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Barrett ES, Sullivan A, Workman T, Zhang Y, Loftus CT, Szpiro AA, Paquette A, MacDonald JW, Coccia M, Smith R, Bowman M, Smith A, Derefinko K, Nguyen RHN, Zhao Q, Sathyanarayana S, Karr C, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR. Sex-specific associations between placental corticotropin releasing hormone and problem behaviors in childhood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106994. [PMID: 38387218 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) is a neuroactive peptide produced in high concentrations in mid-late pregnancy, during key periods of fetal brain development. Some evidence suggests that higher pCRH exposure during gestation is associated with adverse neurodevelopment, particularly in female offspring. In 858 mother-child dyads from the sociodemographically diverse CANDLE cohort (Memphis, TN), we examined: (1) the slope of pCRH rise in mid-late pregnancy and (2) estimated pCRH at delivery as a measure of cumulative prenatal exposure. When children were 4 years-old, mothers reported on problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and cognitive performance was assessed by trained psychologists using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales. We fitted linear regression models examining pCRH in relation to behavioral and cognitive performance measures, adjusting for covariates. Using interaction models, we evaluated whether associations differed by fetal sex, breastfeeding, and postnatal neighborhood opportunity. In the full cohort, log-transformed pCRH measures were not associated with outcomes; however, we observed sex differences in some models (interaction p-values≤0.01). In male offspring, an interquartile (IQR) increase in pCRH slope (but not estimated pCRH at delivery), was positively associated with raw Total (β=3.06, 95%CI: 0.40, 5.72), Internalizing (β=0.89, 95%CI: 0.03, 1.76), and Externalizing (β=1.25, 95%CI: 0.27, 2.22) Problem scores, whereas, in females, all associations were negative (Total Problems: β=-1.99, 95%CI: -3.89, -0.09; Internalizing: β=-0.82, 95%CI: -1.42, -0.23; Externalizing: β=-0.56, 95%CI: -1.34, 0.22). No associations with cognitive performance were observed nor did we observe moderation by breastfeeding or postnatal neighborhood opportunity. Our results provide further evidence that prenatal pCRH exposure may impact subsequent child behavior in sex-specific ways, however in contrast to prior studies suggesting adverse impacts in females, steeper mid-gestation pCRH rise was associated with more problem behaviors in males, but fewer in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Alexandra Sullivan
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tomomi Workman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yuhong Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison Paquette
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James W MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roger Smith
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Maria Bowman
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Alicia Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Karen Derefinko
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ruby H N Nguyen
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Catherine Karr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Katz-Barber MW, Hollins SL, Cuskelly A, Leong AJW, Dunn A, Harms L, Hodgson DM. Investigating the gut-brain axis in a neurodevelopmental rodent model of schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 3:100048. [PMID: 34589838 PMCID: PMC8474551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although the aetiology of schizophrenia remains unknown, it has been suggested that it might occur in response to alterations in the gut-brain axis (GBA), the bi-directional communication system between the gut and the brain. The current study aimed to determine whether the “two-hit” animal model of neuropsychopathology (maternal immune activation combined with adolescent cannabinoid exposure), produced abnormalities in the GBA Method Pregnant Wistar rats were administered the viral mimetic polyI:C on gestational day 19 and offspring were administered the synthetic cannabinoid HU210 from postnatal days 35–48. Evidence of GBA activation was assessed in the hypothalamus, colon and fecal samples from male and female offspring at adolescence and adulthood Results Findings were sex-specific with adolescent female offspring exhibiting an increased hypothalamic inflammatory profile, increased hypothalamic CRHR1 mRNA, and decreased fecal expression of Bifidobacterium longum, however, no changes were detected in colonic inflammation or integrity. Conclusion These results indicate that the rat two-hit model, documented to produce behavioural and neuroanatomical abnormalities, also produces hypothalamic and microbiota abnormalities. The results also demonstrate significant sex differences, suggesting that this model may be useful for investigating the role of the GBA in the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia. Combined MIA and ACE induces sex-specific alterations in hypothalamic inflammation. Combined MIA and ACE increases hypothalamic CRHR1 expression. Combined MIA and ACE decreases fecal expression of Bifidobacterium longum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max W Katz-Barber
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Sharon L Hollins
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Annalisa Cuskelly
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Angeline J W Leong
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Ariel Dunn
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Lauren Harms
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah M Hodgson
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
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Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the major neuroendocrine axis regulating homeostasis in mammals. Glucocorticoid hormones are rapidly synthesized and secreted from the adrenal gland in response to stress. In addition, under basal conditions glucocorticoids are released rhythmically with both a circadian and an ultradian (pulsatile) pattern. These rhythms are important not only for normal function of glucocorticoid target organs, but also for the HPA axis responses to stress. Several studies have shown that disruption of glucocorticoid rhythms is associated with disease both in humans and in rodents. In this review, we will discuss our knowledge of the negative feedback mechanisms that regulate basal ultradian synthesis and secretion of glucocorticoids, including the role of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors and their chaperone protein FKBP51. Moreover, in light of recent findings, we will also discuss the importance of intra-adrenal glucocorticoid receptor signaling in regulating glucocorticoid synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Gjerstad
