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Poitras M, Lebeau M, Plamondon H. The cycle of stress: A systematic review of the impact of chronic psychological stress models on the rodent estrous cycle. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105730. [PMID: 38763179 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Stress is known to impair reproduction through interactions between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes. However, while it is well accepted that stress can alter estrous cycle regularity, a key indicator of female's HPG axis function, effects of different types of psychological stress have been inconsistent. This systematic review evaluated the impact of rodent models of psychological stress on estrous cyclicity, while reporting biological parameters pertaining to HPA or HPG axis function assessed within these studies. We performed a systematic database search and included articles that implemented a psychological stress model in rodents and reported estrous cyclicity for at least two cycles after initiation of stress. Of the 32 studies included, 62.5% reported post-stress alterations to estrous cyclicity, with Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) models showing the most conclusive effects. Twenty-five studies measured HPG or HPA axis markers, with cycle disruptions being commonly observed in parallel with altered estradiol and increased corticosterone levels. Our review highlights gaps in reporting estrous cyclicity assessments and makes recommendations to improve comparability between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilou Poitras
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioural Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Madison Lebeau
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioural Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Hélène Plamondon
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioural Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
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2
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Moran KM, Delville Y. A hamster model for stress-induced weight gain. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105488. [PMID: 38306877 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105488] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
This review addresses the translational relevance of animal models of stress and their effects on body weight. In humans, stress, whether chronic or acute, has often been associated with increased food intake and weight gain. In view of the current obesity epidemic, this phenomenon is especially relevant. Such observations contrast with reports with commonly used laboratory animals, especially rats and mice. In these species, it is common to find individuals gaining less weight under stress, even with potent social stressors. However, there are laboratory species that present increased appetite and weight gain under stress, such as golden hamsters. Furthermore, these animals also include metabolic and behavioral similarities with humans, including hoarding behavior which is also enhanced under stress. Consequently, we propose that our comparative perspective provides useful insights for future research on the development of obesity in humans as a consequence of chronic stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Moran
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
| | - Yvon Delville
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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3
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Cooper MA, Grizzell JA, Whitten CJ, Burghardt GM. Comparing the ontogeny, neurobiology, and function of social play in hamsters and rats. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105102. [PMID: 36804399 PMCID: PMC10023430 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Syrian hamsters show complex social play behavior and provide a valuable animal model for delineating the neurobiological mechanisms and functions of social play. In this review, we compare social play behavior of hamsters and rats and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Juvenile rats play by competing for opportunities to pin one another and attack their partner's neck. A broad set of cortical, limbic, and striatal regions regulate the display of social play in rats. In hamsters, social play is characterized by attacks to the head in early puberty, which gradually transitions to the flanks in late puberty. The transition from juvenile social play to adult hamster aggression corresponds with engagement of neural ensembles controlling aggression. Play deprivation in rats and hamsters alters dendritic morphology in mPFC neurons and impairs flexible, context-dependent behavior in adulthood, which suggests these animals may have converged on a similar function for social play. Overall, dissecting the neurobiology of social play in hamsters and rats can provide a valuable comparative approach for evaluating the function of social play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - J Alex Grizzell
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Conner J Whitten
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
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4
