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Nechyporenko K, Voliotis M, Li XF, Hollings O, Ivanova D, Walker JJ, O'Byrne KT, Tsaneva-Atanasova K. Neuronal network dynamics in the posterodorsal amygdala: shaping reproductive hormone pulsatility. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240143. [PMID: 39193642 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0143] [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] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Normal reproductive function and fertility rely on the rhythmic secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is driven by the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator. A key regulator of the GnRH pulse generator is the posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD), a brain region that is involved in processing external environmental cues, including the effect of stress. However, the neuronal pathways enabling the dynamic, stress-triggered modulation of GnRH secretion remain largely unknown. Here, we employ in silico modelling in order to explore the impact of dynamic inputs on GnRH pulse generator activity. We introduce and analyse a mathematical model representing MePD neuronal circuits composed of GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal populations, integrating it with our GnRH pulse generator model. Our analysis dissects the influence of excitatory and inhibitory MePD projections' outputs on the GnRH pulse generator's activity and reveals a functionally relevant MePD glutamatergic projection to the GnRH pulse generator, which we probe with in vivo optogenetics. Our study sheds light on how MePD neuronal dynamics affect the GnRH pulse generator activity and offers insights into stress-related dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Nechyporenko
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Margaritis Voliotis
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Owen Hollings
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Deyana Ivanova
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jamie J Walker
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Kevin T O'Byrne
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
- EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
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Ivanova D, Voliotis M, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, O'Byrne KT, Li XF. NK3R signalling in the posterodorsal medial amygdala is involved in stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in female mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13384. [PMID: 38516965 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13384] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress negatively impacts reproductive function by inhibiting pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is responsible in part for processing stress and modulating the reproductive axis. Activation of the neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) suppresses the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, under hypoestrogenic conditions, and NK3R activity in the amygdala has been documented to play a role in stress and anxiety. We investigate whether NK3R activation in the MePD is involved in mediating the inhibitory effect of psychosocial stress on LH pulsatility in ovariectomised female mice. First, we administered senktide, an NK3R agonist, into the MePD and monitored the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. We then delivered SB222200, a selective NK3R antagonist, intra-MePD in the presence of predator odour, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) and examined the effect on LH pulses. Senktide administration into the MePD dose-dependently suppresses pulsatile LH secretion. Moreover, NK3R signalling in the MePD mediates TMT-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator, which we verified using a mathematical model. The model verifies our experimental findings: (i) predator odour exposure inhibits LH pulses, (ii) activation of NK3R in the MePD inhibits LH pulses and (iii) NK3R antagonism in the MePD blocks stressor-induced inhibition of LH pulse frequency in the absence of ovarian steroids. These results demonstrate for the first time that NK3R neurons in the MePD mediate psychosocial stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaritis Voliotis
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin T O'Byrne
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Xiao-Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
