1
|
González-Flores O, Pfaus JG, Luna-Hernández A, Montes-Narváez O, Domínguez-Ordóñez R, Tecamachaltzi-Silvarán MB, García-Juárez M. Estradiol and progesterone-induced lordosis behavior is modulated by both the Kisspeptin receptor and melanin-concentrating hormone in estradiol benzoate-primed rats. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105257. [PMID: 36115135 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105257] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of estradiol benzoate (E2B) and progesterone (P) induces intense lordosis behavior in ovariectomized rats primed peripherally with E2B. The present study tested the hypothesis that the Kisspeptin (Kiss) and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) pathways regulate female sexual behavior induced by these steroid hormones. In Experiment 1, we tested the relevance of the Kiss pathway by ICV infusion of its inhibitor, kiss-234, before administration of E2B or P in estrogen-primed rats. Lordosis induced by E2B alone or with the addition of P was reduced significantly at 30, 120, and 240 min. In Experiment 2, ICV infusion of MCH 30 min before E2B or P significantly reduced lordosis in rats primed with E2B alone. These data support the hypothesis that the Kiss and MCH pathways, which can release or modulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), are involved in E2B- and P-induced lordosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar González-Flores
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala-CINVESTAV, Tlaxcala, México
| | - James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Ailyn Luna-Hernández
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala-CINVESTAV, Tlaxcala, México; Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Omar Montes-Narváez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala-CINVESTAV, Tlaxcala, México; Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Raymundo Domínguez-Ordóñez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala-CINVESTAV, Tlaxcala, México; Licenciatura en Ingeniería Agronómica y Zootecnia, CRC, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, México
| | | | - Marcos García-Juárez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala-CINVESTAV, Tlaxcala, México.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Moeller JS, Bever SR, Finn SL, Phumsatitpong C, Browne MF, Kriegsfeld LJ. Circadian Regulation of Hormonal Timing and the Pathophysiology of Circadian Dysregulation. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:4185-4214. [PMID: 36073751 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c220018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, daily patterns of behavior and physiology that are essential for optimal health and disease prevention. Disruptions to circadian timing are associated with a host of maladies, including metabolic disease and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health disturbances. The circadian timing system is hierarchically organized, with a master circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus and subordinate clocks throughout the CNS and periphery. The SCN receives light information via a direct retinal pathway, synchronizing the master clock to environmental time. At the cellular level, circadian rhythms are ubiquitous, with rhythms generated by interlocking, autoregulatory transcription-translation feedback loops. At the level of the SCN, tight cellular coupling maintains rhythms even in the absence of environmental input. The SCN, in turn, communicates timing information via the autonomic nervous system and hormonal signaling. This signaling couples individual cellular oscillators at the tissue level in extra-SCN brain loci and the periphery and synchronizes subordinate clocks to external time. In the modern world, circadian disruption is widespread due to limited exposure to sunlight during the day, exposure to artificial light at night, and widespread use of light-emitting electronic devices, likely contributing to an increase in the prevalence, and the progression, of a host of disease states. The present overview focuses on the circadian control of endocrine secretions, the significance of rhythms within key endocrine axes for typical, homeostatic functioning, and implications for health and disease when dysregulated. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12: 1-30, 2022.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Moeller
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Savannah R Bever
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Samantha L Finn
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Madison F Browne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
He F, Yan B, Tian Z, Wang B, Cheng X, Wang Z, Yu B. Clomiphene citrate treatment during perinatal development alters adult partner preference, mating behaviour and androgen receptor and vasopressin in the male mandarin vole Microtus mandarinus. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:4766-4787. [PMID: 35993282 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
During development, many aspects of behaviour, including partner preferences and sexual behaviour, are "organized" by neural aromatization of androgen and oestrogen. This study aimed to analyse these processes in the mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus); this is a novel mammalian model exhibiting strong monogamous pair bonds. Male pups were treated daily with a sesame oil only (MC) or the oestrogen receptor blocker-clomiphene citrate sesame oil mixture (MT) from prenatal day 14 to postnatal day 10. Female pups were treated daily with sesame oil only (FC). Partner preferences, sexual behaviour, and the expression of androgen receptor (AR) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) were examined when animals were 3 months old. The MT and FC groups exhibited male-directed partner preferences and feminized behaviour. AR-immunoreactive neurons (AR-IRs) in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), and medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) were reduced in MT males compared to MC males, and there was no significant difference in the number of AR-IRs between MT males and FC females. AVP-immunoreactive neurons (AVP-IRs) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) were reduced in MT males compared to MC males, and there were no significant differences in the number of AVP-IRs between MT males and FC females. The results indicate a significant role of hormone signalling in the development of male mate preference in the novel monogamous mammal model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengqin He
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bingjie Yan
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhen Tian
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaoxia Cheng
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zijian Wang
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bing Yu
- College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anticancer Innovative Drug Research in Qinling, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Henriques PC, Aquino NSS, Campideli-Santana AC, Silva JF, Araujo-Lopes R, Franci CR, Coimbra CC, Szawka RE. Hypothalamic Expression of Estrogen Receptor Isoforms Underlies Estradiol Control of Luteinizing Hormone in Female Rats. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6631316. [PMID: 35789268 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac101] [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: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion during the ovarian cycle is governed by fluctuations in circulating estradiol (E2) that oppositely regulate kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus. However, how these effects are orchestrated to achieve fertility is unknown. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that AVPV and ARC neurons have different sensitivities to E2 to coordinate changes in LH secretion. Cycling and ovariectomized rats with low and high E2 levels were used. As an index of E2 responsiveness, progesterone receptor (PR) was expressed only in the AVPV of rats with high E2, showing the preovulatory LH surge. On the other hand, kisspeptin neurons in the ARC responded to low E2 levels sufficient to suppress LH release. Notably, the Esr1/Esr2 ratio of gene expression was higher in the ARC than AVPV, regardless of E2 levels. Accordingly, the selective pharmacological activation of estrogen receptor α (ERα) required lower doses to induce PR in the ARC. The activation of ERβ, in turn, amplified E2-induced PR expression in the AVPV and the LH surge. Thus, ARC and AVPV neurons are differently responsive to E2. Lower E2 levels activate ERα in the ARC, whereas ERβ potentiates the E2 positive feedback in the AVPV, which appears related to the differential Esr1/Esr2 ratio in these 2 brain areas. Our findings provide evidence that the distinct expression of ER isoforms in the AVPV and ARC plays a key role in the control of periodic secretion of LH required for fertility in females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Henriques
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Nayara S S Aquino
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana C Campideli-Santana
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Juneo F Silva
- Centro de Microscopia Eletronica, Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Campus Soane Nazare de Andrade, 45662-900, Ilheus, Brazil
| | - Roberta Araujo-Lopes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Celso R Franci
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto, 14049-900, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Candido C Coimbra
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Raphael E Szawka
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Merchenthaler I, Lane M, Stennett C, Zhan M, Nguyen V, Prokai-Tatrai K, Prokai L. Brain-Selective Estrogen Therapy Prevents Androgen Deprivation-Associated Hot Flushes in a Rat Model. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E119. [PMID: 32531919 PMCID: PMC7344942 DOI: 10.3390/ph13060119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hot flushes are best-known for affecting menopausal women, but men who undergo life-saving castration due to androgen-sensitive prostate cancer also suffer from these vasomotor symptoms. Estrogen deficiency in these patients is a direct consequence of androgen deprivation, because estrogens (notably 17β-estradiol, E2) are produced from testosterone. Although estrogens alleviate hot flushes in these patients, they also cause adverse systemic side effects. Because only estrogens can provide mitigation of hot flushes on the basis of current clinical practices, there is an unmet need for an effective and safe pharmacotherapeutic intervention that would also greatly enhance patient adherence. To this end, we evaluated treatment of orchidectomized (ORDX) rats with 10β, 17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), a brain-selective bioprecursor prodrug of E2. A pilot pharmacokinetic study using oral administration of DHED to these animals revealed the formation of E2 in the brain without the appearance of the hormone in the circulation. Therefore, DHED treatment alleviated androgen deprivation-associated hot flushes without peripheral impact in the ORDX rat model. Concomitantly, we showed that DHED-derived E2 induced progesterone receptor gene expression in the hypothalamus without stimulating galanin expression in the anterior pituitary, further indicating the lack of systemic estrogen exposure upon oral treatment with DHED.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Istvan Merchenthaler
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (M.L.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Malcolm Lane
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (M.L.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Christina Stennett
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (M.L.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Min Zhan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (M.L.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Vien Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (V.N.); (K.P.-T.); (L.P.)
- AgyPharma LLC, Mansfield, TX 76063, USA
| | - Katalin Prokai-Tatrai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (V.N.); (K.P.-T.); (L.P.)
- AgyPharma LLC, Mansfield, TX 76063, USA
| | - Laszlo Prokai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (V.N.); (K.P.-T.); (L.P.)
