1
|
Yao Y, Silver R. Mutual Shaping of Circadian Body-Wide Synchronization by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Circulating Steroids. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:877256. [PMID: 35722187 PMCID: PMC9200072 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.877256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Steroids are lipid hormones that reach bodily tissues through the systemic circulation, and play a major role in reproduction, metabolism, and homeostasis. All of these functions and steroids themselves are under the regulation of the circadian timing system (CTS) and its cellular/molecular underpinnings. In health, cells throughout the body coordinate their daily activities to optimize responses to signals from the CTS and steroids. Misalignment of responses to these signals produces dysfunction and underlies many pathologies. Questions Addressed To explore relationships between the CTS and circulating steroids, we examine the brain clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the daily fluctuations in plasma steroids, the mechanisms producing regularly recurring fluctuations, and the actions of steroids on their receptors within the SCN. The goal is to understand the relationship between temporal control of steroid secretion and how rhythmic changes in steroids impact the SCN, which in turn modulate behavior and physiology. Evidence Surveyed The CTS is a multi-level organization producing recurrent feedback loops that operate on several time scales. We review the evidence showing that the CTS modulates the timing of secretions from the level of the hypothalamus to the steroidogenic gonadal and adrenal glands, and at specific sites within steroidogenic pathways. The SCN determines the timing of steroid hormones that then act on their cognate receptors within the brain clock. In addition, some compartments of the body-wide CTS are impacted by signals derived from food, stress, exercise etc. These in turn act on steroidogenesis to either align or misalign CTS oscillators. Finally this review provides a comprehensive exploration of the broad contribution of steroid receptors in the SCN and how these receptors in turn impact peripheral responses. Conclusion The hypothesis emerging from the recognition of steroid receptors in the SCN is that mutual shaping of responses occurs between the brain clock and fluctuating plasma steroid levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Yao
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York City, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Yifan Yao,
| | - Rae Silver
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Barnard College, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, New York City, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Graduate School, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
González-Mariscal G, Hoy S, Hoffman KL. Rabbit Maternal Behavior: A Perspective from Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Animal Production, and Psychobiology. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:131-176. [PMID: 36169815 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rabbit maternal behavior (MB) impacts meat and fur production on the farm, survival of the species in the wild, and pet welfare. Specific characteristics of rabbit MB (i.e., three-step nest building process; single, brief, daily nursing bout) have been used as models for exploring particular themes in neuroscience, like obsessive-compulsive actions, circadian rhythms, and cognition. Particular hormonal combinations regulate nest building by acting on brain regions controlling MB in other mammals. Nonhormonal factors like type of lodging and the doe's social rank influence nursing and milk production. The concurrency of pregnancy and lactation, the display of nonselective nursing, and the rapid growth of altricial young - despite a minimal effort of maternal care - have prompted the study of mother-young affiliation, neurodevelopment, and weaning. Neurohormonal mechanisms, common to other mammals, plus additional strategies (perhaps unique to rabbits) allow the efficient, adaptive display of MB in multiple settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela González-Mariscal
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - Steffen Hoy
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kurt L Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Contoreggi NH, Mazid S, Goldstein LB, Park J, Ovalles AC, Waters EM, Glass MJ, Milner TA. Sex and age influence gonadal steroid hormone receptor distributions relative to estrogen receptor β-containing neurons in the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:2283-2310. [PMID: 33341960 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), estrogen receptor (ER) β and other gonadal hormone receptors play a role in central cardiovascular processes. However, the influence of sex and age on the cellular and subcellular relationships of ERβ with ERα, G-protein ER (GPER1), as well as progestin and androgen receptors (PR and AR) in the PVN is uncertain. In young (2- to 3-month-old) females and males, ERβ-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) containing neurons were approximately four times greater than ERα-labeled and PR-labeled nuclei in