Long-term hypoxia increases leptin receptors and plasma leptin concentrations in the late-gestation ovine fetus

Emerging Role of Leptin in Vascular and Placental Dysfunction in Preeclampsia

Leptin is a well-known metabolic hormone that plays diverse roles in various body functions, including growth, reproduction, and blood pressure regulation. In pregnancy, leptin produced from the placenta is crucial for ensuring proper fetal development and angiogenesis; however, pathological increases in leptin in maternal circulation are strongly associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and preeclampsia. Leptin has a strong role in fertility and healthy pregnancy; however, numerous clinical reports over the last 2 decades show that leptin levels pathologically increase in patients with preeclampsia independent of metabolic status (ie, obesity). Despite this strong correlation, the role of leptin in preeclampsia is largely unexplored compared with other biomarkers likely due to differences in placental leptin production among mammals. Emerging literature has recently begun to shed light on this hormone in preeclampsia pathogenesis and uncovered some key mechanisms whereby pathologically elevated leptin production leads to cardiovascular complications for pregnant women.

Developmental programming of the female reproductive system-a review

Exposures to adverse conditions in utero can lead to permanent changes in the structure and function of key physiological systems in the developing fetus, increasing the risk of disease and premature aging in later postnatal life. When considering the systems that could be affected by an adverse gestational environment, the reproductive system of developing female offspring may be particularly important, as changes have the potential to alter both reproductive capacity of the first generation, as well as health of the second generation through changes in the oocyte. The aim of this review is to examine the impact of different adverse intrauterine conditions on the reproductive system of the female offspring. It focuses on the effects of exposure to maternal undernutrition, overnutrition/obesity, hypoxia, smoking, steroid excess, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and pollutants during gestation and draws on data from human and animal studies to illuminate underlying mechanisms. The available data indeed indicate that adverse gestational environments alter the reproductive physiology of female offspring with consequences for future reproductive capacity. These alterations are mediated via programmed changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the structure and function of reproductive tissues, particularly the ovaries. Reproductive programming may be observed as a change in the timing of puberty onset and menopause/reproductive decline, altered menstrual/estrous cycles, polycystic ovaries, and elevated risk of reproductive tissue cancers. These reproductive outcomes can affect the fertility and fecundity of the female offspring; however, further work is needed to better define the possible impact of these programmed changes on subsequent generations.

Long term hypoxia during gestation alters perirenal adipose tissue gene expression in the lamb

We previously reported that following long-term hypoxia (LTH), the ovine foetus exhibits enhanced expression of brown/beige adipose genes. This study was designed to determine if these changes are preserved after birth. Pregnant ewes were divided among three groups, 1) Control, sea level, 2) LTH, high altitude (3,820 m, LTH-HA) from ~ day 40 of gestation through ~14 days post-delivery and 3) LTH from ⁓ day 40 through day 137 of gestation then returned to the laboratory where atory reduced maternal PO₂ was maintained by nitrogen infusion. Following delivery, lambs remained at sea level (LTH-SL). Perirenal adipose tissue was collected at ~day 14, and qRT-PCR was used to quantify mRNA. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), PPAR gamma coactivator 1 (PGC1α), and deiodinase-2 (DIO2) mRNA levels were significantly lower in both LTH groups while PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) levels did not differ. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) was maintained in the LTH-HA group and significantly increased in the LTH-SL group, compared to control. Unlike our previous LTH foetal studies, the brown/beige fat phenotype was rapidly lost by day 14 postpartum compared to control, while PPARγ was maintained. This loss of the brown fat phenotype may promote obesity due to decreased energy expenditure, favouring fat deposition.

Cardiorespiratory consequences of intrauterine growth restriction: Influence of timing, severity and duration of hypoxaemia

At birth, weight of the neonate is used as a marker of the 9-month journey as a fetus. Those neonates born less than the 10th centile for their gestational age are at risk of being intrauterine growth restricted. However, this depends on their genetic potential for growth and the intrauterine environment in which they grew. Alterations in the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus will decrease fetal growth, but these alterations occur due to a range of causes that are maternal, placental or fetal in nature. Consequently, IUGR neonates are a heterogeneous population. For this reason, it is likely that these neonates will respond differently to interventions compared not only to normally grown fetuses, but also to other neonates that are IUGR but have travelled a different path to get there. Thus, a range of models of IUGR should be studied to determine the effects of IUGR on the development and function of the heart and lung and subsequently the impact of interventions to improve development of these organs. Here we focus on a range of models of IUGR caused by manipulation of the maternal, placental or fetal environment on cardiorespiratory outcomes.