- AgyPharma LLC, Mansfield, TX 76063, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Frye CA, Chittur SV. Mating Enhances Expression of Hormonal and Trophic Factors in the Midbrain of Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:21. [PMID: 32351369 PMCID: PMC7176275 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Among female rats, mating enhances neurosteroid formation in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA; independent of peripheral steroid-secreting glands, ovaries, and adrenals). The sources/targets for these actions are not well understood. In Experiment 1, proestrous rats engaged in a mating paradigm, or did not, and the midbrains had been assessed via the Affymetrix rat genome microarrays. In Experiment 2, the influence of gonadal and adrenal glands on the expression of these genes was assessed in rats that were proestrous, ovariectomized (OVX), or OVX and adrenalectomized (ADX). The microarrays revealed 53 target genes that were significantly up-regulated (>2.0-fold change) in response to mating. Mating significantly enhanced the midbrain mRNA expression of genes involved in hormonal and trophic actions: Gh1, S100g, and Klk1b3 in proestrous, but not OVX and/or ADX, rats; Fshb in all but OVX/ADX rats; and lutenizing hormone β and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) β in all rats. Thus, mating enhances midbrain gene expression independent and dependent of peripheral glands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Frye
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, United States.,Department of Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, United States.,Center for Neuroscience Research, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, United States.,Center for Life Sciences Research, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Sridar V Chittur
- Center for Functional Genomics, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Grattan DR, Ladyman SR. Neurophysiological and cognitive changes in pregnancy. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 171:25-55. [PMID: 32736755 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64239-4.00002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy drive a wide range of adaptive changes in the maternal brain. These range from specific neurophysiological changes in the patterns of activity of individual neuronal populations, through to complete modification of circuit characteristics leading to fundamental changes in behavior. From a neurologic perspective, the key hormone changes are those of the sex steroids, estradiol and progesterone, secreted first from the ovary and then from the placenta, the adrenal glucocorticoid cortisol, as well as the anterior pituitary peptide hormone prolactin and its pregnancy-specific homolog placental lactogen. All of these hormones are markedly elevated during pregnancy and cross the blood-brain barrier to exert actions on neuronal populations through receptors expressed in specific regions. Many of the hormone-induced changes are in autonomic or homeostatic systems. For example, patterns of oxytocin and prolactin secretion are dramatically altered to support novel physiological functions. Appetite is increased and feedback responses to metabolic hormones such as leptin and insulin are suppressed to promote a positive energy balance. Fundamental physiological systems such as glucose homeostasis and thermoregulation are modified to optimize conditions for fetal development. In addition to these largely autonomic changes, there are also changes in mood, behavior, and higher processes such as cognition. This chapter summarizes the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and reviews how these changes impact on brain function, drawing on examples from animal research, as well as available information about human pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Goddings AL, Beltz A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Braams BR. Understanding the Role of Puberty in Structural and Functional Development of the Adolescent Brain. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:32-53. [PMID: 30869842 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of structural and functional brain development in adolescence. However, understanding the role of puberty in this process has received much less attention. This review examines this relationship by summarizing recent research studies where the role of puberty was investigated in relation to brain structure, connectivity, and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The studies together suggest that puberty may contribute to adolescent neural reorganization and maturational advancement, and sex differences also emerge in puberty. The current body of work shows some mixed results regarding impact and exact direction of pubertal influence. We discuss several limitations of current studies and propose future directions on how to move the field forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiska S Peper
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Micevych PE, Sinchak K. Extranuclear signaling by ovarian steroids in the regulation of sexual receptivity. Horm Behav 2018; 104:4-14. [PMID: 29753716 PMCID: PMC6240501 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Micevych
- Dept of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the UCLA Brain Research Institute, United States
| | - Kevin Sinchak
- Dept of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Marraudino M, Martini M, Trova S, Farinetti A, Ponti G, Gotti S, Panzica G. Kisspeptin system in ovariectomized mice: Estradiol and progesterone regulation. Brain Res 2018; 1688:8-14. [PMID: 29555237 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The kisspeptin system is clustered in two main groups of cell bodies (the periventricular region, RP3V and the arcuate nucleus, ARC) that send fibers mainly to the GnRH neurons and in a few other locations, including the paraventricular nucleus, PVN. In physiological conditions, gonadal hormones modulate the kisspeptin system with expression changes according to different phases of the estrous cycle: the highest being in estrus phase in RP3V and PVN (positive feedback), and in ARC during the diestrus phase (negative feedback). In this work we wanted to study these hormonal fluctuations during the estrous cycle, investigating the role played by progesterone (P) or estradiol (E2), alone or together, on the kisspeptin system. Gonadectomized CD1 female mice were treated with P, E2 or both (E2 + P), following a timing of administration that emulates the different phases of estrous cycle, for two cycles of 4 days. As expected, the two cell groups were differentially affected by E2; the RP3V group was positively influenced by E2 (alone or with the P), whereas in the ARC the administration of E2 did not affect the system. However P (alone) induced a rise in the kisspeptin immunoreactivity. All the treatments significantly affected the kisspeptin innervation of the PVN, with regional differences, suggesting that these fibers arrive from both RP3V and ARC nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marilena Marraudino
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neuroscience, Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Torino, Via Cherasco 15, Torino, Italy.
| | - Mariangela Martini
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, United States
| | - Sara Trova
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
| | - Alice Farinetti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neuroscience, Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Torino, Via Cherasco 15, Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanna Ponti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy
| | - Stefano Gotti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neuroscience, Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Torino, Via Cherasco 15, Torino, Italy
| | - GianCarlo Panzica
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, Torino, Italy; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neuroscience, Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Torino, Via Cherasco 15, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Micevych PE, Mermelstein PG, Sinchak K. Estradiol Membrane-Initiated Signaling in the Brain Mediates Reproduction. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:654-666. [PMID: 28969926 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the past few years our understanding of estrogen signaling in the brain has expanded rapidly. Estrogens are synthesized in the periphery and in the brain, acting on multiple receptors to regulate gene transcription, neural function, and behavior. Various estrogen-sensitive signaling pathways often operate in concert within the same cell, increasing the complexity of the system. In females, estrogen concentrations fluctuate over the estrous/menstrual cycle, dynamically modulating estrogen receptor (ER) expression, activity, and trafficking. These dynamic changes influence multiple behaviors but are particularly important for reproduction. Using the female rodent model, we review our current understanding of estradiol signaling in the regulation of sexual receptivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the UCLA Brain Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kevin Sinchak
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
He W, Li X, Adekunbi D, Liu Y, Long H, Wang L, Lyu Q, Kuang Y, O'Byrne KT. Hypothalamic effects of progesterone on regulation of the pulsatile and surge release of luteinising hormone in female rats. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8096. [PMID: 28808344 PMCID: PMC5556103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08805-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Progesterone can block the oestradiol-induced GnRH/LH surge and inhibit LH pulse frequency. Recent studies reported that progesterone prevented premature LH surges during ovarian hyperstimulation in women. As the most potent stimulator of GnRH/LH release, kisspeptin is believed to mediate the positive and negative feedback effects of oestradiol in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate (ARC) nuclei, while the region-specific role of progesterone receptors in these nuclei remains unknown. This study examined the hypothesis that progesterone inhibits LH surge and pulsatile secretion via its receptor in the ARC and/or AVPV nuclei. Adult female rats received a single injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin followed by progesterone or vehicle. Progesterone administration resulted in a significant prolongation of the oestrous cycle and blockade of LH surge. However, microinjection of the progesterone receptor antagonist, RU486, into the AVPV reversed the prolonged cycle length and rescued the progesterone blockade LH surge, while RU486 into the ARC shortened LH pulse interval in the progesterone treated rats. These results demonstrated that progesterone's inhibitory effect on the GnRH/LH surge and pulsatile secretion is mediated by its receptor in the kisspeptin enriched hypothalamic AVPV and ARC respectively, which are essential for progesterone regulation of oestrous cyclicity in rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen He
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Daniel Adekunbi
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Long
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qifeng Lyu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanping Kuang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| | - Kevin T O'Byrne
- Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Actions of Steroids: New Neurotransmitters. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11449-11458. [PMID: 27911748 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2473-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, the classical understanding of steroid action has been updated to include rapid, membrane-initiated, neurotransmitter-like functions. While steroids were known to function on very short time spans to induce physiological and behavioral changes, the mechanisms by which these changes occur are now becoming more clear. In avian systems, rapid estradiol effects can be mediated via local alterations in aromatase activity, which precisely regulates the temporal and spatial availability of estrogens. Acute regulation of brain-derived estrogens has been shown to rapidly affect sensorimotor function and sexual motivation in birds. In rodents, estrogens and progesterone are critical for reproduction, including preovulatory events and female sexual receptivity. Membrane progesterone receptor as well as classical progesterone receptor trafficked to the membrane mediate reproductive-related hypothalamic physiology, via second messenger systems with dopamine-induced cell signals. In addition to these relatively rapid actions, estrogen membrane-initiated signaling elicits changes in morphology. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, these changes are needed for lordosis behavior. Recent evidence also demonstrates that membrane glucocorticoid receptor is present in numerous cell types and species, including mammals. Further, membrane glucocorticoid receptor influences glucocorticoid receptor translocation to the nucleus effecting transcriptional activity. The studies presented here underscore the evidence that steroids behave like neurotransmitters to regulate CNS functions. In the future, we hope to fully characterize steroid receptor-specific functions in the brain.
