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Sliwowska JH, Woods NE, Alzahrani AR, Paspali E, Tate RJ, Ferro VA. Kisspeptin a potential therapeutic target in treatment of both metabolic and reproductive dysfunction. J Diabetes 2024; 16:e13541. [PMID: 38599822 PMCID: PMC11006622 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptins (KPs) are proteins that were first recognized to have antimetastatic action. Later, the critical role of this peptide in the regulation of reproduction was proved. In recent years, evidence has been accumulated supporting a role for KPs in regulating metabolic processes in a sexual dimorphic manner. It has been proposed that KPs regulate metabolism both indirectly via gonadal hormones and/or directly via the kisspeptin receptor in the brain, brown adipose tissue, and pancreas. The aim of the review is to provide both experimental and clinical evidence indicating that KPs are peptides linking metabolism and reproduction. We propose that KPs could be used as a potential target to treat both metabolic and reproductive abnormalities. Thus, we focus on the consequences of disruptions in KPs and their receptors in metabolic conditions such as diabetes, undernutrition, obesity, and reproductive disorders (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and polycystic ovary syndrome). Data from both animal models and human subjects indicate that alterations in KPs in the case of metabolic imbalance lead also to disruptions in reproductive functions. Changes both in the hypothalamic and peripheral KP systems in animal models of the aforementioned disorders are discussed. Finally, an overview of current clinical studies involving KP in fertility and metabolism show fewer studies on metabolism (15%) and only one to date on both. Presented data indicate a dynamic and emerging field of KP studies as possible therapeutic targets in treatments of both reproductive and metabolic dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Helena Sliwowska
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Nicola Elizabeth Woods
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Abdullah Rzgallah Alzahrani
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elpiniki Paspali
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rothwelle Joseph Tate
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Valerie Anne Ferro
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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Gao L, Zhao Y, Wu H, Lin X, Guo F, Li J, Long Y, Zhou B, She J, Zhang C, Sheng J, Jin L, Wu Y, Huang H. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Fuels Cardiovascular Inflammation and Aggravates Ischemic Cardiac Injury. Circulation 2023; 148:1958-1973. [PMID: 37937441 PMCID: PMC10713005 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.123.065827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing cardiovascular disease burden among women remains challenging. Epidemiologic studies have indicated that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disease in women of reproductive age, is associated with an increased prevalence and extent of coronary artery disease. However, the mechanism through which PCOS affects cardiac health in women remains unclear. METHODS Prenatal anti-Müllerian hormone treatment or peripubertal letrozole infusion was used to establish mouse models of PCOS. RNA sequencing was performed to determine global transcriptomic changes in the hearts of PCOS mice. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect myocardial macrophage accumulation in multiple PCOS models. Parabiosis models, cell-tracking experiments, and in vivo gene silencing approaches were used to explore the mechanisms underlying increased macrophage infiltration in PCOS mouse hearts. Permanent coronary ligation was performed to establish myocardial infarction (MI). Histologic analysis and small-animal imaging modalities (eg, magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography) were performed to evaluate the effects of PCOS on injury after MI. Women with PCOS and control participants (n=200) were recruited to confirm findings observed in animal models. RESULTS Transcriptomic profiling and immunostaining revealed that hearts from PCOS mice were characterized by increased macrophage accumulation. Parabiosis studies revealed that monocyte-derived macrophages were significantly increased in the hearts of PCOS mice because of enhanced circulating Ly6C+ monocyte supply. Compared with control mice, PCOS mice showed a significant increase in splenic Ly6C+ monocyte output, associated with elevated hematopoietic progenitors in the spleen and sympathetic tone. Plasma norepinephrine (a sympathetic neurotransmitter) levels and spleen size were consistently increased in women with PCOS when compared with those in control participants, and norepinephrine levels were significantly correlated with circulating CD14++CD16- monocyte counts. Compared with animals without PCOS, PCOS animals showed significantly exacerbated atherosclerotic plaque development and post-MI cardiac remodeling. Conditional Vcam1 silencing in PCOS mice significantly suppressed cardiac inflammation and improved cardiac injury after MI. CONCLUSIONS Our data documented previously unrecognized mechanisms through which PCOS could affect cardiovascular health in women. PCOS may promote myocardial macrophage accumulation and post-MI cardiac remodeling because of augmented splenic myelopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Gao
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (L.G., H.W., J. She, H.H.)
| | - Yichao Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China (Y.Z.)
| | - Haiyan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (L.G., H.W., J. She, H.H.)
| | - Xianhua Lin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Fei Guo
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Jie Li
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Yuhang Long
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Bokang Zhou
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Junsen She
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (L.G., H.W., J. She, H.H.)
| | - Chen Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Jianzhong Sheng
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China (J. Sheng, H.H.)
| | - Li Jin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
- Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No. 2019RU056), Shanghai, China (L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Yanting Wu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
- Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No. 2019RU056), Shanghai, China (L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
| | - Hefeng Huang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (L.G., X.L., F.G., J.L., Y.L., B.Z., C.Z., L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (L.G., H.W., J. She, H.H.)
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China (J. Sheng, H.H.)
- Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No. 2019RU056), Shanghai, China (L.J., Y.W., H.H.)
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (H.H.)
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Silva MSB, Decoster L, Delpouve G, Lhomme T, Ternier G, Prevot V, Giacobini P. Overactivation of GnRH neurons is sufficient to trigger polycystic ovary syndrome-like traits in female mice. EBioMedicine 2023; 97:104850. [PMID: 37898094 PMCID: PMC10630624 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder leading to anovulatory infertility. Abnormalities in the central neuroendocrine system governed by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons might be related to ovarian dysfunction in PCOS, although the link in this disordered brain-to-ovary communication remains unclear. Here, we manipulated GnRH neurons using chemogenetics in adult female mice to unveil whether chronic overaction of these neurons would trigger PCOS-like hormonal and reproductive impairments. METHODS We used adult Gnrh1cre female mice to selectively target and express the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD)-based chemogenetic tool hM3D(Gq) in hypophysiotropic GnRH neurons. Chronic chemogenetic activation protocol was carried out with clozapine N-oxide (CNO) i.p. injections every 48 h over a month. We evaluated the reproductive and hormonal profile before, during, and two months after chemogenetic manipulations. FINDINGS We discovered that the overactivation of GnRH neurons was sufficient to disrupt reproductive cycles, promote hyperandrogenism, and induce ovarian dysfunction. These PCOS features were detected with a long-lasting neuroendocrine dysfunction through abnormally high luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse secretion. Additionally, the GnRH-R blockade prevented the establishment of long-term neuroendocrine dysfunction and androgen excess in these animals. INTERPRETATION Taken together, our results show that hyperactivity of hypothalamic GnRH neurons is a major driver of reproductive and hormonal impairments in PCOS and suggest that antagonizing the aberrant GnRH signaling could be an efficient therapeutic venue for the treatment of PCOS. FUNDING European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement n◦ 725149).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro S B Silva
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Laurine Decoster
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Gaspard Delpouve
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Tori Lhomme
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Gaetan Ternier
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, FHU 1000 Days for Health, School of Medicine, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France.
