Glucocorticoid receptor activation following elevated oocyte cortisol content is associated with zygote activation, early embryo cell division, and IGF system gene responses in rainbow trout

Cortisol differentially affects cell viability and reproduction-related gene expression in Atlantic cod pituitary cultures dependent on stage of sexual maturation

Through the action of cortisol, stress can affect reproductive biology with behavioural and physiological alterations. Using mixed sex primary pituitary cultures from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), the present study aimed to investigate potential direct effects of basal and stress level cortisol on the pituitary in terms of cell viability and reproduction-related gene expression at different stages of sexual maturity. Stress level of cortisol stimulated cell viability in cells derived from sexually maturing and mature fish. In cells from spent fish, high cortisol levels did not affect cell viability in terms of metabolic activity, but did stimulate viability in terms of membrane integrity. Basal cortisol levels did not affect cell viability. Ethanol, used as solvent for cortisol, decreased cell viability at all maturity stages, but did generally not affect gene expression. Genes investigated were fshb, lhb and two Gnrh receptors expressed in cod gonadotropes (gnrhr1b and gnrhr2a). Cortisol had dual effects on fshb expression; stimulating expression in cells from mature fish at stress dose, while inhibiting expression in cells from spent fish at both doses. In contrast, cortisol had no direct effect on lhb expression. While gnrhr2a transcript levels largely increased following cortisol treatment, gnrhr1b expression decreased in cells from spent fish and was unaffected at other maturity stages. These findings demonstrate that cortisol can act directly and differentially at the pituitary level in Atlantic cod and that factors facilitating these actions are dose-dependently activated and vary with level of sexual maturity.

Corticosteroids deeply depress the in vitro steroidogenic capacity of Eurasian perch ovary at the end of the reproductive cycle

Corticosteroids play positive or negative role in the reproductive mechanisms of many fish species but the physiological contexts relating to such biphasic actions are not well defined. In the present study we investigated to what extent corticosteroids (cortisol-Co, 11-deoxycorticosterone-DOC) hormones may interfere with the steroidogenic capacity of Eurasian perch ovarian tissues, and we tested whether the negative effects of corticosteroids may be mitigated by potential stimulating endocrine factors, namely insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or thyroid hormones (Triidothyronine-T3, thyroxine-T4). Ovarian tissues from six maturing fish at late vitellogenesis developmental stage (LVO) or at the start of the final meiotic oocyte maturation (FMO) were incubated during 6h in Cortland medium containing various endocrine compounds. Both corticosteroids drastically suppressed aromatase activity (AA) and sex-steroid production, namely 17-β estradiol (E2), 17α-20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) and testosterone (T). HCG significantly prevented the suppression of both AA and sex-steroid production by low and high cortisol doses, but a lesser AA protection was observed in the case of DOC. The protection of DHP and T productions by HCG from the negative effects by the two corticosteroids was higher at FMO than at LVO stage. IGF or thyroid hormone treatments were lesser effective or ineffective in mitigating the suppression of AA or sex-steroid production by cortisol. The results suggest that an increase in cortisol or DOC such as after mild or high stress intensity may inhibit drastically the ovarian steroidogenic capacity whatever the final oocyte maturation stage in percid fish by hampering AA and sex-steroid production. That inhibition may be partly mitigated by gonadotropins but not IGF nor thyroid hormones, especially at final meiotic oocyte maturation stage.

Glucocorticoids in Fish Eggs: Variation, Interactions with the Environment, and the Potential to Shape Offspring Fitness

Wild and captive vertebrates face multiple stressors that all have the potential to induce chronic maternal stress (i.e., sustained, elevated plasma glucocorticoids), resulting in embryo exposure to elevated maternally derived glucocorticoids. In oviparous taxa such as fish, maternally derived glucocorticoids in eggs are known for their capacity to shape offspring phenotype. Using a variety of methodologies, scientists have quantified maternally derived levels of egg cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid in fishes, and examined the cascading effects of egg cortisol on progeny phenotype. Here we summarize and interpret the current state of knowledge on egg cortisol in fishes and the relationships linking maternal stress/state to egg cortisol and offspring phenotype/fitness. Considerable variation in levels of egg cortisol exists across species and among females within a species; this variation is hypothesized to be due to interspecific differences in reproductive life history and intraspecific differences in female condition. Outcomes of experimental studies manipulating egg cortisol vary both inter- and intraspecifically. Moreover, while exogenous elevation of egg cortisol (as a proxy for maternal stress) induces phenotypic changes commonly considered to be maladaptive (e.g., smaller offspring size), emerging work in other taxa suggests that there can be positive effects on fitness when the offspring's environment is taken into account. Investigations into (i) mechanisms by which egg cortisol elicits phenotypic change in offspring (e.g., epigenetics), (ii) maternal and offspring buffering capacity of cortisol, and (iii) factors driving natural variation in egg cortisol and how this variation affects offspring phenotype and fitness are all germane to discussions on egg glucocorticoids as signals of maternal stress.

Programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis by maternal social status in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The present study examined the effects of maternal social status, with subordinate status being a chronic stressor, on development and activity of the stress axis in zebrafish embryos and larvae. Female zebrafish were confined in pairs for 48 h to establish dominant/subordinate hierarchies; their offspring were reared to 144 h post-fertilization (hpf) and sampled at five time points over development. No differences were detected in maternal cortisol contribution, which is thought to be an important programmer of offspring phenotype. However, once zebrafish offspring began to synthesize cortisol de novo (48 hpf), larvae of dominant females exhibited significantly lower baseline cortisol levels than offspring of subordinate females. These lower cortisol levels may reflect reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis activity, because corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) and cytochrome p450 side chain cleavage enzyme (p450scc) mRNA levels also were lower in larvae from dominant females. Moreover, baseline mRNA levels of HPI axis genes continued to be affected by maternal social status beyond 48 hpf. At 144 hpf, stress-induced cortisol levels were significantly lower in offspring of subordinate females. These results suggest programming of stress axis function in zebrafish offspring by maternal social status, emphasizing the importance of maternal environment and experience on offspring stress axis activity.

Effect of cortisol on bovine oocyte maturation and embryo development in vitro

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are important mediators of key cellular events. Herein, we investigated the effect of adding cortisol to the IVM medium on the acquisition of developmental competency in bovine oocytes. Cortisol (0.01, 0.1, or 1 μg/mL) had no effect on cleavage rates or cell numbers of resulting blastocysts; however, supplementation with 0.1 μg/mL during IVM increased blastocyst rates of in vitro-fertilized bovine oocytes as compared to untreated controls (41 ± 10% vs. 21 ± 1.2%, P < 0.05, respectively). This concentration was chosen to assess changes in the relative expression of potential GC target genes. Oocytes matured in the presence of cortisol and their corresponding cumulus cells did not show changes in expression for genes analyzed as compared to untreated controls. Notably, blastocysts from oocytes matured in cortisol-supplemented medium expressed higher relative levels of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). This study supports a role for cortisol in the acquisition of bovine oocyte competence. This is evidenced by increased blastocyst development rates and presumably related to elevated embryonic transcripts with roles in glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as the cellular response to stress.

Estrogen and glucocorticoid receptor agonists and antagonists in oocytes modulate the pattern of expression of genes that encode nuclear receptor proteins in very early stage rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) embryos

Previous studies show that changes in estrogen (ER) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) oocytes modulate the growth performance phenotype of embryo and juvenile progeny; the present study was undertaken to determine whether this altered growth performance is associated with changes in the expression of several growth-related genes in early-stage embryos. Unfertilized oocytes were incubated in the presence of various combinations of GR and ER agonists and antagonists; the oocytes were then fertilized and the expression of genes that encode for six nuclear receptor superfamily (NRS) proteins (GR1, GR2, ERα, ERβ, TRα, and TRβ) and the two IGF peptides (IGF1 and IGF2) were measured in the 7-, 13-, and 26-dpf embryos. By day 26 of embryogenesis, the expression of the six NRS-related genes of interest and that of igf2 were significantly enhanced in embryos reared from ER agonist- or ER antagonist-treated oocytes, regardless of whether the GR agonist, cortisol, was also included in the initial oocyte incubation medium. Conversely, the igf1 expression pattern among treatment groups was significantly enhanced in the cortisol-only treatment group and in the ER antagonist and GR antagonist groups that were co-incubated with cortisol. Additionally, in the ER agonist treatment groups igf1 expression was significantly inhibited when cortisol was included in the oocyte incubation medium. The findings show that a single in ovo exposure to the receptor agonists/antagonists markedly changed the programming of the expression of NRS-related and IGF-related genes of the early-stage trout embryos.