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
The hypothalamus is most often associated with innate behaviors such as is hunger, thirst and sex. While the expression of these behaviors important for survival of the individual or the species is nested within the hypothalamus, the desire (i.e., motivation) for them is centered within the mesolimbic reward circuitry. In this review, we will use female sexual behavior as a model to examine the interaction of these circuits. We will examine the evidence for a hypothalamic circuit that regulates consummatory aspects of reproductive behavior, i.e., lordosis behavior, a measure of sexual receptivity that involves estradiol membrane-initiated signaling in the arcuate nucleus (ARH), activating β-endorphin projections to the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), which in turn modulate ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) activity-the common output from the hypothalamus. Estradiol modulates not only a series of neuropeptides, transmitters and receptors but induces dendritic spines that are for estrogenic induction of lordosis behavior. Simultaneously, in the nucleus accumbens of the mesolimbic system, the mating experience produces long term changes in dopamine signaling and structure. Sexual experience sensitizes the response of nucleus accumbens neurons to dopamine signaling through the induction of a long lasting early immediate gene. While estrogen alone increases spines in the ARH, sexual experience increases dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens. These two circuits appear to converge onto the medial preoptic area where there is a reciprocal influence of motivational circuits on consummatory behavior and vice versa. While it has not been formally demonstrated in the human, such circuitry is generally highly conserved and thus, understanding the anatomy, neurochemistry and physiology can provide useful insight into the motivation for sexual behavior and other innate behaviors in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Micevych
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, United States.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mittelman-Smith MA, Wong AM, Micevych PE. Estrogen and Progesterone Integration in an in vitro Model of RP3V Kisspeptin Neurons. Neuroendocrinology 2017; 106:101-115. [PMID: 28384629 PMCID: PMC5750133 DOI: 10.1159/000471878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Positive feedback on gonadotropin release requires not only estrogen but also progesterone to activate neural circuits. In rodents, ovarian estradiol (E2) stimulates progesterone synthesis in hypothalamic astrocytes (neuroP), needed for the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Kisspeptin (kiss) neurons are the principal stimulators of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, and disruption of kiss signaling abrogates the LH surge. Similarly, blocking steroid synthesis in the hypothalamus or deleting classical progesterone receptor (PGR) selectively in kiss neurons prevents the LH surge. These results suggest a synergistic action of E2 and progesterone in kiss neurons to affect gonadotropin release. The mHypoA51, immortalized kiss-expressing neuronal cell line derived from adult female mice, is a tractable model for examining integration of steroid signaling underlying estrogen positive feedback. Here, we report that kiss neurons in vitro integrate E2 and progesterone signaling to increase levels of kiss translation and release. mHypoA51 neurons expressed nonclassical membrane progesterone receptors (mPRα and mPRβ) and E2-inducible PGR, required for progesterone-augmentation of E2-induced kiss expression. With astrocyte-conditioned media or in mHypoA51-astrocyte co-culture, neuroP augmented stimulatory effects of E2 on kiss protein. Progesterone activation of classical, membrane-localized PGR led to activation of MAPK and Src kinases. Importantly, progesterone or Src activation induced release of kiss from E2-primed mHypoA51 neurons. Consistent with previous studies, the present results provide compelling evidence that the interaction of E2 and progesterone stimulates kiss expression and release. Further, these results demonstrate a mechanism though which peripheral E2 may prime kiss neurons to respond to neuroP, mediating estrogen positive feedback.
Collapse
|
16
|
Mittelman-Smith MA, Rudolph LM, Mohr MA, Micevych PE. Rodent Models of Non-classical Progesterone Action Regulating Ovulation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:165. [PMID: 28790975 PMCID: PMC5522857 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is becoming clear that steroid hormones act not only by binding to nuclear receptors that associate with specific response elements in the nucleus but also by binding to receptors on the cell membrane. In this newly discovered manner, steroid hormones can initiate intracellular signaling cascades which elicit rapid effects such as release of internal calcium stores and activation of kinases. We have learned much about the translocation and signaling of steroid hormone receptors from investigations into estrogen receptor α, which can be trafficked to, and signal from, the cell membrane. It is now clear that progesterone (P4) can also elicit effects that cannot be exclusively explained by transcriptional changes. Similar to E2 and its receptors, P4 can initiate signaling at the cell membrane, both through progesterone receptor and via a host of newly discovered membrane receptors (e.g., membrane progesterone receptors, progesterone receptor membrane components). This review discusses the parallels between neurotransmitter-like E2 action and the more recently investigated non-classical P4 signaling, in the context of reproductive behaviors in the rodent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A. Mittelman-Smith
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Melinda A. Mittelman-Smith,
| | - Lauren M. Rudolph
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Margaret A. Mohr
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Paul E. Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chakraborty TR, Gore AC. Aging-Related Changes in Ovarian Hormones, Their Receptors, and Neuroendocrine Function. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2016; 229:977-87. [PMID: 15522833 DOI: 10.1177/153537020422901001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian steroid hormones exert a broad range of effects on the body and brain. In the nervous system, estrogen and progesterone have crucial feedback actions on the hypothalamic neurons that drive the reproductive axis. In addition, hormones exert a variety of actions on other traditionally nonreproductive functions such as cognition, learning and memory, neuroprotection, mood and affective behavior, and locomotor activity. The actions of hormones on the hypothalamus are largely mediated by their nuclear hormone receptors, the two estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, and the two progesterone receptor isoforms, PR-A and PR-B. Thus, changes in the circulating concentrations of estrogens and progestins during the life cycle can result in differential activation of their receptors. Furthermore, changes in the numbers, activity, and distribution of hypothalamic ERs and PRs can occur as a function of developmental age. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the causes and consequences of alterations in steroid hormones, their neural receptors, and their interactions on reproductive senescence. We have also discussed several important experimental design considerations, focusing on rodent models in current use for understanding the mechanisms of menopause in women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tandra R Chakraborty
- Fishberg Research Center for Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Treatment with an orally bioavailable prodrug of 17β-estradiol alleviates hot flushes without hormonal effects in the periphery. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30721. [PMID: 27477453 PMCID: PMC4967894 DOI: 10.1038/srep30721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen deprivation has a profound effect on the female brain. One of the most obvious examples of this condition is hot flushes. Although estrogens relieve these typical climacteric symptoms, many women do not want to take them owing to unwanted side-effects impacting, for example, the uterus, breast and blood. Therefore, there is a need for developing safer estrogen therapies. We show here that treatment with 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), a novel brain-targeting bioprecursor prodrug of the main human estrogen, 17β-estradiol, alleviates hot flushes in rat models of thermoregulatory dysfunction of the brain. Oral administration of DHED elicits a significant reduction of tail skin temperature (TST) rise representing hot flushes in the morphine-dependent ovariectomized rat model and results in the restoration of estrogen deprivation-induced loss of diurnal rhythm in TST. These beneficial effects occur without detrimental peripheral hormonal exposure; thus, the treatment avoids potentially harmful stimulation of estrogen-sensitive peripheral organs, including the uterus and the anterior pituitary, or the proliferation of MCF-7a breast cancer cell xenografts. Our promising preclinical assessments warrant further considerations of DHED for the development of a brain-selective 17β-estradiol therapy to relieve hot flushes without undesirable peripheral side-effects.
Collapse
|
19
|
Prokai L, Nguyen V, Szarka S, Garg P, Sabnis G, Bimonte-Nelson HA, McLaughlin KJ, Talboom JS, Conrad CD, Shughrue PJ, Gould TD, Brodie A, Merchenthaler I, Koulen P, Prokai-Tatrai K. The prodrug DHED selectively delivers 17β-estradiol to the brain for treating estrogen-responsive disorders. Sci Transl Med 2016. [PMID: 26203081 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aab1290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many neurological and psychiatric maladies originate from the deprivation of the human brain from estrogens. However, current hormone therapies cannot be used safely to treat these conditions commonly associated with menopause because of detrimental side effects in the periphery. The latter also prevents the use of the hormone for neuroprotection. We show that a small-molecule bioprecursor prodrug, 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), converts to 17β-estradiol in the brain after systemic administration but remains inert in the rest of the body. The localized and rapid formation of estrogen from the prodrug was revealed by a series of in vivo bioanalytical assays and through in vivo imaging in rodents. DHED treatment efficiently alleviated symptoms that originated from brain estrogen deficiency in animal models of surgical menopause and provided neuroprotection in a rat stroke model. Concomitantly, we determined that 17β-estradiol formed in the brain from DHED elicited changes in gene expression and neuronal morphology identical to those obtained after direct 17β-estradiol treatment. Together, complementary functional and mechanistic data show that our approach is highly relevant therapeutically, because administration of the prodrug selectively produces estrogen in the brain independently from the route of administration and treatment regimen. Therefore, peripheral responses associated with the use of systemic estrogens, such as stimulation of the uterus and estrogen-responsive tumor growth, were absent. Collectively, our brain-selective prodrug approach may safely provide estrogen neuroprotection and medicate neurological and psychiatric symptoms developing from estrogen deficiency, particularly those encountered after surgical menopause, without the adverse side effects of current hormone therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo Prokai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA. AgyPharma LLC, Mansfield, TX 76063, USA.
