Vasopressin and oxytocin expression in hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus and plasma electrolytes changes in water-deprived male Meriones libycus

Abstract

In mammals, plasmatic osmolality needs to be stable, and it is highly related to the hydric state of the animals which depends on the activity of the hypothalamic neurohypophysial system and more particularly by vasopressin secretion. Meriones, a desert rodent, can survive even without drinking for more than one month. The mechanism(s) by which they survive under these conditions remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the water's deprivation consequences on the: (1) anatomy, morphology, and physiology of the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus, (2) body mass and plasma electrolytes changes in male desert rodents 'Meriones libycus' subjected to water deprivation for 30 days. The effect of water deprivation was evaluated on the structural and cellular organization of the supraoptic nucleus by morphological observations and immunohistochemical approaches, allowing the labeling of AVP but also oxytocin. Our finding demonstrated that upon water deprivation (1) the body weight decreased and reached a plateau after a month of water restriction. (2) The plasmatic osmolality began to decrease and return to values similar to control animals at day 30. (3) The SON, both in hydrated and water-deprived animals, is highly developed.(4) The AVP labeling in the SON increased upon dehydration at variance with OT. These changes observed in body mass and plasma osmolality reveal an important adaptive process of male Meriones in response to prolonged water deprivation. Overall, this animal represents an interesting model for the study of water body homeostasis and the mechanisms underlying the survival of desert rodents to xeric environments.

Abnormal maternal behavior in mice lacking phospholipase Cβ1

“…Hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters involved in maternal behavior act via G-protein-coupled receptors, many of which in turn activate plasma membrane enzymes including phospholipase C (PLC) β isoforms (Sladek and Song 2012 ; Boumansour et al 2021 ; Jang et al 2021 ). The forebrain Gαq/11-deficient mice (Wettschureck et al 2006 ) are known to neglect pups from the very start after parturition.…”

High total water loss driven by low-fat diet in desert-adapted mice

“…Notably, the synthetic markers of pathological renal impairment, BUN and Creatinine, were not significantly different in any treatment group. Previous studies have shown that the electrolyte-water balance is frequently unaffected when desert rodents are water-deprived for long periods of time (Heimeier et al, 2004; Heimeier and Donald, 2006; Boumansour et al, 2021), however, other desert rodent studies have demonstrated evidence of physiological stress in the form of elevated serum electrolytes in the absence of exogenous water (Boumansour et al, 2021; Kordonowy et al, 2017), though without apparent renal impairment.…”

“…Notably, synthetic markers of pathological renal impairment, BUN and Cr, were not significantly different between treatments. Previous studies have shown that the electrolyte-water balance is frequently unaffected when desert rodents are water-deprived for long periods of time (Heimeier et al 2004;Heimeier and Donald 2006;Boumansour et al 2021), however, other desert rodent studies have demonstrated evidence of dehydration in the absence of exogenous water without renal impairment (Kordonowy et al 2017;Boumansour et al 2021). So, even with the significant water lost through respiration, when free water is available, dietary fat content does not significantly impair the kidney for P. eremicus.…”

When the tap runs dry: The multi-tissue gene expression and physiological responses of water deprivedPeromyscus eremicus

“…Studies of desert mammals have provided evidence of positive selection on genes related to food storage (Jirimutu et al, 2012; Wu et al, 2014), water reabsorption (Jirimutu et al, 2012; Marra et al, 2014, 2012; Yang et al, 2016), osmoregulation (Colella et al, 2021; Kordonowy and MacManes, 2017, 2016; MacManes and Eisen, 2014), fat metabolism (Chebii et al, 2020; Colella et al, 2021; Kim et al, 2016; Sugden et al, 2018; Tigano et al, 2020), thyroid-induced metabolism (Malaspinas et al, 2016), and salt regulation (Ababaikeri et al, 2020). These genetic insights suggest the molecular basis of observed phenotypes, including enhanced metabolic water production (Frank, 1988; MacMillen and Hinds, 1983; Walsberg, 2000), reduced water loss (Blumstein and MacManes, 2023; Frank, 1988; Schmidt-Nielsen, 1975), tolerance to high-salt diets (Ali et al, 2019; Jirimutu et al, 2012), and coping with starvation and dehydration (Blumstein and MacManes, 2023, 2023; Boumansour et al, 2021; Kordonowy et al, 2017; Kordonowy and MacManes, 2017; MacManes, 2017), which are all common in desert-dwelling mammals. However, it remains unclear how water deprivation affects the activities of other organs with respect to their expression of genes in the whole-organism context.…”