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Agus S, Yavuz Y, Atasoy D, Yilmaz B. Postweaning Social Isolation Alters Puberty Onset by Suppressing Electrical Activity of Arcuate Kisspeptin Neurons. Neuroendocrinology 2024; 114:439-452. [PMID: 38271999 PMCID: PMC11098025 DOI: 10.1159/000535721] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Postweaning social isolation (PWSI) in rodents is an advanced psychosocial stress model in early life. Some psychosocial stress, such as restrain and isolation, disrupts reproductive physiology in young and adult periods. Mechanisms of early-life stress effects on central regulation of reproduction need to be elucidated. We have investigated the effects of PWSI on function of arcuate kisspeptin (ARCKISS1) neurons by using electrophysiological techniques combining with monitoring of puberty onset and estrous cycle in male and female Kiss1-Cre mice. METHODS Female mice were monitored for puberty onset with vaginal opening examination during social isolation. After isolation, the estrous cycle of female mice was monitored with vaginal cytology. Anxiety-like behavior of mice was determined by an elevated plus maze test. Effects of PWSI on electrophysiology of ARCKISS1 neurons were investigated by the patch clamp method after intracranial injection of AAV-GFP virus into arcuate nucleus of Kiss1-Cre mice after the isolation period. RESULTS We found that both male and female isolated mice showed anxiety-like behavior. PWSI caused delay in vaginal opening and extension in estrous cycle length. Spontaneous-firing rates of ARCKISS1 neurons were significantly lower in the isolated male and female mice. The peak amplitude of inhibitory postsynaptic currents to ARCKISS1 neurons was higher in the isolated mice, while frequency of excitatory postsynaptic currents was higher in group-housed mice. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate that PWSI alters pre- and postpubertal reproductive physiology through metabolic and electrophysiological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Agus
- Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yavuz Yavuz
- Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Deniz Atasoy
- University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Bayram Yilmaz
- Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Istanbul, Turkey
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
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Cutia CA, Christian-Hinman CA. Mechanisms linking neurological disorders with reproductive endocrine dysfunction: Insights from epilepsy research. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 71:101084. [PMID: 37506886 PMCID: PMC10818027 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101084] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormone actions in the brain can both worsen and alleviate symptoms of neurological disorders. Although neurological conditions and reproductive endocrine function are seemingly disparate, compelling evidence indicates that reciprocal interactions exist between certain disorders and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis irregularities. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that shows significant reproductive endocrine dysfunction (RED) in clinical populations. Seizures, particularly those arising from temporal lobe structures, can drive HPG axis alterations, and hormones produced in the HPG axis can reciprocally modulate seizure activity. Despite this relationship, mechanistic links between seizures and RED, and vice versa, are still largely unknown. Here, we review clinical evidence alongside recent investigations in preclinical animal models into the contributions of seizures to HPG axis malfunction, describe the effects of HPG axis hormonal feedback on seizure activity, and discuss how epilepsy research can offer insight into mechanisms linking neurological disorders to HPG axis dysfunction, an understudied area of neuroendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn A Cutia
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Catherine A Christian-Hinman
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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5
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Ivanova D, O'Byrne KT. Optogenetics studies of kisspeptin neurons. Peptides 2023; 162:170961. [PMID: 36731655 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.170961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Optical systems and genetic engineering technologies have made it possible to control neurons and unravel neuronal circuit behavior with high temporal and spatial resolution. The application of optogenetic strategies to understand the physiology of kisspeptin neuronal circuits has evolved in recent years among the neuroendocrine community. Kisspeptin neurons are fundamentally involved in controlling mammalian reproduction but also are implicated in numerous other physiological processes, including but not limited to feeding, energy expenditure, core body temperature and behavior. We conducted a review aiming to shed light on the novel findings obtained from in vitro and in vivo optogenetic studies interrogating kisspeptin neuronal circuits to date. Understanding the function of kisspeptin networks in the brain can greatly inform a wide range of clinical studies investigating infertility treatments, gender identity, metabolic disorders, hot flushes and psychosexual disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, UK.
| | - Kevin T O'Byrne
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, UK
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Anderson GM. A Neuronal Circuit for Stress-induced Reproductive Suppression. Endocrinology 2023; 164:6997593. [PMID: 36683004 PMCID: PMC9901268 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Greg M Anderson
- Correspondence: Greg Anderson, PhD, Centre of Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, School of Biomedical Sciences, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
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Hatcher KM, Costanza L, Kauffman AS, Stephens SBZ. The molecular phenotype of kisspeptin neurons in the medial amygdala of female mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1093592. [PMID: 36843592 PMCID: PMC9951589 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1093592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is regulated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, largely via the action of kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamus. Importantly, Kiss1 neurons have been identified in other brain regions, including the medial amygdala (MeA). Though the MeA is implicated in regulating aspects of both reproductive physiology and behavior, as well as non-reproductive processes, the functional roles of MeA Kiss1 neurons are largely unknown. Additionally, besides their stimulation by estrogen, little is known about how MeA Kiss1 neurons are regulated. Using a RiboTag mouse model in conjunction with RNA-seq, we examined the molecular profile of MeA Kiss1 neurons to identify transcripts that are co-expressed in MeA Kiss1 neurons of female mice and whether these transcripts are modulated by estradiol (E2) treatment. RNA-seq identified >13,800 gene transcripts co-expressed in female MeA Kiss1 neurons, including genes for neuropeptides and receptors implicated in reproduction, metabolism, and other neuroendocrine functions. Of the >13,800 genes co-expressed in MeA Kiss1 neurons, only 45 genes demonstrated significantly different expression levels due to E2 treatment. Gene transcripts such as Kiss1, Gal, and Oxtr increased in response to E2 treatment, while fewer transcripts, such as Esr1 and Cyp26b1, were downregulated by E2. Dual RNAscope and immunohistochemistry was performed to validate co-expression of MeA Kiss1 with Cck and Cartpt. These results are the first to establish a profile of genes actively expressed by MeA Kiss1 neurons, including a subset of genes regulated by E2, which provides a useful foundation for future investigations into the regulation and function of MeA Kiss1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Hatcher
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Leah Costanza
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Alexander S. Kauffman
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Shannon B. Z. Stephens
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Shannon B. Z. Stephens,
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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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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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10
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Lass G, Li XF, Voliotis M, Wall E, de Burgh RA, Ivanova D, McIntyre C, Lin X, Colledge WH, Lightman SL, Tsaneva‐Atanasova K, O'Byrne KT. GnRH pulse generator frequency is modulated by kisspeptin and GABA-glutamate interactions in the posterodorsal medial amygdala in female mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13207. [PMID: 36305576 PMCID: PMC10078155 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13207] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus generate gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulses, and act as critical initiators of functional gonadotrophin secretion and reproductive competency. However, kisspeptin in other brain regions, most notably the posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD), plays a significant modulatory role over the hypothalamic kisspeptin population; our recent studies using optogenetics have shown that low-frequency light stimulation of MePD kisspeptin results in increased luteinsing hormone pulse frequency. Nonetheless, the neurochemical pathways that underpin this regulatory function remain unknown. To study this, we have utilised an optofluid technology, precisely combining optogenetic stimulation with intra-nuclear pharmacological receptor antagonism, to investigate the neurotransmission involved in this circuitry. We have shown experimentally and verified using a mathematical model that functional neurotransmission of both GABA and glutamate is a requirement for effective modulation of the GnRH pulse generator by amygdala kisspeptin neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geffen Lass
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Margaritis Voliotis
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Ellen Wall
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Reproductive Physiology Group, Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Ross A. de Burgh
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Caitlin McIntyre
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Xian‐Hua Lin
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of MedicineShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - William H. Colledge
- Reproductive Physiology Group, Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Stafford L. Lightman
- Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, The Dorothy Hodgkin BuildingUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva‐Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Kevin T. O'Byrne
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
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11
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López-Ojeda W, Hurley RA. Kisspeptin in the Limbic System: New Insights Into Its Neuromodulatory Roles. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 34:190-195. [PMID: 35921618 DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20220087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wilfredo López-Ojeda
- Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center and Research and Academic Affairs Service Line, W.G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salisbury, N.C. (López-Ojeda, Hurley); Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (López-Ojeda, Hurley) and Radiology (Hurley), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (Hurley)
| | - Robin A Hurley
- Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center and Research and Academic Affairs Service Line, W.G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salisbury, N.C. (López-Ojeda, Hurley); Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (López-Ojeda, Hurley) and Radiology (Hurley), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (Hurley)
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12
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Kauffman AS. Neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying estrogen positive feedback and the LH surge. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:953252. [PMID: 35968365 PMCID: PMC9364933 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.953252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental principle in reproductive neuroendocrinology is sex steroid feedback: steroid hormones secreted by the gonads circulate back to the brain to regulate the neural circuits governing the reproductive neuroendocrine axis. These regulatory feedback loops ultimately act to modulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, thereby affecting gonadotropin secretion from the anterior pituitary. In females, rising estradiol (E2) during the middle of the menstrual (or estrous) cycle paradoxically "switch" from being inhibitory on GnRH secretion ("negative feedback") to stimulating GnRH release ("positive feedback"), resulting in a surge in GnRH secretion and a downstream LH surge that triggers ovulation. While upstream neural afferents of GnRH neurons, including kisspeptin neurons in the rostral hypothalamus, are proposed as critical loci of E2 feedback action, the underlying mechanisms governing the shift between E2 negative and positive feedback are still poorly understood. Indeed, the precise cell targets, neural signaling factors and receptors, hormonal pathways, and molecular mechanisms by which ovarian-derived E2 indirectly stimulates GnRH surge secretion remain incompletely known. In many species, there is also a circadian component to the LH surge, restricting its occurrence to specific times of day, but how the circadian clock interacts with endocrine signals to ultimately time LH surge generation also remains a major gap in knowledge. Here, we focus on classic and recent data from rodent models and discuss the consensus knowledge of the neural players, including kisspeptin, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and glia, as well as endocrine players, including estradiol and progesterone, in the complex regulation and generation of E2-induced LH surges in females.