| | - Vien Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Szabolcs Szarka
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Puja Garg
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA. Vision Research Center and Departments of Ophthalmology and Basic Medical Science, University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Gauri Sabnis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tempe, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Katie J McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Joshua S Talboom
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Tempe, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Cheryl D Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Paul J Shughrue
- Department of Pharmacology, Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Angela Brodie
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Istvan Merchenthaler
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Peter Koulen
- Vision Research Center and Departments of Ophthalmology and Basic Medical Science, University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Katalin Prokai-Tatrai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA. AgyPharma LLC, Mansfield, TX 76063, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Sá SI, Fonseca BM, Teixeira N, Madeira MD. Induction and subcellular redistribution of progesterone receptor A and B by tamoxifen in the hypothalamic ventromedial neurons of young adult female Wistar rats. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 420:1-10. [PMID: 26597778 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The ventrolateral division of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMNvl) is a brain center for estrogen-dependent triggering of female sexual behavior upon progesterone receptor (PR) activation. We examined the agonistic and antagonistic actions of tamoxifen in this nucleus by analyzing its effects on the total number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, PR mRNA and protein levels, and subcellular location of PRs in ovariectomized Wistar rats. The results show that tamoxifen has no agonistic action in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, but increases PR expression and labeling in the nucleus and cytoplasm of VMNvl neurons that constitutively express PRs. As an antagonist, tamoxifen partially inhibited the estradiol-dependent increase in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons and in PR mRNA and protein levels, without interfering with the subcellular location of the protein. We suggest that tamoxifen influence on PR expression in the VMNvl critically depends on the presence or absence of estradiol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susana I Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Bruno M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - M Dulce Madeira
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Aquino NSS, Araujo-Lopes R, Batista IAR, Henriques PC, Poletini MO, Franci CR, Reis AM, Szawka RE. Hypothalamic Effects of Tamoxifen on Oestrogen Regulation of Luteinising Hormone and Prolactin Secretion in Female Rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26563816 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Oestradiol (E2) acts in the hypothalamus to regulate luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion. Tamoxifen (TX) has been extensively used as a selective oestrogen receptor modulator, although its neuroendocrine effects remain poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the hypothalamic effects of TX in rats under low or high circulating E2 levels. Ovariectomised (OVX) rats treated with oil, E2 or TX, or E2 plus TX, were evaluated for hormonal secretion and immunohistochemical analyses in hypothalamic areas. Both E2 and TX reduced LH levels, whereas TX blocked the E2 -induced surges of LH and PRL. TX prevented the E2 -induced expression of progesterone receptor (PR) in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (ARC), although it did not alter PR expression in OVX rats. TX blocked the E2 induction of c-Fos in AVPV neurones, consistent with the suppression of LH surge. However, TX failed to prevent E2 inhibition of kisspeptin expression in the ARC. In association with the blockade of PRL surge, TX increased the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the median eminence of OVX, E2 -treated rats. TX also precluded the E2 -induced increase in TH expression in the ARC. In all immunohistochemical analyses, TX treatment in OVX rats caused no measurable effect on the hypothalamus. Thus, TX is able to prevent the positive- but not negative-feedback effect of E2 on the hypothalamus. TX also blocks the effects of E2 on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurones and PRL secretion. These findings further characterise the anti-oestrogenic actions of TX in the hypothalamus and provide new information on the oestrogenic regulation of LH and PRL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N S S Aquino
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - R Araujo-Lopes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - I A R Batista
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - P C Henriques
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - M O Poletini
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - C R Franci
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A M Reis
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - R E Szawka
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pereira M, Ferreira A. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical basis of parenting: Dynamic coordination of motivational, affective and cognitive processes. Horm Behav 2016; 77:72-85. [PMID: 26296592 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Becoming a parent is arguably the most profound transforming experience in life. It is also inherently very emotionally and physically demanding, such that the reciprocal interaction with the young changes the brain and behavior of the parents. In this review, we examine the neurobiological mechanisms of parenting primarily discussing recent research findings in rodents and primates, especially humans. We argue that it is essential to consider parenting within a conceptual framework that recognizes the dynamics of the reciprocal mother-young relationship, including both the complexity and neuroplasticity of its underlying mechanisms. Converging research suggests that the concerted activity of a distributed network of subcortical and cortical brain structures regulates different key aspects of parenting, including the sensory analysis of infant stimuli as well as motivational, affective and cognitive processes. The interplay among these processes depends on the action of various neurotransmitters and hormones that modulate the timely and coordinated execution of caregiving responses of the maternal circuitry exquisitely attuned to the young's affect, needs and developmental stage. We conclude with a summary and a set of questions that may guide future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pereira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
| | - Annabel Ferreira
- Sección Fisiología y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Martins S, Madeira M, Sá S. Effects of gonadal steroids and of estrogen receptor agonists on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha in the medial preoptic nucleus of female rats. Neuroscience 2015; 310:63-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
24
|
Mittelman-Smith MA, Wong AM, Kathiresan ASQ, Micevych PE. Classical and membrane-initiated estrogen signaling in an in vitro model of anterior hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons. Endocrinology 2015; 156:2162-73. [PMID: 25730107 PMCID: PMC4430613 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide kisspeptin is essential for sexual maturation and reproductive function. In particular, kisspeptin-expressing neurons in the anterior rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle are generally recognized as mediators of estrogen positive feedback for the surge release of LH, which stimulates ovulation. Estradiol induces kisspeptin expression in the neurons of the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle but suppresses kisspeptin expression in neurons of the arcuate nucleus that regulate estrogen-negative feedback. To focus on the intracellular signaling and response to estradiol underlying positive feedback, we used mHypoA51 cells, an immortalized line of kisspeptin neurons derived from adult female mouse hypothalamus. mHypoA51 neurons express estrogen receptor (ER)-α, classical progesterone receptor (PR), and kisspeptin, all key elements of estrogen-positive feedback. As with kisspeptin neurons in vivo, 17β-estradiol (E2) induced kisspeptin and PR in mHypoA51s. The ERα agonist, 1,3,5-Tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-propyl-1H-pyrazole, produced similar increases in expression, indicating that these events were mediated by ERα. However, E2-induced PR up-regulation required an intracellular ER, whereas kisspeptin expression was stimulated through a membrane ER activated by E2 coupled to BSA. These data suggest that anterior hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons integrate both membrane-initiated and classical nuclear estrogen signaling to up-regulate kisspeptin and PR, which are essential for the LH surge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Mittelman-Smith
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Frye CA, Koonce CJ, Walf AA. Novel receptor targets for production and action of allopregnanolone in the central nervous system: a focus on pregnane xenobiotic receptor. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:106. [PMID: 24782710 PMCID: PMC3988369 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are cholesterol-based hormones that can be produced in the brain, independent of secretion from peripheral endocrine glands, such as the gonads and adrenals. A focus in our laboratory for over 25 years has been how production of the pregnane neurosteroid, allopregnanolone, is regulated and the novel (i.e., non steroid receptor) targets for steroid action for behavior. One endpoint of interest has been lordosis, the mating posture of female rodents. Allopregnanolone is necessary and sufficient for lordosis, and the brain circuitry underlying it, such as actions in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), has been well-characterized. Published and recent findings supporting a dynamic role of allopregnanolone are included in this review. First, contributions of ovarian and adrenal sources of precursors of allopregnanolone, and the requisite enzymatic actions for de novo production in the central nervous system will be discussed. Second, how allopregnanolone produced in the brain has actions on behavioral processes that are independent of binding to steroid receptors, but instead involve rapid modulatory actions via neurotransmitter targets (e.g., γ-amino butyric acid-GABA, N-methyl-D-aspartate- NMDA) will be reviewed. Third, a recent focus on characterizing the role of a promiscuous nuclear receptor, pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR), involved in cholesterol metabolism and expressed in the VTA, as a target for allopregnanolone and how this relates to both actions and production of allopregnanolone will be addressed. For example, allopregnanolone can bind PXR and knocking down expression of PXR in the midbrain VTA attenuates actions of allopregnanolone via NMDA and/or GABAA for lordosis. Our understanding of allopregnanolone’s actions in the VTA for lordosis has been extended to reveal the role of allopregnanolone for broader, clinically-relevant questions, such as neurodevelopmental processes, neuropsychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Frye
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; Department of Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; The Centers for Neuroscience, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; Life Sciences Research, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA ; Institute of Arctic Biology, The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA ; IDeA Network of Biomedical Excellence (INBRE), The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Carolyn J Koonce
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; Institute of Arctic Biology, The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA ; IDeA Network of Biomedical Excellence (INBRE), The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Alicia A Walf
