steroidogenesis. Thus, actual onset of breeding activities leading to ovulation may involve environmental cues releasing an inhibition (brake) on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonad axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Nicole Perfito
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rebecca Calisi
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - George Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - T Ubuka
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - M Mukai
- Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sara O'Brien
- Department of Biology, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142, USA
| | - K Tsutsui
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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Wahab F, Shahab M, Behr R. The involvement of gonadotropin inhibitory hormone and kisspeptin in the metabolic regulation of reproduction. J Endocrinol 2015; 225:R49-66. [PMID: 25957191 DOI: 10.1530/joe-14-0688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [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] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recently, kisspeptin (KP) and gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH), two counteracting neuropeptides, have been acknowledged as significant regulators of reproductive function. KP stimulates reproduction while GnIH inhibits it. These two neuropeptides seem to be pivotal for the modulation of reproductive activity in response to internal and external cues. It is well-documented that the current metabolic status of the body is closely linked to its reproductive output. However, how reproductive function is regulated by the body's energy status is less clear. Recent studies have suggested an active participation of hypothalamic KP and GnIH in the modulation of reproductive function according to available metabolic cues. Expression of KISS1, the KP encoding gene, is decreased while expression of RFRP (NPVF), the gene encoding GnIH, is increased in metabolic deficiency conditions. The lower levels of KP, as suggested by a decrease in KISS1 gene mRNA expression, during metabolic deficiency can be corrected by administration of exogenous KP, which leads to an increase in reproductive hormone levels. Likewise, administration of RF9, a GnIH receptor antagonist, can reverse the inhibitory effect of fasting on testosterone in monkeys. Together, it is likely that the integrated function of both these hypothalamic neuropeptides works as a reproductive output regulator in response to a change in metabolic status. In this review, we have summarized literature from nonprimate and primate studies that demonstrate the involvement of KP and GnIH in the metabolic regulation of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Wahab
- Stem Cell Biology Unit Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quiad-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - M Shahab
- Stem Cell Biology Unit Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quiad-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - R Behr
- Stem Cell Biology Unit Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quiad-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Lynn SE, Perfito N, Guardado D, Bentley GE. Food, stress, and circulating testosterone: Cue integration by the testes, not the brain, in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 215:1-9. [PMID: 25849310 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Food abundance is closely associated with reproductive readiness in vertebrates. Food scarcity can activate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, decrease sex steroid secretion, and dampen reproductive behavior. However, the mechanisms underlying these transient effects are unclear. Gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH), a neuropeptide present in the brain and gonads, is also influenced by glucocorticoids and fasting in some species. We investigated whether fasting stress activated the GnIH system in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), with the potential for downstream effects on reproductive physiology and behavior. We fasted or fed males ad libitum for 10h. Fasting increased corticosterone and decreased testosterone in circulation. To assess whether the decrease in testosterone was mediated by changes in the hypothalamus and/or the gonads, we (1) quantified GnRH- and GnIH-positive neurons in the hypothalamus, (2) assessed hypothalamic gene expression for GnRH and GnIH, and (3) examined gene expression for proteins involved in testosterone synthesis in fasted and control birds. No measure of hypothalamic neuropeptides was related to treatment or circulating steroids. However, birds with higher corticosterone had higher testicular GnIH expression and lower testosterone. StAR and LHR expression were lower in the testes of fasted birds than controls. Thus, the decrease in testosterone was not likely mediated by hypothalamic GnIH, but rather by direct actions of fasting and/or corticosterone on the testes, indicating that the testes can integrate and respond to cues of stress directly. Such local inhibition of testosterone synthesis may allow for rapid and reversible changes in physiology and behavior when conditions are inappropriate for breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Lynn
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44619, United States.