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Jamieson BB, Piet R. Kisspeptin neuron electrophysiology: Intrinsic properties, hormonal modulation, and regulation of homeostatic circuits. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101006. [PMID: 35640722 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The obligatory role of kisspeptin (KISS1) and its receptor (KISS1R) in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, puberty and fertility was uncovered in 2003. In the few years that followed, an impressive body of work undertaken in many species established that neurons producing kisspeptin orchestrate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron activity and subsequent GnRH and gonadotropin hormone secretory patterns, through kisspeptin-KISS1R signaling, and mediate many aspects of gonadal steroid hormone feedback regulation of GnRH neurons. Here, we review knowledge accrued over the past decade, mainly in genetically modified mouse models, of the electrophysiological properties of kisspeptin neurons and their regulation by hormonal feedback. We also discuss recent progress in our understanding of the role of these cells within neuronal circuits that control GnRH neuron activity and GnRH secretion, energy balance and, potentially, other homeostatic and reproductive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Piet
- Brain Health Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
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Ivanova D, Li X, Liu Y, McIntyre C, Fernandes C, Lass G, Kong L, O’Byrne KT. Role of Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Urocortin-3 in Pubertal Timing in Female Mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:893029. [PMID: 35655799 PMCID: PMC9152449 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.893029] [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: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder impedes pubertal development and disrupts pulsatile LH secretion in humans and rodents. The posterodorsal sub-nucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD) is an upstream modulator of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, pubertal timing, as well as emotional processing and anxiety. Psychosocial stress exposure alters neuronal activity within the MePD increasing the expression of Urocortin3 (Ucn3) and its receptor corticotropin-releasing factor type-2 receptor (CRFR2) while enhancing the inhibitory output from the MePD to key hypothalamic reproductive centres. We test the hypothesis that psychosocial stress, processed by the MePD, is relayed to the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator to delay puberty in female mice. We exposed C57Bl6/J female mice to the predator odor, 2,4,5-Trimethylthiazole (TMT), during pubertal transition and examined the effect on pubertal timing, pre-pubertal LH pulses and anxiety-like behaviour. Subsequently, we virally infected Ucn3-cre-tdTomato female mice with stimulatory DREADDs targeting MePD Ucn3 neurons and determined the effect on pubertal timing and pre-pubertal LH pulse frequency. Exposure to TMT during pubertal development delayed puberty, suppressed pre-pubertal LH pulsatility and enhanced anxiety-like behaviour, while activation of MePD Ucn3 neurons reduced LH pulse frequency and delayed puberty. Early psychosocial stress exposure decreases GnRH pulse generator frequency delaying puberty while inducing anxiety-behaviour in female mice, an effect potentially involving Ucn3 neurons in the MePD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - XiaoFeng Li
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Caitlin McIntyre
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Geffen Lass
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lingsi Kong
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin T. O’Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Rønnekleiv OK, Qiu J, Kelly MJ. Hypothalamic Kisspeptin Neurons and the Control of Homeostasis. Endocrinology 2022; 163:bqab253. [PMID: 34953135 PMCID: PMC8758343 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hypothalamic kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons provide indispensable excitatory transmission to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons for the coordinated release of gonadotropins, estrous cyclicity, and ovulation. But maintaining reproductive functions is metabolically demanding so there must be a coordination with multiple homeostatic functions, and it is apparent that Kiss1 neurons play that role. There are 2 distinct populations of hypothalamic Kiss1 neurons, namely arcuate nucleus (Kiss1ARH) neurons and anteroventral periventricular and periventricular nucleus (Kiss1AVPV/PeN) neurons in rodents, both of which excite GnRH neurons via kisspeptin release but are differentially regulated by ovarian steroids. Estradiol (E2) increases the expression of kisspeptin in Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons but decreases its expression in Kiss1ARH neurons. Also, Kiss1ARH neurons coexpress