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNY Albany, NY, USA ; Institute of Arctic Biology, The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA ; IDeA Network of Biomedical Excellence (INBRE), The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Jayaraman A, Pike CJ. Differential effects of synthetic progestagens on neuron survival and estrogen neuroprotection in cultured neurons. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 384:52-60. [PMID: 24424444 PMCID: PMC3954450 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone and other progestagens are used in combination with estrogens for clinical purposes, including contraception and postmenopausal hormone therapy. Progesterone and estrogens have interactive effects in brain, however interactions between synthetic progestagens and 17β-estradiol (E2) in neurons are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of seven clinically relevant progestagens on estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA expression, E2-induced neuroprotection, and E2-induced BDNF mRNA expression. We found that medroxyprogesterone acetate decreased both ERα and ERβ expression and blocked E2-mediated neuroprotection and BDNF expression. Conversely, levonorgestrel and nesterone increased ERα and or ERβ expression, were neuroprotective, and failed to attenuate E2-mediated increases in neuron survival and BDNF expression. Other progestagens tested, including norethindrone, norethindrone acetate, norethynodrel, and norgestimate, had variable effects on the measured endpoints. Our results demonstrate a range of qualitatively different actions of progestagens in cultured neurons, suggesting significant variability in the neural effects of clinically utilized progestagens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Jayaraman
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christian J Pike
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Arakawa K, Arakawa H, Hueston CM, Deak T. Effects of the estrous cycle and ovarian hormones on central expression of interleukin-1 evoked by stress in female rats. Neuroendocrinology 2014; 100:162-77. [PMID: 25300872 DOI: 10.1159/000368606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressors such as foot shock (FS) leads to increased expression of multiple inflammatory factors, including the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the brain. Studies have indicated that there are sex differences in stress reactivity, suggesting that the fluctuations in gonadal steroid levels across the estrous cycle may play a regulatory role in the stress-induced cytokine expression. The present studies were designed to investigate the role of 17-β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) in regulating the cytokine response within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus through analysis of gene expression with real-time RT-PCR. Regularly cycling female rats showed a stress-induced increase in PVN IL-1 levels during the diestrous, proestrous, and estrous stages. During the metestrous stage, no change in IL-1 levels was seen following FS; however, estrogen receptor (ER)-β levels did increase. Ovariectomy resulted in an increase in PVN IL-1 levels, which was attenuated by treatment with estradiol benzoate (10 or 50 µg), indicating an E2-mediated anti-inflammatory effect. Ovariectomized rats treated with Pg (500 or 1,250 µg) showed no alteration in IL-1 levels, but Pg did up-regulate ER-β gene expression. The results from the current study implicate a potential mechanism through which high availability of endogenous Pg during the metestrous stage increases ER-β sensitivity, which in turn attenuates the PVN IL-1 response to stress. Thus, the interaction between gonadal steroid hormones and their central receptors may exert a powerful inhibitory effect on neuroimmune consequences of stress throughout the estrous cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Arakawa
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, N.Y., USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Petersen SL, Intlekofer KA, Moura-Conlon PJ, Brewer DN, Del Pino Sans J, Lopez JA. Novel progesterone receptors: neural localization and possible functions. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:164. [PMID: 24065878 PMCID: PMC3776953 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Progesterone (P4) regulates a wide range of neural functions and likely acts through multiple receptors. Over the past 30 years, most studies investigating neural effects of P4 focused on genomic and non-genomic actions of the classical progestin receptor (PGR). More recently the focus has widened to include two groups of non-classical P4 signaling molecules. Members of the Class II progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family are called membrane progestin receptors (mPRs) and include: mPRα (PAQR7), mPRβ (PAQR8), mPRγ (PAQR5), mPRδ (PAQR6), and mPRε (PAQR9). Members of the b5-like heme/steroid-binding protein family include progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1), PGRMC2, neudesin, and neuferricin. Results of our recent mapping studies show that members of the PGRMC1/S2R family, but not mPRs, are quite abundant in forebrain structures important for neuroendocrine regulation and other non-genomic effects of P4. Herein we describe the structures, neuroanatomical localization, and signaling mechanisms of these molecules. We also discuss possible roles for Pgrmc1/S2R in gonadotropin release, feminine sexual behaviors, fluid balance and neuroprotection, as well as catamenial epilepsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Petersen
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroendocrinology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Laredo SA, Villalon Landeros R, Dooley JC, Steinman MQ, Orr V, Silva AL, Crean KK, Robles CF, Trainor BC. Nongenomic effects of estradiol on aggression under short day photoperiods. Horm Behav 2013; 64:557-65. [PMID: 23763907 PMCID: PMC3851015 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In several vertebrate species, the effects of estrogens on male aggressive behavior can be modulated by environmental cues. In song sparrows and rodents, estrogens modulate aggression in the nonbreeding season or winter-like short days, respectively. The behavioral effects of estrogens are rapid, which generally is considered indicative of nongenomic processes. The current study further examined the hypothesis that estradiol acts nongenomically under short days by utilizing a protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CX). Mice were housed in either short or long day photoperiods, and treated with an aromatase inhibitor. One hour before resident-intruder testing mice were injected with either CX or saline vehicle, and 30 min later were treated orally with either cyclodextrin conjugated estradiol or vehicle. Under short days, mice treated with estradiol showed a rapid decrease in aggressive behavior, independent of CX administration. CX alone had no effect on aggression. These results show that protein synthesis is not required for the rapid effects of estradiol on aggression, strongly suggesting that these effects are mediated by nongenomic processes. We also showed that estradiol suppressed c-fos immunoreactivity in the caudal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis under short days. No effects of estradiol on behavior or c-fos expression were observed in mice housed under long days. Previously we had also demonstrated that cage bedding influenced the directional effects of estrogens on aggression. Here, we show that the phenomenon of rapid action of estradiol on aggression under short days is a robust result that generalizes to different bedding conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Laredo
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ramos-Pratts K, Rosa-González D, Pérez-Acevedo NL, Cintrón-López D, Barreto-Estrada JL. Sex-specific effect of the anabolic steroid, 17α-methyltestosterone, on inhibitory avoidance learning in periadolescent rats. Behav Processes 2013; 99:73-80. [PMID: 23792034 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2012] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The illicit use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has gained popularity among adolescents in the last decade. However, although it is known that exposure to AAS impairs cognition in adult animal models, the cognitive effects during adolescence remain undetermined. An inhibitory avoidance task (IAT) was used to assess the effect of AAS (17α-methyltestosterone; 17α-meT--7.5 mg/kg) in male and female periadolescent rats. A single injection of 17α-meT immediately before the footshock produced significant impairment of inhibitory avoidance learning in males but not females. Generalized anxiety, locomotion, and risk assessment behaviors (RAB) were not affected. Our results show that exposure to a single pharmacological dose of 17α-meT during periadolescence exerts sex-specific cognitive effects without affecting anxiety. Thus, disruption of the hormonal milieu during this early developmental period might have negative impact on learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keyla Ramos-Pratts
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Walker DM, Kermath BA, Woller MJ, Gore AC. Disruption of reproductive aging in female and male rats by gestational exposure to estrogenic endocrine disruptors. Endocrinology 2013; 154:2129-43. [PMID: 23592748 PMCID: PMC3740483 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial contaminants and known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Previous work has shown that gestational exposure to PCBs cause changes in reproductive neuroendocrine processes. Here we extended work farther down the life spectrum and tested the hypothesis that early life exposure to Aroclor 1221 (A1221), a mixture of primarily estrogenic PCBs, results in sexually dimorphic aging-associated alterations to reproductive parameters in rats, and gene expression changes in hypothalamic nuclei that regulate reproductive function. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were injected on gestational days 16 and 18 with vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), A1221 (1 mg/kg), or estradiol benzoate (50 μg/kg). Developmental parameters, estrous cyclicity (females), and timing of reproductive senescence were monitored in the offspring through 9 months of age. Expression of 48 genes was measured in 3 hypothalamic nuclei: the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), arcuate nucleus (ARC), and median eminence (females only) by real-time RT-PCR. Serum LH, testosterone, and estradiol were assayed in the same animals. In males, A1221 had no effects; however, prenatal estradiol benzoate increased serum estradiol, gene expression in the AVPV (1 gene), and ARC (2 genes) compared with controls. In females, estrous cycles were longer in the A1221-exposed females throughout the life cycle. Gene expression was not affected in the AVPV, but significant changes were caused by A1221 in the ARC and median eminence as a function of cycling status. Bionetwork analysis demonstrated fundamental differences in physiology and gene expression between cycling and acyclic females independent of treatment. Thus, gestational exposure to biologically relevant levels of estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals has sexually dimorphic effects, with an altered transition to reproductive aging in female rats but relatively little effect in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- The University of Texas at Austin, The Institute for Neuroscience, 1 University Station, C0875, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Williams B, Northcutt KV, Rusanowsky RD, Mennella TA, Lonstein JS, Quadros-Mennella PS. Progesterone receptor expression in the brain of the socially monogamous and paternal male prairie vole. Brain Res 2013; 1499:12-20. [PMID: 23318255 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Differences in the social organization and behavior of male mammals are attributable to species differences in neurochemistry, including differential expression of steroid hormone receptors. However, the distribution of progestin receptors (PR) in a socially monogamous and spontaneously parental male rodent has never been examined. Here we determined if PR exists and is regulated by testicular hormones in forebrain sites traditionally influencing socioreproductive behaviors in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We hypothesized that PR expression in male prairie voles would differ from that described in other male rodents because PR activity inhibits parental behaviors and social memory in laboratory mice and rats. Adult male prairie voles received a sham surgery, were gonadectomized, or were gonadectomized and implanted with a testosterone-filled capsule. PR immunoreactivity (PRir) was measured four weeks later in areas of the hypothalamus and extended amygdala. A group of gonadally intact female prairie voles was included to reveal possible sex differences. We found considerable PRir in all sites examined. Castration reduced PRir in males' medial preoptic nucleus, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and posterodorsal medial amygdala, and it was maintained in these sites by testosterone. This is the first study to examine PR expression in brain sites involved in socioreproductive behaviors in a socially monogamous and spontaneously paternal male rodent. Our results mostly reveal cross-species conservation in the distribution and hormone sensitivity of PR expression. Because PR interferes with aspects of sociality in other male rodents, PR may eventually be found to have different neurobiological actions in male prairie voles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1200N Dupont Hwy, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Giunta M, Rigamonti AE, Bonomo SM, Gagliano MG, Müller EE, Scarpini E, Galimberti D, Cella SG. Estrogens need insulin-like growth factor I cooperation to exert their neuroprotective effects in post-menopausal women. J Endocrinol Invest 2013; 36:97-103. [PMID: 22452985 DOI: 10.3275/8300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The abrupt fall in estrogens levels during the menopausal transition may connote an hormonal state predisposing to neurodegenerative disorders, e.g. Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reportedly, the neurotrophic activity of estrogen involves an interaction with IGF-I. AIM To evaluate the leukocyte gene expression of progesterone receptor (PR-A/B) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), two parameters under the control of estrogens and involved in the pathogenesis of AD. SUBJECTS The study was conducted in non-demented women divided into two groups according to their pre- or post-menopausal state; each group being further divided into two subgroups based on their circulating levels of IGF-I (normal or low). An additional sample of AD-affected women served as a comparison group. RESULTS Estrogens maintained their full activity only when IGF-I levels were in the range of normalcy. On the contrary, if the concentrations of one or both hormones were reduced, estrogens were not anymore capable to control the gene expression of PR-A/B or IL-6. CONCLUSIONS Before administering hormone-based replacement therapy, characterization of the somatotropic function should be performed in the early phase of the menopause.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Giunta
