Acute stress anticipates and amplifies the luteinizing hormone pre-ovulatory surge in rats: Role of noradrenergic neurons

Autor(es)

Rodovalho-Callegari, F., V ; Rodrigues-Santos, I ; Lucion, A. B. ; Rodovalho, G., V ; Leite, C. M. ; De Paula, B. B. ; Pestana-Oliveira, N. ; Anselmo-Franci, J. A.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Brain Research; v. 1781, p. 9-pg., 2022-04-15.

Resumo

The stress experienced during rape seems to facilitate ovulation since the pregnancy rate in raped women is higher than that resulting from consensual intercourse. Adrenal progesterone, as well as central norepinephrine, is released in stressful situations. At adequate estrogenic levels, one of the main actions of progesterone is to anticipate the preovulatory LH surge through noradrenaline release. We aimed to investigate whether acute stresses that mimic those of rape (exposure to predator, restraint and cervix stimulation) applied on the proestrus morning in female rats could release progesterone, activate the noradrenergic neurons and facilitate the occurrence of the LH surge. Female rats were submitted to jugular vein cannulation immediately following acute stress: restraint (R), exposure to cat (P), uterine cervix stimulation (CS) applied individually or in association (SA). Non-stressed rats were used as control. Blood samples were collected from 11:00-18:00 h for LH, progesterone, corticosterone and estradiol measurements. Double labeling for c-Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was examined in A1, A2 and A6 noradrenergic neurons after stresses. The SA group showed a greater stress induced increase in progesterone compared to the other groups and the preovulatory LH surge was anticipated and amplified. This effect of SA seems to be related to the higher number of c-Fos/TH + neurons in the A1 and A2. The effect of anticipating the preovulatory surge of LH could in part elucidate why, in raped women, conception can occur in phases of the menstrual cycle other than the ovulatory phase facilitating the occurrence of pregnancies. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 13/14199-3 - Efeito de diferentes tipos de estresse agudo na atividade dos neurônios noradrenérgicos em ratas
• Beneficiário: Isabelle Rodrigues dos Santos
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica
• Processo FAPESP: 04/09638-9 - Regulação neuroendócrina e efeitos do estresse sobre a função reprodutora feminina
• Beneficiário: Janete Aparecida Anselmo Franci
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 11/51610-8 - Papel da neurotransmissao noradrenergica via kisspeptina na genese do pico de lh em ratas.
• Beneficiário: Janete Aparecida Anselmo Franci
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular