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Lee TH, Nicolas JC, Quarta C. Molecular and functional mapping of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus: a new era begins. J Endocrinol Invest 2024; 47:2627-2648. [PMID: 38878127 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-024-02411-5] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in neuroscience tools for single-cell molecular profiling of brain neurons have revealed an enormous spectrum of neuronal subpopulations within the neuroendocrine hypothalamus, highlighting the remarkable molecular and cellular heterogeneity of this brain area. RATIONALE Neuronal diversity in the hypothalamus reflects the high functional plasticity of this brain area, where multiple neuronal populations flexibly integrate a variety of physiological outputs, including energy balance, stress and fertility, through crosstalk mechanisms with peripheral hormones. Intrinsic functional heterogeneity is also observed within classically 'defined' subpopulations of neuroendocrine neurons, including subtypes with distinct neurochemical signatures, spatial organisation and responsiveness to hormonal cues. AIM The aim of this review is to critically evaluate past and current research on the functional diversity of hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons and their plasticity. It focuses on how this neuronal plasticity in this brain area relates to metabolic control, feeding regulation and interactions with stress and fertility-related neural circuits. CONCLUSION Our analysis provides an original framework for improving our understanding of the hypothalamic regulation of hormone function and the development of neuroendocrine diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Lee
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - J-C Nicolas
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Quarta
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
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2
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Patel AH, Koysombat K, Pierret A, Young M, Comninos AN, Dhillo WS, Abbara A. Kisspeptin in functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: Pathophysiology and therapeutic potential. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1540:21-46. [PMID: 39287750 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is one of the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea, resulting in anovulation and infertility, and is a low estrogen state that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and impairs bone health. FHA is characterized by acquired suppression of physiological pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release by the hypothalamus in the absence of an identifiable structural cause, resulting in a functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. FHA results from either decreased energy intake and/or excessive exercise, leading to low energy availability and weight loss-often in combination with psychological stress on top of a background of genetic susceptibility. The hypothalamic neuropeptide kisspeptin is a key component of the GnRH pulse generator, tightly regulating pulsatile GnRH secretion and the downstream reproductive axis. Here, we review the physiological regulation of pulsatile GnRH secretion by hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons and how their activity is modulated by signals of energy status to affect reproductive function. We explore endocrine factors contributing to the suppression of GnRH pulsatility in the pathophysiology of FHA and how hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons likely represent a final common pathway through which these factors affect GnRH pulse generation. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of kisspeptin as a novel treatment for women with FHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaran H Patel
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kanyada Koysombat
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Aureliane Pierret
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Megan Young
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alexander N Comninos
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Waljit S Dhillo
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Ali Abbara
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
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3
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Granata L, Fanikos M, Brenhouse HC. Early life adversity accelerates hypothalamic drive of pubertal timing in female rats with associated enhanced acoustic startle. Horm Behav 2024; 159:105478. [PMID: 38241961 PMCID: PMC10926229 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Early life adversity in the form of childhood maltreatment in humans or as modeled by maternal separation (MS) in rodents is often associated with an earlier emergence of puberty in females. Earlier pubertal initiation is an example of accelerated biological aging and predicts later risk for anxiety in women, especially in populations exposed to early life trauma. Here we investigated external pubertal markers as well as hypothalamic gene expression of pubertal regulators kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone, to determine a biological substrate for MS-induced accelerated puberty. We further investigated a mechanism by which developmental stress might regulate pubertal timing. As kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion are typically inhibited by corticotropin releasing hormone at its receptor CRH-R1, we hypothesized that MS induces a downregulation of Crhr1 gene transcription in a cell-specific manner. Finally, we explored the association between pubertal timing and anxiety-like behavior in an acoustic startle paradigm, to drive future preclinical research linking accelerated puberty and anxiety. We replicated previous findings that MS leads to earlier puberty in females but not males, and found expression of kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone mRNA to be prematurely increased in MS females. RNAscope confirmed increased expression of these genes, and further revealed that kisspeptin-expressing neurons in females were less likely to express Crhr1 after MS. Early puberty was associated with higher acoustic startle magnitude in females. Taken together, these findings indicate precocial maturation of central pubertal timing mechanisms after MS, as well as a potential role of CRH-R1 in these effects and an association with a translational measure of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Granata
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Michaela Fanikos
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States of America.
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4
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Magata F, Tsukamura H, Matsuda F. The impact of inflammatory stress on hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons: Mechanisms underlying inflammation-associated infertility in humans and domestic animals. Peptides 2023; 162:170958. [PMID: 36682622 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.170958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory diseases attenuate reproductive functions in humans and domestic animals. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin released by bacteria, is known to disrupt female reproductive functions in various inflammatory diseases. LPS administration has been used to elucidate the impact of pathophysiological activation of the immune system on reproduction. Hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons are the master regulators of mammalian reproduction, mediating direct stimulation of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release and consequent release of gonadotropins, such as luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone from the pituitary. The discovery of kisspeptin neurons in the mammalian hypothalamus has drastically advanced our understanding of how inflammatory stress causes reproductive dysfunction in both humans and domestic animals. Inflammation-induced ovarian dysfunction could be caused, at least partly, by aberrant GnRH and LH secretion, which is regulated by kisspeptin signaling. In this review, we focus on the effects of LPS on hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons to outline the impact of inflammatory stress on neuroendocrine regulation of mammalian reproductive systems. First, we summarize the attenuation of female reproduction by LPS during inflammation and the effects of LPS on ovarian and pituitary function. Second, we outline the inhibitory effects of LPS on pulsatile- and surge-mode GnRH/LH release. Third, we discuss the LPS-responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hypothalamic neural systems in terms of the cytokine-mediated pathway and the possible direct action of LPS via its hypothalamic receptors. This article describes the impact of LPS on hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons and the possible mechanisms underlying LPS-mediated disruption of LH pulses/surge via kisspeptin neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumie Magata
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Hiroko Tsukamura
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Fuko Matsuda
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
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5
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Ivanova D, Li XF, McIntyre C, O’Byrne KT. Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Urocortin-3, GABA, and Glutamate Mediate Suppression of LH Pulsatility in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2022; 164:6852761. [PMID: 36445688 PMCID: PMC9761574 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD) is an upstream modulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes. Inhibition of MePD urocortin-3 (Ucn3) neurons prevents psychological stress-induced suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsatility while blocking the stress-induced elevations in corticosterone (CORT) secretion in female mice. We explore the neurotransmission and neural circuitry suppressing the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator by MePD Ucn3 neurons and we further investigate whether MePD Ucn3 efferent projections to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) control CORT secretion and LH pulsatility. Ucn3-cre-tdTomato female ovariectomized (OVX) mice were unilaterally injected with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) and implanted with optofluid cannulae targeting the MePD. We optically activated Ucn3 neurons in the MePD with blue light at 10 Hz and monitored the effect on LH pulses. Next, we combined optogenetic stimulation of MePD Ucn3 neurons with pharmacological antagonism of GABAA or GABAB receptors with bicuculline or CGP-35348, respectively, as well as a combination of NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists, AP5 and CNQX, respectively, and observed the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. A separate group of Ucn3-cre-tdTomato OVX mice with 17β-estradiol replacement were unilaterally injected with AAV-ChR2 in the MePD and implanted with fiber-optic cannulae targeting the PVN. We optically stimulated the MePD Ucn3 efferent projections in the PVN with blue light at 20 Hz and monitored the effect on CORT secretion and LH pulses. We reveal for the first time that activation of Ucn3 neurons in the MePD inhibits GnRH pulse generator frequency via GABA and glutamate signaling within the MePD, while MePD Ucn3 projections to the PVN modulate the HPG and HPA axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyana Ivanova
- Correspondence: Deyana Ivanova, PhD, Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK. ; or Kevin T. O’Byrne, PhD, Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - Xiao-Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | | | - Kevin T O’Byrne
- Correspondence: Deyana Ivanova, PhD, Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK. ; or Kevin T. O’Byrne, PhD, Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK.