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Stafford L Lightman
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Francesca Spiga
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- CONTACT Francesca SpigaUniversity of Bristol, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, BristolBS1 3NY, UK
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Herman JP, Tasker JG. Paraventricular Hypothalamic Mechanisms of Chronic Stress Adaptation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:137. [PMID: 27843437 PMCID: PMC5086584 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is the primary driver of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) responses. At least part of the role of the PVN is managing the demands of chronic stress exposure. With repeated exposure to stress, hypophysiotrophic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons of the PVN display a remarkable cellular, synaptic, and connectional plasticity that serves to maximize the ability of the HPA axis to maintain response vigor and flexibility. At the cellular level, chronic stress enhances the production of CRH and its co-secretagogue arginine vasopressin and rearranges neurotransmitter receptor expression so as to maximize cellular excitability. There is also evidence to suggest that efficacy of local glucocorticoid feedback is reduced following chronic stress. At the level of the synapse, chronic stress enhances cellular excitability and reduces inhibitory tone. Finally, chronic stress causes a structural enhancement of excitatory innervation, increasing the density of glutamate and noradrenergic/adrenergic terminals on CRH neuronal cell somata and dendrites. Together, these neuroplastic changes favor the ability of the HPA axis to retain responsiveness even under conditions of considerable adversity. Thus, chronic stress appears able to drive PVN neurons via a number of convergent mechanisms, processes that may play a major role in HPA axis dysfunction seen in variety of stress-linked disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- *Correspondence: James P. Herman,
| | - Jeffrey G. Tasker
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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Laukova M, Alaluf LG, Serova LI, Arango V, Sabban EL. Early intervention with intranasal NPY prevents single prolonged stress-triggered impairments in hypothalamus and ventral hippocampus in male rats. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3920-33. [PMID: 25057792 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Intranasal administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a promising treatment strategy to reduce traumatic stress-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We evaluated the potential of intranasal NPY to prevent dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a core neuroendocrine feature of PTSD. Rats were exposed to single prolonged stress (SPS), a PTSD animal model, and infused intranasally with vehicle or NPY immediately after SPS stressors. After 7 days undisturbed, hypothalamus and hippocampus, 2 structures regulating the HPA axis activity, were examined for changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and CRH expression. Plasma ACTH and corticosterone, and hypothalamic CRH mRNA, were significantly higher in the vehicle but not NPY-treated group, compared with unstressed controls. Although total GR levels were not altered in hypothalamus, a significant decrease of GR phosphorylated on Ser232 and increased FK506-binding protein 5 mRNA were observed with the vehicle but not in animals infused with intranasal NPY. In contrast, in the ventral hippocampus, only vehicle-treated animals demonstrated elevated GR protein expression and increased GR phosphorylation on Ser232, specifically in the nuclear fraction. Additionally, SPS-induced increase of CRH mRNA in the ventral hippocampus was accompanied by apparent decrease of CRH peptide particularly in the CA3 subfield, both prevented by NPY. The results show that early intervention with intranasal NPY can prevent traumatic stress-triggered dysregulation of the HPA axis likely by restoring HPA axis proper negative feedback inhibition via GR. Thus, intranasal NPY has a potential as a noninvasive therapy to prevent negative effects of traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Laukova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (M.L., L.G.A., L.I.S., E.L.S.), New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York 10595; and Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division (V.A.), New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
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Su Y, van der Spek R, Foppen E, Kwakkel J, Fliers E, Kalsbeek A. Effects of adrenalectomy on daily gene expression rhythms in the rat suprachiasmatic and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei and in white adipose tissue. Chronobiol Int 2014; 32:211-24. [DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2014.963198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Uchoa ET, Aguilera G, Herman JP, Fiedler JL, Deak T, Cordeiro de Sousa MB. Novel aspects of glucocorticoid actions. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:557-72. [PMID: 24724595 PMCID: PMC4161987 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 04/06/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity leading to the rhythmic and episodic release of adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs) is essential for body homeostasis and survival during stress. Acting through specific intracellular receptors in the brain and periphery, GCs regulate behaviour, as well as metabolic, cardiovascular, immune and neuroendocrine activities. By contrast to chronic elevated levels, circadian and acute stress-induced increases in GCs are necessary for hippocampal neuronal survival and memory acquisition and consolidation, as a result of the inhibition of apoptosis, the facilitation of glutamatergic neurotransmission and the formation of excitatory synapses, and the induction of immediate early genes and dendritic spine formation. In addition to metabolic actions leading to increased energy availability, GCs have profound