1. RFamide-Related Peptide Neurons Modulate Reproductive Function and Stress Responses.
- Author
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Mamgain A, Sawyer IL, Timajo DAM, Rizwan MZ, Evans MC, Ancel CM, Inglis MA, and Anderson GM
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Fertility physiology, Gene Knock-In Techniques, Gene Silencing, Genotype, Glucocorticoids metabolism, Luteinizing Hormone metabolism, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neuropeptides genetics, Restraint, Physical, Sex Characteristics, Sexual Maturation physiology, Neurons physiology, Neuropeptides physiology, Reproduction physiology, Stress, Psychological physiopathology
- Abstract
RF-amide related peptide 3 (RFRP-3) is a neuropeptide thought to inhibit central regulation of fertility. We investigated whether alterations in RFRP neuronal activity led to changes in puberty onset, fertility, and stress responses, including stress and glucocorticoid-induced suppression of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion. We first validated a novel RFRP-Cre mouse line, which we then used in combination with Cre-dependent neuronal ablation and DREADD technology to selectively ablate, stimulate, and inhibit RFRP neurons to interrogate their physiological roles in the regulation of fertility and stress responses. Chronic RFRP neuronal activation delayed male puberty onset and female reproductive cycle progression, but RFRP-activated and ablated mice exhibited apparently normal fertility. When subjected to either restraint- or glucocorticoid-induced stress paradigms. However, we observed a critical sex-specific role for RFRP neurons in mediating acute and chronic stress-induced reproductive suppression. Female mice exhibiting RFRP neuron ablation or silencing did not exhibit the stress-induced suppression in pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion observed in control mice. Furthermore, RFRP neuronal activation markedly stimulated glucocorticoid secretion, demonstrating a feedback loop whereby stressful stimuli activate RFRP neurons, which in turn further activate the stress axis. These data provide evidence for a neuronal link between the stress and reproductive axes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2021 the authors.)
- Published
- 2021
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