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6
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McIntyre C, Li XF, de Burgh R, Ivanova D, Lass G, O’Byrne KT. GABA Signaling in the Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Mediates Stress-induced Suppression of LH Pulsatility in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2022; 164:6855642. [PMID: 36453253 PMCID: PMC9757692 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Psychological stress is linked to infertility by suppressing the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator. The posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD) is an upstream regulator of GnRH pulse generator activity and displays increased neuronal activation during psychological stress. The MePD is primarily a GABAergic nucleus with a strong GABAergic projection to hypothalamic reproductive centers; however, their functional significance has not been determined. We hypothesize that MePD GABAergic signalling mediates psychological stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion. We selectively inhibited MePD GABA neurons during psychological stress in ovariectomized (OVX) Vgat-cre-tdTomato mice to determine the effect on stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion. MePD GABA neurons were virally infected with inhibitory hM4DGi-designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) to selectively inhibit MePD GABA neurons. Furthermore, we optogenetically stimulated potential MePD GABAergic projection terminals in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and determined the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. MePD GABA neurons in OVX female Vgat-cre-tdTomato mice were virally infected to express channelrhodopsin-2 and MePD GABAergic terminals in the ARC were selectively stimulated by blue light via an optic fiber implanted in the ARC. DREADD-mediated inhibition of MePD GABA neurons blocked predator odor and restraint stress-induced suppression of LH pulse frequency. Furthermore, sustained optogenetic stimulation at 10 and 20 Hz of MePD GABAergic terminals in the ARC suppressed pulsatile LH secretion. These results show for the first time that GABAergic signalling in the MePD mediates psychological stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion and suggest a functionally significant MePD GABAergic projection to the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Geffen Lass
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin T O’Byrne
- Correspondence: Kevin T. O’Byrne, PhD, Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Guy's Campus, King's College London, 2.92W Hodgkin Building, London, SE1 1UL, UK. kevin.o'
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7
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McCosh RB, O'Bryne KT, Karsch FJ, Breen KM. Regulation of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuron during stress. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13098. [PMID: 35128742 PMCID: PMC9232848 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The effect of stress on reproduction and gonadal function has captivated investigators for almost 100 years. Following the identification of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) 50 years ago, a niche research field emerged fixated on how stress impairs this central node controlling downstream pituitary and gonadal function. It is now clear that both episodic GnRH secretion in males and females and surge GnRH secretion in females are inhibited during a variety of stress types. There has been considerable advancement in our understanding of numerous stress-related signaling molecules and their ability to impair reproductive neuroendocrine activity during stress. Recently, much attention has turned to the effects of stress on two populations of kisspeptin neurons: the stimulatory afferents to GnRH neurons that regulate pulsatile and surge-type gonadotropin secretion. Indeed, future work is still required to fully construct the neuroanatomical framework underlying stress effects, directly or indirectly, on GnRH neuron function. The present review evaluates and synthesizes evidence related to stress-related signaling molecules acting directly on GnRH neurons. Here, we review the evidence for and against the action of a handful of signaling molecules as inhibitors of GnRH neuron function, including corticotropin-releasing hormone, urocortins, norepinephrine, cortisol/corticosterone, calcitonin gene-related peptide and arginine-phenylalanine-amide-related peptide-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B McCosh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin T O'Bryne
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Fred J Karsch
- Reproductive Sciences Program and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kellie M Breen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
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8
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Voliotis M, Plain Z, Li XF, McArdle CA, O’Byrne KT, Tsaneva‐Atanasova K. Mathematical models in GnRH research. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13085. [PMID: 35080068 PMCID: PMC9285519 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical modelling is an indispensable tool in modern biosciences, enabling quantitative analysis and integration of biological data, transparent formulation of our understanding of complex biological systems, and efficient experimental design based on model predictions. This review article provides an overview of the impact that mathematical models had on GnRH research. Indeed, over the last 20 years mathematical modelling has been used to describe and explore the physiology of the GnRH neuron, the mechanisms underlying GnRH pulsatile secretion, and GnRH signalling to the pituitary. Importantly, these models have contributed to GnRH research via novel hypotheses and predictions regarding the bursting behaviour of the GnRH neuron, the role of kisspeptin neurons in the emergence of pulsatile GnRH dynamics, and the decoding of GnRH signals by biochemical signalling networks. We envisage that with the advent of novel experimental technologies, mathematical modelling will have an even greater role to play in our endeavour to understand the complex spatiotemporal dynamics underlying the reproductive neuroendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaritis Voliotis
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems InstituteCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Zoe Plain
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems InstituteCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children’s HealthSchool of Life Course SciencesKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Craig A. McArdle
- Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and EndocrinologySchool of Clinical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Kevin T. O’Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s HealthSchool of Life Course SciencesKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva‐Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems InstituteCollege of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
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9
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Ågmo A, Laan E. Sexual incentive motivation, sexual behavior, and general arousal: Do rats and humans tell the same story? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104595. [PMID: 35231490 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sexual incentive stimuli activate sexual motivation and heighten the level of general arousal. The sexual motive may induce the individual to approach the incentive, and eventually to initiate sexual acts. Both approach and the ensuing copulatory interaction further enhance general arousal. We present data from rodents and humans in support of these assertions. We then suggest that orgasm is experienced when the combined level of excitation surpasses a threshold. In order to analyze the neurobiological bases of sexual motivation, we employ the concept of a central motive state. We then discuss the mechanisms involved in the long- and short-term control of that state as well as those mediating the momentaneous actions of sexual incentive stimuli. This leads to an analysis of the neurobiology behind the interindividual differences in responsivity of the sexual central motive state. Knowledge is still fragmentary, and many contradictory observations have been made. Nevertheless, we conclude that the basic mechanisms of sexual motivation and the role of general arousal are similar in rodents and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Ellen Laan
- Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Regulation of stress response on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis via gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 64:100953. [PMID: 34757094 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Under stressful condition, reproductive function is impaired due to the activation of various components of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis, which can suppress the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis at multiple levels. A hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a key negative regulator of reproduction that governs the HPG axis. Converging lines of evidence have suggested that different stress types and their duration, such as physical or psychological, and acute or chronic, can modulate the GnIH system. To clarify the sensitivity and reactivity of the GnIH system in response to stress, we summarize and critically review the available studies that investigated the effects of various stressors, such as restraint, nutritional/metabolic and social stress, on GnIH expression and/or its neuronal activity leading to altered HPG action. In this review, we focus on GnIH as the potential novel mediator responsible for stress-induced reproductive dysfunction.
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11
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Phumsatitpong C, Wagenmaker ER, Moenter SM. Neuroendocrine interactions of the stress and reproductive axes. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 63:100928. [PMID: 34171353 PMCID: PMC8605987 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction is controlled by a sequential regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The HPG axis integrates multiple inputs to maintain proper reproductive functions. It has long been demonstrated that stress alters fertility. Nonetheless, the central mechanisms of how stress interacts with the reproductive system are not fully understood. One of the major pathways that is activated during the stress response is the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this review, we discuss several aspects of the interactions between these two neuroendocrine systems to offer insights to mechanisms of how the HPA and HPG axes interact. We have also included discussions of other systems, for example GABA-producing neurons, where they are informative to the overall picture of stress effects on reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayarndorn Phumsatitpong
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Wagenmaker
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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12
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Morrison AE, Fleming S, Levy MJ. A review of the pathophysiology of functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea in women subject to psychological stress, disordered eating, excessive exercise or a combination of these factors. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2021; 95:229-238. [PMID: 33345352 DOI: 10.1111/cen.14399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is a common form of secondary amenorrhoea without an identifiable structural cause. Suppression of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatility results in reduced luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, with subsequent reduction in oestradiol, anovulation and cessation of menstruation. GnRH pulsatility suppression is a recognized complication of psychological stress, disordered eating, low body weight, excessive exercise or a combination of these factors. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF FHA Individuals with FHA demonstrate low energy availability (EA), body fat percentage and energy expenditure. Documented adipocytokine changes notably, raised adiponectin, ghrelin, PYY, and decreased leptin, are associated with GnRH suppression. Other endocrine responses seen in this low EA state include low insulin levels, low total T3, increased basal cortisol levels and a reduced response to corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) administration. FHA is associated with raised growth hormone (GH) and low insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), suggesting relative GH resistance. Kisspeptins are a group of polypeptides, recently discovered to play a major role in the regulation of the reproductive axis through influencing GnRH release. KNDy (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) act on GnRH neurons and a multitude of factors result in their release. IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE TREATMENT Management of FHA is imperative to prevent adverse outcomes in bone density, cardiovascular risk profile, psychological well-being and fertility. Outwith modification of nutritional intake and exercise, limited therapeutic strategies are currently available for women with FHA. Advancements in the understanding of the pathophysiological basis of this under-recognized and under-treated clinical entity will aid management and may result in the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Morrison
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Suzannah Fleming
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Miles J Levy
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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13
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Smith KB, Murray E, Chandrasegaram R, Liang J, Mallet JF, Matar C, Blaustein JD, Ismail N. Pubertal immune challenge suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male and female mice. Brain Res Bull 2021; 170:90-97. [PMID: 33571552 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide responsible for propagating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and initiating puberty. Pubertal exposure to an immune challenge causes enduring sexual behavior dysfunction in males and females, but the mechanism underlying this stress-induced sexual dysfunction remains unknown. Previous findings show that stress exposure can downregulate the HPG axis in adult females. However, it is unclear whether stress induced HPG axis suppression is limited to adult females or also extends to males and to pubertal animal models. The current study was designed to investigate the sex-specific consequences of a pubertal immune challenge on specific components of the HPG axis. Six-week old pubertal male and female mice were treated with saline or with lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial endotoxin. Expression of hypothalamic Kiss1 and Kiss1R as well as serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and growth hormone were examined. Pubertal lipopolysaccharide treatment decreased hypothalamic Kiss1, but not Kiss1R, expression in both males and females. Furthermore, only males showed decreases in circulating luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones. These results show that pubertal immune challenge suppresses the HPG axis by inhibiting Kiss1 production and decreasing serum gonadotropin concentrations in pubertal males, but points to a different mechanism in pubertal females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B Smith
- NISE Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Emma Murray
- NISE Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Rajini Chandrasegaram
- NISE Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Jacky Liang
- NISE Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Jean-François Mallet
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1, Canada.
| | - Chantal Matar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Jeffrey D Blaustein
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Nafissa Ismail
- NISE Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada; Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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14
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Phumsatitpong C, De Guzman RM, Zuloaga DG, Moenter SM. A CRH Receptor Type 1 Agonist Increases GABA Transmission to GnRH Neurons in a Circulating-Estradiol-Dependent Manner. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5892962. [PMID: 32798220 PMCID: PMC7547842 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
GnRH neurons are central regulators of reproduction and respond to factors affecting fertility, such as stress. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released during stress response. In brain slices from unstressed controls, CRH has opposite, estradiol-dependent effects on GnRH neuron firing depending on the CRH receptor activated; activating CRHR-1 stimulates whereas activating CRHR-2 suppresses activity. We investigated possible direct and indirect mechanisms. Mice were ovariectomized and either not treated further (OVX) or given a capsule producing high positive feedback (OVX + E) or low negative feedback (OVX + low E) physiologic circulating estradiol levels. We tested possible direct effects on GnRH neurons by altering voltage-gated potassium currents. Two types of voltage-gated potassium currents (transient IA and sustained IK) were measured; neither CRHR-1 nor CRHR-2 agonists altered potassium current density in GnRH neurons from OVX + E mice. Further, neither CRH nor receptor-specific agonists altered action potential generation in response to current injection in GnRH neurons from OVX + E mice. To test the possible indirect actions, GABAergic postsynaptic currents were monitored. A CRHR-1 agonist increased GABAergic transmission frequency to GnRH neurons from OVX + E, but not OVX, mice, whereas a CRHR-2 agonist had no effect. Finally, we tested if CRH alters the firing rate of arcuate kisspeptin neurons, which provide an important excitatory neuromodulatory input to GnRH neurons. CRH did not acutely alter firing activity of these neurons from OVX, OVX + E or OVX + low E mice. These results suggest CRH increases GnRH neuron activity in an estradiol-dependent manner in part by activating GABAergic afferents. Mechanisms underlying inhibitory effects of CRH remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Correspondence: Suzanne M. Moenter; 7725 Med Sci II; 1137 E Catherine St; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5622. E-mail:
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15
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Lee CY, Li S, Li XF, Stalker DAE, Cooke C, Shao B, Kelestimur H, Henry BA, Conductier G, O Byrne KT, Clarke IJ. Lipopolysaccharide reduces gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression: role of RFamide-related peptide-3 and kisspeptin. Reprod Fertil Dev 2020; 31:1134-1143. [PMID: 30922440 DOI: 10.1071/rd18277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RFamide-related peptide (RFRP)-3 reduces luteinising hormone (LH) secretion in rodents. Stress has been shown to upregulate the expression of the RFRP gene (Rfrp) with a concomitant reduction in LH secretion, but an effect on expression of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene (Gnrh1) has not been shown. We hypothesised that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced stress affects expression of Rfrp, the gene for kisspeptin (Kiss1) and/or Gnrh1, leading to suppression of LH levels in rats. Intracerebroventricular injections of RFRP-3 (0.1, 1, 5 nmol) or i.v. LPS (15μgkg-1) reduced LH levels. Doses of 1 and 5 nmol RFRP-3 were then administered to analyse gene expression by in situ hybridisation. RFRP-3 (5 nmol) had no effect on Gnrh1 or Kiss1 expression. LPS stress reduced GnRH and Kiss1 expression, without affecting Rfrp1 expression. These data indicate that LPS stress directly or indirectly reduces Gnrh1 expression, but this is unlikely to be due to a change in Rfrp1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chooi Yeng Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - ShengYun Li
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Daniel A E Stalker
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Claire Cooke
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Bei Shao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China
| | - Haluk Kelestimur
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, 90424, Turkey
| | - Belinda A Henry
- Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Gregory Conductier
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia
| | - Kevin T O Byrne
- Division of Women's Health, Women's Health Academic Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Iain J Clarke
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia; and Corresponding author.
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16
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McCosh RB, Kreisman MJ, Tian K, Ho BS, Thackray VG, Breen KM. Insulin-induced hypoglycaemia suppresses pulsatile luteinising hormone secretion and arcuate Kiss1 cell activation in female mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12813. [PMID: 31758872 PMCID: PMC6933080 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stress suppresses pulsatile luteinising hormone (LH) secretion in a variety of species, although the mechanism underlying this inhibition of reproductive function remains unclear. Metabolic stress, particularly hypoglycaemia, is a clinically-relevant stress type that is modelled with bolus insulin injection (insulin-induced hypoglycaemia). The present study utilised ovariectomised C57BL/6 mice to test the hypothesis that acute hypoglycaemia suppresses pulsatile LH secretion via central mechanisms. Pulsatile LH secretion was measured in 90-minute sampling periods immediately prior to and following i.p. injection of saline or insulin. The secretion of LH was not altered over time in fed animals or acutely fasted (5 hours) animals following an i.p. saline injection. By contrast, insulin elicited a robust suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in fasted animals, preventing LH pulses in five of six mice. To identify the neuroendocrine site of impairment, a kisspeptin challenge was performed in saline or insulin pre-treated animals in a cross-over design. LH secretion in response to exogenous kisspeptin was not different between animals pre-treated with saline or insulin, indicating normal gonadotrophin-releasing hormone cell and pituitary responses during acute hypoglycaemia. Based on this finding, the effect of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia on arcuate kisspeptin (Kiss1) cell function was determined using c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activation. Insulin caused a significant suppression in the percentage of Kiss1 cells in the arcuate nucleus that contained c-Fos compared to saline-injected controls. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that insulin-induced hypoglycaemia suppresses pulsatile LH secretion in the female mouse via predominantly central mechanisms, which culminates in the suppression of the arcuate Kiss1 population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B McCosh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Kreisman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Tian
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Bryan S Ho
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Varykina G Thackray
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kellie M Breen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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17
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McCosh RB, Breen KM, Kauffman AS. Neural and endocrine mechanisms underlying stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 498:110579. [PMID: 31521706 PMCID: PMC6874223 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stress is well-known to inhibit a variety of reproductive processes, including the suppression of episodic Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, typically measured via downstream luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Since pulsatile secretion of GnRH and LH are necessary for proper reproductive function in both males and females, and stress is common for both human and animals, understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which stress impairs LH pulses is of critical importance. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and its corresponding endocrine factors, is a key feature of the stress response, so dissecting the role of stress hormones, including corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and corticosterone, in the inhibition of LH secretion has been one key research focus. However, some evidence suggests that these stress hormones alone are not sufficient for the full inhibition of LH caused by stress, implicating the additional involvement of other hormonal or neural signaling pathways in this process (including inputs from the brainstem, amygdala, parabrachial nucleus, and dorsomedial nucleus). Moreover, different stress types, such as metabolic stress (hypoglycemia), immune stress, and psychosocial stress, appear to suppress LH secretion via partially unique neural and endocrine pathways. The mechanisms underlying the suppression of LH pulses in these models offer interesting comparisons and contrasts, including the specific roles of amygdaloid nuclei and CRH receptor types. This review focuses on the most recent and emerging insights into endocrine and neural mechanisms responsible for the suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in mammals, and offers insights in important gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B McCosh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0674, USA
| | - Kellie M Breen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0674, USA
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0674, USA.
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18
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Tumurbaatar T, Kanasaki H, Oride A, Hara T, Okada H, Tsutsui K, Kyo S. Action of neurotensin, corticotropin-releasing hormone, and RFamide-related peptide-3 in E2-induced negative feedback control: studies using a mouse arcuate nucleus hypothalamic cell model. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:1216-1226. [PMID: 29961889 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The recently established immortalized hypothalamic cell model mHypoA-55 possesses characteristics similar to those of Kiss-1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) region of the hypothalamus. Here, we show that Kiss-1 gene expression in these cells was downregulated by 17β-estradiol (E2) under certain conditions. Both neurotensin (NT) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) were expressed in these cells and upregulated by E2. Stimulation of mHypoA-55 cells with NT and CRH significantly decreased Kiss-1 mRNA expression. A mammalian gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone homolog, RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3), was also found to be expressed in mHypoA-55 cells, and RFRP-3 expression in these cells was increased by exogenous melatonin stimulation. E2 stimulation also upregulated RFRP-3 expression in these cells. Stimulation of mHypoA-55 cells with RFRP-3 significantly increased the expression of NT and CRH. Furthermore, melatonin stimulation resulted in the increase of both NT and CRH mRNA expression in mHypoA-55 cells. On the other hand, in experiments using mHypoA-50 cells, which were originally derived from hypothalamic neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, Kiss-1 gene expression was upregulated by both NT and CRH, although E2 increased both NT and CRH expression, similarly to the mHypoA-55 cells. Our observations using the hypothalamic ARC cell model mHypoA-55 suggest that NT and CRH have inhibitory effects on Kiss-1 gene expression under the influence of E2 in association with RFRP-3 expression. Thus, these neuropeptides might be involved in E2-induced negative feedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuvshintugs Tumurbaatar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Kanasaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
| | - Aki Oride
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
| | - Tomomi Hara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
| | - Hiroe Okada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Science, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Kyo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan
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19
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Peltier MR, Verplaetse TL, Mineur YS, Petrakis IL, Cosgrove KP, Picciotto MR, McKee SA. Sex differences in stress-related alcohol use. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 10:100149. [PMID: 30949562 PMCID: PMC6430711 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have increased in women by 84% over the past ten years relative to a 35% increase in men. This substantive increase in female drinking is alarming given that women experience greater alcohol-related health consequences compared to men. Stress is strongly associated with all phases of alcohol addiction, including drinking initiation, maintenance, and relapse for both women and men, but plays an especially critical role for women. The purpose of the present narrative review is to highlight what is known about sex differences in the relationship between stress and drinking. The critical role stress reactivity and negative affect play in initiating and maintaining alcohol use in women is addressed, and the available evidence for sex differences in drinking for negative reinforcement as it relates to brain stress systems is presented. This review discusses the critical structures and neurotransmitters that may underlie sex differences in stress-related alcohol use (e.g., prefrontal cortex, amygdala, norepinephrine, corticotropin releasing factor, and dynorphin), the involvement of sex and stress in alcohol-induced neurodegeneration, and the role of ovarian hormones in stress-related drinking. Finally, the potential avenues for the development of sex-appropriate pharmacological and behavioral treatments for AUD are identified. Overall, women are generally more likely to drink to regulate negative affect and stress reactivity. Sex differences in the onset and maintenance of alcohol use begin to develop during adolescence, coinciding with exposure to early life stress. These factors continue to affect alcohol use into adulthood, when reduced responsivity to stress, increased affect-related psychiatric comorbidities and alcohol-induced neurodegeneration contribute to chronic and problematic alcohol use, particularly for women. However, current research is limited regarding the examination of sex in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use. Probing brain stress systems and associated brain regions is an important future direction for developing sex-appropriate treatments to address the role of stress in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yann S. Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Ismene L. Petrakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Kelly P. Cosgrove
