Estrogen upregulates the firing activity of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH1) neurons in the evening in female medaka

Abstract

The reproductive function of vertebrates is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In sexually mature females, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the preoptic area (POA) are assumed to be responsible for a cyclic large increase in GnRH release, the GnRH surge, triggering a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, which leads to ovulation. Precise temporal regulation of the preovulatory GnRH/LH surge is important for successful reproduction because ovulation should occur after follicular development. The time course of the circulating level of estrogen is correlated with the ovulatory cycle throughout vertebrates. However, the neural mechanisms underlying estrogen-induced preovulatory GnRH surge after folliculogenesis still remain unclear, especially in non-mammals. Here, we used a versatile non-mammalian model medaka for the analysis of the involvement of estrogen in the regulation of POA-GnRH (GnRH1) neurons. Electrophysiological analysis using a whole brain-pituitary in vitro preparation, which maintains the hypophysiotropic function of GnRH1 neurons intact, revealed that 17β-estradiol (E₂ ) administration recovers the ovariectomy-induced lowered GnRH1 neuronal activity in the evening, indicating the importance of E₂ for upregulation of GnRH1 neuronal activity. The importance of E₂ was also confirmed by the fact that GnRH1 neuronal activity was low in short-day photoperiod-conditioned females (low E₂ model). However, E₂ failed to upregulate the firing activity of GnRH1 neurons in the morning, suggesting the involvement of additional time-of-day signal(s) for triggering GnRH/LH surges at an appropriate timing. We also provide morphological evidence for the localization of estrogen receptor subtypes in GnRH1 neurons. In conclusion, we propose a working hypothesis in which both estrogenic and time-of-day signals act in concert to timely upregulate the firing activity of GnRH1 neurons that trigger the GnRH surge at an appropriate timing in a female-specific manner. This neuroendocrinological mechanism is suggested to be responsible for the generation of ovulatory cycles in female teleosts in general.

Keywords: GnRH surge; HPG axis; electrophysiology; estrogen.