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Zhang L, Verwer RWH, van Heerikhuize J, Lucassen PJ, Nathanielsz PW, Hol EM, Aronica E, Dhillo WS, Meynen G, Swaab DF. Progesterone receptor distribution in the human hypothalamus and its association with suicide. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:16. [PMID: 38263257 PMCID: PMC10807127 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01733-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The human hypothalamus modulates mental health by balancing interactions between hormonal fluctuations and stress responses. Stress-induced progesterone release activates progesterone receptors (PR) in the human brain and triggers alterations in neuropeptides/neurotransmitters. As recent epidemiological studies have associated peripheral progesterone levels with suicide risks in humans, we mapped PR distribution in the human hypothalamus in relation to age and sex and characterized its (co-) expression in specific cell types. The infundibular nucleus (INF) appeared to be the primary hypothalamic structure via which progesterone modulates stress-related neural circuitry. An elevation of the number of pro-opiomelanocortin+ (POMC, an endogenous opioid precursor) neurons in the INF, which was due to a high proportion of POMC+ neurons that co-expressed PR, was related to suicide in patients with mood disorders (MD). MD donors who died of legal euthanasia were for the first time enrolled in a postmortem study to investigate the molecular signatures related to fatal suicidal ideations. They had a higher proportion of PR co-expressing POMC+ neurons than MD patients who died naturally. This indicates that the onset of endogenous opioid activation in MD with suicide tendency may be progesterone-associated. Our findings may have implications for users of progesterone-enriched contraceptives who also have MD and suicidal tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab, Neuroimmunology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald W H Verwer
- Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab, Neuroimmunology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joop van Heerikhuize
- Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab, Neuroimmunology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter W Nathanielsz
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, USA
| | - Elly M Hol
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Centre, University Medical Centre Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Waljit S Dhillo
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gerben Meynen
- Faculty of Humanities, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Willem Pompe Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology and Utrecht Centre for Accountability and Liability Law (UCALL), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dick F Swaab
- Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab, Neuroimmunology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Dept. Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Amsterdam, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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2
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Grandi G, Del Savio MC, Tassi A, Facchinetti F. Postpartum contraception: A matter of guidelines. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2024; 164:56-65. [PMID: 37334892 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.14928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The postpartum period is the perfect time to access family planning services. WHO guidelines contraindicate combined hormonal contraceptives postpartum in breastfeeding patients between 6 weeks and 6 months after delivery (Medical Eligibility Criteria category 3). On the contrary, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines do not contraindicate their use in women who breastfeed from 6 weeks to 6 months postpartum. New combined hormonal contraceptives with natural estrogens have never been studied in this setting. Guidelines agree on the prescription of the progestin-only pill postpartum in non-breastfeeding women (category 1). Differences are found in women who breastfeed. In non-breastfeeding women, an implant is considered safe (category 1) by all guidelines, without any distinction in time. Regarding postpartum breastfeeding women, the guidelines for implants give quite different indications but are still permissive. Intrauterine devices are viable options for postpartum contraception but guidelines give different indications about the timing of insertion. Postplacental intrauterine device placement can reduce the subsequent unintended pregnancy rate, particularly in settings at greatest risk of not having recommended postpartum controls. However, it has yet to be understood whether this approach can really have an advantage in high-income countries. Postpartum contraception is not a 'matter of guidelines': it is the best customization for each woman, as early as possible but at the ideal timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Grandi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Mother, Child and Adult, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria C Del Savio
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Mother, Child and Adult, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Alice Tassi
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, DAME, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Fabio Facchinetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Mother, Child and Adult, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico, Modena, Italy
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3
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Joshi S, Williams CL, Kapur J. Limbic progesterone receptors regulate spatial memory. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2164. [PMID: 36750584 PMCID: PMC9905062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29100-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Progesterone and its receptors (PRs) participate in mating and reproduction, but their role in spatial declarative memory is not understood. Male mice expressed PRs, predominately in excitatory neurons, in brain regions that support spatial memory, such as the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC). Furthermore, segesterone, a specific PR agonist, activates neurons in both the EC and hippocampus. We assessed the contribution of PRs in promoting spatial and non-spatial cognitive learning in male mice by examining the performance of mice lacking this receptor (PRKO), in novel object recognition, object placement, Y-maze alternation, and Morris-Water Maze (MWM) tasks. In the recognition test, the PRKO mice preferred the familiar object over the novel object. A similar preference for the familiar object was also seen following the EC-specific deletion of PRs. PRKO mice were also unable to recognize the change in object position. We confirmed deficits in spatial memory of PRKO mice by testing them on the Y-maze forced alternation and MWM tasks; PR deletion affected animal's performance in both these tasks. In contrast to spatial tasks, PR removal did not alter the response to fear conditioning. These studies provide novel insights into the role of PRs in facilitating spatial, declarative memory in males, which may help with finding reproductive partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchitra Joshi
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 801330, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Cedric L Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jaideep Kapur
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 801330, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.,UVA Brain Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
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4
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Jacquens A, Needham EJ, Zanier ER, Degos V, Gressens P, Menon D. Neuro-Inflammation Modulation and Post-Traumatic Brain Injury Lesions: From Bench to Bed-Side. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911193. [PMID: 36232495 PMCID: PMC9570205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Head trauma is the most common cause of disability in young adults. Known as a silent epidemic, it can cause a mosaic of symptoms, whether neurological (sensory-motor deficits), psychiatric (depressive and anxiety symptoms), or somatic (vertigo, tinnitus, phosphenes). Furthermore, cranial trauma (CT) in children presents several particularities in terms of epidemiology, mechanism, and physiopathology-notably linked to the attack of an immature organ. As in adults, head trauma in children can have lifelong repercussions and can cause social and family isolation, difficulties at school, and, later, socio-professional adversity. Improving management of the pre-hospital and rehabilitation course of these patients reduces secondary morbidity and mortality, but often not without long-term disability. One hypothesized contributor to this process is chronic neuroinflammation, which could accompany primary lesions and facilitate their development into tertiary lesions. Neuroinflammation is a complex process involving different actors such as glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes), the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, excitotoxicity, production of oxygen derivatives, cytokine release, tissue damage, and neuronal death. Several studies have investigated the effect of various treatments on the neuroinflammatory response in traumatic brain injury in vitro and in animal and human models. The aim of this review is to examine the various anti-inflammatory therapies that have been implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Jacquens
- Unité de Neuroanesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière 43-87, Boulevard de l’Hôpital, F-75013 Paris, France
- Inserm, Maladies Neurodéveloppementales et Neurovasculaires, Université Paris Cité, F-75019 Paris, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-42-16-00-00
| | - Edward J. Needham
- Division of Anaesthesia, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, Box 93, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
| | - Elisa R. Zanier
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Vincent Degos
- Unité de Neuroanesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière 43-87, Boulevard de l’Hôpital, F-75013 Paris, France
- Inserm, Maladies Neurodéveloppementales et Neurovasculaires, Université Paris Cité, F-75019 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Gressens
- Inserm, Maladies Neurodéveloppementales et Neurovasculaires, Université Paris Cité, F-75019 Paris, France
| | - David Menon
- Division of Anaesthesia, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, Box 93, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
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Couly S, Goguadze N, Yasui Y, Kimura Y, Wang SM, Sharikadze N, Wu HE, Su TP. Knocking Out Sigma-1 Receptors Reveals Diverse Health Problems. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2022; 42:597-620. [PMID: 33095392 PMCID: PMC8062587 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00983-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a protein present in several organs such as brain, lung, and heart. In a cell, Sig-1R is mainly located across the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and more specifically at the mitochondria-associated membranes. Despite numerous studies showing that Sig-1R could be targeted to rescue several cellular mechanisms in different pathological conditions, less is known about its fundamental relevance. In this review, we report results from various studies and focus on the importance of Sig-1R in physiological conditions by comparing Sig-1R KO mice to wild-type mice in order to investigate the fundamental functions of Sig-1R. We note that the Sig-1R deletion induces cognitive, psychiatric, and motor dysfunctions, but also alters metabolism of heart. Finally, taken together, observations from different experiments demonstrate that those dysfunctions are correlated to poor regulation of ER and mitochondria metabolism altered by stress, which could occur with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Couly
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA.