the PVN. In subdivisions of the PVN, young females, compared to males, had: (1) more ERβ-EGFP neurons in neuroendocrine rostral regions; (2) fewer ERα-labeled nuclei in neuroendocrine and autonomic projecting medial subregions; and (3) more ERα-labeled nuclei in an autonomic projecting caudal region. In contrast, young males, compared to females, had approximately 20 times more AR-labeled nuclei, which often colocalized with ERβ-EGFP in neuroendocrine (approximately 70%) and autonomic (approximately 50%) projecting subregions. Ultrastructurally, in soma and dendrites, PVN ERβ-EGFP colocalized primarily with extranuclear AR (approximately 85% soma) and GPER1 (approximately 70% soma). Aged (12- to 24-month-old) males had more ERβ-EGFP neurons in a rostral neuroendocrine subregion compared to aged females and females with accelerated ovarian failure (AOF) and in a caudal autonomic subregion compared to post-AOF females. Late-aged (18- to 24-month-old) females compared to early-aged (12- to 14-month-old) females and AOF females had fewer AR-labeled nuclei in neuroendrocrine and autonomic projecting subregions. These findings indicate that gonadal steroids may directly and indirectly influence PVN neurons via nuclear and extranuclear gonadal hormone receptors in a sex-specific manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sanoara Mazid
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Lily B Goldstein
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - John Park
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Astrid C Ovalles
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Elizabeth M Waters
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, NY
| | - Michael J Glass
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Teresa A Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, NY
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Benedek I, Altbӓcker V, Zsolnai A, Molnár T. Exploring the Genetic Background of the Differences in Nest-Building Behavior in European Rabbit. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091579. [PMID: 32899658 PMCID: PMC7552269 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091579] [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: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Once a day, nursing and absentee mothering make the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) an ideal model animal for measuring differences in maternal behavior. Behavioral events and their hormonal regulation leading to parturition are well documented; however, the genetic background behind individual differences in this complex process is unknown. Decreased progesterone hormone level and the reduction of progesterone receptor activity are crucial to initiating the collection of nest material. The progesterone receptor gene is a likely candidate affecting nest-building behavior. In addition to several known point mutations in the progesterone receptor gene of the European wild rabbit, we have found a new mutation in the promoter region of the gene at 2682 T > C. Although this new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was not involved in the formation of the nest-building behavior, an SNP (2464G > A) already described in the promoter region showed an association with individual differences in the initiation of hay carrying. The distribution of this SNP delivered an opposite result compared to domestic rabbits. Genotype (GG) with high uterine capacity was most frequent; the hereditary value of the trait was h2 = 0.10. Thus, progesterone receptor gene polymorphism may manifest in individual differences affecting breeding success in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó Benedek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation, Szent István University, Kaposvár Campus, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary;
- Correspondence: (I.B.); (T.M.)
| | - Vilmos Altbӓcker
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation, Szent István University, Kaposvár Campus, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary;
| | - Attila Zsolnai
- Research Institute for Animal Breeding, Nutrition and Meat Science, 2053 Herceghalom, Hungary;
| | - Tamás Molnár
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation, Szent István University, Kaposvár Campus, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary;
- Correspondence: (I.B.); (T.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Basurto E, Hoffman K, Lemus AC, González-Mariscal G. Electrolytic lesions to the anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area disrupt maternal nest-building in intact and ovariectomized, steroid-treated rabbits. Horm Behav 2018; 102:48-54. [PMID: 29715469 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Basurto
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Kurt Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Ana Celia Lemus
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