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Fulenwider HD, Caruso MA, Ryabinin AE. Manifestations of domination: Assessments of social dominance in rodents. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12731. [PMID: 33769667 PMCID: PMC8464621 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social hierarchies are ubiquitous features of virtually all animal groups. The varying social ranks of members within these groups have profound effects on both physical and emotional health, with lower-ranked individuals typically being the most adversely affected by their respective ranks. Thus, reliable measures of social dominance in preclinical rodent models are necessary to better understand the effects of an individual's social rank on other behaviors and physiological processes. In this review, we outline the primary methodologies used to assess social dominance in various rodent species: those that are based on analyses of agonistic behaviors, and those that are based on resource competition. In synthesizing this review, we conclude that assays based on resource competition may be better suited to characterize social dominance in a wider variety of rodent species and strains, and in both males and females. Lastly, albeit expectedly, we demonstrate that similarly to many other areas of preclinical research, studies incorporating female subjects are lacking in comparison to those using males. These findings emphasize the need for an increased number of studies assessing social dominance in females to form a more comprehensive understanding of this behavioral phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah D. Fulenwider
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Maya A. Caruso
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
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Moran KM, González-Martínez LF, Delville Y. Lifelong enhancement of body mass from adolescent stress in male hamsters. Horm Behav 2021; 133:105004. [PMID: 34062278 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In hamsters, exposure to stress in adulthood causes increased body weight. We addressed how social stress during puberty would impact food intake and body weight. Stressed hamsters started gaining significantly more weight than controls after only two days of stress exposure. Over a two-week period, stressed subjects gained 10% more weight and consumed more food than controls. At the end of the stress period, stressed hamsters collected nearly twice as many palatable sugar pellets from an arena than controls. Stressed subjects presented 15-20% more body fat in mesenteric, inguinal, and retroperitoneal fat pads. In order to assess the duration of these effects, we analyzed data from previous studies keeping hamsters for over two months past the stress period in puberty. Our analysis shows that stressed hamsters stopped gaining more weight after the stress period, but their body weights remained elevated for over two months, consistently weighing 10% more than their non-stressed counterparts. We also analyzed conditioning training data collected after the period of stress in late puberty and early adulthood (P56 to P70) that was part of the original studies. Training consisted of lever pressing for palatable food rewards. At these times, previously stressed hamsters retrieved similar numbers of food pellets from the conditioning chambers, suggesting no difference in appetite after the stress period. These data showing a long-lasting effect of stress on body weight may be relevant to studies on the ontogeny of lifelong obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Moran
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | | | - Yvon Delville
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Zuñiga-Garcia S, Meza-Herrera CA, Mendoza-Cortina A, Otal-Salaverri J, Perez-Marin C, Lopez-Flores NM, Carrillo E, Calderon-Leyva G, Gutierrez-Guzman UN, Veliz-Deras FG. Effect of Social Rank upon Estrus Induction and Some Reproductive Outcomes in Anestrus Goats Treated With Progesterone + eCG. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1125. [PMID: 32630701 PMCID: PMC7401613 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071125] [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: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the possible role of the social rank [R] (i.e., low-LSR, middle-MSR, or high-HSR) in anestrus goats exposed to a P4 + eCG [D] (i.e., 100 or 350 IU) estrus induction protocol (EIP). Adult, multiparous (two to three lactations), multiracial, dairy-type goats (Alpine-Saanen-Nubian x Criollo goats (n = 70; 25°51' North) managed under stall-fed conditions were all ultrasound evaluated to confirm anestrus status while the R was determined 30 d prior to the EIP. The variables of estrus induction (EI, %), estrus latency (LAT, h), estrus duration (DUR, h), ovulation (OVU, %), ovulation rate (OR, n), corpus luteum size (CLS, cm), pregnancy (PREG, %), kidding (KIDD, %), and litter size (LS, n) as affected by R, D, and the R × D interaction, were evaluated. While OVU and CLS favored (p < 0.05) HSR (96% and + 1.04 ± 0.07 cm), an increased (p < 0.05) LS occurred in D350 vs. D100 (2.06 ± 0.2 vs. 1.36 ± 0.2); neither R nor D affected (p > 0.05; 38.5%) KIDD. However, EI, LAT, DUR, OR, and PREG were affected by the R × D interaction. The HSR group had the largest (p < 0.05) EI % and DUR h, irrespective of D. The shortest (p < 0.05) LAT occurred in D350, irrespective of R. While the largest (p < 0.05) OR occurred in HSR and MSR within D350, the HSR + D350 group had the largest PREG (p < 0.05). These research outcomes are central to defining out-of-season reproductive strategies designed to attenuate seasonal reproduction in goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Zuñiga-Garcia
