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Gurule SC, Sustaita-Monroe JF, King LN, Landers RS, Garza V, West SM, Bynum SE, Perry L, Padmanabhan V, Cardoso RC. Reproductive neuroendocrine defects programmed by prenatal testosterone treatment between gestational days 60-90 are amplified by postnatal obesity in sheep. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1436954. [PMID: 39156826 PMCID: PMC11327049 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1436954] [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: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility in women of reproductive age, and obesity can increase the severity and development of the PCOS phenotype. Prenatal testosterone (T) treatment between gestational days 30-90 advanced puberty and disrupted the reproductive and metabolic phenotype in female sheep, recapitulating attributes of women with PCOS, with postnatal obesity amplifying its severity. On the other hand, prenatal T treatment from gestational days 60-90 led to a much milder phenotype. We hypothesized that reproductive neuroendocrine defects programmed by prenatal T treatment between gestational days 60-90 are amplified by postnatal obesity in sheep. Suffolk ewes received T propionate (T; 100 mg) or corn oil (C; vehicle) twice weekly from gestational days 60-90. At 5 months of age, T lambs were assigned to either a maintenance (100% of NRC requirements) or overfed (130% NRC) diet and C lambs were fed the maintenance diet. We compared the timing of puberty (n = 15/group) determined by twice weekly measurement of progesterone concentrations, estradiol positive feedback responsiveness (n = 8/group) determined by assessing LH secretion in response to exogenous estradiol, periovulatory LH dynamics during the second breeding season (n = 8/group) following synchronization with two injections of PGF2α, and progesterone negative feedback (n = 8/group) determined by characterizing LH pulses during the mid-luteal phase between C, T-maintenance and T-overfed groups. Our findings indicate that postnatal obesity: 1) exacerbated reproductive defects and further deteriorated reproductive cyclicity during the second breeding season (adulthood); 2) did not amplify the impairment in estradiol positive feedback in delaying the timing and amplitude of the LH surge, although it reduced the total amount of LH secreted during the preovulatory LH surge; 3) amplified the reduced responsiveness to progesterone negative feedback manifested as an increase in LH pulse amplitude and peak. These observations, in addition to supporting our previous findings that prenatal T treatment results in reproductive neuroendocrine dysfunction and periovulatory disruptions, provide evidence that these neuroendocrine defects programmed between gestational days 60-90 are amplified by postnatal obesity in female sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. C. Gurule
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - J. F. Sustaita-Monroe
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - L. N. King
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - R. S. Landers
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - V. Garza
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - S. M. West
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - S. E. Bynum
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - L. Perry
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - V. Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - R. C. Cardoso
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Kumawat BL, Kumar P, Mahla AS, Kumar A, Kumar A, Singh R, Kumar A. A novel action of insulin sensitizing drug as a potential promotor of preovulatory follicles, ovulation rate and prolificacy in sheep. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:849-863. [PMID: 37957451 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10259-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The effect of the insulin-sensitizing drug metformin on preovulatory follicle (POF) number, ovulation rate, fetal rate and prolificacy was studied in forty-six cyclic Malpura ewes. After estrus synchronization, the ewes were equally divided into two groups (n = 23). The treatment group (MET) received a daily oral dose of metformin at a rate of 500 mg/animal for approximately 12 weeks, spanning five estrous cycles, as against untreated control (CON). All the ewes were bred to proven rams at the end of treatment. Ovarian ultrasound scans were performed at each estrus and day 9 of each cycle to assess the number and diameter of POFs and corpora lutea (CL), respectively. A comprehensive assessment of circulating hormones including, estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, and insulin as well as metabolic indicators such as glucose, and lipid profile parameters was performed. At the end of treatment on the day of estrus (E5D0), the treatment showed a stimulatory effect on follicular development with a 53.2% (P < 0.001) increase in the number of POFs. It also increased the ovulation rate by 67.4% (P < 0.01), with a higher proportion (χ2df1 = 10.7, P < 0.001) of ewes in the MET group having multiple ovulations compared to the CON group (82.6 vs. 30.4%). With 1.48 ± 0.12 prolificacy rate in MET ewes, the proportion of ewes giving birth to multiple lambs was 2.9-fold higher than in the CON group. Plasma estradiol, insulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in the MET ewes than in the CON. The results of the present study indicate that metformin can increase the number of POF, ovulation rate, fetal rate and prolificacy in ewes, while reducing the plasma estradiol, insulin, glucose and cholesterol in MET ewes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babu Lal Kumawat
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Division, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan, 304 501, India
- Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner (RAJUVAS), Rajasthan, 334 001, India
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Parbhani (MAFSU, Nagpur), Maharashtra, 431 402, India
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner (RAJUVAS), Rajasthan, 334 001, India
| | - Ajit Singh Mahla
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Division, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan, 304 501, India.
| | - Ashok Kumar
- ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Arid Region Campus, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334 006, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner (RAJUVAS), Rajasthan, 334 001, India
| | - Raghvendar Singh
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Division, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan, 304 501, India
| | - Arun Kumar
- ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan, 304 501, India
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Ghasemzadeh-Hasankolaei M, Elcombe CS, Powls S, Lea RG, Sinclair KD, Padmanabhan V, Evans NP, Bellingham M. Preconceptional and in utero exposure of sheep to a real-life environmental chemical mixture disrupts key markers of energy metabolism in male offspring. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13358. [PMID: 38087451 PMCID: PMC10841670 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13358] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Over recent decades, an extensive array of anthropogenic chemicals have entered the environment and have been implicated in the increased incidence of an array of diseases, including metabolic syndrome. The ubiquitous presence of these environmental chemicals (ECs) necessitates the use of real-life exposure models to the assess cumulative risk burden to metabolic health. Sheep that graze on biosolids-treated pastures are exposed to a real-life mixture of ECs such as phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and metabolites thereof, and this EC exposure can result in metabolic disorders in their offspring. Using this model, we evaluated the effects of gestational exposure to a complex EC mixture on plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations and metabolic and epigenetic regulatory genes in tissues key to energy regulation and storage, including the hypothalamus, liver, and adipose depots of 11-month-old male offspring. Our results demonstrated a binary effect of EC exposure on gene expression particularly in the hypothalamus. Principal component analysis revealed two subsets (B-S1 [n = 6] and B-S2 [n = 4]) within the biosolids group (B, n = 10), relative to the controls (C, n = 11). Changes in body weight, TG levels, and in gene expression in the hypothalamus, and visceral and subcutaneous fat were apparent between biosolid and control and the two subgroups of biosolids animals. These findings demonstrate that gestational exposure to an EC mixture results in differential regulation of metabolic processes in adult male offspring. Binary effects on hypothalamic gene expression and altered expression of lipid metabolism genes in visceral and subcutaneous fat, coupled with phenotypic outcomes, point to differences in individual susceptibility to EC exposure that could predispose vulnerable individuals to later metabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ghasemzadeh-Hasankolaei
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Chris S Elcombe
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Samantha Powls
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Richard G Lea
- University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK
| | - Kevin D Sinclair
- University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Neil P Evans
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michelle Bellingham
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Gurule S, Sustaita-Monroe J, Padmanabhan V, Cardoso R. Developmental programming of the neuroendocrine axis by steroid hormones: Insights from the sheep model of PCOS. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1096187. [PMID: 36755919 PMCID: PMC9899912 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1096187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive neuroendocrine system is a key target for the developmental programming effects of steroid hormones during early life. While gonadal steroids play an important role in controlling the physiological development of the neuroendocrine axis, human fetuses are susceptible to adverse programming due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals with steroidal activity, inadvertent use of contraceptive pills during pregnancy, as well as from disease states that result in abnormal steroid production. Animal models provide an unparalleled resource to understand the effects of steroid hormones on the development of the neuroendocrine axis and their role on the developmental origins of health and disease. In female sheep, exposure to testosterone (T) excess during fetal development results in an array of reproductive disorders that recapitulate those seen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including disrupted neuroendocrine feedback mechanisms, increased pituitary responsiveness to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH) hypersecretion, functional hyperandrogenism, multifollicular ovarian morphology, and premature reproductive failure. Similar to a large proportion of women with PCOS, these prenatally T-treated sheep also manifest insulin resistance and cardiovascular alterations, including hypertension. This review article focuses on the effects of prenatal androgens on the developmental programming of hypothalamic and pituitary alterations in the sheep model of PCOS phenotype, centering specifically on key neurons, neuropeptides, and regulatory pathways controlling GnRH and LH secretion. Insights obtained from the sheep model as well as other animal models of perinatal androgen excess can have important translational relevance to treat and prevent neuroendocrine dysfunction in women with PCOS and other fertility disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Gurule
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Rodolfo Cardoso