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Sherry A. McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
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20
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Tumurbaatar T, Kanasaki H, Oride A, Okada H, Hara T, Tumurgan Z, Kyo S. Effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the regulation of hypothalamic kisspeptin expression. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 270:60-66. [PMID: 30316762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptor are broadly distributed in the brain, and PACAP is known to work as a multifunctional peptide. However, it is still largely unknown how PACAP affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In this study, we examined the effect of PACAP on hypothalamic kisspeptin expression, a known regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. We used two hypothalamic cell models, mHypoA-50 and mHypoA-55, which were originated from kisspeptin-expressing neuron in anterioventral periventricular nucleus and arcuate nucleus regions in the hypothalamus, respectively. Expression of Kiss-1 gene, which encodes kisspeptin, was significantly increased by PACAP stimulation in both mHypoA-50 and mHypoA-55 cells, by up to 2.69 ± 0.93-fold and 4.89 ± 1.13-fold, respectively. PACAP6-38, a PACAP receptor antagonist did not antagonize the action of PACAP on Kiss-1 gene expression but increased Kiss-1 gene by itself in these cells. PACAP-induced Kiss-1 gene expression in both mHypoA-50 and mHypoA-55 cells was almost completely prevented in the presence of H89, a protein kinase A inhibitor. PACAP was expressed in both these hypothalamic cell models and its expression was up-regulated by estradiol in mHypoA-50 cells but not in mHypoA-55 cells. Stimulation of mHypoA-50 and mHypoA-55 cells with PACAP increased the expression levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone and neurotensin, both of which could modulate HPG axis. Our present observations suggest that hypothalamic PACAP might modulate the HPG axis by directly or indirectly modulating Kiss-1 gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuvshintugs Tumurbaatar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Kanasaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Aki Oride
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroe Okada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
| | - Tomomi Hara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
| | - Zolzaya Tumurgan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
| | - Satoru Kyo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
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21
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Yang JA, Hughes JK, Parra RA, Volk KM, Kauffman AS. Stress rapidly suppresses in vivo LH pulses and increases activation of RFRP-3 neurons in male mice. J Endocrinol 2018; 239:339-350. [PMID: 30382693 PMCID: PMC6214202 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Restraint stress is a psychosocial stressor that suppresses reproductive status, including LH pulsatile secretion, but the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying this inhibition remains unclear. Reproductive neural populations upstream of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, such as kisspeptin, neurokinin B and RFRP-3 (GnIH) neurons, are possible targets for psychosocial stress to inhibit LH pulses, but this has not been well examined, especially in mice in which prior technical limitations prevented assessment of in vivo LH pulse secretion dynamics. Here, we examined whether one-time acute restraint stress alters in vivo LH pulsatility and reproductive neural populations in male mice, and what the time-course is for such alterations. We found that endogenous LH pulses in castrated male mice are robustly and rapidly suppressed by one-time, acute restraint stress, with suppression observed as quickly as 12–18 min. This rapid LH suppression parallels with increased in vivo corticosterone levels within 15 min of restraint stress. Although Kiss1, Tac2 and Rfrp gene expression in the hypothalamus did not significantly change after 90 or 180 min restraint stress, arcuate Kiss1 neural activation was significantly decreased after 180 min. Interestingly, hypothalamic Rfrp neuronal activation was strongly increased at early times after restraint stress initiation, but was attenuated to levels lower than controls by 180 min of restraint stress. Thus, the male neuroendocrine reproductive axis is quite sensitive to short-term stress exposure, with significantly decreased pulsatile LH secretion and increased hypothalamic Rfrp neuronal activation occurring rapidly, within minutes, and decreased Kiss1 neuronal activation also occurring after longer stress durations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Jessica K. Hughes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Ruby A. Parra
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Katrina M. Volk
- Neuroscience Program, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia 24450
| | - Alexander S. Kauffman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
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22
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Raftogianni A, Roth LC, García-González D, Bus T, Kühne C, Monyer H, Spergel DJ, Deussing JM, Grinevich V. Deciphering the Contributions of CRH Receptors in the Brain and Pituitary to Stress-Induced Inhibition of the Reproductive Axis. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:305. [PMID: 30214395 PMCID: PMC6125327 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on pharmacological studies, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and its receptors play a leading role in the inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis during acute stress. To further study the effects of CRH receptor signaling on the HPG axis, we generated and/or employed male mice lacking CRH receptor type 1 (CRHR1) or type 2 (CRHR2) in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, GABAergic neurons, or in all central neurons and glia. The deletion of CRHRs revealed a preserved decrease of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) in response to either psychophysical or immunological stress. However, under basal conditions, central infusion of CRH into mice lacking CRHR1 in all central neurons and glia, or application of CRH to pituitary cultures from mice lacking CRHR2, failed to suppress LH release, unlike in controls. Our results, taken together with those of the earlier pharmacological studies, suggest that inhibition of the male HPG axis during acute stress is mediated by other factors along with CRH, and that CRH suppresses the HPG axis at the central and pituitary levels via CRHR1 and CRHR2, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Androniki Raftogianni
- Schaller Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg - Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena C Roth
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Diego García-González
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg - German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Bus
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group at the Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Kühne
- Molecular Neurogenetics Research Group, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg - German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel J Spergel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics Research Group, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg - Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
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23
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Faykoo-Martinez M, Monks DA, Zovkic IB, Holmes MM. Sex- and brain region-specific patterns of gene expression associated with socially-mediated puberty in a eusocial mammal. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193417. [PMID: 29474488 PMCID: PMC5825099 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The social environment can alter pubertal timing through neuroendocrine mechanisms that are not fully understood; it is thought that stress hormones (e.g., glucocorticoids or corticotropin-releasing hormone) influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to inhibit puberty. Here, we use the eusocial naked mole-rat, a unique species in which social interactions in a colony (i.e. dominance of a breeding female) suppress puberty in subordinate animals. Removing subordinate naked mole-rats from this social context initiates puberty, allowing for experimental control of pubertal timing. The present study quantified gene expression for reproduction- and stress-relevant genes acting upstream of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in brain regions with reproductive and social functions in pre-pubertal, post-pubertal, and opposite sex-paired animals (which are in various stages of pubertal transition). Results indicate sex differences in patterns of neural gene expression. Known functions of genes in brain suggest stress as a key contributing factor in regulating male pubertal delay. Network analysis implicates neurokinin B (Tac3) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus as a key node in this pathway. Results also suggest an unappreciated role for the nucleus accumbens in regulating puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D. Ashley Monks
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Iva B. Zovkic
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa M. Holmes
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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24
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Phumsatitpong C, Moenter SM. Estradiol-Dependent Stimulation and Suppression of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuron Firing Activity by Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2018; 159:414-425. [PMID: 29069304 PMCID: PMC5761586 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the final central regulators of reproduction, integrating various inputs that modulate fertility. Stress typically inhibits reproduction but can be stimulatory; stress effects can also be modulated by steroid milieu. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released during the stress response may suppress reproduction independent of downstream glucocorticoids. We hypothesized CRH suppresses fertility by decreasing GnRH neuron firing activity. To test this, mice were ovariectomized (OVX) and either implanted with an estradiol capsule (OVX+E) or not treated further to examine the influence of estradiol on GnRH neuron response to CRH. Targeted extracellular recordings were used to record firing activity from green fluorescent protein-identified GnRH neurons in brain slices before and during CRH treatment; recordings were done in the afternoon when estradiol has a positive feedback effect to increase GnRH neuron firing. In OVX mice, CRH did not affect the firing rate of GnRH neurons. In contrast, CRH exhibited dose-dependent stimulatory (30 nM) or inhibitory (100 nM) effects on GnRH neuron firing activity in OVX+E mice; both effects were reversible. The dose-dependent effects of CRH appear to result from activation of different receptor populations; a CRH receptor type-1 agonist increased firing activity in GnRH neurons, whereas a CRH receptor type-2 agonist decreased firing activity. CRH and specific agonists also differentially regulated short-term burst frequency and burst properties, including burst duration, spikes/burst, and/or intraburst interval. These results indicate that CRH alters GnRH neuron activity and that estradiol is required for CRH to exert both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on GnRH neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayarndorn Phumsatitpong
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Suzanne M. Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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25
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Regulation of gonadotropins by urocortin 2 in gonadotropic tumor LβT2 cells. Neurosci Lett 2017; 660:63-67. [PMID: 28851616 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A close interaction has been shown between the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) has a very high affinity for the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) type 2 (CRF2) receptor. Pituitary Ucn2 regulates expression and secretion of gonadotropins in response to stress. The CRF2 receptor in the pituitary contributes to the modulation of gonadotropins. To explore the possible function of Ucn2 and the CRF2 receptor in pituitary gonadotropic tumor cells, we examined the direct regulation of gonadotropins by Ucn2 in a representative pituitary gonadotropic tumor, mouse LβT2 cells. LβT2 cells were found to express CRF1 receptor and CRF2 receptor mRNA. Ucn2 decreased CRF1 receptor mRNA levels, while it increased CRF2 receptor mRNA levels. Ucn2 directly decreased the mRNA levels of both luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in LβT2 cells. Ucn2 also decreased gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) mRNA levels. A selective CRF2 receptor antagonist suppressed the Ucn2-induced decreases in LH, FSH, and GnRHR mRNA levels. Ucn2 acts on gonadotrophs expressing the CRF2 receptor, and inhibits the production of gonadotropins in the pituitary gonadotropic tumor cells. (177 words).