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
| | - Cesar A. Meza-Herrera
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
| | - Adela Mendoza-Cortina
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
| | - Julio Otal-Salaverri
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Carlos Perez-Marin
- Instituto de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Noé M. Lopez-Flores
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
- Instituto de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain;
| | | | - Guadalupe Calderon-Leyva
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
| | - Ulises N. Gutierrez-Guzman
- Facultad de Agricultura y Zootecnia, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, 35111 Venecia, Durango, Mexico;
| | - Francisco G. Veliz-Deras
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
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7
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Xia W, Zhang J, Zhang D, Zhu Q, Zhang H, Huang Z, Sun F, Pan H, Duan H. Left-Right Asymmetry of Tubal Pregnancy: A 12-Year Retrospective Hospital-Based Study. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2018; 26:671-678. [PMID: 30031208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmig.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate whether there are left-right asymmetries, factors affecting lateral dominance, and clinical feature differences in the left and right sides of tubal pregnancy (TP). DESIGN Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. PATIENTS Patients (n = 6186) with TP treated surgically. INTERVENTIONS We used data from the digital medical records system of the hospital. Women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy(EP) between January 2005 and December 2016 in the inpatient department of gynecology were included. All data from the medical files were obtained retrospectively, including demographic characteristics; reproductive, gynecologic, and surgical history; clinical features; and treatment. Patients who were previously treated by salpingectomy or nonsurgical management and those with unknown-site EP or non-TPs were excluded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The overall frequency of right-sided TP was 54.48% (3370/6186), which is significantly higher than 50% (p < .001, binominal test). The proportion of right-sided TPs decreased with age (p for trend = .007) and from the proximal (interstitial) end to the distal (fimbrial) end of the tube (p for trend = .017). Of the TP patients with a corpus luteum, we found the corpus luteum was more frequently located in the right ovary (p < .001) and in the contralateral ovary to the TP side in 41.38% of cases. However, tubal rupture was more frequent in left TP than the in right TP (p = .005). CONCLUSION The left-right asymmetries of TP include right-side dominance and the clinical feature differences between the 2sides of TP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Qian Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Huiyu Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Zhen Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Feng Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Hongjie Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, and Pan); Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease, Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China (Drs. Xia, J. Zhang, D. Zhang, Zhu, H. Zhang, Huang, Sun, Pan)
| | - Hua Duan
- Department of Gynecology Minimally Invasive Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (Dr. Duan)..
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8
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Social housing and social isolation: Impact on stress indices and energy balance in male and female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Physiol Behav 2017; 177:264-269. [PMID: 28511867 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although Syrian hamsters are thought to be naturally solitary, recent evidence from our laboratory demonstrates that hamsters may actually prefer social contact. Hamsters increase their preference for a location associated with an agonistic encounter regardless of whether they have "won" or "lost". It has also been reported that social housing as well as exposure to intermittent social defeat or to a brief footshock stressor increase food intake and body mass in hamsters. By contrast, it has also been suggested that housing hamsters in social isolation causes anxiety-induced anorexia and reductions in body mass selectively in females. The purpose of this study was to determine the physiological consequences of housing hamsters in social isolation versus in social groups. Male and female hamsters were housed singly or in stable groups of 5 for 4weeks after which they were weighed and trunk blood was collected. In addition, fat pads and thymus and adrenal glands were extracted and weighed. Serum and fecal cortisol were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Housing condition had no effect on serum or fecal cortisol, but socially housed hamsters displayed modest thymus gland involution. Socially housed females weighed more than did any other group, and socially housed females and males had more fat than did socially isolated hamsters. No wounding or tissue damage occurred in grouped hamsters. Overall, these data suggest that Syrian hamsters tolerate both stable social housing and social isolation in the laboratory although social housing is associated with some alteration in stress-related and bioenergetic measures.