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Abruzzese GA, Ferreira SR, Ferrer MJ, Silva AF, Motta AB. Prenatal Androgen Excess Induces Multigenerational Effects on Female and Male Descendants. Clin Med Insights Endocrinol Diabetes 2023; 16:11795514231196461. [PMID: 37705939 PMCID: PMC10496475 DOI: 10.1177/11795514231196461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It is still unelucidated how hormonal alterations affect developing organisms and their descendants. Particularly, the effects of androgen levels are of clinical relevance as they are usually high in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Moreover, it is still unknown how androgens may affect males' health and their descendants. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the multigenerational effect of prenatal androgen excess until a second generation at early developmental stages considering both maternal and paternal effects. Design And Methods This is an animal model study. Female rats (F0) were exposed to androgens during pregnancy by injections of 1 mg of testosterone to obtain prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) animals (F1), leading to a well-known animal model that resembles PCOS features. A control (C) group was obtained by vehicle injections. The PH-F1 animals were crossed with C males (m) or females (f) and C animals were also mated, thus obtaining 3 different mating groups: Cf × Cm, PHf × Cm, Cf × PHm and their offspring (F2). Results F1-PHf presented altered glucose metabolism and lipid profile compared to F1-C females. In addition, F1-PHf showed an increased time to mating with control males compared to the C group. At gestational day 14, we found alterations in glucose and total cholesterol serum levels and in the placental size of the pregnant F1-PHf and Cf mated to F1-PHm. The F2 offspring resulting from F1-PH mothers or fathers showed alterations in their growth, size, and glucose metabolism up to early post-natal development in a sex-dependent manner, being the females born to F1-PHf the most affected ones. Conclusion androgen exposure during intrauterine life leads to programing effects in females and males that affect offspring health in a sex-dependent manner, at least up-to a second generation. In addition, this study suggests paternally mediated effects on the F2 offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Adriana Abruzzese
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvana Rocio Ferreira
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria José Ferrer
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aimé Florencia Silva
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alicia Beatriz Motta
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Zou L, Li W, Xu D, Zhu S, Jiang B. Alteration of the N 6-methyladenosine methylation landscape in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome. J Ovarian Res 2023; 16:157. [PMID: 37550765 PMCID: PMC10408202 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-023-01246-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation abnormality of mRNAs and its potential roles in the mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS The mouse model of PCOS were induced by injecting dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and confirmed by observing the morphological structures of ovarian follicles. Subsequently, m6A-tagged mRNAs were identified via m6A epitranscriptomic microarray and its potential functional pathways were predicted in KEGG database. The expression and modification levels of key mRNAs in the most enriched pathway were evaluated and compared using western blot and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR (MeRIP-qPCR). RESULTS Compared with the control group, 415 hypermethylated and downregulated mRNAs, 8 hypomethylated and upregulated mRNAs, and 14 hypermethylated and upregulated mRNAs were identified in the PCOS group (Fold change ≥ 1.5). Those mRNAs were mainly involved in insulin signaling pathway, type II diabetes mellitus, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, inositol phosphate metabolism, and GnRH secretion. In insulin signaling pathway, the expression levels of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) were decreased, whereas that of upstream phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K) were increased in PCOS group. Moreover, skeletal muscle and kidney-enriched inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatease (SKIP), one of PIP3 phosphatases, was verified to be overexpressed, and Skip mRNAs were hypermethylated in PCOS group. CONCLUSION The altered m6A modification of mRNAs might play a critical role in PCOS process. The PI3K/AKT pathway is inhibited in the mouse model of PCOS. Whether it is caused by the m6A modification of Skip mRNAs is worthy of further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxiao Zou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, China
| | - Waixing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, China
| | - Dabao Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, China
| | - Shujuan Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, China.
| | - Bin Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, China.
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Prashar V, Arora T, Singh R, Sharma A, Parkash J. Hypothalamic Kisspeptin Neurons: Integral Elements of the GnRH System. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:802-822. [PMID: 35799018 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01027-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Highly sophisticated and synchronized interactions of various cells and hormonal signals are required to make organisms competent for reproduction. GnRH neurons act as a common pathway for multiple cues for the onset of puberty and attaining reproductive function. GnRH is not directly receptive to most of the signals required for the GnRH secretion during the various phases of the ovarian cycle. Kisspeptin neurons of the hypothalamus convey these signals required for the synchronized release of the GnRH. The steroid-sensitive anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) kisspeptin and arcuate nucleus (ARC) KNDy neurons convey steroid feedback during the reproductive cycle necessary for GnRH surge and pulse, respectively. AVPV region kisspeptin neurons also communicate with nNOS synthesizing neurons and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neurons to coordinate the process of the ovarian cycle. Neurokinin B (NKB) and dynorphin play roles in the GnRH pulse stimulation and inhibition, respectively. The loss of NKB and kisspeptin function results in the development of neuroendocrine disorders such as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) and infertility. Ca2+ signaling is essential for GnRH pulse generation, which is propagated through gap junctions between astrocytes-KNDy and KNDy-KNDy neurons. Impaired functioning of KNDy neurons could develop the characteristics associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in rodents. Kisspeptin-increased synthesis led to excessive secretion of the LH associated with PCOS. This review provides the latest insights and understanding into the role of the KNDy and AVPV/POA kisspeptin neurons in GnRH secretion and PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Prashar
- Department of Zoology, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Tania Arora
- Department of Zoology, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Randeep Singh
- Department of Zoology, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Arti Sharma
- Department of Computational Sciences, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Jyoti Parkash
- Department of Zoology, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India.
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Abruzzese GA, Arbocco FCV, Ferrer MJ, Silva AF, Motta AB. Role of Hormones During Gestation and Early Development: Pathways Involved in Developmental Programming. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1428:31-70. [PMID: 37466768 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32554-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that an altered maternal milieu and environmental insults during the intrauterine and perinatal periods of life affect the developing organism, leading to detrimental long-term outcomes and often to adult pathologies through programming effects. Hormones, together with growth factors, play critical roles in the regulation of maternal-fetal and maternal-neonate interfaces, and alterations in any of them may lead to programming effects on the developing organism. In this chapter, we will review the role of sex steroids, thyroid hormones, and insulin-like growth factors, as crucial factors involved in physiological processes during pregnancy and lactation, and their role in developmental programming effects during fetal and early neonatal life. Also, we will consider epidemiological evidence and data from animal models of altered maternal hormonal environments and focus on the role of different tissues in the establishment of maternal and fetus/infant interaction. Finally, we will identify unresolved questions and discuss potential future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Adriana Abruzzese
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fiorella Campo Verde Arbocco
- Laboratorio de Hormonas y Biología del Cáncer, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Reproducción y Lactancia, IMBECU, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María José Ferrer
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aimé Florencia Silva
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alicia Beatriz Motta
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Liu J, Yuan Y, Peng X, Wang Y, Cao R, Zhang Y, Fu L. Mechanism of leptin-NPY on the onset of puberty in male offspring rats after androgen intervention during pregnancy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1090552. [PMID: 37056673 PMCID: PMC10086166 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1090552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The time of onset of puberty has been increasingly earlier, but its mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism of leptin and NPY in the onset of puberty in male offspring rats after androgen intervention during pregnancy. METHODS Eight-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and 16 female SD rats were selected and caged at 1:2. The pregnant rats were randomly divided into the olive oil control group (OOG) and testosterone intervention group (TG), with 8 rats in each group. Olive oil and testosterone were injected from the 15th day of pregnancy, for a total of 4 injections (15th, 17th, 19th, 21st day). After the onset of puberty, the male offspring rats were anesthetized with 2% pentobarbital sodium to collect blood by ventral aorta puncture and decapitated to peel off the hypothalamus and abdominal fat. Serum testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and leptin were detected by ELISA, and then the free androgen index (FAI) was calculated. The mRNA levels of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor α (ERα), NPY, leptinR, and NPY2R in the hypothalamus and abdominal fat were detected by RT-PCR. Protein expression levels of AR, ERα, NPY, leptinR, and NPY2R in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The time of onset of puberty was significantly earlier in the TG than in the OOG (P< 0.05) and was positively correlated with body weight, body length, abdominal fat, and leptinR mRNA levels in adipose tissue in the OOG (P< 0.05), while it was positively correlated with serum DHT and DHEA concentrations and FAI and AR mRNA levels in the hypothalamus in the TG (P< 0.05). The NPY2R mRNA level and protein expression levels of ERα, NPY2R, and leptinR in the TG were significantly higher than those in the OOG, while the protein expression levels of AR and NPY in the TG were significantly lower than those in the OOG (P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Testosterone intervention during pregnancy led to an earlier onset of puberty in male offspring rats, which may render the male offspring rats more sensitive to androgens, leptin, and NPY at the onset of puberty.