effects on feeding behaviour, mainly via the modulation of orexigenic and anorixegenic neuropeptides. Evidence is also emerging that, in addition to the recognised immune suppressive actions of GCs by counteracting adrenergic pro-inflammatory actions, circadian elevations have priming effects in the immune system, potentiating acute defensive responses. In addition, negative-feedback by GCs involves multiple mechanisms leading to limited HPA axis activation and prevention of the deleterious effects of excessive GC production. Adequate GC secretion to meet body demands is tightly regulated by a complex neural circuitry controlling hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin secretion, which are the main regulators of pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Rapid feedback mechanisms, likely involving nongenomic actions of GCs, mediate the immediate inhibition of hypothalamic CRH and ACTH secretion, whereas intermediate and delayed mechanisms mediated by genomic actions involve the modulation of limbic circuitry and peripheral metabolic messengers. Consistent with their key adaptive roles, HPA axis components are evolutionarily conserved, being present in the earliest vertebrates. An understanding of these basic mechanisms may lead to novel approaches for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for disorders related to stress and alterations of GC secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernane Torres Uchoa
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Greti Aguilera
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jenny L. Fiedler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Terrence Deak
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
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Kovács KJ. CRH: The link between hormonal-, metabolic- and behavioral responses to stress. J Chem Neuroanat 2013; 54:25-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Suri D, Vaidya VA. Glucocorticoid regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: relevance to hippocampal structural and functional plasticity. Neuroscience 2012; 239:196-213. [PMID: 22967840 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids serve as key stress response hormones that facilitate stress coping. However, sustained glucocorticoid exposure is associated with adverse consequences on the brain, in particular within the hippocampus. Chronic glucocorticoid exposure evokes neuronal cell damage and dendritic atrophy, reduces hippocampal neurogenesis and impairs synaptic plasticity. Glucocorticoids also alter expression and signaling of the neurotrophin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Since BDNF is known to promote neuroplasticity, enhance cell survival, increase hippocampal neurogenesis and cellular excitability, it has been hypothesized that specific adverse effects of glucocorticoids may be mediated by attenuating BDNF expression and signaling. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of literature examining the influence of glucocorticoids on BDNF, and to address whether specific effects of glucocorticoids arise through perturbation of BDNF signaling. We integrate evidence of glucocorticoid regulation of BDNF at multiple levels, spanning from the well-documented glucocorticoid-induced changes in BDNF mRNA to studies examining alterations in BDNF receptor-mediated signaling. Further, we delineate potential lines of future investigation to address hitherto unexplored aspects of the influence of glucocorticoids on BDNF. Finally, we discuss the current understanding of the contribution of BDNF to the modulation of structural and functional plasticity by glucocorticoids, in particular in the context of the hippocampus. Understanding the mechanistic crosstalk between glucocorticoids and BDNF holds promise for the identification of potential therapeutic targets for disorders associated with the dysfunction of stress hormone pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Suri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, India
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Gutiérrez-Mariscal M, Sánchez E, García-Vázquez A, Rebolledo-Solleiro D, Charli JL, Joseph-Bravo P. Acute response of hypophysiotropic thyrotropin releasing hormone neurons and thyrotropin release to behavioral paradigms producing varying intensities of stress and physical activity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 179:61-70. [PMID: 22960404 DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2012.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Revised: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis is essential for energy homeostasis and is differentially modulated by physical and by psychological stress. Contradictory effects of stressful behavioral paradigms on TSH or thyroid hormone release are due to type, length and controllability of the stressor. We hypothesized that an additional determinant of the activity of the HPT axis is the energy demand due to physical activity. We thus evaluated the response of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in Wistar male rats submitted to the elevated plus maze (EPM), the open field test (OFT), or restraint, and sacrificed within 1h after test completion; the response to OFT was compared during light (L) or dark (D) phases. Locomotion and anxiety behaviors were similar if animals were tested in L or D phases but their relation to the biochemical parameters differed. All paradigms increased serum corticosterone concentration; the levels of corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 and of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNAs in the PVN were enhanced after restraint or OFT-L. Levels of proTRH mRNA increased in the PVN after exposure to EPM-L or OFT-D; serum levels of thyrotropin (TSH) and T(4) only after OFT-D. In contrast, restraint decreased TRH mRNA and serum TSH levels, while it increased TRH content in the mediobasal hypothalamus, implying reduced release. Expression of proTRH in the PVN varied proportionally to the degree of locomotion in OFT-D, while inversely to anxiety in the EPM-L, and to corticosterone in EPM-L and OFT-D. TRH mRNA levels were analyzed by in situ hybridization in the rostral, middle and caudal zones of the PVN in response to OFT-D; they increased in the middle PVN, where most TRH hypophysiotropic neurons reside; levels correlated positively with the velocity attained in the periphery of the OF and negatively, with anxiety. Variations of serum TSH levels correlated positively with locomotor activity in EPM-L and OFT-L or -D, while negatively to serum corticosterone levels in all paradigms. These results support the proposal that the hypophysiotropic PVN TRH neurons are activated by short term physical activity but that this response may be blunted by the inhibitory effect of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Gutiérrez-Mariscal
