1
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Manoogian ENC, Bahiru MS, Wang EJ, Holder M, Bittman EL. Neuroendocrine effects of the duper mutation in Syrian hamsters: a role for Cryptochrome 1. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1351682. [PMID: 38444761 PMCID: PMC10912188 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1351682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular and physiological determinants of the timing of reproductive events, including the pre-ovulatory LH surge and seasonal fluctuations in fertility, are incompletely understood. We used the Cryptochrome 1-deficient duper mutant to examine the role of this core circadian clock gene in Syrian hamsters. We find that the phase of the LH surge and its stability upon shifts of the light: dark cycle are altered in duper mutants. The intensity of immunoreactive PER1 in GnRH cells of the preoptic area peaks earlier in the day in duper than wild type hamsters. We note that GnRH fibers coursing through the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) contact vasopressin- and VIP-immunoreactive cells, suggesting a possible locus of circadian control of the LH surge. Unlike wild types, duper hamsters do not regress their gonads within 8 weeks of constant darkness, despite evidence of melatonin secretion during the subjective night. In light of the finding that the duper allele is a stop codon in Cryptochrome 1, our results suggest important neuroendocrine functions of this core circadian clock gene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Eric L. Bittman
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
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2
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Markam PS, Bourguignon C, Zhu L, Darvas M, Sabatini PV, Kokoeva MV, Giros B, Storch KF. The neurons that drive infradian sleep-wake and mania-like behavioral rhythms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.14.566955. [PMID: 38014299 PMCID: PMC10680706 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.566955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Infradian mood and sleep-wake rhythms with periods of 48 hr and beyond have been observed in bipolar disorder (BD) subjects that even persist in time isolation, indicating an endogenous origin. Here we show that mice exposed to methamphetamine (Meth) in drinking water develop infradian locomotor rhythms with periods of 48 hr and beyond which extend to sleep length and mania-like behaviors in support of a model for cycling in BD. This cycling capacity is abrogated upon genetic disruption of DA production in DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or ablation of nucleus accumbens (NAc) projecting, dopamine (DA) neurons. Chemogenetic activation of NAc-projecting DA neurons leads to locomotor period lengthening in clock deficient mice, while cytosolic calcium in DA processes of the NAc was found fluctuating synchronously with locomotor behavior. Together, our findings argue that BD cycling relies on infradian rhythm generation that depends on NAc-projecting DA neurons.
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3
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Moreira ARS, Lim J, Urbaniak A, Banik J, Bronson K, Lagasse A, Hardy L, Haney A, Allensworth M, Miles TK, Gies A, Byrum SD, Wilczynska A, Boehm U, Kharas M, Lengner C, MacNicol MC, Childs GV, MacNicol AM, Odle AK. Musashi Exerts Control of Gonadotrope Target mRNA Translation During the Mouse Estrous Cycle. Endocrinology 2023; 164:bqad113. [PMID: 37477898 PMCID: PMC10402870 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad113] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The anterior pituitary controls key biological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, and stress responses through distinct cell types that each secrete specific hormones. The anterior pituitary cells show a remarkable level of cell type plasticity that mediates the shifts in hormone-producing cell populations that are required to meet organismal needs. The molecular mechanisms underlying pituitary cell plasticity are not well understood. Recent work has implicated the pituitary stem cell populations and specifically, the mRNA binding proteins of the Musashi family in control of pituitary cell type identity. In this study we have identified the target mRNAs that mediate Musashi function in the adult mouse pituitary and demonstrate the requirement for Musashi function in vivo. Using Musashi RNA immunoprecipitation, we identify a cohort of 1184 mRNAs that show specific Musashi binding. Identified Musashi targets include the Gnrhr mRNA, which encodes the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), and the Fshb mRNA, encoding follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Reporter assays reveal that Musashi functions to exert repression of translation of the Fshb mRNA, in addition to the previously observed repression of the Gnrhr mRNA. Importantly, mice engineered to lack Musashi in gonadotropes demonstrate a failure to repress translation of the endogenous Gnrhr and Fshb mRNAs during the estrous cycle and display a significant heterogeneity in litter sizes. The range of identified target mRNAs suggests that, in addition to these key gonadotrope proteins, Musashi may exert broad regulatory control over the pituitary proteome in a cell type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Silva Moreira
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Juchan Lim
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Alicja Urbaniak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Jewel Banik
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Katherine Bronson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Alex Lagasse
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Linda Hardy
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Anessa Haney
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Melody Allensworth
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Tiffany K Miles
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Allen Gies
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Ania Wilczynska
- Bit.bio, The Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3FH, UK
| | - Ulrich Boehm
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Molecular Signaling, Saarland University School of Medicine, Homburg 66421, Germany
| | - Michael Kharas
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher Lengner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
| | - Melanie C MacNicol
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Gwen V Childs
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Angus M MacNicol
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Angela K Odle
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
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4
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Piet R. Circadian and kisspeptin regulation of the preovulatory surge. Peptides 2023; 163:170981. [PMID: 36842628 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.170981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Fertility in mammals is ultimately controlled by a small population of neurons - the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons - located in the ventral forebrain. GnRH neurons control gonadal function through the release of GnRH, which in turn stimulates the secretion of the anterior pituitary gonadotropins luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In spontaneous ovulators, ovarian follicle maturation eventually stimulates, via sex steroid feedback, the mid-cycle surge in GnRH and LH secretion that causes ovulation. The GnRH/LH surge is initiated in many species just before the onset of activity through processes controlled by the central circadian clock, ensuring that the neuroendocrine control of ovulation and sex behavior are coordinated. This review aims to give an overview of anatomical and functional studies that collectively reveal some of the mechanisms through which the central circadian clock regulates GnRH neurons and their afferent circuits to drive the preovulatory surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Piet
- Brain Health Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.
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5
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Li Y, Zhang H, Wang Y, Li D, Chen H. Advances in circadian clock regulation of reproduction. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 137:83-133. [PMID: 37709382 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian circadian clock is an endogenously regulated oscillator that is synchronized with solar time and cycle within a 24-h period. The circadian clock exists not only in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, a central pacemaker of the circadian clock system, but also in numerous peripheral tissues known as peripheral circadian oscillators. The SCN and peripheral circadian oscillators mutually orchestrate the diurnal rhythms of various physiological and behavioral processes in a hierarchical manner. In the past two decades, peripheral circadian oscillators have been identified and their function has been determined in the mammalian reproductive system and its related endocrine glands, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, testes, uterus, mammary glands, and prostate gland. Increasing evidence indicates that both the SCN and peripheral circadian oscillators play discrete roles in coordinating reproductive processes and optimizing fertility in mammals. The present study reviews recent evidence on circadian clock regulation of reproductive function in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and reproductive system. Additionally, we elucidate the effects of chronodisruption (as a result of, for example, shift work, jet lag, disrupted eating patterns, and sleep disorders) on mammalian reproductive performance from multiple aspects. Finally, we propose potential behavioral changes or pharmaceutical strategies for the prevention and treatment of reproductive disorders from the perspective of chronomedicine. Conclusively, this review will outline recent evidence on circadian clock regulation of reproduction, providing novel perspectives on the role of the circadian clock in maintaining normal reproductive functions and in diseases that negatively affect fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Li
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Haisen Zhang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Yiqun Wang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Huatao Chen
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
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6
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Circle(s) of Life: The Circadian Clock from Birth to Death. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030383. [PMID: 36979075 PMCID: PMC10045474 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Most lifeforms on earth use endogenous, so-called circadian clocks to adapt to 24-h cycles in environmental demands driven by the planet’s rotation around its axis. Interactions with the environment change over the course of a lifetime, and so does regulation of the circadian clock system. In this review, we summarize how circadian clocks develop in humans and experimental rodents during embryonic development, how they mature after birth and what changes occur during puberty, adolescence and with increasing age. Special emphasis is laid on the circadian regulation of reproductive systems as major organizers of life segments and life span. We discuss differences in sexes and outline potential areas for future research. Finally, potential options for medical applications of lifespan chronobiology are discussed.