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Mecarelli E, Aigotti R, Asteggiano A, Giacobini P, Chasles M, Tillet Y, Dal Bello F, Medana C. Quantitation of endogenous GnRH by validated nano-HPLC-HRMS method: a pilot study on ewe plasma. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:7623-7634. [PMID: 36063171 PMCID: PMC9587114 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04293-z] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone isoform I (GnRH), a neuro-deca-peptide, plays a fundamental role in development and maintenance of the reproductive system in vertebrates. The anomalous release of GnRH is observed in reproductive disorder such as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or following prenatal exposure to elevated androgen levels. Quantitation of GnRH plasma levels could help to diagnose and better understand these pathologies. Here, a validated nano-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) method to quantify GnRH in ewe plasma samples is presented. Protein precipitation and solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment steps were required to purify and enrich GnRH and internal standard (lamprey-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-III, l-LHRH-III). For the validation process, a surrogate matrix approach was chosen following the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) and FDA guidelines. Before the validation study, the validation model using the surrogate matrix was compared with those using a real matrix such as human plasma. All the tested parameters were analogous confirming the use of the surrogate matrix as a standard calibration medium. From the validation study, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values of 0.008 and 0.024 ng/mL were obtained, respectively. Selectivity, accuracy, precision, recovery, and matrix effect were assessed with quality control samples in human plasma and all values were acceptable. Sixteen samples belonging to healthy and prenatal androgen (PNA) exposed ewes were collected and analyzed, and the GnRH levels ranged between 0.05 and 3.26 ng/mL. The nano-HPLC-HRMS developed here was successful in measuring GnRH, representing therefore a suitable technique to quantify GnRH in ewe plasma and to detect it in other matrices and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Mecarelli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Riccardo Aigotti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Alberto Asteggiano
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Inserm UMR-S1172, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Manon Chasles
- University of Tours, IFCE, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Yves Tillet
- University of Tours, IFCE, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Federica Dal Bello
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125, Turin, Italy.
| | - Claudio Medana
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125, Turin, Italy
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10
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Sánchez-Garrido MA, García-Galiano D, Tena-Sempere M. Early programming of reproductive health and fertility: novel neuroendocrine mechanisms and implications in reproductive medicine. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:346-375. [PMID: 35187579 PMCID: PMC9071071 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, environmental changes taking place during early maturational periods may alter normal development and predispose to the occurrence of diverse pathologies later in life. Indeed, adverse conditions during these critical developmental windows of high plasticity have been reported to alter the offspring developmental trajectory, causing permanent functional and structural perturbations that in the long term may enhance disease susceptibility. However, while solid evidence has documented that fluctuations in environmental factors, ranging from nutrient availability to chemicals, in early developmental stages (including the peri-conceptional period) have discernible programming effects that increase vulnerability to develop metabolic perturbations, the impact and eventual mechanisms involved, of such developmental alterations on the reproductive phenotype of offspring have received less attention. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review will summarize recent advances in basic and clinical research that support the concept of DOHaD in the context of the impact of nutritional and hormonal perturbations, occurring during the periconceptional, fetal and early postnatal stages, on different aspects of reproductive function in both sexes. Special emphasis will be given to the effects of early nutritional stress on the timing of puberty and adult gonadotropic function, and to address the underlying neuroendocrine pathways, with particular attention to involvement of the Kiss1 system in these reproductive perturbations. The implications of such phenomena in terms of reproductive medicine will also be considered. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive MEDLINE search, using PubMed as main interface, of research articles and reviews, published mainly between 2006 and 2021, has been carried out. Search was implemented using multiple terms, focusing on clinical and preclinical data from DOHaD studies, addressing periconceptional, gestational and perinatal programming of reproduction. Selected studies addressing early programming of metabolic function have also been considered, when relevant. OUTCOMES A solid body of evidence, from clinical and preclinical studies, has documented the impact of nutritional and hormonal fluctuations during the periconceptional, prenatal and early postnatal periods on pubertal maturation, as well as adult gonadotropic function and fertility. Furthermore, exposure to environmental chemicals, such as bisphenol A, and maternal stress has been shown to negatively influence pubertal development and gonadotropic function in adulthood. The underlying neuroendocrine pathways and mechanisms involved have been also addressed, mainly by preclinical studies, which have identified an, as yet incomplete, array of molecular and neurohormonal effectors. These include, prominently, epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and the hypothalamic Kiss1 system, which likely contribute to the generation of reproductive alterations in conditions of early nutritional and/or metabolic stress. In addition to the Kiss1 system, other major hypothalamic regulators of GnRH neurosecretion, such as γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, may be targets of developmental programming. WIDER IMPLICATIONS This review addresses an underdeveloped area of reproductive biology and medicine that may help to improve our understanding of human reproductive disorders and stresses the importance, and eventual pathogenic impact, of early determinants of puberty, adult reproductive function and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Sánchez-Garrido
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
| | - David García-Galiano
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Cordoba, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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11
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McCartney CR, Campbell RE, Marshall JC, Moenter SM. The role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in polycystic ovary syndrome. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13093. [PMID: 35083794 PMCID: PMC9232905 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Given the critical central role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in fertility, it is not surprising that the GnRH neural network is implicated in the pathology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Although many symptoms of PCOS relate most proximately to ovarian dysfunction, the central reproductive neuroendocrine system ultimately drives ovarian function through its regulation of anterior pituitary gonadotropin release. The typical cyclical changes in frequency of GnRH release are often absent in women with PCOS, resulting in a persistent high-frequency drive promoting gonadotropin changes (i.e., relatively high luteinizing hormone and relatively low follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations) that contribute to ovarian hyperandrogenemia and ovulatory dysfunction. However, the specific mechanisms underpinning GnRH neuron dysfunction in PCOS remain unclear. Here, we summarize several preclinical and clinical studies that explore the causes of aberrant GnRH secretion in PCOS and the role of disordered GnRH secretion in PCOS pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. McCartney
- Center for Research in Reproduction and Department of MedicineUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | - Rebecca E. Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of PhysiologySchool of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - John C. Marshall
- Center for Research in Reproduction and Department of MedicineUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | - Suzanne M. Moenter
- Departments of Molecular & Integrative PhysiologyInternal MedicineObstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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12
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Bhattarai P, Rijal S, Bhattarai JP, Cho DH, Han SK. Suppression of neurotransmission on gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome: A mouse model. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1059255. [PMID: 36699037 PMCID: PMC9868609 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1059255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women, characterized by the accretion of small cystic follicles in the ovary associated with chronic anovulation and overproduction of androgens. Ovarian function in all mammals is controlled by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, which are the central regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. However, the impact on the neurotransmitter system regulating GnRH neuronal function in the letrozole-induced PCOS mouse model remains unclear. METHODS In this study, we compared the response of various neurotransmitters and neurosteroids regulating GnRH neuronal activities between letrozole-induced PCOS and normal mice via electrophysiological techniques. RESULTS Response to neurotransmitter systems like GABAergic, glutamatergic and kisspeptinergic were suppressed in letrozole-fed compared to normal mice. In addition, neurosteroids tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c] pyridine-3-ol (THIP) mediated response on GnRH neurons were significantly smaller on letrozole-fed mice compared to normal mice. Furthermore, we also found that letrozole-fed mice showed irregularity in the estrous cycle, increased body weight, and anovulation in female mice. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that PCOS is an endocrine disorder that may directly affect the neurotransmitter system regulating GnRH neuronal activity at the hypothalamic level and impact reproductive physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravin Bhattarai
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry and Institute of Oral Bioscience, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Santosh Rijal
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry and Institute of Oral Bioscience, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Janardhan P. Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dong Hyu Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Dong Hyu Cho, ; Seong Kyu Han,
| | - Seong Kyu Han
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry and Institute of Oral Bioscience, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Dong Hyu Cho, ; Seong Kyu Han,
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13
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Moore AM, Lohr DB, Coolen LM, Lehman MN. Prenatal Androgen Exposure Alters KNDy Neurons and Their Afferent Network in a Model of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6338736. [PMID: 34346492 PMCID: PMC8402932 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinopathy affecting women worldwide, is characterized by elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency due to the impaired suppression of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release by steroid hormone negative feedback. Although neurons that co-express kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin (KNDy cells) were recently defined as the GnRH/LH pulse generator, little is understood about their role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. We used a prenatal androgen-treated (PNA) mouse model of PCOS to determine whether changes in KNDy neurons or their afferent network underlie altered negative feedback. First, we identified elevated androgen receptor gene expression in KNDy cells of PNA mice, whereas progesterone receptor and dynorphin gene expression was significantly reduced, suggesting elevated androgens in PCOS disrupt progesterone negative feedback via direct actions upon KNDy cells. Second, we discovered GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic input to KNDy neurons was reduced in PNA mice. Retrograde monosynaptic tract-tracing revealed a dramatic reduction in input originates from sexually dimorphic afferents in the preoptic area, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, anterior hypothalamic area and lateral hypothalamus. These results reveal 2 sites of neuronal alterations potentially responsible for defects in negative feedback in PCOS: changes in gene expression within KNDy neurons, and changes in synaptic inputs from steroid hormone-responsive hypothalamic regions. How each of these changes contribute to the neuroendocrine phenotype seen in in PCOS, and the role of specific sets of upstream KNDy afferents in the process, remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleisha M Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Correspondence: Aleisha M. Moore, PhD, 075 Integrated Sciences Building, Kent, Ohio, 44242-0001, USA.