Modulation of GR activity does not affect the in vitro metabolism of cortisol by rainbow trout ovarian follicles

The goal of the study was to determine whether the metabolic clearance of cortisol from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ovarian follicles is affected by the level of ovarian steroidogenesis, and whether it involves the activation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). Ovarian follicles were incubated in vitro; the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin, was used to stimulate ovarian steroidogenesis, and the modulation of GR activity was brought about using GR agonists (cortisol and dexamethasone) or the GR antagonist, mifepristone (RU486). The follicles were co-incubated with [2, 4, 6, 7 (3)H] cortisol, and the tritium-labelled steroid products were separated by HPLC. In addition, the rates of expression of genes encoding for the two forms of GR (gr1 and gr2) were measured. Cortisone, cortisol sulphate, and cortisone sulphate were the major glucocorticoid products of cortisol metabolism, indicative of the action of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and glucocorticoid sulphotransferase in the follicular cells. There were no effects of RU486 or forskolin on the rates of [(3)H]cortisol metabolism suggesting that cortisol metabolism by ovarian follicles was independent of GR activation, and not influenced by increased activation of gonadal reproductive steroidogenesis.

Effect of dexamethasone on development of in vitro-produced bovine embryos

Studies in somatic cells have shown that glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone (DEX) may trigger or prevent apoptosis depending on the cell type in culture. Because the dysregulation of apoptosis may lower in vitro embryo production efficiency, we sought to investigate the effects of supplementing IVC medium with DEX (0.1 μg/mL) on embryo morphology, development kinetics, and apoptosis rates of in vitro-produced bovine preimplantation embryos. Embryo morphology was graded on Day 7, and development rates were assessed on Days 4 and 7 of IVC. Apoptosis was evaluated via annexin/propidium iodide staining under fluorescence microscopy where a cell labeled with annexin, propidium iodide, or both would be considered apoptotic. An embryo was counted in the apoptosis rates, if it displayed at least one such labeled cell. Although DEX supplementation did not reduce apoptosis rates, it had a positive impact on developmental kinetics and cell number both on Days 4 and 7 of embryo culture. Presumably, such effect resulted from increased cell proliferation rather than a direct inhibition of apoptosis. Further studies may evaluate the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids may affect embryo development, as DEX supplementation could become a tool to improve in vitro embryo yield in mammalian species.

Glucocorticoid receptors on and in a unicellular organism, Cryptobia salmositica

This is the first report to our knowledge that demonstrates a functional steroid hormone receptor in a protozoon. The study used Cryptobia salmositica, a pathogenic haemoflagellate found in salmonid fishes. It has been previously shown that cortisol and dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid) enhanced the multiplication of C. salmositica under in vitro conditions indicating the presence of glucocorticoid receptors on/in the parasite. Also, the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, mifepristone (RU486), inhibited the stimulatory effect of the two glucocorticoids on parasite multiplication. In the present study, we used an antibody (produced in a rabbit against glucocorticoid receptor protein) agglutination test and confocal microscopy with immunohistofluorescence staining to demonstrate cortisol-glucocorticoid receptor-like protein receptors on the plasma membrane and in the cytoplasm of the parasite. In two in vitro studies, the addition of 50ngml(-1) of RU486 was more effective in inhibiting parasite replication in cultures with 7,000parasitesml(-1) than in cultures with 14,000parasitesml(-1). Also, 100ngml(-1) of RU486/ml was more effective than 50ngml(-1) in inhibiting parasite multiplication in the 14,000 parasitesml(-1) cultures. These in vitro studies indicate that the number of binding sites on/in the parasite is finite. The findings may be important in future studies especially on steroid receptor signalling pathways and dissection of ligand-receptor interactions, and for evaluating the adaptations that develop in pathogens as part of the host-parasite interaction.

