Effects of aging on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system function in non-human primates

Goncharova, N. D.; Лапин, Б. А.

doi:10.1016/s0047-6374(02)00012-x

Cited by 62 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…This is also consistent with findings that in response to psychological stress the HPA axis is activated to a greater extent in elderly men than in women [11,12,13]. Increasing insensitivity of the feedback of cortisol on the HPA axis may be another factor involved in the activation of the HPA axis during aging [35]. In addition, changes in the noradrenergic, histaminergic or serotoninergic system during aging, all of which send indirect or direct projections to the PVN, are also possible candidates for influencing the activity of CRH neurons during aging.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Gender Difference in Age-Related Number of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Expressing Neurons in the Human Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and the Role of Sex Hormones

Bao

Swaab²

2007

Neuroendocrinology

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Previous studies have shown that the total number of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-stained neurons in the human hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) increases with age. To determine whether this age-related change depends on gender and whether circulating sex hormones play a role, we analyzed the total number of CRH-immunoreactive neurons by means of immunocytochemistry and image analysis in the postmortem hypothalamic PVN of 22 control subjects (11 males and 11 females) between the ages of 22 and 89 years, and of 10 subjects with abnormal sex hormone status. Our data show that men have a significantly larger number of CRH neurons than women (p = 0.004) and that the total number of CRH neurons increases significantly with age, but only in male controls (p = 0.032), not in female controls (p = 0.733). Female controls do not show a significant change in the total number of CRH neurons either before or after the age (50 years) of menopause (p = 0.792). Male subjects with low testosterone levels due to castration showed significantly fewer CRH neurons than well-matched intact males (p = 0.008), while castrated male-to-female (M-F) transsexuals with estrogen replacement showed normal numbers of CRH neurons. One male case, who had high estrogen levels due to an estrogen-producing tumor, showed a large number of CRH neurons. Thus, although circulating androgens and estrogens both seem to play a stimulatory role with respect to CRH neurons, the age-dependent increase in the number of CRH neurons in the PVN of men, which has been interpreted to reflect activation of the CRH neurons with age, seems to result from factors other than age-related changes of circulating sex hormone levels.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Gender Difference in Age-Related Number of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Expressing Neurons in the Human Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and the Role of Sex Hormones

Bao

Swaab²

2007

Neuroendocrinology

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“…In young-adult animals, this procedure results in a significant reduction of corticosterone release in response to a stress, however, aged male rodents fail to show this DEX-induced corticosterone suppression to a stressor, (Ferrini et al, 1999; Riegle and Hess, 1972). This age-related failure to inhibit HPA axis reactivity also is observed in female rhesus monkeys subjected to corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), ACTH, and DEX tests (Goncharova and Lapin, 2002) and in a CRH test performed in male and female dogs (Reul et al, 1991). Additionally, aged male rats also displayed prolonged corticosterone secretion after termination of an acute stressor compared with young animals (Ferrini et al, 1999; Sapolsky et al, 1983), with similar results observed in older male and female rodents exposed to chronic stress (Riegle, 1973; Sapolsky et al, 1983).…”

Section: Estradiol May Counteract Negative Effects Of Glucocorticomentioning

confidence: 80%

Actions and interactions of estradiol and glucocorticoids in cognition and the brain: Implications for aging women

Herrera

Mather

2015

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

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Menopause involves dramatic declines in estradiol production and levels. Importantly, estradiol and the class of stress hormones known as glucocorticoids exert countervailing effects throughout the body, with estradiol exerting positive effects on the brain and cognition, glucocorticoids exerting negative effects on the brain and cognition, and estradiol able to mitigate negative effects of glucocorticoids. Although the effects of these hormones in isolation have been extensively studied, the effects of estradiol on the stress response and the neuroprotection offered against glucocorticoid exposure in humans are less well known. Here we review evidence suggesting that estradiol-related protection against glucocorticoids mitigates stress-induced interference with cognitive processes. Animal and human research indicates that estradiol-related mitigation of glucocorticoid damage and interference is one benefit of estradiol supplementation during peri-menopause or soon after menopause. The evidence for estradiol-related protection against glucocorticoids suggests that maintaining estradiol levels in post-menopausal women could protect them from stress-induced declines in neural and cognitive integrity.

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“…All scores were standardized to values between 0 (lowest rank) and 1 (highest rank), so that scores were comparable between groups. (ii) HPA axis functioning changes in the course of the life-history of several primate species (e.g., Goncharova and Lapin, 2002;Seraphin et al, 2006). Therefore, we calculated the male's age (in years) at the time a given sample was collected.…”

Section: The Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

et al. 2018

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Investigating the repeatability of trait variation between individuals, that is the amount of individual variation in relation to overall phenotypic variation, indicates an upper level of heritability and reveals whether a given trait may be subject to selection. Labile traits are characterized by high levels of flexibility and consequently low trait repeatability is expected. Indeed, research examining glucocorticoid levels in various non-mammal species found low repeatability scores. However, mammals may be different in this respect as (i) differential maternal care early in life has the potential to prime hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and (ii) allelic variation affecting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning has been reported. Individuals often differ from each other in average and/or plastic labile trait expression, two aspects that can be described using a reaction norm approach. Both consistent and flexible reaction norm expression has been argued to serve adaptive purposes, depending on the stability and predictability of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated both trait and reaction norm repeatability of urinary cortisol levels in wild adult male chimpanzees. To capture the expression of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm of individual males over time, urine samples were collected throughout the day. In total data of 30 males collected over a period of 8 years were included in the dataset. No male was sampled over the whole 8-year period however. We found minor levels of trait repeatability but considerable reaction norm repeatability. This implies a minor role of genetic or priming factors on cortisol excretion, but reveals that males differ consistently in average urinary cortisol levels and the shape of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm. Relating these results to fitness parameters will provide answers to questions on the adaptive value of reaction norm repeatability of this labile hormonal trait in the future.

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Effects of aging on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system function in non-human primates

Cited by 62 publications

References 41 publications

Gender Difference in Age-Related Number of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Expressing Neurons in the Human Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and the Role of Sex Hormones

Gender Difference in Age-Related Number of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Expressing Neurons in the Human Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and the Role of Sex Hormones

Actions and interactions of estradiol and glucocorticoids in cognition and the brain: Implications for aging women

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

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