| | - Nino Goguadze
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Yuko Yasui
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Yuriko Kimura
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Shao-Ming Wang
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Nino Sharikadze
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Hsiang-En Wu
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
| | - Tsung-Ping Su
- Cellular Pathobiology Section, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS, IRP, NIH, Triad Technology Center 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224 NIH, USA
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Lin X, Takagi W, Hyodo S, Ijiri S, Katsu Y, Baker ME. Regulation by Progestins, Corticosteroids, and RU486 of Transcriptional Activation of Elephant Shark and Human Progesterone Receptors: An Evolutionary Perspective. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 5:52-61. [DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhi Lin
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan
| | - Wataru Takagi
- Laboratory of Physiology, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Susumu Hyodo
- Laboratory of Physiology, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Shigeho Ijiri
- Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Katsu
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan
| | - Michael E. Baker
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
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7
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Blecher AS, Ganswindt A, Scheun J. Scales of our lives: Sex identification of Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) using scales retrieved out of the illegal wildlife trade. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 308:113782. [PMID: 33862053 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals, with their scales in high demand. Scales are often the only part of the animal confiscated from the trade, but they represent accessible material for forensic investigations, including for sexing. This study aimed to develop a sexing tool for Temminck's pangolin, using scales for hormone quantification. Scales from males and females were liquidised using keratinase and the resulting suspension analysed for progestagen and androgen metabolite (scPM and scAM) concentrations. Scale PM and scAM concentrations were compared between sexes, while overall median values for scPM and scAM, as well as a ratio of scPM to scAM (P/A) were used as boundary values for sex identification. Neither scPM nor scAM concentrations were significantly different between the sexes and concentrations of a juvenile and sub-adult male overlapped with females, possibly indicating later sexual maturity in males. Boundary values for scAM concentrations and the P/A ratio predicted sex with 100% accuracy for females and 78% for males, while the accuracies for the scPM boundary value were lower. When only adult individuals are considered, scAM and P/A ratio boundaries are 100% accurate for both sexes. Therefore, scale hormone ratios show promise as a sex identification tool for Temminck's pangolin, particularly applicable in forensic investigations on the pangolin trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arantxa S Blecher
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - André Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Biodiversity Research Services, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa
| | - Juan Scheun
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Biodiversity Research Services, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa
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8
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Zelleroth S, Nylander E, Örtenblad A, Stam F, Nyberg F, Grönbladh A, Hallberg M. Structurally different anabolic androgenic steroids reduce neurite outgrowth and neuronal viability in primary rat cortical cell cultures. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 210:105863. [PMID: 33677017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The illicit use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) among adolescents and young adults is a major concern due to the unknown and unpredictable impact of AAS on the developing brain and the consequences of this on mental health, cognitive function and behaviour. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of supra-physiological doses of four structurally different AAS (testosterone, nandrolone, stanozolol and trenbolone) on neurite development and cell viability using an in vitro model of immature primary rat cortical cell cultures. A high-throughput screening image-based approach, measuring the neurite length and number of neurons, was used for the analysis of neurite outgrowth. In addition, cell viability and expression of the Tubb3 gene (encoding the protein beta-III tubulin) were investigated. Testosterone, nandrolone, and trenbolone elicited adverse effects on neurite outgrowth as deduced from an observed reduced neurite length per neuron. Trenbolone was the only AAS that reduced the cell viability as indicated by a decreased number of neurons and declined mitochondrial function. Moreover, trenbolone downregulated the Tubb3 mRNA expression. The adverse impact on neurite development was neither inhibited nor supressed by the selective androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, flutamide, suggesting that the observed effects result from another mechanism or mechanisms of action that are operating apart from AR activation. The results demonstrate a possible AAS-induced detrimental effect on neuronal development and regenerative functions. An impact on these events, that are essential mechanisms for maintaining normal brain function, could possibly contribute to behavioural alterations seen in AAS users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Zelleroth
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
| | - Erik Nylander
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
| | - Axel Örtenblad
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Frida Stam
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
| | - Fred Nyberg
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
| | - Alfhild Grönbladh
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, SE-751 24, Uppsala University, Sweden.
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Saguy T, Reifen-Tagar M, Joel D. The gender-binary cycle: the perpetual relations between a biological-essentialist view of gender, gender ideology, and gender-labelling and sorting. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200141. [PMID: 33612000 PMCID: PMC7934953 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender inequality is one of the most pressing issues of our time. A core factor that feeds gender inequality is people's gender ideology-a set of beliefs about the proper order of society in terms of the roles women and men should fill. We argue that gender ideology is shaped, in large parts, by the way people make sense of gender differences. Specifically, people often think of gender differences as expressions of a predetermined biology, and of men and women as different 'kinds'. We describe work suggesting that thinking of gender differences in this biological-essentialist way perpetuates a non-egalitarian gender ideology. We then review research that refutes the hypothesis that men and women are different 'kinds' in terms of brain function, hormone levels and personality characteristics. Next, we describe how the organization of the environment in a gender-binary manner, together with cognitive processes of categorization drive a biological-essentialist view of gender differences. We then describe the self-perpetuating relations, which we term the gender-binary cycle, between a biological-essentialist view of gender differences, a non-egalitarian gender ideology and a binary organization of the environment along gender lines. Finally, we consider means of intervention at different points in this cycle. This article is part of the theme issue 'The political brain: neurocognitive and computational mechanisms'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Saguy
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
| | - Michal Reifen-Tagar
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
| | - Daphna Joel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Charapata P, Horstmann L, Misarti N. Steroid hormones in Pacific walrus bones collected over three millennia indicate physiological responses to changes in estimated population size and the environment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa135. [PMID: 33537147 PMCID: PMC7836870 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is an iconic Arctic marine mammal and an important resource to many Alaska Natives. A decrease in sea ice habitat and unknown population numbers has led to concern of the long-term future health of the walrus population. There is currently no clear understanding of how walrus physiology might be affected by a changing Arctic ecosystem. In this study, steroid hormone concentrations (progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and estradiol) were analysed in walrus bones collected during archaeological [3585-200 calendar years before present (BP)], historical [1880-2006 common era (CE)] and modern (2014-2016 CE) time periods, representing ~ 3651 years, to track changes in reproductive activity and cortisol concentrations (biomarker of stress) over time. Our results show that modern walrus samples have similar cortisol concentrations (median = 43.97 ± standard deviation 904.38 ng/g lipid) to archaeological walruses (38.94 ± 296.17 ng/g lipid, P = 0.75). Cortisol concentrations were weakly correlated with a 15-year average September Chukchi Sea ice cover (P = 0.002, 0.02, r 2 = 0.09, 0.04, for females and males, respectively), indicating a possible physiological resiliency to sea ice recession in the Arctic. All steroid hormones had significant negative correlations with mean walrus population estimates from 1960 to 2016 (P < 0.001). Progesterone in females and testosterone in males exhibited significant correlations with average September Chukchi Sea ice cover for years 1880-2016 (P < 0.001 for both, r2 = 0.34, 0.22, respectively). Modern walruses had significantly lower (P = < 0.001) reproductive hormone concentrations compared with historic walruses during times of rapid population increase, indicative of a population possibly at carrying capacity. This is the first study to apply bone as a tool to monitor long-term changes in hormones that may be associated with changes in walrus population size and sea ice cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Charapata
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757220, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757220, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Nicole Misarti
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755910, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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11
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Zhao X, Ji M, Wen X, Chen D, Huang F, Guan X, Tian J, Xie J, Shao J, Wang J, Huang L, Lin H, Ye L, Chen H. Effects of Midazolam on the Development of Adult Leydig Cells From Stem Cells In Vitro. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:765251. [PMID: 34867807 PMCID: PMC8632869 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.765251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Midazolam is a neurological drug with diverse functions, including sedation, hypnosis, decreased anxiety, anterograde amnesia, brain-mediated muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant activity. Since it is frequently used in children and adolescents for extended periods of time, there is a risk that it may affect their pubertal development. Here, we report a potential effect of the drug on the development of Leydig cells (LCs), the testosterone (T)-producing cells in the testis. METHODS Stem LCs (SLCs), isolated from adult rat testes by a magnetic-activated cell sorting technique, were induced to differentiate into LCs in vitro for 3 weeks. Midazolam (0.1-30 μM) was added to the culture medium, and the effects on LC development were assayed. RESULTS Midazolam has dose-dependent effects on SLC differentiation. At low concentrations (0.1-5 μM), the drug can mildly increase SLC differentiation (increased T production), while at higher concentrations (15-30 μM), it inhibits LC development (decreased T production). T increases at lower levels may be due to upregulations of scavenger receptor class b Member 1 (SCARB1) and cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1), while T reductions at higher levels of midazolam could be due to changes in multiple steroidogenic proteins. The uneven changes in steroidogenic pathway proteins, especially reductions in CYP17A1 at high midazolam levels, also result in an accumulation of progesterone. In addition to changes in T, increases in progesterone could have additional impacts on male reproduction. The loss in steroidogenic proteins at high midazolam levels may be mediated in part by the inactivation of protein kinase B/cAMP response element-binding protein (AKT/CREB) signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Midazolam has the potential to affect adult Leydig cell (ALC) development at concentrations comparable with the blood serum levels in human patients. Further studies are needed to test the effects on human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyi Zhao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Minpeng Ji
