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Zepf FD, König L, Kaiser A, Ligges C, Ligges M, Roessner V, Banaschewski T, Holtmann M. [Beyond NICE: Updated Systematic Review on the Current Evidence of Using Puberty Blocking Pharmacological Agents and Cross-Sex-Hormones in Minors with Gender Dysphoria]. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KINDER- UND JUGENDPSYCHIATRIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2024; 52:167-187. [PMID: 38410090 DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Beyond NICE: Updated Systematic Review on the Current Evidence of Using Puberty Blocking Pharmacological Agents and Cross-Sex-Hormones in Minors with Gender Dysphoria Abstract: Objective: The suppression of physiological puberty using puberty-blocking pharmacological agents (PB) and prescribing cross-sex hormones (CSH) to minors with gender dysphoria (GD) is a current matter of discussion, and in some cases, PB and CSH are used in clinical practice for this particular population. Two systematic reviews (one on PB, one on CSH treatment) by the British National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) from 2020 indicated no clear clinical benefit of such treatments regarding critical outcome variables. In particular, these two systematic NICE reviews on the use of PB and CSH in minors with GD detected no clear improvements of GD symptoms. Moreover, the overall scientific quality of the available evidence, as discussed within the above-mentioned two NICE reviews, was classified as "very low certainty" regarding modified GRADE criteria. Method: The present systematic review presents an updated literature search on this particular topic (use of PB and CSH in minors with GD) following NICE principles and PICO criteria for all relevant new original research studies published since the release of the two above-mentioned NICE reviews (updated literature search period was July 2020-August 2023). Results: The newly conducted literature search revealed no newly published original studies targeting NICE-defined critical and important outcomes and the related use of PB in minors with GD following PICO criteria. For CSH treatment, we found two new studies that met PICO criteria, but these particular two studies had low participant numbers, yielded no significant additional clear evidence for specific and clearly beneficial effects of CSH in minors with GD, and could be classified as "low certainty" tfollowing modified GRADE criteria. Conclusions: The currently available studies on the use of PB and CSH in minors with GD have significant conceptual and methodological flaws. The available evidence on the use of PB and CSH in minors with GD is very limited and based on only a few studies with small numbers, and these studies have problematic methodology and quality. There also is a lack of adequate and meaningful long-term studies. Current evidence doesn't suggest that GD symptoms and mental health significantly improve when PB or CSH are used in minors with GD. Psychotherapeutic interventions to address and reduce the experienced burden can become relevant in children and adolescents with GD. If the decision to use PB and/or CSH is made on an individual case-by-case basis and after a complete and thorough mental health assessment, potential treatment of possibly co-occurring mental health problems as well as after a thoroughly conducted and carefully executed individual risk-benefit evaluation, doing so as part of clinical studies or research projects, as currently done in England, can be of value in terms of generation of new research data. The electronic supplement (ESM) 1 is an adapted and abreviated English version of this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian D Zepf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
| | - Laura König
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
| | - Anna Kaiser
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Ligges
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Ligges
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZJK), partner site Leipzig-Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Holtmann
- LWL-Universitätsklinik Hamm der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Hamm, Germany
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2
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Baxendale S. The impact of suppressing puberty on neuropsychological function: A review. Acta Paediatr 2024. [PMID: 38334046 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
AIM Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of medications that interrupt puberty, given the magnitude and complexity of changes that occur in brain function and structure during this sensitive window of neurodevelopment. This review examines the literature on the impact of pubertal suppression on cognitive and behavioural function in animals and humans. METHODS All studies reporting cognitive impacts of treatment with GnRH agonists/antagonists for pubertal suppression in animals or humans were sought via a systematic search strategy across the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. RESULTS Sixteen studies were identified. In mammals, the neuropsychological impacts of puberty blockers are complex and often sex specific (n = 11 studies). There is no evidence that cognitive effects are fully reversible following discontinuation of treatment. No human studies have systematically explored the impact of these treatments on neuropsychological function with an adequate baseline and follow-up. There is some evidence of a detrimental impact of pubertal suppression on IQ in children. CONCLUSION Critical questions remain unanswered regarding the nature, extent and permanence of any arrested development of cognitive function associated with puberty blockers. The impact of puberal suppression on measures of neuropsychological function is an urgent research priority.
