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Avdeev M, Tal S, Fishman R, Vortman Y, Shanas U. THE EFFECT OF 4-VINYLCYCLOHEXENE DIEPOXIDE ON FEMALE NUTRIA ( MYOCASTOR COYPUS) FERTILITY IN CAPTIVITY-A PILOT STUDY. J Zoo Wildl Med 2024; 55:412-423. [PMID: 38875197 DOI: 10.1638/2023-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a globally widespread invasive species. Attempts to eradicate nutria by shooting, poisoning, and trapping have been mostly unsuccessful, leading to calls for the development of new control methods. The compound 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) is known to cause follicular atresia in mammals and may control conception when administered orally. It was hypothesized that VCD administered PO will cause follicular destruction in female nutria. VCD (250 mg/kg PO) was administered or coconut oil, as a control, to five nutria females each for 12 d. Sixty days following VCD exposure, males were introduced to the females. Over the following 7 mon, the effect of VCD on nutria fertility was assessed by conducting ultrasound monitoring to determine pregnancy status and measuring blood serum progesterone and estradiol levels. Finally, after performing ovariectomies, viable follicles were counted on histologic ovarian cortical sections. It was found that the female estrous cycles became synchronized, suggesting a Whitten effect in this species. Also, an increase in the females' serum progesterone levels following the introduction of males occurred, suggesting a male presence effect. Orally administered doses of 250 mg/kg VCD for 12 d had no significant effect on nutria pregnancy rates or on the number of follicles in the ovaries examined. Further studies, using a higher dose or longer administration period, are necessary to conclude whether orally administered VCD can be used as a contraceptive agent for nutria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Avdeev
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel,
| | - Smadar Tal
- Department of Animal Science, Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ruth Fishman
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 529002, Israel
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Department of Animal Science, Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel
| | - Uri Shanas
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa-Oranim, Oranim, Tivon 3600600, Israel
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Zeledon EV, Baxt LA, Khan TA, Michino M, Miller M, Huggins DJ, Jiang CS, Vosshall LB, Duvall LB. Next Generation Neuropeptide Y Receptor Small Molecule Agonists Inhibit Mosquito Biting Behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.28.582529. [PMID: 38464241 PMCID: PMC10925335 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.28.582529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can spread disease-causing pathogens when they bite humans to obtain blood nutrients required for egg production. Following a complete blood meal, host-seeking is suppressed until eggs are laid. Neuropeptide Y-like Receptor 7 (NPYLR7) plays a role in endogenous host-seeking suppression and previous work identified small molecule NPYLR7 agonists that suppress host-seeking and blood feeding when fed to mosquitoes at high micromolar doses. Using structure activity relationship analysis and structure-guided design we synthesized 128 compounds with similarity to known NPYLR7 agonists. Although in vitro potency (EC50) was not strictly predictive of in vivo effect, we identified 3 compounds that suppressed blood feeding from a live host when fed to mosquitoes at a 1 μM dose, a 100-fold improvement over the original reference compound. Exogenous activation of NPYLR7 represents an innovative vector control strategy to block mosquito biting behavior and prevent mosquito/human host interactions that lead to pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emely V. Zeledon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York NY 10065, USA
| | - Leigh A. Baxt
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Tanweer A. Khan
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Mayako Michino
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Michael Miller
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - David J. Huggins
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York NY 10065, USA
| | - Caroline S. Jiang
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leslie B. Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York NY 10065, USA
- Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Laura B. Duvall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York NY 10027, USA
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Gilmer G, Hettinger ZR, Tuakli-Wosornu Y, Skidmore E, Silver JK, Thurston RC, Lowe DA, Ambrosio F. Female aging: when translational models don't translate. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1500-1508. [PMID: 38052933 PMCID: PMC11099540 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00509-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
For many pathologies associated with aging, female patients present with higher morbidity and more frequent adverse events from treatments compared to male patients. While preclinical models are the foundation of our mechanistic understanding of age-related diseases, the most common models fail to recapitulate archetypical female aging trajectories. For example, while over 70% of the top age-related diseases are influenced by the systemic effects of reproductive senescence, we found that preclinical studies that include menopausal phenotypes modeling those seen in humans make up <1% of published aging biology research. The long-term impacts of pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding are also typically omitted from preclinical work. In this Perspective, we summarize limitations in the most commonly used aging models, and we provide recommendations for better incorporating menopause, pregnancy and other considerations of sex in vivo and in vitro. Lastly, we outline action items for aging biology researchers, journals, funding agencies and animal providers to address this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Gilmer
- Discovery Center for Musculoskeletal Recovery, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zachary R Hettinger
- Discovery Center for Musculoskeletal Recovery, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Skidmore
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julie K Silver
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca C Thurston
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dawn A Lowe
- Divisions of Rehabilitation Science and Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Fabrisia Ambrosio
- Discovery Center for Musculoskeletal Recovery, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Fertility Control for Wildlife: A European Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030428. [PMID: 36766317 PMCID: PMC9913817 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Trends of human population growth and landscape development in Europe show that wildlife impacts are escalating. Lethal methods, traditionally employed to mitigate these impacts, are often ineffective, environmentally hazardous and face increasing public opposition. Fertility control is advocated as a humane tool to mitigate these impacts. This review describes mammalian and avian wildlife contraceptives' effect on reproduction of individuals and populations, delivery methods, potential costs and feasibility of using fertility control in European contexts. These contexts include small, isolated wildlife populations and situations in which lethal control is either illegal or socially unacceptable, such as urban settings, national parks and areas where rewilding occurs. The review highlights knowledge gaps, such as impact of fertility control on recruitment, social and spatial behaviour and on target and non-target species, provides a decision framework to assist decisions about the potential use of wildlife fertility control, and suggests eight reasons for Europe to invest in this area. Although developing and registering contraceptives in Europe will have substantial costs, these are relatively small when compared to wildlife's economic and environmental impact. Developing safe and effective contraceptives will be essential if European countries want to meet public demand for methods to promote human-wildlife coexistence.
