Pattern of maternal circulating CRH in laboratory‐housed squirrel and owl monkeys

Power, Michael L.; Williams, Larry E.; Gibson, Susan V.; Schulkin, Jay; Helfers, J.; Zorrilla, Eric P.

doi:10.1002/ajp.20850

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Serum concentrations of estradiol (E 2 ), progesterone (P), and squirrel monkey chorionic gonadotropin (SMG) can be used to diagnose early pregnancy in squirrel monkeys. CRH levels peak at days 45-70 of gestation, similar to findings in other New World monkeys, but in contrast to findings in humans and apes which show the highest CRH levels just prior to parturition (Power et al, 2010). After 30 days of pregnancy, concentrations increase and fluctuate between 700 and 2000 pg/ml.…”

Section: Reproductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

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Nonhuman Primates

Magden

Mansfield²,

Simmons

et al. 2015

Laboratory Animal Medicine

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Section: Reproductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Some estimates of the gestation length have been as high as 148-159 days (Elliot et al, 1976;Meritt, 1976). Corticotropin-releasing hormore (CRH) peaks during mid-gestation, at days 60-80 in owl monkeys (Power et al, 2010). Corticotropin-releasing hormore (CRH) peaks during mid-gestation, at days 60-80 in owl monkeys (Power et al, 2010).…”

Section: Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonhuman Primates

Magden

Mansfield²,

Simmons

et al. 2015

Laboratory Animal Medicine

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“…baboons; Goland et al , 1992; Smith et al , 1993) and New World monkeys (e.g. marmosets; Power et al , 2006; squirrel and owl monkeys; Power et al , 2010), placental CRH levels peak during the second trimester, then drop and level off through the third trimester, rising again (but not as sharply) near parturition. One could argue that this secondary rise plays a role in a placental clock, but it is not obvious how the primary peak during the second trimester does so.…”

Section: The Placental Clock Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

On the function of placental corticotropin‐releasing hormone: a role in maternal‐fetal conflicts over blood glucose concentrations

2012

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Throughout the second and third trimesters, the human placenta (and the placenta in other anthropoid primates) produces substantial quantities of corticotropin-releasing hormone (placental CRH), most of which is secreted into the maternal bloodstream. During pregnancy, CRH concentrations rise over 1000-fold. The advantages that led selection to favour placental CRH production and secretion are not yet fully understood. Placental CRH stimulates the production of maternal adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, leading to substantial increases in maternal serum cortisol levels during the third trimester. These effects are puzzling in light of widespread theory that cortisol has harmful effects on the fetus. The maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis becomes less sensitive to cortisol during pregnancy, purportedly to protect the fetus from cortisol exposure. Researchers, then, have often looked for beneficial effects of placental CRH that involve receptors outside the HPA system, such as the uterine myometrium (e.g. the placental clock hypothesis). An alternative view is proposed here: the beneficial effect of placental CRH to the fetus lies in the fact that it does stimulate the production of cortisol, which, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of glucose in the maternal bloodstream available for fetal consumption. In this view, maternal HPA insensitivity to placental CRH likely reflects counter-adaptation, as the optimal rate of cortisol production for the fetus exceeds that for the mother. Evidence pertaining to this proposal is reviewed.

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“…Pregnancy is crucial to reproductive success but poses survival risks [Hoffman et al, ]. In anthropoid primates, the fetal adrenal cortex produces GCs and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), while the placenta releases corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) [Mesiano & Jaffe, 1997; Power et al, ; Torres‐Farfan et al, ]. These hormones stimulate production of estrogens and GCs [Power et al, ; Rainey et al, ; Sapolsky, ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In anthropoid primates, the fetal adrenal cortex produces GCs and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), while the placenta releases corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) [Mesiano & Jaffe, 1997; Power et al, ; Torres‐Farfan et al, ]. These hormones stimulate production of estrogens and GCs [Power et al, ; Rainey et al, ; Sapolsky, ]. Estradiol also promotes increases in circulating GC concentrations [Sapolsky, ; Touma & Palme, 2005; von der Ohe & Servheen, 2002].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring stress responses in female Geoffroy's spider monkeys: Validation and the influence of reproductive state

Rodrigues

Wittwer²,

Kitchen

2015

American J Primatol

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Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are increasingly used to investigate physiological stress. However, it is crucial for researchers to simultaneously investigate the effects of reproductive state because estradiol and placental hormones can affect circulating glucocorticoid concentrations. Reports on the relationships between glucocorticoids and reproductive state are inconsistent among females. Unlike several primate species that have heightened glucocorticoid activity during lactation, humans experience reduced glucocorticoid activity during lactation. Rather than a taxonomic difference, we hypothesize that this is a result of different environmental stressors, particularly the threat of infanticide. Here, we expand the number of wild primate species tested by validating a glucocorticoid assay for female Geoffroy's spider monkeys. We investigate the effects of reproductive state on their glucocorticoid concentrations. Utilizing a routine veterinary exam on a captive population, we determined that fecal glucocorticoid metabolites increase in response to a stressor (anesthesia), and this rise is detected approximately 24 hours later. Additionally, we found that extracted hormone patterns in a wild population reflected basic reproductive biology – estradiol concentrations were higher in cycling than lactating females, and in lactating females with older offspring who were presumably resuming their cycle. However, we found that estradiol and glucocorticoid concentrations were significantly correlated in lactating but not cycling females. Similarly, we found that reproductive state and estradiol concentration, but not stage of lactation, predicted glucocorticoid concentrations. Unlike patterns in several other primate species that face a relatively strong threat of infanticide, lactating spider monkeys experience reduced glucocorticoid activity, possibly due to attenuating effects of oxytocin and lower male-initiated aggression than directed at cycling females. More broadly, we conclude that future studies using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites to index stress should consider that reproductive state might confound glucocorticoid measurements.

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Pattern of maternal circulating CRH in laboratory‐housed squirrel and owl monkeys

Cited by 6 publications

References 58 publications

Nonhuman Primates

Nonhuman Primates

On the function of placental corticotropin‐releasing hormone: a role in maternal‐fetal conflicts over blood glucose concentrations

Measuring stress responses in female Geoffroy's spider monkeys: Validation and the influence of reproductive state

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