Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) gene expression in discrete regions of the rostral preoptic area change during the oestrous cycle and with age

Mechanisms of ovarian aging in women: a review

Ovarian aging is a natural and physiological aging process characterized by loss of quantity and quality of oocyte or follicular pool. As it is generally accepted that women are born with a finite follicle pool that will go through constant decline without renewing, which, together with decreased oocyte quality, makes a severe situation for women who is of advanced age but desperate for a healthy baby. The aim of our review was to investigate mechanisms leading to ovarian aging by discussing both extra- and intra- ovarian factors and to identify genetic characteristics of ovarian aging. The mechanisms were identified as both extra-ovarian alternation of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and intra-ovarian alternation of ovary itself, including telomere, mitochondria, oxidative stress, DNA damage, protein homeostasis, aneuploidy, apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, here we reviewed related Genome-wide association studies (GWAS studies) from 2009 to 2021 and next generation sequencing (NGS) studies of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in order to describe genetic characteristics of ovarian aging. It is reasonable to wish more reliable anti-aging interventions for ovarian aging as the exploration of mechanisms and genetics being progressing.

GABA System Modifications During Periods of Hormonal Flux Across the Female Lifespan

The female lifespan is marked by periods of dramatic hormonal fluctuation. Changes in the ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone, in addition to the progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone, are among the most significant and have been shown to have widespread effects on the brain. This review summarizes current understanding of alterations that occur within the GABA system during the major hormonal transition periods of puberty, the ovarian cycle, pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as reproductive aging. The functional impacts of altered inhibitory activity during these times are also discussed. Lastly, avenues for future research are identified, which, if pursued, can broaden understanding of the GABA system in the female brain and potentially lead to better treatments for women experiencing changes in brain function at each of these hormonal transition periods.

Caloric restriction selectively reduces the GABAergic phenotype of mouse hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin neurons

KEY POINTS

Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons release peptide products that potently inhibit food intake and reduce body weight. These neurons also release the amino acid transmitter GABA, which can inhibit downstream neurons. Although the release of peptide transmitters from POMC neurons is regulated by energy state, whether similar regulation of GABA release might occur had not been examined. The present results show that the GABAergic phenotype of POMC neurons is decreased selectively by caloric deficit and not altered by high-fat diet or stress. The fact the GABAergic phenotype of POMC neurons is sensitive to energy state suggests a dynamic physiological role for this transmitter and highlights the importance of determining the functional consequence of GABA released from POMC neurons in terms of the regulation of normal energy balance.

ABSTRACT

In addition to peptide transmitters, hypothalamic neurons, including proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons, also release amino acid transmitters that can alter energy balance regulation. While recent studies show that the GABAergic nature of AgRP neurons is increased by caloric restriction, whether the GABAergic phenotype of POMC neurons is also regulated in an energy-state-dependent manner has not been previously examined. The present studies used fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect Gad1 and Gad2 mRNA in POMC neurons, as these encode the glutamate decarboxylase enzymes GAD67 and GAD65, respectively. The results show that both short-term fasting and chronic caloric restriction significantly reduce the percentage of POMC neurons expressing Gad1 mRNA in both male and female mice, with less of an effect on Gad2 expression. Neither acute nor chronic intermittent restraint stress altered Gad1 expression in POMC neurons. Maintenance on a high-fat diet also did not affect the portion POMC neurons expressing Gad1, suggesting that the GABAergic phenotype of POMC neurons is particularly sensitive to energy deficit. Because changes in Gad1 expression have been previously shown to correlate with altered terminal GABA release, fasting is likely to cause a decrease in GABA release from POMC neurons. Altogether, the present results show that the GABAergic nature of POMC neurons can be dynamically regulated by energy state in a manner opposite to that in AgRP neurons and suggest the importance of considering the functional role of GABA release in addition to the peptide transmitters from POMC neurons.

Increased vesicular γ-GABA transporter and decreased phosphorylation of synapsin I in the rostral preoptic area is associated with decreased gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and c-Fos coexpression in middle-aged female mice

Hypothalamic glutamate (Glu) and γ-GABA neurotransmission are involved in the ovarian hormone-induced gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinising hormone (LH) surge in rodents. Studies have shown that reduced Glu and increased γ-GABA in the rostral preoptic area (rPOA) of the hypothalamus, where most activated GnRH neurones are located, play a key role in decreasing the reproductive function of female rats. However, the mechanism underlying the altered balance of these neurotransmitters is poorly understood. In the present study, we observed a decline in the function of GnRH neurones in the rPOA at the time of the GnRH/LH surge in middle-aged intact female mice with regular oestrous cycles. In young mice, there is an increase of vesicular Glu transporter 2 on the pro-oestrus afternoon, which is not observed in middle-aged mice. By contrast, vesicular γ-GABA transporter levels in young mice decrease at the time of the LH surge, whereas they increase in middle-aged mice. Of note, we found that, in middle-aged mice at the time of the GnRH/LH surge, the phosphorylation of synapsin I at Ser603 and Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent kinase IIα was significantly lower than in young mice. These data suggest that, in middle-aged mice, higher levels of presynaptic stores of GABA, a lack of increase of Glu and a decreased ability of synaptic vesicle mobilisation could account for the imbalance of Glu and GABA in the rPOA, which decreases the activation of GnRH neurones.

Age-related changes in rostral basal forebrain cholinergic and GABAergic projection neurons: relationship with spatial impairment

Both cholinergic and GABAergic projections from the rostral basal forebrain contribute to hippocampal function and mnemonic abilities. While dysfunction of cholinergic neurons has been heavily implicated in age-related memory decline, significantly less is known regarding how age-related changes in codistributed GABAergic projection neurons contribute to a decline in hippocampal-dependent spatial learning. In the current study, confocal stereology was used to quantify cholinergic (choline acetyltransferase [ChAT] immunopositive) neurons, GABAergic projection (glutamic decarboxylase 67 [GAD67] immunopositive) neurons, and total (neuronal nuclei [NeuN] immunopositive) neurons in the rostral basal forebrain of young and aged rats that were first characterized on a spatial learning task. ChAT immunopositive neurons were significantly but modestly reduced in aged rats. Although ChAT immunopositive neuron number was strongly correlated with spatial learning abilities among young rats, the reduction of ChAT immunopositive neurons was not associated with impaired spatial learning in aged rats. In contrast, the number of GAD67 immunopositive neurons was robustly and selectively elevated in aged rats that exhibited impaired spatial learning. Interestingly, the total number of rostral basal forebrain neurons was comparable in young and aged rats, regardless of their cognitive status. These data demonstrate differential effects of age on phenotypically distinct rostral basal forebrain projection neurons, and implicate dysregulated cholinergic and GABAergic septohippocampal circuitry in age-related mnemonic decline.

The neurobiology of preovulatory and estradiol-induced gonadotropin-releasing hormone surges

Ovarian steroids normally exert homeostatic negative feedback on GnRH release. During sustained exposure to elevated estradiol in the late follicular phase of the reproductive cycle, however, the feedback action of estradiol switches to positive, inducing a surge of GnRH release from the brain, which signals the pituitary LH surge that triggers ovulation. In rodents, this switch appears dependent on a circadian signal that times the surge to a specific time of day (e.g., late afternoon in nocturnal species). Although the precise nature of this daily signal and the mechanism of the switch from negative to positive feedback have remained elusive, work in the past decade has provided much insight into the role of circadian/diurnal and estradiol-dependent signals in GnRH/LH surge regulation and timing. Here we review the current knowledge of the neurobiology of the GnRH surge, in particular the actions of estradiol on GnRH neurons and their synaptic afferents, the regulation of GnRH neurons by fast synaptic transmission mediated by the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, and the host of excitatory and inhibitory neuromodulators including kisspeptin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, catecholamines, neurokinin B, and RFamide-related peptides, that appear essential for GnRH surge regulation, and ultimately ovulation and fertility.

Enhanced glutamatergic and decreased GABAergic synaptic appositions to GnRH neurons on proestrus in the rat: modulatory effect of aging

Background

Previous work by our lab and others has implicated glutamate as a major excitatory signal to gonadotropin hormone releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, with gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) serving as a potential major inhibitory signal. However, it is unknown whether GABAergic and/or glutamatergic synaptic appositions to GnRH neurons changes on the day of the proestrous LH surge or is affected by aging.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To examine this question, synaptic terminal appositions on GnRH neurons for VGAT (vesicular GABA transporter) and VGLUT2 (vesicular glutamate transporter-2), markers of GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic terminals, respectively, was examined by immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopic analysis in young and middle-aged diestrous and proestrous rats. The results show that in young proestrous rats at the time of LH surge, we observed reciprocal changes in the VGAT and VGLUT2 positive terminals apposing GnRH neurons, where VGAT terminal appositions were decreased and VGLUT2 terminal appositions were significantly increased, as compared to young diestrus control animals. Interestingly, in middle-aged cycling animals this divergent modulation of VGAT and VGLUT2 terminal apposition was greatly impaired, as no significant differences were observed between VGAT and VGLUT2 terminals apposing GnRH neurons at proestrous. However, the density of VGAT and VGLUT2 terminals apposing GnRH neurons were both significantly increased in the middle-aged animals.

Conclusions/Significance

In conclusion, there is an increase in glutamatergic and decrease in GABAergic synaptic terminal appositions on GnRH neurons on proestrus in young animals, which may serve to facilitate activation of GnRH neurons. In contrast, middle-aged diestrous and proestrous animals show a significant increase in both VGAT and VGLUT synaptic terminal appositions on GnRH neurons as compared to young animals, and the cycle-related change in these appositions between diestrus and proestrus that is observed in young animals is lost.

Hypothalamic insulin-like growth factor-I receptors are necessary for hormone-dependent luteinizing hormone surges: implications for female reproductive aging

Brain IGF-I receptors are required for maintenance of estrous cycles in young adult female rats. Circulating and hypothalamic IGF-I levels decrease with aging, suggesting a role for IGF-I in the onset of reproductive senescence. Therefore, the present study investigated potential mechanisms of action of brain IGF-I receptors in the regulation of LH surges in young adult and middle-aged rats. We continuously infused IGF-I, the selective IGF-I receptor antagonist JB-1, or vehicle into the third ventricle of ovariectomized young adult and middle-aged female rats primed with estradiol and progesterone. Pharmacological blockade of IGF-I receptors attenuated and delayed the LH surge in young adult rats, reminiscent of the LH surge pattern that heralds the onset of reproductive senescence in middle-aged female rats. Infusion of IGF-I alone had no effect on the LH surge but reversed JB-1 attenuation of the surge in young females. In middle-aged rats, infusion of low doses of IGF-I partially restored LH surge amplitude, and infusion of JB-1 completely obliterated the surge. Intraventricular infusion of IGF-I or JB-1 did not modify pituitary sensitivity to exogenous GnRH or GnRH peptide content in the anterior or mediobasal hypothalamus in either young or middle-aged rats. These findings support the hypothesis that brain IGF-I receptor signaling is necessary for GnRH neuron activation under estrogen-positive feedback conditions and that decreased brain IGF-I signaling in middle-aged females contributes, in part, to LH surge dysfunction by disrupting estradiol-sensitive processes that affect GnRH neuron activation and/or GnRH release.

A cross-laboratory comparison of expression profiling data from normal human postmortem brain

Expression profiling of post-mortem human brain tissue has been widely used to study molecular changes associated with neuropsychiatric diseases as well as normal processes such as aging. Changes in expression associated with factors such as age, gender or postmortem interval are often more pronounced than changes associated with disease. Therefore in addition to being of interest in their own right, careful consideration of these effects are important in the interpretation of disease studies. We performed a large meta-analysis of genome-wide expression studies of normal human cortex to more fully catalogue the effects of age, gender, postmortem interval and brain pH, yielding a "meta-signature" of gene expression changes for each factor. We validated our results by showing a significant overlap with independent gene lists extracted from the literature. Importantly, meta-analysis identifies genes which are not significant in any individual study. Finally, we show that many schizophrenia candidate genes appear in the meta-signatures, reinforcing the idea that studies must be carefully controlled for interactions between these factors and disease. In addition to the inherent value of the meta-signatures, our results provide critical information for future studies of disease effects in the human brain.

The excitatory peptide kisspeptin restores the luteinizing hormone surge and modulates amino acid neurotransmission in the medial preoptic area of middle-aged rats

Reproductive success depends on a robust and appropriately timed preovulatory LH surge. The LH surge, in turn, requires ovarian steroid modulation of GnRH neuron activation by the neuropeptide kisspeptin and glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission in the medial preoptic area (mPOA). Middle-aged females exhibit reduced excitation of GnRH neurons and attenuated LH surges under estrogen-positive feedback conditions, in part, due to increased GABA and decreased glutamate neurotransmission in the mPOA. This study tested the hypothesis that altered kisspeptin regulation by ovarian steroids plays a role in age-related LH surge dysfunction. We demonstrate that middle-aged rats exhibiting delayed and attenuated LH surges have reduced levels of Kiss1 mRNA in the anterior hypothalamus under estrogen-positive feedback conditions. Kisspeptin application directly into the mPOA rescues total LH release and the LH surge amplitude in middle-aged rats and increases glutamate and decreases GABA release to levels seen in the mPOA of young females. Moreover, the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK801 blocks kisspeptin reinstatement of the LH surge. These observations suggest that age-related LH surge dysfunction results, in part, from reduced kisspeptin drive under estrogen-positive feedback conditions and that kisspeptin regulates GnRH/LH release, in part, through modulation of mPOA glutamate and GABA release.

The role of the brain in female reproductive aging

In middle-aged women, follicular depletion is a critical factor mediating the menopausal transition; however, all levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis contribute to the age-related decline in reproductive function. To help elucidate the complex interactions between the ovary and brain during middle-age that lead to the onset of the menopause, we utilize animal models which share striking similarities in reproductive physiology. Our results show that during middle-age, prior to any overt irregularities in estrous cyclicity, the ability of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) to modulate the cascade of neurochemical events required for preovulatory gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release and a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge is diminished. Middle-aged female rats experience a delay in and an attenuation of LH release in response to E(2). Additionally, although we do not observe a decrease in GnRH neuron number until a very advanced age, E(2)-mediated GnRH neuronal activation declines during the earliest stages of age-related reproductive decline. Numerous hypothalamic neuropeptides and neurochemical stimulatory inputs (i.e., glutamate, norepinephrine (NE), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)) that drive the E(2)-mediated GnRH/LH surge appear to dampen with age or lack the precise temporal coordination required for a specific pattern of GnRH secretion, while inhibitory signals such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and opioid peptides remain unchanged or elevated during the afternoon of proestrus. These changes, occurring at the level of the hypothalamus, lead to irregular estrous cycles and, ultimately, the cessation of reproductive function. Taken together, our studies indicate that the hypothalamus is an important contributor to age-related female reproductive decline.

Chapter 2: hypothalamic neural systems controlling the female reproductive life cycle gonadotropin-releasing hormone, glutamate, and GABA

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis undergoes a number of changes throughout the reproductive life cycle that are responsible for the development, puberty, adulthood, and senescence of reproductive systems. This natural progression is dictated by the neural network controlling the hypothalamus including the cells that synthesize and release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and their regulatory neurotransmitters. Glutamate and GABA are the primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, and as such contribute a great deal to modulating this axis throughout the lifetime via their actions on receptors in the hypothalamus, both directly on GnRH neurons as well as indirectly through other hypothalamic neural networks. Interactions among GnRH neurons, glutamate, and GABA, including the regulation of GnRH gene and protein expression, hormone release, and modulation by estrogen, are critical to age-appropriate changes in reproductive function. Here, we present evidence for the modulation of GnRH neurosecretory cells by the balance of glutamate and GABA in the hypothalamus, and the functional consequences of these interactions on reproductive physiology across the life cycle.

Restoration of the luteinizing hormone surge in middle-aged female rats by altering the balance of GABA and glutamate transmission in the medial preoptic area

Hypothalamic glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission are involved in the ovarian hormone-induced GnRH-LH surge in rodents. We previously reported that middle-aged rats have significantly less glutamate release in the medial preoptic area than young rats on the day of the LH surge. The present study tested the hypothesis that the delayed and attenuated LH surge in ovariohysterectomized middle-aged rats primed with ovarian steroids results from reduced hypothalamic glutamate and increased GABA(A) neurotransmission. Microdialysis results show that middle-aged rats with attenuated LH surges had reduced extracellular glutamate and increased extracellular GABA levels in the medial preoptic area compared with young rats. Blocking GABA(A) receptors with bicuculline or inhibiting synaptic glutamate reuptake with L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid increased extracellular Glu in the medial preoptic area and partially restored LH surge amplitude in middle-aged rats without altering LH surge onset. Complete recovery of LH surge amplitude was observed in middle-aged rats treated with the combination of bicuculline and L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid. This treatment also restored the extracellular glutamate:GABA ratio in the medial preoptic area of middle-aged rats to the level of young rats. Immunoblot analysis revealed that estradiol and progesterone treatment reduced SLC32A1(formerly known as vesicular GABA transporter) levels and increased SLC17A6 (formerly known as vesicular glutamate transporter 2) levels in the anterior hypothalamus of ovariohysterectomized young but not middle-aged rats. These data suggest that both reduced availability of glutamate and increased activation of GABA(A) receptors under estrogen-positive feedback conditions contribute to the age-related delay in onset and attenuated amplitude of the LH surge.

The plasticizer butyl benzyl phthalate induces genomic changes in rat mammary gland after neonatal/prepubertal exposure

BACKGROUND

Phthalate esters like n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) are widely used plasticizers. BBP has shown endocrine-disrupting properties, thus having a potential effect on hormone-sensitive tissues. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of neonatal/prepubertal exposure (post-natal days 2-20) to BBP on maturation parameters and on the morphology, proliferative index and genomic signature of the rat mammary gland at different ages of development (21, 35, 50 and 100 days).

RESULTS

Here we show that exposure to BBP increased the uterine weight/body weight ratio at 21 days and decreased the body weight at time of vaginal opening. BBP did not induce significant changes on the morphology of the mammary gland, but increased proliferative index in terminal end buds at 35 days and in lobules 1 at several ages. Moreover, BBP had an effect on the genomic profile of the mammary gland mainly at the end of the exposure (21 days), becoming less prominent thereafter. By this age a significant number of genes related to proliferation and differentiation, communication and signal transduction were up-regulated in the glands of the exposed animals.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that BBP has an effect in the gene expression profile of the mammary gland.

Changes of expression of genes related to the activity of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone pulse generator in young versus middle-aged male rats

In females, it is well established that changes in the expression of neurotransmitters and peptides regulating the activity of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator are altered during ageing. By contrast, little is known about whether those age-related changes also occur in males. Therefore, we designed an animal study with orchidectomised young and middle-aged male rats to investigate changes in luteinising hormone (LH) secretion profiles and changes in the mRNA expression of genes regulating the activity of the GnRH pulse generator. Our results demonstrate that middle-aged rats exhibit lower serum LH levels and relatively fewer LH pulses with attenuated amplitude compared to young animals. Furthermore, upon ageing, GnRH mRNA expression is up-regulated in the preoptic area and the septum where GnRH neurones reside. Analysis of mRNA levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) enzymes revealed that GAD(65) and GAD(67) mRNA expression increased in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and that GAD(67) mRNA levels decreased in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In addition, we observed an age-related increase of oestrogen receptor (ER)alpha mRNA in the MBH, and both ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA expression was up-regulated in the pituitary of middle-aged rats compared to young animals. Taken together, our data support the existence of a male 'andropause' that is, like the menopause in females, accompanied by changes in neurotransmitter and hormone receptor expression that are involved in regulating the function of the GnRH pulse generator.

Middle-aged female rats lack the dynamic changes in GAD(67) mRNA levels observed in young females on the day of a luteinising hormone surge

The hypothalamic decapeptide gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), modulates gonadotrophin synthesis and secretion and is essential for the preovulatory luteinising hormone (LH) surge. As females age, there is a gradual attenuation and eventual loss of the preovulatory LH surge and oestrous cyclicity. Data from previous studies have demonstrated evidence of compromised GnRH neuronal function at this time. The present study begins to explore the hypothesis that the age-related attenuation of the LH surge and decline in GnRH neuronal function are due, in part, to increased inhibitory influences on GnRH neurones. In situ hybridisation (ISH) was used to assess relative levels of mRNA for one isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme for GABA synthesis. Ovariectomised young and middle-aged rats were injected with oestradiol benzoate and progesterone in a regimen for LH surge induction. Animals were killed at time points prior to, during the ascending phase, and during the peak and early descending phase of the LH surge. Dynamic changes in GAD(67) mRNA levels were observed in young but not middle-aged females in two regions known to be important for LH surge induction, the rostral proeptic area in the region of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and in the ventral periventricular preoptic area. Furthermore, GAD(67) mRNA levels were elevated in middle-aged relative to young females in the region of the OVLT at the time of LH surge induction and in the ventral periventricular preoptic area prior to surge induction. Age-related differences were not observed in other brain regions analysed. These data suggest that GABA synthesis may be elevated in middle-aged relative to young females in specific brain regions at critical times in conjunction with the LH surge, and that the lack of dynamic changes in GABA levels in these regions may contribute to the attenuated LH surge observed in middle-aged females.

Lipopolysaccharide increases gamma-aminobutyric acid synthesis in medial preoptic neurones in association with inhibition of steroid-induced luteinising hormone surge in female rats

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin produced by gram-negative bacteria, inhibits gonadotrophin secretion and ovulation in female mammals. The present study was undertaken to examine whether gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesising neurones in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) may be involved in the inhibition by LPS of progesterone-induced luteinising hormone (LH) surge in ovariectomised oestrogen-primed rats. An intravenous injection of LPS (10 microg) at noon significantly increased the content of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), a GABA-synthesising enzyme, in brain tissues including the mPOA. LPS treatment also significantly increased the number of detectable GAD67-immunoreactive (ir) as well as GABA-ir cells in the mPOA, compared to control rats. The same LPS challenge completely eliminated the steroid-induced LH surge, which was normally induced in control rats in the afternoon. A local injection of muscimol (100 ng), a GABA(A) receptor agonist, into the mPOA also significantly attenuated the LH surge, mimicking the effect of LPS. These results suggest that LPS stimulates GABA synthesis in preoptic neurones, which in turn inhibit the LH surge in female rats. The results also support the hypothesis that diminution of the GABAergic suppressive activity in the mPOA permits the LH surge to be induced.