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Jacoblinnert K, Jacob J, Zhang Z, Hinds LA. The status of fertility control for rodents-recent achievements and future directions. Integr Zool 2021; 17:964-980. [PMID: 34549512 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Management of overabundant rodents at a landscape scale is complex but often required to sustainably reduce rodent abundance below damage thresholds. Current conventional techniques such as poisoning are not species specific, with some approaches becoming increasingly unacceptable to the general public. Fertility control, first proposed for vertebrate pest management over 5 decades ago, has gained public acceptance because it is perceived as a potentially more species-specific and humane approach compared with many lethal methods. An ideal fertility control agent needs to induce infertility across one or more breeding seasons, be easily delivered to an appropriate proportion of the population, be species specific with minimal side-effects (behavioral or social structure changes), and be environmentally benign and cost effective. To date, effective fertility control of rodents has not been demonstrated at landscape scales and very few products have achieved registration. Reproductive targets for fertility control include disrupting the hormonal feedback associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, gonad function, fertilization, and/or early implantation. We review progress on the oral delivery of various agents for which laboratory studies have demonstrated efficacy in females and/or males and synthesize progress with the development and/or use of synthetic steroids, plant extracts, ovarian specific peptides, and immunocontraceptive vaccines. There are promising results for field application of synthetic steroids (levonorgestrel, quinestrol), chemosterilants (4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide), and some plant extracts (triptolide). For most fertility control agents, more research is essential to enable their efficient and cost-effective delivery such that rodent impacts at a population level are mitigated and food security is improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyra Jacoblinnert
- Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Biology, University Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lyn A Hinds
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Abstract
The Norway rat has important impacts on our life. They are amongst the most used research subjects, resulting in ground-breaking advances. At the same time, wild rats live in close association with us, leading to various adverse interactions. In face of this relevance, it is surprising how little is known about their natural behaviour. While recent laboratory studies revealed their complex social skills, little is known about their social behaviour in the wild. An integration of these different scientific approaches is crucial to understand their social life, which will enable us to design more valid research paradigms, develop more effective management strategies, and to provide better welfare standards. Hence, I first summarise the literature on their natural social behaviour. Second, I provide an overview of recent developments concerning their social cognition. Third, I illustrate why an integration of these areas would be beneficial to optimise our interactions with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon K Schweinfurth
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUnited Kingdom
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Duvall LB, Ramos-Espiritu L, Barsoum KE, Glickman JF, Vosshall LB. Small-Molecule Agonists of Ae. aegypti Neuropeptide Y Receptor Block Mosquito Biting. Cell 2019; 176:687-701.e5. [PMID: 30735632 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes bite humans to obtain blood to develop their eggs. Remarkably, their strong attraction to humans is suppressed for days after the blood meal by an unknown mechanism. We investigated a role for neuropeptide Y (NPY)-related signaling in long-term behavioral suppression and discovered that drugs targeting human NPY receptors modulate mosquito host-seeking. In a screen of all 49 predicted Ae. aegypti peptide receptors, we identified NPY-like receptor 7 (NPYLR7) as the sole target of these drugs. To obtain small-molecule agonists selective for NPYLR7, we performed a high-throughput cell-based assay of 265,211 compounds and isolated six highly selective NPYLR7 agonists that inhibit mosquito attraction to humans. NPYLR7 CRISPR-Cas9 null mutants are defective in behavioral suppression and resistant to these drugs. Finally, we show that these drugs can inhibit biting and blood-feeding on a live host, suggesting a novel approach to control infectious disease transmission by controlling mosquito behavior. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Duvall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lavoisier Ramos-Espiritu
- High-Throughput Screening and Spectroscopy Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kyrollos E Barsoum
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - J Fraser Glickman
- High-Throughput Screening and Spectroscopy Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Perspectives on Existing and Potential New Alternatives to Anticoagulant Rodenticides and the Implications for Integrated Pest Management. EMERGING TOPICS IN ECOTOXICOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-64377-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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