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Walters KA, Moreno-Asso A, Stepto NK, Pankhurst MW, Rodriguez Paris V, Rodgers RJ. Key signalling pathways underlying the aetiology of polycystic ovary syndrome. J Endocrinol 2022; 255:R1-R26. [PMID: 35980384 DOI: 10.1530/joe-22-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition characterised by a range of reproductive, endocrine, metabolic and psychological abnormalities. Reports estimate that around 10% of women of reproductive age are affected by PCOS, representing a significant prevalence worldwide, which poses a high economic health burden. As the origin of PCOS remains largely unknown, there is neither a cure nor mechanism-based treatments leaving patient management suboptimal and focused solely on symptomatic treatment. However, if the underlying mechanisms underpinning the development of PCOS were uncovered then this would pave the way for the development of new interventions for PCOS. Recently, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the underlying pathways likely involved in PCOS pathogenesis. Key insights include the potential involvement of androgens, insulin, anti-Müllerian hormone and transforming growth factor beta in the development of PCOS. This review will summarise the significant scientific discoveries on these factors that have enhanced our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the development of PCOS and discuss the impact these insights may have in shaping the future development of effective strategies for women with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty A Walters
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alba Moreno-Asso
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science, Victoria University, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel K Stepto
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science, Victoria University, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University and Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Medicine at Western Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael W Pankhurst
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Valentina Rodriguez Paris
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raymond J Rodgers
- The Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Xiong T, Rodriguez Paris V, Edwards MC, Hu Y, Cochran BJ, Rye KA, Ledger WL, Padmanabhan V, Handelsman DJ, Gilchrist RB, Walters KA. Androgen signaling in adipose tissue, but less likely skeletal muscle, mediates development of metabolic traits in a PCOS mouse model. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2022; 323:E145-E158. [PMID: 35658542 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00418.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common, multifactorial disorder characterized by endocrine, reproductive, and metabolic dysfunction. As the etiology of PCOS is unknown, there is no cure and symptom-oriented treatments are suboptimal. Hyperandrogenism is a key diagnostic trait, and evidence suggests that androgen receptor (AR)-mediated actions are critical to PCOS pathogenesis. However, the key AR target sites involved remain to be fully defined. Adipocyte and muscle dysfunction are proposed as important sites involved in the manifestation of PCOS traits. We investigated the role of AR signaling in white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and skeletal muscle in the development of PCOS in a hyperandrogenic PCOS mouse model. As expected, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) exposure induced key reproductive and metabolic PCOS traits in wild-type (WT) females. Transplantation of AR-insensitive (AR-/-) WAT or BAT from AR knockout females (ARKO) into DHT-treated WT mice ameliorated some metabolic PCOS features, including increased body weight, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy, but not reproductive PCOS traits. In contrast, DHT-treated ARKO female mice transplanted with AR-responsive (AR+/+) WAT or BAT continued to resist developing PCOS traits. DHT-treated skeletal muscle-specific AR knockout females (SkMARKO) displayed a comparable phenotype with that of DHT-treated WT females, with full development of PCOS traits. Taken together, these findings infer that both WAT and BAT, but less likely skeletal muscle, are key sites of AR-mediated actions involved in the experimental pathogenesis of metabolic PCOS traits. These data further support targeting adipocyte AR-driven pathways in future research aimed at developing novel therapeutic interventions for PCOS.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hyperandrogenism is a key feature in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, the tissue sites of androgen receptor (AR) signaling are unclear. In this study, AR signaling in white and brown adipose tissue, but less likely in skeletal muscle, was found to be involved in the development of metabolic PCOS traits, highlighting the importance of androgen actions in adipose tissue and obesity in the manifestation of metabolic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xiong
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Valentina Rodriguez Paris
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melissa C Edwards
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ying Hu
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Blake J Cochran
- Lipid Research Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kerry-Anne Rye
- Lipid Research Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - William L Ledger
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - David J Handelsman
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robert B Gilchrist
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kirsty A Walters
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Sánchez-Garrido MA, García-Galiano D, Tena-Sempere M. Early programming of reproductive health and fertility: novel neuroendocrine mechanisms and implications in reproductive medicine. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:346-375. [PMID: 35187579 PMCID: PMC9071071 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, environmental changes taking place during early maturational periods may alter normal development and predispose to the occurrence of diverse pathologies later in life. Indeed, adverse conditions during these critical developmental windows of high plasticity have been reported to alter the offspring developmental trajectory, causing permanent functional and structural perturbations that in the long term may enhance disease susceptibility. However, while solid evidence has documented that fluctuations in environmental factors, ranging from nutrient availability to chemicals, in early developmental stages (including the peri-conceptional period) have discernible programming effects that increase vulnerability to develop metabolic perturbations, the impact and eventual mechanisms involved, of such developmental alterations on the reproductive phenotype of offspring have received less attention. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review will summarize recent advances in basic and clinical research that support the concept of DOHaD in the context of the impact of nutritional and hormonal perturbations, occurring during the periconceptional, fetal and early postnatal stages, on different aspects of reproductive function in both sexes. Special emphasis will be given to the effects of early nutritional stress on the timing of puberty and adult gonadotropic function, and to address the underlying neuroendocrine pathways, with particular attention to involvement of the Kiss1 system in these reproductive perturbations. The implications of such phenomena in terms of reproductive medicine will also be considered. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive MEDLINE search, using PubMed as main interface, of research articles and reviews, published mainly between 2006 and 2021, has been carried out. Search was implemented using multiple terms, focusing on clinical and preclinical data from DOHaD studies, addressing periconceptional, gestational and perinatal programming of reproduction. Selected studies addressing early programming of metabolic function have also been considered, when relevant. OUTCOMES A solid body of evidence, from clinical and preclinical studies, has documented the impact of nutritional and hormonal fluctuations during the periconceptional, prenatal and early postnatal periods on pubertal maturation, as well as adult gonadotropic function and fertility. Furthermore, exposure to environmental chemicals, such as bisphenol A, and maternal stress has been shown to negatively influence pubertal development and gonadotropic function in adulthood. The underlying neuroendocrine pathways and mechanisms involved have been also addressed, mainly by preclinical studies, which have identified an, as yet incomplete, array of molecular and neurohormonal effectors. These include, prominently, epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and the hypothalamic Kiss1 system, which likely contribute to the generation of reproductive alterations in conditions of early nutritional and/or metabolic stress. In addition to the Kiss1 system, other major hypothalamic regulators of GnRH neurosecretion, such as γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, may be targets of developmental programming. WIDER IMPLICATIONS This review addresses an underdeveloped area of reproductive biology and medicine that may help to improve our understanding of human reproductive disorders and stresses the importance, and eventual pathogenic impact, of early determinants of puberty, adult reproductive function and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Sánchez-Garrido
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
| | - David García-Galiano
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Cordoba, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Corrie L, Gulati M, Singh SK, Kapoor B, Khursheed R, Awasthi A, Vishwas S, Chellappan DK, Gupta G, Jha NK, Anand K, Dua K. Recent updates on animal models for understanding the etiopathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Life Sci 2021; 280:119753. [PMID: 34171379 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the primary cause of female infertility affecting several women worldwide. Changes in hormonal functions such as hyperandrogenism are considered a significant factor in developing PCOS in women. In addition, many molecular pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS in women. To have better insights about PCOS, it is data from clinical studies carried on women suffering from PCOS should be collected. However, this approach has several implications, including ethical considerations, cost involved and availability of subject. Moreover, during the early drug development process, it is always advisable to use non-human models mimicking human physiology as they are less expensive, readily available, have a shorter gestation period and less risk involved. Many animal models have been reported that resemble the PCOS pathways in human subjects. However, the models developed on rats and mice are more preferred over other rodent/non-rodent models due to their closer resemblance with human PCOS development mechanism. The most extensively reported PCOS models for rats and mice include those induced by using testosterone, letrozole and estradiol valerate. As the pathophysiology of PCOS is complex, none of the explored models completely surrogates the PCOS related conditions occurring in women. Hence, there is a need to develop an animal model that can resemble the pathophysiology of PCOS in women. The review focuses on various animal models explored to understand the pathophysiology of PCOS. The article also highlights some environmental and food-related models that have been used to induce PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander Corrie
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Monica Gulati
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India.