González-Mariscal G, Gallegos JA, Rueda Morales RI, Hoffman K. Estrogen-dependent estrous behavior in rabbits is antagonized by the antiprogestin RU486. Horm Behav 2017; 89:189-192. [PMID: 28161388 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.007] [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: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) dimerizes with unliganded progesterone receptor (PR) in target tissues to trigger genomic and non-genomic effects. In ovariectomized rats the antiprogestin RU486 or antisense nucleotides against PR antagonize estradiol-induced sexual receptivity. We determined the relevance of unliganded PR for the expression of estrogen-dependent scent-marking (chinning) and sexual receptivity by injecting RU486 to: a) ovariectomized (ovx) rabbits given estradiol benzoate (EB; 5μg/day); b) intact rabbits. Chinning and lordosis were quantified in ovx animals before (5days; baseline) and during hormonal treatments: EB+RU486 (20mg/day; n=18) or EB+vehicle (n=18). On treatment day 4 LQ (lordosis quotient) increased in both groups, relative to baseline (mean±se): LQ=1±5 (baseline) vs 25±21 (EB+RU486) and 2±6 (baseline) vs 37±29 (EB+vehicle). On day 9 LQ values were: 22±23 (EB+RU486) and 54±39 (EB+vehicle). Chinning increased only in the EB+vehicle group (day 9=55±46 vs baseline=17±20 marks/10min). In intact rabbits one RU486 injection: reduced the LQ from 72±7to 36±8 five hrs later, increased the latency to receive first ejaculation from 45 to 98s, and decreased the number of ejaculations received in the test from 3 to 2 but did not modify mounting latency or chinning. Results support a participation of unliganded PR for the induction (ovx) and maintenance (intact) of rabbit estrous behavior by estrogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - José Antonio Gallegos
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Rafael I Rueda Morales
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Kurt Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
González-Mariscal G, Caba M, Martínez-Gómez M, Bautista A, Hudson R. Mothers and offspring: The rabbit as a model system in the study of mammalian maternal behavior and sibling interactions. Horm Behav 2016; 77:30-41. [PMID: 26062431 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Jay Rosenblatt effectively promoted research on rabbit maternal behavior through his interaction with colleagues in Mexico. Here we review the activities of pregnant and lactating rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), their neuro-hormonal regulation, and the synchronization of behavior between mother and kits. Changing concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin throughout gestation regulate nest-building (digging, straw-carrying, fur-pulling) and prime the mother's brain to respond to the newborn. Nursing is the only mother-young contact throughout lactation. It happens once/day, inside the nest, with ca. 24h periodicity, and lasts around 3min. Periodicity and duration of nursing depend on a threshold of suckling as procedures reducing the amount of nipple stimulation interfere with the temporal aspects of nursing, though not with the doe's maternal motivation. Synchronization between mother and kits, critical for nursing, relies on: a) the production of pheromonal cues which guide the young to the mother's nipples for suckling; b) an endogenous circadian rhythm of anticipatory activity in the young, present since birth. Milk intake entrains the kits' locomotor behavior, corticosterone secretion, and the activity of several brain structures. Sibling interactions within the huddle, largely determined by body mass at birth, are important for: a) maintaining body temperature; b) ensuring normal neuromotor and social development. Suckling maintains nursing behavior past the period of abundant milk production but abrupt and efficient weaning occurs in concurrently pregnant-lactating does by unknown factors. CONCLUSION female rabbits have evolved a reproductive strategy largely dissociating maternal care from maternal presence, whose multifactorial regulation warrants future investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G González-Mariscal
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - M Caba
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - M Martínez-Gómez
- Centro Tlaxcala Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - A Bautista
- Centro Tlaxcala Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - R Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Williams B, Northcutt KV, Rusanowsky RD, Mennella TA, Lonstein JS, Quadros-Mennella PS. Progesterone receptor expression in the brain of the socially monogamous and paternal male prairie vole. Brain Res 2013; 1499:12-20. [PMID: 23318255 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Differences in the social organization and behavior of male mammals are attributable to species differences in neurochemistry, including differential expression of steroid hormone receptors. However, the distribution of progestin receptors (PR) in a socially monogamous and spontaneously parental male rodent has never been examined. Here we determined if PR exists and is regulated by testicular hormones in forebrain sites traditionally influencing socioreproductive behaviors in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We hypothesized that PR expression in male prairie voles would differ from that described in other male rodents because PR activity inhibits parental behaviors and social memory in laboratory mice and rats. Adult male prairie voles received a sham surgery, were gonadectomized, or were gonadectomized and