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca MOR, México
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11
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Wang YJ, Zhang Y, Liang XH, Yang G, Zou LP. Effects of adrenal dysfunction and high-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone on NMDA-induced spasm seizures in young Wistar rats. Epilepsy Res 2012; 100:125-31. [PMID: 22584030 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2012.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2011] [Revised: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Infantile spasms (IS) is a devastating epilepsy syndrome treated with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). To demonstrate the effects of adrenal dysfunction, adrenalectomy (ADX) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced rat model studies of IS were performed. The latency of the seizure in the ADX group decreased and the severity of seizures increased significantly. Hippocampal corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA was overexpressed in ADX rats. After ACTH administration, the latency increased and the severity of seizures decreased significantly. ADX increased seizure susceptibility of the rats to NMDA. Pretreatment with a single high dose of ACTH caused an obvious reduction in susceptibility to NMDA-induced seizures and suppressed CRH mRNA expression. These findings are especially useful for IS patients with adrenal diseases and worthy of further clinical study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jie Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 301 Hospital, Beijing 100852, China
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Weiser MJ, Osterlund C, Spencer RL. Inhibitory effects of corticosterone in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on stress-induced adrenocorticotrophic hormone secretion and gene expression in the PVN and anterior pituitary. J Neuroendocrinol 2011; 23:1231-40. [PMID: 21910768 PMCID: PMC3220769 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02217.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous glucocorticoid negative-feedback influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis depends on glucocorticoid actions exerted on multiple glucocorticoid-sensitive tissues and differential glucocorticoid effects that are expressed within several distinct temporal domains. The relative contribution and underlying molecular mechanisms of action for the effects of location and timing of glucocorticoid exposure on HPA axis activity remain to be determined. In the present study, we examined the effects of acute exposure to corticosterone (CORT) at the level of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on the HPA axis response to a subsequent stressor in a short-term (1 h) timeframe. Intra-PVN CORT microinjection 1 h before restraint suppressed the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) response and blunted restraint-induced corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) heterogeneous nuclear (hn)RNA expression in the PVN and pro-opiomelanocortin hnRNA expression in the anterior pituitary (AP); however, it had no effect on restraint-induced plasma prolactin levels and c-fos mRNA expression (PVN and AP). This pattern of results suggests that CORT acts locally at the level of the PVN within a short-term timeframe to suppress stress-induced excitation-exocytosis coupling within CRH neurones and CRH gene induction without altering the stress-associated trans-synaptic input and intracellular signal transduction that converges on PVN c-fos gene induction. The present study is the first to demonstrate that an acute infusion of CORT into the PVN is sufficient to suppress the ACTH response to stress initiated 1 h after CORT infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Weiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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Schulkin J. Evolutionary conservation of glucocorticoids and corticotropin releasing hormone: Behavioral and physiological adaptations. Brain Res 2011; 1392:27-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.03.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2009] [Revised: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Goutte A, Angelier F, Welcker J, Moe B, Clément-Chastel C, Gabrielsen GW, Bech C, Chastel O. Long-term survival effect of corticosterone manipulation in Black-legged kittiwakes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2010; 167:246-51. [PMID: 20338171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Revised: 03/12/2010] [Accepted: 03/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The secretion of corticosterone in response to stress is thought to be an adaptive mechanism, which promotes immediate survival at the expense of current reproduction. However, at the individual level, the hypothesis of a corticosterone-related survival appears to be complex. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by combining for the first time an experimental manipulation of corticosterone levels and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models. To do so, we increased corticosterone levels of chick-rearing Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) via subcutaneous implants. Then, we monitored the long-term survival of kittiwakes over the 2 consecutive years. Corticosterone-implanted birds showed a significantly lower apparent annual survival than sham-implanted ones (46.9% vs 77.8%). This result is supported by the well-known deleterious effects of elevated corticosterone levels on cognitive and immune functions. Alternately and in the light of recent studies, our experimental manipulation may have down-regulated the endogenous secretion of corticosterone through a prolonged negative feedback. If so, the corticosterone-implanted kittiwakes may have failed to trigger an appropriate stress response during subsequent life-threatening perturbations, hence being unable to adjust their behavior and physiology toward immediate survival. This study highlights the complex long-term consequences of corticosterone manipulation on fitness in free-living vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Goutte
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, F-79360, France.
