Abstract
Early life exposure to immunological challenge has programming effects on the adult hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis stress responsivity, and stress is known to suppress GnRH pulse generator activity, especially LH pulses. We investigated the effects of neonatal exposure to endotoxin on stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion and the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor mechanisms in adult rats. Pups at 3 and 5 d of age were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50 microg/kg, ip). At 12 wk of age, they were ovariectomized and implanted with sc 17beta-estradiol capsules and i.v. cannulas. Blood samples (25 microl) were collected every 5 min for 5 h for LH measurement. After 2 h of sampling, rats were given LPS (25 microg/kg, iv). CRF and CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 receptor mRNA was determined by RT-PCR in medial preoptic area (mPOA) micropunches collected at 3 h after LPS administration. There was no difference in basal LH pulse frequency between neonatal LPS- and neonatal saline-treated controls. However, neonatal endotoxin-treated rats exhibited a significantly greater LPS stress-induced suppression of LH pulse frequency. Basal mPOA CRF-R1 expression was unchanged in neonatal LPS- and neonatal saline-treated rats. However, CRF-R1 expression was significantly increased in response to LPS stress in neonatal LPS-treated animals but not in neonatal saline-treated controls. CRF and CRF-R2 expression was unchanged in all treatment groups. These data demonstrate that exposure to bacterial endotoxin in early neonatal life programs long-term sensitization of the GnRH pulse generator to the inhibitory influence of stress in adulthood, an effect that might involve up-regulation of CRF-R1 expression in the mPOA.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 5984-90 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Endocrinology |
Volume | 148 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2007 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Female
- Gene Expression/drug effects
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/blood
- Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology
- Luteinizing Hormone/blood
- Pregnancy
- Preoptic Area/drug effects
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Radioimmunoassay
- Rats
- Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Time Factors