Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan.
Section of Mammalian Transgenesis, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 22;13(1):20495. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47222-5.
The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse and surge are considered to be generated by arcuate kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin A (KNDy) neurons and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) kisspeptin neurons, respectively, in female rodents. The majority of KNDy and AVPV kisspeptin neurons express κ-opioid receptors (KORs, encoded by Oprk1) in female rodents. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a conditional Oprk1-dependent Kiss1 deletion in kisspeptin neurons on the luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse/surge and fertility using Kiss1-floxed/Oprk1-Cre rats, in which Kiss1 was deleted in cells expressing or once expressed the Oprk1/Cre. The Kiss1-floxed/Oprk1-Cre female rats, with Kiss1 deleted in a majority of KNDy neurons, showed normal puberty while having a one-day longer estrous cycle and fewer pups than Kiss1-floxed controls. Notably, ovariectomized (OVX) Kiss1-floxed/Oprk1-Cre rats showed profound disruption of LH pulses in the presence of a diestrous level of estrogen but showed apparent LH pulses without estrogen treatment. Furthermore, Kiss1-floxed/Oprk1-Cre rats, with Kiss1 deleted in approximately half of AVPV kisspeptin neurons, showed a lower peak of the estrogen-induced LH surge than controls. These results suggest that arcuate and AVPV kisspeptin neurons expressing or having expressed Oprk1 have a role in maintaining normal GnRH pulse and surge generation, the normal length of the estrous cycle, and the normal offspring number in female rats.
促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)脉冲和激增被认为分别由弓状核 kisspeptin/神经激肽 B/强啡肽 A(KNDy)神经元和前腹侧脑室下核(AVPV) kisspeptin 神经元产生。在雌性啮齿动物中,大多数 KNDy 和 AVPV kisspeptin 神经元表达κ-阿片受体(KOR,由 Oprk1 编码)。因此,本研究旨在使用 Kiss1 基因敲除/Oprk1-Cre 大鼠(其中 Kiss1 在表达或曾经表达 Oprk1/Cre 的细胞中被敲除),研究 kisspeptin 神经元中条件性 Oprk1 依赖性 Kiss1 缺失对促黄体生成素(LH)脉冲/激增和生育能力的影响。Kiss1 基因敲除/Oprk1-Cre 雌性大鼠的青春期正常,但发情周期长一天,产仔数比 Kiss1 基因敲除对照少。值得注意的是,卵巢切除(OVX) Kiss1 基因敲除/Oprk1-Cre 大鼠在存在去势水平雌激素的情况下表现出 LH 脉冲的严重中断,但在没有雌激素处理的情况下表现出明显的 LH 脉冲。此外,大约一半 AVPV kisspeptin 神经元中 Kiss1 缺失的 Kiss1 基因敲除/Oprk1-Cre 大鼠的雌激素诱导的 LH 激增峰值低于对照组。这些结果表明,表达或曾经表达 Oprk1 的弓状核和 AVPV kisspeptin 神经元在维持正常 GnRH 脉冲和激增产生、正常发情周期长度和正常后代数量方面发挥作用。