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xin Wen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Dan Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fu Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoju Guan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jing Tian
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiajia Xie
- Department of Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Shao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiexia Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Luoqi Huang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Han Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Leping Ye
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Haolin Chen, ; Leping Ye,
| | - Haolin Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Haolin Chen, ; Leping Ye,
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12
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Acharya KD, Nettles SA, Lichti CF, Warre-Cornish K, Polit LD, Srivastava DP, Denner L, Tetel MJ. Dopamine-induced interactions of female mouse hypothalamic proteins with progestin receptor-A in the absence of hormone. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12904. [PMID: 33000549 PMCID: PMC7591852 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12904] [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: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neural progestin receptors (PR) function in reproduction, neural development, neuroprotection, learning, memory and the anxiety response. In the absence of progestins, PR can be activated by dopamine (DA) in the rodent hypothalamus to elicit female sexual behaviour. The present study investigated mechanisms of DA activation of PR by testing the hypothesis that proteins from DA-treated hypothalami interact with PR in the absence of progestins. Ovariectomised, oestradiol-primed mice were infused with a D1-receptor agonist, SKF38393 (SKF), into the third ventricle 30 minutes prior to death. Proteins from SKF-treated hypothalami were pulled-down with glutathione S-transferase-tagged mouse PR-A or PR-B and the interactomes were analysed by mass spectrometry. The largest functional group to interact with PR-A in a DA-dependent manner was synaptic proteins. To test the hypothesis that DA activation of PR regulates synaptic proteins, we developed oestradiol-induced PR-expressing hypothalamic-like neurones derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Similar to progesterone (P4), SKF treatment of hiPSCs increased synapsin1/2 expression. This SKF-dependent effect was blocked by the PR antagonist RU486, suggesting that PR are necessary for this DA-induced increase. The second largest DA-dependent PR-A protein interactome comprised metabolic regulators involved in glucose metabolism, lipid synthesis and mitochondrial energy production. Interestingly, hypothalamic proteins interacted with PR-A, but not PR-B, in an SKF-dependent manner, suggesting that DA promotes the interaction of multiple hypothalamic proteins with PR-A. These in vivo and in vitro results indicate novel mechanisms by which DA can differentially activate PR isoforms in the absence of P4 and provide a better understanding of ligand-independent PR activation in reproductive, metabolic and mental health disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cheryl F. Lichti
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Katherine Warre-Cornish
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Larry Denner
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Marc J. Tetel
- Neuroscience Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
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13
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Schumacher M, Liere P, Ghoumari A. Progesterone and fetal-neonatal neuroprotection. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2020; 69:50-61. [PMID: 33039311 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The role of progesterone goes beyond the maintenance of pregnancy. The hormone, indeed, protects the developing fetal brain and influences its maturation. Metabolomes analyzed by mass spectrometric methods have revealed the great diversity of steroids in maternal plasma and fetal fluids, but their developmental significance remains to be investigated. Progesterone and its metabolites reach highest levels during the third trimester, when the brain growth spurt occurs: its volume triples, synaptogenesis is particularly active, and axons start to be myelinated. This developmental stage coincides with a period of great vulnerability. Studies in sheep have shown that progesterone and its metabolite allopregnanolone protect the vulnerable fetal brain. Work in rats and mice have demonstrated that progesterone plays an important role in myelin formation. These experimental studies are discussed in relation to preterm birth. Influences of progesterone on very early stages of neural development at the beginning of pregnancy are yet to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schumacher
- U1195 "Diseases and Hormones of the Nervous System", Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, Rue Du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 "Diseases and Hormones of the Nervous System", Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, Rue Du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Abdelmoumen Ghoumari
- U1195 "Diseases and Hormones of the Nervous System", Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, Rue Du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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14
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Ruiz D, Padmanabhan V, Sargis RM. Stress, Sex, and Sugar: Glucocorticoids and Sex-Steroid Crosstalk in the Sex-Specific Misprogramming of Metabolism. J Endocr Soc 2020; 4:bvaa087. [PMID: 32734132 PMCID: PMC7382384 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life exposures to environmental insults can misprogram development and increase metabolic disease risk in a sex-dependent manner by mechanisms that remain poorly characterized. Modifiable factors of increasing public health relevance, such as diet, psychological stress, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can affect glucocorticoid receptor signaling during gestation and lead to sex-specific postnatal metabolic derangements. Evidence from humans and animal studies indicate that glucocorticoids crosstalk with sex steroids by several mechanisms in multiple tissues and can affect sex-steroid-dependent developmental processes. Nonetheless, glucocorticoid sex-steroid crosstalk has not been considered in the glucocorticoid-induced misprogramming of metabolism. Herein we review what is known about the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids crosstalk with estrogen, androgen, and progestogen action. We propose that glucocorticoid sex-steroid crosstalk is an understudied mechanism of action that requires consideration when examining the developmental misprogramming of metabolism, especially when assessing sex-specific outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruiz
- Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Robert M Sargis
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism; Department of Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Chicago Center for Health and Environment, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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15
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Baker ME, Katsu Y. Progesterone: An enigmatic ligand for the mineralocorticoid receptor. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 177:113976. [PMID: 32305433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.113976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The progesterone receptor (PR) mediates progesterone regulation of female reproductive physiology, as well as gene transcription in non-reproductive tissues, such as brain, bone, lung and vasculature, in both women and men. An unusual property of progesterone is its high affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which regulates electrolyte transport in the kidney in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates. In humans, rats, alligators and frogs, progesterone antagonizes activation of the MR by aldosterone, the physiological mineralocorticoid in terrestrial vertebrates. In contrast, in elephant shark, ray-finned fishes and chickens, progesterone activates the MR. Interestingly, cartilaginous fishes and ray-finned fishes do not synthesize aldosterone, raising the question of which steroid(s) activate the MR in cartilaginous fishes and ray-finned fishes. The simpler synthesis of progesterone, compared to cortisol and other corticosteroids, makes progesterone a candidate physiological activator of the MR in elephant sharks and ray-finned fishes. Elephant shark and ray-finned fish MRs are expressed in diverse tissues, including heart, brain and lung, as well as, ovary and testis, two reproductive tissues that are targets for progesterone, which together suggests a multi-faceted physiological role for progesterone activation of the MR in elephant shark and ray-finned fish. The functional consequences of progesterone as an antagonist of some terrestrial vertebrate MRs and as an agonist of fish and chicken MRs are not fully understood. The physiological activities of progesterone through binding to vertebrate MRs merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Baker
- Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, Department of Medicine, 0735, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0735, United States.
| | - Yoshinao Katsu
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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16
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Lemos LS, Olsen A, Smith A, Chandler TE, Larson S, Hunt K, Torres LG. Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa110. [PMID: 33304590 PMCID: PMC7720082 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to validate and quantify fecal steroid (progestins, androgens and glucocorticoids) and thyroid hormone metabolite concentrations in eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast, USA, from May to October of 2016-2018. Higher mean progestin metabolite concentrations were observed in postweaning females, followed by pregnant females. Mean androgen, glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites were higher in mature males. Progestin, glucocorticoids and thyroid fecal metabolites varied significantly by year, with positive correlations between progestin and androgen, and between glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites. We also present two case studies of a documented injured whale and a mature male displaying reproductive competitive behavior, which provide reference points for physiologically stressed individuals and adult breeding males, respectively. Our methods and findings advance the knowledge of baleen whale physiology, can help guide future research on whale physiology and can inform population management and conservation efforts regarding minimizing the impact of anthropogenic stressors on whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila S Lemos
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365, USA
- Corresponding author: Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365, USA. Tel: +1 (971) 3409610.