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7
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Ono M, Ando H, Daikoku T, Fujiwara T, Mieda M, Mizumoto Y, Iizuka T, Kagami K, Hosono T, Nomura S, Toyoda N, Sekizuka-Kagami N, Maida Y, Kuji N, Nishi H, Fujiwara H. The Circadian Clock, Nutritional Signals and Reproduction: A Close Relationship. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021545. [PMID: 36675058 PMCID: PMC9865912 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The circadian rhythm, which is necessary for reproduction, is controlled by clock genes. In the mouse uterus, the oscillation of the circadian clock gene has been observed. The transcription of the core clock gene period (Per) and cryptochrome (Cry) is activated by the heterodimer of the transcription factor circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (Clock) and brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1). By binding to E-box sequences in the promoters of Per1/2 and Cry1/2 genes, the CLOCK-BMAL1 heterodimer promotes the transcription of these genes. Per1/2 and Cry1/2 form a complex with the Clock/Bmal1 heterodimer and inactivate its transcriptional activities. Endometrial BMAL1 expression levels are lower in human recurrent-miscarriage sufferers. Additionally, it was shown that the presence of BMAL1-depleted decidual cells prevents trophoblast invasion, highlighting the importance of the endometrial clock throughout pregnancy. It is widely known that hormone synthesis is disturbed and sterility develops in Bmal1-deficient mice. Recently, we discovered that animals with uterus-specific Bmal1 loss also had poor placental development, and these mice also had intrauterine fetal death. Furthermore, it was shown that time-restricted feeding controlled the uterine clock's circadian rhythm. The uterine clock system may be a possibility for pregnancy complications, according to these results. We summarize the most recent research on the close connection between the circadian clock and reproduction in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Ono
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-3342-6111
| | - Hitoshi Ando
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Function Analysis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Takiko Daikoku
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Advanced Science Research Center, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiwara
- Department of Social Work and Life Design, Kyoto Notre Dame University, Kyoto 606-0848, Japan
| | - Michihiro Mieda
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Yasunari Mizumoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Takashi Iizuka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Kagami
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Takashi Hosono
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nomura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Natsumi Toyoda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Advanced Science Research Center, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Naomi Sekizuka-Kagami
- Department of Nursing, College of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Maida
- Department of Nursing, College of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
| | - Naoaki Kuji
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Nishi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
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8
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Moeller JS, Bever SR, Finn SL, Phumsatitpong C, Browne MF, Kriegsfeld LJ. Circadian Regulation of Hormonal Timing and the Pathophysiology of Circadian Dysregulation. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:4185-4214. [PMID: 36073751 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c220018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, daily patterns of behavior and physiology that are essential for optimal health and disease prevention. Disruptions to circadian timing are associated with a host of maladies, including metabolic disease and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health disturbances. The circadian timing system is hierarchically organized, with a master circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus and subordinate clocks throughout the CNS and periphery. The SCN receives light information via a direct retinal pathway, synchronizing the master clock to environmental time. At the cellular level, circadian rhythms are ubiquitous, with rhythms generated by interlocking, autoregulatory transcription-translation feedback loops. At the level of the SCN, tight cellular coupling maintains rhythms even in the absence of environmental input. The SCN, in turn, communicates timing information via the autonomic nervous system and hormonal signaling. This signaling couples individual cellular oscillators at the tissue level in extra-SCN brain loci and the periphery and synchronizes subordinate clocks to external time. In the modern world, circadian disruption is widespread due to limited exposure to sunlight during the day, exposure to artificial light at night, and widespread use of light-emitting electronic devices, likely contributing to an increase in the prevalence, and the progression, of a host of disease states. The present overview focuses on the circadian control of endocrine secretions, the significance of rhythms within key endocrine axes for typical, homeostatic functioning, and implications for health and disease when dysregulated. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12: 1-30, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Moeller
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Savannah R Bever
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Samantha L Finn
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Madison F Browne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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9
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Soejima Y, Iwata N, Nakayama N, Hirata S, Nakano Y, Yamamoto K, Suyama A, Oguni K, Nada T, Fujisawa S, Otsuka F. Mutual Effects of Orexin and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins on Gonadotropin Expression by Mouse Gonadotrope Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179782. [PMID: 36077179 PMCID: PMC9456022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Orexin plays a key role in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and in feeding behavior in the central nervous system, but its receptors are expressed in various peripheral tissues including endocrine tissues. In the present study, we elucidated the effects of orexin on pituitary gonadotropin regulation by focusing on the functional involvement of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and clock genes using mouse gonadotrope LβT2 cells that express orexin type 1 (OX1R) and type 2 (OX2R) receptors. Treatments with orexin A enhanced LHβ and FSHβ mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in the absence of GnRH, whereas orexin A in turn suppressed GnRH-induced gonadotropin expression in LβT2 cells. Orexin A downregulated GnRH receptor expression, while GnRH enhanced OX1R and OX2R mRNA expression. Treatments with orexin A as well as GnRH increased the mRNA levels of Bmal1 and Clock, which are oscillational regulators for gonadotropin expression. Of note, treatments with BMP-6 and -15 enhanced OX1R and OX2R mRNA expression with upregulation of clock gene expression. On the other hand, orexin A enhanced BMP receptor signaling of Smad1/5/9 phosphorylation through upregulation of ALK-2/BMPRII among the BMP receptors expressed in LβT2 cells. Collectively, the results indicate that orexin regulates gonadotropin expression via clock gene expression by mutually interacting with GnRH action and the pituitary BMP system in gonadotrope cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Soejima
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Nahoko Iwata
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Nanako Nakayama
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Shinichi Hirata
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakano
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Koichiro Yamamoto
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Atsuhito Suyama
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Kohei Oguni
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nada
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fujisawa
- Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Fumio Otsuka
- Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-86-235-7342; Fax: +81-86-235-7345
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10
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Tonsfeldt KJ, Cui LJ, Lee J, Walbeek TJ, Brusman LE, Jin Y, Mieda M, Gorman MR, Mellon PL. Female fertility does not require Bmal1 in suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons expressing arginine vasopressin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, or neuromedin-S. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:956169. [PMID: 35992114 PMCID: PMC9389073 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.956169] [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: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruptions to the circadian system alter reproductive capacity, particularly in females. Mice lacking the core circadian clock gene, Bmal1, are infertile and have evidence of neuroendocrine disruption including the absence of the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge and enhanced responsiveness to exogenous kisspeptin. Here, we explore the role of Bmal1 in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neuron populations known to project to the neuroendocrine axis. We generated four mouse lines using Cre/Lox technology to create conditional deletion of Bmal1 in arginine vasopressin (Bmal1fl/fl:Avpcre ), vasoactive intestinal peptide (Bmal1fl/fl:Vipcre ), both (Bmal1fl/fl:Avpcre+Vipcre ), and neuromedin-s (Bmal1fl/fl:Nmscre ) neurons. We demonstrate that the loss of Bmal1 in these populations has substantial effects on home-cage circadian activity and temperature rhythms. Despite this, we found that female mice from these lines demonstrated normal estrus cycles, fecundity, kisspeptin responsiveness, and inducible LH surge. We found no evidence of reproductive disruption in constant darkness. Overall, our results indicate that while conditional Bmal1 knockout in AVP, VIP, or NMS neurons is sufficient to disrupted locomotor activity, this disruption is insufficient to recapitulate the neuroendocrine reproductive effects of the whole-body Bmal1 knockout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Tonsfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Laura J. Cui
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jinkwon Lee
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Thijs J. Walbeek
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Liza E. Brusman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ye Jin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michihiro Mieda
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Michael R. Gorman
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pamela L. Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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11
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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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12
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Moralia MA, Quignon C, Simonneaux M, Simonneaux V. Environmental disruption of reproductive rhythms. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:100990. [PMID: 35227765 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction is a key biological function requiring a precise synchronization with annual and daily cues to cope with environmental fluctuations. Therefore, humans and animals have developed well-conserved photoneuroendocrine pathways to integrate and process daily and seasonal light signals within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, in the past century, industrialization and the modern 24/7 human lifestyle have imposed detrimental changes in natural habitats and rhythms of life. Indeed, exposure to an excessive amount of artificial light at inappropriate timing because of shift work and nocturnal urban lighting, as well as the ubiquitous environmental contamination by endocrine-disrupting chemicals, threaten the integrity of the daily and seasonal timing of biological functions. Here, we review recent epidemiological, field and experimental studies to discuss how light and chemical pollution of the environment can disrupt reproductive rhythms by interfering with the photoneuroendocrine timing system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Azélie Moralia
- Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - Clarisse Quignon
- Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marine Simonneaux
- Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Simonneaux
- Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France.
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13
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Tonsfeldt KJ, Mellon PL, Hoffmann HM. Circadian Rhythms in the Neuronal Network Timing the Luteinizing Hormone Surge. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6490154. [PMID: 34967900 PMCID: PMC8782605 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
For billions of years before electric light was invented, life on Earth evolved under the pattern of light during the day and darkness during the night. Through evolution, nearly all organisms internalized the temporal rhythm of Earth's 24-hour rotation and evolved self-sustaining biological clocks with a ~24-hour rhythm. These internal rhythms are called circadian rhythms, and the molecular constituents that generate them are called molecular circadian clocks. Alignment of molecular clocks with the environmental light-dark rhythms optimizes physiology and behavior. This phenomenon is particularly true for reproductive function, in which seasonal breeders use day length information to time yearly changes in fertility. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that light-induced disruption of circadian rhythms can negatively impact fertility in nonseasonal breeders as well. In particular, the luteinizing hormone surge promoting ovulation is sensitive to circadian disruption. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of the neuronal networks that underlie circadian rhythms and the luteinizing hormone surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Tonsfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Pamela L Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Correspondence: Pamela L. Mellon, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, USA 92093-0674.
| | - Hanne M Hoffmann
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, 766 Service Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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14
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Beroukhim G, Esencan E, Seifer DB. Impact of sleep patterns upon female neuroendocrinology and reproductive outcomes: a comprehensive review. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:16. [PMID: 35042515 PMCID: PMC8764829 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-00889-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is vital to human bodily function. Growing evidence indicates that sleep deprivation, disruption, dysrhythmia, and disorders are associated with impaired reproductive function and poor clinical outcomes in women. These associations are largely mediated by molecular-genetic and hormonal pathways, which are crucial for the complex and time sensitive processes of hormone synthesis/secretion, folliculogenesis, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, and menstruation. Pathologic sleep patterns are closely linked to menstrual irregularity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian insufficiency, sub/infertility, and early pregnancy loss. Measures of success with assisted reproductive technology are also lower among women who engage in shift work, or experience sleep disruption or short sleep duration. Extremes of sleep duration, poor sleep quality, sleep disordered breathing, and shift work are also associated with several harmful conditions in pregnancy, including gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders. While accumulating evidence implicates pathologic sleep patterns in impaired reproductive function and poor reproductive outcomes, additional research is needed to determine causality and propose therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Beroukhim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Ecem Esencan
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - David B Seifer
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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15
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Jiang Y, Li S, Xu W, Ying J, Qu Y, Jiang X, Zhang A, Yue Y, Zhou R, Ruan T, Li J, Mu D. Critical Roles of the Circadian Transcription Factor BMAL1 in Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:818272. [PMID: 35311235 PMCID: PMC8924658 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.818272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain and muscle aryl-hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator like protein1 (BMAL1), a core component of circadian oscillation, is involved in many physiological activities. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the essential role of BMAL1 in reproductive physiology. For instance, BMAL1-knockout (KO) mice were infertile, with impaired reproductive organs and gametes. Additionally, in BMAL1-KO mice, hormone secretion and signaling of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (H-P-G) hormones were also disrupted, indicating that H-P-G axis was impaired in BMAL1-KO mice. Moreover, both BMAL1-KO mice and BMAL1-knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in vitro cultured steroidogenic cells showed that BMAL1 was associated with gonadal steroidogenesis and expression of related genes. Importantly, BMAL1 also participates in pathogenesis of human reproductive diseases. In this review, we elaborate on the impaired reproduction of BMAL1-KO mice including the reproductive organs, reproductive endocrine hormones, and reproductive processes, highlighting the vital role of BMAL1 in fertility and reproductive endocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shiping Li
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Regulation Laboratory, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Junjie Ying
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Qu
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohui Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Andrology/Sichuan Human Sperm Bank, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ayuan Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Yue
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruixi Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiechao Ruan
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Jinhui Li, ; Dezhi Mu,
| | - Dezhi Mu
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Jinhui Li, ; Dezhi Mu,
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16
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Liang Z, Liu J. Sleep Behavior and Self-Reported Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Among U.S. Women. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:818567. [PMID: 35620388 PMCID: PMC9127231 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.818567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations between sleep behaviors and female infertility. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study composed of 2175 U.S. women 18-44 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2015-2018). Bedtime/waketime and sleep duration were extracted from the sleep disorder questionnaire. Self-reported infertility was defined as a binary variable based on the participants' response to the question, "Have you ever attempted to become pregnant over a period of at least a year without becoming pregnant?". Multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to explore the relationship between sleep behaviors and female infertility. RESULTS Bedtime (OR=1.24; 95% CI, 1.10-1.40, P = 0.001) and waketime (OR=1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.28, P = 0.037) were associated with infertility. Waketime of 08:00 was the inflection point, above which the probability of infertility increased rapidly (OR=1.41; 95% CI, 1.11-1.79, P = 0.004). Sleep-wake behavior was significantly associated with infertility (OR=1.34; 95% CI, 1.16-1.53, P < 0.001) and participants with early-bed/early-rise behavior had the lowest risk. CONCLUSIONS Among U.S. women 18-44 years of age, bedtime and waketime were significantly linearly and non-linearly correlated with infertility, respectively. Early-bed/early-rise behavior was associated with the lowest infertility rate. Further study is needed because the timing of sleep behaviors are modifiable factors and could be a novel strategy to cope with infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianqiao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jianqiao Liu,
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17
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Oda Y, Takasu NN, Ohno SN, Shirakawa Y, Sugimura M, Nakamura TJ, Nakamura W. Role of heterozygous and homozygous alleles in cryptochrome-deficient mice. Neurosci Lett 2021; 772:136415. [PMID: 34954114 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The circadian rhythms of physiology and behavior are based on molecular systems at the cellular level, which are regulated by clock genes, including cryptochrome genes, Cry1 and Cry2. In mammals, the circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus maintains the circadian rhythms throughout the body. Cry1 and Cry2 play distinct roles in regulating the circadian rhythm. However, the different effects of manipulating clock genes in heterozygous and homozygous alleles, Cry1 and Cry2, remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the haplosufficiency of cryptochrome genes in regulating the circadian system. We examined wheel-running activity rhythms and PER2::LUC expression rhythms in SCN slices and pituitary explants in mice. Compared with wild-type mice, Cry1-/- or Cry2-/- mice had shortened or lengthened periods in free-running behavioral rhythms and PER2::LUC expression in the SCN and pituitary gland. Cry1+/- mice had similar circadian rhythms as wild-type mice, although Cry2+/- mice had lengthened periods. The amplitude of PER2::LUC expression exhibited faster damping in Cry1-/- mice. Therefore, Cry1 deficiency affects the circadian period length and stability of the circadian system. A single allele of Cry2 deficiency affects the circadian rhythm, whereas that of Cry1 deficit is compensated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Oda
- Department of Oral Chrono-Physiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 851-8102, Japan
| | - Nana N Takasu
- Department of Oral Chrono-Physiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 851-8102, Japan
| | - Sachi N Ohno
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
| | - Yukie Shirakawa
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
| | - Mitsutaka Sugimura
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
| | - Takahiro J Nakamura
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Wataru Nakamura
- Department of Oral Chrono-Physiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 851-8102, Japan
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18
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Soejima Y, Iwata N, Nakano Y, Yamamoto K, Suyama A, Nada T, Otsuka F. Biphasic Roles of Clock Genes and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in Gonadotropin Expression by Mouse Gonadotrope Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11186. [PMID: 34681844 PMCID: PMC8540405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Roles of Clock genes and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) system in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) were investigated using mouse gonadotropin LβT2 cells. It was found that luteinizing hormone (LH)β mRNA expression level in LβT2 cells changed gradually over time, with LHβ expression being suppressed in the early phase up to 12 h and then elevated in the late phase 24 h after GnRH stimulation. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of Clock genes, including Bmal1, Clock, Per2, and Cry1, also showed temporal changes mimicking the pattern of LHβ expression in the presence and absence of GnRH. Notably, the expression levels of Bmal1 and Clock showed strong positive correlations with LHβ mRNA expression levels. Moreover, a functional link of the ERK signaling of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the suppression of LHβ mRNA expression, as well as Bmal1 and Clock mRNA expression by GnRH at the early phase, was revealed. Inhibition of Bmal1 and Clock expression using siRNA was involved in the reduction in LHβ mRNA levels in the late phase 24 h after GnRH stimulation. Furthermore, in the presence of BMP-6 and -7, late-phase Bmal1 and LHβ mRNA expression after GnRH stimulation was significantly attenuated. Collectively, the results indicated that LH expression in gonadotrope cells exhibits Bmal1/Clock-dependent fluctuations under the influence of GnRH and that the fluctuations are regulated by ERK and BMPs in the early and late stages, respectively, in a phase-dependent manner after GnRH stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fumio Otsuka
- Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; (Y.S.); (N.I.); (Y.N.); (K.Y.); (A.S.); (T.N.)