| | - Bhupinder Kapoor
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Rubiya Khursheed
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Ankit Awasthi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Sukriti Vishwas
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Mahal Road, Jagatpura, Jaipur, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201310, India
| | - Krishnan Anand
- Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, National Health Laboratory Service, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Kamal Dua
- Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
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Salinas I, Sinha N, Sen A. Androgen-induced epigenetic modulations in the ovary. J Endocrinol 2021; 249:R53-R64. [PMID: 33764313 PMCID: PMC8080881 DOI: 10.1530/joe-20-0578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, androgens have emerged as critical regulators of female reproduction and women's health in general. While high levels of androgens in women are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), recent evidence suggests that a certain amount of direct androgen action through androgen receptor is also essential for normal ovarian function. Moreover, prenatal androgen exposure has been reported to cause developmental reprogramming of the fetus that manifests into adult pathologies, supporting the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. Therefore, it has become imperative to understand the underlying mechanism of androgen actions and its downstream effects under normal and pathophysiological conditions. Over the years, there has been a lot of studies on androgen receptor function as a transcriptional regulator in the nucleus as well as androgen-induced rapid extra-nuclear signaling. Conversely, new evidence suggests that androgen actions may also be mediated through epigenetic modulation involving both the nuclear and extra-nuclear androgen signaling. This review focuses on androgen-induced epigenetic modifications in female reproduction, specifically in the ovary, and discusses emerging concepts, latest perceptions, and highlight the areas that need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irving Salinas
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Niharika Sinha
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Aritro Sen
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Corresponding author and person to whom reprint request should be addressed: Aritro Sen Ph.D., Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, 3013 Interdisciplinary Science & Technology Building, 766 Service Road, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, Ph:517-432-4585;
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10
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Sucquart IE, Nagarkar R, Edwards MC, Rodriguez Paris V, Aflatounian A, Bertoldo MJ, Campbell RE, Gilchrist RB, Begg DP, Handelsman DJ, Padmanabhan V, Anderson RA, Walters KA. Neurokinin 3 Receptor Antagonism Ameliorates Key Metabolic Features in a Hyperandrogenic PCOS Mouse Model. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6125280. [PMID: 33522579 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine condition characterized by a range of endocrine, reproductive, and metabolic abnormalities. At present, management of women with PCOS is suboptimal as treatment is only symptomatic. Clinical and experimental advances in our understanding of PCOS etiology support a pivotal role for androgen neuroendocrine actions in PCOS pathogenesis. Hyperandrogenism is a key PCOS trait and androgen actions play a role in regulating the kisspeptin-/neurokinin B-/dynorphin (KNDy) system. This study aimed to investigate if targeted antagonism of neurokinin B signaling through the neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) would reverse PCOS traits in a dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced mouse model of PCOS. After 3 months, DHT exposure induced key reproductive PCOS traits of cycle irregularity and ovulatory dysfunction, and PCOS-like metabolic traits including increased body weight; white and brown fat pad weights; fasting serum triglyceride and glucose levels, and blood glucose incremental area under the curve. Treatment with a NK3R antagonist (MLE4901) did not impact the observed reproductive defects. In contrast, following NK3R antagonist treatment, PCOS-like females displayed decreased total body weight, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy, but increased respiratory exchange ratio, suggesting NK3R antagonism altered the metabolic status of the PCOS-like females. NK3R antagonism did not improve circulating serum triglyceride or fasted glucose levels. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NK3R antagonism may be beneficial in the treatment of adverse metabolic features associated with PCOS and support neuroendocrine targeting in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Sucquart
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ruchi Nagarkar
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Melissa C Edwards
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Valentina Rodriguez Paris
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ali Aflatounian
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael J Bertoldo
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre of Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert B Gilchrist
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Denovan P Begg
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David J Handelsman
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, NSW 2139, Australia
| | | | - Richard A Anderson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Kirsty A Walters
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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11
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Puttabyatappa M, Ciarelli JN, Chatoff AG, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Metabolic tissue-specific changes in endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial oxidative and telomere length status induced by prenatal testosterone excess in the female sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 526:111207. [PMID: 33607270 PMCID: PMC8005473 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111207] [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: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess-induced metabolic dysfunctions involve tissue specific changes in insulin sensitivity with insulin resistant, oxidative and lipotoxic state in liver/muscle and insulin sensitive but inflammatory and oxidative state in visceral adipose tissues (VAT). We hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and premature cellular senescence are contributors to the tissue-specific changes in insulin sensitivity. Markers of mitochondrial number, function, and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos), ER stress and cellular senescence (telomere length) were assessed in liver, muscle and 4 adipose (VAT, subcutaneous [SAT], epicardiac [ECAT] and perirenal [PRAT]) depots collected from control and prenatal T-treated female sheep at 21 months of age. Prenatal T treatment led to: (a) reduction in mitochondrial number and OxPhos complexes and increase in ER stress markers in muscle; (b) increase in fibrosis with trend towards increase in short telomere fragments in liver (c) depot-specific mitochondrial changes with OxPhos complexes namely increase in SAT and reduction in PRAT and increase in mitochondrial number in ECAT; (d) depot-specific ER stress marker changes with increase in VAT, reduction in SAT, contrasting changes in ECAT and no changes in PRAT; and (d) reduced shorter telomere fragments in SAT, ECAT and PRAT. These changes indicate insulin resistance may be driven by mitochondrial and ER dysfunction in muscle, fibrosis and premature senescence in liver, and depot-specific changes in mitochondrial function and ER stress without involving cellular senescence in adipose tissue. These findings provide mechanistic insights into pathophysiology of metabolic dysfunction among female offspring from hyperandrogenic pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph N Ciarelli
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adam G Chatoff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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12
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Jackson IJ, Puttabyatappa M, Anderson M, Muralidharan M, Veiga-Lopez A, Gregg B, Limesand S, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Prenatal testosterone excess disrupts pancreatic islet developmental trajectory in female sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110950. [PMID: 32726642 PMCID: PMC7609617 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)- treated female sheep manifest juvenile insulin resistance, post-pubertal increase in insulin sensitivity and return to insulin resistance during adulthood. Since compensatory hyperinsulinemia is associated with insulin resistance, altered pancreatic islet ontogeny may contribute towards metabolic defects. To test this, pregnant sheep were treated with or without T propionate from days 30-90 of gestation and pancreas collected from female fetuses at gestational day 90 and female offspring at 21 months-of-age. Uterine (maternal) and umbilical (fetal) arterial blood insulin/glucose ratios were determined at gestational day 90. The morphological and functional changes in pancreatic islet were assessed through detection of 1) islet hormones (insulin, glucagon) and apoptotic beta cells at fetal day 90 and 2) islet hormones (insulin, glucagon and somatostatin), and pancreatic lipid and collagen accumulation in adults. At gestational day 90, T-treatment led to maternal but not fetal hyperinsulinemia, decrease in pancreatic/fetal weight ratio and alpha cells, and a trend for increase in beta cell apoptosis in fetal pancreas. Adult prenatal T-treated female sheep manifested 1) significant increase in beta cell size and a tendency for increase in insulin and somatostatin stained area and proportion of beta cells in the islet; and 2) significant increase in pancreatic islet collagen and a tendency towards increased lipid accumulation. Gestational T-treatment induced changes in pancreatic islet endocrine cells during both fetal and adult ages track the trajectory of hyperinsulinemic status with the increase in adult pancreatic collagen accumulation indicative of impending beta cell failure with chronic insulin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | | | - Miranda Anderson
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Meha Muralidharan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Brigid Gregg
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sean Limesand
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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13
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Burger LL, Wagenmaker ER, Phumsatitpong C, Olson DP, Moenter SM. Prenatal Androgenization Alters the Development of GnRH Neuron and Preoptic Area RNA Transcripts in Female Mice. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5906406. [PMID: 33095238 PMCID: PMC7583650 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common form of infertility in women. The causes of PCOS are not yet understood and both genetics and early-life exposure have been considered as candidates. With regard to the latter, circulating androgens are elevated in mid-late gestation in women with PCOS, potentially exposing offspring to elevated androgens in utero; daughters of women with PCOS are at increased risk for developing this disorder. Consistent with these clinical observations, prenatal androgenization (PNA) of several species recapitulates many phenotypes observed in PCOS. There is increasing evidence that symptoms associated with PCOS, including elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) (and presumably gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) pulse frequency emerge during the pubertal transition. We utilized translating ribosome affinity purification coupled with ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing to examine GnRH neuron messenger RNAs from prepubertal (3 weeks) and adult female control and PNA mice. Prominent in GnRH neurons were transcripts associated with protein synthesis and cellular energetics, in particular oxidative phosphorylation. The GnRH neuron transcript profile was affected more by the transition from prepuberty to adulthood than by PNA treatment; however, PNA did change the developmental trajectory of GnRH neurons. This included families of transcripts related to both protein synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation, which were more prevalent in adults than in prepubertal mice but were blunted in PNA adults. These findings suggest that prenatal androgen exposure can program alterations in the translatome of GnRH neurons, providing a mechanism independent of changes in the genetic code for altered expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Burger
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - David P Olson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Pediatrics, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Correspondence: Suzanne M. Moenter; 7725 Med Sci II; 1137 E Catherine St; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5622, USA. E-mail:
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14