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Gonzales KL, Quadros-Mennella P, Tetel MJ, Wagner CK. Anatomically-specific actions of oestrogen receptor in the developing female rat brain: effects of oestradiol and selective oestrogen receptor modulators on progestin receptor expression. J Neuroendocrinol 2012; 24:285-91. [PMID: 21981076 PMCID: PMC3385411 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02232.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones largely exert their actions by activating nuclear receptors, which, as transcription factors, powerfully influence fundamental processes of neural development. Often, steroid receptor action demonstrates remarkable specificity under different developmental, anatomical or hormonal conditions. Yet, the mechanisms underlying such specificity are poorly understood. The present study examined the anatomically-specific regulation of progestin receptor (PR) expression by oestrogen receptor (ER) activation in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus and the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of the neonatal female rat brain, using the selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), tamoxifen and ICI 182780 (ICI), in the presence or absence of oestradiol benzoate (EB) treatment. The results demonstrate that PR immunoreactivity (PR-ir) in the neonatal female MPN was significantly increased by EB and this increase was abolished by either tamoxifen or ICI treatment. In contrast, within the VMN of the same animals, EB had no effect on PR-ir and the SERMs only modestly decreased PR-ir. Interestingly, ICI acted as a true antagonist regardless of EB treatment, whereas tamoxifen acted as an ER agonist in the absence of EB in the MPN, but not the VMN, representing one of the first in vivo demonstrations of tissue-specific and oestradiol-independent effects of tamoxifen on ER activation. The present results indicate that PR expression is highly dependent on oestradiol and its receptor in the MPN, although it is independent of both oestradiol and ER activation within the neonatal VMN. These findings demonstrate the anatomically-specific actions of oestradiol and its receptor to induce PR in two brain regions controlling different aspects of female reproductive behaviours in adulthood.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Brain/anatomy & histology
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/growth & development
- Brain/metabolism
- Estradiol/pharmacology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
- Organ Specificity/drug effects
- Organ Specificity/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Estrogen/genetics
- Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism
- Receptors, Estrogen/physiology
- Receptors, Progesterone/genetics
- Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism
- Reproduction/drug effects
- Reproduction/genetics
- Reproduction/physiology
- Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators/pharmacology
- Sex Characteristics
- Sexual Maturation/drug effects
- Sexual Maturation/genetics
- Sexual Maturation/physiology
- Tamoxifen/pharmacology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K L Gonzales
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University at Albany - State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Frye CA, Paris JJ, Walf AA, Rusconi JC. Effects and Mechanisms of 3α,5α,-THP on Emotion, Motivation, and Reward Functions Involving Pregnane Xenobiotic Receptor. Front Neurosci 2012; 5:136. [PMID: 22294977 PMCID: PMC3261425 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2011.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Progestogens [progesterone (P(4)) and its products] play fundamental roles in the development and/or function of the central nervous system during pregnancy. We, and others, have investigated the role of pregnane neurosteroids for a plethora of functional effects beyond their pro-gestational processes. Emerging findings regarding the effects, mechanisms, and sources of neurosteroids have challenged traditional dogma about steroid action. How the P(4) metabolite and neurosteroid, 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP), influences cellular functions and behavioral processes involved in emotion/affect, motivation, and reward, is the focus of the present review. To further understand these processes, we have utilized an animal model assessing the effects, mechanisms, and sources of 3α,5α-THP. In the ventral tegmental area (VTA), 3α,5α-THP has actions to facilitate affective, and motivated, social behaviors through non-traditional targets, such as GABA, glutamate, and dopamine receptors. 3α,5α-THP levels in the midbrain VTA both facilitate, and/or are enhanced by, affective and social behavior. The pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR) mediates the production of, and/or metabolism to, various neurobiological factors. PXR is localized to the midbrain VTA of rats. The role of PXR to influence 3α,5α-THP production from central biosynthesis, and/or metabolism of peripheral P(4), in the VTA, as well as its role to facilitate, or be increased by, affective/social behaviors is under investigation. Investigating novel behavioral functions of 3α,5α-THP extends our knowledge of the neurobiology of progestogens, relevant for affective/social behaviors, and their connections to systems that regulate affect and motivated processes, such as those important for stress regulation and neuropsychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, drug dependence). Thus, further understanding of 3α,5α-THP's role and mechanisms to enhance affective and motivated processes is essential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A. Frye
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
- Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
- The Centers for Neuroscience, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
- Life Science Research, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
| | - J. J. Paris
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
| | - A. A. Walf
- Life Science Research, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
| | - J. C. Rusconi
- Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-SUNYAlbany, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Petersen SL, Krishnan S, Aggison LK, Intlekofer KA, Moura PJ. Sexual differentiation of the gonadotropin surge release mechanism: a new role for the canonical NfκB signaling pathway. Front Neuroendocrinol 2012; 33:36-44. [PMID: 21741397 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2011.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2011] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in luteinizing hormone (LH) release patterns are controlled by the hypothalamus, established during the perinatal period and required for fertility. Female mammals exhibit a cyclic surge pattern of LH release, while males show a tonic release pattern. In rodents, the LH surge pattern is dictated by the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), an estrogen receptor-rich structure that is larger and more cell-dense in females. Sex differences result from mitochondrial cell death triggered in perinatal males by estradiol derived from aromatization of testosterone. Herein we provide an historical perspective and an update describing evidence that molecules important for cell survival and cell death in the immune system also control these processes in the developing AVPV. We conclude with a new model proposing that development of the female AVPV requires constitutive activation of the Tnfα, Tnf receptor 2, NfκB and Bcl2 pathway that is blocked by induction of Tnf receptor-associated factor 2-inhibiting protein (Traip) in the male.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Petersen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sun Y, Todd BJ, Thornton K, Etgen AM, Neal-Perry G. Differential effects of hypothalamic IGF-I on gonadotropin releasing hormone neuronal activation during steroid-induced LH surges in young and middle-aged female rats. Endocrinology 2011; 152:4276-87. [PMID: 21914776 PMCID: PMC3199007 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between brain IGF-I receptors and estrogen receptors regulate female reproductive physiology and behavior. The present study investigated potential mechanisms by which IGF-I receptors in the neuroendocrine hypothalamus regulate GnRH neuronal activation and LH release in young and middle-aged female rats under estradiol (E2) positive feedback conditions. We infused vehicle, IGF-I, or JB-1, a selective antagonist of IGF-I receptors, into the third ventricle of ovariectomized female rats primed with E2 and progesterone or vehicle. In young females, blockade of IGF-I receptors attenuated the steroid hormone-induced LH surge, reduced the percent of GnRH neurons expressing c-fos on the day of the LH surge, and decreased the total number of neurons expressing c-fos in the preoptic area. Middle-aged females had fewer GnRH neurons expressing c-fos during the LH surge than young females, and the LH surge amplitude was attenuated. Infusion of an IGF-I dose previously shown to increase LH surge amplitude did not increase the percent of GnRH neurons expressing c-fos in middle-aged females. Brain IGF-I receptor blockade did not modify E2 induction of progestin receptor-immunoreactive neurons in the preoptic area, arcuate, or ventromedial hypothalamus of young rats. These findings indicate that brain IGF-I receptors are required for E2 activation of GnRH neurons in young rats and for robust GnRH release from axon terminals in middle-aged females. IGF-I likely exerts its effects by actions on E2-sensitive neurons that are upstream of GnRH neurons and terminals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Sun
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Ullmann 1211, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Pillai JA, Siegel JH. Interaction of tamoxifen and noise-induced damage to the cochlea. Hear Res 2011; 282:161-6. [PMID: 21907781 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2011.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Revised: 08/09/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tamoxifen has been used extensively in the treatment of breast cancer and other neoplasms. In addition to its well-known action on estrogen receptors it is also known to acutely block chloride channels that participate in cell volume regulation. Tamoxifen's role in preventing cochlear outer hair cell (OHC) swelling in vitro suggested that OHC swelling noted following noise exposure could potentially be a therapeutic target for tamoxifen in its role as a chloride channel blocker to help prevent noise-induced hearing loss. To investigate this possibility, the effects of exposure to tamoxifen on physiologic measures of cochlear function in the presence and absence of subsequent noise exposure were studied. Male Mongolian gerbils (2-4 months old) were randomly assigned to different groups. Tamoxifen at ∼10 mg/kg was administered to one of the groups. Five hours later they were exposed to a one-third octave band of noise centered at 8 kHz in a sound-isolation chamber for 30 min at 108 dB SPL. Compound action potential (CAP) thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels were measured 30-35 days following noise exposure. Tamoxifen administration did not produce any changes in CAP thresholds and DPOAE levels when administered by itself in the absence of noise. Tamoxifen causes a significant increase in CAP thresholds from 8 to 15 kHz following noise exposure compared to CAP thresholds in animals exposed to noise alone. No significant differences were seen in the DPOAE levels in the f(2) = 8-15 kHz frequency range where maximum noise-induced increases in CAP thresholds were seen. Contrary to our original expectation, it is concluded that tamoxifen potentiates the degree of damage to the cochlea resulting from noise exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jagan A Pillai