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19
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Hoffmann HM, Meadows JD, Breuer JA, Yaw AM, Nguyen D, Tonsfeldt KJ, Chin AY, Devries BM, Trang C, Oosterhouse HJ, Lee JS, Doser JW, Gorman MR, Welsh DK, Mellon PL. The transcription factors SIX3 and VAX1 are required for suprachiasmatic nucleus circadian output and fertility in female mice. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2625-2645. [PMID: 34212416 PMCID: PMC8577618 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The homeodomain transcription factors sine oculis homeobox 3 (Six3) and ventral anterior homeobox 1 (Vax1) are required for brain development. Their expression in specific brain areas is maintained in adulthood, where their functions are poorly understood. To identify the roles of Six3 and Vax1 in neurons, we conditionally deleted each gene using Synapsincre , a promoter targeting maturing neurons, and generated Six3syn and Vax1syn mice. Six3syn and Vax1syn females, but not males, had reduced fertility, due to impairment of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge driving ovulation. In nocturnal rodents, the LH surge requires a precise timing signal from the brain's circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), near the time of activity onset. Indeed, both Six3syn and Vax1syn females had impaired rhythmic SCN output, which was associated with weakened Period 2 molecular clock function in both Six3syn and Vax1syn mice. These impairments were associated with a reduction of the SCN neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide in Vax1syn mice and a modest weakening of SCN timekeeping function in both Six3syn and Vax1syn mice. Changes in SCN function were associated with mistimed peak PER2::LUC expression in the SCN and pituitary in both Six3syn and Vax1syn females. Interestingly, Six3syn ovaries presented reduced sensitivity to LH, causing reduced ovulation during superovulation. In conclusion, we have identified novel roles of the homeodomain transcription factors SIX3 and VAX1 in neurons, where they are required for proper molecular circadian clock function, SCN rhythmic output, and female fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne M. Hoffmann
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jason D. Meadows
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A. Breuer
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra M. Yaw
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Duong Nguyen
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Karen J. Tonsfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Austin Y. Chin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Brooke M. Devries
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Crystal Trang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Haley J. Oosterhouse
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Sora Lee
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey W. Doser
- CANR Statistical Consulting Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Michael R. Gorman
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - David K. Welsh
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Pamela L. Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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20
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Shao S, Zhao H, Lu Z, Lei X, Zhang Y. Circadian Rhythms Within the Female HPG Axis: From Physiology to Etiology. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6298422. [PMID: 34125877 PMCID: PMC8256628 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Declining female fertility has become a global health concern. It results partially from an abnormal circadian clock caused by unhealthy diet and sleep habits in modern life. The circadian clock system is a hierarchical network consisting of central and peripheral clocks. It not only controls the sleep-wake and feeding-fasting cycles but also coordinates and maintains the required reproductive activities in the body. Physiologically, the reproductive processes are governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in a time-dependent manner. The HPG axis releases hormones, generates female characteristics, and achieves fertility. Conversely, an abnormal daily rhythm caused by aberrant clock genes or abnormal environmental stimuli contributes to disorders of the female reproductive system, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and premature ovarian insufficiency. Therefore, breaking the "time code" of the female reproductive system is crucial. In this paper, we review the interplay between circadian clocks and the female reproductive system and present its regulatory principles, moving from normal physiology regulation to disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Shao
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Huanqiang Zhao
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Zhiying Lu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xiaohong Lei
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Correspondence: Dr. Ying Zhang, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Fangxie Road 419, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200011, China.
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Zhai J, Li S, Hu J, Gao M, Sun Y, Chen ZJ, Giudice LC, Du Y. In Silico, In Vitro, and In Vivo Analysis Identifies Endometrial Circadian Clock Genes in Recurrent Implantation Failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; 106:2077-2091. [PMID: 33619544 PMCID: PMC8502449 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Previous work has demonstrated the role of the circadian clock in ovarian steroid hormone synthesis and attributed embryo implantation failure associated with arrhythmic circadian clock genes to insufficient ovarian-derived progesterone synthesis. Research on expression of core circadian clock genes in the endometrium itself and possible roles in compromised endometrial receptivity and recurrent implantation failure (RIF) are limited. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the core circadian clock gene profiling in human endometrium across the menstrual cycle and the possible gene interaction networks in the endometrial receptivity of window of implantation (WOI) as well as RIF. METHODS The study was initially an in silico study, with confirmatory lab-based data from primary human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) as well as endometrial biopsies obtained from 60 women undergoing gynecological surgery in a clinical research center. The study included 30 RIF women and 30 age-matched and body mass index-matched controls. RESULTS Initial data mining and bioinformatics analysis of human endometrial microarray datasets across the menstrual cycle and between RIF women versus controls demonstrated the varied expression of core circadian clock genes across menstrual cycle, including the key role of PER2 in WOI and RIF. A PER2-centered network was investigated in the regulation of endometrial receptivity. We also confirmed the evidently increased mRNA expression of SHTN1, RXFP1, KLF5, and STEAP4 in the endometrium of RIF women, displaying the same trend as PER2 did, without any changes in MT1E and FKBP5. Treatment of PER2 siRNA in hESCs verified the positive regulation of PER2 to SHTN1, KLF5, and STEAP4. CONCLUSION Aberrant expression of endometrial PER2 might contribute to impaired endometrial receptivity and development of RIF via regulating SHTN1, KLF5, and STEAP4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Zhai
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shang Li
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Hu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Minzhi Gao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Zi-Jiang Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Linda C Giudice
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yanzhi Du
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
- Correspondence: Yanzhi Du, MD, PhD, 845 Lingshan Road, Shanghai 200135, China.
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22
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Alvord VM, Kantra EJ, Pendergast JS. Estrogens and the circadian system. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 126:56-65. [PMID: 33975754 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are ~24 h cycles of behavior and physiology that are generated by a network of molecular clocks located in nearly every tissue in the body. In mammals, the circadian system is organized hierarchically such that the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the main circadian clock that receives light information from the eye and entrains to the light-dark cycle. The SCN then coordinates the timing of tissue clocks so internal rhythms are aligned with environmental cycles. Estrogens interact with the circadian system to regulate biological processes. At the molecular level, estrogens and circadian genes interact to regulate gene expression and cell biology. Estrogens also regulate circadian behavior across the estrous cycle. The timing of ovulation during the estrous cycle requires coincident estrogen and SCN signals. Studies using circadian gene reporter mice have also elucidated estrogen regulation of peripheral tissue clocks and metabolic rhythms. This review synthesizes current understanding of the interplay between estrogens and the circadian system, with a focus on female rodents, in regulating molecular, physiological, and behavioral processes.