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26
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Sominsky L, Hodgson DM, McLaughlin EA, Smith R, Wall HM, Spencer SJ. Linking Stress and Infertility: A Novel Role for Ghrelin. Endocr Rev 2017; 38:432-467. [PMID: 28938425 DOI: 10.1210/er.2016-1133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Infertility affects a remarkable one in four couples in developing countries. Psychological stress is a ubiquitous facet of life, and although stress affects us all at some point, prolonged or unmanageable stress may become harmful for some individuals, negatively impacting on their health, including fertility. For instance, women who struggle to conceive are twice as likely to suffer from emotional distress than fertile women. Assisted reproductive technology treatments place an additional physical, emotional, and financial burden of stress, particularly on women, who are often exposed to invasive techniques associated with treatment. Stress-reduction interventions can reduce negative affect and in some cases to improve in vitro fertilization outcomes. Although it has been well-established that stress negatively affects fertility in animal models, human research remains inconsistent due to individual differences and methodological flaws. Attempts to isolate single causal links between stress and infertility have not yet been successful due to their multifaceted etiologies. In this review, we will discuss the current literature in the field of stress-induced reproductive dysfunction based on animal and human models, and introduce a recently unexplored link between stress and infertility, the gut-derived hormone, ghrelin. We also present evidence from recent seminal studies demonstrating that ghrelin has a principal role in the stress response and reward processing, as well as in regulating reproductive function, and that these roles are tightly interlinked. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that stress may negatively impact upon fertility at least in part by stimulating a dysregulation in ghrelin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba Sominsky
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3083, Australia
| | - Deborah M Hodgson
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science and IT, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales 2308, Australia
| | - Eileen A McLaughlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.,School of Environmental & Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and IT, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales 2308, Australia
| | - Roger Smith
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales 2305, Australia.,Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales 2308, Australia
| | - Hannah M Wall
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3083, Australia
| | - Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3083, Australia
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27
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Adekunbi DA, Li XF, Li S, Adegoke OA, Iranloye BO, Morakinyo AO, Lightman SL, Taylor PD, Poston L, O’Byrne KT. Role of amygdala kisspeptin in pubertal timing in female rats. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183596. [PMID: 28846730 PMCID: PMC5573137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the mechanism by which maternal obesity disrupts reproductive function in offspring, we examined Kiss1 expression in the hypothalamic arcuate (ARC) and anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nuclei, and posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) of pre-pubertal and young adult offspring. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a standard or energy-dense diet for six weeks prior to mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. Male and female offspring were weaned onto normal diet on postnatal day (pnd) 21. Brains were collected on pnd 30 or 100 for qRT-PCR to determine Kiss1 mRNA levels. Maternal obesity increased Kiss1 mRNA expression in the MePD of pre-pubertal male and female offspring, whereas Kiss1 expression was not affected in the ARC or AVPV at this age. Maternal obesity reduced Kiss1 expression in all three brain regions of 3 month old female offspring, but only in MePD of males. The role of MePD kisspeptin on puberty, estrous cyclicity and preovulatory LH surges was assessed directly in a separate group of post-weanling and young adult female rats exposed to a normal diet throughout their life course. Bilateral intra-MePD cannulae connected to osmotic mini-pumps for delivery of kisspeptin receptor antagonist (Peptide 234 for 14 days) were chronically implanted on pnd 21 or 100. Antagonism of MePD kisspeptin delayed puberty onset, disrupted estrous cyclicity and reduced the incidence of LH surges. These data show that the MePD plays a key role in pubertal timing and ovulation and that maternal obesity may act via amygdala kisspeptin signaling to influence reproductive function in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Adekunbi
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shengyun Li
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olufeyi A. Adegoke
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Bolanle O. Iranloye
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Ayodele O. Morakinyo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Stafford L. Lightman
- Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paul D. Taylor
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucilla Poston
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin T. O’Byrne
- Division of Women’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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28
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How age, sex and genotype shape the stress response. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 6:44-56. [PMID: 28229108 PMCID: PMC5314441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress is a leading pre-disposing factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders as it often leads to maladaptive responses. The response to stressful events is heterogeneous, underpinning a wide spectrum of distinct changes amongst stress-exposed individuals'. Several factors can underlie a different perception to stressors and the setting of distinct coping strategies that will lead to individual differences on the susceptibility/resistance to stress. Beyond the factors related to the stressor itself, such as intensity, duration or predictability, there are factors intrinsic to the individuals that are relevant to shape the stress response, such as age, sex and genetics. In this review, we examine the contribution of such intrinsic factors to the modulation of the stress response based on experimental rodent models of response to stress and discuss to what extent that knowledge can be potentially translated to humans. Effect of age in the stress response. Effect of sex in the stress response. Effect of genotype in the stress response.
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29
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Ullah R, Shen Y, Zhou YD, Huang K, Fu JF, Wahab F, Shahab M. Expression and actions of GnIH and its orthologs in vertebrates: Current status and advanced knowledge. Neuropeptides 2016; 59:9-20. [PMID: 27255391 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The physiology of reproduction is very complex and is regulated by multiple factors, including a number of hypothalamic neuropeptides. In last few decades, various neuropeptides have been discovered to be involved in stimulation or inhibition of reproduction. In 2000, Tsutsui and colleagues uncovered gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), a neuropeptide generating inhibitory drive to the reproductive axis, in the brain of Coturnix quail. Afterward, GnIH orthologs were discovered in other vertebrates from fish to mammals including human. In these vertebrates, all the discovered GnIH and its ortholgs have LPXRFamide (X=L or Q) sequence at C-terminus. GnIH orthologs of mammals and primates are also termed as RFamide-related peptide (RFRP)-1 and -3 that too have an LPXRFamide (X=L or Q) motif at their C-terminus. GnIH and its orthologs form a member of the RFamide peptide family. GnIH signals via its canonical G protein coupled receptor 147 (GPR147). Both GnIH and GPR147 are expressed in hypothalamus and other brain regions. Besides actions through the hypothalamic GnRH and kisspeptinergic neurons, GnIH-GPR147 signaling exerts inhibitory effect on the reproductive axis via pituitary gonadotropes and directly at gonadal level. Various factors including availability and quality of food, photoperiod, temperature, social interaction, various stresses and some diseases modulate GnIH-GPR147 signaling. In this review, we have discussed expression and actions of GnIH and its orthologs in vertebrates. Special emphasis is given on the role of GnIH-GPR147 signaling pathway in the regulation of reproduction. We have also reviewed and discussed currently available literature on the participation of GnIH-GPR147 signaling pathway in the stress modulation of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahim Ullah
- Department of Endocrinology, Children Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Yi Shen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Yu-Dong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Ke Huang
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jun-Fen Fu
- Department of Endocrinology, Children Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Fazal Wahab
- Stem Cell Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Gottingen, Germany
| | - Muhammad Shahab
- Laboratory of Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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30
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Camille Melón L, Maguire J. GABAergic regulation of the HPA and HPG axes and the impact of stress on reproductive function. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 160:196-203. [PMID: 26690789 PMCID: PMC4861672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes are regulated by GABAergic signaling at the level of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, respectively. Under basal conditions, activity of CRH and GnRH neurons are controlled in part by both phasic and tonic GABAergic inhibition, mediated by synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs), respectively. For CRH neurons, this tonic GABAergic inhibition is mediated by extrasynaptic, δ subunit-containing GABAARs. Similarly, a THIP-sensitive tonic GABAergic current has been shown to regulate GnRH neurons, suggesting a role for δ subunit-containing GABAARs; however, this remains to be explicitly demonstrated. GABAARs incorporating the δ subunit confer neurosteroid sensitivity, suggesting a potential role for neurosteroid modulation in the regulation of the HPA and HPG axes. Thus, stress-derived neurosteroids may contribute to the impact of stress on reproductive function. Interestingly, excitatory actions of GABA have been demonstrated in both CRH neurons at the apex of control of the HPA axis and in GnRH neurons which mediate the HPG axis, adding to the complexity for the role of GABAergic signaling in the regulation of these systems. Here we review the effects that stress has on GnRH neurons and HPG axis function alongside evidence supporting GABAARs as a major interface between the stress and reproductive axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laverne Camille Melón
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MA 02111, United States.