| | - Amy Olsen
- Conservation Programs and Partnerships, Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Angela Smith
- Conservation Programs and Partnerships, Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Todd E Chandler
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Shawn Larson
- Conservation Programs and Partnerships, Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kathleen Hunt
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Leigh G Torres
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365, USA
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17
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Hiraki-Kajiyama T, Yamashita J, Yokoyama K, Kikuchi Y, Nakajo M, Miyazoe D, Nishiike Y, Ishikawa K, Hosono K, Kawabata-Sakata Y, Ansai S, Kinoshita M, Nagahama Y, Okubo K. Neuropeptide B mediates female sexual receptivity in medaka fish, acting in a female-specific but reversible manner. eLife 2019; 8:39495. [PMID: 31383257 PMCID: PMC6684226 DOI: 10.7554/elife.39495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Male and female animals display innate sex-specific mating behaviors. In teleost fish, altering the adult sex steroid milieu can effectively reverse sex-typical mating behaviors, suggesting remarkable sexual lability of their brains as adults. In the teleost medaka, neuropeptide B (NPB) is expressed female-specifically in the brain nuclei implicated in mating behavior. Here, we demonstrate that NPB is a direct mediator of estrogen action on female mating behavior, acting in a female-specific but reversible manner. Analysis of regulatory mechanisms revealed that the female-specific expression of NPB is dependent on direct transcriptional activation by estrogen via an estrogen-responsive element and is reversed in response to changes in the adult sex steroid milieu. Behavioral studies of NPB knockouts revealed that female-specific NBP mediates female receptivity to male courtship. The female-specific NPB signaling identified herein is presumably a critical element of the neural circuitry underlying sexual dimorphism and lability of mating behaviors in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Towako Hiraki-Kajiyama
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Systems Molecular Ethology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Junpei Yamashita
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Yokoyama
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kikuchi
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mikoto Nakajo
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daichi Miyazoe
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Nishiike
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaito Ishikawa
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Hosono
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukika Kawabata-Sakata
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pathophysiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ansai
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Masato Kinoshita
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Division of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Kataaki Okubo
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Grubac Z, Sutulovic N, Ademovic A, Velimirovic M, Rasic-Markovic A, Macut D, Petronijevic N, Stanojlovic O, Hrncic D. Short-term sleep fragmentation enhances anxiety-related behavior: The role of hormonal alterations. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218920. [PMID: 31269081 PMCID: PMC6609147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The neuroendocrine background of acute sleep fragmentation in obstructive sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation involvement in psychiatric comorbidities, common in these patients, are still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of short-term experimental sleep fragmentation on anxiety -like behavior and hormonal status in rats. Methods Male rats were adapted to treadmill (ON and OFF mode with belt speed set on 0.02m/s and 0.00m/s) and randomized to: 1) treadmill control (TC, only OFF mode); 2) motion, activity control (AC, 10min ON and 30min OFF mode) and 3) sleep fragmentation (SF, 30s ON and 90s OFF mode) group. Six hours later, the animals were tested in the open field, elevated plus maze and light/dark test (n = 8/group). Testosterone, estradiol, progesterone and corticosterone were determined in separate animal cohort immediately upon sleep fragmentation (n = 6/group). Results SF rats showed decreased rearings number, decreased time spent in the central area and increased thigmotaxic index compared to TC and AC rats in the open field test. Similarly, increased anxiety upon sleep fragmentation was observed in the elevated plus maze and the light/dark test. Significantly lower testosterone, estradiol and progesterone levels were determined in SF in comparison to AC and TC groups, while there was no significant difference in the levels of corticosterone. Conclusion Short term sleep fragmentation enhances anxiety-related behavior in rats, which could be partly mediated by the observed hormonal changes presented in the current study in form of testosterone, estradiol and progesterone depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeljko Grubac
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nikola Sutulovic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Anida Ademovic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milica Velimirovic
- Institute of Clinical and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Rasic-Markovic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Djuro Macut
- Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, CCS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Natasa Petronijevic
- Institute of Clinical and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olivera Stanojlovic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragan Hrncic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- * E-mail: ,
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19
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Cornil CA, Bakker J. Alternative Views on the Role of Sex Steroid Hormones on the Emergence of Phenotypic Diversity in Female Sexual Orientation. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1309-1313. [PMID: 30456632 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1343-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte A Cornil
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, 15 Avenue Hippocrate (B36), 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Julie Bakker
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, 15 Avenue Hippocrate (B36), 4000, Liège, Belgium
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20
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Charapata P, Horstmann L, Jannasch A, Misarti N. A novel method to measure steroid hormone concentrations in walrus bone from archaeological, historical, and modern time periods using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1999-2023. [PMID: 30192037 PMCID: PMC6282614 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was validated and utilized to measure and analyze four steroid hormones related to stress and reproduction in individual samples from a novel tissue, Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens, herein walrus) bone. This method determines steroid hormone concentrations in the remote walrus population over millennia from archaeological (>200 bp), historical (200-20 bp), and modern (2014-2016) time periods. METHODS Lipids were extracted from walrus bone collected from these periods using methanol before LC/MS/MS analysis. Isotopically labeled internal standards for each target hormone were added to every sample. Analytical and physiological validations were performed. Additionally, a tissue comparison was done among paired walrus bone, serum, and blubber samples. A rapid resolution liquid chromatography system coupled to a QqQ mass spectrometer was used to analyze all samples after derivatization for progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol concentrations. Multiple reaction monitoring was used for MS analysis and data were acquired in positive electrospray ionization mode. RESULTS Progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol were linear along their respective standard calibration curves based on their R2 values (all > 0.99). Accuracy ranged from 93-111% for all hormones. The recovery of extraction, recovery of hormones without matrix effect, was 92-101%. The overall process efficiency of our method for measuring hormones in walrus bone was 93-112%. Progesterone and testosterone concentrations were not affected by reproductive status among adult females and males, respectively. However, estradiol was different among pregnant and non-pregnant adult females. Overall, steroid hormones reflect a long-term reservoir in cortical bone. This method was also successfully applied to walrus bone as old as 3585 bp. CONCLUSIONS LC/MS/MS analysis of bone tissue (0.2-0.3 g) provides stress and reproductive data from elusive walruses that were alive thousands of years ago. Based on physiological validations, tissue comparison, and published literature, steroid hormone concentrations measured in walrus cortical bone could represent an accumulated average around a 10-20-year time span. By investigating how stress and reproductive physiology may have changed over the past ~3000 years based on bone steroid hormone concentrations, this method will help answer how physiologically resilient walruses are to climate change in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Charapata
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityOne Bear PlaceWacoTX76706USA
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
| | - Amber Jannasch
- Bindley Bioscience CenterPurdue University1203 W State St.West LafayetteIN47906USA
| | - Nicole Misarti
- Water and Environmental Research CenterUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 755910FairbanksAK99775USA
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21
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Baker ME, Lathe R. The promiscuous estrogen receptor: Evolution of physiological estrogens and response to phytochemicals and endocrine disruptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 184:29-37. [PMID: 30009950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Many actions of estradiol (E2), the principal physiological estrogen in vertebrates, are mediated by estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and ERβ. An important physiological feature of vertebrate ERs is their promiscuous response to several physiological steroids, including estradiol (E2), Δ5-androstenediol, 5α-androstanediol, and 27-hydroxycholesterol. A novel structural characteristic of Δ5-androstenediol, 5α-androstanediol, and 27-hydroxycholesterol is the presence of a C19 methyl group, which precludes the presence of an aromatic A ring with a C3 phenolic group that is a defining property of E2. The structural diversity of these estrogens can explain the response of the ER to synthetic chemicals such as bisphenol A and DDT, which disrupt estrogen physiology in vertebrates, and the estrogenic activity of a variety of plant-derived chemicals such as genistein, coumestrol, and resveratrol. Diversity in the A ring of physiological estrogens also expands potential structures of industrial chemicals that can act as endocrine disruptors. Compared to E2, synthesis of 27-hydroxycholesterol and Δ5-androstenediol is simpler, leading us, based on parsimony, to propose that one or both of these steroids or a related metabolite was a physiological estrogen early in the evolution of the ER, with E2 assuming this role later as the canonical estrogen. In addition to the well-studied role of the ER in reproductive physiology, the ER also is an important transcription factor in non-reproductive tissues such as the cardiovascular system, kidney, bone, and brain. Some of these ER actions in non-reproductive tissues appeared early in vertebrate evolution, long before the emergence of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Baker
- Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, Department of Medicine, 0693, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0693, USA.
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK.