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15
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Liu Y, Aguilera G. Cyclic AMP inducible early repressor mediates the termination of corticotropin releasing hormone transcription in hypothalamic neurons. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2010; 29:1275-81. [PMID: 19543827 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-009-9423-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2009] [Accepted: 06/01/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Elevations of inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), the repressor isoform of the cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM), are associated with protein binding to the corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) promoter and termination of CRH transcriptional responses to stress. To determine whether endogenous ICER production represses CRH transcription, we examined the effect of CREM siRNA on forskolin-stimulated ICER formation and CRH transcription in the hypothalamic cell line, 4B, and in primary cultures of hypothalamic neurons. Cotransfection of 4B cells with CREM siRNA and a CRH promoter-driven luciferase reporter gene markedly reduced the induction of ICER by forskolin and potentiated the stimulatory effect of forskolin on CRH promoter activity, compared with cells cotransfected with a nonspecific oligonucleotide. The role of ICER on endogenous CRH expression was studied in primary cultures of hypothalamic neurons by examining the effect of CREM siRNA on forskolin-induced primary transcript (CRH hnRNA) using intronic real-time PCR. As observed during stress in vivo, forskolin-stimulated CRH hnRNA was transient, increasing up to 60 min and declining to near basal values by 3 h. Transfection of CREM siRNA reduced forskolin-induced ICER by about 45% 48-h later and partially reversed the declining phase of CRH hnRNA production at 3 h. The data provide evidence that endogenous ICER formation is required for termination of CRH transcription and support the hypothesis that ICER is part of an intracellular feedback mechanism limiting the activation of CRH transcription during stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Section of Endocrine Physiology, Program of Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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16
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Blume A, Torner L, Liu Y, Subburaju S, Aguilera G, Neumann ID. Prolactin induces Egr-1 gene expression in cultured hypothalamic cells and in the rat hypothalamus. Brain Res 2009; 1302:34-41. [PMID: 19769948 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 09/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Prolactin (PRL), the major lactogenic hormone, acts also as neuromodulator and regulator of neuronal and glial plasticity in the brain. There is an increase in synthesis and release of PRL within the hypothalamus during peripartum and in response to stress. To identify mechanisms by which PRL induces neuroplasticity, we studied the ability of PRL to induce the transcription factor Egr-1 in the hypothalamic cell line, 4B, in vitro, and in specific neuronal cell types of the hypothalamus in vivo. PRL induced Egr-1 mRNA expression in 4B cells, an effect which was prevented by the MEK inhibitor, U0126. In vivo, intracerebroventricular PRL (1 microg) increased Egr-1 mRNA levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON) of female rats. The increase in mRNA paralleled elevated Egr-1 protein expression in the PVN and SON. Double staining immunohistochemistry revealed Egr-1 localization in oxytocin neurons of the PVN and SON, but not in vasopressin neurons in these regions. In the dorsomedial PVN, a population of non-oxytocin or vasopressin cells localized in a region corresponding to corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons also showed marked Egr-1 immunoreactivity. The data suggest that PRL modulates plasticity in oxytocinergic neurons, through MAP kinase-dependent induction of Egr-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Blume
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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17
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Impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its feedback regulation in serotonin transporter knockout mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009; 34:317-31. [PMID: 18980809 PMCID: PMC2700011 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2008] [Revised: 09/12/2008] [Accepted: 09/17/2008] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Our previous studies have demonstrated that mice with reduced or absent serotonin transporter (SERT+/- and SERT-/- mice, respectively) are more sensitive to stress relative to their SERT normal littermates (SERT+/+ mice). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its feedback regulation are impaired in these mice. The function and gene expression of several components in the HPA axis and its feedback regulation in SERT+/+, +/( and -/- mice were studied under basal (non-stressed) and stressed conditions. The results showed that (1) under basal conditions, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus was lower in both SERT+/( and (/( mice relative to SERT+/+ mice; (2) an increased response to CRF challenge was found in SERT(/( mice, suggesting that the function of CRF type 1 receptors (CRF R1) in the pituitary is increased. Consistent with these findings, (125)I-sauvagine (a CRF receptor antagonist) binding revealed an increased density of CRF R1 in the pituitary of SERT(/( under basal conditions. These data suggest that CRF R1 in the pituitary of SERT(/( mice is up-regulated. However, in the pituitary of SERT+/( mice, the function of CRF R1 was not changed and the density of CRF R1 was reduced relative to SERT+/+ mice; and (3) the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal cortex was significantly reduced in SERT+/( and (/( mice in comparison with SERT+/+ mice under basal conditions. Consistent with these findings, the corticosterone response to dexamethasone was blunted in SERT(/( mice relative to SERT+/+ and +/( mice. Furthermore, stress induces a rapid increase of the GR expression in the hypothalamus of SERT+/( and (/( mice relative to their basal levels. Together, the present results demonstrated that the HPA axis and its feedback regulation are altered in SERT knockout mice, which could account for the increased sensitivity to stress in these mice.