Cortisol treatment of prespawning female cod affects cytogenesis related factors in eggs and embryos

A stable supply of viable eggs and embryos is crucial for successful farming of Atlantic cod. Stress during broodstock rearing can have negative effects on offspring, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that cause abnormal development. Maternally transferred mRNAs have been shown to be essential for normal development, and stress may therefore influence their expression and the subsequent embryonic development. We investigated if mimicked stress in cod females affects mRNA concentrations in eggs/embryos, and if this can be linked to viability of embryos. Three weeks before peak spawning, 20 fish were intraperitoneally implanted with either cortisol-containing or cortisol-free (sham) osmotic pumps. At peak spawning all individuals were stripped and eggs were fertilized and incubated until hatching. Samples were collected from unfertilized eggs and embryos for analysis of gene expression (microarray), viability, steroids and vitellogenin. Plasma concentration of cortisol (ng/ml) in treated females was significantly higher at spawning (127.1±20.9) than that of sham control (11.3±6.7). This difference was also reflected in eggs and embryos. Percent fertilization, asymmetric cell division and hatching were not affected. However, numerous genes were differentially expressed in eggs and embryos in response to elevated cortisol, especially in maternal (oocyte and blastula) stages. Among these differentially expressed genes, some were found to be linked to cytogenesis (stxbp6, fbxw2, capn12, thbs4, sytl2, coro1c, sel1l3), induction of mesodermal fate (fgfrl1) and import of the glucocorticoid receptor to the cell nucleus (ipo7). Gene ontology overrepresentation analysis on the whole set of differentially expressed genes at maternal stages (539 genes) revealed enriched activity in membrane associated regions, which largely corresponds to cytogenesis related processes. These results suggest that despite no visible phenotypic effects in early embryos, broodstock stress affects the egg/embryonic transcriptome, especially in relation to cytogenesis. Furthermore, effects related to egg/embryo phenotypes are difficult to measure at early stages of development, and instead might become apparent at later life stages.

Cortisol and dexamethasone increase the in vitro multiplication of the haemoflagellate, Cryptobia salmositica, possibly by interaction with a glucocorticoid receptor-like protein

Cryptobia salmositica is a pathogenic haemoflagellate of Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., on the west coast of North America. The in vitro multiplication of the parasite was significantly enhanced by the addition of cortisol (within a range consistent with physiological levels in salmonid fishes; 10-50 ng ml(-1)) to the culture medium (MEM supplemented with FBS). However, higher cortisol concentrations (100 and 200 ng ml(-1)) either had no enhancing effects or resulted in lower replication rates compared with the controls. The synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (Dex), also stimulated the replication of the parasite and mifepristone (RU486), a synthetic steroid that has glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist properties, inhibited the stimulatory actions of both cortisol and Dex, when added to the medium at a concentration of 100 ng ml(-1) co-culture with cortisol or Dex. Furthermore, the dose-dependent effects of glucocorticoids (cortisol and Dex) on the multiplication of the haemoflagellate were correlated with the initial size of the inocula. The study revealed a novel relationship between the parasite and its host, in which the host's cortisol is used by the parasite to enhance its replication. Also, since C. salmositica responds to both native and synthetic glucocorticoids and to the GR antagonist, RU486, and exhibits a biphasic (hormetic) response to the amount of cortisol in the medium, we propose that the glucocorticoid exerts its effects via an interaction with GR-like proteins in C. salmositica that are functionally similar to those present in vertebrate cells.

The in vitro metabolism of cortisol by ovarian follicles of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): comparison with ovulated oocytes and pre-hatch embryos

Mid-vitellogenic stage rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ovarian follicles (both intact and yolk free (YF)), ovulated oocytes and embryos were co-incubated with [2,4,6,7-3H]cortisol for 18 h to determine the degree and nature of the metabolism and biotransformation of the glucocorticoid. There was evidence of the conversion of cortisol to the less biologically potent glucocorticoid, cortisone, and the formation of glucocorticoid sulphates (both cortisol and cortisone) for all cell and tissue samples, suggesting the presence of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) and glucocorticoid sulphotransferase (GST) activity at all stages; however, GST activity was particularly marked in both intact and YF ovarian follicles, suggesting an important role of follicles in limiting the exposure of oocyte to maternal cortisol. As there was no evidence of 11β-HSD or GST activity in ovarian fluid, the findings affirm that ovarian follicles (probably the thecal and granulosa cells) provide a barrier against the transfer of cortisol to the oocytes by forming sulphated steroids, whereas ovulated oocytes and early embryos have a more limited capacity to either metabolize or conjugate cortisol and are therefore more vulnerable at the post-ovulatory and early embryonic stages to increases in exposure to the glucocorticoid.