Influence of diet and stress on reproductive hormones in Nigerian olive baboons

A female mammal's reproductive function and output are limited by the energy she is able to extract from her environment. Previous studies of the interrelationships between energetic circumstances and reproductive function in a variety of mammal species have produced varied results, which do not all support the common assumption that higher female reproductive hormone levels, specifically progesterone, indicate better ovarian function and greater reproductive potential, and are associated with lower energetic stress. In the present study faecal progesterone and glucocorticoid levels were assessed in two troops of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in the same population. They face similar ecological challenges, except that one troop crop-raids, potentially affecting its energetic intake and stress levels. The energy intake of individual females was assessed by combining detailed feeding observations with nutritional analysis of food samples. The crop-raiding troop experienced 50% higher energy intake rates and 50% lower glucocorticoid levels compared to the non-crop-raiding troop alongside substantially lower progesterone levels. This suggests that energetic stress is associated with elevated progesterone levels and may be the cause of the non-crop-raiding troop's lower reproductive output. By comparing groups which differ little, except in terms of food access, and also by directly assessing energy intake, our study addresses some of the design limitations of previous research investigating variation in progesterone levels and energetic stress. It therefore has the potential to contribute to greater understanding of the factors affecting differences in reproductive and stress hormone levels and reproductive function in mammals experiencing different energetic circumstances.

A comparison of narrowband (TL-01) UVB-induced erythemal response at different body sites

In most dermatology centres where phototesting is performed, the starting dose is calculated as a proportion of the minimal erythema dose (MED). Previous studies have found significant differences in MED readings between forearm and back skin with both broadband and narrowband (NB) UVB. Our objective was to compare MEDs obtained from three body sites, the forearm, back and abdomen, to see if there was a significant difference in individuals. We recruited 20 healthy volunteers who were exposed to our standard dose series for phototesting with NB-UVB to three body sites: forearm, back and abdomen. MEDs were assessed 24 h post exposure. The median MED for the abdomen was 0.79 J/cm2, the back 0.95 J/cm2 and the arm 1.11 J/cm2. Friedman's analysis of variance by ranks showed that these differences were significant (P = 0.003). There was no correlation between skin type and MED for any of the three anatomical sites. Our results support phototesting for all patients prior to treatment with NB-UVB. Furthermore, we have shown that the abdomen is the anatomical site of choice for phototesting, as this will result in a reduced risk of burning episodes.

Assessing adaptability and reactive scope: Introducing a new measure and illustrating its use through a case study of environmental stress in forest-living baboons

In order to maintain regulatory processes, animals are expected to be adapted to the range of environmental stressors usually encountered in their environmental niche. The available capacity of their stress responses is termed their reactive scope, which is utilised to a greater or lesser extent to deal with different stressors. Typically, non-invasive hormone assessment is used to measure the physiological stress responses of wild animals, but, for methodological reasons, such measurements are not directly comparable across studies, limiting interpretation. To overcome this constraint, we propose a new measure of the relative strength of stress responses, 'demonstrated reactive scope', and illustrate its use in a study of ecological correlates (climate, food availability) of faecal glucocorticoid (fGC) levels in two forest-living troops of baboons. Results suggest the wild-feeding troop experiences both thermoregulatory and nutritional stress, while the crop-raiding troop experiences only thermoregulatory stress. This difference, together with the crop-raiding troop's lower overall physiological stress levels and lower demonstrated fGC reactive scope, may reflect nutritional stress-buffering in this troop. The relatively high demonstrated fGC reactive scope levels of both troops compared with other baboons and primate species, may reflect their extreme habitat, on the edge of the geographic range for baboons. Demonstrated reactive scope provides a means of gauging the relative strengths of stress responses of individuals, populations, or species under different conditions, enhancing the interpretive capacity of non-invasive studies of stress hormone levels in wild populations, e.g. in terms of animals' adaptive flexibility, the magnitude of their response to anthropogenic change, or the severity of impact of environmental conditions.

Determination of GLUT1 Oligomerization Parameters using Bioluminescent Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

The facilitated glucose transporter GLUT1 (SLC2A1) is an important mediator of glucose homeostasis in humans. Though it is found in most cell types to some extent, the level of GLUT1 expression across different cell types can vary dramatically. Prior studies in erythrocytes-which express particularly high levels of GLUT1-have suggested that GLUT1 is able to form tetrameric complexes with enhanced transport activity. Whether dynamic aggregation of GLUT1 also occurs in cell types with more modest expression of GLUT1, however, is unclear. To address this question, we developed a genetically encoded bioluminescent Förster resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay using the luminescent donor Nanoluciferase and fluorescent acceptor mCherry. By tethering these proteins to the N-terminus of GLUT1 and performing saturation BRET analysis, we were able to demonstrate the formation of multimeric complexes in live cells. Parallel use of flow cytometry and immunoblotting further enabled us to estimate the density of GLUT1 proteins required for spontaneous oligomerization. These data provide new insights into the physiological relevance of GLUT1 multimerization as well as a new variant of BRET assay that is useful for measuring the interactions among other cell membrane proteins in live cells.

