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Cortisol Acting Through the Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Not Involved in Exercise-Enhanced Growth, But Does Affect the White Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

ABSTRACT: Forced sustained swimming exercise at optimal speed enhances growth in many fish species, particularly through hypertrophy of the white skeletal muscle. The exact mechanism of this effect has not been resolved yet. To explore the role of cortisol, we first subjected wild-type zebrafish to an exercise protocol validated for exercise-enhanced growth, and showed that exercised zebrafish, which indeed showed enhanced growth, had higher cortisol levels than the non-exercised controls. A central role was therefore hypothesized for the steroid hormone cortisol acting through the Glucocorticoid receptor (Gr). Second, we subjected wild-type zebrafish and zebrafish with a mutant Gr to exercise at optimal, suboptimal, and super-optimal speeds and compared them with non-exercised controls. Exercised zebrafish showed growth enhancement at all speeds, with highest growth at optimal speeds. In the Gr mutant fish, exercise resulted in growth enhancement similar to wild-type zebrafish, indicating that cortisol signaling through Gr cannot be considered as a main determinant of exercise-enhanced growth. Finally, the transcriptome of white skeletal muscle tissue was analyzed by RNA sequencing. The results of this analysis showed that in the muscle tissue of Gr mutant fish a lower number of genes is regulated by exercise than in wild-type fish (183 vs. 351). A cluster of 36 genes was regulated by exercise in both wild-type and mutant fish, and in this cluster genes involved in transcriptional regulation and protein ubiquitination were overrepresented. Because these two processes appear to be regulated in both wild type and mutant fish, which both display exercise-enhanced growth, we suggest that they play an important role in the growth of muscles upon exercise.

SUBMITTER: Palstra AP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6339955 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cortisol Acting Through the Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Not Involved in Exercise-Enhanced Growth, But Does Affect the White Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).

Palstra Arjan P AP Mendez Silvia S Dirks Ron P RP Schaaf Marcel J M MJM

Frontiers in physiology 20190114

Forced sustained swimming exercise at optimal speed enhances growth in many fish species, particularly through hypertrophy of the white skeletal muscle. The exact mechanism of this effect has not been resolved yet. To explore the role of cortisol, we first subjected wild-type zebrafish to an exercise protocol validated for exercise-enhanced growth, and showed that exercised zebrafish, which indeed showed enhanced growth, had higher cortisol levels than the non-exercised controls. A central role ...[more]

PMID: 30692930

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Project description:Cortisol is the major endocrine factor mediating the inhibitory effects of stress on vertebrate reproduction. It is well known that cortisol affects reproduction by interacting with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonads axis, leading to downstream inhibitory and stimulatory effects on gonads. However, the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we provide novel data demonstrating the stimulatory effects of cortisol on spermatogenesis using an ex vivo organ culture system. The results revealed that cortisol treatment did not modulate basal androgen production, but it influenced transcript levels of a selected number of genes involved in the zebrafish testicular function ar (androgen receptor), star (steroidogenic acute regulatory), cyp17a1 (17?-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase/17,20 desmolase), cyp11a2 (cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily A, polypeptide 2), hsd11b2 (11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase), cyp2k22 (cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily K, polypeptide 22), fkbp5 (FKBP prolyl isomerase 5), gr? (glucocorticoid receptor alpha), and gr? (glucocorticoid receptor beta) in a short-term culture. We also showed that cortisol stimulates spermatogonial proliferation and differentiation in an androgen independent manner as well as promoting meiosis and spermiogenesis by increasing the number of spermatozoa in the testes. Moreover, we demonstrated that concomitant treatment with RU 486, a potent glucocorticoid receptor (Gr) antagonist, did not affect the cortisol effects on spermatogonial differentiation but blocked the induced effects on meiosis and spermiogenesis. Supporting the Gr-mediated effects, RU 486 nullified the cortisol-induced expression of sycp3l (synaptonemal complex protein 3), a marker for the meiotic prophase that encodes a component of the synaptonemal complex. This is consistent with in silico analysis that found 10 putative GREs (glucocorticoid response elements) upstream of the zebrafish sycp3l. Finally, we also showed that gr? mRNA is expressed in Sertoli and Leydig cells, but also in several types of germ cells, including spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Altogether, this evidence indicates that cortisol exerts paracrine roles in the zebrafish testicular function and spermatogenesis, highlighting its effects on spermatogonial differentiation, meiosis, and spermiogenesis.

Project description:The current study investigated the independent and combined effects of caffeine and taurine on anxiety-like behavior and neuroendocrine responses in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione), the world's most commonly used psychoactive drug, acts as an adenosine receptor blocker and a mild central nervous system stimulant. However, excessive use of caffeine is associated with heightened anxiety levels. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), a semi-essential amino acid synthesized within the human brain, has been hypothesized to play a role in regulating anxiolytic behavior. Caffeine and taurine are two common additives in energy drinks and are often found in high concentrations in these beverages. However, few studies have investigated the interaction of these two chemicals with regards to anxiety measures. A suitable vertebrate to examine anxiety-like behavior and physiological stress responses is the zebrafish, which has shown promise due to substantial physiological and genetic homology with humans. Anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish can be determined by analyzing habituation to novelty when fish are placed into a novel tank and scototaxis (light avoidance) behavior in the light-dark test. Stress-related neuroendocrine responses can be measured in zebrafish by analyzing whole-body cortisol levels. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to caffeine, taurine, or a combination of the two compounds altered anxiety-like behavior and whole-body cortisol levels in zebrafish relative to control. Zebrafish were individually exposed to either caffeine (100 mg/L), taurine (400 mg/L), or both for 15 min. Zebrafish in the control group were handled in the same manner but were only exposed to system tank water. After treatment, fish were transferred to the novel tank test or the light-dark test. Behavior was tracked for the first 6 min in the novel tank and 15 min in the light-tark test. Fifteen min after introduction to the behavioral task, fish were euthanized for the analysis of whole-body cortisol levels. The results demonstrate that caffeine treatment decreased the amount of exploration in the top of the novel tank and increased scototaxis behavior in the light-dark test, which supports the established anxiogenic effect of acute exposure to caffeine. Taurine alone did not alter basal levels of anxiety-like behavioral responses nor ameliorated the anxiogenic effects of caffeine on behavior when the two compounds were administered concurrently. None of the drug treatments altered basal levels of whole-body cortisol. The current results of this study suggest that, at least at this dose and time of exposure, taurine does not mitigate the anxiety-producing effects of caffeine when administered in combination, such as with energy drink consumption.

Dataset Information

Cortisol Acting Through the Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Not Involved in Exercise-Enhanced Growth, But Does Affect the White Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Publications

Cortisol Acting Through the Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Not Involved in Exercise-Enhanced Growth, But Does Affect the White Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).

Similar Datasets

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