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Bottalico LN, Weljie AM. Cross-species physiological interactions of endocrine disrupting chemicals with the circadian clock. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 301:113650. [PMID: 33166531 PMCID: PMC7993548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are endocrine-active chemical pollutants that disrupt reproductive, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and metabolic health across species. The circadian clock is a transcriptional oscillator responsible for entraining 24-hour rhythms of physiology, behavior and metabolism. Extensive bidirectional cross talk exists between circadian and endocrine systems and circadian rhythmicity is present at all levels of endocrine control, from synthesis and release of hormones, to sensitivity of target tissues to hormone action. In mammals, a range of hormones directly alter clock gene expression and circadian physiology via nuclear receptor (NR) binding and subsequent genomic action, modulating physiological processes such as nutrient and energy metabolism, stress response, reproductive physiology and circadian behavioral rhythms. The potential for EDCs to perturb circadian clocks or circadian-driven physiology is not well characterized. For this reason, we explore evidence for parallel endocrine and circadian disruption following EDC exposure across species. In the reviewed studies, EDCs dysregulated core clock and circadian rhythm network gene expression in brain and peripheral organs, and altered circadian reproductive, behavioral and metabolic rhythms. Circadian impacts occurred in parallel to endocrine and metabolic alterations such as impaired fertility and dysregulated metabolic and energetic homeostasis. Further research is warranted to understand the nature of interaction between circadian and endocrine systems in mediating physiological effects of EDC exposure at environmental levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Bottalico
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Aalim M Weljie
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Disruption of Circadian Rhythms: A Crucial Factor in the Etiology of Infertility. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113943. [PMID: 32486326 PMCID: PMC7312974 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility represents a growing health problem in industrialized countries. Thus, a greater understanding of the molecular networks involved in this disease could be critical for the development of new therapies. A recent finding revealed that circadian rhythmicity disruption is one of the main causes of poor reproductive outcome. The circadian clock system beats circadian rhythms and modulates several physiological functions such as the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, heart rate, and hormones secretion, all of which enable the body to function in response to a 24 h cycle. This intricated machinery is driven by specific genes, called “clock genes” that fine-tune body homeostasis. Stress of modern lifestyle can determine changes in hormone secretion, favoring the onset of infertility-related conditions that might reflect disfunctions within the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. Consequently, the loss of rhythmicity in the suprachiasmatic nuclei might affect pulsatile sexual hormones release. Herein, we provide an overview of the recent findings, in both animal models and humans, about how fertility is influenced by circadian rhythm. In addition, we explore the complex interaction among hormones, fertility and the circadian clock. A deeper analysis of these interactions might lead to novel insights that could ameliorate the therapeutic management of infertility and related disorders.
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25
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Nuclear Receptors as Regulators of Pituitary Corticotroph Pro-Opiomelanocortin Transcription. Cells 2020; 9:cells9040900. [PMID: 32272677 PMCID: PMC7226830 DOI: 10.3390/cells9040900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis plays a critical role in adaptive stress responses and maintaining organism homeostasis. The pituitary corticotroph is the central player in the HPA axis and is regulated by a plethora of hormonal and stress related factors that synergistically interact to activate and temper pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) transcription, to either increase or decrease adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production and secretion as needed. Nuclear receptors are a family of highly conserved transcription factors that can also be induced by various physiologic signals, and they mediate their responses via multiple targets to regulate metabolism and homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the modulatory roles of nuclear receptors on pituitary corticotroph cell POMC transcription, describe the unique and complex role these factors play in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) regulation and discuss potential therapeutic targets in disease states.
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26
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Harder L, Oster H. The Tissue Clock Network: Driver and Gatekeeper of Circadian Physiology. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900158. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth Harder
- Institute of NeurobiologyUniversity of Lübeck Lübeck 23562 Germany
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute of NeurobiologyUniversity of Lübeck Lübeck 23562 Germany
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27
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Sen A, Hoffmann HM. Role of core circadian clock genes in hormone release and target tissue sensitivity in the reproductive axis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 501:110655. [PMID: 31756424 PMCID: PMC6962569 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Precise timing in hormone release from the hypothalamus, the pituitary and ovary is critical for fertility. Hormonal release patterns of the reproductive axis are regulated by a feedback loop within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The timing and rhythmicity of hormone release and tissue sensitivity in the HPG axis is regulated by circadian clocks located in the hypothalamus (suprachiasmatic nucleus, kisspeptin and GnRH neurons), the pituitary (gonadotrophs), the ovary (theca and granulosa cells), the testis (Leydig cells), as well as the uterus (endometrium and myometrium). The circadian clocks integrate environmental and physiological signals to produce cell endogenous rhythms generated by a transcriptional-translational feedback loop of transcription factors that are collectively called the "molecular clock". This review specifically focuses on the contribution of molecular clock transcription factors in regulating hormone release patterns in the reproductive axis, with an emphasis on the female reproductive system. Specifically, we discuss the contributions of circadian rhythms in distinct neuronal populations of the female hypothalamus, the molecular clock in the pituitary and its overall impact on female and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritro Sen
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Science Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hanne M Hoffmann
- Department of Animal Science and the Reproductive and Developmental Science Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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28
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Pan X, Taylor MJ, Cohen E, Hanna N, Mota S. Circadian Clock, Time-Restricted Feeding and Reproduction. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030831. [PMID: 32012883 PMCID: PMC7038040 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review was to seek a better understanding of the function and differential expression of circadian clock genes during the reproductive process. Through a discussion of how the circadian clock is involved in these steps, the identification of new clinical targets for sleep disorder-related diseases, such as reproductive failure, will be elucidated. Here, we focus on recent research findings regarding circadian clock regulation within the reproductive system, shedding new light on circadian rhythm-related problems in women. Discussions on the roles that circadian clock plays in these reproductive processes will help identify new clinical targets for such sleep disorder-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Pan
- Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Meredith J. Taylor
- Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
| | - Emma Cohen
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
| | - Nazeeh Hanna
- Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
| | - Samantha Mota
- Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, New York, NY 11501, USA
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29
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Leptin Receptor Mediates Bmal1 Regulation of Estrogen Synthesis in Granulosa Cells. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9110899. [PMID: 31683864 PMCID: PMC6912815 DOI: 10.3390/ani9110899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary There is increased interest in determining the effect of the biological clock system on reproduction, but how this biological system affects mammalian fertility and the regulation by clock genes on key genes of reproduction is poorly understood. This study examined the function of Leptin on reproduction through interaction with the Leptin receptor (Lepr) and the regulation of the key clock gene brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (Bmal1) on Lepr. The results suggested that estrogen (E2) synthesis is regulated by Bmal1 through the Leptin–Lepr pathway as part of the regulatory mechanism of the circadian system on the fertility of female mammals. Abstract Chronobiology affects female fertility in mammals. Lepr is required for leptin regulation of female reproduction. The presence of E-box elements in the Lepr promoter that are recognized and bound by clock genes to initiate gene transcription suggested that circadian systems might regulate fertility through Lepr. However, it is unclear whether Bmal1, a key oscillator controlling other clock genes, is involved in leptin regulation in hormone synthesis through Lepr. In this study, serum estradiol (E2) concentration and the expressions of Bmal1, Lepr, Cyp19a1, and Cyp11a1 genes were found to display well-synchronized circadian rhythms. Knockdown of Bmal1 significantly reduced expression levels of Lepr, Fshr, and Cyp19a1 genes; protein production of Bmal1, Lepr, and Cyp19a1; and the E2 concentration in granulosa cells. Knockdown of Lepr reduced the expression levels of Cyp19a1 and Cyp11a1 genes and Cyp19a1 protein, and also reduced E2 concentration. Addition of leptin affected the expression of Cyp19a1, Cyp11a1, and Fshr genes. Bmal1 deficiency counteracted leptin-stimulated upregulation of the genes encoding E2 synthesis in granulosa cells. These results demonstrated that Bmal1 participates in the process by which leptin acts on Lepr to regulate E2 synthesis.