implanted with a testosterone-filled capsule. PR immunoreactivity (PRir) was measured four weeks later in areas of the hypothalamus and extended amygdala. A group of gonadally intact female prairie voles was included to reveal possible sex differences. We found considerable PRir in all sites examined. Castration reduced PRir in males' medial preoptic nucleus, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and posterodorsal medial amygdala, and it was maintained in these sites by testosterone. This is the first study to examine PR expression in brain sites involved in socioreproductive behaviors in a socially monogamous and spontaneously paternal male rodent. Our results mostly reveal cross-species conservation in the distribution and hormone sensitivity of PR expression. Because PR interferes with aspects of sociality in other male rodents, PR may eventually be found to have different neurobiological actions in male prairie voles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1200N Dupont Hwy, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hoffman KL, Rueda Morales RI, González-Mariscal G. Relevance of mating-associated stimuli, ovulation, and the progesterone receptor for the post-coital inhibition of estrous behavior in the female rabbit. Horm Behav 2010; 58:747-53. [PMID: 20688069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2010] [Revised: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Estrous female domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) display scent marking ("chinning") and sexual receptivity. Mating induces ovulation, which occurs approximately 12h later, and also decreases chinning and receptivity. In the present study, we explored the participation of mating-associated stimuli, ovulation, and the progesterone receptor (PR) in mediating such behavioral effects. We found that copulatory stimuli were not necessary, and that ovulation alone was sufficient, as these behavioral changes were replicated in unmated females by intravenous administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The post-mating administration (s.c.) of 5μg/day estradiol benzoate (EB), prevented the decline in chinning and receptivity. A lower dose of EB (1μg/day) had no effect, nor did the antiprogestin RU486 (20mg, s.c., administered 3h before mating). However, the combination of a single pre-mating administration of RU486 plus the post-mating administration of 1μg/day EB completely blocked the decline in estrous behavior. We propose that PR activation around the time of mating and a post-mating decline in ovarian estradiol secretion and/or estradiol responsiveness act in parallel to terminate estrus in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kurt L Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal (CIRA), CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Vitazka ME, Cárdenas H, Cruz Y, Fadem BH, Norfolk JR, Harder JD. Progesterone receptor in the forebrain of female gray short-tailed opossums: effects of exposure to male stimuli. Horm Behav 2009; 55:190-6. [PMID: 19000689 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2008] [Revised: 10/03/2008] [Accepted: 10/05/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone receptor immunoreactivity (PRir) in brain areas involved in reproductive behavior in eutherian species was examined for the first time in a female marsupial, the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica, hereinafter, opossum). PRir in nuclei of neurons, measured as area covered by stained nuclei, was seen in the arcuate nucleus (Arc); anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv); bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST); medial preoptic area (MPOA), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), but not in control areas adjacent to the hypothalamus or cortex. Female opossums are induced into cytological, urogenital sinus (UGS), estrus by male pheromones and into behavioral estrus, i.e., receptivity, by pairing with a male, and both estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) are involved in induction of receptivity in intact and ovariectomized females. PRir in the AVPv, MPOA, and VMH was very low in females that had never been exposed to males or their scent marks, i.e., naïve anestrous (NVA) females, and either previous or current exposure to males or their scent marks was associated with elevated PRir. PRir was significantly higher in the AVPv and MPOA of anestrous females with previous but no current exposure to males and their scent marks, i.e., experienced anestrous (EXPA) females, than in NVA females, but PRir was significantly lower in the MPOA and VMH of EXPA females than in females that were behaviorally receptive and had recently copulated, i.e., behavioral receptive estrous (BRE) females. PRir was higher in the VMH of both UGS estrous (UGSE) and BRE females compared to that in EXPA animals, but PRir did not differ between UGSE and BRE females in any of the 3 brain areas examined, including the MPOA These results provide evidence that pheromonal induction of estrus and sexual receptivity in opossums is associated with elevation of PRir in the VMH and MPOA and that prior exposure to males or their pheromones, even in the absence of current male stimuli, is associated with persistent elevation of PRir in the AVPv and MPOA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Vitazka