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Godfrey JR, Howell BR, Mummert A, Shi Y, Styner M, Wilson ME, Sanchez M. Effects of social rank and pubertal delay on brain structure in female rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 149:105987. [PMID: 36529113 PMCID: PMC9931669 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105987] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Adverse social experience during childhood and adolescence leads to developmental alterations in emotional and stress regulation and underlying neurocircuits. We examined the consequences of social subordination (low social rank) in juvenile female rhesus monkeys, as an ethologically valid model of chronic social stressor exposure, on brain structural and behavioral development through the pubertal transition. Adolescence is a developmental period of extensive brain remodeling and increased emotional and stress reactivity. Puberty-induced increases in gonadal hormones, particularly estradiol (E2), are likely involved due to its organizational effects on the brain and behavior. Thus, we also examined how experimentally delaying pubertal onset with Lupron (gonadotropin releasing hormone -GnRH- agonist used clinically to delay early puberty) interacted with social rank (dominant vs. subordinate) to affect brain and behavioral outcomes. Using a longitudinal experimental design, structural MRI (sMRI) scans were collected on socially housed juvenile female rhesus monkeys living in indoor-outdoor enclosures prior to the onset of puberty (18-25 months), defined as menarche or the initial occurrence of perineal swelling and coloration, and again at 29-36 months, when all control animals had reached puberty but none of the Lupron-treated had. We examined the effects of both social rank and pubertal delay on overall structural brain volume (i.e. intracranial, grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes), as well as on cortico-limbic regions involved in emotion and stress regulation: amygdala (AMYG), hippocampus (HC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Measures of stress physiology, social behavior, and emotional reactivity were collected to examine functional correlates of the brain structural effects. Apart from expected developmental effects, subordinates had bigger AMYG volumes than dominant animals, most notably in the right hemisphere, but pubertal delay with Lupron-treatment abolished those differences, suggesting a role of gonadal hormones potentiating the brain structural impact of social stress. Subordinates also had elevated baseline cortisol, indicating activation of stress systems. In general, Lupron-treated subjects had smaller AMYG and HC volume than controls, but larger total PFC (driven by bigger GM volumes), and different, region-specific, developmental patterns dependent on age and social rank. These findings highlight a region-specific effect of E2 on structural development during female adolescence, independent of those due to chronological age. Pubertal delay and AMYG volume, in turn, predicted differences in emotional reactivity and social behavior. These findings suggest that exposure to developmental increases in E2 modifies the consequences of adverse social experience on the volume of cortico-limbic regions involved in emotional and stress regulation during maturation. But, even more importantly, they indicate different brain structural effects of chronological age and pubertal developmental stage in females, which are very difficult to disentangle in human studies. These findings have additional relevance for young girls who experience prolonged pubertal delays or for those whose puberty is clinically arrested by pharmacological administration of Lupron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi R Godfrey
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Brittany R Howell
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, 366 Wallace Hall, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Amanda Mummert
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yundi Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mark E Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Biggs M. The Dutch Protocol for Juvenile Transsexuals: Origins and Evidence. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2023; 49:348-368. [PMID: 36120756 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2022.2121238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
It has been a quarter of a century since Dutch clinicians proposed puberty suppression as an intervention for "juvenile transsexuals," which became the international standard for treating gender dysphoria. This paper reviews the history of this intervention and scrutinizes the evidence adduced to support it. The intervention was justified by claims that it was reversible and that it was a tool for diagnosis, but these claims are increasingly implausible. The main evidence for the Dutch protocol came from a longitudinal study of 70 adolescents who had been subjected to puberty suppression followed by cross-sex hormones and surgery. Their outcomes shortly after surgery appeared positive, except for the one patient who died, but these findings rested on a small number of observations and incommensurable measures of gender dysphoria. A replication study conducted in Britain found no improvement. While some effects of puberty suppression have been carefully studied, such as on bone density, others have been ignored, like on sexual functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Biggs
- Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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5
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Anacker C, Sydnor E, Chen BK, LaGamma CC, McGowan JC, Mastrodonato A, Hunsberger HC, Shores R, Dixon RS, McEwen BS, Byne W, Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Bockting W, Ehrhardt AA, Denny CA. Behavioral and neurobiological effects of GnRH agonist treatment in mice-potential implications for puberty suppression in transgender individuals. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:882-890. [PMID: 32919399 PMCID: PMC8115503 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00826-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the United States, ~1.4 million individuals identify as transgender. Many transgender adolescents experience gender dysphoria related to incongruence between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth. This dysphoria may worsen as puberty progresses. Puberty suppression by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), such as leuprolide, can help alleviate gender dysphoria and provide additional time before irreversible changes in secondary sex characteristics may be initiated through feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy congruent with the adolescent's gender experience. However, the effects of GnRH agonists on brain function and mental health are not well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of leuprolide on reproductive function, social and affective behavior, cognition, and brain activity in a rodent model. Six-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice were injected daily with saline or leuprolide (20 μg) for 6 weeks and tested in several behavioral assays. We found that leuprolide increases hyperlocomotion, changes social preference, and increases neuroendocrine stress responses in male mice, while the same treatment increases hyponeophagia and despair-like behavior in females. Neuronal hyperactivity was found in the dentate gyrus (DG) of leuprolide-treated females, but not males, consistent with the elevation in hyponeophagia and despair-like behavior in females. These data show for the first time that GnRH agonist treatment after puberty onset exerts sex-specific effects on social- and affective behavior, stress regulation, and neural activity. Investigating the behavioral and neurobiological effects of GnRH agonists in mice will be important to better guide the investigation of potential consequences of this treatment for youth experiencing gender dysphoria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Anacker
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, NYSPI, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Ezra Sydnor
- Amgen Summer Scholars Program, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Briana K Chen
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B), Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Christina C LaGamma
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Josephine C McGowan
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B), Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Alessia Mastrodonato
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Holly C Hunsberger
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Ryan Shores
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Rushell S Dixon
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B), Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Department of Immunology, Virology, and Microbiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - William Byne
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, NYSPI, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Heino F L Meyer-Bahlburg
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, NYSPI, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Walter Bockting
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, NYSPI, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Anke A Ehrhardt
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, NYSPI, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Christine A Denny
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Crampe JP, Gerard JF, Goulard M, Milleret C, Gonzalez G, Bon R. Year-round sexual segregation in the Pyrenean chamois, a nearly monomorphic polygynous herbivore. Behav Processes 2021; 184:104300. [PMID: 33422643 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Adult females and males live apart outside the mating period in many social vertebrates, but the causes of this phenomenon remain a matter of debate. Current prevailing hypotheses predict no sexual segregation outside the early period of maternal care in nearly monomorphic species such as the Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica). We examined sexual segregation in a population of the species, using data collected over 143 consecutive months on groups' location and composition, and extending statistical procedures introduced by Conradt (1998b) and Bonenfant et al. (2007). In addition, we analysed the social interactions recorded between group members. As expected, habitat segregation was low throughout the year, with a maximum during the early lactation period. However, social and spatial segregation was consistently high, contradicting the predictions of the current prevailing hypotheses, while suggesting social causes were predominant. The scarcity of social interactions outside the mating season makes unlikely the hypothesis that males segregate to improve their reproductive success. We rather suspect that higher social affinities within than between the two sexes are at work. However, this hypothesis alone is probably insufficient to account for spatial segregation. Our results should revive the debate regarding the causes of sexual segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Crampe
- Parc National des Pyrénées, 2 rue du 4 septembre, 65000, Tarbes, France
| | - Jean-François Gerard
- INRAE, Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, B.P. 52627, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France.