| | - Dayanara B Lohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Lique M Coolen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
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Prenatal Androgen Treatment Does Not Alter the Firing Activity of Hypothalamic Arcuate Kisspeptin Neurons in Female Mice. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0306-21.2021. [PMID: 34503965 PMCID: PMC8482853 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0306-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroendocrine control of reproduction is disrupted in many individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), who present with increased luteinizing hormone (LH), and presumably gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), release frequency, and high androgen levels. Prenatal androgenization (PNA) recapitulates these phenotypes in primates and rodents. Female offspring of mice injected with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on gestational days 16-18 exhibit disrupted estrous cyclicity, increased LH and testosterone, and increased GnRH neuron firing rate as adults. PNA also alters the developmental trajectory of GnRH neuron firing rates, markedly blunting the prepubertal peak in firing that occurs in three-week (3wk)-old controls. GnRH neurons do not express detectable androgen receptors and are thus probably not the direct target of DHT. Rather, PNA likely alters GnRH neuronal activity by modulating upstream neurons, such as hypothalamic arcuate neurons co-expressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B (gene Tac2), and dynorphin, also known as KNDy neurons. We hypothesized PNA treatment changes firing rates of KNDy neurons in a similar age-dependent manner as GnRH neurons. We conducted targeted extracellular recordings (0.5-2 h) of Tac2-identified KNDy neurons from control and PNA mice at 3wks of age and in adulthood. About half of neurons were quiescent (<0.005 Hz). Long-term firing rates of active cells varied, suggestive of episodic activity, but were not different among groups. Short-term burst firing was also similar. We thus reject the hypothesis that PNA alters the firing rate of KNDy neurons. This does not preclude altered neurosecretory output of KNDy neurons, involvement of other neuronal populations, or in vivo networks as critical drivers of altered GnRH firing rates in PNA mice.
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15
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Involvement of Kisspeptin in androgen-induced hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress and its rescuing effect in PCOS rats. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166242. [PMID: 34389474 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, with adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR), is a key link between obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, all of which are often present in the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized with hyperandrogenism. However, the link between excess androgen and Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is unknown. An unexpected role of kisspeptin was reported in the regulation of UPR pathways and its involvement in the androgen-induced ER stress in hypothalamic neuronal cells. To evaluate the relationship of kisspeptin and ER stress, we detected Kisspeptin and other factors in blood plasm of PCOS patients, rat models and hypothalamic neuronal cells. We detected higher testosterone and lower kisspeptin levels in the plasma of PCOS than that in non-PCOS women. We established a PCOS rat model by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) chronic exposure, and observed significantly downregulated kisspeptin expression and activated UPR pathways in PCOS rat hypothalamus compared to that in controls. Inhibition or knockdown of kisspeptin completely mimicked the enhancing effect of DHT on UPR pathways in a hypothalamic neuronal cell line, GT1-7. Kp10, the most potent peptide of kisspeptin, effectively reversed or suppressed the activated UPR pathways induced by DHT or thapsigargin, an ER stress activator, in GT1-7 cells, as well as in the hypothalamus in PCOS rats. Similarly, Kisspeptin attenuated thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ response and the DHT- induced insulin resistance in GT1-7 cells. Collectively, the present study has revealed an unexpected protective role of kisspeptin against ER stress and insulin resistance in the hypothalamus and provided a new treatment strategy targeting hypothalamic ER stress and insulin resistance with kisspeptin as a potential therapeutic agent.
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16
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Jin L, Yu J, Chen Y, Pang H, Sheng J, Huang H. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Risk of Five Common Psychiatric Disorders Among European Women: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study. Front Genet 2021; 12:689897. [PMID: 34211505 PMCID: PMC8239353 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.689897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Observational studies have implied an association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and psychiatric disorders. Here we examined whether PCOS might contribute causally to such disorders, focusing on anxiety disorder (AD), bipolar disorder (BIP), major depression disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). Methods: Causality was explored using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) with genetic variants as instrumental variables. The genetic variants were from summary data of genome-wide association studies in European populations. First, potential causal effects of PCOS on each psychiatric disorder were evaluated, and then potential reverse causality was also assessed once PCOS was found to be causally associated with any psychiatric disorder. Causal effects were explored using inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger analysis, simulation extrapolation, and weighted median analysis. Results: Genetically predicted PCOS was positively associated with OCD based on inverse variance weighting (OR 1.339, 95% CI 1.083–1.657, p = 0.007), simulation extrapolation (OR 1.382, 95% CI 1.149–1.662, p = 0.009) and weighted median analysis (OR 1.493, 95% CI 1.145–1.946, p = 0.003). However, genetically predicted OCD was not associated with PCOS. Genetically predicted PCOS did not exert causal effects on AD, BIP, MDD, or SCZ. Conclusions: In European populations, PCOS may be a causal factor in OCD, but not AD, BIP, MDD, or SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Jin
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia'en Yu
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuxiao Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Pang
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hefeng Huang
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Zuo M, Liao G, Zhang W, Xu D, Lu J, Tang M, Yan Y, Hong C, Wang Y. Effects of exogenous adiponectin supplementation in early pregnant PCOS mice on the metabolic syndrome of adult female offspring. J Ovarian Res 2021; 14:15. [PMID: 33455575 PMCID: PMC7812650 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-020-00755-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective PCOS is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder with both reproductive and metabolic abnormalities. At present, PCOS has been confirmed to have a certain genetic background. Compared with healthy women, the vast majority of PCOS patients have hyperandrogenemia, and this excessive androgen exposure during pregnancy may affect the development of female fetuses. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of adiponectin intervention during early pregnancy of obese mice with PCOS on the metabolic phenotype of adult female offspring. Methods After the PCOS model was established, C57BL/6J mice were divided into maternal-control, maternal-PCOS, and maternal-PCOS + APN groups. DHEA-induced PCOS mice were supplemented with adiponectin (10 mg/kg/day) in the early pregnancy in order to eliminate adverse hormone exposure and then traced for endocrine indicators in their adult female offspring, which were observed for metabolism syndrome or endocrine disturbance and exhibited the main effects of APN. To further explore the underlying mechanism, the relative expressions of phosphorylated AMPK, PI3K, and Akt were detected in the ovaries of offspring mice. Results The serum testosterone level of the maternal-PCOS + APN group in early pregnancy was significantly lower than that of the maternal-PCOS group (p < 0.01). The serum testosterone level in the offspring-PCOS + APN group was significantly lower than in the offspring-PCOS group (p <0.05), the diestrus time characterized by massive granulocyte aggregation in the estrus cycle was significantly shorter than in the offspring-PCOS group (p<0.05), and the phenotypes of PCOS-like reproductive disorders and metabolic disorders, such as obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and hyperlipidemia, were also significantly improved in the offspring-PCOS + APN group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of phosphorylated AMPK, PI3K, and Akt in the offspring-PCOS group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while those in the offspring-PCOS + APN group were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Conclusions APN intervention in early pregnancy significantly reduced the adverse effects of maternal obesity and high androgen levels during pregnancy on female offspring and corrected the PCOS-like endocrine phenotype and metabolic disorders of adult female offspring. This effect may be caused by the activation of the AMPK/PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in PCOS offspring mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zuo
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Guotao Liao
- The Second Hospital, University of South China, 421001, Hengyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Yueyang, 414000, Yueyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Lu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Manhong Tang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Yan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenghao Hong
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxia Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 601 West Huangpu Avenue, 510000, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Wang Z, Yang L, Dong H, Dong H, Cheng L, Yi P, Huang D. Effect of electroacupuncture on the kisspeptin system in a pubertal rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Acupunct Med 2021; 39:491-500. [PMID: 33406849 DOI: 10.1177/0964528420971299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effects and mechanism of action of electroacupuncture (EA) in a rat model of pubertal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS Female offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats receiving dihydrotestosterone (DHT) during pregnancy (days 16-19), as a model of prenatal androgenization, were divided randomly into three groups: model group (M), EA group, and sham acupuncture (SA) group (n = 8 each). A normal (N) group comprising female offspring of healthy pregnant rats not receiving DHT (n = 8) was added. EA was administered at CV6 and bilateral SP6/ST36 with 2 Hz frequency and 2 mA intensity. SA consisted of superficial needling at different locations without electrical stimulation. RESULTS EA improved the disturbed estrous cycles, while it could not be concluded that SA was effective in this respect. EA improved ovarian morphology including the number of corpora lutea and area of the ovary, whereas SA did not. However, both EA and SA attenuated the increased luteinizing hormone and decreased estradiol and gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels in the serum of PCOS model rats. Levels of testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and progesterone did not significantly differ between groups. EA and SA alleviated the upregulation of kisspeptin protein and mRNA levels in the hypothalamus and kisspeptin protein level in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). No differences were found between groups in protein or mRNA expression of dynorphin (DYN) or neurokinin B (NKB) in the hypothalamus. Co-expression of kisspeptin, NKB, and DYN were observed in ARC. The GnRH level in the median eminence decreased and could be rescued by EA and SA. Intriguingly, kisspeptin levels in the granulosa cells of the ovary decreased in the model group and could be rescued by EA but not SA. Levels of kisspeptin, NKB, and DYN protein and mRNA in the ovary did not differ between any groups. CONCLUSION Both EA and SA appeared to improve symptoms of PCOS at puberty by modulating the kisspeptin system in the hypothalamus. EA also had an effect on ovarian kisspeptin expression and a more comprehensive effect with respect to improving PCOS at puberty than SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Yang
- Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoxu Dong
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Cheng
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Yi
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongmei Huang
- Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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19
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Wu HM, Chang HM, Leung PCK. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs: Mechanisms of action and clinical applications in female reproduction. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 60:100876. [PMID: 33045257 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Extra-hypothalamic GnRH and extra-pituitary GnRH receptors exist in multiple human reproductive tissues, including the ovary, endometrium and myometrium. Recently, new analogs (agonists and antagonists) and modes of GnRH have been developed for clinical application during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for assisted reproductive technology (ART). Additionally, the analogs and upstream regulators of GnRH suppress gonadotropin secretion and regulate the functions of the reproductive axis. GnRH signaling is primarily involved in the direct control of female reproduction. The cellular mechanisms and action of the GnRH/GnRH receptor system have been clinically applied for the treatment of reproductive disorders and have widely been introduced in ART. New GnRH analogs, such as long-acting GnRH analogs and oral nonpeptide GnRH antagonists, are being continuously developed for clinical application. The identification of the upstream regulators of GnRH, such as kisspeptin and neurokinin B, provides promising potential to develop these upstream regulator-related analogs to control the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsien-Ming Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsun-Ming Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada
| | - Peter C K Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada.
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20
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Liao B, Qiao J, Pang Y. Central Regulation of PCOS: Abnormal Neuronal-Reproductive-Metabolic Circuits in PCOS Pathophysiology. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:667422. [PMID: 34122341 PMCID: PMC8194358 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.667422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disease. PCOS patients are characterized by hyperandrogenemia, anovulation, and metabolic dysfunction. Hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis imbalance is considered as an important pathophysiology underlying PCOS, indicating that central modulation, especially the abnormal activation of hypothalamic GnRH neurons plays a vital role in PCOS development. Increased GnRH pulse frequency can promote LH secretion, leading to ovarian dysfunction and abnormal sex steroids synthesis. By contrast, peripheral sex steroids can modulate the action of GnRH neurons through a feedback effect, which is impaired in PCOS, thus forming a vicious cycle. Additionally, hypothalamic GnRH neurons not only serve as the final output pathway of central control of reproductive axis, but also as the central connection point where reproductive function and metabolic state inter-regulate with each other. Metabolic factors, such as insulin resistance and obesity in PCOS patients can regulate GnRH neurons activity, and ultimately regulate reproductive function. Besides, gut hormones act on both brain and peripheral organs to modify metabolic state. Gut microbiota disturbance is also related to many metabolic diseases and has been reported to play an essential part in PCOS development. This review concludes with the mechanism of central modulation and the interaction between neuroendocrine factors and reproductive or metabolic disorders in PCOS development. Furthermore, the role of the gut microenvironment as an important part involved in the abnormal neuronal-reproductive-metabolic circuits that contribute to PCOS is discussed, thus offering possible central and peripheral therapeutic targets for PCOS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoying Liao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Qiao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanli Pang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yanli Pang,
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21
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Yao S, Lopez-Tello J, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Developmental programming of the female reproductive system-a review. Biol Reprod 2020; 104:745-770. [PMID: 33354727 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposures to adverse conditions in utero can lead to permanent changes in the structure and function of key physiological systems in the developing fetus, increasing the risk of disease and premature aging in later postnatal life. When considering the systems that could be affected by an adverse gestational environment, the reproductive system of developing female offspring may be particularly important, as changes have the potential to alter both reproductive capacity of the first generation, as well as health of the second generation through changes in the oocyte. The aim of this review is to examine the impact of different adverse intrauterine conditions on the reproductive system of the female offspring. It focuses on the effects of exposure to maternal undernutrition, overnutrition/obesity, hypoxia, smoking, steroid excess, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and pollutants during gestation and draws on data from human and animal studies to illuminate underlying mechanisms. The available data indeed indicate that adverse gestational environments alter the reproductive physiology of female offspring with consequences for future reproductive capacity. These alterations are mediated via programmed changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the structure and function of reproductive tissues, particularly the ovaries. Reproductive programming may be observed as a change in the timing of puberty onset and menopause/reproductive decline, altered menstrual/estrous cycles, polycystic ovaries, and elevated risk of reproductive tissue cancers. These reproductive outcomes can affect the fertility and fecundity of the female offspring; however, further work is needed to better define the possible impact of these programmed changes on subsequent generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Yao
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jorge Lopez-Tello
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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22