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Matías-García PR, Martinez-Hurtado JL, Beckley A, Schmidmayr M, Seifert-Klauss V. Hormonal Smartphone Diagnostics. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1735:505-515. [PMID: 29380341 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7614-0_38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mobile point-of-care diagnostics are paramount for the provision of healthcare. Hormonal diagnostics are powerful tools to monitor timely changes in human physiology. Hormone concentrations in serum directly correlate with urine excretions with minor time delays. Therefore, rapid tests for hormones in urine have been widely used for decades as means of early diagnostics, particularly in lateral flow immunoassay formats. However, the challenge of reading and interpreting these binary tests remains. Here we present a method for utilizing mobile technologies to quantitatively read and interpret hormonal test strips. The method demonstrates the detection of a urinary by-product of progesterone, pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG), and its relation to ovulation and the fertility cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Matías-García
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - A Beckley
- MFB Fertility Inc., Boulder, CO, USA
| | - M Schmidmayr
- Frauenklinik und Poliklinik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - V Seifert-Klauss
- Frauenklinik und Poliklinik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Xia DP, Wang X, Zhang QX, Sun BH, Sun L, Sheeran LK, Li JH. Progesterone levels in seasonally breeding, free-ranging male Macaca thibetana. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0342-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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The Progestin Receptor Interactome in the Female Mouse Hypothalamus: Interactions with Synaptic Proteins Are Isoform Specific and Ligand Dependent. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0272-17. [PMID: 28955722 PMCID: PMC5605756 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0272-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Progestins bind to the progestin receptor (PR) isoforms, PR-A and PR-B, in brain to influence development, female reproduction, anxiety, and stress. Hormone-activated PRs associate with multiple proteins to form functional complexes. In the present study, proteins from female mouse hypothalamus that associate with PR were isolated using affinity pull-down assays with glutathione S-transferase–tagged mouse PR-A and PR-B. Using complementary proteomics approaches, reverse phase protein array (RPPA) and mass spectrometry, we identified hypothalamic proteins that interact with PR in a ligand-dependent and isoform-specific manner and were confirmed by Western blot. Synaptic proteins, including synapsin-I and synapsin-II, interacted with agonist-bound PR isoforms, suggesting that both isoforms function in synaptic plasticity. In further support, synaptogyrin-III and synapsin-III associated with PR-A and PR-B, respectively. PR also interacted with kinases, including c-Src, mTOR, and MAPK1, confirming phosphorylation as an integral process in rapid effects of PR in the brain. Consistent with a role in transcriptional regulation, PR associated with transcription factors and coactivators in a ligand-specific and isoform-dependent manner. Interestingly, both PR isoforms associated with a key regulator of energy homeostasis, FoxO1, suggesting a novel role for PR in energy metabolism. Because many identified proteins in this PR interactome are synaptic proteins, we tested the hypothesis that progestins function in synaptic plasticity. Indeed, progesterone enhanced synaptic density, by increasing synapsin-I–positive synapses, in rat primary cortical neuronal cultures. This novel combination of RPPA and mass spectrometry allowed identification of PR action in synaptic remodeling and energy homeostasis and reveals unique roles for progestins in brain function and disease.
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Swift-Gallant A, Monks DA. Androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 46:32-45. [PMID: 28455096 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Testicular androgens are the major endocrine factor promoting masculine phenotypes in vertebrates, but androgen signaling is complex and operates via multiple signaling pathways and sites of action. Recently, selective androgen receptor mutants have been engineered to study androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. The focus of these studies has been to evaluate androgenic mechanisms within the nervous system by manipulating androgen receptor conditionally in neural tissues. Here we review both the effects of neural loss of AR function as well as the effects of neural overexpression of AR in relation to global AR mutants. Although some studies have conformed to our expectations, others have proved challenging to assumptions underlying the dominant hypotheses. Notably, these studies have called into question both the primacy of direct, neural mechanisms and also the linearity of the relationship between androgenic dose and sexual differentiation of brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - D A Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
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Desroziers E, Brock O, Bakker J. Potential contribution of progesterone receptors to the development of sexual behavior in male and female mice. Horm Behav 2017; 90:31-38. [PMID: 27167606 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We previously showed that estradiol can have both defeminizing and feminizing effects on the developing mouse brain. Pre- and early postnatal estradiol defeminized the ability to show lordosis in adulthood, whereas prepubertal estradiol feminized this ability. Furthermore, we found that estradiol upregulates progesterone receptors (PR) during development, inducing both a male-and female-typical pattern of PR expression in the mouse hypothalamus. In the present study, we took advantage of a newly developed PR antagonist (ZK 137316) to determine whether PR contributes to either male- or female-typical sexual differentiation. Thus groups of male and female C57Bl/6j mice were treated with ZK 137316 or OIL as control: males were treated neonatally (P0-P10), during the critical period for male sexual differentiation, and females were treated prepubertally (P15-P25), during the critical period for female sexual differentiation. In adulthood, mice were tested for sexual behavior. In males, some minor effects of neonatal ZK treatment on sexual behavior were observed: latencies to the first mount, intromission and ejaculation were decreased in neonatally ZK treated males; however, this effect disappeared by the second mating test. By contrast, female mice treated with ZK during the prepubertal period showed significantly less lordosis than OIL-treated females. Mate preferences were not affected in either males or females treated with ZK during development. Taken together, these results suggest a role for PR and thus perhaps progesterone in the development of lordosis behavior in female mice. By contrast, no obvious role for PR can be discerned in the development of male sexual behavior.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Estradiol/metabolism
- Estradiol/pharmacology
- Female
- Feminization
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
- Hormone Antagonists/pharmacology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Pregnancy
- Progesterone/metabolism
- Progesterone/pharmacology
- Receptors, Neuropeptide Y/genetics
- Receptors, Neuropeptide Y/metabolism
- Receptors, Progesterone/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Progesterone/genetics
- Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism
- Receptors, Progesterone/physiology
- Sex Differentiation/drug effects
- Sex Differentiation/genetics
- Sex Differentiation/physiology
- Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Steroids/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Brock
- GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Julie Bakker
- GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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Phillips SJ, Tepper NK, Kapp N, Nanda K, Temmerman M, Curtis KM. Progestogen-only contraceptive use among breastfeeding women: a systematic review. Contraception 2016; 94:226-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Cheng SY, Leung GKK. Can progesterone be a better alternative to dexamethasone for use in routine brain surgery? Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:1379-80. [PMID: 26604885 PMCID: PMC4625490 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.165221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Y Cheng
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Gilberto K K Leung
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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Schumacher M, Guennoun R, Mattern C, Oudinet JP, Labombarda F, De Nicola AF, Liere P. Analytical challenges for measuring steroid responses to stress, neurodegeneration and injury in the central nervous system. Steroids 2015; 103:42-57. [PMID: 26301525 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2015.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Levels of steroids in the adult central nervous system (CNS) show marked changes in response to stress, degenerative disorders and injury. However, their analysis in complex matrices such as fatty brain and spinal cord tissues, and even in plasma, requires accurate and precise analytical methods. Radioimmunoassays (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, even with prepurification steps, do not provide sufficient specificity, and they are at the origin of many inconsistent results in the literature. The analysis of steroids by mass spectrometric methods has become the gold standard for accurate and sensitive steroid analysis. However, these technologies involve multiple purification steps prone to errors, and they only provide accurate reference values when combined with careful sample workup. In addition, the interpretation of changes in CNS steroid levels is not an easy task because of their multiple sources: the endocrine glands and the local synthesis by neural cells. In the CNS, decreased steroid levels may reflect alterations of their biosynthesis, as observed in the case of chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorders or depressive episodes. In such cases, return to normalization by administering exogenous hormones or by stimulating their endogenous production may have beneficial effects. On the other hand, increases in CNS steroids in response to acute stress, degenerative processes or injury may be part of endogenous protective or rescue programs, contributing to the resistance of neural cells to stress and insults. The aim of this review is to encourage a more critical reading of the literature reporting steroid measures, and to draw attention to the absolute need for well-validated methods. We discuss reported findings concerning changing steroid levels in the nervous system by insisting on methodological issues. An important message is that even recent mass spectrometric methods have their limits, and they only become reliable tools if combined with careful sample preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Florencia Labombarda
- Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro F De Nicola
- Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Sud, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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Jamnadass ESL, Keelan JA, Hollier LP, Hickey M, Maybery MT, Whitehouse AJO. The perinatal androgen to estrogen ratio and autistic-like traits in the general population: a longitudinal pregnancy cohort study. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:17. [PMID: 26085846 PMCID: PMC4470005 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9114-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal androgen exposure has been hypothesized to be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While previous studies have found a link between testosterone levels in amniotic fluid and autistic-like traits, a similar relationship has not been found for testosterone in umbilical cord blood. However, it may be the net biological activity of multiple androgens and estrogens that influences postnatal effects of prenatal sex steroids. Accordingly, composite levels of androgens (A) and estrogens (E) were investigated, along with their ratio, in relation to autistic-like traits in young adulthood. METHODS Sex steroid data in umbilical cord blood were available from 860 individuals at delivery. Samples were analyzed for androgens (testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone) and estrogens (estrone, estradiol, estriol, and estetrol). Levels of bioavailable testosterone, estradiol, and estrone were measured and used to calculate A and E composites and the A to E ratio. Participants were approached in early adulthood to complete the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) as a self-report measure of autistic-like traits, with 183 males (M = 20.10 years, SD = 0.65 years) and 189 females (M =19.92 years, SD = 0.68 years) providing data. RESULTS Males exhibited significantly higher androgen composites and A to E composite ratios than females. Males also scored significantly higher on the details/patterns subscale of the AQ. Subsequent categorical and continuous analyses, which accounted for covariates, revealed no substantial relationships between the A/E composites or the A to E ratio and the AQ total or subscale scores. CONCLUSIONS The current study found no link between the A/E composites or the A to E ratio in cord blood and autistic-like traits in the population as measured by the AQ. These outcomes do not exclude the possibility that these sex steroid variables may predict other neurodevelopmental traits in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esha S. L. Jamnadass
- />School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- />Telethon Kids Institute, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, WA 6008 Australia
| | - Jeffrey A. Keelan
- />School of Women’s and Infant’s Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Lauren P. Hollier
- />Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102 Australia
| | - Martha Hickey
- />Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria, Australia
| | - Murray T. Maybery
- />School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
- />Telethon Kids Institute, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, WA 6008 Australia
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Evidence for a mechanism of phenotypic integration of behaviour and innate immunity in a wild rodent: implications for animal personality and ecological immunology. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To provide an overview of the preclinical literature on progesterone for neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury and to describe unique features of developmental brain injury that should be considered when evaluating the therapeutic potential for progesterone treatment after pediatric traumatic brain injury. DATA SOURCES National Library of Medicine PubMed literature review. STUDY SELECTION The mechanisms of neuroprotection by progesterone are reviewed, and the preclinical literature using progesterone treatment in adult animal models of traumatic brain injury is summarized. Unique features of the developing brain that could either enhance or limit the efficacy of neuroprotection by progesterone are discussed, and the limited preclinical literature using progesterone after acute injury to the developing brain is described. Finally, the current status of clinical trials of progesterone for adult traumatic brain injury is reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION AND DATA SYNTHESIS Progesterone is a pleiotropic agent with beneficial effects on secondary injury cascades that occur after traumatic brain injury, including cerebral edema, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity. More than 40 studies have used progesterone for treatment after traumatic brain injury in adult animal models, with results summarized in tabular form. However, very few studies have evaluated progesterone in pediatric animal models of brain injury. To date, two human phase II trials of progesterone for adult traumatic brain injury have been published, and two multicenter phase III trials are underway. CONCLUSIONS The unique features of the developing brain from that of a mature adult brain make it necessary to independently study progesterone in clinically relevant, immature animal models of traumatic brain injury. Additional preclinical studies could lead to the development of a novel neuroprotective therapy that could reduce the long-term disability in head-injured children and could potentially provide benefit in other forms of pediatric brain injury (global ischemia, stroke, and statue epilepticus).
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Lei B, Mace B, Dawson HN, Warner DS, Laskowitz DT, James ML. Anti-inflammatory effects of progesterone in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103969. [PMID: 25080336 PMCID: PMC4117574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Female sex is associated with improved outcome in experimental brain injury models, such as traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage. This implies female gonadal steroids may be neuroprotective. A mechanism for this may involve modulation of post-injury neuroinflammation. As the resident immunomodulatory cells in central nervous system, microglia are activated during acute brain injury and produce inflammatory mediators which contribute to secondary injury including proinflammatory cytokines, and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), mediated by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively. We hypothesized that female gonadal steroids reduce microglia mediated neuroinflammation. In this study, the progesterone’s effects on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), iNOS, and COX-2 expression were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglia. Further, investigation included nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. LPS (30 ng/ml) upregulated TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 protein expression in BV-2 cells. Progesterone pretreatment attenuated LPS-stimulated TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 expression in a dose-dependent fashion. Progesterone suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation by decreasing inhibitory κBα and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and p65 nuclear translocation. Progesterone decreased LPS-mediated phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular regulated kinase MAPKs. These progesterone effects were inhibited by its antagonist mifepristone. In conclusion, progesterone exhibits pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia by down-regulating proinflammatory mediators corresponding to suppression of NF-κB and MAPK activation. This suggests progesterone may be used as a potential neurotherapeutic to treat inflammatory components of acute brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beilei Lei
- Multidisciplinary Neuroprotection Laboratories, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Brian Mace
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Hana N. Dawson
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - David S. Warner
- Multidisciplinary Neuroprotection Laboratories, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Daniel T. Laskowitz
- Multidisciplinary Neuroprotection Laboratories, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael L. James
- Multidisciplinary Neuroprotection Laboratories, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kattoula SR, Baker ME. Structural and evolutionary analysis of the co-activator binding domain in vertebrate progesterone receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 141:7-15. [PMID: 24388949 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Biochemical studies show that binding of co-activators to the progesterone receptor [PR] is an important mechanism for regulating of PR-mediated gene transcription. Unfortunately, unlike other steroid receptors, the PR has not been crystalized with a co-activator. Fortunately, the PR has strong structural similarity to the mineralocorticoid receptor [MR] and glucocorticoid receptor [GR], which have been crystalized with co-activators. This similarity allowed us to construct 3D models of the PR with steroid co-activator 1-Box 4 [SRC1-4] and transcriptional intermediary factor 2-Box 3 [TIF2-3], which were extracted from the crystal structures of human MR and GR, respectively. Comparisons of 3D models of human PR with SRC1-4 and TIF2-3 and human MR with SRC1-4 and GR with TIF2-3 identified some unique interactions between the PR and SRC1-4 and TIF2-3. An evolutionary analysis of the sequence of the co-activator binding groove in human PR found strong conservation in terrestrial vertebrates. However, there are some differences between human PR and the PRs in lamprey, shark and fishes. These differences among the PRs and between the PR, MR and GR may have contributed to the evolution of specificity for progestins, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie R Kattoula
- Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0693, United States
| | - Michael E Baker
- Department of Medicine, 0693, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0693, United States.