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Dumesic DA, Hoyos LR, Chazenbalk GD, Naik R, Padmanabhan V, Abbott DH. Mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of polycystic ovary syndrome. Reproduction 2020; 159:R1-R13. [PMID: 31376813 DOI: 10.1530/rep-19-0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Developmental origins of adult disease (DoHAD) refers to critical gestational ages during human fetal development and beyond when the endocrine metabolic status of the mother can permanently program the physiology and/or morphology of the fetus, modifying its susceptibility to disease after birth. The aim of this review is to address how DoHAD plays an important role in the phenotypic expression of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinopathy of women characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo-anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology. Clinical studies of PCOS women are integrated with findings from relevant animal models to show how intergenerational transmission of these central components of PCOS are programmed through an altered maternal endocrine-metabolic environment that adversely affects the female fetus and long-term offspring health. Prenatal testosterone treatment in monkeys and sheep have been particularly crucial in our understanding of developmental programming of PCOS because organ system differentiation in these species, as in humans, occurs during fetal life. These animal models, along with altricial rodents, produce permanent PCOS-like phenotypes variably characterized by LH hypersecretion from reduced steroid-negative feedback, hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, increased adiposity, impaired glucose-insulin homeostasis and other metabolic abnormalities. The review concludes that DoHAD underlies the phenotypic expression of PCOS through an altered maternal endocrine-metabolic environment that can induce epigenetic modifications of fetal genetic susceptibility to PCOS after birth. It calls for improved maternal endocrine-metabolic health of PCOS women to lower their risks of pregnancy-related complications and to potentially reduce intergenerational susceptibility to PCOS and its metabolic derangements in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Dumesic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Luis R Hoyos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gregorio D Chazenbalk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rajanigandha Naik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - David H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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15
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Mujica LKS, Glanzner WG, Prante AL, Rissi VB, Correa GRE, Premaor MO, Antoniazzi AQ, Gonçalves PBD, Comim FV. Trabecular Bone is Increased in a Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2020; 129:757-761. [PMID: 33113570 DOI: 10.1055/a-1284-5491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in an intricate disorder characterized by reproductive and metabolic abnormalities that may affect bone quality and strength along with the lifespan. The present study analysed the impact of postnatal androgenization (of a single dose of testosterone propionate 1.25 mg subcutaneously at day 5 of life) on bone development and markers of bone metabolism in adult female Wistar rats. Compared with healthy controls, the results of measurements of micro-computed tomography (microCT) of the distal femur of androgenized rats indicated an increased cortical bone volume voxel bone volume to total volume (VOX BV/TV) and higher trabecular number (Tb.n) with reduced trabecular separation (Tb.sp). A large magnitude effect size was observed in the levels of circulating bone formation Procollagen I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) at day 60 of life; reabsorption cross-linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) markers were similar between the androgenized and control rats at days 60 and 110 of life. The analysis of gene expression in bone indicated elements for an increased bone mass such as the reduction of the Dickkopf-1 factor (Dkk1) a negative regulator of osteoblast differentiation (bone formation) and the reduction of Interleukin 1-b (Il1b), an activator of osteoclast differentiation (bone reabsorption). Results from this study highlight the possible role of the developmental programming on bone microarchitecture with reference to young women with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lady Katerine Serrano Mujica
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | - Werner Giehl Glanzner
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | - Amanda Luiza Prante
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | - Vitor Braga Rissi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | | | - Melissa Orlandin Premaor
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS.,MOP and FVC are now at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG
| | - Alfredo Quites Antoniazzi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | - Paulo Bayard Dias Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS
| | - Fabio Vasconcellos Comim
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction - BioRep, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS.,MOP and FVC are now at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG
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16
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WU W, XU J. [Research progress on the role of pentraxin 3 in polycystic ovary syndrome]. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2020; 49:637-643. [PMID: 33210493 PMCID: PMC8800715 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-9292.2020.08.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease of child-bearing period women and one of the main causes of infertility in women. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a multifunctional protein with a series of biological activities. PTX3 participates in the regulation of insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, ovarian cumulus cell function, inflammatory factor activity, androgen metabolism, lipid absorption and transport, and endothelial cell function, thereby improving insulin resistance, promoting follicular development and ovulation, reducing chronic inflammation, inhibiting androgen levels, improving lipid metabolism abnormalities and preventing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, thus participating in the occurrence of PCOS and its complications. This article reviews the mechanism of PTX3 in PCOS and its complications, trying to provide new ideas and directions for the study of PCOS pathogenesis and its clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jian XU
- 徐键(1961-), 男, 博士, 主任医师, 博士生导师, 主要从事生殖医学与妇科内分泌、辅助生育技术、妇科内窥镜研究; E-mail:
;
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0307-3198
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17
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Guo X, Puttabyatappa M, Domino SE, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Prenatal testosterone-induced changes in epigenetic modulators and gene expression in metabolic tissues of female sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 514:110913. [PMID: 32562712 PMCID: PMC7397566 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)-treated female sheep manifest peripheral insulin resistance and tissue-specific changes in insulin sensitivity with liver and muscle manifesting insulin resistance accompanied by inflammatory, oxidative and lipotoxic state. In contrast, visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) adipose tissues are insulin sensitive in spite of VAT manifesting changes in inflammatory and oxidative state. We hypothesized that prenatal T-induced changes in tissue-specific insulin resistance arise from disrupted lipid storage and metabolism gene expression driven by changes in DNA and histone modifying enzymes. Changes in gene expression were assessed in liver, muscle and 4 adipose (VAT, SAT, epicardiac [ECAT] and perirenal [PRAT]) depots collected from control and prenatal T-treated female sheep. Prenatal T-treatment increased lipid droplet and metabolism genes PPARA and PLIN1 in liver, SREBF and PLIN1 in muscle and showed a trend for decrease in PLIN2 in PRAT. Among epigenetic modifying enzymes, prenatal T-treatment increased expression of 1) DNMT1 in liver and DNMT3A in VAT, PRAT, muscle and liver; 2) HDAC1 in ECAT, HDAC2 in muscle with decrease in HDAC3 in VAT; 3) EP300 in VAT and ECAT; and 4) KDM1A in VAT with increases in liver histone acetylation. Increased lipid storage and metabolism genes in liver and muscle are consistent with lipotoxicity in these tissues with increased histone acetylation likely contributing to increased liver PPARA. These findings are suggestive that metabolic defects in prenatal T-treated sheep may arise from changes in key genes mediated, in part, by tissue-specific changes in epigenetic-modifying enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingzi Guo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China
| | | | - Steven E Domino
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA.
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18
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Stener-Victorin E, Padmanabhan V, Walters KA, Campbell RE, Benrick A, Giacobini P, Dumesic DA, Abbott DH. Animal Models to Understand the Etiology and Pathophysiology of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:bnaa010. [PMID: 32310267 PMCID: PMC7279705 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
More than 1 out of 10 women worldwide are diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the leading cause of female reproductive and metabolic dysfunction. Despite its high prevalence, PCOS and its accompanying morbidities are likely underdiagnosed, averaging > 2 years and 3 physicians before women are diagnosed. Although it has been intensively researched, the underlying cause(s) of PCOS have yet to be defined. In order to understand PCOS pathophysiology, its developmental origins, and how to predict and prevent PCOS onset, there is an urgent need for safe and effective markers and treatments. In this review, we detail which animal models are more suitable for contributing to our understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of PCOS. We summarize and highlight advantages and limitations of hormonal or genetic manipulation of animal models, as well as of naturally occurring PCOS-like females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kirsty A Walters
- Fertility & Research Centre, School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anna Benrick
- Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- School of Health Sciences and Education, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Daniel A Dumesic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, California
| | - David H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
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19
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Cox MJ, Edwards MC, Rodriguez Paris V, Aflatounian A, Ledger WL, Gilchrist RB, Padmanabhan V, Handelsman DJ, Walters KA. Androgen Action in Adipose Tissue and the Brain are Key Mediators in the Development of PCOS Traits in a Mouse Model. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5821244. [PMID: 32301482 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder characterized by endocrine, reproductive, and metabolic abnormalities. Despite PCOS being the most common endocrinopathy affecting women of reproductive age, the etiology of PCOS is poorly understood, so there is no cure and symptomatic treatment is suboptimal. Hyperandrogenism is the most consistent feature observed in PCOS patients, and recently aberrant neuroendocrine signaling and adipose tissue function have been proposed as playing a role in the development of PCOS. To investigate the role of adipose tissue and the brain as key sites for androgen receptor (AR)-mediated development of PCOS, we combined a white and brown adipose and brain-specific AR knockout (AdBARKO) mouse model with a dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced mouse model of PCOS. As expected, in wildtype (WT) control females, DHT exposure induced the reproductive PCOS traits of cycle irregularity, ovulatory dysfunction, and reduced follicle health, whereas in AdBARKO females, DHT did not produce the reproductive features of PCOS. The metabolic PCOS characteristics of increased adiposity, adipocyte hypertrophy, and hepatic steatosis induced by DHT in WT females were not evident in DHT-treated AdBARKO females, which displayed normal white adipose tissue weight and no adipocyte hypertrophy or liver steatosis. Dihydrotestosterone treatment induced increased fasting glucose levels in both WT and AdBARKO females. These findings demonstrate that adipose tissue and the brain are key loci of androgen-mediated actions involved in the developmental origins of PCOS. These data support targeting adipocyte and neuroendocrine AR-driven pathways in the future development of novel therapeutic strategies for PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine J Cox
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Melissa C Edwards
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Valentina Rodriguez Paris
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ali Aflatounian
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - William L Ledger
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robert B Gilchrist
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - David J Handelsman
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kirsty A Walters
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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20
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Puttabyatappa M, Ciarelli JN, Chatoff AG, Singer K, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: Adipose depot-specific changes and thermogenic adipocyte distribution in the female sheep. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 503:110691. [PMID: 31863810 PMCID: PMC7012762 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)-treated female sheep exhibit an enhanced inflammatory and oxidative stress state in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) but not in the subcutaneous (SAT), while surprisingly maintaining insulin sensitivity in both depots. In adult sheep, adipose tissue is predominantly composed of white adipocytes which favor lipid storage. Brown/beige adipocytes that make up the brown adipose tissue (BAT) favor lipid utilization due to thermogenic uncoupled protein 1 expression and are interspersed amidst white adipocytes, more so in epicardiac (ECAT) and perirenal (PRAT) depots. The impact of prenatal T-treatment on ECAT and PRAT depots are unknown. As BAT imparts a metabolically healthy phenotype, the depot-specific impact of prenatal T-treatment on inflammation, oxidative stress, differentiation and insulin sensitivity could be dictated by the distribution of brown adipocytes. This hypothesis was tested by assessing markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, adipocyte differentiation, fibrosis and thermogenesis in adipose depots from control and prenatal T (100 mg T propionate twice a week from days 30-90 of gestation) -treated female sheep at 21 months of age. Our results show prenatal T-treatment induces depot-specific changes in inflammation, oxidative stress state, collagen accumulation, and differentiation with changes being more pronounced in the VAT. Prenatal T-treatment also increased thermogenic gene expression in all depots indicative of increased browning with effects being more prominent in VAT and SAT. Considering that inflammatory and oxidative stress are also elevated, the increased brown adipocyte distribution is likely a compensatory response to maintain insulin sensitivity and function of organs in the proximity of respective depots.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph N Ciarelli