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hoffman KL, Martínez-Alvarez E, Rueda-Morales RI. The inhibition of female rabbit sexual behavior by progesterone: progesterone receptor-dependent and-independent effects. Horm Behav 2009; 55:84-92. [PMID: 18817778 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2008] [Revised: 08/23/2008] [Accepted: 08/25/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In the pregnant domestic rabbit, scent marking ("chinning") and sexual behavior are inhibited by ovarian-derived progesterone (P). In order to distinguish behavioral effects of P that are PR-dependent from those mediated by its ring A reduced metabolites, we administered P, P+RU486 (PR antagonist), chlormadinone acetate (CA, synthetic progestin that does not form ring A reduced metabolites), or vehicle to ovariectomized (ovx) estradiol-benzoate (EB)-treated female rabbits, via sc injection, on experimental day 0. Chinning was quantified daily, and mating tests were done on days -1, 1, 3, 5, and 7. On day 1, chinning was significantly decreased, and the latency to be mounted by the male was significantly increased (indicating decreased sexual attractivity of the female) in P-treated females. The effect of P on chinning, but not its effect on sexual attractivity, was completely blocked by RU486 and replicated by CA. Although CA had no effect on attractivity on day 1, it decreased both sexual receptivity and attractivity on day 3. In a preference test in which the male could interact with either an ovx EB-treated female or an ovx female that had received one of the above hormone treatments 24 h earlier, P decreased sexual attractivity and increased aggression. The effect of P on aggression, but not its effect on attractivity, was blocked by RU486 and replicated by CA. These results indicate that both PR-dependent and PR-independent mechanisms decrease sexual attractivity, whereas PR activation is necessary for the inhibition of chinning and sexual receptivity, and for the stimulation of aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K L Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala,Tlaxcala, Tlax, Mexico.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Beyer C, Hoffman KL, González-Flores O. Neuroendocrine regulation of estrous behavior in the rabbit: similarities and differences with the rat. Horm Behav 2007; 52:2-11. [PMID: 17490662 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2007] [Revised: 03/29/2007] [Accepted: 03/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we compare the neuroendocrine control of estrous behavior in the rabbit, a reflex ovulator, and the rat, a more commonly studied spontaneous ovulator. Although the hormonal control of estrous behavior in both species is similar, notable differences include the absence of a stimulatory effect of progesterone (P) on sexual behavior in the rabbit and the retention of sexual behavior in a substantial proportion of female rabbits after ovariectomy. The ventrolateral component of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and an adjacent region caudal to it appear to be critical estrogen (E)-responsive regions for lordosis in the rat and rabbit, respectively. In both species the effects of E and P are largely mediated by the genomic action of their receptors (ER and PR), and in both species E similarly regulates the expression of these receptors. The prolonged, E-stimulated estrous of the rabbit is terminated after mating by unknown mechanisms, while the brief estrous of the rat is triggered by the proestrous peak of P and terminated by both the decline in P and the downregulation of hypothalamic PR. In both species, P most likely inhibits estrous behavior during pregnancy, and postpartum estrous may be triggered by a stimulatory effect of E coinciding with the withdrawal of P-mediated inhibition. Estrous behavior is inhibited in both species during lactation, most likely by the suckling-induced inhibition of gonadotropin secretion. This comparative approach can reveal neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying estrous behavior that are common to all mammals, while highlighting evolutionary adaptations unique to each species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Beyer
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apartado Postal 62, Tlaxcala, Tlax. 90000, Mexico.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Camacho-Arroyo I, Mendoza-Rodríguez CA, Mendoza-Garcés L, Vanoye-Carlo A, Cerbón M. Progesterone receptor mRNA expression and distribution in the female rabbit brain. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2007; 104:100-4. [PMID: 17459697 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2007.