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31
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Gresham R, Li S, Adekunbi DA, Hu M, Li XF, O'Byrne KT. Kisspeptin in the medial amygdala and sexual behavior in male rats. Neurosci Lett 2016; 627:13-7. [PMID: 27233219 PMCID: PMC4944646 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The medial amygdala (MeA) is crucial for sexual behavior; kisspeptin (Kiss1) also plays a role in sexual function. Kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) knockout mice display no sexual behavior. Recently Kiss1 and Kiss1r have been discovered in the posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD). We hypothesised that Kiss1 in the MePD may have an influence on male sexual behavior. To test this we bilaterally cannulated the MePD and infused kisspeptin-10 in male rats. This caused the rats to have multiple erections, an effect specific to Kiss1 receptor activation, because Kiss1r antagonism blocked the erectile response. When Kiss1 was infused into the lateral cerebroventricle, there were no observed erections. We also measured the plasma levels of LH when Kiss1 is infused into the MePD or lateral cerebroventricle; Kiss1 increased plasma LH to comparable levels when infused into both sites. We conclude that Kiss1 has a role in male sexual behavior, which is specific to the MePD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Gresham
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Shengyun Li
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Daniel A Adekunbi
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Minghan Hu
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Kevin T O'Byrne
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, SE1 1UL, UK.
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32
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Luo E, Stephens SBZ, Chaing S, Munaganuru N, Kauffman AS, Breen KM. Corticosterone Blocks Ovarian Cyclicity and the LH Surge via Decreased Kisspeptin Neuron Activation in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2016; 157:1187-99. [PMID: 26697722 PMCID: PMC4769373 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress elicits activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which leads to enhanced circulating glucocorticoids, as well as impaired gonadotropin secretion and ovarian cyclicity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that elevated, stress-levels of glucocorticoids disrupt ovarian cyclicity by interfering with the preovulatory sequence of endocrine events necessary for the LH surge. Ovarian cyclicity was monitored in female mice implanted with a cholesterol or corticosterone (Cort) pellet. Cort, but not cholesterol, arrested cyclicity in diestrus. Subsequent studies focused on the mechanism whereby Cort stalled the preovulatory sequence by assessing responsiveness to the positive feedback estradiol signal. Ovariectomized mice were treated with an LH surge-inducing estradiol implant, as well as Cort or cholesterol, and assessed several days later for LH levels on the evening of the anticipated surge. All cholesterol females showed a clear LH surge. At the time of the anticipated surge, LH levels were undetectable in Cort-treated females. In situ hybridization analyses the anteroventral periventricular nucleus revealed that Cort robustly suppressed the percentage of Kiss1 cells coexpressing cfos, as well as reduced the number of Kiss1 cells and amount of Kiss1 mRNA per cell, compared with expression in control brains. In addition, Cort blunted pituitary expression of the genes encoding the GnRH receptor and LHβ, indicating inhibition of gonadotropes during the blockage of the LH surge. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that physiological stress-levels of Cort disrupts ovarian cyclicity, in part, through disruption of positive feedback mechanisms at both the hypothalamic and pituitary levels which are necessary for generation of the preovulatory LH surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Luo
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Shannon B Z Stephens
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Sharon Chaing
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Nagambika Munaganuru
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
| | - Kellie M Breen
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674
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33
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Abstract
A well worked-out motivational system in laboratory animals produces estrogen-dependent female sex behavior. Here, we review (a) the logical definition of sexual motivation and (b) the basic neuronal and molecular mechanisms that allow the behavior to occur. Importantly, reproductive mechanisms in the female can be inhibited by stress. This is interesting because, in terms of the specificity of neuroendocrine dynamics in space and time, the two families of phenomena, sex and stress, are the opposite of each other. We cover papers that document stress effects on the underlying processes of reproductive endocrinology in the female. Not all of the mechanisms for such inhibition have been clearly laid out. Finally, as a current topic of investigation, this system offers several avenues for new investigation which we briefly characterize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Magariños
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Donald Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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34
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Munkhzaya M, Matsuzaki T, Iwasa T, Tungalagsuvd A, Kawami T, Kato T, Kuwahara A, Irahara M. The suppressive effect of immune stress on LH secretion is absent in the early neonatal period in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2015; 46:38-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Munkhsaikhan Munkhzaya
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Toshiya Matsuzaki
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Takeshi Iwasa
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Altankhuu Tungalagsuvd
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Takako Kawami
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Takeshi Kato
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Akira Kuwahara
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
| | - Minoru Irahara
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe University of Tokushima Graduate SchoolInstitute of Health Biosciences3‐18‐15 Kuramoto‐ChoTokushima770‐8503Japan
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Clarke H, Dhillo WS, Jayasena CN. Comprehensive Review on Kisspeptin and Its Role in Reproductive Disorders. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2015; 30:124-41. [PMID: 26194072 PMCID: PMC4508256 DOI: 10.3803/enm.2015.30.2.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptin has recently emerged as a key regulator of the mammalian reproductive axis. It is known that kisspeptin, acting centrally via the kisspeptin receptor, stimulates secretion of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). Loss of kisspeptin signaling causes hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism in humans and other mammals. Kisspeptin interacts with other neuropeptides such as neurokinin B and dynorphin, to regulate GnRH pulse generation. In addition, a growing body of evidence suggests that kisspeptin signaling be regulated by nutritional status and stress. Kisspeptin may also represent a novel potential therapeutic target in the treatment of fertility disorders. Early human studies suggest that peripheral exogenous kisspeptin administration stimulates gonadotrophin release in healthy adults and in patients with certain forms of infertility. This review aims to concisely summarize what is known about kisspeptin as a regulator of reproductive function, and provide an update on recent advances within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Clarke
- Department of Investigative Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Waljit S Dhillo
- Department of Investigative Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Channa N Jayasena
- Department of Investigative Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Geraghty AC, Kaufer D. Glucocorticoid Regulation of Reproduction. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015. [PMID: 26215998 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2895-8_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is well accepted that stress, measured by increased glucocorticoid secretion, leads to profound reproductive dysfunction. In times of stress, glucocorticoids activate many parts of the fight or flight response, mobilizing energy and enhancing survival, while inhibiting metabolic processes that are not necessary for survival in the moment. This includes reproduction, an energetically costly procedure that is very finely regulated. In the short term, this is meant to be beneficial, so that the organism does not waste precious energy needed for survival. However, long-term inhibition can lead to persistent reproductive dysfunction, even if no longer stressed. This response is mediated by the increased levels of circulating glucocorticoids, which orchestrate complex inhibition of the entire reproductive axis. Stress and glucocorticoids exhibits both central and peripheral inhibition of the reproductive hormonal axis. While this has long been recognized as an issue, understanding the complex signaling mechanism behind this inhibition remains somewhat of a mystery. What makes this especially difficult is attempting to differentiate the many parts of both of these hormonal axes, and new neuropeptide discoveries in the last decade in the reproductive field have added even more complexity to an already complicated system. Glucocorticoids (GCs) and other hormones within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (as well as contributors in the sympathetic system) can modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis at all levels-GCs can inhibit release of GnRH from the hypothalamus, inhibit gonadotropin synthesis and release in the pituitary, and inhibit testosterone synthesis and release from the gonads, while also influencing gametogenesis and sexual behavior. This chapter is not an exhaustive review of all the known literature, however is aimed at giving a brief look at both the central and peripheral effects of glucocorticoids on the reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Geraghty
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Li XF, Hu MH, Li SY, Geach C, Hikima A, Rose S, Greenwood MP, Greenwood M, Murphy D, Poston L, Lightman SL, O'Byrne KT. Overexpression of corticotropin releasing factor in the central nucleus of the amygdala advances puberty and disrupts reproductive cycles in female rats. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3934-44. [PMID: 25051447 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged exposure to environmental stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and generally disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Because CRF expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a key modulator in adaptation to chronic stress, and central administration of CRF inhibits the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator, we tested the hypothesis that overexpression of CRF in the CeA of female rats alters anxiety behavior, dysregulates the HPA axis response to stress, changes pubertal timing, and disrupts reproduction. We used a lentiviral vector to increase CRF expression site specifically in the CeA of preweaning (postnatal day 12) female rats. Overexpression of CRF in the CeA increased anxiety-like behavior in peripubertal rats shown by a reduction in time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and a decrease in social interaction. Paradoxically, puberty onset was advanced but followed by irregular estrous cyclicity and an absence of spontaneous preovulatory LH surges associated with proestrous vaginal cytology in rats overexpressing CRF. Despite the absence of change in basal corticosterone secretion or induced by stress (lipopolysaccharide or restraint), overexpression of CRF in the CeA significantly decreased lipopolysaccharide, but not restraint, stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in postpubertal ovariectomized rats, indicating a differential stress responsivity of the GnRH pulse generator to immunological stress and a potential adaptation of the HPA axis to chronic activation of amygdaloid CRF. These data suggest that the expression profile of this key limbic brain CRF system might contribute to the complex neural mechanisms underlying the increasing incidence of early onset of puberty on the one hand and infertility on the other attributed to chronic stress in modern human society.
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Affiliation(s)
- X F Li
- Division of Women's Health (X.F.L., M.H.H., S.Y.L., C.G., L.P., K.T.O.) and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group (A.H., S.R.), School of Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom; and Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology (M.P.G., M.G., D.M., S.L.L.), University of Bristol, Bristol BS13NY, United Kingdom
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Panagiotakopoulos L, Neigh GN. Development of the HPA axis: where and when do sex differences manifest? Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:285-302. [PMID: 24631756 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in the response to stress contribute to sex differences in somatic, neurological, and psychiatric diseases. Despite a growing literature on the mechanisms that mediate sex differences in the stress response, the ontogeny of these differences has not been comprehensively reviewed. This review focuses on the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key component of the body's response to stress, and examines the critical points of divergence during development between males and females. Insight gained from animal models and clinical studies are presented to fully illustrate the current state of knowledge regarding sex differences in response to stress over development. An appreciation for the developmental timelines of the components of the HPA axis will provide a foundation for future areas of study by highlighting both what is known and calling attention to areas in which sex differences in the development of the HPA axis have been understudied.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gretchen N Neigh
- Emory University, Department of Physiology, United States; Emory University, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States.