| | - Michel Goulard
- INRAE, UMR 1201 Dynamiques et Ecologie des Paysages Agriforestiers, B.P. 52627, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Cyril Milleret
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, NO-1432 Norway
| | - Georges Gonzalez
- INRAE, Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, B.P. 52627, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Richard Bon
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France.
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Hough D, Robinson JE, Bellingham M, Fleming LM, McLaughlin M, Jama K, Haraldsen IRH, Solbakk AK, Evans NP. Peripubertal GnRH and testosterone co-treatment leads to increased familiarity preferences in male sheep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:70-77. [PMID: 31229635 PMCID: PMC6712355 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment is effective for the medical suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in situations like central precocious puberty and gender dysphoria. However, its administration during the peripubertal period could influence normal brain development and function because GnRH receptors are expressed in brain regions that regulate emotions, cognition, motivation and memory. This study used an ovine model to determine whether chronic peripubertal GnRHa-treatment affected the developmental shift from preference of familiarity to novelty. Experimental groups included Controls and GnRHa-treated rams. To differentiate between effects of altered GnRH signaling and those associated with the loss of sex steroids, a group was also included that received testosterone replacement as well as GnRHa (GnRHa + T). Preference for a novel versus familiar object was assessed during 5-min social isolation at 8, 28 and 46 weeks of age. Approach behavior was measured as interactions with and time spent near the objects, whereas avoidance behavior was measured by time spent in the entrance zone and attempts to escape the arena via the entry point. Emotional reactivity was measured by the number of vocalizations, escape attempts and urinations. As Control and GnRHa-treated rams aged, their approach behaviors showed a shift from preference for familiarity (8 weeks) to novelty (46 weeks). In contrast, relative to the Controls the GnRHa + T rams exhibited more approach behaviors towards both objects, at 28 and 46 weeks of age and preferred familiarity at 46 weeks of age. Vocalisation rate was increased in GnRHa treated rams in late puberty (28 weeks) compared to both Control and GnRHa + T rams but this effect was not seen in young adulthood (46 weeks). These results suggest that the specific suppression of testosterone during a developmental window in late puberty may reduce emotional reactivity and hamper learning a flexible adjustment to environmental change. The results also suggest that disruption of either endogenous testosterone signalling or a synergistic action between GnRH and testosterone signalling, may delay maturation of cognitive processes (e.g. information processing) that affects the motivation of rams to approach and avoid objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hough
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - JE Robinson
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - M Bellingham
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - LM Fleming
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - M McLaughlin
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - K Jama
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - IRH Haraldsen
- Department of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital – Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway
| | - AK Solbakk
- Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital – Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Pb 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway,Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, 8607 Mosjøen, Norway
| | - NP Evans
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK,Corresponding author.