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Romero-Ruiz A, Skorupskaite K, Gaytan F, Torres E, Perdices-Lopez C, Mannaerts BM, Qi S, Leon S, Manfredi-Lozano M, Lopez-Rodriguez C, Avendaño MS, Sanchez-Garrido MA, Vazquez MJ, Pinilla L, van Duin M, Kohout TA, Anderson RA, Tena-Sempere M. Kisspeptin treatment induces gonadotropic responses and rescues ovulation in a subset of preclinical models and women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Hum Reprod 2020; 34:2495-2512. [PMID: 31820802 PMCID: PMC6936723 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can kisspeptin treatment induce gonadotrophin responses and ovulation in preclinical models and anovulatory women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Kisspeptin administration in some anovulatory preclinical models and women with PCOS can stimulate reproductive hormone secretion and ovulation, albeit with incomplete efficacy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY PCOS is a prevalent, heterogeneous endocrine disorder, characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and deregulated gonadotrophin secretion, in need of improved therapeutic options. Kisspeptins (encoded by Kiss1) are master regulators of the reproductive axis, acting mainly at GnRH neurons, with kisspeptins being an essential drive for gonadotrophin-driven ovarian follicular maturation and ovulation. Altered Kiss1 expression has been found in rodent models of PCOS, although the eventual pathophysiological role of kisspeptins in PCOS remains unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Gonadotrophin and ovarian/ovulatory responses to kisspeptin-54 (KP-54) were evaluated in three preclinical models of PCOS, generated by androgen exposures at different developmental windows, and a pilot exploratory cohort of anovulatory women with PCOS. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Three models of PCOS were generated by exposure of female rats to androgens at different periods of development: PNA (prenatal androgenization; N = 20), NeNA (neonatal androgenization; N = 20) and PWA (post-weaning androgenization; N = 20). At adulthood (postnatal day 100), rats were subjected to daily treatments with a bolus of KP-54 (100 μg/kg, s.c.) or vehicle for 11 days (N = 10 per model and treatment). On Days 1, 4, 7 and 11, LH and FSH responses were assessed at different time-points within 4 h after KP-54 injection, while ovarian responses, in terms of follicular maturation and ovulation, were measured at the end of the treatment. In addition, hormonal (gonadotrophin, estrogen and inhibin B) and ovulatory responses to repeated KP-54 administration, at doses of 6.4-12.8 nmol/kg, s.c. bd for 21 days, were evaluated in a pilot cohort of anovulatory women (N = 12) diagnosed with PCOS, according to the Rotterdam criteria. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Deregulated reproductive indices were detected in all PCOS models: PNA, NeNA and PWA. Yet, anovulation was observed only in NeNA and PWA rats. However, while anovulatory NeNA rats displayed significant LH and FSH responses to KP-54 (P < 0.05), which rescued ovulation, PWA rats showed blunted LH secretion after repeated KP-54 injection and failed to ovulate. In women with PCOS, KP-54 resulted in a small rise in LH (P < 0.05), with an equivalent elevation in serum estradiol levels (P < 0.05). Two women showed growth of a dominant follicle with subsequent ovulation, one woman displayed follicle growth but not ovulation and desensitization was observed in another patient. No follicular response was detected in the other women. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION While three different preclinical PCOS models were used in order to capture the heterogeneity of clinical presentations of the syndrome, it must be noted that rat models recapitulate many but not all the features of this condition. Additionally, our pilot study was intended as proof of principle, and the number of participants is low, but the convergent findings in preclinical and clinical studies reinforce the validity of our conclusions. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our first-in-rodent and -human studies demonstrate that KP-54 administration in anovulatory preclinical models and women with PCOS can stimulate reproductive hormone secretion and ovulation, albeit with incomplete efficacy. As our rat models likely reflect the diversity of PCOS phenotypes, our results argue for the need of personalized management of anovulatory dysfunction in women with PCOS, some of whom may benefit from kisspeptin-based treatments. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by research agreements between Ferring Research Institute and the Universities of Cordoba and Edinburgh. K.S. was supported by the Wellcome Trust Scottish Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Initiative (STMTI). Some of this work was undertaken in the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health which is funded by the MRC Centre grant MR/N022556/1. M.T.-S. is a member of CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, which is an initiative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Dr Mannaerts is an employee of Ferring International PharmaScience Center (Copenhagen, Denmark), and Drs Qi, van Duin and Kohout are employees of the Ferring Research Institute (San Diego, USA). Dr Anderson and Dr Tena-Sempere were recipients of a grant support from the Ferring Research Institute, and Dr Anderson has undertaken consultancy work and received speaker fees outside this study from Merck, IBSA, Roche Diagnostics, NeRRe Therapeutics and Sojournix Inc. Dr Skorupskaite was supported by the Wellcome Trust through the Scottish Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Initiative 102419/Z/13/A. The other authors have no competing interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Romero-Ruiz
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - K Skorupskaite
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - F Gaytan
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - E Torres
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - C Perdices-Lopez
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - B M Mannaerts
- Ferring International PharmaScience Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - S Qi
- Ferring Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - S Leon
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M Manfredi-Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - C Lopez-Rodriguez
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M S Avendaño
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M A Sanchez-Garrido
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M J Vazquez
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - L Pinilla
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M van Duin
- Ferring Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - T A Kohout
- Ferring Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - R A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M Tena-Sempere
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC)/Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,FiDiPro Program, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland
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Abstract
Although the fundamental symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) relate most directly to ovarian dysfunction, central neuroendocrine systems play a prominent role in its pathophysiology. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator resistance to negative feedback contributes to rapid GnRH pulse secretion, which promotes gonadotropin abnormalities that foster ovarian hyperandrogenemia and ovulatory dysfunction. The causes of GnRH neuron dysfunction, however, have remained enigmatic. In this review, we highlight a number of recent preclinical and clinical studies pertinent to the neuroendocrine abnormalities of PCOS, including those that have provided important insights into the relevance of animal models with PCOS-like features, the potential roles of kisspeptin and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons, and the potential role of anti-Müllerian hormone.
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24
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Coutinho EA, Kauffman AS. The Role of the Brain in the Pathogenesis and Physiology of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:E84. [PMID: 31382541 PMCID: PMC6722593 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7080084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disorder, affecting at least 10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is typically characterized by the presence of at least two of the three cardinal features of hyperandrogenemia (high circulating androgen levels), oligo- or anovulation, and cystic ovaries. Hyperandrogenemia increases the severity of the condition and is driven by increased luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse secretion from the pituitary. Indeed, PCOS women display both elevated mean LH levels, as well as an elevated frequency of LH pulsatile secretion. The abnormally high LH pulse frequency, reflective of a hyperactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neural circuit, suggests a neuroendocrine basis to either the etiology or phenotype of PCOS. Several studies in preclinical animal models of PCOS have demonstrated alterations in GnRH neurons and their upstream afferent neuronal circuits. Some rodent PCOS models have demonstrated an increase in GnRH neuron activity that correlates with an increase in stimulatory GABAergic innervation and postsynaptic currents onto GnRH neurons. Additional studies have identified robust increases in hypothalamic levels of kisspeptin, another potent stimulator of GnRH neurons. This review outlines the different brain and neuroendocrine changes in the reproductive axis observed in PCOS animal models, discusses how they might contribute to either the etiology or adult phenotype of PCOS, and considers parallel findings in PCOS women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eulalia A Coutinho
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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25
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Fetal programming by androgen excess in rats affects ovarian fuel sensors and steroidogenesis. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2019; 10:645-658. [PMID: 31122307 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174419000126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fetal programming by androgen excess is hypothesized as one of the main factors contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is more than a reproductive disorder, as women with PCOS also show metabolic and other endocrine alterations. Since both ovarian and reproductive functions depend on energy balance, the alterations in metabolism may be related to reproductive alterations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of androgen excess during prenatal life on ovarian fuel sensors and its consequences on steroidogenesis. To this end, pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with testosterone and the following parameters were evaluated in their female offspring: follicular development, PPARG levels, adipokines (including leptin, adiponectin, and chemerin as ovarian fuel sensors), serum gonadotropins (LH and FSH), the mRNA of their ovarian receptors, and the expression of steroidogenic mediators. At 60 days of age, the prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) female offspring displayed both an irregular ovulatory phenotype and an anovulatory phenotype with altered follicular development and the presence of cysts. Both PH groups showed altered levels of both proteins and mRNA of PPARG and a different expression pattern of the adipokines studied. Although serum gonadotropins were not impaired, there were alterations in the mRNA levels of their ovarian receptors. The steroidogenic mediators Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, and Cyp19a1 were altered differently in each of the PH groups. We concluded that androgen excess during prenatal life leads to developmental programming effects that affect ovarian fuel sensors and steroidogenesis in a phenotype-specific way.
