1
|
Delage CI, Nys G, Fillet M, Cornil CA. Effect of cyclo‑oxygenase inhibition on embryonic microglia and the sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Horm Behav 2021; 134:105024. [PMID: 34256221 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Enduring sex differences in the brain are established during a developmental process known as brain sexual differentiation and are mainly driven by estrogens during a critical period. In rodents, the masculinization of the preoptic area by estrogens derived from the central aromatization of testosterone depends in part on the interaction between microglia and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a pro-inflammatory hormone of the prostanoid subclass. In contrast, in birds, estrogens produced by females induce a demasculinization, but whether an interaction with the neuro-immune system is involved in this process is unknown. This study addressed this question by testing the effects of blockade of cyclo‑oxygenases (COX), the rate-limiting enzymes for prostanoid synthesis, on embryonic microglia and the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior using the Japanese quail as an animal model. The results show that COX inhibition does not affect the behavior of females, but impairs male sexual behavior and suppresses the sex difference in microglial profiles at embryonic day 12 (E12) in the medial preoptic nucleus by increasing the number of microglia in males only. However, neither prostanoid concentrations nor PGE2 receptors differed between sexes in the hypothalamus and preoptic area (HPOA) during development. Overall, these results uncovered a potential role of prostanoids in the demasculinization of Japanese quail. Moreover, the parallel effect of COX inhibition on behavior and microglia suggests an interaction between prostanoids and microglia in brain demasculinization, thus fueling the hypothesis of a conserved role of the neuroimmune system in the organization of the brain by estrogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte I Delage
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - Gwenael Nys
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Marianne Fillet
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Delage CI, Cornil CA. Estrogen‐dependent sex difference in microglia in the developing brain of Japanese quail (
Coturnix japonica
). Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:239-262. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Charlotte Anne Cornil
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology GIGA Neurosciences University of Liège Liège Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chung-Davidson YW, Bussy U, Fissette SD, Huerta B, Li W. Waterborne pheromones modulate gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone levels in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113358. [PMID: 31837303 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between pheromone stimuli and neuropeptides are not well established in vertebrates due to the limited number of unequivocally identified pheromone molecules. The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an advantageous vertebrate model to study the effects of pheromone exposure on neuropeptides since many pheromone molecules and neuropeptides have been identified in this species. Sexually mature male sea lamprey release pheromones 7α, 12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3 keto-petromyzonol sulfate, 3kPZS) and 7α, 12α-dihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one-24-oic acid (3-keto allocholic acid, 3kACA) that differentially regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (lGnRH) and steroid levels in sexually immature sea lamprey. However, the effects of these pheromones on gonadotropin-inhibitory hormones (GnIHs), hypothalamic neuropeptides that regulate lGnRH release, are still elusive. In this report, we sought to examine the effects of waterborne pheromones on lamprey GnIH-related neuropeptide levels in sexually immature sea lamprey. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analyses revealed sex differences in GnIH-related neuropeptide levels in the brain and plasma of immature sea lamprey. Exposure to 3kPZS and 3kACA exerted differential effects on GnIH-related neuropeptide levels in both sexes, but the effects were more prominent in female brains. We conclude that sea lamprey pheromones regulate GnIH-related neuropeptide levels in a sexually dimorphic manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Wen Chung-Davidson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Ugo Bussy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Skye Daniel Fissette
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Belinda Huerta
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Barbosa DAN, de Oliveira-Souza R, Monte Santo F, de Oliveira Faria AC, Gorgulho AA, De Salles AAF. The hypothalamus at the crossroads of psychopathology and neurosurgery. Neurosurg Focus 2017; 43:E15. [DOI: 10.3171/2017.6.focus17256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The neurosurgical endeavor to treat psychiatric patients may have been part of human history since its beginning. The modern era of psychosurgery can be traced to the heroic attempts of Gottlieb Burckhardt and Egas Moniz to alleviate mental symptoms through the ablation of restricted areas of the frontal lobes in patients with disabling psychiatric illnesses. Thanks to the adaptation of the stereotactic frame to human patients, the ablation of large volumes of brain tissue has been practically abandoned in favor of controlled interventions with discrete targets.Consonant with the role of the hypothalamus in the mediation of the most fundamental approach-avoidance behaviors, some hypothalamic nuclei and regions, in particular, have been selected as targets for the treatment of aggressiveness (posterior hypothalamus), pathological obesity (lateral or ventromedial nuclei), sexual deviations (ventromedial nucleus), and drug dependence (ventromedial nucleus). Some recent improvements in outcomes may have been due to the use of stereotactically guided deep brain stimulation and the change of therapeutic focus from categorical diagnoses (such as