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Grachev P, Li XF, Hu MH, Li SY, Millar RP, Lightman SL, O'Byrne KT. Neurokinin B signaling in the female rat: a novel link between stress and reproduction. Endocrinology 2014; 155:2589-601. [PMID: 24708241 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Acute systemic stress disrupts reproductive function by inhibiting pulsatile gonadotropin secretion. The underlying mechanism involves stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator, the functional unit of which is considered to be the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin A neurons. Agonists of the neurokinin B (NKB) receptor (NK3R) have been shown to suppress the GnRH pulse generator, in a dynorphin A (Dyn)-dependent fashion, under hypoestrogenic conditions, and Dyn has been well documented to mediate several stress-related central regulatory functions. We hypothesized that the NKB/Dyn signaling cascade is required for stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator. To investigate this ovariectomized rats, iv administered with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following intracerebroventricular pretreatment with NK3R or κ-opioid receptor (Dyn receptor) antagonists, were subjected to frequent blood sampling for hormone analysis. Antagonism of NK3R, but not κ-opioid receptor, blocked the suppressive effect of LPS challenge on LH pulse frequency. Neither antagonist affected LPS-induced corticosterone secretion. Hypothalamic arcuate nucleus NKB neurons project to the paraventricular nucleus, the major hypothalamic source of the stress-related neuropeptides CRH and arginine vasopressin (AVP), which have been implicated in the stress-induced suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. A separate group of ovariectomized rats was, therefore, used to address the potential involvement of central CRH and/or AVP signaling in the suppression of LH pulsatility induced by intracerebroventricular administration of a selective NK3R agonist, senktide. Neither AVP nor CRH receptor antagonists affected the senktide-induced suppression of the LH pulse; however, antagonism of type 2 CRH receptors attenuated the accompanying elevation of corticosterone levels. These data indicate that the suppression of the GnRH pulse generator by acute systemic stress requires hypothalamic NKB/NK3R signaling and that any involvement of CRH therewith is functionally upstream of NKB.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grachev
- Division of Women's Health (P.G., X.F.L., M.H.H., S.Y.L., K.T.O.), School of Medicine, King's College London, United Kingdom; Mammal Research Institute (R.P.M.), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Medical Research Council Receptor Biology Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; and Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience & Endocrinology (S.L.L.), University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Fergani C, Routly JE, Jones DN, Pickavance LC, Smith RF, Dobson H. Kisspeptin, c-Fos and CRFR type 2 co-expression in the hypothalamus after insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. Reprod Domest Anim 2014; 49:433-40. [PMID: 24716653 DOI: 10.1111/rda.12293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Normal reproductive function is dependent upon availability of glucose and insulin-induced hypoglycaemia is a metabolic stressor known to disrupt the ovine oestrous cycle. We have recently shown that IIH has the ability to delay the LH surge of intact ewes. In the present study, we examined brain tissue to determine: (i) which hypothalamic regions are activated with respect to IIH and (ii) the effect of IIH on kisspeptin cell activation and CRFR type 2 immunoreactivity, all of which may be involved in disruptive mechanisms. Follicular phases were synchronized with progesterone vaginal pessaries and at 28 h after progesterone withdrawal (PW), animals received saline (n = 6) or insulin (4 IU/kg; n = 5) and were subsequently killed at 31 h after PW (i.e., 3 h after insulin administration). Peripheral hormone concentrations were evaluated, and hypothalamic sections were immunostained for either kisspeptin and c-Fos (a marker of neuronal activation) or CRFR type 2. Within 3 h of treatment, cortisol concentrations had increased whereas plasma oestradiol concentrations decreased in peripheral plasma (p < 0.05 for both). In the arcuate nucleus (ARC), insulin-treated ewes had an increased expression of c-Fos. Furthermore, the percentage of kisspeptin cells co-expressing c-Fos increased in the ARC (from 11 to 51%; p < 0.05), but there was no change in the medial pre-optic area (mPOA; 14 vs 19%). CRFR type 2 expression in the lower part of the ARC and the median eminence was not altered by insulin treatment. Thus, disruption of the LH surge after IIH in the follicular phase is not associated with decreased kisspeptin cell activation or an increase in CRFR type 2 in the ARC but may involve other cell types located in the ARC nucleus which are activated in response to IIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fergani
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK
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Karamikheirabad M, Behzadi G, Faghihi M, Raoofian R, Ejtemaei Mehr S, Zuure WA, Sadeghipour HR. A role for endocannabinoids in acute stress-induced suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male rats. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2013; 40:155-62. [PMID: 24505561 PMCID: PMC3913894 DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2013.40.4.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Stress is known to be an inhibitor of the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. However, the neural and molecular connections between stress and reproduction are not yet understood. It is well established that in both humans and rodents, kisspeptin (encoded by the kiss1 gene) is a strong stimulator of the HPG axis. In the present study we hypothesized that endocannabinoids, an important neuromodulatory system in the brain, can act on the HPG axis at the level of kiss1 expression to inhibit reproductive function under stress. METHODS Adult male Wistar rats were unilaterally implanted with an intracerebroventricular cannula. Afterwards, the animals were exposed to immobilization stress, with or without the presence of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (1 µg/rat). Blood samples were collected through a retro-orbital plexus puncture before and after stress. Five hours after the stress, brain tissue was collected for reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of kiss1 mRNA. RESULTS Immobilization stress (1 hour) resulted in a decrease in the serum luteinizing hormone concentration. Additionally, kiss1 gene expression was decreased in key hypothalamic nuclei that regulate gonadotrophin secretion, the medial preoptic area (mPOA), and to some extent the arcuate nucleus (ARC). A single central administration of AM251 was effective in blocking these inhibitory responses. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that endocannabinoids mediate, at least in part, immobilization stress-induced inhibition of the reproductive system. Our data suggest that the connection between immobilization stress and the HPG axis is kiss1 expression in the mPOA rather than the ARC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Karamikheirabad
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gila Behzadi
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Faghihi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Raoofian
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahram Ejtemaei Mehr
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Wieteke Ameliek Zuure
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hamid Reza Sadeghipour
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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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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Bethea CL, Phu K, Reddy AP, Cameron JL. The effect of short moderate stress on the midbrain corticotropin-releasing factor system in a macaque model of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. Fertil Steril 2013; 100:1111-21. [PMID: 23849846 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.05.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the effect of moderate stress on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) components in the serotonergic midbrain region in a monkey model of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. DESIGN After characterization of stress sensitivity, monkeys were moved to a novel room and given 20% less chow for 5 days before euthanasia. SETTING Primate research center. ANIMAL(S) Female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) characterized as highly stress resilient (HSR, n = 5), medium stress resilient (n = 4), or stress sensitive (SS, n = 4). INTERVENTION(S) Five days of diet in a novel room with unfamiliar conspecifics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Density of CRF axons in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus; the number of urocortin 1 (UCN1) cells; the density of UCN1 axons; the expression of CRF receptor 1 (CRF-R1) and CRF-R2 in the dorsal raphe nucleus. RESULT(S) The CRF innervation was higher in HSR than in SS animals; UCN1 cell number was higher in HSR than in SS animals and UCN1 axon bouton density was not different; all opposite of nonstressed animals. The CRF-R1 was not different between the sensitivity groups, but CRF-R2 was higher in HSR than in SS animals. The relative expression of CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 was similar to nonstressed animals. CONCLUSION(S) The HSR animals respond to stress with an increase in CRF delivery to serotonin neurons. With stress, UCN1 transport decreases in HSR animals. The CRF receptor expression was similar with or without stress. These changes may contribute to resilience in HSR animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Bethea
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Portland, Oregon; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
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Fergani C, Routly JE, Jones DN, Pickavance LC, Smith RF, Dobson H. Kisspeptin, c-Fos and CRFR type 2 expression in the preoptic area and mediobasal hypothalamus during the follicular phase of intact ewes, and alteration after LPS. Physiol Behav 2013; 110-111:158-68. [PMID: 23313561 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2012] [Accepted: 12/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Increasing estradiol concentrations during the late follicular phase stimulate sexual behavior and the GnRH/LH surge, and it is known that kisspeptin signaling is essential for the latter. Administration of LPS can block these events, but the mechanism involved is unclear. We examined brain tissue from intact ewes to determine: i) which regions are activated with respect to sexual behavior, the LH surge and LPS administration, ii) the location and activation pattern of kisspeptin cells in control and LPS treated animals, and iii) whether CRFR type 2 is involved in such disruptive mechanisms. Follicular phases were synchronized with progesterone vaginal pessaries and control animals were killed at 0 h, 16 h, 31 h or 40 h (n=4-6/group) after progesterone withdrawal (time zero). At 28 h, other animals received endotoxin (LPS; 100 ng/kg) and were subsequently killed at 31 h or 40 h (n=5/group). LH surges only occurred in control ewes, during which there was a marked increase in c-Fos expression within the ventromedial nucleus (VMN), arcuate nucleus (ARC), and medial preoptic area (mPOA), as well as an increase in the percentage of kisspeptin cells co-expressing c-Fos in the ARC and mPOA compared to animals sacrificed at all other times. Expression of c-Fos also increased in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in animals just before the expected onset of sexual behavior. However, LPS treatment increased c-Fos expression within the VMN, ARC, mPOA and diagonal band of broca (dBb), along with CRFR type 2 immunoreactivity in the lower part of the ARC and median eminence (ME), compared to controls. Furthermore, the percentage of kisspeptin cells co-expressing c-Fos was lower in the ARC and mPOA. Thus, we hypothesize that in intact ewes, the BNST is involved in the initiation of sexual behavior while the VMN, ARC, and mPOA as well as kisspeptin cells located in the latter two areas are involved in estradiol positive feedback only during the LH surge. By contrast, disruption of sexual behavior and the LH surge after LPS involves cells located in the VMN, ARC, mPOA and dBb, as well as cells containing CRFR type 2 in the lower part of the ARC and ME, and is accompanied by inhibition of kisspeptin cell activation in both the ARC and mPOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fergani
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK.