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26
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Tamadon A, Hu W, Cui P, Ma T, Tong X, Zhang F, Li X, Shao LR, Feng Y. How to choose the suitable animal model of polycystic ovary syndrome? TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND MODERN MEDICINE 2018. [DOI: 10.1142/s2575900018300047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a gynecological metabolic and endocrine disorder with uncertain etiology. To understand the etiology of PCOS or the evaluation of various therapeutic agents, different animal models have been introduced. Considering this fact that is difficult to develop an animal model that mimics all aspects of this syndrome, but, similarity of biological, anatomical, and/or biochemical features of animal model to the human PCOS phenotypes can increase its application. This review paper evaluates the recently researched animal models and introduced the best models for different research purposes in PCOS studies. During January 2013 to January 2017, 162 studies were identified which applied various kinds of animal models of PCOS including rodent, primate, ruminant and fish. Between these models, prenatal and pre-pubertal androgen rat models and then prenatal androgen mouse model have been studied in detail than others. The comparison of main features of these models with women PCOS demonstrates higher similarity of these three models to human conditions. Thereafter, letrozole models can be recommended for the investigation of various aspects of PCOS. Interestingly, similarity of PCOS features of post-pubertal insulin and human chorionic gonadotropin rat models with women PCOS were considerable which can make it as a good choice for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Tamadon
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Peng Cui
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Tong Ma
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Tong
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Feifei Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, P. R. China
| | - Xin Li
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, P. R. China
| | - Linus R. Shao
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Yi Feng
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
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Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is recognized as the central regulator of the functions of the pituitary-gonadal axis. The increasing knowledge on the mechanisms controlling the development and the function of GnRH-producing neurons is leading to a better diagnostic and therapeutic approach for hypogonadotropic hypogonadisms and for alterations of the puberty onset. During female life span, the function of the GnRH pulse generator may be affected by a number of inputs from other neuronal systems, offering alternative strategies for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Moreover, the identification of a GnRH/GnRH receptor system in both human ovary and endometrium has widened the spectrum of action of the peptide outside its hypothalamic functions. The pharmacological use of GnRH itself or its synthetic analogs (agonists and antagonists) provides a valid tool to either stimulate or block gonadotropin secretion and to modulate the female fertility in several reproductive disorders and in assisted reproduction technology. The use of GnRH agonists in young female patients undergoing chemotherapy is also considered a promising therapeutic approach to counteract iatrogenic ovarian failure.
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Abbott DH, Vepraskas SH, Horton TH, Terasawa E, Levine JE. Accelerated Episodic Luteinizing Hormone Release Accompanies Blunted Progesterone Regulation in PCOS-like Female Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) Exposed to Testosterone during Early-to-Mid Gestation. Neuroendocrinology 2018; 107:133-146. [PMID: 29949806 PMCID: PMC7363207 DOI: 10.1159/000490570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Ovarian theca cell hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is compounded by androgen receptor-mediated impairment of estradiol and progesterone negative feedback regulation of episodic luteinizing hormone (LH) release. The resultant LH hypersecretion, likely the product of accelerated episodic release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the median eminence of the hypothalamus, hyperstimulates ovarian theca cell steroidogenesis, enabling testosterone (T) and androstenedione excess. Prenatally androgenized (PA) female monkeys exposed to fetal male levels of T during early-to-mid gestation, when adult, demonstrate PCOS-like traits, including high T and LH levels. This study tests the hypothesis that progesterone resistance-associated acceleration in episodic LH release contributes to PA monkey LH excess. METHODS A total of 4 PA and 3 regularly cycling, healthy control adult female rhesus monkeys of comparable age and body mass index underwent (1) a 10 h, frequent intravenous sampling assessment for LH episodic release, immediately followed by (2) IV infusion of exogenous GnRH to quantify continuing pituitary LH responsiveness, and subsequently (3) an SC injection of a progesterone receptor antagonist, mifepristone, to examine LH responses to blockade of progesterone-mediated action. RESULTS Compared to controls, the relatively hyperandrogenic PA females exhibited ~100% increase (p = 0.037) in LH pulse frequency, positive correlation of LH pulse amplitude (p = 0.017) with androstenedione, ~100% greater increase (p = 0.034) in acute (0-10 min) LH responses to exogenous GnRH, and an absence (p = 0.008) of modest LH elevation following acute progesterone receptor blockade suggestive of diminished progesterone negative feedback. CONCLUSION Such dysregulation of LH release in PCOS-like monkeys implicates impaired feedback control of episodic release of hypothalamic GnRH reminiscent of PCOS neuroendocrinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Abbott
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sarah H Vepraskas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Teresa H Horton
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Institute for Neuroscience, Center for Reproductive Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Ei Terasawa
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jon E Levine
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Marcondes RR, Carvalho KC, Giannocco G, Duarte DC, Garcia N, Soares-Junior JM, da Silva IDCG, Maliqueo M, Baracat EC, Maciel GAR. Hypothalamic transcriptional expression of the kisspeptin system and sex steroid receptors differs among polycystic ovary syndrome rat models with different endocrine phenotypes. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2017; 72:510-514. [PMID: 28954011 PMCID: PMC5579319 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2017(08)09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder that affects reproductive-age women. The mechanisms underlying the endocrine heterogeneity and neuroendocrinology of polycystic ovary syndrome are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression of the kisspeptin system and gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse regulators in the hypothalamus as well as factors related to luteinizing hormone secretion in the pituitary of polycystic ovary syndrome rat models induced by testosterone or estradiol. METHODS: A single injection of testosterone propionate (1.25 mg) (n=10) or estradiol benzoate (0.5 mg) (n=10) was administered to female rats at 2 days of age to induce experimental polycystic ovary syndrome. Controls were injected with a vehicle (n=10). Animals were euthanized at 90-94 days of age, and the hypothalamus and pituitary gland were used for gene expression analysis. RESULTS: Rats exposed to testosterone exhibited increased transcriptional expression of the androgen receptor and estrogen receptor-β and reduced expression of kisspeptin in the hypothalamus. However, rats exposed to estradiol did not show any significant changes in hormone levels relative to controls but exhibited hypothalamic downregulation of kisspeptin, tachykinin 3 and estrogen receptor-α genes and upregulation of the gene that encodes the kisspeptin receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Testosterone- and estradiol-exposed rats with different endocrine phenotypes showed differential transcriptional expression of members of the kisspeptin system and sex steroid receptors in the hypothalamus. These differences might account for the different endocrine phenotypes found in testosterone- and estradiol-induced polycystic ovary syndrome rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Rodrigues Marcondes
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
- *Corresponding authors. E-mail: /
| | - Kátia Cândido Carvalho
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Gisele Giannocco
- Laboratorio de Endocrinologia Molecular e Translacional, Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Daniele Coelho Duarte
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Natália Garcia
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - José Maria Soares-Junior
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Ismael Dale Cotrim Guerreiro da Silva
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Molecular e Proteomica, Departamento de Ginecologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Manuel Maliqueo
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Medicine, West Division, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Edmund Chada Baracat
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Gustavo Arantes Rosa Maciel
- Laboratorio de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
- *Corresponding authors. E-mail: /
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30
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Moore AM, Campbell RE. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Understanding the role of the brain. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 46:1-14. [PMID: 28551304 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder and the leading cause of anovulatory infertility. Characterised by hyperandrogenism, menstrual dysfunction and polycystic ovaries, PCOS is a broad-spectrum disorder unlikely to stem from a single common origin. Although commonly considered an ovarian disease, the brain is now a prime suspect in both the ontogeny and pathology of PCOS. We discuss here the neuroendocrine impairments present in PCOS that implicate involvement of the brain and review evidence gained from pre-clinical models of the syndrome about the specific brain circuitry involved. In particular, we focus on the impact that developmental androgen excess and adult hyperandrogenemia have in programming and regulating brain circuits important in the central regulation of fertility. The studies discussed here provide compelling support for the importance of the brain in PCOS ontogeny and pathophysiology and highlight the need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleisha M Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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Kawwass JF, Sanders KM, Loucks TL, Rohan LC, Berga SL. Increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of GABA, testosterone and estradiol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Hum Reprod 2017; 32:1450-1456. [PMID: 28453773 PMCID: PMC6251519 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dex086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Do cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) differ in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as compared to eumenorrheic, ovulatory women (EW)? SUMMARY ANSWER Women with PCOS displayed higher CSF levels of GABA and E2, and possibly T, than EW. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The chronic anovulation characteristic of PCOS has been attributed to increased central GnRH drive and resulting gonadotropin aberrations. Androgens are thought to regulate GABA, which in turn regulates the neural cascade that modulates GnRH drive. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cross-sectional observational study included 15 EW and 12 non-obese women with PCOS who consented to a lumbar puncture in addition to 24 h of serum blood collection at 15-min intervals. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS In total, 27 women were studied at a the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at the University of Pittsburgh. Serum analytes included T, E2 and androstenedione. CSF analytes included GABA, glutamate, glucose, T and E2. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Women with PCOS had higher CSF GABA as compared to EW (9.04 versus 7.04 μmol/L, P < 0.05). CSF glucose and glutamate concentrations were similar between the two groups. CSF T was 52% higher (P = 0.1) and CSF E2 was 30% higher (P < 0.01) in women with PCOS compared to EW. Circulating T was 122% higher (P < 0.01) and circulating E2 was 75% higher (P < 0.01) in women with PCOS than in EW. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION The study is limited by its small sample size and the technical limitations of measuring CSF analytes that are pulsatile and have short half-lives. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Women with PCOS displayed significantly higher circulating levels of T and E2, significantly higher CSF levels of E2, and higher levels of CSF testosterone, although the latter was not statistically significant. A better understanding of the central milieu informs our understanding of the mechanisms mediating increased the GnRH drive in PCOS and lends a new perspective for understanding the presentation, pathogenesis and potential health consequences of PCOS, including gender identity issues. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No conflicts of interest. The study was funded by NIH grants to SLB (RO1-MH50748, U54-HD08610) and NIH RR-00056 to the General Clinical Research Center of the University of Pittsburgh. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01674426.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F. Kawwass
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kristen M. Sanders
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Tammy L. Loucks
- Division of Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lisa Cencia Rohan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Sarah L. Berga
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
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Sumia M, Lindberg N, Työläjärvi M, Kaltiala-Heino R. Early pubertal timing is common among adolescent girl-to-boy sex reassignment applicants. EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2016; 21:483-485. [PMID: 27696903 DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2016.1238893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of our study was to explore whether gender dysphoria in adolescent girls is associated with early pubertal timing. METHODS We compared menarcheal timing among 52 adolescent girl-to-boy sex reassignment (SR) applicants with that of 644 adolescent girls who participated in an adolescent population mental health survey. RESULTS Of the population girls, 21% presented with early (≤11 years), 61% with normative (12-13 years) and 19% with late (≥14 years) menarcheal timing; among the SR applicants, 42% presented with early, 46% with normative and 12% with late menarcheal timing (p = 0.003). The odds ratio for SR applicant girls to have early menarcheal timing was 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3, 5.7), controlling for age and family structure. CONCLUSION Like emotional and behavioural disorders, gender dysphoria in adolescence is associated in girls with early pubertal timing. The finding is discussed in the light of literature related to pubertal maturation and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sumia
- a Department of Adolescent Psychiatry , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland
| | - Nina Lindberg
- b Faculty of Medicine , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.,c Division of Psychoses and Forensic Psychiatry , Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Marja Työläjärvi
- a Department of Adolescent Psychiatry , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland
| | - Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino
- a Department of Adolescent Psychiatry , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland.,d School of Medicine , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland
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Maggi R, Cariboni AM, Marelli MM, Moretti RM, Andrè V, Marzagalli M, Limonta P. GnRH and GnRH receptors in the pathophysiology of the human female reproductive system. Hum Reprod Update 2015; 22:358-81. [PMID: 26715597 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human reproduction depends on an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has been recognized, since its identification in 1971, as the central regulator of the production and release of the pituitary gonadotrophins that, in turn, regulate the gonadal functions and the production of sex steroids. The characteristic peculiar development, distribution and episodic activity of GnRH-producing neurons have solicited an interdisciplinary interest on the etiopathogenesis of several reproductive diseases. The more recent identification of a GnRH/GnRH receptor (GnRHR) system in both the human endometrium and ovary has widened the spectrum of action of the peptide and of its analogues beyond its hypothalamic function. METHODS An analysis of research and review articles published in international journals until June 2015 has been carried out to comprehensively summarize both the well established and the most recent knowledge on the physiopathology of the GnRH system in the central and peripheral control of female reproductive functions and diseases. RESULTS This review focuses on the role of GnRH neurons in the control of the reproductive axis. New knowledge is accumulating on the genetic programme that drives GnRH neuron development to ameliorate the diagnosis and treatment of GnRH deficiency and consequent delayed or absent puberty. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling the episodic release of GnRH during the onset of puberty and the ovulatory cycle has enabled the pharmacological use of GnRH itself or its synthetic analogues (agonists and antagonists) to either stimulate or to block the gonadotrophin secretion and modulate the functions of the reproductive axis in several reproductive diseases and in assisted reproduction technology. Several inputs from other neuronal populations, as well as metabolic, somatic and age-related signals, may greatly affect the functions of the GnRH pulse generator during the female lifespan; their modulation may offer new possible strategies for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. A GnRH/GnRHR system is also expressed in female reproductive tissues (e.g. endometrium and ovary), both in normal and pathological conditions. The expression of this system in the human endometrium and ovary supports its physiological regulatory role in the processes of trophoblast invasion of the maternal endometrium and embryo implantation as well as of follicular development and corpus luteum functions. The GnRH/GnRHR system that is expressed in diseased tissues of the female reproductive tract (both benign and malignant) is at present considered an effective molecular target for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for these pathologies. GnRH agonists are also considered as a promising therapeutic approach to counteract ovarian failure in young female patients undergoing chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Increasing knowledge about the regulation of GnRH pulsatile release, as well as the therapeutic use of its analogues, offers interesting new perspectives in the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of female reproductive disorders, including tumoral and iatrogenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Maggi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Cariboni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Montagnani Marelli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Manuela Moretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Valentina Andrè
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti, 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Polymorphism and DNA methylation in the promoter modulate KISS1 gene expression and are associated with litter size in goats. Anim Reprod Sci 2015; 155:36-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Ahn T, Fergani C, Coolen LM, Padmanabhan V, Lehman MN. Prenatal testosterone excess decreases neurokinin 3 receptor immunoreactivity within the arcuate nucleus KNDy cell population. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:100-10. [PMID: 25496429 PMCID: PMC4412353 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure of the female ovine foetus to excess testosterone leads to neuroendocrine disruptions in adulthood, as demonstrated by defects in responsiveness with respect to the ability of gonadal steroids to regulate gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. In the ewe, neurones of the arcuate nucleus (ARC), which co-expresses kisspeptin, neurokinin B (NKB) and dynorphin (termed KNDy cells), play a key role in steroid feedback control of GnRH and show altered peptide expression after prenatal testosterone treatment. KNDy cells also co-localise NKB receptors (NK3R), and it has been proposed that NKB may act as an autoregulatory transmitter in KNDy cells where it participates in the mechanisms underlying steroid negative-feedback. In addition, recent evidence suggests that NKB/NK3R signalling may be involved in the positive-feedback actions of oestradiol leading to the GnRH/luteinising hormone (LH) surge in the ewe. Thus, we hypothesise that decreased expression of NK3R in KNDy cells may be present in the brains of prenatal testosterone-treated animals, potentially contributing to reproductive defects. Using single- and dual-label immunohistochemistry we found NK3R-positive cells in diverse areas of the hypothalamus; however, after prenatal testosterone treatment, decreased numbers of NK3R immunoreactive (-IR) cells were seen only in the ARC. Moreover, dual-label confocal analyses revealed a significant decrease in the percentage of KNDy cells (using kisspeptin as a marker) that co-localised NK3R. To investigate how NKB ultimately affects GnRH secretion in the ewe, we examined GnRH neurones in the preoptic area (POA) and mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) for the presence of NK3R. Although, consistent with earlier findings, we found no instances of NK3R co-localisation in GnRH neurones in either the POA or MBH; in addition, > 70% GnRH neurones in both areas were contacted by NK3R-IR presynaptic terminals suggesting that, in addition to its role at KNDy cell bodies, NKB may regulate GnRH neurones by presynaptic actions. In summary, the finding of decreased NK3R within KNDy cells in prenatal testosterone-treated sheep complements previous observations of decreased NKB and dynorphin in the same population, and may contribute to deficits in the feedback control of GnRH/LH secretion in this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ahn
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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