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9
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Karamishabankareh H, Hajarian H, Shahsavari M, Moradinejad R. In vivo and in vitro study of the function of the left and right bovine ovaries. Theriogenology 2015; 84:724-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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10
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Franconi F, Rosano G, Campesi I. Need for gender-specific pre-analytical testing: the dark side of the moon in laboratory testing. Int J Cardiol 2014; 179:514-35. [PMID: 25465806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Many international organisations encourage studies in a sex-gender perspective. However, research with a gender perspective presents a high degree of complexity, and the inclusion of sex-gender variable in experiments presents many methodological questions, the majority of which are still neglected. Overcoming these issues is fundamental to avoid erroneous results. Here, pre-analytical aspects of the research, such as study design, choice of utilised specimens, sample collection and processing, animal models of diseases, and the observer's role, are discussed. Artefacts in this stage of research could affect the predictive value of all analyses. Furthermore, the standardisation of research subjects according to their lifestyles and, if female, to their life phase and menses or oestrous cycle, is urgent to harmonise research worldwide. A sex-gender-specific attention to pre-analytical aspects could produce a decrease in the time for translation from the bench to bedside. Furthermore, sex-gender-specific pre-clinical pharmacological testing will enable adequate assessment of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic actions of drugs and will enable, where appropriate, an adequate gender-specific clinical development plan. Therefore, sex-gender-specific pre-clinical research will increase the gender equity of care and will produce more evidence-based medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Franconi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, National Laboratory of Gender Medicine of the National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Osilo, Sassari, Italy; Vicepresident of Basilicata Region.
| | - Giuseppe Rosano
- Cardiovascular and Cell Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Ilaria Campesi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, National Laboratory of Gender Medicine of the National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Osilo, Sassari, Italy
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11
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Shannonhouse JL, Fong LA, Clossen BL, Hairgrove RE, York DC, Walker BB, Hercules GW, Mertesdorf LM, Patel M, Morgan C. Female-biased anorexia and anxiety in the Syrian hamster. Physiol Behav 2014; 133:141-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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12
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Scheibler E, Wollnik F. Oestrus cycle of the Desert hamster (Phodopus roborovskii, Satunin, 1903). Lab Anim 2013; 47:301-11. [PMID: 23760567 DOI: 10.1177/0023677213492509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Desert hamster, Phodopus roborovskii, is one of the lesser-known laboratory animal models and therefore knowledge of its reproductive system and physiology is limited. This study investigated the time course of vaginal and behavioural oestrus cycles by means of vaginal smear cytology, serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, wheel-running activity patterns, and pairing tests. The oestrus cycle lasts between four and six days and follows a pattern rather similar to that described for other rodent species. An important finding of this study is the existence of a fifth cycle stage between pre-oestrus and oestrus, the so-called early oestrus. Early oestrus differs from pre-oestrus by a complete lack of leucocytes in the vaginal cytology and a dramatic increase of serum LH levels just before activity onset. The early oestrus stage lasts 4-6 h, but was not observed in every female. When present it affects the length of the whole oestrus cycle. With early oestrus the pre-oestrus stage lasts only 14-18 h and the total length of the oestrus cycle length is four days. Without early oestrus, the pre-oestrus is prolonged to 18-36 h and the oestrus cycle length varies between four and six days. Desert hamsters showed only subtle oestrus-correlated changes in wheel-running activity, i.e. they failed to show the characteristic scalloping of activity onset, but showed prolonged activity during early oestrus. Pairing tests revealed characteristic changes in the relative frequencies of socio-positive, neutral, aggressive and sexual behaviour during the course of the oestrus cycle, with an elevated level of sexual behaviour during oestrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Scheibler
- Biological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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13