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30
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Bittman EL. Circadian Function in Multiple Cell Types Is Necessary for Proper Timing of the Preovulatory LH Surge. J Biol Rhythms 2019; 34:622-633. [PMID: 31530063 DOI: 10.1177/0748730419873511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The timing of the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), which occurs on the evening of proestrus in female mice, is determined by the circadian system. The identity of cells that control the phase of the LH surge is unclear: evidence supports a role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), but it is not known whether vasopressinergic neurons are necessary or sufficient to account for circadian control of ovulation. Among other cell types, evidence also suggests important roles of circadian function of kisspeptin cells of the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AvPV) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons of the preoptic area (POA), whose discharge is immediately responsible for the discharge of LH from the anterior pituitary. The present studies used an ovariectomized, estradiol-treated preparation to determine critical cell types whose clock function is critical to the timing of LH secretion. As expected, the LH surge occurred at or shortly after ZT12 in control mice. In further confirmation of circadian control, the surge was advanced by 2 h in tau mutant animals. The timing of the surge was altered to varying degrees by conditional deletion of Bmal1 in AVPCre, KissCreBAC, and GnRHCreBAC mice. Excision of the mutant Cnsk1e (tau) allele in AVP neurons resulted in a reversion of the surge to the ZT12. Conditional deletion of Bmal1 in Kiss1 or GnRH neurons had no noticeable effect on locomotor rhythms, but targeting of AVP neurons produced variable effects on circadian period that did not always correspond to changes in the phase of LH secretion. The results indicate that circadian function in multiple cell types is necessary for proper timing of the LH surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric L Bittman
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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Tonsfeldt KJ, Schoeller EL, Brusman LE, Cui LJ, Lee J, Mellon PL. The Contribution of the Circadian Gene Bmal1 to Female Fertility and the Generation of the Preovulatory Luteinizing Hormone Surge. J Endocr Soc 2019; 3:716-733. [PMID: 30906911 PMCID: PMC6425515 DOI: 10.1210/js.2018-00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, the preovulatory LH surge is temporally gated, but the timing cue is unknown. Estrogen primes neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) to secrete kisspeptin, which potently activates GnRH neurons to release GnRH, eliciting a surge of LH to induce ovulation. Deletion of the circadian clock gene Bmal1 results in infertility. Previous studies have found that Bmal1 knockout (KO) females do not display an LH surge at any time of day. We sought to determine whether neuroendocrine disruption contributes to the absence of the LH surge. Because Kiss1 expression in the AVPV is critical for regulating ovulation, we hypothesized that this population is disrupted in Bmal1 KO females. However, we found an appropriate rise in AVPV Kiss1 and Fos mRNA at the time of lights out in ovariectomized estrogen-treated animals, despite the absence of a measureable increase in LH. Furthermore, Bmal1 KO females have significantly increased LH response to kiss-10 administration, although the LH response to GnRH was unchanged. We then created Kiss1- and GnRH-specific Bmal1 KO mice to examine whether Bmal1 expression is necessary within either kisspeptin or GnRH neurons. We detected no significant differences in any measured reproductive parameter. Our results indicate that disruption of the hypothalamic regulation of fertility in the Bmal1 KO females is not dependent on endogenous clocks within either the GnRH or kisspeptin neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Tonsfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Erica L Schoeller
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Liza E Brusman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Laura J Cui
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Jinkwon Lee
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Pamela L Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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Stock D, Knight JA, Raboud J, Cotterchio M, Strohmaier S, Willett W, Eliassen AH, Rosner B, Hankinson SE, Schernhammer E. Rotating night shift work and menopausal age. Hum Reprod 2019; 34:539-548. [PMID: 30753548 PMCID: PMC7210710 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION How are rotating night shift schedules associated with age at menopause among a large, national cohort of shift working nurses? SUMMARY ANSWER Our findings suggest that working rotating night shifts with sufficient frequency may modestly accelerate reproductive senescence among women who may already be predisposed to earlier menopause. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Younger age at menopause has been associated with increased risk of adverse health outcomes, particularly those linked to reproduction. Night work has been associated with reproductive dysfunction, including disruption of menstrual cycle patterns. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cohort study was conducted among 80 840 women of the Nurses' Health Study 2 (NHS2), with prospective follow-up from 1991 through 2013. Loss-to-follow-up of the NHS2 is estimated to be <10%. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We assessed the association between cumulative and current rotating night shift work and age at natural menopause over 22 years of follow-up (1991-2013). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for menopause, adjusted for age, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, reproductive factors and exogenous hormone use. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Over follow-up, 27 456 women (34%) reached natural menopause. Women who worked 20 or more months of rotating night shifts in the prior 2-year had an increased risk of earlier menopause (multivariable-adjusted (MV)-HR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16) compared to women without rotating night shift work. This risk was stronger among women undergoing menopause or otherwise censored under age 45 years (MV-HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08-1.46), than it was for those continuing in the study when >45 years old (MV-HR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.99-1.13). Working 10 or more years of cumulative rotating night work was also associated with higher risk of menopause among women reaching menopause under age 45 (MV-HR10-19 years = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03-1.44; MV-HR≥20 years = 1.73, 95% CI: 0.90-3.35), though not over the age of 45 years (MV-HR10-19 years = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.99-1.10; MV-HR≥20 years = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.89-1.15). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The degree to which observed effects of rotating night shifts on age at natural menopause are due to circadian disruption, rather than fatigue and stress associated with working more demanding schedules, is uncertain due to potential residual confounding by these factors. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This is the first study to assess the effects of night work on menopausal timing among a larger national cohort of shift working women. Women already prone to earlier menopause may further truncate their reproductive lifetime by working schedules comprising day as well as night shifts. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by Center for Disease Control and Prevention/The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Grant 5R01OH009803 (PI: Schernhammer E), as well as UM1 CA176726 from the National Institute of Health. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; preparation, review or approval of the article; and decision to submit the article for publication. The authors have no conflicts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Stock
- Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - J A Knight
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Raboud
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Cotterchio
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Strohmaier
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - W Willett
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A H Eliassen
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - B Rosner
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S E Hankinson
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - E Schernhammer
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Circadian regulation of endocrine systems. Auton Neurosci 2019; 216:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Karatsoreos IN. Circadian Regulation of the Brain and Behavior: A Neuroendocrine Perspective. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 43:323-351. [PMID: 31586337 PMCID: PMC7594017 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2019_115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine systems are key regulators of brain and body functions, providing an important nexus between internal states and the external world, which then modulates appropriate behavioral outputs. Circadian (daily) rhythms are endogenously generated rhythms of approximately 24 h that help to synchronize internal physiological processes and behavioral states to the external environmental light-dark cycle. Given the importance of timing (hours, days, annual) in many different neuroendocrine axes, understanding how the circadian timing system regulates neuroendocrine function is particularly critical. Similarly, neuroendocrine signals can significantly affect circadian timing, and understanding these mechanisms can provide insights into general concepts of neuroendocrine regulation of brain circuits and behavior. This chapter will review the circadian timing system and its control of two key neuroendocrine systems: the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It will also discuss how outputs from these axes feedback to affect the circadian clock. Given that disruption of circadian timing is a central component of many mental and physical health conditions and that neuroendocrine function is similarly implicated in many of the same conditions, understanding these links will help illuminate potentially shared causality and perhaps lead to a better understanding of how to manipulate these systems when they begin to malfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia N Karatsoreos
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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Simonneaux V. A Kiss to drive rhythms in reproduction. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 51:509-530. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et IntégrativesCNRSUniversité de Strasbourg Strasbourg France
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Ovarian Cycle Stages Modulate Alzheimer-Related Cognitive and Brain Network Alterations in Female Mice. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0132-17. [PMID: 30627643 PMCID: PMC6325547 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0132-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) begins several decades before the onset of clinical symptoms, at a time when women may still undergo reproductive cycling. Whether ovarian functions alter substrates of AD pathogenesis is unknown. Here we show that ovarian cycle stages significantly modulate AD-related alterations in neural network patterns, cognitive impairments, and pathogenic protein production in the hAPP-J20 mouse model of AD. Female hAPP mice spent more time in estrogen-dominant cycle stages and these ovarian stages worsened AD-related network dysfunction and cognitive impairments. In contrast, progesterone-dominant stages and gonadectomy attenuated these AD-related deficits. Further studies revealed a direct role for estradiol in stimulating neural network excitability and susceptibility to seizures in hAPP mice and increasing amyloid beta levels. Understanding dynamic effects of the ovarian cycle on the female nervous system in disease, including AD, is of critical importance and may differ from effects on a healthy brain. The pattern of ovarian cycle effects on disease-related networks, cognition, and pathogenic protein expression may be relevant to young women at risk for AD.