1899. The magnitude and durability of the antibody response to mRNA-based vaccination among SARS-CoV-2 seronegative and seropositive healthcare personnel

Background

Development of robust vaccination guidelines against SARS-CoV-2 requires an understanding of the longitudinal antibody (Ab) response to vaccination and interactions with natural infection. Here, we leveraged an observational cohort study of healthcare personnel (HCP) to study the impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on Ab binding and neutralization after mRNA-based vaccination over a 13 month period.

Methods

From July 2020 to February 2022, HCP at an academic medical center provided blood samples biweekly for 12 weeks and monthly thereafter. First and second vaccine doses became available in mid-December 2021 and boosters were available starting in October 2021. Individuals were excluded if they did not provide any samples, if baseline serostatus was unknown, and if they received a monoclonal Ab treatment for COVID. ELISA measured total immunoglobulin (Ig) and IgG binding to SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Neutralization was measured by live virus Nanoluc SARS-CoV-2ic assay.

Demographics, serostatus, and vaccinations for the total study population and the sub-sample of participants with pre- and post-vaccination antibody measurements.

Results

Of 213 participants, 192 met inclusion criteria. A majority had detectable IgG levels 8 months after a second dose. Prior to vaccination, median total Ig was higher among seropositive vs. seronegative participants (3.7 vs 1.0, p< 0.001). After a first dose, the median total Ig response was two-fold higher in seropositive compared to seronegative participants (13.8 vs. 7.0, p=0.009). A similar pattern was noted with IgG binding and neutralization. After the second dose, median IgG increased to similar levels in both seropositive and seronegative participants (22.1 vs. 21.2, p=0.8). Neutralization after the second dose was slightly higher in seropositive vs. seronegative participants (log10 3.1 vs. 2.5, p=0.075).

Durability of IgG responses after second dose of mRNA-based vaccination against SARS-CoV-2

IgG P/N measurements after 5 days post-V2 for the entire study cohort (incident seropositive: yellow circles, prevalent seropositive (red circles), seronegative (open circles) are shown. The solid lines represent Loess curves for incident and prevalent seropositive participants combined (orange line) and those who were seronegative (grey line).

SARS-CoV-2-specific total Ig and IgG subtype responses among healthcare personnel before and after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with an mRNA-based vaccine.

Total Ig P/N ratios at pre-vaccine, post-V1, post-vaccine 2 (post-V2), and post-booster dose (post-boost) timepoints by serostatus (seronegative: n(-), seropositive: n(+)) are shown in the left panel. For the pre-vaccine time point, the most recent antibody level prior to vaccination (for those who were vaccinated) or most recent antibody level overall (for those who were not vaccinated) is shown. For the post-vaccine time points, the first measurement after 5 days post-vaccination is included. Individuals who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 at any time after the first vaccine dose are shown as open circles with black outlines. The black numbers next to the circles indicate the number of days between vaccination and sample collection for seropositive individuals. SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG P/N ratios respectively at pre-vaccine, post-V1, post-V2, and post-boost timepoints by serostatus (seronegative: n(-), seropositive: n(+)) are shown in the right panel. One individual tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR shortly after the second vaccine dose (V2); post-V2 results were excluded for this participant. For the pre-vaccine time point, the most recent antibody level prior to vaccination (for those who were vaccinated) or most recent antibody level overall (for those who were not vaccinated) is shown. For the post-vaccine time points, the first measurement after 5 days post-vaccination is included. The dotted line is a P/N ratio of 2.4, the cut-off associated with 99.3% specificity (SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive above the line, IgG-negative below). Individuals who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 at any time after the first vaccine dose are shown as open circles with black outlines. The black numbers next to the circles indicate the number of days between vaccination and sample collection for seropositive individuals.

SARS-CoV-2 D614G live virus neutralization among healthcare personnel by serostatus prior to vaccination.

Example neutralization curves are shown in Panel A.

Panel B shows the SARS-CoV-2 D614G live virus neutralization titers displayed as EC50 for seropositive (prevalent and incident) individuals and a subset of seronegative individuals. Samples for seronegative individuals were selected by matching on age and time between vaccination and sample collection to the samples from seropositive individuals.

Conclusion

Antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination persist up to 1 year with wide individual variability. Though prior infection was associated with greater Ab responses after a first dose, it did not significantly modify responses after second and third doses. Still, we observed overall slightly higher Ab levels among individuals that had a prior infection before any one of the 3 doses of vaccine. These results suggest that immunity against SARS-CoV-2 prior to vaccination has a role in initial response but does not significantly modify circulating Ab titers after multiple doses of vaccination.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported disclosures.