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 2240 Campus Drive, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Bowers JM, Waddell J, McCarthy MM. A developmental sex difference in hippocampal neurogenesis is mediated by endogenous oestradiol. Biol Sex Differ 2010; 1:8. [PMID: 21208470 PMCID: PMC3016241 DOI: 10.1186/2042-6410-1-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Oestradiol is a steroid hormone that exerts extensive influence on brain development and is a powerful modulator of hippocampal structure and function. The hippocampus is a critical brain region regulating complex cognitive and emotional responses and is implicated in the aetiology of several mental health disorders, many of which exhibit some degree of sex difference. Many sex differences in the adult rat brain are determined by oestradiol action during a sensitive period of development. We had previously reported a sex difference in rates of cell genesis in the developing hippocampus of the laboratory rat. Males generate more new cells on average than females. The current study explored the effects of both exogenous and endogenous oestradiol on this sex difference. Methods New born male and female rat pups were injected with the mitotic marker 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and oestradiol or agents that antagonize oestradiol action. The effects on cell number, proliferation, differentiation and survival were assessed at several time points. Significant differences between groups were determined by two- or thee-Way ANOVA. Results Newborn males had higher rates of cell proliferation than females. Oestradiol treatment increased cell proliferation in neonatal females, but not males, and in the CA1 region many of these cells differentiated into neurons. The increased rate of proliferation induced by neonatal oestradiol persisted until at least 3 weeks of age, suggesting an organizational effect. Administering the aromatase inhibitor, formestane, or the oestrogen receptor antagonist, tamoxifen, significantly decreased the number of new cells in males but not females. Conclusion Endogenous oestradiol increased the rate of cell proliferation observed in newborn males compared to females. This sex difference in neonatal neurogenesis may have implications for adult differences in learning strategy, stress responsivity or vulnerability to damage or disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Bowers
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Khoo SK, O'Neill S, Byrne G, King R, Travers C, Tripcony L. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and cognition: effects of timing and treatment type. Climacteric 2010; 13:259-64. [PMID: 19886816 DOI: 10.3109/13697130903370316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
SETTING Hormone therapy used for the management of postmenopausal symptoms in older women appears to result in variable effects on cognitive function, depending on study design, subjects, tests used, and types of therapy. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of estrogen-only and estrogen plus progestogen preparations on cognitive performance (cognitive status, general and working memory) when taken 'early' and 'late' from the onset of menopause. METHOD The study consisted of 410 women who were participants in a longitudinal study, first recruited at age 40-80 years. They were tested for change over 5 years as an observational cohort by the Mini-Mental State Examination, National Adult Reading Test and the Wechsler Memory Scale Version 3. Cognitive decline, measured by age-adjusted scores, was defined as >or=10% negative change in each individual woman. RESULTS Controlling for age and lifestyle factors, and using the criterion of decrease in score >or=10% over 5 years for 'cognitive decline', 'early start' of hormone therapy (<3 years from menopause) was strongly associated with reduction in risk by the Mini-Mental State Examination (estrogen-only preparation, p = 0.005) but with increase in risk for general memory (with estrogen plus progestogen preparation, p = 0.02). Overall, there were no major effects on subgroups with type/timing of hormone therapy in relation to testing for a negative change in cognitive function. CONCLUSION 'Early start' of estrogen-only hormone therapy was associated with reduced risk of global cognitive decline, and 'early start' estrogen-only and estrogen/progestogen hormone therapies showed increased risks of general memory decline. Even though this study did not have the power to discriminate between minor and mixed effects, it suggests that cognitive effects of hormone therapies may be mixed, depending on cognitive domain and timing of use/type of preparation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S K Khoo
- Betty Byrne Henderson Women's Health Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Mohler ML, Narayanan R, Coss CC, Hu K, He Y, Wu Z, Hong SS, Hwang DJ, Miller DD, Dalton JT. Estrogen receptor beta selective nonsteroidal estrogens: seeking clinical indications. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2010; 20:507-34. [PMID: 20302450 DOI: 10.1517/13543771003657164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD Nonsteroidal estrogens have been known since the 1930s. However, the relatively recent (1996) discovery of estrogen receptor subtype beta (ERbeta) suggested a possible paradigm shift away from SERM-like selectivity. Selective ERbeta agonism would potentially allow expansion of estrogenic targeting into new indications (discussed herein) currently precluded by the thrombogenic and hyperproliferative effects of nonselective estrogens. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW ERbeta agonist design has been very successful. Pharmacophores for ERbeta selective nonsteroidal estrogens are generally diphenolic compounds that achieve an inter-phenolic distance and geometry similar to 17beta-estradiol with few restraints on the nature of the element linking the phenols (or phenol mimetics). The tremendously chemodiverse ERbeta agonist patent literature is reviewed, segregating the agonists into structurally similar compounds based on their interphenolic linking elements. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN A comprehensive understanding of the chemotype landscape of this field and an assessment of its maturation. TAKE HOME MESSAGE Subtype selective ERbeta agonist therapy seems very promising. However, more clinical testing is needed to firmly establish its therapeutic potential. At this point, ERbeta is a promising target in search of an indication.
Collapse
|
42
|
Lima FB, Bethea CL. Ovarian steroids decrease DNA fragmentation in the serotonin neurons of non-injured rhesus macaques. Mol Psychiatry 2010; 15:657-68. [PMID: 19823180 PMCID: PMC2874644 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2009.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2009] [Revised: 07/29/2009] [Accepted: 08/18/2009] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
We previously found that ovarian steroids promote neuroprotection in serotonin neurons by decreasing the expression of pro-apoptotic genes and proteins in the dorsal raphe nucleus of rhesus macaques, even in the absence of overt injury. In this study, we questioned whether these actions would lead to a reduction in DNA fragmentation in serotonin neurons. Ovariectomized (OVX) rhesus monkeys were implanted with silastic capsules that were empty (placebo) or containing estradiol (E), progesterone (P) or estradiol and progesterone (E+P) for 1 month. In all animals, eight levels of the dorsal raphe nucleus in a rostral-to-caudal direction were immunostained using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Two staining patterns were observed, which are referred to as type I, with complete dark staining of the nucleus, and type II, with peripheral staining in the perinuclear area. A montage of the dorsal raphe was created at each level with a Marianas Stereology Microscope and Slidebook 4.2, and the TUNEL-positive cells were counted. In direct comparison with OVX animals, P treatment and E+P treatment significantly reduced the total number of TUNEL-positive cells (Mann-Whitney test, both treatments P=0.04) and E+P treatment reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells per mm(3) (Mann-Whitney test, P=0.04). Double immunocytochemistry for TUNEL and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) indicated that DNA fragmentation was prominent in serotonin neurons. These data suggest that in the absence of ovarian steroids, a cascade of gene and protein expression leads to an increase in DNA fragmentation in serotonin neurons. Conversely, ovarian steroids have a neuroprotective role in the non-injured brain and prevent DNA fragmentation and cell death in serotonin neurons of nonhuman primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda B. Lima
- Division of Reproductive Sciences Oregon National Primate Research Center Beaverton, Oregon, 97006, USA
| | - Cynthia L. Bethea
- Division of Reproductive Sciences Oregon National Primate Research Center Beaverton, Oregon, 97006, USA
- Division of Neuroscience Oregon National Primate Research Center Beaverton, Oregon, 97006, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Liu B, Arbogast LA. Progesterone decreases tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation state and increases protein phosphatase 2A activity in the stalk-median eminence on proestrous afternoon. J Endocrinol 2010; 204:209-19. [PMID: 19945993 PMCID: PMC2808445 DOI: 10.1677/joe-09-0335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The progesterone (P(4)) rise on proestrous afternoon is associated with dephosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and reduced TH activity in the stalk-median eminence (SME), which contributes to the proestrous prolactin surge in rats. In the present study, we investigated the time course for P(4) effect on TH activity and phosphorylation state, as well as cAMP levels and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity and quantity, in the SME on proestrous morning and afternoon. P(4) (7.5 mg/kg, s.c.) treatment on proestrous afternoon decreased TH activity and TH phosphorylation state at Ser-31 and Ser-40 within 1 h, whereas morning administration of P(4) had no 1 h effect on TH. PP2A activity in the SME was enhanced after P(4) treatment for 1 h on proestrous afternoon without a change in PP2A catalytic subunit quantity, whereas P(4) treatment had no effect on PP2A activity or quantity on proestrous morning. cAMP levels in the SME were unchanged with 1 h P(4) treatment. At 5 h after P(4) treatment, TH activity and phosphorylation state declined coincident with an increase in plasma prolactin in both P(4)-treated morning and afternoon groups. PP2A activity in the SME was unchanged in 5 h P(4)-treated rat. Our data suggest that P(4) action on tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neurons involves at least two components. A more rapid (1 h) P(4) effect engaged only on proestrous afternoon likely involves the activation of PP2A. The longer P(4) action on TIDA neurons is evident on both the morning and afternoon of proestrus and may involve a common, as yet unidentified, mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6523, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Neurosteroids' effects and mechanisms for social, cognitive, emotional, and physical functions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009; 34 Suppl 1:S143-61. [PMID: 19656632 PMCID: PMC2898141 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2009] [Revised: 07/03/2009] [Accepted: 07/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hormones are trophic factors that integrate central and peripheral nervous system functions, and can influence social, cognitive, emotional and physical (SCEP) processes. Greater understanding of behavioral and neurobiological underpinnings of mental, cognitive, and/or physical changes with maturation is becoming increasingly important as the world's population ages. There are individual differences in how people age, but the factors that influence these differences are not well understood. Social supports are one factor that may influence the trajectory of age-related processes. The loss of close relationships, especially among older persons, is one of the greatest risk factors for mental and physical decline. Progesterone, secreted by the ovaries, or produced de novo in the brain, is readily converted centrally to 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP), and can influence SCEP, through rapid, non-classical steroid-mediated actions. Our hypothesis is that 3alpha,5alpha-THP is a key trophic factor in SCEP and development. Our research has demonstrated that 3alpha,5alpha-THP facilitates social and sexual behavior of rodents, which evokes further increases in 3alpha,5alpha-THP in midbrain and hippocampus, brain areas involved in SCEP. The role of 3alpha,5alpha-THP to influence social and/or sexual experience, and thereby SCEP, is discussed in this review. Further understanding of these neurobiological and/or behavioral factors may lead to findings that ultimately can promote health and prevent disease.