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Gotlieb N, Moeller J, Kriegsfeld LJ. Circadian Control of Neuroendocrine Function: Implications for Health and Disease. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 5:133-140. [PMID: 30957055 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The circadian timing system orchestrates daily rhythms in physiology and behavior via the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master brain clock. Because endocrine secretions have far-reaching influence on the brain and periphery, circadian regulation of hormones is essential for normal functioning and disruptions to circadian timing (e.g., irregular sleep patterns, limited exposure to sunlight, jet lag, nighttime light exposure) have detrimental health consequences. Herein, we provide an overview of circadian timing in three major endocrine axes, the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG), hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axes, and then consider the negative health consequences of circadian disruptions in each of these systems. For example, disruptions to HPG axis circadian timing lead to a host of negative reproductive outcomes such as irregular menstrual cycles, low sperm density and increased rates of miscarriages and infertility. Dysregulation of HPA axis timing is associated with obesity and metabolic disease, whereas disruptions to the HPT axis are associated with dysregulated metabolic gene rhythms in the heart. Together, this overview underscores the significance of circadian endocrine rhythms in normal health and disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neta Gotlieb
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720
| | - Jacob Moeller
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720.,Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.,The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720
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Simonneaux V, Piet R. Neuroendocrine pathways driving daily rhythms in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis of female rodents. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
Female ovulation depends on a surge in circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) which occurs at the end of the resting period and requests high circulating estradiol. This fine tuning involves both an estradiol feedback as an indicator of oocyte maturation, and the master circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nuclei as an indicator of the time of the day. This review describes the mechanisms through which daily time cues are conveyed to reproductive hypothalamic neurons to time the pre-ovulatory surge. In female rodents, neurotransmitters released by the suprachiasmatic nuclei activate the stimulatory kisspeptin neurons and reduce the inhibitory RFRP neurons precisely at the end of the afternoon of proestrus to allow a full surge in LH secretion. From these findings, the impact of circadian disruptions (during shift or night work) on female reproductive performance and fertility should now being investigated in both animal models and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR CNRS 3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Thibault Bahougne
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR CNRS 3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France; Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabète, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Eleni Angelopoulou
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR CNRS 3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Beymer M, Henningsen J, Bahougne T, Simonneaux V. The role of kisspeptin and RFRP in the circadian control of female reproduction. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 438:89-99. [PMID: 27364888 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In female mammals, reproduction shows ovarian and daily rhythms ensuring that the timing of the greatest fertility coincides with maximal activity and arousal. The ovarian cycle, which lasts from a few days to a few weeks, depends on the rhythm of follicle maturation and ovarian hormone production, whereas the daily cycle depends on a network of circadian clocks of which the main one is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In the last ten years, major progress has been made in the understanding of the neuronal mechanisms governing mammalian reproduction with the finding that two hypothalamic Arg-Phe-amide peptides, kisspeptin (Kp) and RFRP, regulate GnRH neurons. In this review we discuss the pivotal role of Kp and RFRP neurons at the interface between the SCN clock signal and GnRH neurons to properly time gonadotropin-induced ovulation. We also report recent findings indicating that these neurons may be part of the multi-oscillatory circadian system that times female fertility. Finally, we will discuss recent investigations indicating a role, and putative therapeutic use, of these neuropeptides in human reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Beymer
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jo Henningsen
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibault Bahougne
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France; Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabète, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
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Schoeller EL, Clark DD, Dey S, Cao NV, Semaan SJ, Chao LW, Kauffman AS, Stowers L, Mellon PL. Bmal1 Is Required for Normal Reproductive Behaviors in Male Mice. Endocrinology 2016; 157:4914-4929. [PMID: 27704948 PMCID: PMC5133342 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms synchronize physiological processes with the light-dark cycle and are regulated by a hierarchical system initiated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a hypothalamic region that receives direct photic input. The suprachiasmatic nucleus then entrains additional oscillators in the periphery. Circadian rhythms are maintained by a molecular transcriptional feedback loop, of which brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1) is a key member. Disruption of circadian rhythms by deletion of the BMAL1 gene (Bmal1 knockout [KO]) induces a variety of disease states, including infertility in males, due to unidentified mechanisms. We find that, despite normal sperm function, Bmal1 KO males fail to mate with receptive females, indicating a behavioral defect. Mating is dependent on pheromone detection, as are several other behaviors. We determined that Bmal1 KO males also fail to display aggression and avoidance of predator scent, despite intact main olfactory function. Moreover, the vomeronasal organ, a specialized pheromone-responsive organ, was also functionally intact, as determined by calcium imaging in response to urine pheromone stimulus. However, neural circuit tracing using c-FOS activation revealed that, although Bmal1 KO males displayed appropriate activation in the olfactory bulb and accessory olfactory bulb, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the medial preoptic area (areas responsible for integration of copulatory behaviors) failed to activate highly in response to the female scent. This indicates that neural signaling in select behavioral centers is impaired in the absence of BMAL1, likely underlying Bmal1 KO male copulatory defects, demonstrating the importance of the BMAL1 protein in the maintenance of neural circuits that drive pheromone-mediated mating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Schoeller
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Daniel D Clark
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Sandeepa Dey
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Nathan V Cao
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Sheila J Semaan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Ling W Chao
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Lisa Stowers
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Pamela L Mellon
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine (E.L.S., D.D.C., N.V.C., S.J.S., L.W.C., A.S.K., P.L.M.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0674; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (S.D., L.S.), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
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Xu J, Li Y, Wang Y, Xu Y, Zhou C. Loss of Bmal1 decreases oocyte fertilization, early embryo development and implantation potential in female mice. ZYGOTE 2016; 24:760-7. [PMID: 27140828 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199416000083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Biological clock genes expressed in reproductive tissues play important roles in maintaining the normal functions of reproductive system. However, disruption of female circadian rhythm on oocyte fertilization, preimplantation embryo development and blastocyst implantation potential is still unclear. In this study, ovulation, in vivo and in vitro oocyte fertilization, embryo development, implantation and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in ovary and oviduct were studied in female Bmal1+/+ and Bmal1-/- mice. The number of naturally ovulated oocyte in Bmal1-/- mice decreased (5.2 ± 0.8 vs 7.8 ± 0.8, P < 0.001), with an increasing abnormal oocyte ratio (20.4 ± 3.5 vs 11.7 ± 2.0%, P = 0.001) after superovulation. Significantly lower fertilization rate and obtained blastocyst number were observed in Bmal1-/- female mice either mated with wild-type in vivo or fertilized by sperm from wild-type male mice in vitro (all P < 0.05). Interestingly, in vitro fertilization rate of oocytes derived from Bmal1-/- increased significantly compared with in vivo study (P < 0.01). After transferring blastocysts derived from Bmal1+/+ and Bmal1-/- female mice to pseudopregnant mice, the implantation sites of the latter decreased 5 days later (8.0 ± 0.8 vs 5.3 ± 1.0, P = 0.005). The intracellular ROS levels in the ovary on proestrus day and in the oviduct on metestrus day increased significantly in Bmal1-/- mice compared with that of Bmal1+/+ mice. Deletion of the core biological clock gene Bmal1 significantly decreases oocyte fertilization rate, early embryo development and implantation potential in female mice, and these may be possibly caused by excess ROS levels generated in ovary and oviduct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center,Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center,Guangzhou,Guangzhou Medical University,China
| | - Yan Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center,Henan Provincial People's Hospital,Zhengzhou,Henan,China
| | - Yizi Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center,First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University,Guangzhou,China;Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine,Guangdong,China
| | - Yanwen Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center,First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University,58 Zhongshan Road II,Guangzhou,China
| | - Canquan Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center,First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University,58 Zhongshan Road II,Guangzhou,China
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Sen A, Sellix MT. The Circadian Timing System and Environmental Circadian Disruption: From Follicles to Fertility. Endocrinology 2016; 157:3366-73. [PMID: 27501186 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The internal or circadian timing system is deeply integrated in female reproductive physiology. Considerable details of rheostatic timing function in the neuroendocrine control of pituitary hormone secretion, adenohypophyseal hormone gene expression and secretion, gonadal steroid hormone biosynthesis and secretion, ovulation, implantation, and parturition have been reported. The molecular clock, an autonomous feedback loop oscillator of interacting transcriptional regulators, dictates the timing and amplitude of gene expression in each tissue of the female hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Although multiple targets of the molecular clock have been identified, many associated with critical physiological functions in the HPG axis, the full extent of clock-driven gene expression and physiology in this critical system remains unknown. Environmental circadian disruption (ECD), the disturbance of temporal relationships within and between internal clocks (brain and periphery), and external timing cues (eg, light, nutrients, social cues) due to rotating/night shift work or transmeridian travel have been linked to reproductive dysfunction and subfertility. Moreover, ECD resulting from exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, environmental toxins, and/or irregular hormone levels during sexual development can also reduce fertility. Thus, perturbations that disturb clock function at the molecular, cellular or systemic level correlate with significant declines in female reproductive function. Here we briefly review the evidence for molecular clock function in each tissue of the female HPG axis (GnRH neuron, pituitary, uterus, oviduct, and ovary), describe the human epidemiological and animal data supporting the negative effects of ECD on fertility, and explore the potential for novel chronotherapeutics in women's health and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritro Sen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester New York 14642