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adam G Chatoff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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21
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Dulka EA, Burger LL, Moenter SM. Ovarian Androgens Maintain High GnRH Neuron Firing Rate in Adult Prenatally-Androgenized Female Mice. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5686883. [PMID: 31875912 PMCID: PMC7397485 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqz038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Changes in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release frequency from the brain help drive reproductive cycles. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), persistent high GnRH/luteinizing hormone (LH) frequency disrupts cycles and exacerbates hyperandrogenemia. Adult prenatally-androgenized (PNA) mice exhibit increased GnRH neuron firing rate, elevated ovarian androgens, and disrupted cycles, but before puberty, GnRH neuron activity is reduced in PNA mice compared with controls. We hypothesized that ovarian feedback mediates the age-dependent change in GnRH neuron firing rate in PNA vs control mice. Extracellular recordings of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-identified GnRH neurons were made 5 to 7 days after sham-surgery, ovariectomy (OVX), or, in adults, after OVX plus replacement of sub-male androgen levels with dihydrotestosterone implants (OVX + DHT). In 3-week-old mice, OVX did not affect GnRH neuron firing rate in either group. In adult controls, OVX increased GnRH neuron firing rate, which was further enhanced by DHT. In adult PNA mice, however, OVX decreased GnRH neuron firing rate, and DHT restored firing rate to sham-operated levels. In contrast to the differential effects of ovarian feedback on GnRH neuron firing rate, serum LH increased after OVX in both control and PNA mice and was not altered by DHT. Pituitary gene expression largely reflected changes expected with OVX, although in PNA but not control mice, DHT treatment increased Lhb expression. These results suggest prenatal androgen exposure programs marked changes in GnRH neuron regulation by homeostatic steroid feedback. PNA lowers GnRH neuron activity in low-steroid states (before puberty, OVX), and renders activity in adulthood dependent upon ongoing exposure to elevated ovarian androgens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden A Dulka
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Laura L Burger
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Correspondence: Suzanne M. Moenter, PhD; 7725 Med Sci II; 1137 E Catherine St; Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5622; phone: 734-647-1755;
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Guo X, Puttabyatappa M, Thompson RC, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Contribution of Epigenetic Enzymes to Antral Follicular Defects in the Sheep Model of PCOS. Endocrinology 2019; 160:2471-2484. [PMID: 31398247 PMCID: PMC6760338 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)-treated sheep, similar to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), manifest oligo-/anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polyfollicular ovary. The polyfollicular ovarian morphology, a result of persistence of antral follicles, arises, in part, by transcriptional changes in key mediators of follicular development that, in turn, are driven by epigenetic mechanisms. We hypothesized that prenatal T excess induces, in a cell-specific manner, transcriptional changes in key mediators of follicular development associated with relevant changes in epigenetic machinery. Expression levels of key mediators of follicular development, DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), and histone de-/methylases and de-/acetylases were determined in laser-capture microdissection-isolated antral follicular granulosa and theca and ovarian stromal cells from 21 months of age control and prenatal T-treated sheep (100 mg IM twice weekly from gestational day 30 to 90; term: 147 days). Changes in histone methylation were determined by immunofluorescence. Prenatal T treatment induced the following: (i) cell-specific changes in gene expression of key mediators of follicular development and steroidogenesis; (ii) granulosa, theca, and stromal cell-specific changes in DNMTs and histone de-/methylases and deacetylases, and (iii) increases in histone 3 trimethylation at lysine 9 in granulosa and histone 3 dimethylation at lysine 4 in theca cells. The pattern of histone methylation was consistent with the expression profile of histone de-/methylases in the respective cells. These findings suggest that changes in expression of key genes involved in the development of the polyfollicular phenotype in prenatal T-treated sheep are mediated, at least in part, by cell-specific changes in epigenetic-modifying enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingzi Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiangya Third Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Robert C Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Correspondence: Vasantha Padmanabhan, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 7510 MSRB 1, 1500 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. E-mail:
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Rodriguez Paris V, Bertoldo MJ. The Mechanism of Androgen Actions in PCOS Etiology. Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:medsci7090089. [PMID: 31466345 PMCID: PMC6780983 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7090089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine condition in reproductive-age women. By comprising reproductive, endocrine, metabolic and psychological features—the cause of PCOS is still unknown. Consequently, there is no cure, and management is persistently suboptimal as it depends on the ad hoc management of symptoms only. Recently it has been revealed that androgens have an important role in regulating female fertility. Androgen actions are facilitated via the androgen receptor (AR) and transgenic Ar knockout mouse models have established that AR-mediated androgen actions have a part in regulating female fertility and ovarian function. Considerable evidence from human and animal studies currently reinforces the hypothesis that androgens in excess, working via the AR, play a key role in the origins of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Identifying and confirming the locations of AR-mediated actions and the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of PCOS is critical to provide the knowledge required for the future development of innovative, mechanism-based interventions for the treatment of PCOS. This review summarises fundamental scientific discoveries that have improved our knowledge of androgen actions in PCOS etiology and how this may form the future development of effective methods to reduce symptoms in patients with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rodriguez Paris
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael J Bertoldo
- Fertility and Research Centre, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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24
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Developmental Programming of PCOS Traits: Insights from the Sheep. Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:medsci7070079. [PMID: 31336724 PMCID: PMC6681354 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7070079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder that results from a combination of multiple factors, including genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences. Evidence from clinical and preclinical studies indicates that elevated intrauterine androgen levels increase the susceptibility of the female offspring to develop the PCOS phenotype. Additionally, early postnatal endocrine and metabolic imbalances may act as a "second-hit", which, through activational effects, might unmask or amplify the modifications programmed prenatally, thus culminating in the development of adult disease. Animal models provide unparalleled resources to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to androgen excess and to elucidate the etiology and progression of disease conditions associated with this occurrence, such as PCOS. In sheep, prenatal treatment with testosterone disrupts the developmental trajectory of the fetus, culminating in adult neuroendocrine, ovarian, and metabolic perturbations that closely resemble those seen in women with PCOS. Our longitudinal studies clearly demonstrate that prenatal exposure to testosterone excess affects both the reproductive and the metabolic systems, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle with defects in one system having an impact on the other. These observations in the sheep suggest that intervention strategies targeting multiple organ systems may be required to prevent the progression of developmentally programmed disorders.
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25
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Akbarinejad V, Gharagozlou F, Vojgani M, Shourabi E, Makiabadi MJM. Inferior fertility and higher concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone in dairy cows with longer anogenital distance. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2019; 68:47-53. [PMID: 30851696 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Anogenital distance (AGD), which is an indicator of prenatal androgen exposure, has been reported to have high variability and negative association with fertility in dairy cows. Prenatal exposure to androgens could influence the development of primordial follicles and size of ovarian reserve, which is related to reproduction. However, the relationship between AGD and size of ovarian reserve has not been studied. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the association between AGD and circulating anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), as an indirect marker of ovarian reserve, and to evaluate serum AMH concentration and reproductive performance in dairy cows with short and long AGD. Anogenital distance was measured 28 to 32 d postpartum, and based on the median of AGD, cows were divided into 2 subsets including short (n = 43) and long (n = 43) AGD groups. Afterward, serum AMH was evaluated on the day of estrus in cows that were estrus-synchronized. Furthermore, reproductive data of dairy cows during the previous lactation period were collected from the herd database. Concentrations of serum AMH tended to be positively associated with length of AGD, and there was a tendency for higher serum AMH concentrations in the long (634.89 ± 74.52 pg/mL) than short (451.39 ± 45.92 pg/mL) AGD group (0.05 <P ≤ 0.10). There was a tendency for more days to first service, lower first service conception rate, and higher proportion of repeat breeders in long (99.95 ± 5.34 d, 30.23% and 32.56%, respectively) than short (89.07 ± 4.97 d, 48.84% and 16.28%, respectively) AGD cows (0.05 <P ≤ 0.10). Services per conception did not differ between short (2.30 ± 0.27) and long (2.93 ± 0.29) AGD cows (P > 0.05). Calving to conception interval was prolonged in long (194.30 ± 17.12 d) than short (147.14 ± 13.11 d) AGD cows (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the present study revealed elevated serum AMH concentrations and poor reproductive performance in cows with longer AGD compared with cows with shorter AGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Akbarinejad
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - F Gharagozlou
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Vojgani
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - E Shourabi
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - M J M Makiabadi
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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26
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Developmental programming: Changes in mediators of insulin sensitivity in prenatal bisphenol A-treated female sheep. Reprod Toxicol 2019; 85:110-122. [PMID: 30853570 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with metabolic defects during adulthood. In sheep, prenatal BPA treatment causes insulin resistance (IR) and adipocyte hypertrophy in the female offspring. To determine if changes in insulin sensitivity mediators (increase in inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipotoxicity and/or decrease in adiponectin) and the intracrine steroidal milieu contributes to these metabolic perturbations, metabolic tissues collected from 21-month-old female offspring born to mothers treated with 0, 0.05, 0.5, or 5 mg/kg/day of BPA were studied. Findings showed prenatal BPA in non-monotonic manner (1) increased oxidative stress; (2) induced lipotoxicity in liver and muscle; and (3) increased aromatase and estrogen receptor expression in visceral adipose tissues. These changes are generally associated with the development of peripheral and tissue level IR and may explain the IR status and adipocyte hypertrophy observed in prenatal BPA-treated female sheep.