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone regulates diverse functions in the rabbit brain through the interaction with its nuclear receptor (PR). Although PR protein has been detected in some regions of the rabbit forebrain, PR mRNA expression and distribution in the rabbit brain are unknown. Hence, we investigated these issues by in situ hybridization. New Zealand adult female rabbits were ovariectomized and treated with vehicle or estradiol (5 microg/(kg day)) for 3 days. The results show an extended distribution of PR mRNA expression in the rabbit brain. The highest expression was detected in preoptic area and hypothalamic anterior nuclei such as paraventricular, periventricular and arcuate nuclei. A high expression was also detected in thalamic and telencephalic areas, including hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Estradiol treatment induced an increase in PR mRNA expression in many brain areas, particularly in the hippocampus and the hypothalamic and preoptic area regions. The wide distribution of PR mRNA in the rabbit brain suggests that progesterone through PR activation is involved in several functions apart from reproductive behavior in rabbits, and that PR expression is up-regulated by estradiol in the rabbit brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Camacho-Arroyo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F., Mexico
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Dall'Aglio C, Ceccarelli P, Pascucci L, Brecchia G, Boiti C. Receptors for leptin and estrogen in the subcommissural organ of rabbits are differentially modulated by fasting. Brain Res 2006; 1124:62-9. [PMID: 17084823 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.09.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 09/15/2006] [Accepted: 09/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In rabbits, the fasting-dependent reduction of LH secretion is likely mediated by leptin and estrogens via receptors in the brain. For the first time, using immunohistochemistry, the presence and regulation of receptors for leptin (Ob-R) and estradiol-17beta subtype alpha (ERalpha) were studied in the subcommissural organ (SCO) of rabbits, which were fed either ad libitum (control) or fasted for 48 h (treated) to verify whether this brain structure is a potential site of integration for metabolism and reproduction. In control rabbits, the cytoplasm of glial cells lining the SCO evidenced strong Ob-R immunoreactivity, whereas both ependymal and hypendymal cells of this glandular-like structure were negative. The Ob-R positive glial cells were identified as fibrous astrocytes using the phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin histochemical (PTAH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemical techniques. ERalpha immunoreactive nuclei were detectable exclusively in the specialized cells forming the SCO, whereas surrounding astrocytes and neurons were negative. Compared to controls, in fasted rabbits, the staining of Ob-R immunoreaction was reduced in the cytoplasm of positive astrocytes, but greatly enhanced in plasma membranes, whereas the number of ERalpha immunoreactive SCO cells was increased (13.2+/-2.7 vs. 5.2+/-2.0, P<0.01). Ependymal cells lining the third ventricle were negative for both Ob-R and ERalpha. Our results indicate, although indirectly, that the SCO, together with the astrocytes in close contact with this structure, is a likely target for nutritional and gonadal signals carried by leptin and estrogens, suggesting that these specialized glial cells may regulate reproduction and metabolism through mechanisms still unknown.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Dall'Aglio
- Sezione di Anatomia veterinaria, Dipartimento di Scienze Biopatologiche ed Igiene delle Produzioni Animali ed Alimentari, Via San Costanzo, 4, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hoffman KL, González-Mariscal G. Progesterone receptor activation signals behavioral transitions across the reproductive cycle of the female rabbit. Horm Behav 2006; 50:154-68. [PMID: 16581071 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2005] [Revised: 01/27/2006] [Accepted: 02/24/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The female rabbit is an exceptional experimental model to define mechanisms by which progesterone (P) controls the expression of reproductive behaviors. In the rabbit, the rise in P levels during pregnancy inhibits estrous scent marking ("chinning"), stimulates the excavation of a nest burrow ("digging"), and primes behaviors later used for nest construction. The pre-parturient fall of P triggers the construction of a straw nest ("straw carrying") that is lined with hair that she pulls from her own body ("hair pulling"). These behaviors can be replicated in ovariectomized (ovx) females given a schedule of estradiol (E) and P that mimics hormone levels during pregnancy (E from days 0 to 4, E + P from days 5 to 17, E from days 18 to 27). We administered PR antagonists RU486 or CDB(VA)2914 to ovx female rabbits during either the initial (days 5-11) or late (days 12-17) phases of P treatment, to determine the role of PR activation in coordinating the expression of these behaviors. Both antiprogestins attenuated the P-mediated decline in chinning and increase in digging when administered during days 5-11. When given across days 12-17, both antiprogestins triggered an early decline in digging, the onset of nest building in some Ss, and the reinstatement of chinning. These results point to a central role of PR activation for establishing and maintaining the behavioral phenotype of pregnancy, and for the behavioral transition from pregnancy to estrus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K L Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Adpo Postal 62, Tlaxcala, Tlax. 90000 México.