Collapse
|
45
|
Hudgens ED, Ji L, Carpenter CD, Petersen SL. The gad2 promoter is a transcriptional target of estrogen receptor (ER)alpha and ER beta: a unifying hypothesis to explain diverse effects of estradiol. J Neurosci 2009; 29:8790-7. [PMID: 19587286 PMCID: PMC2748993 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1289-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2009] [Revised: 05/09/2009] [Accepted: 05/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol (E(2)) regulates a wide range of neural functions, many of which require activation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and/or ERbeta, ligand-gated transcriptional regulators. Surprisingly, very few neural gene targets of ERs have been identified, and these cannot easily explain the myriad effects of E(2). GABA regulates most of the same neural functions as E(2), and GABAergic neurons throughout the brain contain ER. Therefore, we examined whether E(2) directly regulates expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 (gad2), the enzyme primarily responsible for GABA synthesis for synaptic release. Using dual luciferase assays, we found that E(2), but not other gonadal steroids, stimulated the activity of a 2691 bp rat gad2 promoter reporter construct. Activation required either ERalpha or ERbeta, and ERbeta did not repress ERalpha-mediated transactivation. Site-directed mutagenesis studies identified three estrogen response elements (EREs) with cell-specific functions. An ERE at -711 upstream of the gad2 translational start site was essential for transactivation in both MCF-7 breast cancer cells and SN56.B5.G4 neural cells, but an ERE at -546 enhanced transcription only in neural cells. A third ERE at -1958 was inactive in neural cells but exerted potent transcriptional repression in E(2)-treated MCF-7 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in mouse GABAergic N42 cells confirmed that E(2) induced ERalpha binding to a DNA fragment containing sequences corresponding to the -546 and -711 EREs of the rat promoter. Based on these data, we propose that direct transcriptional regulation of gad2 may explain, at least in part, the ability of E(2) to impact such a diverse array of neural functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward D. Hudgens
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Lan Ji
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Clifford D. Carpenter
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Sandra L. Petersen
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling is essential for preovulatory gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuron activation and the luteinizing hormone surge. J Neurosci 2008; 28:8691-7. [PMID: 18753370 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1775-08.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 350] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptin and its receptor GPR54 have recently been identified as key signaling partners in the neural control of fertility in animal models and humans. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons represent the final output neurons of the neural network controlling fertility and are suspected to be the primary locus of kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling. Using mouse models, the present study addressed whether kisspeptin and GPR54 have a key role in the activation of GnRH neurons to generate the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge responsible for ovulation. Dual-label immunocytochemistry experiments showed that 40-60% of kisspeptin neurons in the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V) expressed estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptors. Using an ovariectomized, gonadal steroid-replacement regimen, which reliably generates an LH surge, approximately 30% of RP3V kisspeptin neurons were found to express c-FOS in surging mice compared with 0% in nonsurging controls. A strong correlation was found between the percentage of c-FOS-positive kisspeptin neurons and the percentage of c-FOS-positive GnRH neurons. To evaluate whether kisspeptin and/or GPR54 were essential for GnRH neuron activation and the LH surge, Gpr54- and Kiss1-null mice were examined. Whereas wild-type littermates all exhibited LH surges and c-FOS in approximately 50% of their GnRH neurons, none of the mutant mice from either line showed an LH surge or any GnRH neurons with c-FOS. These observations provide the first evidence that kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling is essential for GnRH neuron activation that initiates ovulation. This broadens considerably the potential roles and therapeutic possibilities for kisspeptin and GPR54 in fertility regulation.
Collapse
|
47
|
Milner TA, Drake CT, Lessard A, Waters EM, Torres-Reveron A, Graustein B, Mitterling K, Frys K, Iadecola C. Angiotensin II-induced hypertension differentially affects estrogen and progestin receptors in central autonomic regulatory areas of female rats. Exp Neurol 2008; 212:393-406. [PMID: 18533148 PMCID: PMC2566634 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2008.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2008] [Revised: 04/14/2008] [Accepted: 04/17/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) activation in central autonomic nuclei modulates arterial blood pressure (ABP) and counteracts the deleterious effect of hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that hypertension, in turn, influences the expression and trafficking of gonadal steroid receptors in central cardiovascular circuits. Thus, we examined whether ER- and progestin receptor (PR)-immunoreactivity (ir) are altered in medullary and hypothalamic autonomic areas of cycling rats following chronic infusion of the hypertensive agent, angiotensin II (AngII). After 1 week AngII-infusion, systolic ABP was elevated from 103+/-4 to 172+/-8 mmHg (p<0.05; N=8/group) and all rats were in diestrus (low estrogen). In AngII-infused rats the number of PR-immunoreactive nuclei was reduced (-72%) compared to saline-infused controls also in diestrus (p<0.05). Furthermore, the intensity of ERalpha-ir increased selectively in nuclei (16%) and cytoplasm (21%) of cells in the commissural nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS; p<0.05) while neither the number nor intensity of ERbeta-labeled cells changed (p>0.05). Following chronic AngII-infusion, electron microscopy showed a higher cytoplasmic-to-nuclear ratio of ERalpha-labeling selectively in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-labeled neurons in the cNTS. Furthermore, AngII-infusion increased ERalpha-ir in the cytosol of TH- and non-TH neuronal perikarya and increased the amount of ERalpha-ir associated with endoplasmic reticulum only in TH-containing perikarya. The data suggest that hypertension modulates the expression and subcellular distribution of ERalpha and PR in central autonomic regions involved in blood pressure control. Considering that ERalpha counteracts the central and peripheral effects of AngII, these receptor changes may underlie adaptive responses that protect females from the deleterious effects of hypertension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa A Milner
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill-Cornell Medical College, 411 East 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Steyn FJ, Anderson GM, Grattan DR. Hormonal regulation of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) messenger ribonucleic acid in the arcuate nucleus during late pregnancy. Endocrinology 2008; 149:3206-14. [PMID: 18325991 DOI: 10.1210/en.2007-1623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prolactin stimulates tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, mediated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (STAT5b). During late pregnancy, these neurons become unresponsive to prolactin, with a loss of prolactin-induced activation of STAT5b and decreased dopamine secretion. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins inhibit STAT-mediated signaling, and SOCS mRNAs are specifically elevated in the arcuate nucleus during late pregnancy. We hypothesized that changes in circulating ovarian steroids during late pregnancy might induce expression of SOCS mRNAs, thus disrupting STAT5b-mediated prolactin signaling. Rats were ovariectomized on d 18 of pregnancy and treated with ovarian steroids to simulate an advanced, normal, or delayed decline in progesterone. Early progesterone withdrawal caused an early increase in prolactin secretion, and increased SOCS-1 and -3 and cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS) mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus. Prolonged progesterone treatment prevented these changes. To determine whether ovarian steroids directly alter SOCS mRNA levels, estrogen- and/or progesterone-treated ovariectomized nonpregnant rats were acutely injected with prolactin (300 microg sc) or vehicle. SOCS-1 and -3 and CIS mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus were significantly increased by estrogen or prolactin, whereas progesterone treatment reversed the effect of estrogen. Results demonstrate that estrogen and prolactin can independently induce SOCS mRNA in the arcuate nucleus and that this effect is negatively regulated by progesterone. This is consistent with the hypothesis that declining progesterone and high levels of estrogen during late pregnancy induce SOCS in the tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurons, thus contributing to their insensitivity to prolactin at this time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederik J Steyn
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Quadros PS, Wagner CK. Regulation of progesterone receptor expression by estradiol is dependent on age, sex and region in the rat brain. Endocrinology 2008; 149:3054-61. [PMID: 18308846 PMCID: PMC2408808 DOI: 10.1210/en.2007-1133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone receptor (PR) expression is highly dependent on estradiol in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the adult rat brain. During development, males express high levels of PR in the MPN, whereas females have virtually no PR, a sex difference resulting entirely from differential exposure to estradiol. Because PR is also estradiol dependent in the adult VMN, the present study examined the regulation of PR immunoreactivity (PRir) in the developing VMN. Surprisingly, PRir was present at high levels in the VMN of both neonatal males and females. In the neonatal VMN, PR expression was dependent on gonadal hormones in males but not females. When females were ovariectomized and exposed to estradiol at various ages from neonatal to adulthood, estradiol reliably induced PRir in the MPN at postnatal d 7 but failed to induce PRir in the VMN of the same animals. Only later in development, around postnatal d 14, did estradiol increase PRir in the female VMN. There appears to be a developmental switch in the VMN when PR expression changes from estradiol independent to estradiol dependent. Furthermore, this switch is anatomically specific and does not exist in the MPN. The present results indicate that the regulation of PR expression by estradiol is dependent on age, sex, and brain region, suggesting that PR may play a critical but specific role in the normal development of these reproductively important brain areas. In addition, the neonatal female VMN may provide a unique model in which to examine the mechanisms underlying the specificity of steroid-induced gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Princy S Quadros
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Liu B, Arbogast LA. Phosphorylation state of tyrosine hydroxylase in the stalk-median eminence is decreased by progesterone in cycling female rats. Endocrinology 2008; 149:1462-9. [PMID: 18096660 PMCID: PMC2276725 DOI: 10.1210/en.2007-1345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone has the capacity to suppress hypothalamic dopaminergic neuronal activity on proestrous afternoon and prolong or amplify the preovulatory prolactin surge in rats. In the present study, we examined enzyme activity and phosphorylation state of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the stalk-median eminence of cycling female rats on proestrus and estrus and related these to circulating progesterone levels. Phospho-TH levels were evaluated by Western blot analysis. TH activity was determined from the rate of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) accumulation. Phospho-TH levels at Ser-19, Ser-31, and Ser-40 were similar at 1100, 1300, and 1500 h on proestrus but declined at 1700, 1900, and 2200 h, coincident with rising serum progesterone levels. Similarly, DOPA accumulation was 30-50% lower at 1700, 1900, and 2200 h as compared with 1100-1500 h on proestrus. Ser-31 and Ser-40 phosphorylation states were increased by 1100 h on estrus to a level similar to 1100 h on proestrus, whereas DOPA accumulation was 30% greater on estrous as compared with proestrous morning. There were no significant differences among the several time points on proestrus and estrus with regard to TH protein or beta-tubulin levels. Exogenous progesterone administration (7.5 mg/kg, sc) before the preovulatory progesterone surge decreased TH activity and phospho-TH at Ser-19, Ser-31, and Ser-40, accompanied by premature increased serum prolactin. Our study suggests that decreased TH phosphorylation at Ser-19, Ser-31, and Ser-40 contributes to the decline in TH activity in the stalk-median eminence on proestrous afternoon and that progesterone may cause this initial cytoplasmic response of TH dephosphorylation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901-6523, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|