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Stress regulation of kisspeptin in the modulation of reproductive function. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:431-54. [PMID: 23550018 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Stressful stimuli abound in modern society and have shaped evolution through altering reproductive development, behavior, and physiology. The recent identification of kisspeptin as an important component of the hypothalamic regulatory circuits involved in reproductive homeostasis sparked a great deal of research interest that subsequently implicated kisspeptin signaling in the relay of metabolic, environmental, and physiological cues to the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, although it is widely recognized that exposure to stress profoundly impacts on reproductive function, the roles of kisspeptin within the complex mechanisms underlying stress regulation of reproduction remain poorly understood. We and others have recently demonstrated that a variety of experimental stress paradigms downregulate the expression of kisspeptin ligand and receptor within the reproductive brain. Coincidently, these stressors also inhibit gonadotropin secretion and delay pubertal onset-processes that rely on kisspeptin signaling. However, a modest literature is inconsistent with an exclusively suppressive influence of stress on the reproductive axis and suggests that complicated neural interactions and signaling mechanisms translate the stress response into reproductive perturbations. The purpose of this chapter is to review the evidence for a novel role of kisspeptin signaling in the modulation of reproductive function by stress and to broaden the understanding of this timely phenomenon.
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Kageyama K. Regulation of gonadotropins by corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2013; 4:12. [PMID: 23431022 PMCID: PMC3576618 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major regulatory peptide in the HPA axis during stress. Urocortin 1 (Ucn1), a member of the CRF family of peptides, has a variety of physiological functions and both CRF and Ucn1 contribute to the stress response via G protein-coupled seven transmembrane receptors. Ucn2 and Ucn3, which belong to a separate paralogous lineage from CRF, are highly selective for the CRF type 2 receptor (CRF(2) receptor). The HPA and HPG axes interact with each other, and gonadal function and reproduction are suppressed in response to various stressors. In this review, we focus on the regulation of gonadotropins by CRF and Ucn2 in pituitary gonadotrophs and of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) via CRF receptors in the hypothalamus. In corticotrophs, stress-induced increases in CRF stimulate Ucn2 production, which leads to the inhibition of gonadotropin secretion via the CRF(2) receptor in the pituitary. GnRH in the hypothalamus is regulated by a variety of stress conditions. CRF is also involved in the suppression of the HPG axis, especially the GnRH pulse generator, via CRF receptors in the hypothalamus. Thus, complicated regulation of GnRH in the hypothalamus and gonadotropins in the pituitary via CRF receptors contributes to stress responses and adaptation of gonadal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Kageyama
- *Correspondence: Kazunori Kageyama, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8562, Japan. e-mail:
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Fan JM, Wang X, Hao K, Yuan Y, Chen XQ, Du JZ. Upregulation of PVN CRHR1 by gestational intermittent hypoxia selectively triggers a male-specific anxiogenic effect in rat offspring. Horm Behav 2013; 63:25-31. [PMID: 23164543 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Revised: 10/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We previously reported that gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH) causes anxiety-like behavior in neonatal rats. Here, we showed that the anxiogenic effect was correlated with upregulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei (PVN) by GIH, and was selective to male offspring. The anxiety-like behavior was assessed by both the open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests. We demonstrated that GIH triggered anxiety-like behavior in male offspring, but not in female offspring or in the postpartum dams. Microinjection of antalarmin, a CRHR1-selective antagonist, into the PVN of the male offspring significantly increased the distance traveled and time spent in the central portion of the OF, and the time spent in the open arms in the EPM compared with controls. However, microinjection of the CRHR2 agonist, urocortin III, into the PVN did not affect anxiogenic behavior in the male offspring. These findings clearly demonstrate a gender-selective effect of GIH to increase anxiety-like behavior and this anxiogenic effect might be linked to embryogenically-driven upregulation of PVN CRHR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ming Fan
- Division of Neurobiology and Physiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China.
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Sowińska-Przepiera E, Syrenicz A, Friebe Z, Jarząbek-Bielecka G, Chełstowski K. PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of estrogen receptor-α and the results of estroprogestagen therapy in girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea - preliminary study. Arch Med Sci 2012. [PMID: 23185193 PMCID: PMC3506227 DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2012.31133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was the long-term prospective evaluation of the effects of estroprogestagen (EP) therapy on the bone mineral density (BMD) of girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) carrying various PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α. MATERIAL AND METHODS Prospective observation included 84 FHA girls and 50 controls. The FHA patients were subjected to 4-year sequential therapy with 17β estradiol (2 mg from the 2(nd) to 25(th) day of the menstrual cycle) and dydrogesterone (10 mg from the 16(th) to the 25(th) day). Hormonal parameters, serum concentration of the bone fraction of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), urine concentration of cross-linked n-telopeptide of type I collagen (Ntx) and BMD were determined before and after the treatment. RESULTS Six-month treatment resulted in a marked increase in estradiol (p = 0.001), testosterone and prolactin levels (p = 0.01 both) and a significant decrease in BALP and Ntx (p = 0.001 both). Patients with the PP polymorphism had significantly lower baseline BMD compared to carriers of other polymorphic variants of PvuII (p = 0.003). A significant increase in BMD was observed throughout the entire therapy period, with no significant differences in the yearly dynamics of BMD changes observed amongst various polymorphic variants and haplotypes of ER-α. CONCLUSIONS The EP therapy is effective in the treatment of BMD disorders associated with FHA, and treatment results do not depend on PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Sowińska-Przepiera
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Internal Diseases, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Gynecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
| | - Anhelli Syrenicz
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Internal Diseases, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Friebe
- Department of Gynecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
| | | | - Kornel Chełstowski
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Molecular Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
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Traslaviña GAA, Franci CR. Divergent roles of the CRH receptors in the control of gonadotropin secretion induced by acute restraint stress at proestrus. Endocrinology 2012; 153:4838-48. [PMID: 22893722 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CRH has been implicated as a mediator of stress-induced effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis, acting via CRH receptors in various brain regions. We investigated whether the effects of restraint stress on the secretion of gonadotropins on the morning of proestrus are mediated by the CRH-R1 or CRH-R2 receptors in the oval subdivision of the anterolateral BST, the central amygdala, the locus coeruleus (LC), or the A1 and A2 neuron groups in the medulla. At proestrus morning, rats were injected with antalarmin (a CRH-R1 antagonist), asstressin2-B (a CRH-R2 antagonist) or vehicles. Thirty minutes after the injection, the animals were placed into restraints for 30 min, and blood was sampled for 2 h. At the end of the experiment, the brains were removed for immunofluorescence analyses. Restraint stress increased the levels of FSH and LH. Antalarmin blocked the stress-induced increases in FSH and LH secretion, but astressin2-B only blocked the increase in FSH secretion. LC showed intense stress-induced neuronal activity. FOS/tyrosine-hydroxylase coexpression in LC was reduced by antalarmin, but not astressin2-B. The CRH-R1 receptor, more than CRH-R2 receptor, appears to be essential for the stimulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis by acute stress; this response is likely mediated in part by noradrenergic neurons in the LC. We postulate that the stress-induced facilitation of reproductive function is mediated, at least in part, by CRH action through CRH-R1 on noradrenaline neurons residing in the LC that trigger GnRH discharge and gonadotropin secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo A Ariza Traslaviña
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, 14049-900, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Nemoto T, Mano A, Shibasaki T. Increased expression of miR-325-3p by urocortin 2 and its involvement in stress-induced suppression of LH secretion in rat pituitary. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2012; 302:E781-7. [PMID: 22252941 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00616.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) is a member of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) peptide family, which binds to CRF type 2 receptor. We previously reported on expression of Ucn2 in proopiomelanocortin cells of rat pituitary and its inhibitory action on LH secretion. We also demonstrated that Ucn2 is involved in the mechanism underlying immobilization-induced suppression of LH secretion; the details remain unclear. Here, we found that Ucn2 increased the expression of miR-325-3p, one of three microRNAs with predicted sequence for binding to LH β-subunit 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) in monolayer cultured rat anterior pituitary cells, and that miR-325-3p was expressed in LH cells of the anterior pituitary. Immobilization also increased miR-325-3p expression in the anterior pituitary, and its increase was blocked by pretreatment with anti-Ucn2 IgG. Overexpression of miR-325-3p in cultured pituitary cells significantly suppressed intracellular contents and secretion of LH, while miR-325-3p knockdown blocked Ucn2-induced suppression of intracellular contents and secretion of LH. Coexpression of miR-325-3p with LH β-subunit 3'-UTR-fused luciferase vector significantly suppressed luciferase activity compared with that of mock transfectants. These results suggest that miR-325-3p is involved in immobilization-induced suppression of LH translation and secretion and that Ucn2 plays a role in the increase in miR-325-3p expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Nemoto
- Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
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