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Chelini MOM, Palme R, Otta E. Social stress and reproductive success in the female Syrian hamster: endocrine and behavioral correlates. Physiol Behav 2011; 104:948-54. [PMID: 21703288 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Revised: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In many mammal species, reproduction is not shared equally among the members of a social unit. Even though reproductive skew seems unlikely in females of solitary species, this phenomenon could result from environmental factors. Although solitary in the wild, captive Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) are generally housed in groups. We investigated whether social stress produces some degree of reproductive skew in this solitary species and whether female reproductive success varies as a function of social rank. To assess the physiological relationship between social stress and fertility, we monitored reproductive hormones and glucocorticoids of solitary and pair-housed females during pregnancy by means of recently established non-invasive methods for measuring hormone metabolites in the feces. The patterns of fecal progesterone, estrogen and glucocorticoid metabolites were similar to those found in blood and reported in the literature for pregnant hamsters. As expected, dominant females had higher breeding success than subordinate females. However the rate of reproductive failure was also very high among the singly housed females of our control group. The number of pups per litter, the average sex-ratio in each group, and the mean weight of pups did not differ significantly among groups. Glucocorticoid concentrations were unaffected by housing and social rank and the few differences between the endocrine profiles of singly- and pair-housed females are not sufficient to explain the observed difference in breeding success. It is likely that social isolation impairs reproduction in the same manner as subordination. Our findings suggest that social isolation of animals accustomed to group living was equally as disturbing as cohabitation with an unknown conspecific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Odile Monier Chelini
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Cohabitation impaired physiology, fitness and sex-related chemosignals in golden hamsters. Physiol Behav 2008; 93:1071-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2007] [Revised: 01/18/2008] [Accepted: 01/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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15
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Teixeira CP, de Azevedo CS, Mendl M, Cipreste CF, Young RJ. Revisiting translocation and reintroduction programmes: the importance of considering stress. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Solomon MB, Foster MT, Bartness TJ, Huhman KL. Social defeat and footshock increase body mass and adiposity in male Syrian hamsters. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2006; 292:R283-90. [PMID: 16946084 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00330.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is a world-wide epidemic, and many factors, including stress, have been linked to this growing trend. After social stress (i.e., defeat), subordinate laboratory rats and most laboratory mice become hypophagic and, subsequently, lose body mass; the opposite is true of subordinate Syrian hamsters. After social defeat, Syrian hamsters become hyperphagic and gain body mass compared with nonstressed controls. It is unknown whether this increase in body mass and food intake is limited to subordinate hamsters. In experiment 1, we asked, do dominant hamsters increase food intake, body mass, and adiposity after an agonistic encounter? Subordinate hamsters increased food intake and body mass compared with nonstressed controls. Although there was no difference in food intake or absolute body mass between dominant and nonstressed control animals, cumulative body mass gain was significantly higher in dominant than in nonstressed control animals. Total carcass lipid and white adipose tissue (WAT) (i.e., retroperitoneal and epididymal WAT) masses were significantly increased in subordinate, but not dominant, hamsters compared with nonstressed controls. In experiment 2, we asked, does footshock stress increase food intake, body mass, and adiposity. Hamsters exposed to defeat, but not footshock stress, increased food intake relative to nonstressed controls. In animals exposed to defeat or footshock stress, body mass, as well as mesenteric WAT mass, increased compared with nonstressed controls. Collectively, these data demonstrate that social and nonsocial stressors increase body and lipid mass in male hamsters, suggesting that this species may prove useful for studying the physiology of stress-induced obesity in some humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matia B Solomon
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30302-3966, USA
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17
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Chelini MOM, Souza NL, Rocha AM, Felippe ECG, Oliveira CA. Quantification of fecal estradiol and progesterone metabolites in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Braz J Med Biol Res 2005; 38:1711-7. [PMID: 16258643 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2005001100021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative methods to the utilization of laboratory animal blood and its by-products are particularly attractive, especially regarding hamsters due to their small size and difficulties in obtaining serial blood samples. Steroid hormone metabolite quantification in feces, widely used in studies of free-ranging or intractable animals, is a non-invasive, non-stressor, economical, and animal saving technique which allows longitudinal studies by permitting frequent sampling of the same individual. The present study was undertaken to determine the suitability of this method for laboratory animals. Estradiol and progesterone metabolites were quantified by radioimmunoassay in feces of intact, sexually mature female Syrian hamsters during the estrous cycle (control) and in feces of superovulated females. Metabolites were extracted by fecal dilution in ethanol and quantified by solid phase radioimmunoassay. Median estrogen and progesterone concentrations were 9.703 and 180.74 ng/g feces in the control group, respectively. Peaks of estrogen (22.44 +/- 4.54 ng/g feces) and progesterone (655.95 +/- 129.93 ng/g feces) mean fecal concentrations respectively occurred 12 h before and immediately after ovulation, which is easily detected in this species by observation of a characteristic vaginal postovulatory discharge. Median estrogen and progesterone concentrations (28.159 and 586.57 ng/g feces, respectively) were significantly higher in superovulated animal feces (P < 0.0001). The present study demonstrated that it is possible to monitor ovarian activity in Syrian hamsters non-invasively by measuring fecal estradiol and progesterone metabolites. This technique appears to be a quite encouraging method for the development of new endocrinologic studies on laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M O M Chelini