| | - Michael T Sellix
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester New York 14642
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Yan L, Silver R. Neuroendocrine underpinnings of sex differences in circadian timing systems. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 160:118-26. [PMID: 26472554 PMCID: PMC4841755 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
There are compelling reasons to study the role of steroids and sex differences in the circadian timing system. A solid history of research demonstrates the ubiquity of circadian changes that impact virtually all behavioral and biological responses. Furthermore, steroid hormones can modulate every attribute of circadian responses including the period, amplitude and phase. Finally, desynchronization of circadian rhythmicity, and either enhancing or damping amplitude of various circadian responses can produce different effects in the sexes. Studies of the neuroendocrine underpinnings of circadian timing systems and underlying sex differences have paralleled the overall development of the field as a whole. Early experimental studies established the ubiquity of circadian rhythms by cataloging daily and seasonal changes in whole organism responses. The next generation of experiments demonstrated that daily changes are not a result of environmental synchronizing cues, and are internally orchestrated, and that these differ in the sexes. This work was followed by the revelation of molecular circadian rhythms within individual cells. At present, there is a proliferation of work on the consequences of these daily oscillations in health and in disease, and awareness that these may differ in the sexes. In the present discourse we describe the paradigms used to examine circadian oscillation, to characterize how these internal timing signals are synchronized to local environmental conditions, and how hormones of gonadal and/or adrenal origin modulate circadian responses. Evidence pointing to endocrinologically and genetically mediated sex differences in circadian timing systems can be seen at many levels of the neuroendocrine and endocrine systems, from the cell, the gland and organ, and to whole animal behavior, including sleep/wake or rest/activity cycles, responses to external stimuli, and responses to drugs. We review evidence indicating that the analysis of the circadian timing system is amenable to experimental analysis at many levels of the neuraxis, and on several different time scales, rendering it especially useful for the exploration of mechanisms associated with sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Yan
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Rae Silver
- Psychology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Health Sciences, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Candlish M, Angelis RD, Götz V, Boehm U. Gene Targeting in Neuroendocrinology. Compr Physiol 2015; 5:1645-76. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c140079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Lin XW, Blum ID, Storch KF. Clocks within the Master Gland: Hypophyseal Rhythms and Their Physiological Significance. J Biol Rhythms 2015; 30:263-76. [PMID: 25926680 DOI: 10.1177/0748730415580881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Various aspects of mammalian endocrine physiology show a time-of-day variation with a period of 24 h, which represents an adaptation to the daily environmental fluctuations resulting from the rotation of the earth. These 24-h rhythms in hormone abundance and consequently hormone function may rely on rhythmic signals produced by the master circadian clock, which resides in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and is thought to chiefly dictate the pattern of rest and activity in mammals in conjunction with the light/dark (LD) cycle. However, it is likely that clocks intrinsic to elements of the endocrine axes also contribute to the 24-h rhythms in hormone function. Here we review the evidence for rhythm generation in the endocrine master gland, the pituitary, and its physiological significance in the context of endocrine axes regulation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Wei Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ian David Blum
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kai-Florian Storch
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Tsukamoto-Yamauchi N, Terasaka T, Iwasaki Y, Otsuka F. Interaction of pituitary hormones and expression of clock genes modulated by bone morphogenetic protein-4 and melatonin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 459:172-7. [PMID: 25727018 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.02.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Functional interaction of clock genes and pituitary hormones was investigated by focusing on bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4 and melatonin actions in anterior pituitary cells. A significant correlation between the mRNA expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and Per2 was revealed in serial cultures of corticotrope AtT20 cells. Knockdown of Per2 expression by siRNA in AtT20 cells resulted in a significant reduction of POMC mRNA level with or without corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation. Treatments with BMP-4 and melatonin, both of which suppress POMC expression, reduced Per2 mRNA as well as protein levels in AtT20 cells. On the other hand, in lactosomatotrope GH3 cells, an expressional correlation was found between prolactin (PRL) and Clock mRNA levels, which was attenuated in the presence of forskolin treatment. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of Clock expression, but not that of Bmal1, significantly reduced PRL mRNA levels in GH3 cells. Interestingly, Clock mRNA and protein levels did not fluctuate with melatonin, BMP-4 or forskolin treatment, although Bmal1 expression was significantly increased by forskolin treatment. Collectively, a significant correlation between the expression of POMC and Per2 and that between PRL and Clock were uncovered in corticotrope and lactosomatotrope cells, respectively. Per2 expression was inhibited by POMC modulators including melatonin and BMP-4, while Clock expression was steadily maintained. Thus, the effects of melatonin and BMP-4 on clock gene expression may imply differential stability of circadian rhythms of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and PRL secreted from the anterior pituitary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoko Tsukamoto-Yamauchi
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Terasaka
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Iwasaki
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nephrology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku 783-8505, Japan
| | - Fumio Otsuka
- Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
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Muter J, Lucas ES, Chan YW, Brighton PJ, Moore JD, Lacey L, Quenby S, Lam EWF, Brosens JJ. The clock protein period 2 synchronizes mitotic expansion and decidual transformation of human endometrial stromal cells. FASEB J 2015; 29:1603-14. [PMID: 25573754 PMCID: PMC4396614 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-267195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Implantation requires coordinated interactions between the conceptus and surrounding decidual cells, but the involvement of clock genes in this process is incompletely understood. Circadian oscillations are predicated on transcriptional-translational feedback loops, which balance the activities of the transcriptional activators CLOCK (circadian locomotor output cycles kaput) and brain muscle arnt-like 1 and repressors encoded by PER (Period) and Cryptochrome genes. We show that loss of PER2 expression silences circadian oscillations in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Down-regulation occurred between 12 and 24 hours following differentiation and coincided with reduced CLOCK binding to a noncanonical E-box enhancer in the PER2 promoter. RNA sequencing revealed that premature inhibition of PER2 by small interfering RNA knockdown leads to a grossly disorganized decidual response. Gene ontology analysis highlighted a preponderance of cell cycle regulators among the 1121 genes perturbed upon PER2 knockdown. Congruently, PER2 inhibition abrogated mitotic expansion of differentiating HESCs by inducing cell cycle block at G2/M. Analysis of 70 midluteal endometrial biopsies revealed an inverse correlation between PER2 transcript levels and the number of miscarriages in women suffering reproductive failure (Spearman rank test, ρ = −0.3260; P = 0.0046). Thus, PER2 synchronizes endometrial proliferation with initiation of aperiodic decidual gene expression; uncoupling of these events may cause recurrent pregnancy loss.—Muter, J., Lucas, E. S., Chan, Y.-W., Brighton, P. J., Moore, J. D., Lacey, L., Quenby, S., Lam, E. W.-F., Brosens, J. J. The clock protein period 2 synchronizes mitotic expansion and decidual transformation of human endometrial stromal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Muter
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma S Lucas
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yi-Wah Chan
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Brighton
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D Moore
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Lacey
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Siobhan Quenby
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eric W-F Lam
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan J Brosens
- *Division of Translational & Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Simonneaux V, Bahougne T. A Multi-Oscillatory Circadian System Times Female Reproduction. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:157. [PMID: 26539161 PMCID: PMC4611855 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhythms in female reproduction are critical to insure that timing of ovulation coincides with oocyte maturation and optimal sexual arousal. This fine tuning of female reproduction involves both the estradiol feedback as an indicator of oocyte maturation, and the master circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) as an indicator of the time of the day. Herein, we are providing an overview of the state of knowledge regarding the differential inhibitory and stimulatory effects of estradiol at different stages of the reproductive axis, and the mechanisms through which the two main neurotransmitters of the SCN, arginine vasopressin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide, convey daily time cues to the reproductive axis. In addition, we will report the most recent findings on the putative functions of peripheral clocks located throughout the reproductive axis [kisspeptin (Kp) neurons, gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, gonadotropic cells, the ovary, and the uterus]. This review will point to the critical position of the Kp neurons of the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, which integrate both the stimulatory estradiol signal, and the daily arginine vasopressinergic signal, while displaying a circadian clock. Finally, given the critical role of the light/dark cycle in the synchronization of female reproduction, we will discuss the impact of circadian disruptions observed during shift-work conditions on female reproductive performance and fertility in both animal model and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS (UPR 3212), Strasbourg, France
- *Correspondence: Valérie Simonneaux, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS (UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg 67084, France,
| | - Thibault Bahougne
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS (UPR 3212), Strasbourg, France
- Service d’Endocrinologie et Diabète, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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