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van Anders SM, Goldey KL, Bell SN. Measurement of testosterone in human sexuality research: methodological considerations. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:231-50. [PMID: 23807216 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0123-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Revised: 11/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) and other androgens are incorporated into an increasingly wide array of human sexuality research, but there are a number of issues that can affect or confound research outcomes. This review addresses various methodological issues relevant to research design in human studies with T; unaddressed, these issues may introduce unwanted noise, error, or conceptual barriers to interpreting results. Topics covered are (1) social and demographic factors (gender and sex; sexual orientations and sexual diversity; social/familial connections and processes; social location variables), (2) biological rhythms (diurnal variation; seasonality; menstrual cycles; aging and menopause), (3) sample collection, handling, and storage (saliva vs. blood; sialogogues, saliva, and tubes; sampling frequency, timing, and context; shipping samples), (4) health, medical issues, and the body (hormonal contraceptives; medications and nicotine; health conditions and stress; body composition, weight, and exercise), and (5) incorporating multiple hormones. Detailing a comprehensive set of important issues and relevant empirical evidence, this review provides a starting point for best practices in human sexuality research with T and other androgens that may be especially useful for those new to hormone research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari M van Anders
- Departments of Psychology and Women's Studies, Program in Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences Program, Science, Technology, and Society Program, University of Michigan, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA,
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Kellar NM, Keliher J, Trego ML, Catelani KN, Hanns C, George JCC, Rosa C. Variation of bowhead whale progesterone concentrations across demographic groups and sample matrices. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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McCarthy MM, Nugent BM. Epigenetic contributions to hormonally-mediated sexual differentiation of the brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1133-40. [PMID: 23919286 PMCID: PMC5330673 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [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: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
It has been long established that hormones exert enduring influences on the developing brain that direct the reproductive response in adulthood, although the cellular mechanisms by which organisational effects are maintained have not been determined satisfactorily. Recent interest in epigenetic modifications to the nervous system has highlighted the potential for hormone-induced changes to the genome that could endure for the lifespan but not be transmitted to the next generation. Preliminary evidence suggests that this is indeed possible because sex differences in the histone code and in the methylation of CpGs in the promoters of specific genes have been identified and, at times, functionally correlated with behaviour. The present review provides an overview of epigenetic processes and discusses the current state-of-the-art, and also identifies future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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38
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Muravlyova KB, Kuzminova OI, Petrova SE, Skoraya MV, Bazanova OM. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN IN DEPENDENCE ON THE OVARIOHORMONAL CYCLE PHASE AND PROGESTERONE ACTIVITY (PART 1). BULLETIN OF SIBERIAN MEDICINE 2013. [DOI: 10.20538/1682-0363-2013-2-247-256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
With the aim to identify the effects of menstrual cycle phase on the cognitive and psycho-emotional characteristics in 78 women aged 18–27 years were studied in a within-subject design Half the subjects began during their follicular phase and half began during their luteal phase (LP). The level of psycho-emotional tension was lowest, but cognitive performance efficiency is a highest in LP that is associated with the highest saliva progesterone level.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. B. Muravlyova
- Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, SB RAMS, Novosibirsk
| | | | - S. E. Petrova
- Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, SB RAMS, Novosibirsk
| | - M. V. Skoraya
- Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, SB RAMS, Novosibirsk
| | - O. M. Bazanova
- Research Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, SB RAMS, Novosibirsk
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39
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Williams B, Northcutt KV, Rusanowsky RD, Mennella TA, Lonstein JS, Quadros-Mennella PS. Progesterone receptor expression in the brain of the socially monogamous and paternal male prairie vole. Brain Res 2013; 1499:12-20. [PMID: 23318255 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Differences in the social organization and behavior of male mammals are attributable to species differences in neurochemistry, including differential expression of steroid hormone receptors. However, the distribution of progestin receptors (PR) in a socially monogamous and spontaneously parental male rodent has never been examined. Here we determined if PR exists and is regulated by testicular hormones in forebrain sites traditionally influencing socioreproductive behaviors in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We hypothesized that PR expression in male prairie voles would differ from that described in other male rodents because PR activity inhibits parental behaviors and social memory in laboratory mice and rats. Adult male prairie voles received a sham surgery, were gonadectomized, or were gonadectomized and implanted with a testosterone-filled capsule. PR immunoreactivity (PRir) was measured four weeks later in areas of the hypothalamus and extended amygdala. A group of gonadally intact female prairie voles was included to reveal possible sex differences. We found considerable PRir in all sites examined. Castration reduced PRir in males' medial preoptic nucleus, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and posterodorsal medial amygdala, and it was maintained in these sites by testosterone. This is the first study to examine PR expression in brain sites involved in socioreproductive behaviors in a socially monogamous and spontaneously paternal male rodent. Our results mostly reveal cross-species conservation in the distribution and hormone sensitivity of PR expression. Because PR interferes with aspects of sociality in other male rodents, PR may eventually be found to have different neurobiological actions in male prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1200N Dupont Hwy, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
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40
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Stein DG. A clinical/translational perspective: can a developmental hormone play a role in the treatment of traumatic brain injury? Horm Behav 2013; 63:291-300. [PMID: 22626570 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite decades of laboratory research and clinical trials, a safe and effective treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) has yet to be put into successful clinical use. I suggest that much of the problem can be attributed to a reductionist perspective and attendant research strategy directed to finding or designing drugs that target a single receptor mechanism, gene, or brain locus. This approach fails to address the complexity of TBI, which leads to a cascade of systemic toxic events in the brain and throughout the body that may persist over long periods of time. Attention is now turning to pleiotropic drugs: drugs that act on multiple genomic, proteomic and metabolic pathways to enhance morphological and functional outcomes after brain injury. Of the various agents now in clinical trials, the neurosteroid progesterone (PROG) is gaining attention despite the widespread assumption that it is "just a female hormone" with limited, if any, neuroprotective properties. This perspective should change. PROG is also a powerful developmental hormone that plays a critical role in protecting the fetus during gestation. I argue here that development, neuroprotection and cellular repair have a number of properties in common. I discuss evidence that PROG is pleiotropically neuroprotective and may be a useful therapeutic and neuroprotective agent for central nervous system injury and some neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald G Stein
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, USA.
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41
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Baker ME, Uh KY. Evolutionary analysis of the segment from helix 3 through helix 5 in vertebrate progesterone receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2012; 132:32-40. [PMID: 22575083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2012.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between helix 3 and helix 5 in the human mineralocorticoid receptor [MR], progesterone receptor [PR] and glucocorticoid receptor [GR] influences their response to steroids. For the human PR, mutations at Gly-722 on helix 3 and Met-759 on helix 5 alter responses to progesterone. We analyzed the evolution of these two sites and the rest of a 59 residue segment containing helices 3, 4 and 5 in vertebrate PRs and found that a glycine corresponding to Gly-722 on helix 3 in human PR first appears in platypus, a monotreme. In lamprey, skates, fish, amphibians and birds, cysteine is found at this position in helix 3. This suggests that the cysteine to glycine replacement in helix 3 in the PR was important in the evolution of mammals. Interestingly, our analysis of the rest of the 59 residue segment finds 100% sequence conservation in almost all mammal PRs, substantial conservation in reptile and amphibian PRs and divergence of land vertebrate PR sequences from the fish PR sequences. The differences between fish and land vertebrate PRs may be important in the evolution of different biological progestins in fish and mammalian PR, as well as differences in susceptibility to environmental chemicals that disrupt PR-mediated physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Baker
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0693, United States.
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42
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Hoffmann F, Kloas W. The synthetic progestogen, Levonorgestrel, but not natural progesterone, affects male mate calling behavior of Xenopus laevis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 176:385-90. [PMID: 22391239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, more than 100 million women use hormonal contraceptives, which act through progestogenic modes of action. These man-made hormones can enter the aquatic environment as they are excreted via feces and urine. Xeno-progestins are able to interfere with the endocrine system of female aquatic vertebrates impairing oogenesis and reproduction. However, data on progestogenic effects on reproductive behavior of male aquatic vertebrates are lacking. To evaluate whether progestins affect the mating behavior of male Xenopus laevis, we exposed male frogs to three environmentally relevant concentrations (10(-7) M, 10(-8) M and 10(-10) M) of the synthetic progestin Levonorgestrel (LNG) and the corresponding natural steroid progesterone (PRG), respectively. LNG at all exposure concentrations increased the proportions of advertisement calling, indicating a sexually aroused state of the males. Furthermore LNG at 10(-7) M decreased the relative proportions of rasping, a call type indicating a sexually unaroused state of the male. PRG, on the other hand, did not affect any of those parameters. Temporal and spectral features of the advertisement call itself were not affected by any of the two exposure treatments. Since LNG exhibits slight androgenic activity, the results suggest that LNG effects on male mate calling behavior of X. laevis are due to its moderate androgenic but not to its progestogenic activities. However, although males' sexual arousal seems to be enhanced by LNG, the adverse effects of LNG on female reproduction presumably outweigh these enhancing effects and LNG exposure nonetheless might result in reduced reproductive success of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Hoffmann
- Department of Ecophysiology and Aquaculture, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.
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43
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Bychowski ME, Auger CJ. Progesterone impairs social recognition in male rats. Horm Behav 2012; 61:598-604. [PMID: 22366506 PMCID: PMC3320110 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 01/24/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The influence of progesterone in the brain and on the behavior of females is fairly well understood. However, less is known about the effect of progesterone in the male system. In male rats, receptors for progesterone are present in virtually all vasopressin (AVP) immunoreactive cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the medial amygdala (MeA). This colocalization functions to regulate AVP expression, as progesterone and/or progestin receptors (PR)s suppress AVP expression in these same extrahypothalamic regions in the brain. These data suggest that progesterone may influence AVP-dependent behavior. While AVP is implicated in numerous behavioral and physiological functions in rodents, AVP appears essential for social recognition of conspecifics. Therefore, we examined the effects of progesterone on social recognition. We report that progesterone plays an important role in modulating social recognition in the male brain, as progesterone treatment leads to a significant impairment of social recognition in male rats. Moreover, progesterone appears to act on PRs to impair social recognition, as progesterone impairment of social recognition is blocked by a PR antagonist, RU-486. Social recognition is also impaired by a specific progestin agonist, R5020. Interestingly, we show that progesterone does not interfere with either general memory or olfactory processes, suggesting that progesterone seems critically important to social recognition memory. These data provide strong evidence that physiological levels of progesterone can have an important impact on social behavior in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan E Bychowski
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Neuroscience Training Program, 7225 Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1532, USA.