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Romeo RD, Bellani R, McEwen BS. Stress-induced progesterone secretion and progesterone receptor immunoreactivity in the paraventricular nucleus are modulated by pubertal development in male rats. Stress 2005; 8:265-71. [PMID: 16423715 DOI: 10.1080/10253890500489320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Male rats show a differential adrenocortical response to stress before and after pubertal development, such that prepubertal animals have a more prolonged stress-induced corticosterone response compared to adults. Whether pubertal maturation affects other adrenocortical responses to stress is currently unknown. To address this question, we assessed stress-induced progesterone secretion in both intact and gonadectomized prepubertal (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats either before or after exposure to a 30 min session of restraint stress. We found that prepubertal males show a greater and more prolonged stress-induced progesterone response compared to adults. We also found a similar effect in castrated prepubertal and adult males, indicating the differential stress-induced progesterone response is not gonadal in origin. We also examined progesterone receptor (PR) levels by immunohistochemistry in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, a key regulatory nucleus of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and found lower PR protein expression in the PVN of prepubertal compared to adult males. These data indicate that in addition to corticosterone, stress-induced adrenocortical progesterone levels are differentially affected by pubertal maturation. Furthermore, these data raise the possibility of different progesterone sensitivity of the PVN before and after puberty. The significance of this differential response is presently unknown. However, given the pleiotropic effects of progesterone on male physiology and behaviour, it is likely that the disparate post-stress exposure to progesterone affects the prepubertal and adult male differently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell D Romeo
- The Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
González-Mariscal G, Chirino R, Rosenblatt JS, Beyer C. Forebrain implants of estradiol stimulate maternal nest-building in ovariectomized rabbits. Horm Behav 2005; 47:272-9. [PMID: 15708755 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2004] [Revised: 11/10/2004] [Accepted: 11/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In rabbits, estradiol and progesterone (P) stimulate digging a maternal burrow while P withdrawal promotes straw-carrying. To investigate where such hormones act to regulate those activities, ovariectomized rabbits were implanted with estradiol benzoate (EB; Experiment 1) in the nucleus accumbens (ACC), the principal nucleus of the medial preoptic area or the dorsal hippocampus. Implants were combined with s.c. P injections. In Experiment 2, P (in crystals or dissolved in oil) was implanted in the same regions as in Experiment 1, combined with s.c. injections of EB. Implants of EB into the ACC or MPOA-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) stimulated significant digging across the period of P injections in 72% and 67% of females, respectively. Neither EB implants in the hippocampus nor cholesterol implants in the MPOA-BNST were effective in eliciting digging. P withdrawal provoked a rapid decline of digging in all animals; it also stimulated straw-carrying in 53% of females implanted with EB in the MPOA-BNST. P implants failed to stimulate digging in most females injected with EB. Removal of P crystals did not promote straw-carrying. Results support an action of estradiol on the ACC and MPOA-BNST to promote digging while only the MPOA-BNST is involved in stimulating straw-carrying. The failure of P implants to stimulate digging or straw-carrying in EB-treated females suggests that the stimulation of other or additional brain areas by P is necessary to fully activate maternal nest-building.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela González-Mariscal
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-UAT, Apdo. Postal 62, Tlaxcala, Tlax. 90000, México.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|