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Abbott DH, Dumesic DA, Levine JE. Hyperandrogenic origins of polycystic ovary syndrome - implications for pathophysiology and therapy. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2019; 14:131-143. [PMID: 30767580 PMCID: PMC6992448 DOI: 10.1080/17446651.2019.1576522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis comprises combinations of female hyperandrogenism, menstrual irregularity and polycystic ovaries. While it is a familial and highly prevalent endocrine disorder, progress towards a cure is hindered by absence of a definitive pathogenic mechanism and lack of an animal model of naturally occurring PCOS. AREAS COVERED These include an overview of PCOS and its potential etiology, and an examination of insights gained into its pathogenic origins. Animal models derived from experimentally-induced hyperandrogenism during gestation, or from naturally-occurring PCOS-like traits, most reliably demonstrate reproductive, neuroendocrine and metabolic pathogenesis. EXPERT OPINION Genetic studies, while identifying at least 17 PCOS risk genes, account for <10% of women with PCOS. A number of PCOS risk genes involve regulation of gonadotropin secretion or action, suggesting a reproductive neuroendocrine basis for PCOS pathogenesis. Consistent with this notion, a number of animal models employing fetal androgen excess demonstrate epigenetic induction of PCOS-like traits, including reproductive neuroendocrine and metabolic dysfunction. Monkey models are most comprehensive, while mouse models provide molecular insight, including identifying the androgen receptor, particularly in neurons, as mediating androgen-induced PCOS-like programming. Naturally-occurring female hyperandrogenism is also demonstrated in monkeys. Animal models are poised to delineate molecular gateways to PCOS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Daniel A Dumesic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jon E Levine
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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28
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Tonellotto Dos Santos J, Escarião da Nóbrega J, Serrano Mujica LK, Dos Santos Amaral C, Machado FA, Manta MW, Rizzetti TM, Zanella R, Fighera R, Antoniazzi AQ, Gonçalves PBD, Comim FV. Prenatal Androgenization of Ewes as a Model of Hirsutism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Endocrinology 2018; 159:4056-4064. [PMID: 30376052 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The main clinical feature associated with hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in humans is hirsutism, where hair increases its length, pigmentation, and particularly its diameter. Currently, it is not known whether PCOS animal models also exhibit changes in the hair. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the wool characteristics in sheep prenatally androgenized (PA) with testosterone propionate. After 4 and 13 months of life, wool was collected from the top of the shoulder of both females and males (both androgenized and controls). The offspring sheep were followed for up to 19 months of life to evaluate testosterone and androstenedione serum levels by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, determine insulin and glucose response to intravenous glucose tolerance test, and address estrus cyclicity during the second breeding season. PA male animals showed a reduction in wool fiber diameter at 4 months of age compared with controls (P = 0.02) but not at 13 months, whereas PA females showed increased hair diameter at 13 months (P = 0.002), with no difference at 4 months. No substantial changes in other hair parameters (length, color, and medullation) were identified. In addition, increased levels of serum testosterone were observed in PA female sheep compared with controls at 12 months (P = 0.03). Our results indicate for the first time, to our knowledge, that changes in wool fiber diameter observed in PA ewes replicate, at the translational level, the increase in hair diameter in hirsute women with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joabel Tonellotto Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Jandui Escarião da Nóbrega
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Lady Katerine Serrano Mujica
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Carolina Dos Santos Amaral
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Amadori Machado
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Manuela W Manta
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Tiele Medianeira Rizzetti
- Laboratory of Pesticide Analysis (LARP), Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Renato Zanella
- Laboratory of Pesticide Analysis (LARP), Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Rafael Fighera
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Alfredo Quites Antoniazzi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Paulo Bayard Dias Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Fabio Vasconcellos Comim
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction (BioRep), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
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Tamadon A, Hu W, Cui P, Ma T, Tong X, Zhang F, Li X, Shao LR, Feng Y. How to choose the suitable animal model of polycystic ovary syndrome? TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND MODERN MEDICINE 2018. [DOI: 10.1142/s2575900018300047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a gynecological metabolic and endocrine disorder with uncertain etiology. To understand the etiology of PCOS or the evaluation of various therapeutic agents, different animal models have been introduced. Considering this fact that is difficult to develop an animal model that mimics all aspects of this syndrome, but, similarity of biological, anatomical, and/or biochemical features of animal model to the human PCOS phenotypes can increase its application. This review paper evaluates the recently researched animal models and introduced the best models for different research purposes in PCOS studies. During January 2013 to January 2017, 162 studies were identified which applied various kinds of animal models of PCOS including rodent, primate, ruminant and fish. Between these models, prenatal and pre-pubertal androgen rat models and then prenatal androgen mouse model have been studied in detail than others. The comparison of main features of these models with women PCOS demonstrates higher similarity of these three models to human conditions. Thereafter, letrozole models can be recommended for the investigation of various aspects of PCOS. Interestingly, similarity of PCOS features of post-pubertal insulin and human chorionic gonadotropin rat models with women PCOS were considerable which can make it as a good choice for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Tamadon
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Peng Cui
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Tong Ma
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Tong
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Feifei Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, P. R. China
| | - Xin Li
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, P. R. China
| | - Linus R. Shao
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Yi Feng
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
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30
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Domonkos E, Borbélyová V, Kolátorová L, Chlupáčová T, Ostatníková D, Hodosy J, Stárka L, Celec P. Sex differences in the effect of prenatal testosterone exposure on steroid hormone production in adult rats. Physiol Res 2018; 66:S367-S374. [PMID: 28948821 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.933722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal hyperandrogenism during pregnancy might have metabolic and endocrine consequences on the offspring as shown for the polycystic ovary syndrome. Despite numerous experiments, the impact of prenatal hyperandrogenic environment on postnatal sex steroid milieu is not yet clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of prenatal testosterone excess on postnatal concentrations of luteinizing hormone, corticosterone and steroid hormones including testosterone, pregnenolone, progesterone, estradiol and 7beta-hydroxy-epiandrosterone in the offspring of both sexes. Pregnant rats were injected daily with either testosterone propionate or vehicle from gestational day 14 until parturition. The hormones were evaluated in plasma of the adult offspring. As expected, females had lower testosterone and higher pregnenolone, progesterone and estradiol in comparison to males. In addition, corticosterone was higher in females than in males, and it was further elevated by prenatal testosterone treatment. In males, prenatal testosterone exposure resulted in higher 7beta-hydroxy-epiandrosterone in comparison to control group. None of the other analyzed hormones were affected by prenatal testosterone. In conclusion, our results did not show major effects on sex hormone production or luteinizing hormone release in adult rats resulting from testosterone excess during their fetal development. However, maternal hyperandrogenism seems to partially affect steroid biosynthesis in sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Domonkos
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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31
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Puttabyatappa M, Lu C, Martin JD, Chazenbalk G, Dumesic D, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Impact of Prenatal Testosterone Excess on Steroidal Machinery and Cell Differentiation Markers in Visceral Adipocytes of Female Sheep. Reprod Sci 2017; 25:1010-1023. [PMID: 29237348 DOI: 10.1177/1933719117746767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)-treated female sheep manifest reduced adipocyte size and peripheral insulin resistance. The small adipocyte phenotype may reflect defects in adipogenesis and its steroidal machinery. To test whether prenatal T treatment from gestational days 30 to 90 alters the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) steroidal machinery and reduces adipocyte differentiation, we examined expression of the steroidogenic enzymes, steroid receptors, and adipocyte differentiation markers at fetal day 90 and postnatal ages 10 and 21 months. Because gestational T treatment increases fetal T and maternal insulin, the contributions of these were assessed by androgen receptor antagonist or insulin sensitizer cotreatment, either separately (at fetal day 90 and 21 months of age time points) or together (10 months of age). The effects on adipogenesis were assessed in the VAT-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) from pre- and postpubertal time points to evaluate the effects of pubertal steroidal changes on adipogenesis. Our results show that VAT manifests potentially a predominant estrogenic intracrine milieu (increased aromatase and estrogen receptor α) and reduced differentiation markers at fetal day 90 and postnatal 21 months of age. These changes appear to involve both androgenic and metabolic pathways. Preliminary findings suggest that prenatal T treatment reduces adipogenesis, decreases expression of differentiation, and increases expression of commitment markers at both pre- and postpubertal time points. Together, these findings suggest that (1) increased commitment of AT-MSCs to adipocyte lineage and decreased differentiation to adipocytes may underlie the small adipocyte phenotype of prenatal T-treated females and (2) excess T-induced changes in steroidal machinery in the VAT likely participate in the programming/maintenance of this defect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chunxia Lu
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jacob D Martin
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gregorio Chazenbalk
- 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Dumesic
- 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Puttabyatappa M, Andriessen V, Mesquitta M, Zeng L, Pennathur S, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Impact of Gestational Steroid and Metabolic Milieus on Mediators of Insulin Sensitivity in Prenatal Testosterone-Treated Female Sheep. Endocrinology 2017; 158:2783-2798. [PMID: 28911168 PMCID: PMC5659659 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) excess in sheep leads to peripheral insulin resistance (IR), reduced adipocyte size, and tissue-specific changes, with liver and muscle but not adipose tissue being insulin resistant. To determine the basis for the tissue-specific differences in insulin sensitivity, we assessed changes in negative (inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipotoxicity) and positive mediators (adiponectin and antioxidants) of insulin sensitivity in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissues of control and prenatal T-treated sheep. Because T excess leads to maternal hyperinsulinemia, fetal hyperandrogenism, and functional hyperandrogenism and IR in their female offspring, prenatal and postnatal interventions with antiandrogen, flutamide, and the insulin sensitizer rosiglitazone were used to parse out the contribution of androgenic and metabolic pathways in programming and maintaining these defects. Results showed that (1) peripheral IR in prenatal T-treated female sheep is related to increases in triglycerides and 3-nitrotyrosine, which appear to override the increase in high-molecular-weight adiponectin; (2) liver IR is a function of the increase in oxidative stress (3-nitrotyrosine) and lipotoxicity; (3) muscle IR is related to lipotoxicity; and (4) the insulin-sensitive status of visceral adipose tissue appears to be a function of the increase in antioxidants that likely overrides the increase in proinflammatory cytokines, macrophages, and oxidative stress. Prenatal and postnatal intervention with either antiandrogen or insulin sensitizer had partial effects in preventing or ameliorating the prenatal T-induced changes in mediators of insulin sensitivity, suggesting that both pathways are critical for the programming and maintenance of the prenatal T-induced changes and point to potential involvement of estrogenic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Makeda Mesquitta