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44
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Kipp M, Berger K, Clarner T, Dang J, Beyer C. Sex steroids control neuroinflammatory processes in the brain: relevance for acute ischaemia and degenerative demyelination. J Neuroendocrinol 2012; 24:62-70. [PMID: 21592237 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02163.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids have been demonstrated as powerful compounds to protect neurones and neural tissue from neurotoxic challenges and during neurodegeneration. A multitude of cellular actions have been attributed to female gonadal steroid hormones, including the regulation of pro-survival and anti-apoptotic factors, bioenergetic demands and radical elimination, growth factor allocation and counteracting against excitotoxicity. In recent years, immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory characteristics of oestrogen and progesterone have also come under scrutiny. To date, each of these physiological responses has been considered to be partially and selectively integrated in the mediation of steroid-mediated cell protection and tested in suitable animal models and in vitro systems. To what extent these individual effects contribute to the overall neural protection remains sketchy. One idea is that a battery of cellular mechanisms operates at the same time. On the other hand, interactions and the control of the brain-intrinsic and peripheral immune system may play an additional and perhaps pioneering function in this scenario, notwithstanding the importance of secondary adjuvant mechanisms. In the present review, we highlight neuroprotective effects of oestrogen and progesterone in two different disease models of the brain, namely acute ischaemic and demyelination damage, which represent the most common acute and degenerative neurological disorders in humans. Besides other inflammatory parameters, we discuss the idea that chemokine expression and signalling appear to be early hallmarks in both diseases and are positively affected by sex steroids. In addition, the complex interplay with local brain-resident immune-competent cells appears to be controlled by the steroid environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kipp
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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45
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Mani SK, Oyola MG. Progesterone signaling mechanisms in brain and behavior. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2012; 3:7. [PMID: 22649404 PMCID: PMC3355960 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormone, progesterone, modulates neuroendocrine functions in the central nervous system resulting in alterations in physiology and behavior. These neuronal effects are mediated primarily by intracellular progestin receptors (PRs) in the steroid-sensitive neurons, resulting in transcription-dependent genomic actions (classical mechanism). In addition to progesterone, intracellular PRs can also be activated in a "ligand-independent" manner by neurotransmitters, peptide growth factors, cyclic nucleotides, and neurosteroids. Recent studies indicate that rapid, non-classical progesterone actions involving cytoplasmic kinase signaling and/or extranuclear PRs can result in both transcription-independent and transcription-dependent actions. Cross-talk between extranuclear and classical intracellular signaling pathways promotes progesterone-dependent behavior in mammals. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which progesterone-initiated signaling mechanisms converge with PRs in the brain to modulate reproductive behavior in female rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaila K Mani
- Center on Addiction, Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA.
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46
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Yilmaz MB, Wolfe A, Zhao H, Brooks DC, Bulun SE. Aromatase promoter I.f is regulated by progesterone receptor in mouse hypothalamic neuronal cell lines. J Mol Endocrinol 2011; 47:69-80. [PMID: 21628418 PMCID: PMC4130222 DOI: 10.1530/jme-10-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase catalyzes the conversion of C(19) steroids to estrogens. Aromatase and progesterone, both of which function at different steps of steroidogenesis, are crucial for the sexually dimorphic development of the fetal brain and the regulation of gonadotropin secretion and sexual interest in adults. The aromatase gene (Cyp19a1) is selectively expressed in distinct neurons of the mouse hypothalamus through a distal brain-specific promoter, I.f, located ∼40 kb upstream of the coding region. However, the regulation of aromatase expression in the brain is not well understood. In this study, we investigated a short feedback effect of progesterone analogues on aromatase mRNA expression and enzyme activity in estrogen receptor α (Esr1)-positive or -negative mouse embryonic hypothalamic neuronal cell lines that express aromatase via promoter I.f. In a hypothalamic neuronal cell line that highly expresses aromatase, progesterone receptor (Pgr), and Esr1, a progesterone agonist, R5020, inhibited aromatase mRNA level and enzyme activity. The inhibitory effect of R5020 was reversed by its antagonist, RU486. Deletion mutants of promoter I.f suggested that inhibition of aromatase expression by progesterone is conferred by the nt -1000/-500 region, and R5020 enhanced binding of Pgr to the nt -800/-600 region of promoter I.f. Small interfering RNA knockdown of Pgr eliminated progesterone-dependent inhibition of aromatase mRNA and enzyme activity. Taken together, progesterone enhances recruitment of Pgr to specific regions of the promoter I.f of Cyp19a1 and regulates aromatase expression in hypothalamic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bertan Yilmaz
- Division of Reproductive Biology Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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O’Connell LA, Ding JH, Ryan MJ, Hofmann HA. Neural distribution of the nuclear progesterone receptor in the túngara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus. J Chem Neuroanat 2011; 41:137-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2011.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Revised: 12/24/2010] [Accepted: 01/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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48
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O’Connell LA, Matthews BJ, Patel SB, O’Connell JD, Crews D. Molecular characterization and brain distribution of the progesterone receptor in whiptail lizards. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 171:64-74. [PMID: 21185292 PMCID: PMC3041865 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Revised: 12/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone and its nuclear receptor are critical in modulating reproductive physiology and behavior in female and male vertebrates. Whiptail lizards (genus Cnemidophorus) are an excellent model system in which to study the evolution of sexual behavior, as both the ancestral and descendent species exist. Male-typical sexual behavior is mediated by progesterone in both the ancestral species and the descendant all-female species, although the molecular characterization and distribution of the progesterone receptor protein throughout the reptilian brain is not well understood. To better understand the gene targets and ligand binding properties of the progesterone receptor in whiptails, we cloned the promoter and coding sequence of the progesterone receptor and analyzed the predicted protein structure. We next determined the distribution of the progesterone receptor protein and mRNA throughout the brain of Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus uniparens by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. We found the progesterone receptor to be present in many brain regions known to regulate social behavior and processing of stimulus salience across many vertebrates, including the ventral tegmental area, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and several hypothalamic nuclei. Additionally, we quantified immunoreactive cells in the preoptic area and ventromedial hypothalamus in females of both species and males of the ancestral species. We found differences between both species and across ovarian states. Our results significantly extend our understanding of progesterone modulation in the reptilian brain and support the important role of the nuclear progesterone receptor in modulating sexual behavior in reptiles and across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. O’Connell
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Bryan J. Matthews
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Sagar B. Patel
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Jeremy D. O’Connell
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - David Crews
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- All correspondence and requests for reprints should to addressed to: David Crews, Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, Phone: 512-471-1113,
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49
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Fadem BH, Koester DC, Harder JD. Perinatal exposure to progesterone, estradiol, or mifepristone affects sexual differentiation of behavior in opossums (Monodelphis domestica). Horm Behav 2010; 58:390-6. [PMID: 20362579 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2009] [Revised: 03/04/2010] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The effects of perinatal exposure to progesterone (P) and estradiol (E) on sexual differentiation of behavior and morphology were examined by treating male and female gray short-tailed opossums on postnatal day 8 with progesterone alone (P), P plus estradiol (E) (PE), the P receptor antagonist mifepristone/RU486 (MIF), or corn oil control (C) and gonadectomizing them before puberty. When given female hormone replacement therapy in adulthood and tested with intact stimulus males, MIF animals showed less female-typical aggressive threat behavior than animals in other treatment groups. Stimulus males scent marked in more tests involving females than males and in more tests involving MIF animals than animals in other treatment groups. Body weight was lower in females than in males and was lower in MIF animals than in animals in other treatment groups, and P females failed to show female-typical genital locks after copulation. Sexual receptivity was similar in males and females and, while not decreased by any perinatal hormone treatment, was higher in PE males than in animals of either sex in any treatment group. These findings suggest that perinatal exposure to P is associated with the organization of feminine threat behavior and the defeminization of attractivity, body weight and genital anatomy in this marsupial. Reasons for these findings and for why female sexual receptivity is enhanced by perinatal exposure to exogenous E only in an endogenous masculine environment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara H Fadem
- Department of Psychiatry, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07101-5292, USA.
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50
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Baby on board: do responses to stress in the maternal brain mediate adverse pregnancy outcome? Front Neuroendocrinol 2010; 31:359-76. [PMID: 20546772 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2010] [Revised: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2010] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Stress and adverse environmental surroundings result in suboptimal conditions in a pregnant mother such that she may experience poor pregnancy outcome including complete pregnancy failure and preterm labor. Furthermore her developing baby is at risk of adverse programming, which confers susceptibility to long term ill health. While some mechanisms at the feto-maternal interface underlying these conditions are understood, the underlying cause for their adverse adaptation is often not clear. Progesterone plays a key role at many levels, including control of neuroendocrine responses to stress, procuring the required immune balance and controlling placental and decidual function, and lack of progesterone can explain many of the unwanted consequences of stress. How stress that is perceived by the mother inhibits progesterone secretion and action is beginning to be investigated. This overview of maternal neuroendocrine responses to stress throughout pregnancy analyses how they interact to compromise progesterone secretion and precipitate undesirable effects in mother and offspring.
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