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Craig L, Meyers-Manor JE, Anders K, Sütterlin S, Miller H. The relationship between heart rate variability and canine aggression. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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A reduction in long-term spatial memory persists after discontinuation of peripubertal GnRH agonist treatment in sheep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 77:1-8. [PMID: 27987429 PMCID: PMC5333793 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) administration is used where suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity is beneficial, such as steroid-dependent cancers, early onset gender dysphoria, central precocious puberty and as a reversible contraceptive in veterinary medicine. GnRH receptors, however, are expressed outside the reproductive axis, e.g. brain areas such as the hippocampus which is crucial for learning and memory processes. Previous work, using an ovine model, has demonstrated that long-term spatial memory is reduced in adult rams (45 weeks of age), following peripubertal blockade of GnRH signaling (GnRHa: goserelin acetate), and this was independent of the associated loss of gonadal steroid signaling. The current study investigated whether this effect is reversed after discontinuation of GnRHa-treatment. The results demonstrate that peripubertal GnRHa-treatment suppressed reproductive function in rams, which was restored after cessation of GnRHa-treatment at 44 weeks of age, as indicated by similar testes size (relative to body weight) in both GnRHa-Recovery and Control rams at 81 weeks of age. Rams in which GnRHa-treatment was discontinued (GnRHa-Recovery) had comparable spatial maze traverse times to Controls, during spatial orientation and learning assessments at 85 and 99 weeks of age. Former GnRHa-treatment altered how quickly the rams progressed beyond a specific point in the spatial maze at 83 and 99 weeks of age, and the direction of this effect depended on gonadal steroid exposure, i.e. GnRHa-Recovery rams progressed quicker during breeding season and slower during non-breeding season, compared to Controls. The long-term spatial memory performance of GnRHa-Recovery rams remained reduced (P<0.05, 1.5-fold slower) after discontinuation of GnRHa, compared to Controls. This result suggests that the time at which puberty normally occurs may represent a critical period of hippocampal plasticity. Perturbing normal hippocampal formation in this peripubertal period may also have long lasting effects on other brain areas and aspects of cognitive function.
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Hough D, Bellingham M, Haraldsen I, McLaughlin M, Rennie M, Robinson J, Solbakk A, Evans N. Spatial memory is impaired by peripubertal GnRH agonist treatment and testosterone replacement in sheep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:173-182. [PMID: 27837697 PMCID: PMC5140006 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) is used therapeutically to block activity within the reproductive axis through down-regulation of GnRH receptors within the pituitary gland. GnRH receptors are also expressed in non-reproductive tissues, including areas of the brain such as the hippocampus and amygdala. The impact of long-term GnRHa-treatment on hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, such as spatial orientation, learning and memory, is not well studied, particularly when treatment encompasses a critical window of development such as puberty. The current study used an ovine model to assess spatial maze performance and memory of rams that were untreated (Controls), had both GnRH and testosterone signaling blocked (GnRHa-treated), or specifically had GnRH signaling blocked (GnRHa-treated with testosterone replacement) during the peripubertal period (8, 27 and 41 weeks of age). The results demonstrate that emotional reactivity during spatial tasks was compromised by the blockade of gonadal steroid signaling, as seen by the restorative effects of testosterone replacement, while traverse times remained unchanged during assessment of spatial orientation and learning. The blockade of GnRH signaling alone was associated with impaired retention of long-term spatial memory and this effect was not restored with the replacement of testosterone signaling. These results indicate that GnRH signaling is involved in the retention and recollection of spatial information, potentially via alterations to spatial reference memory, and that therapeutic medical treatments using chronic GnRHa may have effects on this aspect of cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Hough
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - M. Bellingham
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - I.R.H. Haraldsen
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital — Rikshospitalet, 0027, Oslo, Norway
| | - M. McLaughlin
- Division of Veterinary Bioscience and Education, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - M. Rennie
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - J.E. Robinson
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - A.K. Solbakk
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital — Rikshospitalet, 0027, Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Pb 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway,Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Mosjøen, Norway
| | - N.P. Evans
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK,Corresponding author.
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11
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Wojniusz S, Callens N, Sütterlin S, Andersson S, De Schepper J, Gies I, Vanbesien J, De Waele K, Van Aken S, Craen M, Vögele C, Cools M, Haraldsen IR. Cognitive, Emotional, and Psychosocial Functioning of Girls Treated with Pharmacological Puberty Blockage for Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1053. [PMID: 27462292 PMCID: PMC4940404 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Central precocious puberty (CPP) develops due to premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, resulting in early pubertal changes and rapid bone maturation. CPP is associated with lower adult height and increased risk for development of psychological problems. Standard treatment of CPP is based on postponement of pubertal development by blockade of the HPG axis with gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) leading to abolition of gonadal sex hormones synthesis. Whereas the hormonal and auxological effects of GnRHa are well-researched, there is a lack of knowledge whether GnRHa treatment influences psychological functioning of treated children, despite the fact that prevention of psychological problems is used as one of the main reasons for treatment initiation. In the present study we seek to address this issue by exploring differences in cognitive function, behavior, emotional reactivity, and psychosocial problems between GnRHa treated CPP girls and age-matched controls. Fifteen girls with idiopathic CPP; median age 10.4 years, treated with slow-release GnRHa (triptorelin acetate-Decapeptyl SR® 11.25) and 15 age-matched controls, were assessed with a comprehensive test battery consisting of paper and pencil tests, computerized tasks, behavioral paradigms, heart rate variability, and questionnaires filled in by the children's parents. Both groups showed very similar scores with regard to cognitive performance, behavioral and psychosocial problems. Compared to controls, treated girls displayed significantly higher emotional reactivity (p = 0.016; Cohen's d = 1.04) on one of the two emotional reactivity task conditions. Unexpectedly, the CPP group showed significantly lower resting heart rates than the controls (p = 0.004; Cohen's d = 1.03); lower heart rate was associated with longer treatment duration (r = -0.582, p = 0.037). The results suggest that GnRHa treated CPP girls do not differ in their cognitive or psychosocial functioning from age matched controls. However, they might process emotional stimuli differently. The unexpected finding of lower heart rate that was associated with longer duration of the treatment should be further explored by methods appropriate for assessment of cardiac health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slawomir Wojniusz
- Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Neurobiology, Oslo University HospitalOslo, Norway; Department of Physiotherapy, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied SciencesOslo, Norway
| | - Nina Callens
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sütterlin
- Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Neurobiology, Oslo University HospitalOslo, Norway; Section for Psychology, Lillehammer University CollegeLillehammer, Norway
| | - Stein Andersson
- Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Neurobiology, Oslo University HospitalOslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of OsloOslo, Norway
| | - Jean De Schepper
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent UniversityGhent, Belgium; Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Brussels University HospitalBrussels, Belgium
| | - Inge Gies
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Brussels University Hospital Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jesse Vanbesien
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Brussels University Hospital Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kathleen De Waele
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sara Van Aken
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Margarita Craen
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Claus Vögele
- Research Unit INSIDE, Institute for Health and Behavior, University of Luxembourg Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Martine Cools
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ira R Haraldsen
- Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Medical Neurobiology, Oslo University Hospital Oslo, Norway
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12
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Staphorsius AS, Kreukels BPC, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Veltman DJ, Burke SM, Schagen SEE, Wouters FM, Delemarre-van de Waal HA, Bakker J. Puberty suppression and executive functioning: An fMRI-study in adolescents with gender dysphoria. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 56:190-9. [PMID: 25837854 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Adolescents with gender dysphoria (GD) may be treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) to suppress puberty and, thus, the development of (unwanted) secondary sex characteristics. Since adolescence marks an important period for the development of executive functioning (EF), we determined whether the performance on the Tower of London task (ToL), a commonly used EF task, was altered in adolescents with GD when treated with GnRHa. Furthermore, since GD has been proposed to result from an atypical sexual differentiation of the brain, we determined whether untreated adolescents with GD showed sex-atypical brain activations during ToL performance. We found no significant effect of GnRHa on ToL performance scores (reaction times and accuracy) when comparing GnRHa treated male-to-females (suppressed MFs, n=8) with untreated MFs (n=10) or when comparing GnRHa treated female-to-males (suppressed FMs, n=12) with untreated FMs (n=10). However, the suppressed MFs had significantly lower accuracy scores than the control groups and the untreated FMs. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses showed significantly greater activation in control boys (n=21) than control girls (n=24) during high task load ToL items in the bilateral precuneus and a trend (p<0.1) for greater activation in the right DLPFC. In contrast, untreated adolescents with GD did not show significant sex differences in task load-related activation and had intermediate activation levels compared to the two control groups. GnRHa treated adolescents with GD showed sex differences in neural activation similar to their natal sex control groups. Furthermore, activation in the other ROIs (left DLPFC and bilateral RLPFC) was also significantly greater in GnRHa treated MFs compared to GnRHa treated FMs. These findings suggest that (1) GnRHa treatment had no effect on ToL performance in adolescents with GD, and (2) pubertal hormones may induce sex-atypical brain activations during EF in adolescents with GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke S Staphorsius
- Neuroendocrinology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Baudewijntje P C Kreukels
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Department of Medical Psychology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peggy T Cohen-Kettenis
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Department of Medical Psychology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah M Burke
- Neuroendocrinology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Department of Medical Psychology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastian E E Schagen
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Femke M Wouters
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Julie Bakker
- Neuroendocrinology Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital 1B36, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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13
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Xue H, Gai X, Sun W, Li C, Liu Q. Morphological changes of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the rat preoptic area across puberty. Neural Regen Res 2014; 9:1303-12. [PMID: 25221583 PMCID: PMC4160857 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.137578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the preoptic area may undergo morphological changes during the pubertal period when their activities are upregulated. To clarify the regulatory mechanism of puberty onset, this study aimed to investigate the morphological changes of GnRH neurons in the preoptic area of GnRH-enhanced green fluorescent protein transgenic rats. Under confocal laser microscopy, pubertal GnRH neurons exhibited an inverted Y distribution pattern. Prepubertal GnRH neurons were generally unipolar and bipolar, and were distinguished as smooth type cells with few small processes or irregular type cells with many spine-like processes in the proximal dendrites. The number of GnRH neurons in the preoptic area and spine-like processes were increased during the course of reproductive maturation. There was no significant difference between male and female rats. Immunofluorescence staining revealed synaptophysin punctae close to the distal end of GnRH neurons, indicating that some presynaptic terminals may form a synaptic linkage with these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haogang Xue
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiaodong Gai
- Department of Pathology, Beihua University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Weiqi Sun