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Wang J, Xu S. Effects of Cold Stress on the Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Levels of Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone and Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone in Hypothalami of Broilers. Poult Sci 2008; 87:973-8. [DOI: 10.3382/ps.2007-00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Yao M, Denver RJ. Regulation of vertebrate corticotropin-releasing factor genes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2007; 153:200-16. [PMID: 17382944 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2006] [Accepted: 01/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Developmental, physiological, and behavioral adjustments in response to environmental change are crucial for animal survival. In vertebrates, the neuroendocrine stress system, comprised of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal/interrenal glands (HPA/HPI axis) plays a central role in adaptive stress responses. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the primary hypothalamic neurohormone regulating the HPA/HPI axis. CRF also functions as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in the limbic system and brain stem to coordinate endocrine, behavioral, and autonomic responses to stressors. Glucocorticoids, the end products of the HPA/HPI axis, cause feedback regulation at multiple levels of the stress axis, exerting direct and indirect actions on CRF neurons. The spatial expression patterns of CRF, and stressor-dependent CRF gene activation in the central nervous system (CNS) are evolutionarily conserved. This suggests conservation of the gene regulatory mechanisms that underlie tissue-specific and stressor-dependent CRF expression. Comparative genomic analysis showed that the proximal promoter regions of vertebrate CRF genes are highly conserved. Several cis regulatory elements and trans acting factors have been implicated in stressor-dependent CRF gene activation, including cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), activator protein 1 (AP-1/Fos/Jun), and nerve growth factor induced gene B (NGFI-B). Glucocorticoids, acting through the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors, either repress or promote CRF expression depending on physiological state and CNS region. In this review, we take a comparative/evolutionary approach to understand the physiological regulation of CRF gene expression. We also discuss evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanisms that operate at the level of CRF gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yao
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 3065C Kraus Natural Science Building, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
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20
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Girotti M, Weinberg MS, Spencer RL. Differential responses of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis immediate early genes to corticosterone and circadian drive. Endocrinology 2007; 148:2542-52. [PMID: 17303667 DOI: 10.1210/en.2006-1304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis diurnal cycle of activity is manifest in circadian rhythms of ACTH and corticosterone secretion, which in the rat peak around the onset of the dark period. This cycle is thought to be driven by daily fluctuations in activity of CRH neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), controlled by suprachiasmatic nucleus inputs. In this study we examined whether the circadian drive that regulates ACTH and corticosterone basal secretion in the rat is reflected in PVN immediate early gene expression and, if so, whether different genes respond uniformly or uniquely to circadian stimulatory input. In addition, we examined how circadian drive and acute stress, two categories of stimuli that induce HPA axis activation, comparatively affect gene expression within different components of the HPA axis (c-fos mRNA, CRH heteronuclear RNA, and zif268 mRNA in PVN; c-fos mRNA, proopiomelanocortin heteronuclear RNA, and zinc finger 268 mRNA in anterior pituitary; c-fos mRNA and nerve growth factor I-B mRNA in adrenal cortex). Finally, we examined whether circadian differences in gene expression depend on endogenous glucocorticoids and, if so, whether the dependence is on an acute or permissive influence of the hormone. We found that a circadian drive that regulates HPA axis basal hormone secretion is also manifest on basal c-fos gene expression in the PVN. Moreover, we show that different immediate early genes within the HPA axis anatomical components display different diurnal patterns of gene expression. These differential patterns result, in part, from gene-specific responses to circadian signals and acute and/or permissive glucocorticoid actions.