glutamate and Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons coexpress gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), both of which are upregulated by E2 in females. Also, Kiss1ARH neurons express critical metabolic hormone receptors, and these neurons are excited by insulin and leptin during the fed state. Moreover, Kiss1ARH neurons project to and excite the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin neurons but inhibit the orexigenic neuropeptide Y/Agouti-related peptide neurons, highlighting their role in regulating feeding behavior. Kiss1ARH and Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons also project to the preautonomic paraventricular nucleus (satiety) neurons and the dorsomedial nucleus (energy expenditure) neurons to differentially regulate their function via glutamate and GABA release, respectively. Therefore, this review will address not only how Kiss1 neurons govern GnRH release, but how they control other homeostatic functions through their peptidergic, glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic connections, providing further evidence that Kiss1 neurons are the key neurons coordinating energy states with reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oline K Rønnekleiv
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Jian Qiu
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Martin J Kelly
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
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16
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Shen X, Liu Y, Li XF, Long H, Wang L, Lyu Q, Kuang Y, O’Byrne KT. Optogenetic stimulation of Kiss1 ARC terminals in the AVPV induces surge-like luteinizing hormone secretion via glutamate release in mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1036235. [PMID: 36425470 PMCID: PMC9678915 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1036235] [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: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptin neurons are mainly located in the arcuate (Kiss1ARC, vis-à-vis the GnRH pulse generator) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (Kiss1AVPV, vis-à-vis the GnRH surge generator). Kiss1ARC send fibre projections that connect with Kiss1AVPV somata. However, studies focused on the role of Kiss1ARC neurons in the LH surge are limited, and the role of Kiss1ARC projections to AVPV (Kiss1ARC→AVPV) in the preovulatory LH surge is still unknown. To investigate its function, this study used optogenetics to selectively stimulate Kiss1ARC→AVPV and measured changes in circulating LH levels. Kiss1ARC in Kiss-Cre-tdTomato mice were virally infected to express channelrhodopsin-2 proteins, and optical stimulation was applied selectively via a fibre optic cannula in the AVPV. Sustained 20 Hz optical stimulation of Kiss1ARC→AVPV from 15:30 to 16:30 h on proestrus effectively induced an immediate increase in LH reaching peak surge-like levels of around 8 ng/ml within 10 min, followed by a gradual decline to baseline over about 40 min. Stimulation at 10 Hz resulted in a non-significant increase in LH levels and 5 Hz stimulation had no effect in proestrous animals. The 20 Hz stimulation induced significantly higher circulating LH levels on proestrus compared with diestrus or estrus, which suggested that the effect of terminal stimulation is modulated by the sex steroid milieu. Additionally, intra-AVPV infusion of glutamate antagonists, AP5+CNQX, completely blocked the increase on LH levels induced by Kiss1ARC→AVPV terminal photostimulation in proestrous animals. These results demonstrate for the first time that optical stimulation of Kiss1ARC→AVPV induces an LH surge-like secretion via glutamatergic mechanisms. In conclusion, Kiss1ARC may participate in LH surge generation by glutamate release from terminal projections in the AVPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Shen
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Long
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qifeng Lyu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanping Kuang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Kevin T. O’Byrne, ; Yanping Kuang,
| | - Kevin T. O’Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Kevin T. O’Byrne, ; Yanping Kuang,
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Faienza MF, Urbano F, Moscogiuri LA, Chiarito M, De Santis S, Giordano P. Genetic, epigenetic and enviromental influencing factors on the regulation of precocious and delayed puberty. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1019468. [PMID: 36619551 PMCID: PMC9813382 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1019468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pubertal development onset is controlled by a network of genes that regulate the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatile release and the subsequent increase of the circulating levels of pituitary gonadotropins that activate the gonadal function. Although the transition from pre-pubertal condition to puberty occurs physiologically in a delimited age-range, the inception of pubertal development can be anticipated or delayed due to genetic and epigenetic changes or environmental conditions. Most of the genetic and epigenetic alterations concern genes which encode for kisspeptin, GnRH, LH, FSH and their receptor, which represent crucial factors of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Recent data indicate a central role of the epigenome in the regulation of genes in the hypothalamus and pituitary that could mediate the flexibility of pubertal timing. Identification of epigenetically regulated genes, such as Makorin ring finger 3 (MKRN3) and Delta-like 1 homologue (DLK1), respectively responsible for the repression and the activation of pubertal development, provides additional evidence of how epigenetic variations affect pubertal timing. This review aims to investigate genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors responsible for the regulation of precocious and delayed puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Felicia Faienza
- Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
- Giovanni XXIII Pediatric Hospital, Bari, Italy
- *Correspondence: Maria Felicia Faienza,
| | | | | | | | - Stefania De Santis
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Giordano
- Giovanni XXIII Pediatric Hospital, Bari, Italy
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
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Extrahypothalamic Control of Energy Balance and Its Connection with Reproduction: Roles of the Amygdala. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11120837. [PMID: 34940594 PMCID: PMC8708157 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11120837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Body energy and metabolic homeostasis are exquisitely controlled by multiple, often overlapping regulatory mechanisms, which permit the tight adjustment between fuel reserves, internal needs, and environmental (e.g., nutritional) conditions. As such, this function is sensitive to and closely connected with other relevant bodily systems, including reproduction and gonadal function. The aim of this mini-review article is to summarize the most salient experimental data supporting a role of the amygdala as a key brain region for emotional learning and behavior, including reward processing, in the physiological control of feeding and energy balance. In particular, a major focus will be placed on the putative interplay between reproductive signals and amygdala pathways, as it pertains to the control of metabolism, as complementary, extrahypothalamic circuit for the integral control of energy balance and gonadal function.
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Ivanova D, Li XF, McIntyre C, Liu Y, Kong L, O’Byrne KT. Urocortin3 in the Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Mediates Stress-induced Suppression of LH Pulsatility in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6383454. [PMID: 34618891 PMCID: PMC8547342 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress disrupts reproduction and interferes with pulsatile LH secretion. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is an upstream modulator of the reproductive axis and stress. Corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptors (CRFR2s) are activated in the presence of psychosocial stress together with increased expression of the CRFR2 ligand Urocortin3 (Ucn3) in the MePD of rodents. We investigate whether Ucn3 signalling in the MePD is involved in mediating the suppressive effect of psychosocial stress on LH pulsatility. First, we administered Ucn3 into the MePD and monitored the effect on LH pulses in ovariectomized mice. Next, we delivered Astressin2B, a selective CRFR2 antagonist, intra-MePD in the presence of predator odor, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) and examined the effect on LH pulses. Subsequently, we virally infected Ucn3-cre-tdTomato mice with inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) targeting MePD Ucn3 neurons while exposing mice to TMT or restraint stress and examined the effect on LH pulsatility as well as corticosterone release. Administration of Ucn3 into the MePD dose-dependently inhibited LH pulses and administration of Astressin2B blocked the suppressive effect of TMT on LH pulsatility. Additionally, DREADDs inhibition of MePD Ucn3 neurons blocked TMT and restraint stress-induced inhibition of LH pulses and corticosterone release. These results demonstrate for the first time that Ucn3 neurons in the MePD mediate psychosocial stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator and corticosterone secretion. Ucn3 signalling in the MePD plays a role in modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes, and this brain locus may represent a nodal center in the interaction between the reproductive and stress axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College, London SE1 1UL, UK