schizophrenia) to dimensional symptoms (such as aggressiveness), which are nonspecific in terms of formal diagnosis. However, agreement has never been reached on 2 related issues: 1) the choice of target, based on individual diagnoses; and 2) reliable prediction of outcomes related to individual targets. Despite the lingering controversies on such critical aspects, the experience of the past decades should pave the way for advances in the field. The current failure of pharmacological treatments in a considerable proportion of patients with chronic disabling mental disorders is reminiscent of the state of affairs that prevailed in the years before the early psychosurgical attempts.This article reviews the functional organization of the hypothalamus, the effects of ablation and stimulation of discrete hypothalamic regions, and the stereotactic targets that have most often been used in the treatment of psychopathological and behavioral symptoms; finally, the implications of current and past experience are presented from the perspective of how this fund of knowledge may usefully contribute to the future of hypothalamic psychosurgery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. N. Barbosa
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, D’Or Institute for Research and Education
- 2Division of Neurosurgery and
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, D’Or Institute for Research and Education
- 3Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Gaffrée e Guinle University Hospital, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro
| | - Felipe Monte Santo
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, D’Or Institute for Research and Education
- 4Intensive Care Unit, Icaraí Hospital, Niteroi, RJ
| | - Ana Carolina de Oliveira Faria
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, D’Or Institute for Research and Education
- 3Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Gaffrée e Guinle University Hospital, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro
| | - Alessandra A. Gorgulho
- 5HCor Neuroscience, São Paulo, Brazil; and
- 6Department of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Antonio A. F. De Salles
- 5HCor Neuroscience, São Paulo, Brazil; and
- 6Department of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iyilikci O, Baxter S, Balthazart J, Ball GF. Fos expression in monoaminergic cell groups in response to sociosexual interactions in male and female Japanese quail. Behav Neurosci 2014; 128:48-60. [PMID: 24512065 DOI: 10.1037/a0035427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Monoaminergic neurotransmitters regulate different components of sexual behaviors, but how the different monoaminergic cell groups selectively regulate these behaviors is not well understood. We examined the potential contribution of these different cell groups in the control of different aspects of sexual behaviors in male and female quail. We used double-label immunohistochemistry, labeling the protein product of the immediate early gene, Fos, along with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), markers for catecholaminergic or indolaminergic cells, respectively. Rhythmic Cloacal Sphincter Movements (RCSM) were recorded as a measure of male appetitive sexual behavior. Consummatory sexual behaviors were evaluated based on the species-typical copulation sequence. Enhanced Fos expression in the medial preoptic nucleus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis was observed in association with both physical and visual contact to the opposite sex for males, but not for females. Fos induction associated with physical contact was observed in the ventral tegmental area and anterior periaqueductal gray in both sexes. In males only, the number of Fos-immunoreactive (ir) cells increased in the visual contact condition in these 2 dopaminergic cell groups, however no significant effect was observed for double-labeled TH-Fos-ir cells. In addition, consummatory but not appetitive sexual behavior increased Fos expression in TPH-ir cells in the raphe pallidus of males. This increase following physical but not visual contact agrees with the notion that activation of the serotoninergic system is implicated in the development of sexual satiation but not activated by simply viewing a female, in contrast to the dopaminergic system.
Collapse
|
6
|
Brennan PLR, Adkins-Regan E. Endocrine regulation and sexual differentiation of avian copulatory sexually selected characters. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 4:557-66. [PMID: 25179524 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive specializations in birds have provided intriguing model systems to better understand the role of endocrine mechanisms that regulate phenotype expression and the action of sexual selection. A comparative approach can elucidate how endocrine systems associated with control of sexual differentiation, sexual maturation, and reproductive physiology and behavior have diversified. Here we compare the copulatory sexually selected traits of two members of the galloanseriform superfamily: quail and ducks. Japanese quail have a non-intromittent penis, and they have evolved a unique foam gland that is known to be involved in post-copulatory sexual selection. In contrast, ducks have maintained a large intromittent penis that has evolved via copulatory male-male competition and has been elaborated in a sexually antagonistic race due to sexual conflict with females over mating. These adaptations function in concert with sex-specific and, in part, species-specific behaviors. Although the approaches to study these traits have been different, exploring the differences in neuroendocrine regulation of sexual behavior, development and seasonality of the foam gland and the penis side by side, allow us to suggest some areas where future research would be productive to better understand the evolution of novelty in sexually selected traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L R Brennan
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and Departments of Psychology and of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Departments of Psychology and of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| |
Collapse
|