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MESH Headings
- Adrenalectomy
- Animals
- Circadian Rhythm/physiology
- Corticosterone/blood
- Corticosterone/pharmacology
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- Early Growth Response Protein 1/genetics
- Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation/physiology
- Genes, Immediate-Early/physiology
- Genes, fos/physiology
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology
- Male
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1
- Organ Size
- Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiology
- Pituitary Gland, Anterior/physiology
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology
- Pro-Opiomelanocortin/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics
- Receptors, Steroid/genetics
- Restraint, Physical
- Stress, Physiological/physiopathology
- Thymus Gland/anatomy & histology
- Transcription Factors/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Girotti
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
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Armando I, Volpi S, Aguilera G, Saavedra JM. Angiotensin II AT1 receptor blockade prevents the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor response to isolation stress. Brain Res 2007; 1142:92-9. [PMID: 17306778 PMCID: PMC2682713 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2006] [Revised: 01/05/2007] [Accepted: 01/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sustained pretreatment with angiotensin II AT(1) receptor antagonists prevents the sympathoadrenal and hormonal responses to 24 h isolation stress. To elucidate the mechanism of the anti-stress effects of AT(1) receptor antagonism, we examined the effect of subcutaneous infusion of candesartan, a non-competitive AT(1) receptor antagonist, 0.5 mg/kg/day for 14 days, to Wistar rats on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis after 24 h isolation stress. In the morning of day 15, we measured AT(1) receptors corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and immunoreactive CRF in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the pituitary adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and adrenal corticosterone content, and the urinary corticosterone excretion. In rats not treated with candesartan, 24 h isolation stress increased pituitary ACTH, adrenal corticosterone content and AT(1) receptor binding in the PVN but decreased CRF mRNA and CRF content in the PVN. This indicates enhanced CRF utilization not compensated by CRF gene transcription and effective glucocorticoid feedback inhibition in spite of the increase in AT(1) receptor expression. The effects of stress on HPA axis activation and CRF mRNA and content in the PVN were prevented by candesartan pretreatment, suggesting that activation of AT(1) receptors is required for the HPA axis response to isolation. Our results support the hypothesis that the activity of PVN AT(1) receptors is part of the mechanism necessary for development of a full stress-induced HPA axis activation. Inhibition of central AT(1) receptors limits the CRF response to stress and should be considered as a therapeutic tool to preserve homeostasis under chronic stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Armando
- Section on Pharmacology, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-, USA
| | - Simona Volpi
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1303, USA
| | - Greti Aguilera
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1303, USA
| | - Juan M. Saavedra
- Section on Pharmacology, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-, USA
- To whom correspondence should be sent. Juan M. Saavedra, MD, Section on Pharmacology, DIRP, NIMH, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10, Room 2D-57, Bethesda, MD 20892. Telephone: (301) 496-0160. Fax: (301) 402-0337. E-mail:
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22
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Shepard JD, Liu Y, Sassone-Corsi P, Aguilera G. Role of glucocorticoids and cAMP-mediated repression in limiting corticotropin-releasing hormone transcription during stress. J Neurosci 2006; 25:4073-81. [PMID: 15843609 PMCID: PMC6724949 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0122-05.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of glucocorticoids and the repressor isoform of cAMP response element (CRE) modulator (CREM), inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), in limiting corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) transcription during restraint stress were examined in both intact and adrenalectomized rats receiving glucocorticoid replacement. CRH primary transcript, measured by intronic in situ hybridization, increased after 30 min of restraint and returned to basal levels by 90 min, despite the persistent stressor. The decline was independent of circulating glucocorticoids, because adrenalectomized rats displayed an identical pattern. ICER mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) increased after 30 min and remained elevated for up to 4 h in a glucocorticoid-independent manner. Western blot and electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses showed increases in endogenous ICER in the PVN of rats subjected to restraint stress for 3 h. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed the recruitment of CREM by the CRH CRE in conjunction with decreases in RNA polymerase II (Pol II) binding in the PVN region of rats restrained for 3 h. These data show that stress-induced glucocorticoids do not mediate the limitation of CRH transcription. Furthermore, the ability of CREM to bind the CRH CRE and the time relationship between elevated CREM and reduced Pol II recruitment by the CRH promoter suggest that inhibitory isoforms of CREM induced during stress contribute to the decline in CRH gene transcription during persistent stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack D Shepard
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20891, USA