- Correspondence: Deyana Ivanova, PhD, Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course 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, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Caitlin McIntyre
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lingsi Kong
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Kevin T O’Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College, London SE1 1UL, UK
- Correspondence: Kevin T. O’Byrne, Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course 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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20
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Voliotis M, Li XF, De Burgh RA, Lass G, Ivanova D, McIntyre C, O'Byrne K, Tsaneva-Atanasova K. Modulation of pulsatile GnRH dynamics across the ovarian cycle via changes in the network excitability and basal activity of the arcuate kisspeptin network. eLife 2021; 10:e71252. [PMID: 34787076 PMCID: PMC8651288 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulsatile GnRH release is essential for normal reproductive function. Kisspeptin secreting neurons found in the arcuate nucleus, known as KNDy neurons for co-expressing neurokinin B, and dynorphin, drive pulsatile GnRH release. Furthermore, gonadal steroids regulate GnRH pulsatile dynamics across the ovarian cycle by altering KNDy neurons' signalling properties. However, the precise mechanism of regulation remains mostly unknown. To better understand these mechanisms, we start by perturbing the KNDy system at different stages of the estrous cycle using optogenetics. We find that optogenetic stimulation of KNDy neurons stimulates pulsatile GnRH/LH secretion in estrous mice but inhibits it in diestrous mice. These in vivo results in combination with mathematical modelling suggest that the transition between estrus and diestrus is underpinned by well-orchestrated changes in neuropeptide signalling and in the excitability of the KNDy population controlled via glutamate signalling. Guided by model predictions, we show that blocking glutamate signalling in diestrous animals inhibits LH pulses, and that optic stimulation of the KNDy population mitigates this inhibition. In estrous mice, disruption of glutamate signalling inhibits pulses generated via sustained low-frequency optic stimulation of the KNDy population, supporting the idea that the level of network excitability is critical for pulse generation. Our results reconcile previous puzzling findings regarding the estradiol-dependent effect that several neuromodulators have on the GnRH pulse generator dynamics. Therefore, we anticipate our model to be a cornerstone for a more quantitative understanding of the pathways via which gonadal steroids regulate GnRH pulse generator dynamics. Finally, our results could inform useful repurposing of drugs targeting the glutamate system in reproductive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaritis Voliotis
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of ExeterExeterUnited Kingdom
| | - Xiao Feng Li
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Ross Alexander De Burgh
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Geffen Lass
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Deyana Ivanova
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Caitlin McIntyre
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Kevin O'Byrne
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of ExeterExeterUnited Kingdom
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21
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Talbi R, Navarro VM. Novel insights into the metabolic action of Kiss1 neurons. Endocr Connect 2020; 9:R124-R133. [PMID: 32348961 PMCID: PMC7274555 DOI: 10.1530/ec-20-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Kiss1 neurons are essential regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis by regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release. Compelling evidence suggests that Kiss1 neurons of the arcuate nucleus (Kiss1ARC), recently identified as the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator driving fertility, also participate in the regulation of metabolism through kisspeptinergic and glutamatergic interactions with, at least, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP)/neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons, located in close apposition with Kiss1ARC. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the recent developments, mainly derived from animal models, on the role of Kiss1 neurons in the regulation of energy balance, including food intake, energy expenditure and the influence of circadian rhythms on this role. Furthermore, the possible neuroendocrine pathways underlying this effect, and the existing controversies related to the anorexigenic action of kisspeptin in the different experimental models, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajae Talbi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor M Navarro
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Correspondence should be addressed to V M Navarro:
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