- College of Public Health, Beihua University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Pathology, Beihua University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Quan Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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14
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Nuruddin S, Syverstad GHE, Lillehaug S, Leergaard TB, Nilsson LNG, Ropstad E, Krogenæs A, Haraldsen IRH, Torp R. Elevated mRNA-levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its receptor in plaque-bearing Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103607. [PMID: 25089901 PMCID: PMC4121068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has indicated an association between hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and cognitive senescence, indicating that post meno-/andropausal changes in HPG axis hormones are implicated in the neuropathology of AD. Studies of transgenic mice with AD pathologies have led to improved understanding of the pathophysiological processes underlying AD. The aims of this study were to explore whether mRNA-levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gnrh) and its receptor (Gnrhr) were changed in plaque-bearing Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice and to investigate whether these levels and amyloid plaque deposition were downregulated by treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (Gnrh-a; Leuprorelin acetate). The study was performed on mice carrying the Arctic and Swedish amyloid-β precursor protein (AβPP) mutations (tgArcSwe). At 12 months of age, female tgArcSwe mice showed a twofold higher level of Gnrh mRNA and more than 1.5 higher level of Gnrhr mRNA than age matched controls. Male tgArcSwe mice showed the same pattern of changes, albeit more pronounced. In both sexes, Gnrh-a treatment caused significant down-regulation of Gnrh and Gnrhr mRNA expression. Immunohistochemistry combined with quantitative image analysis revealed no significant changes in the plaque load after Gnrh-a treatment in hippocampus and thalamus. However, plaque load in the cerebral cortex of treated females tended to be lower than in female vehicle-treated mice. The present study points to the involvement of hormonal changes in AD mice models and demonstrates that these changes can be effectively counteracted by pharmacological treatment. Although known to increase in normal aging, our study shows that Gnrh/Gnrhr mRNA expression increases much more dramatically in tgArcSwe mice. Treatment with Leuprorelin acetate successfully abolished the transgene specific effects on Gnrh/Gnrhr mRNA expression. The present experimental approach should serve as a platform for further studies on the usefulness of Gnrh-a treatment in suppressing plaque development in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Nuruddin
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Sveinung Lillehaug
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trygve B. Leergaard
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars N. G. Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Public Health & Caring Sciences / Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ira Ronit Hebold Haraldsen
- Department of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Reidun Torp
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- * E-mail:
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15
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Robinson JE, Evans NP, Dumbell R, Solbakk AK, Ropstad E, Haraldsen IRH. Effects of inhibition of gonadotropin releasing hormone secretion on the response to novel objects in young male and female sheep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 40:130-9. [PMID: 24485485 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the actions of blocking the GnRH receptor using a specific agonist on the response of male and female sheep to a novel object placed in their pen. The study is part of a series performed on 46 same sex twin animals. One of the pair received a subcutaneous implant of the GnRH agonist Goserelin acetate every four weeks while the other remained untreated. Implantation began immediately prior to puberty; at 8 weeks in the males and 28 weeks in the females (as timing of puberty is sex specific). To determine the effects of agonist treatment on the reproductive axis blood samples were collected for measurement of testosterone in the males and progesterone in the females. In addition the volume of the scrotum was determined. The present study aimed to determine whether there are sexually differentiated behavioural responses to a novel object at different stages of brain development (8, 28 and 48 weeks of age) and whether these responses are altered by GnRHa treatment. Approach behaviour towards and interactions with the novel object were monitored as was the number of vocalisations per unit time during the test period. GnRHa treatment suppressed testosterone concentrations and testicular growth in the males and progesterone release in the females. Sheep vocalised significantly more prior to weaning (8 weeks of age) than post weaning (28 and 48 weeks of age) suggesting stress on separation from their dams. Our current study shows that males are more likely to leave their conspecifics to approach a novel object than females. As this behaviour was not altered by suppression of the reproductive axis we suggest that, although sex differences are more obviously expressed in the phenotype after puberty, these may be developed during adolescence but not primarily altered during puberty by sex hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Robinson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G61 1QH, Scotland, UK.
| | - Neil P Evans
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G61 1QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Rebecca Dumbell
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G61 1QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Anne-Kristin Solbakk
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ira Ronit Hebold Haraldsen
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
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16
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Nuruddin S, Krogenæs A, Brynildsrud OB, Verhaegen S, Evans NP, Robinson JE, Haraldsen IRH, Ropstad E. Peri-pubertal gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment affects sex biased gene expression of amygdala in sheep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:3115-27. [PMID: 24103890 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The nature of hormonal involvement in pubertal brain development has attracted wide interest. Structural changes within the brain that occur during pubertal development appear mainly in regions closely linked with emotion, motivation and cognitive functions. Using a sheep model, we have previously shown that peri-pubertal pharmacological blockade of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors, results in exaggerated sex-differences in cognitive executive function and emotional control, as well as sex and hemisphere specific patterns of expression of hippocampal genes associated with synaptic plasticity and endocrine signaling. In this study, we explored effects of this treatment regime on the gene expression profile of the ovine amygdala. The study was conducted with 30 same-sex twin lambs (14 female and 16 male), half of which were treated with the GnRH agonist (GnRHa) goserelin acetate every 4th week, beginning before puberty, until approximately 50 weeks of age. Gene expression profiles of the left and right amygdala were measured using 8×15 K Agilent ovine microarrays. Differential expression of selected genes was confirmed by qRT-PCR (Quantitative real time PCR). Networking analyses and Gene Ontology (GO) Term analyses were performed with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), version 7.5 and DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and integrated Discovery) version 6.7 software packages, respectively. GnRHa treatment was associated with significant sex- and hemisphere-specific differential patterns of gene expression. GnRHa treatment was associated with differential expression of 432 (|logFC|>0.3, adj. p value <0.05) and 46 (p value <0.0.5) genes in the left and right amygdala, respectively, of female animals, relative to the reference sample which consisted of all a pooled sample from control and treated animals of both sexes. No genes were found to be differentially expressed as a result of GnRHa treatment in the male animals. The results indicated that GnRH may, directly and/or indirectly, be involved in the regulation of sex- and hemisphere-specific differential expression of genes in the amygdala. This finding should be considered when long-term peri-pubertal GnRHa treatment is used in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Nuruddin
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway
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17
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Nuruddin S, Bruchhage M, Ropstad E, Krogenæs A, Evans NP, Robinson JE, Endestad T, Westlye LT, Madison C, Haraldsen IRH. Effects of peripubertal gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist on brain development in sheep--a magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1994-2002. [PMID: 23579083 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Revised: 02/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In many species sexual dimorphisms in brain structures and functions have been documented. In ovine model, we have previously demonstrated that peri-pubertal pharmacological blockade of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) action increased sex-differences of executive emotional behavior. The structural substrate of this behavioral alteration however is unknown. In this magnetic resonance image (MRI) study on the same animals, we investigated the effects of GnRH agonist (GnRHa) treatment on the volume of total brain, hippocampus and amygdala. In total 41 brains (17 treated; 10 females and 7 males, and 24 controls; 11 females and 13 males) were included in the MRI study. Image acquisition was performed with 3-T MRI scanner. Segmentation of the amygdala and the hippocampus was done by manual tracing and total gray and white matter volumes were estimated by means of automated brain volume segmentation of the individual T2-weighted MRI volumes. Statistical comparisons were performed with general linear models. Highly significant GnRHa treatment effects were found on the volume of left and right amygdala, indicating larger amygdalae in treated animals. Significant sex differences were found for total gray matter and right amygdala, indicating larger volumes in male compared to female animals. Additionally, we observed a significant interaction between sex and treatment on left amygdala volume, indicating stronger effects of treatment in female compared to male animals. The effects of GnRHa treatment on amygdala volumes indicate that increasing GnRH concentration during puberty may have an important impact on normal brain development in mammals. These novel findings substantiate the need for further studies investigating potential neurobiological side effects of GnRHa treatment on the brains of young animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
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- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PB 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
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18
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Wojniusz S, Ropstad E, Evans N, Robinson J, Solbakk AK, Endestad T, Haraldsen IRH. Sex-specific development of spatial orientation is independent of peripubertal gonadal steroids. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1709-16. [PMID: 23477973 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to androgens has been shown to modulate brain development, resulting in changed behavioral attitudes, sexual orientation and cognitive functions, including processing of spatial information. Whether later changes in gonadotropic hormones during puberty induce further organizational effects within the brain is still insufficiently understood. The purpose of this study was to assess development of spatial orientation before and after the time of normal pubertal development, in an ovine model where half of the animals did not undergo typical reproductive maturation due to the pharmacological blockade of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) signaling. The study formed part of a larger trial and utilized 46 pairs of same sex Scottish Mule Texel Cross twins (22 female and 24 male). One twin remained untreated throughout (control) while the other received a subcutaneous GnRH agonist (GnRHa: Goserelin-Acetate) implant every fourth week. GnRHa treatment began at eight and 28 weeks of age, in males and females respectively, because the timing of the pubertal transition is sexually differentiated in sheep as it is in humans. Spatial orientation was assessed at three different time points: eight weeks of age, before puberty and treatment in both sexes; 28 weeks of age, after 20 weeks GnRHa treatment in males and before puberty and GnRHa treatment in females; and at 48 weeks of age, which is after the normal time of the pubertal transition in both sexes. Spatial orientation was tested in a spatial maze with traverse time as the main outcome measure. GnRHa treatment did not affect spatial maze performance as no significant differences in traverse time between treated and untreated animals were observed at any time-point. Adolescent females (48 weeks of age) traversed the maze significantly faster than adolescent males, whereas no sex differences in traverse time were seen at earlier developmental stages (eight and 28 weeks). Development of sex differences in spatial orientation was independent of exposure to pubertal hormones since puberty-blocked and control animals both showed the same pattern of spatial maze performance. This result demonstrates the prenatal nature of spatial orientation development. Furthermore, the unexpected finding that female animals outperformed males in the spatial orientation task, underscores the importance of the testing context in spatial orientation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slawomir Wojniusz
- Department of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Pb 4 St. Olavsplass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
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19
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Nuruddin S, Wojniusz S, Ropstad E, Krogenæs A, Evans NP, Robinson JE, Solbakk AK, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Haraldsen IRH. Peri-pubertal gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog treatment affects hippocampus gene expression without changing spatial orientation in young sheep. Behav Brain Res 2012; 242:9-16. [PMID: 23266521 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normal brain maturation is the result of molecular changes that can be modulated by endocrine variables associated with brain plasticity and results in sex- and age specific changes in cognitive performance. Using a sheep model, we have previously shown that peri-pubertal pharmacological blockade of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors results in increased sex-differences in cognitive executive function and emotional control. In this study we explore effects of this treatment regime on hippocampal gene expression and spatial orientation. METHODS The study was conducted with 30 same-sex twin lambs, half of which were treated with the GnRH analog (GnRHa) goserelin acetate every 4th week, beginning before puberty, until 50 weeks of age. Animals were tested in their spatial orientation ability at 48 weeks of age. Quantitative real time PCR analysis was conducted to examine effects of treatment on the expression of genes associated with synaptic plasticity and endocrine signaling. RESULTS GnRHa treatment was associated with significant sex- and hemisphere specific changes in mRNA expression for some of the genes studied. The treatment had no significant effect on spatial orientation. However, there was a tendency that females performed better than males in spatial orientation. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that GnRH directly and/or indirectly, is involved in the regulation of sex- and side-specific expression patterns of genes. Hence, these results should be considered when long-term peri-pubertal GnRHa treatment is used in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Nuruddin
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Pb 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
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20
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Development of psychophysiological motoric reactivity is influenced by peripubertal pharmacological inhibition of gonadotropin releasing hormone action--results of an ovine model. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1876-84. [PMID: 22534405 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Revised: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study reports the effects of peripubertal GnRH receptor inactivation on development of psychophysiological motoric reactivity (PMR; sometimes also called emotional reactivity), plasma cortisol concentrations and the relationship between plasma cortisol and PMR in male and female sheep. The study formed part of a larger trial and utilised 46 same sex twins. One twin remained untreated (control) while the other received a subcutaneous GnRH agonist (GnRHa Goserelin-Acetate) implant every 4th week, beginning at 8 and 28 weeks of age, in males and females, respectively (different, due to sex specific age of puberty). PMR, a measure of an animals' response to social isolation, was measured over a two minute period at 8, 28 and 48 weeks of age, using a three axis accelerometer. During the test period vocalisation rate was recorded. Cortisol was assayed in blood samples collected on a single day when animals were 40 weeks of age. PMR and vocalisation rate were significantly higher in females than males at all ages tested. At 28 weeks of age (20 weeks treatment) PMR was increased in treated males to the level seen in control females, by 48 weeks of age treated males' PMR was significantly less than controls. In females, 20 weeks of GnRHa treatment (28-48 weeks of age) was not associated with differences in PMR. Cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in females than males but were not affected by treatment. Plasma cortisol concentrations were positively correlated with PMR; this relationship being driven by the treated animals in both sexes. The results demonstrate that PMR is sexually dimorphic and cortisol dependent in sheep from at least 8 weeks of age. Importantly, they also demonstrate that long-term treatment of males with a GnRH agonist results in changes in age-dependent development of PMR.
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Sütterlin S, Herbert C, Schmitt M, Kübler A, Vögele C. Overcoming selfishness: reciprocity, inhibition, and cardiac-autonomic control in the ultimatum game. Front Psychol 2011; 2:173. [PMID: 21847383 PMCID: PMC3147158 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The processes underlying decision-making in response to unfair offers in the ultimatum game (UG) have recently been discussed in light of models of reciprocity and fairness-related behavior. It has been suggested that behavior following norm-oriented, internalized expectations of reciprocity requires overcoming economic self-interest. In this study we investigated both, behavioral and peripheral-physiological indicators of inhibitory capacity related to neuronal networks that are likely to be involved in the behavioral response to unfair offers. Both heart-rate variability as an index of inhibitory capacity, and performance in a motor response inhibition task predicted rejection of unfair offers in an UG, suggesting an important role of inhibitory processes in overcoming economic temptations and regulating behavior conforming to social norms of reciprocity and fairness. The role of parasympathetic activity as a physiological trait-marker predicting inter-individual differences in the rejection of unfair offers is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Sütterlin
- Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development (INSIDE), University of Luxembourg Walferdange, Luxembourg
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22
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Abstract
Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a hypothalamic hormone transported by the hypophyseal portal bloodstream to the pituitary gland, where it binds to GnRH receptors. However, GnRH receptors are expressed in multiple extrapituitary tissues, although their physiological relevance is not fully understood. GnRH agonists are employed extensively in steroid deprivation therapy, especially to suppress testosterone in prostate cancer. Because GnRH agonist treatment is associated with increased coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, we investigated the impact of GnRH on cardiomyocyte contractile function. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from mouse hearts and mechanical and intracellular Ca(2+) properties were evaluated, including peak shortening amplitude (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), time-to-90% relengthening (TR(90) ), maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening (± dLdt), electrically-stimulated rise in Fura-2 fluorescence intensity (ΔFFI) and Ca(2+) decay. GnRH (1 ng/ml) increased PS, ± dL/dt, resting FFI and ΔFFI, and prolonged TPS, TR(90) and Ca(2+) decay time, whereas 1 pg/ml GnRH affected all these cardiomyocyte variables, except TPS, resting FFI and ΔFFI. A concentration of 1 fg/ml GnRH and the GnRH cleavage product, GnRH-[1-5] (300 pg/ml), had no effect on any cardiomyocyte parameter. The 1 pg/ml GnRH-elicited responses were attenuated by the GnRH receptor antagonist cetrorelix (10 μm), the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 (1 μm) but not the protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine chloride (1 μm). These data revealed that GnRH is capable of regulating cardiac contractile function via a GnRH receptor/PKA-dependent mechanism. If present in the human heart, dysfunction of such a system may play an important role in cardiac pathology observed in men treated with GnRH agonists for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Dong
- College of Health Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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