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Watts AG. Glucocorticoid regulation of peptide genes in neuroendocrine CRH neurons: a complexity beyond negative feedback. Front Neuroendocrinol 2005; 26:109-30. [PMID: 16289311 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2005.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2005] [Accepted: 09/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This review will examine our current knowledge of a fundamental property of CRH neuroendocrine neurons: how the major endpoint of the HPA axis--adrenal glucocorticoids--interacts with the mechanisms controlling the expression of the genes that encode ACTH secretogogues. A great deal of work over the past 25 years has led to the notion that this question has an ostensibly simple answer: glucocorticoids inhibit peptide gene expression using "negative feedback" at the CRH neuron and elsewhere. However, closely examining how glucocorticoids act in different physiological circumstances reveals a much more complex set of answers, particularly if we consider how the processes that control peptide synthesis and release are coupled. Out of this examination emerges a more flexible and complex framework for examining the integrative mechanisms controlling the CRH neuron. Although we will mostly focus on the Crh gene, relevant aspects of the vasopressin (Avp) and pro-enkephalin (pEnk) gene regulatory mechanisms will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Watts
- The Neuroscience Research Institute, and The Department of Biological Sciences, USC College, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
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Läck AK, Floyd DW, McCool BA. Chronic ethanol ingestion modulates proanxiety factors expressed in rat central amygdala. Alcohol 2005; 36:83-90. [PMID: 16396741 PMCID: PMC1557647 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2005.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2005] [Revised: 07/11/2005] [Accepted: 07/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Withdrawal anxiety following chronic ethanol exposure is often associated with relapse in recovering alcoholics. It is likely that brain regions regulating anxiety-like behaviors adapt during chronic ethanol exposure to ultimately regulate such behaviors. The central amygdala contains numerous neurotransmitter systems that have been implicated in the regulation of anxiety-like behavior, including corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and NMDA-type glutamate receptors. Chronic ethanol exposure causes functional adaptations in both CRF and NMDA receptors that are likely to regulate anxiety-like behaviors expressed during withdrawal. However, the molecular mechanisms governing these adaptations remain unexplored. We therefore evaluated these neurotransmitter systems in Sprague-Dawley rats during chronic ingestion of an ethanol-containing liquid diet. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that preproCRF mRNA was significantly upregulated by chronic ethanol exposure, whereas mRNA expression of CRF binding protein did not change. There were also no significant changes observed in any of the NMDA subunit mRNAs, although there was a trend toward greater NR2A mRNA expression during chronic ethanol exposure. Using Western blotting analysis we measured NMDA receptor subunit protein expression. Chronic ethanol exposure did not affect protein levels of the NR1 and NR2B subunits. Like the mRNA measures, chronic ethanol exposure did influence NR2A protein levels but the effects were modest. Our results demonstrate that NMDA receptor subunit mRNA and protein expressions are not strongly influenced by exposure to chronic ethanol. This suggests that the functional NMDA receptor adaptations identified in previous studies [Roberto, M., Schweitzer, P., Madamba, S. G., Stouffer, D. G., Parsons, L. H., & Siggins, G. R. (2004). Acute and chronic ethanol exposure alter glutamatergic transmission in rat central amygdala: an in vitro and in vivo analysis. J Neurosci 24, 1594-1603] are likely to be mediated by post-translational events. In contrast, enhanced levels of CRF during/after chronic ethanol exposure are likely to be mediated by increased levels of prepro CRF mRNA. Together, our findings suggest that adaptations to chronic ethanol exposure by proanxiety factors expressed in the central nucleus appear to be mediated by distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Läck
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the
- Alcohol Research Training Program, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem NC 27157, U.S.A
| | | | - Brian A. McCool
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the
- Corresponding Author: Brian A. McCool, Ph.D., Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical Center Blvd., Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem NC 27157, Tel: +1-336-716-8608, Fax: +1-336-716-8501, e-mail:
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Klar J, Vitzthum H, Kurtz A. Aldosterone enhances renin gene expression in juxtaglomerular cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2003; 286:F349-55. [PMID: 14583438 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00411.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The secretion and synthesis of renin as the key regulator of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are directly controlled by ANG II in the sense of a negative feedback. Because we found that renal afferent arterioles including the juxtaglomerular portion express the mineralocorticoid receptor, we aimed to characterize a possible direct effect of aldosterone on renin synthesis and renin secretion at the level of renal juxtaglomerular cells. Aldosterone (100 nM) clearly enhanced renin mRNA levels in primary cultures of mouse juxtaglomerular cells prestimulated with isoproterenol (100 nM) but had no effect on the exocytosis of stored renin. Similarly, in the mouse juxtaglomerular cell line As4.1, aldosterone time and concentration dependently increased renin mRNA abundance and prorenin secretion up to 2.5-fold. Moreover, aldosterone potentiated cAMP-induced renin gene expression in As4.1 cells. The effect of aldosterone was inhibited by spironolactone and was mimicked by corticosteroid hormones but not by sex steroids. Aldosterone had no influence on basal renin promoter activity but increased the renin mRNA half-life about threefold. In summary, these data suggest that aldosterone exerts a direct positive effect on renin gene expression at the cellular level probably by stabilizing renin mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurgen Klar
- Institut für Physiologie, Universität Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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