Behavioral evidence for sex steroids hypersensitivity in castrated male canaries

Shevchouk, Olesya T.; Ghorbanpoor, Samar; Smith, Erla R.; Lière, Philippe; Schumacher, Michaël; Ball, Gregory F.; Cornil, Charlotte; Balthazart, Jacques

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.06.004

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 113 publications

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“…These concentrations are much lower than previously reported in studies based on a radioimmunoassay (RIA) . A similar discrepancy for blood concentrations of testosterone was previously identified between RIA and GC/MS in canaries and between RIA and liquid chromatography‐MS/MS in zebra finches . Future work should determine whether these discrepancies reflect technical problems associated with RIA measurements.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Steroid profiles in quail brain and serum: Sex and regional differences and effects of castration with steroid replacement

Lière

Cornil

Bournonville

et al. 2019

J Neuroendocrinology

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Both systemic and local production contribute to the concentration of steroids measured in the brain. This idea was originally based on rodent studies and was later extended to other species, including humans and birds. In quail, a widely used model in behavioural neuroendocrinology, it was demonstrated that all enzymes needed to produce sex steroids from cholesterol are expressed and active in the brain, although the actual concentrations of steroids produced were never investigated. We carried out a steroid profiling in multiple brain regions and serum of sexually mature male and female quail by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The concentrations of some steroids (eg, corticosterone, progesterone and testosterone) were in equilibrium between the brain and periphery, whereas other steroids (eg, pregnenolone (PREG), 5α/β-dihydroprogesterone and oestrogens) were more concentrated in the brain. In the brain regions investigated, PREG sulphate, progesterone and oestrogen concentrations were higher in the hypothalamus-preoptic area.Progesterone and its metabolites were more concentrated in the female than the male brain, whereas testosterone, its metabolites and dehydroepiandrosterone were more concentrated in males, suggesting that sex steroids present in quail brain mainly depend on their specific steroidogenic pathways in the ovaries and testes. However, the results of castration experiments suggested that sex steroids could also be produced in the brain independently of the peripheral source. Treatment with testosterone or oestradiol restored the concentrations of most androgens or oestrogens, respectively, although penetration of oestradiol in the brain appeared to be more limited. These studies illustrate the complex interaction between local brain synthesis and the supply from the periphery for the steroids present in the brain that are either directly active or represent the substrate of centrally located enzymes. K E Y W O R D Sbrain aromatisation, brain steroid concentrations, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, preoptic area (16:8 hour light/dark photocycle). We first describe the methods that are common to all experiments and, in a second step, we describe the specific protocols of each experiment.All experimental procedures were conducted in agreement with the Belgian and French laws on the "Protection and Welfare of Animals" and on the "Protection of experimental animals" and were approved by the Ethics Committee for the Use of Animals at the University of Liège. | Brain collection and dissectionBirds were rapidly killed by decapitation without anaesthesia to avoid potential changes in steroid concentrations. Trunk blood was collected and, after centrifugation, serum was stored at −80°C until assayed for steroid content (0.5-1.0 mL used in the assays). Brains were immediately extracted from the skull and dissected into four great subdivisions: the hypothalamus-POA (30-60 mg), the telencephalon (TEL) (300-450 mg), the optic lobes (OL) (120-180 mg) and the cerebellum (CB) (90-110 mg)....

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Steroid profiles in quail brain and serum: Sex and regional differences and effects of castration with steroid replacement

Lière

Cornil

Bournonville

et al. 2019

J Neuroendocrinology

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“…All procedures used in this study are similar to those described in [26] and are only briefly summarized here (See Fig. 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…582701) following manufacturer's instructions. The details of procedures and validations of the assay were previously published [26]. The samples were diluted 80 times in buffer and measured in two assays with intra-assay coefficients of variation of 11.1 and 14.4%.…”

Section: Testosterone Enzyme Immunoassay (Eia)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aromatase immunohistochemistry-Two series of sections through the preoptic area -from the start of tractus septopallio-mesencephalicus (TSM) rostrally to sections located 240 μm caudally to the anterior commissure (AC) -were stained by immunohistochemistry for aromatase, with the use of a rabbit aromatase antibody kindly provided by Prof. Nobuhiro Harada (Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan) as previously described [25,26].…”

Section: 42mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All Nissl stained sections containing HVC were photographed with a Leica DMRB FL.100 microscope connected to a Leica DFC 480 color camera and HVC volume reconstructed with the ImageJ v1.47v software (National Institutes of Health) as previously described [25,27]. All sections containing the aromatase-immunoreactive (ARO-ir) cells defining the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) were photographed and the volume of this cell group was measured as previously described [25,26] using the same microscope, camera and software as for Nissl-stained sections. The first 3 most rostral sections were however excluded from the total volume because in many birds they had been damaged during processing.…”

Section: Microscopy and Image Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rapid testosterone-induced growth of the medial preoptic nucleus in male canaries

Shevchouk

Ball

Cornil

et al. 2019

Physiology & Behavior

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Testosterone activates singing within days in castrated male songbirds but full song quality only develops after a few weeks. Lesions of the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) inhibit while stereotaxic testosterone implants into this nucleus increase singing rate suggesting that this site plays a key role in the regulation of singing motivation. Testosterone action in the song control system works in parallel to control song quality. Accordingly, systemic testosterone increases POM volume within 1-2 days in female canaries, while the increase in volume of song control nuclei takes at least 2 weeks. The current study tested whether testosterone action is associated with similar differences in latencies in males. Photosensitive castrated male canaries were implanted with testosterone-filled Silastic™ implants and control castrates received empty implants, while simultaneously the photoperiod was switched from short-to long-days. Brains were collected from all subjects two days later. Plasma testosterone was elevated in testosteronetreated but not in controls. HVC volumes were not affected, but testosterone significantly increased the POM volume as identified by the dense group of aromatase-immunoreactive neurons, the number and somal area of these neurons and the fractional area they cover in POM. Testosterone-treated females from a previous experiment had a smaller POM volume in similar conditions suggesting the existence of a stable sex difference potentially affecting singing behavior. Thus testosterone induces male POM growth and aromatase expression in this nucleus within two days without affecting HVC size, further supporting the notion that testosterone increases singing motivation via its action in POM.

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Steroid-dependent plasticity in the song control system: Perineuronal nets and HVC neurogenesis

Balthazart

2023

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

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Behavioral evidence for sex steroids hypersensitivity in castrated male canaries

Cited by 13 publications

References 113 publications

Steroid profiles in quail brain and serum: Sex and regional differences and effects of castration with steroid replacement

Steroid profiles in quail brain and serum: Sex and regional differences and effects of castration with steroid replacement

Rapid testosterone-induced growth of the medial preoptic nucleus in male canaries

Steroid-dependent plasticity in the song control system: Perineuronal nets and HVC neurogenesis

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