Gestational Hypoxia and Developmental Plasticity

Hypoxia is one of the most common and severe challenges to the maintenance of homeostasis. Oxygen sensing is a property of all tissues, and the response to hypoxia is multidimensional involving complicated intracellular networks concerned with the transduction of hypoxia-induced responses. Of all the stresses to which the fetus and newborn infant are subjected, perhaps the most important and clinically relevant is that of hypoxia. Hypoxia during gestation impacts both the mother and fetal development through interactions with an individual's genetic traits acquired over multiple generations by natural selection and changes in gene expression patterns by altering the epigenetic code. Changes in the epigenome determine "genomic plasticity," i.e., the ability of genes to be differentially expressed according to environmental cues. The genomic plasticity defined by epigenomic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs during development is the mechanistic substrate for phenotypic programming that determines physiological response and risk for healthy or deleterious outcomes. This review explores the impact of gestational hypoxia on maternal health and fetal development, and epigenetic mechanisms of developmental plasticity with emphasis on the uteroplacental circulation, heart development, cerebral circulation, pulmonary development, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue. The complex molecular and epigenetic interactions that may impact an individual's physiology and developmental programming of health and disease later in life are discussed.

Gestational hypoxia disrupts the neonatal leptin surge and programs hyperphagia and obesity in male offspring in the Sprague-Dawley rat

The effect of gestational hypoxia on the neonatal leptin surge, development of hypothalamic arcuate nuclei (ARH) projections and appetite that could contribute to the programming of offspring obesity is lacking. We examined the effect of 12% O₂ from gestational days 15–19 in the Sprague-Dawley rat on post-weaning appetite, fat deposition by MRI, adipose tissue cytokine expression, the neonatal leptin surge, ARH response to exogenous leptin, and αMSH projections to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in response to a high fat (HFD) or control diet (CD) in male offspring. Normoxia (NMX) and Hypoxia (HPX) offspring exhibited increased food intake when fed a HFD from 5–8 weeks post-birth; HPX offspring on the CD had increased food intake from weeks 5–7 vs. NMX offspring on a CD. HPX offspring on a HFD remained hyperphagic through 23 weeks. Body weight were the same between offspring from HPX vs. NMX dams from 4–12 weeks of age fed a CD or HFD. By 14–23 weeks of age, HPX offspring fed the CD or HFD as well as male NMX offspring fed the HFD were heavier vs. NMX offspring fed the CD. HPX offspring fed a CD exhibited increased abdominal adiposity (MRI) that was amplified by a HFD. HPX offspring fed a HFD exhibited the highest abdominal fat cytokine expression. HPX male offspring had higher plasma leptin from postnatal day (PN) 6 through 14 vs. NMX pups. HPX offspring exhibited increased basal c-Fos labeled cells in the ARH vs. NMX pups on PN16. Leptin increased c-Fos staining in the ARH in NMX but not HPX offspring at PN16. HPX offspring had fewer αMSH fibers in the PVN vs. NMX offspring on PN16. In conclusion, gestational hypoxia impacts the developing ARH resulting in hyperphagia contributing to adult obesity on a control diet and exacerbated by a HFD.

RNA SEQ Analysis Indicates that the AE3 Cl-/HCO3- Exchanger Contributes to Active Transport-Mediated CO2 Disposal in Heart

Loss of the AE3 Cl⁻/HCO₃⁻ exchanger (Slc4a3) in mice causes an impaired cardiac force-frequency response and heart failure under some conditions but the mechanisms are not known. To better understand the functions of AE3, we performed RNA Seq analysis of AE3-null and wild-type mouse hearts and evaluated the data with respect to three hypotheses (CO₂ disposal, facilitation of Na⁺-loading, and recovery from an alkaline load) that have been proposed for its physiological functions. Gene Ontology and PubMatrix analyses of differentially expressed genes revealed a hypoxia response and changes in vasodilation and angiogenesis genes that strongly support the CO₂ disposal hypothesis. Differential expression of energy metabolism genes, which indicated increased glucose utilization and decreased fatty acid utilization, were consistent with adaptive responses to perturbations of O₂/CO₂ balance in AE3-null myocytes. Given that the myocardium is an obligate aerobic tissue and consumes large amounts of O₂, the data suggest that loss of AE3, which has the potential to extrude CO₂ in the form of HCO₃⁻, impairs O₂/CO₂ balance in cardiac myocytes. These results support a model in which the AE3 Cl⁻/HCO₃⁻ exchanger, coupled with parallel Cl⁻ and H⁺-extrusion mechanisms and extracellular carbonic anhydrase, is responsible for active transport-mediated disposal of CO₂.