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Lixia Zeng
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Subramaniam Pennathur
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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Puttabyatappa M, Irwin A, Martin JD, Mesquitta M, Veiga-Lopez A, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Gestational Exposure to Excess Testosterone Alters Expression of Ovarian Matrix Metalloproteases and Their Target Proteins. Reprod Sci 2017; 25:882-892. [PMID: 28299992 DOI: 10.1177/1933719117697127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T)-treated sheep, similar to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), manifests reproductive defects that include multifollicular ovarian phenotype. Women with PCOS manifest increased ovarian matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity. We tested the hypothesis that gestational T excess in sheep would alter ovarian expression of MMPs, tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP) and their target proteins laminin B (LAMB), collagen, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), and connexin 43 (GJA1) consistent with increased MMP activity and that these changes are developmentally regulated. The ovarian content of these proteins was quantified by immunohistochemistry in fetal day 90, 140, and adult (21 months of age) ovaries. Prenatal T excess lowered GJA1 protein content in stroma and granulosa cells of primary follicles from fetal day 90 ovaries and decreased stromal MMP9, TIMP1, and LAMB in fetal day 140 ovaries. In the adult, prenatal T-treatment (1) increased MMP9 in theca cells of large preantral follicles and stroma, TNF in granulosa cells of small and large preantral follicles and theca cells of large preantral and antral follicles, and GJA1 in stroma, theca cells of large preantral follicles, and granulosa cells of antral follicles and (2) reduced TIMP1 in stroma, theca cells of large preantral and antral follicles, LAMB in stroma and small prenatral follicles, and collagen content in stroma and around antral follicles. These findings suggest a net increase in MMP activity and its target proteins TNF and GJA1 in prenatal T-treated adult but not in fetal ovaries and their potential involvement in the development of multifollicular morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashleigh Irwin
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jacob D Martin
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Makeda Mesquitta
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Almudena Veiga-Lopez
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,2 Department of Animal Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Cardoso RC, Burns A, Moeller J, Skinner DC, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Insulin Sensitizer Prevents the GnRH-Stimulated LH Hypersecretion in a Sheep Model of PCOS. Endocrinology 2016; 157:4641-4653. [PMID: 27792406 PMCID: PMC5133353 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) treatment recapitulates the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome in female sheep. At the neuroendocrine level, prenatal T treatment results in disrupted steroid feedback on gonadotropin release, increased pituitary sensitivity to GnRH, and subsequent LH hypersecretion. Because prenatal T-treated sheep manifest functional hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinemia, gonadal steroids and/or insulin may play a role in programming and/or maintaining these neuroendocrine defects. Here, we investigated the effects of prenatal and postnatal treatments with an androgen antagonist (flutamide [F]) or an insulin sensitizer (rosiglitazone [R]) on GnRH-stimulated LH secretion in prenatal T-treated sheep. As expected, prenatal T treatment increased the pituitary responsiveness to GnRH leading to LH hypersecretion. Neither prenatal interventions nor postnatal F treatment normalized the GnRH-stimulated LH secretion. Conversely, postnatal R treatment completely normalized the GnRH-stimulated LH secretion. At the tissue level, gestational T increased pituitary LHβ, androgen receptor, and insulin receptor-β, whereas it reduced estrogen receptor (ER)α protein levels. Although postnatal F normalized pituitary androgen receptor and insulin receptor-β, it failed to prevent an increase in LHβ expression. Contrarily, postnatal R treatment restored ERα and partially normalized LHβ pituitary levels. Immunohistochemical findings confirmed changes in pituitary ERα expression to be specific to gonadotropes. In conclusion, these findings indicate that increased pituitary responsiveness to GnRH in prenatal T-treated sheep is likely a function of reduced peripheral insulin sensitivity. Moreover, results suggest that restoration of ERα levels in the pituitary may be one mechanism by which R prevents GnRH-stimulated LH hypersecretion in this sheep model of polycystic ovary syndrome-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.B., J.M., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; and Department of Zoology and Physiology (D.C.S.), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
| | - Ashleigh Burns
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.B., J.M., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; and Department of Zoology and Physiology (D.C.S.), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
| | - Jacob Moeller
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.B., J.M., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; and Department of Zoology and Physiology (D.C.S.), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
| | - Donal C Skinner
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.B., J.M., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; and Department of Zoology and Physiology (D.C.S.), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.B., J.M., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; and Department of Zoology and Physiology (D.C.S.), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
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Puttabyatappa M, Cardoso RC, Padmanabhan V. Effect of maternal PCOS and PCOS-like phenotype on the offspring's health. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 435:29-39. [PMID: 26639019 PMCID: PMC4884168 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder with both reproductive and metabolic abnormalities affecting women of reproductive age. While the exact origin of PCOS is unknown, observations from clinical and animal studies suggest that maternal hyperandrogenism may be a contributing factor. Because women with PCOS manifest hyperandrogenism during pregnancy, changes in the gestational endocrine milieu may play a role in the vertical transmission of this syndrome. This review discusses the potential developmental origins of PCOS, the impact of maternal PCOS on the offspring's health and contributions of the postnatal environment, capitalizing on findings from animal models that exhibit a PCOS-like phenotype. In addition, this review highlights the scarcity of data at early gestational stages in humans and the importance of animal experimentation to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the programming of adult diseases, therefore, helping identify therapeutic targets for preventive and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Cernea M, Phillips R, Padmanabhan V, Coolen LM, Lehman MN. Prenatal testosterone exposure decreases colocalization of insulin receptors in kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin and agouti-related peptide neurons of the adult ewe. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2557-2568. [PMID: 27543746 PMCID: PMC5067216 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Insulin serves as a link between the metabolic and reproductive systems, communicating energy availability to the hypothalamus and enabling reproductive mechanisms. Adult Suffolk ewes prenatally exposed to testosterone (T) display an array of reproductive and metabolic dysfunctions similar to those seen in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), including insulin resistance. Moreover, prenatal T treatment alters neuropeptide expression in KNDy (co-expressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B/dynorphin) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the arcuate nucleus, two populations that play key roles in the control of reproduction and metabolism, respectively. In this study, we determined whether prenatal T treatment also altered insulin receptors in KNDy and AgRP neurons, as well as in preoptic area (POA) kisspeptin, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons of the adult sheep brain. Immunofluorescent detection of the beta subunit of insulin receptor (IRβ) revealed that KNDy, AgRP and POMC neurons, but not GnRH or POA kisspeptin neurons, colocalize IRβ in control females. Moreover, prenatal T treatment decreased the percentage of KNDy and AgRP neurons that colocalized IRβ, consistent with reduced insulin sensitivity. Administration of the anti-androgen drug, Flutamide, during prenatal T treatment, prevented the reduction in IRβ colocalization in AgRP, but not in KNDy neurons, suggesting that these effects are programmed by androgenic and oestrogenic actions, respectively. These findings provide novel insight into the effects of prenatal T treatment on hypothalamic insulin sensitivity and raise the possibility that decreased insulin receptors, specifically within KNDy and AgRP neurons, may contribute to the PCOS-like phenotype of this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cernea
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Rebecca Phillips
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Reproductive Sciences Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39232, USA.
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Veiga-Lopez A, Moeller J, Abbott DH, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: rescuing disruptions in preovulatory follicle growth and steroidogenesis from prenatal testosterone disruption. J Ovarian Res 2016; 9:39. [PMID: 27357284 PMCID: PMC4928247 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-016-0250-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal testosterone (T) excess from days 30-90 of gestation disrupts gonadotropin surge and ovarian follicular dynamics and induces insulin resistance and functional hyperandrogenism in sheep. T treatment from days 60-90 of gestation produces a milder phenotype, albeit with reduced fecundity. Using this milder phenotype, the aim of this study was to understand the relative postnatal contributions of androgen and insulin in mediating the prenatal T induced disruptions in ovarian follicular dynamics. METHODS Four experimental groups were generated: 1) control (vehicle treatment), 2) prenatal T-treated (100 mg i.m. administration of T propionate twice weekly from days 60-90 of gestation), 3) prenatal T plus postnatal anti-androgen treated (daily oral dose of 15 mg/kg/day of flutamide beginning at 8 weeks of age) and 4) prenatal T and postnatal insulin sensitizer-treated (daily oral dose of 8 mg/day rosiglitazone beginning at 8 weeks of age). Follicular response to a controlled ovarian stimulation protocol was tested during their third breeding season. Main outcome measures included the determination of number and size of ovarian follicles and intrafollicular concentrations of steroids. RESULTS At the end of the controlled ovarian stimulation, the number of follicles approaching ovulatory size (≥6 mm) were ~35 % lower in prenatal T-treated (6.5 ± 1.8) compared to controls (9.8 ± 2.0). Postnatal anti-androgen (10.3 ± 1.9), but not insulin sensitizer (5.0 ± 0.9), treatment prevented this decrease. Preovulatory sized follicles in the T group had lower intrafollicular T, androstenedione, and progesterone compared to that of the control group. Intrafollicular steroid disruption was partially reversed solely by postnatal insulin sensitizer treatment. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that the final preovulatory follicular growth and intrafollicular steroid milieu is impaired in prenatal T-treated females. The findings are consistent with the lower fertility rate reported earlier in these females. The finding that final follicle growth was fully rescued by postnatal anti-androgen treatment and intrafollicular steroid milieu partially by insulin sensitizer treatment suggest that both androgenic and insulin pathway disruptions contribute to the compromised follicular phenotype of prenatal T-treated females.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Veiga-Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 7641A Med Sci II, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5622, USA.,Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - J Moeller
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 7641A Med Sci II, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5622, USA
| | - D H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53715, USA
| | - V Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 7641A Med Sci II, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5622, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is substantial evidence to support a role for androgens acting via the androgen receptor in the development of the pathological disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the most common endocrine condition in women, but its etiology remains unknown. This review focuses on how animal experimental models of PCOS are providing strong evidence to support hyperandrogenism as an important mediator in the development of PCOS characteristics. RECENT FINDINGS A variety of animal models for PCOS have now been established by increasing androgen exposure, supporting a role for androgens in the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, some androgens can be aromatized into estrogens leading to confusion on which PCOS traits are primary mediated via androgenic (mediated via the androgen receptor) or estrogenic (mediated via the estrogen receptor) mechanisms. Recent findings from studies comparing the induction of PCOS by aromatizable and nonaromatizable androgens, as well as androgen receptor knockout mouse models have enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying PCOS, and verify that androgen receptor-mediated actions play a key role in the development of PCOS. SUMMARY Animal models have provided strong evidence to support that androgen receptor-mediated actions are key mediators in the development of PCOS traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty A Walters
- Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Puttabyatappa M, Cardoso RC, Herkimer C, Veiga-Lopez A, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming: postnatal estradiol modulation of prenatally organized reproductive neuroendocrine function in sheep. Reproduction 2016; 152:139-50. [PMID: 27222598 DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Gestational testosterone (TS) excess, acting via both the androgenic and estrogenic pathways, advances puberty and disrupts the neuroendocrine estradiol (E2) feedback and periovulatory hormonal dynamics in female sheep. These prenatally programmed defects may be subject to postnatal modifications by continued organizational and/or activational effects of steroids. This study investigated (1) the organizational contribution of prenatal estrogen excess and (2) the impact of postnatal exposure to E2 in modulating the effects of prenatal androgen excess (TS and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)) on puberty, neuroendocrine feedback mechanisms, and periovulatory hormonal dynamics in sheep. Pregnant Suffolk sheep were treated with TS, DHT, E2, or E2 plus DHT (ED) from days 30 to 90 of gestation. A subset of the control (C), TS, and DHT female offspring received a constant-release E2 implant postnatally. Findings revealed that (1) prenatal E2-treatment failed to reproduce the neuroendocrine disruptions predicted to be programmed by the estrogenic pathway and (2) prenatal E2D-treatment did not adequately replicate the reproductive neuroendocrine defects induced by prenatal TS excess. More importantly, continuous postnatal E2-treatment, while delaying the onset of puberty and reducing the inhibitory effects of E2 on tonic luteinizing hormone (LH) release, failed to amplify the E2-positive feedback and periovulatory defects induced by prenatal TS-treatment. Our results indicate that disruptions in E2-positive feedback mechanisms and periovulatory gonadotropin secretion induced by prenatal TS-treatment are programmed predominantly during the prenatal life with postnatal exposure to E2 excess not contributing further to these disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Carol Herkimer
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Roselli CE, Meaker M, Stormshak F, Estill CT. Effects of Long-Term Flutamide Treatment During Development on Sexual Behaviour and Hormone Responsiveness in Rams. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:10.1111/jne.12389. [PMID: 27005749 PMCID: PMC4882258 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone exposure during midgestation differentiates neural circuits controlling sex-specific behaviours and patterns of gonadotrophin secretion in male sheep. Testosterone acts through androgen receptors (AR) and/or after aromatisation to oestradiol and binding to oestrogen receptors. The present study assessed the role of AR activation in male sexual differentiation. We compared rams that were exposed to the AR antagonist flutamide (Flu) throughout the critical period (i.e. days 30-90 of gestation) to control rams and ewes that received no prenatal treatments. The external genitalia of all Flu rams were phenotypically female. Testes were positioned s.c. in the inguinal region of the abdomen, exhibited seasonally impaired androgen secretion and were azospermic. Flu rams displayed male-typical precopulatory and mounting behaviours but could not intromit or ejaculate because they lacked a penis. Flu rams exhibited greater mounting behaviour than control rams and, similar to controls, showed sexual partner preferences for oestrous ewes. Neither control, nor Flu rams responded to oestradiol treatments with displays of female-typical receptive behaviour or LH surge responses, whereas all control ewes responded as expected. The ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus in Flu rams was intermediate in volume between control rams and ewes and significantly different from both. These results indicate that prenatal anti-androgen exposure is not able to block male sexual differentiation in sheep and suggest that compensatory mechanisms intervene to maintain sufficient androgen stimulation during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E. Roselli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098
| | - Mary Meaker
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
| | - Fred Stormshak
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
| | - Charles T. Estill
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
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Lu C, Cardoso RC, Puttabyatappa M, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Prenatal Testosterone Excess and Insulin Signaling Disruptions in Female Sheep. Biol Reprod 2016; 94:113. [PMID: 27053365 PMCID: PMC4939741 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.136283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome often manifest insulin resistance. Using a sheep model of polycystic ovary syndrome-like phenotype, we explored the contribution of androgen and insulin in programming and maintaining disruptions in insulin signaling in metabolic tissues. Phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, GSK3beta, mTOR, and p70S6K was examined in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue of control and prenatal testosterone (T)-, prenatal T plus androgen antagonist (flutamide)-, and prenatal T plus insulin sensitizer (rosiglitazone)-treated fetuses as well as 2-yr-old females. Insulin-stimulated phospho (p)-AKT was evaluated in control and prenatal T-, prenatal T plus postnatal flutamide-, and prenatal T plus postnatal rosiglitazone-treated females at 3 yr of age. GLUT4 expression was evaluated in the muscle at all time points. Prenatal T treatment increased mTOR, p-p70S6K, and p-GSK3beta levels in the fetal liver with both androgen antagonist and insulin sensitizer preventing the mTOR increase. Both interventions had partial effect in preventing the increase in p-GSK3beta. In the fetal muscle, prenatal T excess decreased p-GSK3beta and GLUT4. The decrease in muscle p-GSK3beta was partially prevented by insulin sensitizer cotreatment. Both interventions partially prevented the decrease in GLUT4. Prenatal T treatment had no effect on basal expression of any of the markers in 2-yr-old females. At 3 yr of age, prenatal T treatment prevented the insulin-stimulated increase in p-AKT in liver and muscle, but not in adipose tissue, and neither postnatal intervention restored p-AKT response to insulin stimulation. Our findings provide evidence that prenatal T excess changes insulin sensitivity in a tissue- and development-specific manner and that both androgens and insulin may be involved in the programming of these metabolic disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxia Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Cardoso RC, Veiga-Lopez A, Moeller J, Beckett E, Pease A, Keller E, Madrigal V, Chazenbalk G, Dumesic D, Padmanabhan V. Developmental Programming: Impact of Gestational Steroid and Metabolic Milieus on Adiposity and Insulin Sensitivity in Prenatal Testosterone-Treated Female Sheep. Endocrinology 2016; 157:522-35. [PMID: 26650569 PMCID: PMC4733129 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prenatally testosterone (T)-treated sheep present metabolic disruptions similar to those seen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. These females exhibit an increased ratio of small to large adipocytes, which may be the earliest event in the development of adult insulin resistance. Additionally, our longitudinal studies suggest the existence of a period of compensatory adaptation during development. This study tested whether 1) in utero cotreatment of prenatally T-treated sheep with androgen antagonist (flutamide) or insulin sensitizer (rosiglitazone) prevents juvenile insulin resistance and adult changes in adipocyte size; and 2) visceral adiposity and insulin sensitivity are both unaltered during early adulthood, confirming the predicted developmental trajectory in this animal model. Insulin sensitivity was tested during juvenile development and adipose tissue distribution, adipocyte size, and concentrations of adipokines were determined during early adulthood. Prenatal T-treated females manifested juvenile insulin resistance, which was prevented by prenatal rosiglitazone cotreatment. Neither visceral adiposity nor insulin sensitivity differed between groups during early adulthood. Prenatal T-treated sheep presented an increase in the relative proportion of small adipocytes, which was not substantially prevented by either prenatal intervention. A large effect size was observed for increased leptin concentrations in prenatal T-treated sheep compared with controls, which was prevented by prenatal rosiglitazone. In conclusion, gestational alterations in insulin-glucose homeostasis likely play a role in programming insulin resistance, but not adipocyte size distribution, in prenatal T-treated sheep. Furthermore, these results support the notion that a period of compensatory adaptation of the metabolic system to prenatal T exposure occurs between puberty and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Almudena Veiga-Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Jacob Moeller
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Evan Beckett
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Anthony Pease
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Erica Keller
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Vanessa Madrigal
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Gregorio Chazenbalk
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Daniel Dumesic
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics (R.C.C., A.V.-L., J.M., E.B., V.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (A.P.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824; and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.K., V.M., G.C., D.D.), David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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Agoulnik IU, Agoulnik AI. Long-Lasting Consequences of Testosterone Exposure. Endocrinology 2015; 156:3488-9. [PMID: 26380936 PMCID: PMC5398639 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irina U Agoulnik
- Departments of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology (I.U.A.) and Human and Molecular Genetics (A.I.A.), Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, and Biomolecular Sciences Institute (I.U.A., A.I.A.), Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Alexander I Agoulnik
- Departments of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology (I.U.A.) and Human and Molecular Genetics (A.I.A.), Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, and Biomolecular Sciences Institute (I.U.A., A.I.A.), Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
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Franks S. Can Animal Models of PCOS Help Point the Way Towards Early and Effective Therapeutic Intervention in Women With the Syndrome? Endocrinology 2015; 156:2371-3. [PMID: 26091428 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Franks
- Imperial College London, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
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Cardoso RC, Puttabyatappa M, Padmanabhan V. Steroidogenic versus Metabolic Programming of Reproductive Neuroendocrine, Ovarian and Metabolic Dysfunctions. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 102:226-37. [PMID: 25832114 PMCID: PMC4591099 DOI: 10.1159/000381830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The susceptibility of the reproductive system to early exposure to steroid hormones has become a major concern in our modern societies. Human fetuses are at risk of abnormal programming via exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, inadvertent use of contraceptive pills during pregnancy, as well as from excess exposure to steroids due to disease states. Animal models provide an unparalleled resource to understand the developmental origin of diseases. In female sheep, prenatal exposure to testosterone excess results in an array of adult reproductive disorders that recapitulate those seen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including disrupted neuroendocrine feedback mechanisms, increased pituitary sensitivity to gonadotropin-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone excess, functional hyperandrogenism, and multifollicular ovarian morphology culminating in early reproductive failure. Prenatal testosterone treatment also leads to fetal growth retardation, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Mounting evidence suggests that developmental exposure to an improper steroidal/metabolic environment may mediate the programming of adult disorders in prenatal testosterone-treated females, and these defects are maintained or amplified by the postnatal sex steroid and metabolic milieu. This review addresses the steroidal and metabolic contributions to the development and maintenance of the PCOS phenotype in the prenatal testosterone-treated sheep model, including the effects of prenatal and postnatal treatment with an androgen antagonist or insulin sensitizer as potential strategies to prevent/ameliorate these dysfunctions. Insights obtained from these intervention strategies on the mechanisms underlying these defects are likely to have translational relevance to human PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo C Cardoso
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA
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