Effects of Sleep Deprivation by Olfactorily Induced Sexual Arousal Compared to Immobilization Stress and Manual Sleep Deprivation on Neuromessengers and Time Keeping Genes in the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei and Other Cerebral Entities of Syrian Hamsters—An Immunohistochemical Study

We investigated the effects of sexual arousal induced by olfactory stimuli on the expression of neuromodulators, neurotransmitters and sexual steroid receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN, the circadian pacemaker of mammals) and other cerebral entities of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) compared to manual sleep deprivation and immobilization stress. The hamsters kept under a 12:12 hours (h) light:dark cycle were deprived of sleep by sexual stimulation, gentle manual handling or immobilization stress for 1 h at the beginning of the light phase and subsequently sacrificed at zeitgeber time 01:00, respectively; for comparison, hamsters were manually sleep deprived for 6 or 20 h or sacrificed after completing a full sleep phase. As demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, apart from various alterations after manual sleep deprivation, sexual stimulation caused down-regulation of arginine-vasopressin (AVP), vasointestinal peptide (VIP), serotonin (5-HT), substance P (SP), and met-enkephalin (ME) in the SCN. Somatostatin (SOM) was diminished in the medial periventricular nucleus (MPVN). In contrast, an increase in AVP was observed in the PVN, that of oxytocin (OXY) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON), of tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) in the infundibular nucleus (IN), and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) in the A7 neuron population of the brain stem (A7), respectively. Testosterone in plasma was increased. The results indicate that sexual arousal extensively influences the neuropeptide systems of the SCN, suggesting an involvement of the SCN in reproductive behavior.

Cortisol, DHEA, and Sexual Steroid Concentrations in Fattening Pigs’ Hair

The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility and reliability of using hair as a matrix to determine the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and sexual steroid concentrations and the cortisol/DHEA ratio in fattening pigs. The results could be also used to plan future research to identify threshold values in order to set up strategies to control the allostatic load and increase the resilience of fattening pigs before slaughter. The study was conducted on 107 commercial crossbred rearing pigs. The hair samples were taken by shaving at the age of 36 weeks, and concentrations of the hormones were measured using a solid-phase microtiter radioimmunoassay. Females had significantly higher cortisol levels (p < 0.01), significantly lower DHEA concentrations (p < 0.05) and significantly higher cortisol/DHEA ratios (p < 0.01) than barrows. Progesterone was significantly higher in gilts than in barrows (p < 0.01). Testosterone and 17β-estradiol were significantly higher in barrows than in gilts (p < 0.05). If future research can produce threshold values for the different markers examined, the evaluation of animals under subclinical stress conditions will be possible.

Sexual steroid hormone receptors profiles of ovarian carcinoma in Mexican women

The significance of the presence of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor alpha (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in ovarian cancer patient survival has been a matter of numerous studies. This study was aimed to describe the expression profile of the three sexual steroid receptors in high-grade serous, endometrioid, mucinous and low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and its association to the proliferation index in patients with primary ovarian carcinoma diagnosis, before any treatment. Eighty-one samples were obtained from the National Institute of Cancerology in Mexico City and were evaluated for the presence of AR, ER, PR and Ki67 by immunohistochemistry. The four subtypes of ovarian carcinoma displays a specific profile of the eight possible combinations of the steroid receptors with significant differences within the profile and the histological subtypes. High-grade serous carcinoma was characterized by a high frequency of both, triple-negative and AR+ ER− PR+ profiles. Endometrioid carcinoma presented a higher frequency of triple-positive profile. The presence of only AR+ profile was not observed in the endometrioid tumors. The relationship of the receptor profile with the proliferation index in the tumor epithelium shows that the expression of only ER is associated to a reduced proliferation index in endometrioid carcinoma. Steroid hormone receptor expression and co-expression could help characterize ovarian carcinoma.

Effects of extending the length of pro-oestrus in an oestradiol- and progesterone-based oestrus synchronisation program on ovarian function, uterine environment and pregnancy establishment in beef heifers

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a strategy for extending pro-oestrus (the interval between luteolysis and ovulation) in an oestrus synchronisation protocol (named J-Synch) in beef heifers on follicular growth, sexual steroid concentrations, the oestrogen receptor ERα and progesterone receptors (PR) in the uterus, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 and pregnancy rates. In Experiment 1, heifers treated with the new J-Synch protocol had a longer pro-oestrus period than those treated with the conventional protocol (mean (± s.e.m.) 93.7 ± 12.9 vs 65.0 ± 13.7 h respectively; P < 0.05). The rate of dominant follicle growth from the time of progesterone device removal to ovulation was greater in heifers in the J-Synch than conventional group (P < 0.05). Luteal area and serum progesterone concentrations were greater in the J-Synch Group (P < 0.05) for the 12 days after ovulation. Progesterone receptor (PGR) staining on Day 6 after ovulation in the uterine stroma was lower in the J-Synch than conventional group (P < 0.05), and the expression of PR gene (PGR) and IGF1 gene tended to be lower in J-Synch-treated heifers (P < 0.1). In Experiment 2 (n = 2349), the pregnancy rate 30–35 days after fixed-time AI (FTAI) was greater for heifers in the J-Synch than conventional group (56.1% vs 50.7% respectively). In conclusion, our strategy for extending pro-oestrus (i.e. the J-Synch protocol) significantly improves pregnancy establishment in beef heifers. This improvement was related to an increased rate of growth of the dominant ovulatory follicle, greater progesterone concentrations during the ensuing luteal phase and different uterine patterns of PGR and IGF1, which may have favoured embryo development and pregnancy establishment.

MONITOREO DE LOS NIVELES DE TESTOSTERONA Y ESTRADIOL EN EL PLASMA SANGUÍNEO DE HEMBRAS DE PARGO PALMERO LUTJANUS ANALIS MANTENIDAS BAJO DOS TERMOPERIODOS DE ACONDICIONAMIENTO DIFERENTES

Two groups of adult Mutton snapper fish Lutjanus analis captured in the wild, each one of three females and four males, were kept during eight months under controlled temperature and photoperiod conditions in the lab in order to stimulate their sexual maturation which was in a state of latency because of the effects of confinement. The first group was maintained under an artificial cycle with temperature manipulation and the second under a control cycle, in which this parameter was left at natural conditions. Every two months blood samples from all females were taken for the analysis of plasma testosterone (T) and oestradiol (E2) levels, taking ovarian biopsies simultaneously to register the mean diameter of the oocytes. After six months, a significative increase in the mean diameter of the oocytes of the three females of the artificial cycle was observed, with coincidence and statistic relationship with the increase in the T and E2 (r = 0.62 y 0.82 respectively). No oocyte growth was observed in the females under the control cycle. In both, artificial and control cycles, T and E2 levels showed a close relationship with photoperiod (r = 0.84 y r = 0.61) while temperature showed a lower or non significant relationship (r = 0.40 y r = 0.20). Statistical differences (P<0.1) were found between the condition factors of the two groups, while the sexual steroids didn’t show any differences between them. The present work constitutes the first report on the analysis of sexual steroid levels during the gonadal maturation process in fish of the Family Lutjanidae kept under an artificial conditioning cycle.