Placental Origins of Chronic Disease

Epidemiological evidence links an individual's susceptibility to chronic disease in adult life to events during their intrauterine phase of development. Biologically this should not be unexpected, for organ systems are at their most plastic when progenitor cells are proliferating and differentiating. Influences operating at this time can permanently affect their structure and functional capacity, and the activity of enzyme systems and endocrine axes. It is now appreciated that such effects lay the foundations for a diverse array of diseases that become manifest many years later, often in response to secondary environmental stressors. Fetal development is underpinned by the placenta, the organ that forms the interface between the fetus and its mother. All nutrients and oxygen reaching the fetus must pass through this organ. The placenta also has major endocrine functions, orchestrating maternal adaptations to pregnancy and mobilizing resources for fetal use. In addition, it acts as a selective barrier, creating a protective milieu by minimizing exposure of the fetus to maternal hormones, such as glucocorticoids, xenobiotics, pathogens, and parasites. The placenta shows a remarkable capacity to adapt to adverse environmental cues and lessen their impact on the fetus. However, if placental function is impaired, or its capacity to adapt is exceeded, then fetal development may be compromised. Here, we explore the complex relationships between the placental phenotype and developmental programming of chronic disease in the offspring. Ensuring optimal placentation offers a new approach to the prevention of disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, which are reaching epidemic proportions.

Gestational hypoxia modulates expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin in the paraventricular nucleus in the ovine fetus

Maturation of the fetal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is critical for organ maturation necessary for the fetus to transition to the ex-utero environment. Intrauterine stressors can hasten maturation of the HPA axis leading to fetal growth restriction and in sheep, premature birth. We have previously reported that high-altitude mediated, long-term-moderate gestational hypoxia (LTH) during gestation has a significant impact on the fetal HPA axis. Significant effects were observed at the level of both the anterior pituitary and adrenal cortex resulting in elevated plasma ACTH during late gestation with decreased adrenocortical expression of enzymes rate limiting for cortisol synthesis. As such, these fetuses exhibited the normal ontogenic rise in fetal plasma cortisol but an exaggerated cortisol response to acute stress. This study extended these findings to ACTH secretagogue expression in the PVN using in situ hybridization. We report that the expression of AVP but not CRH was increased in the medial parvocellular PVN (mpPVN) in the LTH fetus. This represented an increase in both AVP mRNA per neuron as well as an increase in AVP hybridizing neurons with no increase in mpPVN CRH neurons. LTH had no effect on PVN volume, area of CRH or AVP hybridization, thus LTH did not have a trophic effect on the size of the nucleus. In conclusion, there appears to be a switch from CRH to AVP as a primary ACTH secretagogue in response to LTH, supporting our previous findings of increased anterior pituitary sensitivity to AVP over CRH in the LTH fetus.

Fetal endocrine and metabolic adaptations to hypoxia: the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

In utero, hypoxia is a significant yet common stress that perturbs homeostasis and can occur due to preeclampsia, preterm labor, maternal smoking, heart or lung disease, obesity, and high altitude. The fetus has the extraordinary capacity to respond to stress during development. This is mediated in part by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and more recently explored changes in perirenal adipose tissue (PAT) in response to hypoxia. Obvious ethical considerations limit studies of the human fetus, and fetal studies in the rodent model are limited due to size considerations and major differences in developmental landmarks. The sheep is a common model that has been used extensively to study the effects of both acute and chronic hypoxia on fetal development. In response to high-altitude-induced, moderate long-term hypoxia (LTH), both the HPA axis and PAT adapt to preserve normal fetal growth and development while allowing for responses to acute stress. Although these adaptations appear beneficial during fetal development, they may become deleterious postnatally and into adulthood. The goal of this review is to examine the role of the HPA axis in the convergence of endocrine and metabolic adaptive responses to hypoxia in the fetus.

Long-Term Gestational Hypoxia Modulates Expression of Key Genes Governing Mitochondrial Function in the Perirenal Adipose of the Late Gestation Sheep Fetus

We previously reported that long-term hypoxia (LTH) increases expression of brown adipose tissue (BAT) genes in the perirenal adipose in the ovine fetus. The mechanisms with which hypoxia mediates the enhanced BAT phenotype are unresolved. This study was designed to examine the effects of LTH on (1) the expression of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and (2) indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis (transcription factors mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA), nuclear respiratory factor (NRF) 1, and NRF-2; cytochrome c oxidase (COX) I, II, and IV and mitochondrial DNA content). Pregnant ewes were maintained at high altitude (3820 m) from ∼40 to 137 to 140 days of gestation and perirenal adipose was collected from normoxic control and LTH fetuses. There was no effect of LTH on fetal body weight or perirenal adipose mass. Long-term hypoxia increased (P < .05) perirenal eNOS and phospho-eNOS, messenger RNA (mRNA) for NRF1, NRF-2, mtTFA as well as COX-I, COX-II, and COX-IV mRNA. In contrast, mRNA for 2 markers for cellular proliferation (Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA]) was lower in perirenal adipose from LTH fetuses compared to controls (P < .05), while mitochondrial to nuclear DNA ratio did not differ between groups. In conclusion, nitric oxide may function as a mechanism via which LTH enhances the BAT phenotype in fetal sheep prior to birth. Although there is an apparent increase in genes supporting mitochondrial function and adaptive thermogenesis in response to LTH, there does not appear to be an increased mitochondrial biogenesis per se. Such adaptive changes may provide a mechanism for the prominence of the BAT phenotype observed in the late gestation LTH fetus.

Antenatal glucocorticoid exposure enhances the inhibition of adrenal steroidogenesis by leptin in a sex-specific fashion

Antenatal treatment with glucocorticoids (GC) poses long-lasting effects on endocrine and cardiovascular function. Given that leptin attenuates adrenal function and the reported sex differences in plasma leptin concentration, we hypothesized that antenatal GC will affect leptin levels and leptin modulation of adrenal function in a sex-specific manner. Pregnant sheep were randomly given betamethasone or vehicle at 80 days of gestational age, and offspring were allowed to deliver at term. Adrenocortical cells (ADC) were studied from male and female animals at 1.5 yr of age. Plasma leptin was increased 66% in male and 41% in female GC-treated animals (P < 0.05), but adrenal leptin mRNA was increased only in GC-treated males (P < 0.05). Whereas mRNA expression of adrenal leptin receptor isoforms showed sex (Ob-Ra and Ob-Rb) and treatment-dependent (Ob-Rb) differences, protein expression remained unchanged. GC-treated females showed greater plasma cortisol and greater ACTH-stimulated cortisol production (P < 0.05) in ADC. Leptin exerted a greater inhibitory effect on basal and stimulated cortisol by ADC from GC-treated males (P < 0.05), with no differences in females. Similarly, greater inhibitory effects on basal and ACTH-stimulated StAR and ACTH-R mRNA expression by leptin were observed in cells from GC males (P < 0.05), with no changes in females. Persistent effects of antenatal GC on leptin levels and leptin modulation of adrenal function are expressed in a sex-specific manner; males are more sensitive than females to the inhibitory influences of leptin on adrenal function, and this effect appears to be mediated by a greater inhibition of StAR and ACTH-R expression in adrenals of adult GC-treated males.

Leptin receptor antagonist treatment ameliorates the effects of long-term maternal hypoxia on adrenal expression of key steroidogenic genes in the ovine fetus

We previously reported elevated adipose leptin expression, plasma leptin concentrations, and adrenocortical leptin receptor expression in the long-term hypoxic (LTH) ovine fetus. This study addressed whether leptin antagonist (LA) administration to LTH fetal sheep altered expression of key genes governing cortisol synthesis. Ewes were maintained at high altitude (3,820 meters) from 40 to 130 days gestation (dG), returned to Loma Linda University, and implanted with a maternal tracheal catheter. Reduced Po2 was maintained by nitrogen infusion. On 132 dG, LTH (n = 11) and age-matched, normoxic control (n = 11) fetuses underwent vascular catheter implantation. At 138 dG, fetuses were continuously infused with either saline or the LA (1.5 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) for 4 days and samples collected for blood gases, ACTH, and cortisol. Fetal adrenal cortex was collected for determination of steriodogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), ACTH, and leptin receptor, cholesterol side-chain cleavage (CYP11A1), cytochrome P-450 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1), 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17), 21-hydroxylase (CYP21), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), pSTAT3, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD3B) expression. In the saline-infused LTH fetuses, StAR, ACTH receptor, CYP11A1, and CYP17 expression was significantly lower compared with control (P < 0.05), whereas levels of CYP11B1, CYP21, and HSD3B mRNA were similar between groups. LA infusion restored expression of StAR, pSTAT3, CYP11A1, and CYP17, but not ACTH receptor, to normal ontogenic levels in the LTH group while having no effect on control fetuses. Neither fetal plasma ACTH nor cortisol concentrations were altered by LA infusion. We speculate that while leptin plays a role in governing expression of key enzymes and StAR in response to LTH, other factors play a role in modulating cortisol synthesis in these fetuses.

Eicosanoids and adipokines in breast cancer: from molecular mechanisms to clinical considerations

Chronic inflammation is one of the foremost risk factors for different types of malignancies, including breast cancer. Additional risk factors of this pathology in postmenopausal women are weight gain, obesity, estrogen secretion, and an imbalance in the production of adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin. Various signaling products of transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappaB, in particular inflammatory eicosanoids, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cytokines, are thought to be involved in chronic inflammation-induced cancer. Together, these key components have an influence on inflammatory reactions in malignant tissue damage when their levels are deregulated endogenously. Prostaglandins (PGs) are well recognized in inflammation and cancer, and they are solely biosynthesized through cyclooxygenases (COXs) from arachidonic acid. Concurrently, ROS give rise to bioactive isoprostanes from arachidonic acid precursors that are also involved in acute and chronic inflammation, but their specific characteristics in breast cancer are less demonstrated. Higher aromatase activity, a cytochrome P-450 enzyme, is intimately connected to tumor growth in the breast through estrogen synthesis, and is interrelated to COXs that catalyze the formation of both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory PGs such as PGE(2), PGF(2α), PGD(2), and PGJ(2) synchronously under the influence of specific mediators and downstream enzymes. Some of the latter compounds upsurge the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentration and appear to be associated with estrogen synthesis. This review discusses the role of COX- and ROS-catalyzed eicosanoids and adipokines in breast cancer, and therefore ranges from their molecular mechanisms to clinical aspects to understand the impact of inflammation.

Adrenocortical and adipose responses to high-altitude-induced, long-term hypoxia in the ovine fetus

By late gestation, the maturing hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis aids the fetus in responding to stress. Hypoxia represents a significant threat to the fetus accompanying situations such as preeclampsia, smoking, high altitude, and preterm labor. We developed a model of high-altitude (3,820 m), long-term hypoxia (LTH) in pregnant sheep. We describe the impact of LTH on the fetal HPA axis at the level of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), anterior pituitary corticotrope, and adrenal cortex. At the PVN and anterior pituitary, the responses to LTH are consistent with hypoxia being a potent activator of the HPA axis and potentially maladaptive, while the adrenocortical response to LTH appears to be primarily adaptive. We discuss mechanisms involved in the delicate balance between these seemingly opposing responses that preserve the normal ontogenic rise in fetal plasma cortisol essential for organ maturation and in this species, birth. Further, we examine the response to, and ramifications of, an acute secondary stressor in the LTH fetus. We provide an integrative model on the potential role of adipose in modulating these responses to LTH. Integration of these adaptive responses to LTH plays a key role in promoting normal fetal growth and development under conditions of a chronic stress.

Leptin alters adrenal responsiveness by decreasing expression of ACTH-R, StAR, and P450c21 in hypoxemic fetal sheep

The late gestation increase in adrenal responsiveness to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) is dependent upon the upregulation of the ACTH receptor (ACTH-R), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and steroidogenic enzymes in the fetal adrenal. Long-term hypoxia decreases the expression of these and adrenal responsiveness to ACTH in vivo. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone which attenuates the peripartum increase in fetal plasma cortisol is elevated in hypoxic fetuses. Therefore, we hypothesized that increases in plasma leptin will inhibit the expression of the ACTH-R, StAR, and steroidogenic enzymes and attenuate adrenal responsiveness in hypoxic fetuses. Spontaneously hypoxemic fetal sheep (132 days of gestation, PO(2) ≈ 15 mm Hg) were infused with recombinant human leptin (n = 8) or saline (n = 7) for 96 hours. An ACTH challenge was performed at 72 hours of infusion to assess adrenal responsiveness. Plasma cortisol and ACTH were measured daily and adrenals were collected after 96 hours infusion for messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression measurement. Plasma cortisol concentrations were lower in leptin- compared with saline-infused fetuses (14.8 ± 3.2 vs 42.3 ± 9.6 ng/mL, P < .05), as was the cortisol:ACTH ratio (0.9 ± 0.074 vs 46 ± 1.49, P < .05). Increases in cortisol concentrations were blunted in the leptin-treated group after ACTH(1-24) challenge (F = 12.2, P < .0001). Adrenal ACTH-R, StAR, and P450c21 expression levels were reduced in leptin-treated fetuses (P < .05), whereas the expression of Ob-Ra and Ob-Rb leptin receptor isoforms remained unchanged. Our results indicate that leptin blunts adrenal responsiveness in the late gestation hypoxemic fetus, and this effect appears mediated by decreased adrenal ACTH-R, StAR, and P450c21 expression.

eNOS activation and NO function: differential control of steroidogenesis by nitric oxide and its adaptation with hypoxia

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes. Aside from its widely studied function in the regulation of vascular function, NO has been shown to impact steroidogenesis in a number of different tissues. The goal of this review is to explore the effects of NO on steroid production and further, to discern its source(s) and mechanism of action. Attention will be given to the regulation of NO synthases in specific endocrine tissues including ovaries, testes, and adrenal glands. The effects of hypoxia on generation of NO and subsequent effects on steroid biosynthesis will also be examined. Finally, a potential model for the interaction of hypoxia on NO synthesis and steroid production is proposed.

The detection of 3 leptin receptor isoforms in crucian carp gill and the influence of fasting and hypoxia on their expression

To understand leptin signaling pathway in the crucian carp (Carassius carassius), we cloned 3 leptin receptor isoform complementary DNAs (ie, the long form [cclpr-L], the short form [cclpr-s1], and the secreted form [cclpr-s2]). Variant cclpr-L had a 3,255-bp open reading frame and a complete intracellular domain with box 1 and box 2 consensus sequences. By contrast, cclpr-s1 contained only 4 amino acids in its intracellular domain, without the "box 1" motif, which is conserved among membrane-bound leptin receptor short isoforms in mammals. Variant cclpr-s2 had no transmembrane domain, suggesting that it is a soluble form of the receptor, and alternative splicing of cclpr-s2 mRNA employs a different mechanism for the generation of soluble leptin receptor by intron retention. The fasting-treated fish showed significantly lower cclpr-L mRNA levels in gill tissue than the control group, whereas cclpr-s2 mRNA levels did not vary significantly among the groups. Treatment with hypoxia significantly increased mRNA levels of both cclpr-L and cclpr-s2 in gill tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first study of leptin receptor isoforms expression in teleosts.

Leptin in teleost fishes: an argument for comparative study

All organisms face tradeoffs with regard to how limited energy resources should be invested. When is it most favorable to grow, to reproduce, how much lipid should be allocated to storage in preparation for a period of limited resources (e.g., winter), instead of being used for growth or maturation? These are a few of the high consequence fitness "decisions" that represent the balance between energy acquisition and allocation. Indeed, for animals to make favorable decisions about when to grow, eat, or reproduce, they must integrate signals among the systems responsible for energy acquisition, storage, and demand. We make the argument that leptin signaling is a likely candidate for an integrating system. Great progress has been made understanding the leptin system in mammals, however our understanding in fishes has been hampered by difficulty in cloning fish orthologs of mammalian proteins and (we assert), underutilization of the comparative approach.

Long-term hypoxia enhances cortisol biosynthesis in near-term ovine fetal adrenal cortical cells

This study was designed to determine the potential mechanism/mechanisms of previously observed enhanced fetal cortisol secretion following exposure to long-term hypoxia (LTH). Pregnant ewes were maintained at high altitude (3820 m) for approximately the last 100 days of gestation. Between the gestation days of 138 and 141, adrenal glands were collected from LTH and age-matched normoxic control fetuses. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cortisol, and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein were measured in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation. Cortisol responses to ACTH were also measured in the presence of the protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor H-89, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), or 22-kDa pro-ACTH. Cortisol output was higher in the LTH group compared to the control (P < .05), following ACTH treatment while the cAMP response was similar in both groups. Although PKA inhibition decreased cortisol production in both groups, however no differences were observed between groups. Western analysis revealed a significant increase in protein expression for StAR in the LTH group (P < .05, compared to control). Proopiomelanocortin and 22-kDa pro-ACTH did not alter the cortisol response to ACTH treatment. Results from the present study taken together with those of previous in vivo studies suggest that the enhanced cortisol output in the LTH group is not the result of differences in cAMP generation or PKA. We conclude that enhanced cortisol production in LTH adrenals is the result of enhanced protein expression of StAR and potential downstream signaling pathways.

Activation of AP-1 transcription factors differentiates FGF2 and vascular endothelial growth factor regulation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase expression in placental artery endothelial cells

FGF2 (fibroblast growth factor 2), but not vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stimulates sustained activation of ERK2/1 for endothelial NOS3 (nitric-oxide synthase 3) protein expression in ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial cells (oFPAEC). We deciphered herein the downstream signaling of ERK2/1 responsible for NOS3 expression by FGF2 in oFPAEC. FGF2, but not VEGF, increased NOS3 mRNA levels without altering its degradation. FGF2, but not VEGF, trans-activated sheep NOS3 promoter, and this was dependent on ERK2/1 activation. FGF2 did not trans-activate NOS3 promoters with deletions upstream of the consensus AP-1 site (TGAGTC A, -678 to -685). Trans-activation of wild-type NOS3 promoter by FGF2 was significantly inhibited when either the AP-1 or the cAMP-response element (CRE)-like sequence (TGCGTCA, -752 to -758) was mutated and was completely blocked when both were mutated. EMSA analyses showed that FGF2, but not VEGF, stimulated AP-1 and CRE DNA-protein complexes primarily composed of JunB and Fra1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed JunB/Fra1 binding to NOS3 promoter AP-1 and CRE elements in intact cells. FGF2, but not VEGF, stimulated JunB and Fra1 expressions; all preceded NOS3 up-regulation and were inhibited by PD98059. Down-regulation of JunB or Fra-1, but not c-Jun, blocked FGF2 stimulation of NOS3 expression and NO production. AP-1 inhibition suppressed FGF2 stimulation of NOS3 expression in human umbilical vein EC and uterine artery endothelial cells. Thus, FGF2 induction of NOS3 expression is mainly mediated by AP-1-dependent transcription involving JunB and Fra1 up-regulation via sustained ERK2/1 activation in endothelial cells.

Long-term hypoxia enhances ACTH response to arginine vasopressin but not corticotropin-releasing hormone in the near-term ovine fetus

This study tested the hypothesis that long-term hypoxia (LTH) results in enhanced fetal corticotrope sensitivity to the ACTH secretagogues, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and AVP. Ewes were maintained at high altitude (3,820 m) from 40 to 130-131 days of gestation. Upon return to the laboratory, hypoxia was maintained by maternal nitrogen infusion. Vascular catheters were placed in both LTH (n = 4) and normoxic controls (n = 4). Each fetus received a 15-min infusion of either saline, 100 ng/kg of ovine CRH, or 20 ng/kg of AVP/min over 3 consecutive days in a randomized order. Fetal blood samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 min after the start of infusion and analyzed for ACTH(1-39), ACTH precursors, and cortisol. Anterior pituitaries were collected from additional noninstrumented fetuses for analysis of vasopressin receptor 1b (V1b) mRNA and protein. Basal plasma concentrations of both ACTH(1-39) and ACTH precursors were higher in LTH fetuses and were not altered by saline infusion. In response to CRH, ACTH(1-39) increased in both groups and was higher in the LTH group compared with control (P < 0.05). When analyzed as sum of ACTH(1-39) released (Delta0-90 min) above basal, CRH released equal amounts of ACTH(1-39) in both groups. In LTH fetuses, AVP evoked a greater ACTH(1-39) release (P < 0.05) when analyzed as an increased sum of ACTH(1-39) (Delta0-90 min) above basal. Both CRH and AVP elicited a release of ACTH precursors with no differences observed between LTH and control. AVP and CRH elicited significant increases in cortisol, which were higher in response to AVP than CRH. V1b mRNA and protein were elevated in the anterior pituitary of LTH fetuses compared with control. LTH significantly increases pituitary sensitivity to AVP. This enhanced sensitivity may be a mechanism of our previously observed enhanced corticotrope function.

The hungry fetus? Role of leptin as a nutritional signal before birth

In adult animals, leptin is an adipose-derived hormone that is important primarily in the regulation of energy balance during short- and long-term changes in nutritional state. Expression of leptin and its receptors is widespread in fetal and placental tissues, although the role of leptin as a nutritional signal in utero is unclear. Before birth, leptin concentration correlates with several indices of fetal growth, and may be an endocrine marker of fetal size and energy stores in the control of metabolism and maturation of fetal tissues. In addition, leptin synthesis and plasma concentration can be modified by insulin, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones and oxygen availability in utero, and therefore, leptin may be part of the hormonal response to changes in the intrauterine environment. Evidence is emerging to show that leptin has actions before birth that are tissue-specific and may occur in critical periods of development. Some of these actions are involved in the growth and development of the fetus and others have long-term consequences for the control of energy balance in adult life.

Expression and distribution of glucocorticoid receptors in the ovine fetal adrenal cortex: effect of long-term hypoxia

This study was designed to determine if long-term hypoxia (LTH) alters adrenal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the ovine fetal adrenal cortex. Ewes were maintained at 3820 m from approximately 30 to 138 to 140 days' gestation, and fetal adrenals were collected. Western analysis revealed two approximately 94-kDa GR-alpha isoforms and a lower molecular weight (45 kDa) form. A decreasing trend in the ratio of 94-kDa/45-kDa bands following LTH suggested an increase in GR turnover. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated dense GR staining in the zona glomerulosa with minimal staining in the zona fasciculata in the control group, while dense staining was observed throughout the cortex in LTH. Western analysis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the GR- beta isoform is not present or expressed at extremely low levels in the fetal adrenal, hypothalamus, pituitary, and placenta. These data indicate that LTH alters GR-alpha function in the fetal adrenal cortex and suggest that GR-beta is not expressed in sheep.

Role of leptin in the regulation of growth and carbohydrate metabolism in the ovine fetus during late gestation

Leptin is an important regulator of appetite and energy expenditure in adulthood, although its role as a nutritional signal in the control of growth and metabolism before birth is poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of leptin on growth, carbohydrate metabolism and insulin signalling in fetal sheep. Crown-rump length-measuring devices and vascular catheters were implanted in 12 sheep fetuses at 105-110 days of gestation (term 145 +/- 2 days). The fetuses were infused i.v. either with saline (0.9% NaCl; n = 6) or recombinant ovine leptin (0.5-1.0 mg kg(-1) day(-1); n = 6) for 5 days from 125 to 130 days when they were humanely killed and tissues collected. Leptin receptor mRNA and protein were expressed in fetal liver, skeletal muscle and perirenal adipose tissue. Throughout infusion, plasma leptin in the leptin-infused fetuses was 3- to 5-fold higher than in the saline-infused fetuses, although plasma concentrations of insulin, glucose, lactate, cortisol, catecholamines and thyroid hormones did not differ between the groups. Leptin infusion did not affect linear skeletal growth or body, placental and organ weights in utero. Hepatic glycogen content and activities of the gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the leptin-infused fetuses were lower than in the saline-infused fetuses by 44, 48 and 36%, respectively; however, there were no differences in hepatic glycogen synthase activity or insulin signalling protein levels. Therefore, before birth, leptin may inhibit endogenous glucose production by the fetal liver when adipose energy stores and transplacental nutrient delivery are sufficient for the metabolic needs of the fetus. These actions of leptin in utero may contribute to the development of neonatal hypoglycaemia in macrosomic babies of diabetic mothers.

Long-term hypoxia modulates expression of key genes regulating adipose function in the late-gestation ovine fetus

A major function of abdominal adipose in the newborn is nonshivering thermogenesis. Uncoupling protein (UCP) UCP1 and UCP2 play major roles in thermogenesis. The present study tested the hypothesis that long-term hypoxia (LTH) modulates expression of UCP1 and UCP2, and key genes regulating expression of these genes in the late-gestation ovine fetus. Ewes were maintained at high altitude (3,820 m) from 30 to 138 days gestation (dG); perirenal adipose tissue was collected from LTH and age-matched, normoxic control fetuses at 139-141 dG. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze mRNA for UCP1, UCP2, 11beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1) and 2 (HSD11B2), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), beta3 adrenergic receptor (beta3AR), deiodinase type 1 (DIO1) and DIO2, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma and PPARgamma coactivator 1 (PGC1alpha). Concentrations of mRNA for UCP1, HSD11B1, PPARgamma, PGC1, DIO1, and DIO2 were significantly higher in perirenal adipose of LTH compared with control fetuses, while mRNA for HSD11B2, GR, or PPARalpha in perirenal adipose did not differ between control and LTH fetuses. The increased expression of UCP1 is likely an adaptive response to LTH, assuring adequate thermogenesis in the event of birth under oxygen-limiting conditions. Because both glucocorticoids and thyroid hormone regulate UCP1 expression, the increase in HSD11B1, DIO1, and DIO2 implicate increased adipose capacity for local synthesis of these hormones. PPARgamma and its coactivator may provide an underlying mechanism via which LTH alters development of the fetal adipocyte. These findings have important implications regarding fetal/neonatal adipose tissue function in response to LTH.

Long-term hypoxia modulates expression of key genes regulating adrenomedullary function in the late gestation ovine fetus

We previously communicated that long-term hypoxia (LTH) resulted in a selective reduction in plasma epinephrine following acute stress in fetal sheep. The present study tested the hypothesis that LTH selectively reduces adrenomedullary expression of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT), the rate-limiting enzyme for epinephrine synthesis. We also examined the effect of LTH on adrenomedullary nicotinic, muscarinic, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression. Ewes were maintained at high altitude (3,820 m) from 30 to 138 days gestation (dGA); adrenomedullary tissue was collected from LTH and age-matched, normoxic control fetuses at 139-141 dGA. Contrary to our hypothesis, in addition to PNMT, adrenomedullary expression (mRNA, protein) of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) were reduced in the LTH fetus. Immunocytochemistry indicated that TH and DBH expression was lower throughout the medulla, while PNMT appeared to reflect a reduction in PNMT-expressing cells. Nicotinic receptor alpha 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, beta 1, 2, and 4 subunits were expressed in the medulla of LTH and control fetuses. Messenger RNA for alpha 1 and 7 and beta 1 and 2 subunits was lower in LTH fetuses. Muscarinic receptors M1, M2, and M3 as well as the GR were also expressed, and no differences were noted between groups. In summary, LTH in fetal sheep has a profound effect on expression of key enzymes mediating adrenomedullary catecholamine synthesis. Further, LTH impacts nicotinic receptor subunit expression potentially altering cholinergic neurotransmission within the medulla. These findings have important implications regarding fetal cardiovascular and metabolic responses to stress in the LTH fetus.