| | - Nicole Perfito
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of California, Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Daisy Guardado
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of California, Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of California, Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Zaid E, Eens M. Birds receiving extra carotenoids keep singing during the sickness phase induced by inflammation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1916-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Bowers EK, Bowden RM, Sakaluk SK, Thompson CF. Immune activation generates corticosterone-mediated terminal reproductive investment in a wild bird. Am Nat 2015; 185:769-83. [PMID: 25996862 DOI: 10.1086/681017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite classical expectations of a trade-off between immune activity and reproduction, an emergent view suggests that individuals experiencing activation of their immune system actually increase reproductive effort and allocation to offspring as a form of terminal investment in response to reduced survival probability. However, the components and mechanisms of increased parental investment following immunostimulation are currently unknown. We hypothesize that increased glucocorticoid production following immunostimulation modulates the increase in reproductive effort that constitutes terminal investment. We activated the immune system of breeding female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) with an immunogen and cross-fostered the eggs that they subsequently produced to separate prenatal and postnatal components of maternal investment. Cross-fostering revealed an increase in both pre- and postnatal allocation from immunostimulated females, which was confirmed by quantification of egg constituents and maternal provisioning behavior. The increase in maternal provisioning was mediated, at least in part, by increased corticosterone in these females. Offspring immune responsiveness was also enhanced through transgenerational immune priming via the egg. Thus, our results indicate that maternal immunostimulation induces transgenerational effects on offspring through both pre- and postnatal parental effects and support an important role for corticosterone in mediating parental investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
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Dickens MJ, Bentley GE. Stress, captivity, and reproduction in a wild bird species. Horm Behav 2014; 66:685-93. [PMID: 25257808 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In seasonal species, glucocorticoid concentrations are often highest during the breeding season. However, the role of increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in the regulation of reproduction remains poorly understood. Our study is the first, to our knowledge, to document reproductive consequences of a non-pharmacological hindrance to seasonal HPA fluctuations. Using wild-caught male and female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) housed in an outdoor, semi-natural environment, we divided birds into two mixed-sex groups. One group remained in the outdoor aviary, where starlings breed at the appropriate time of year. The other group was transferred into an indoor flight aviary, where we predicted reproductive suppression to occur. We measured changes in corticosterone (CORT) at baseline and stress-induced concentrations prior to group separation and at the experiment's conclusion. After ten days, the birds showed remarkable differences in breeding behavior and HPA activity. Outdoor birds exhibited increases in baseline and stress-induced CORT and progressed into active breeding (pairing, nest building, egg laying, etc.). In contrast, indoor birds displayed no change in baseline or stress-induced CORT and few signs of active breeding. We found significant sex and treatment effects on expression of HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis elements, suggesting sex-specific regulatory mechanisms. Our data suggest a novel, facilitating role for the HPA axis in the transition between early breeding and active breeding in a wild, seasonal avian species. In addition, understanding how changes in housing condition affect seasonal HPA fluctuations may help alleviate barriers to breeding wild animals in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly J Dickens
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
| | - George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Iwasa T, Matsuzaki T, Tungalagsuvd A, Munkhzaya M, Kawami T, Niki H, Kato T, Kuwahara A, Uemura H, Yasui T, Irahara M. Hypothalamic Kiss1 and RFRP gene expressions are changed by a high dose of lipopolysaccharide in female rats. Horm Behav 2014; 66:309-16. [PMID: 24952104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive function is suppressed by several types of stress. Hypothalamic kisspeptin, which is a product of the Kiss1 gene, and GnIH/RFRP have pivotal roles in the regulation of GnRH and gonadotropins through their receptors Kiss1r and GPR147 in many species. However, alterations of these factors under stress conditions have not been fully evaluated. This study investigated the mechanisms of immune stress-induced reproductive dysfunction, especially focusing on the changes of Kiss1 and RFRP gene expression. Serum LH levels and hypothalamic Kiss1 and GnRH mRNA levels were decreased, while hypothalamic RFRP and GPR147 mRNA levels were increased by administration of a high dose of LPS (5mg/kg) in both ovariectomized and gonadal intact female rats. In this condition, Kiss1 and/or RFRP mRNA levels were positively and negatively correlated with GnRH expression, respectively. In contrast, hypothalamic Kiss1, RFRP, and GPR147 mRNA levels were not changed by administration of a moderate dose of LPS (500μg/kg) in ovariectomized rats. Rats with high-dose LPS injection showed more prolonged fever responses and severe anorexia compared with rats with moderate-dose LPS injection, indicating that more energy was used for the immune response in the former. These results suggest that the underlying mechanisms of dysfunction of gonadotropin secretion are changed according to the severity of immune stress, and that changes of some reserved factors, such as kisspeptin and RFRP, begin to participate in the suppression of GnRH and gonadotropin in severe conditions. As reproduction needs a large amount of energy, dysfunction of gonadotropin secretion under immune stress may be a biophylatic mechanism by which more energy is saved for the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Iwasa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
| | - Toshiya Matsuzaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Altankhuu Tungalagsuvd
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Munkhsaikhan Munkhzaya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Takako Kawami
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hirobumi Niki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kato
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Akira Kuwahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Uemura
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Yasui
- Department of Reproductive Technology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Japan
| | - Minoru Irahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Lopes PC, Springthorpe D, Bentley GE. Increased activity correlates with reduced ability to mount immune defenses to endotoxin in zebra finches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 321:422-31. [PMID: 24888267 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
When suffering from infection, animals experience behavioral and physiological alterations that potentiate the immune system's ability to fight pathogens. The behavioral component of this response, termed "sickness behavior," is characterized by an overall reduction in physical activity. A growing number of reports demonstrate substantial flexibility in these sickness behaviors, which can be partially overcome in response to mates, intruders and parental duties. Since it is hypothesized that adopting sickness behaviors frees energetic resources for mounting an immune response, we tested whether diminished immune responses coincided with reduced sickness behaviors by housing male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in social conditions that alter their behavioral response to an endotoxin. To facilitate our data collection, we developed and built a miniaturized sensor capable of detecting changes in dorsoventral acceleration and categorizing them as different behaviors when attached to the finches. We found that the immune defenses (quantified as haptoglobin-like activity, ability to change body temperature and bacterial killing capacity) increased as a function of increased time spent resting. The findings indicate that when animals are sick attenuation of sickness behaviors may exact costs, such as reduced immune function. The extent of these costs depends on how relevant the affected components of immunity are for fighting a specific infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California; Programa Graduado em Areas da Biologia Basica e Aplicada (GABBA), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, Porto, Portugal
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Lopes PC, Chan H, Demathieu S, González-Gómez PL, Wingfield JC, Bentley GE. The impact of exposure to a novel female on symptoms of infection and on the reproductive axis. Neuroimmunomodulation 2013; 20:348-60. [PMID: 24008626 DOI: 10.1159/000353779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Sickness behaviors are the behavioral alterations animals exhibit during the course of an infection, often accompanied by reduced reproductive activity. Adopting sickness behaviors may aid in overcoming the infection, by diverting energy from routine activities towards enhancement of the immune system. Nonetheless, sickness behaviors are plastic, being influenced by specific environmental and social circumstances. Here, we tested whether the presentation of a novel female to males suffering from a simulated infection could impact the behavioral effects of sickness, the reproductive axis, or both. METHODS Male zebra finches were housed in isolation and injected intramuscularly with lipopolysaccharide or saline. Behaviors were recorded before (3 h before injection) and after (3.5 h after injection) addition of a novel female to the cage for 30 min. Four hours after injection, we collected the brain and testis for the analysis of important reproductive axis modulators, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone, and to quantify gene expression of a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the regulation of sickness behaviors [interleukin (IL)-1β]. Testosterone was quantified in the plasma. RESULTS The presence of a novel female diminished sickness behaviors and induced alterations in the reproductive axis within 30 min, with no associated changes in brain gene expression of IL-1β. Social environment itself altered brain gene expression of IL-1β. CONCLUSIONS Male zebra finches prioritize the opportunity to mate versus investment in recovery from an infection, as determined by reduced expression of sickness behaviors when a potential mate was present. The behavioral effects of IL-1β appear to be context dependent in this species.
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