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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18
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Sørensen D, Krohn T, Hansen H, Ottesen J, Hansen A. An ethological approach to housing requirements of golden hamsters, Mongolian gerbils and fat sand rats in the laboratory—A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Huhman KL, Solomon MB, Janicki M, Harmon AC, Lin SM, Israel JE, Jasnow AM. Conditioned defeat in male and female Syrian hamsters. Horm Behav 2003; 44:293-9. [PMID: 14609551 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2003.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A brief exposure to social defeat in male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) leads to profound changes in the subsequent agonistic behavior exhibited by the defeated animals. Following defeat in the home cage of an aggressive conspecific, male hamsters will subsequently fail to defend their home territory even if the intruder is a smaller, nonaggressive male. This phenomenon has been called conditioned defeat. In Experiment 1, we examined the duration of conditioned defeat by repeatedly testing (every 3-5 days) defeated hamsters with a nonaggressive intruder. We found that conditioned defeat occurs in all defeated male hamsters and persists for a prolonged period of time (at least 33 days) in the majority of male hamsters tested despite the fact that these animals are never attacked by the nonaggressive intruders. In Experiment 2, we examined whether conditioned defeat could be induced in female Syrian hamsters. While conditioned defeat occurred in some females, they displayed only low levels of submissive/defensive behavior and, in contrast to males, the conditioned defeat response did not persist beyond the first test. These results suggest that in male hamsters conditioned defeat is a profound, persistent behavioral change characterized by a total absence of territorial aggression and by the frequent display of submissive and defensive behaviors. Conversely, social defeat in female hamsters does not appear to induce long-term behavioral changes. Finally, in Experiment 3, we determined that plasma adrenocorticotropin-like immunoreactivity increases in females following social defeat in a manner similar to that seen in males, suggesting that the disparate behavioral reactions of males and females are not due to sex differences in the release of, or response to, plasma adrenocorticotropin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim L Huhman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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20
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Féron C, Gheusi G. Social regulation of reproduction in the female mound-builder mouse (Mus spicilegus). Physiol Behav 2003; 78:717-22. [PMID: 12782228 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(03)00044-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Social environment influences the reproductive physiology and sexual behaviour of the female house mouse Mus musculus. An all-female environment tends to suppress the oestrous cycles, whereas the presence of a male induces and synchronises sexual receptivity. However, reproductive responses to social environment may differ among the various species of rodents. In mound-builder female mice, Mus spicilegus, periods of sexual receptivity are interrupted by periods where adult females display a vaginal closure. We investigated the influence of different social environments on the vaginal opening and oestrous state of adult female M. spicilegus. Result showed that when females were grouped their vaginas were generally closed but that vaginal opening occurred when they were isolated or housed with a sexual partner. Females became sexually receptive when housed with a male, but when isolated their cervical smears did not reach characteristics of the oestrus. In female M. spicilegus, male presence thus has a stimulating effect on oestrous induction. Furthermore, cohabitation with females has an inhibiting effect on vaginal opening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Féron
- LEEC, Université Paris 13, avenue J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
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Abstract
The golden hamster has been described as exhibiting estrous cycle synchrony caused by social dominance. This has recently been reexamined by J. C. Schank (2000, Horm. Behav. 38, 94-101) with the aid of computer simulations. He concluded that there is no evidence for cycle synchrony among golden hamsters. In the present article we confirm this theoretical approach with the help of long-term experiments. Indeed, estrous cycle asynchrony was observed. Singly housed female golden hamsters in phase with their neighbors and in physical contact desynchronized their 4-day cycles after 2 or 3 weeks. Asynchrony was caused mainly by stochastic 5-day cycles. Statistical analysis was performed using a Monte-Carlo bootstrap approach. Based on the empirical data, an individual-based computer model was developed to simulate the dynamics of cycle desynchronization. Potential advantages were deduced for the population level. It emerged that estrous cycle asynchrony led to higher reproductive success for females where the probability of fertilization was low (e.g., after hibernation, poor habitat).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Gattermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Halle, Domplatz 4, D-06108 Halle, Germany.
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