PUBLICATION
Differential effects of 17{beta}-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone on the endocrine stress response in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- Authors
- Fuzzen, M.L., Bernier, N.J., and Van Der Kraak, G.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-101101-2
- Date
- 2011
- Source
- General and comparative endocrinology 170(2): 365-373 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Van Der Kraak, Glen
- Keywords
- HPI-axis, cortisol, sex steroids, gene expression, crf, star, cyp11b2, superfusion
- MeSH Terms
-
- Testosterone/analogs & derivatives*
- Testosterone/pharmacology
- Zebrafish/growth & development
- Zebrafish/metabolism*
- Androgens/pharmacology*
- Male
- Kidney/drug effects
- Estradiol/pharmacology*
- Endocrine System/drug effects
- Stress, Physiological*
- Female
- Pituitary Gland/drug effects
- Fish Proteins/drug effects
- Fish Proteins/metabolism
- Animals
- Hypothalamus/drug effects
- PubMed
- 20977907 Full text @ Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.
Citation
Fuzzen, M.L., Bernier, N.J., and Van Der Kraak, G. (2011) Differential effects of 17{beta}-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone on the endocrine stress response in zebrafish (Danio rerio). General and comparative endocrinology. 170(2):365-373.
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic stress responses are present in species across all vertebrate taxa and it has been suggested that these effects are mediated by circulating sex steroids. While a few species of fish have been identified as having a sexually dimorphic stress response, there is conflicting evidence as to the effects of sex steroids on the stress axis. In this study, we tested whether zebrafish exhibit a sexually dimorphic cortisol stress response and whether 17β-estradiol (E2) or 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) modulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis. To accomplish this, we quantified the whole body cortisol response to a physical stressor, cortisol release in vitro, and the expression of key HPI axis regulating genes of control and E2- or 11KT-exposed zebrafish. Under control conditions no dimorphisms in the HPI axis were apparent at rest or in response to a standardized stressor. In contrast, E2-exposure blunted the cortisol response of male fish in vivo and in vitro and as well as corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) expression in the preoptic area (POA) of the brain. While the expression of some interrenal genes was suppressed by E2-exposure, these changes occurred in both male and female zebrafish. 11KT-exposure increased whole-body cortisol of males at rest and vortex-exposed females, but had no impact on the rate of cortisol synthesis in vitro or on POA crf expression. Therefore, while we found no evidence that zebrafish exhibit a sexually dimorphic cortisol stress response, both E2 and 11KT can modulate the activity of the HPI axis in this species and do so via different mechanisms.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping