Role of CORT Duration and Estradiol Dependence for Stress-level of CORT to Inhibit Pulsatile LH Secretion in Female Mice

Two common responses to stress include elevated circulating glucocorticoids and impaired luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. We have shown that a chronic stress-level of corticosterone (CORT) can slow LH pulses in female mice and that this reduction required estradiol. In addition, the decrease in LH secretion was associated with a suppression in neuronal activation of arcuate kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons, regarded as the LH pulse generator. Although the increment of the chronic CORT rise was physiological, the duration of the rise exceeded that of a normal CORT response to an acute stressor. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate whether an acute, exogenous CORT rise is sufficient to inhibit LH pulses and arcuate Kiss1 expression, and whether estradiol is necessary for this inhibition. For this study, adult C57bl6 female mice were ovariectomized and implanted with either an implant filled with oil (OVX) or 100 ng estradiol (OVX+E), which approximates a diestrus level of estradiol. Blood samples to measure pulsatile LH were collected every 6 minutes for 90 minutes prior to and following the initiation of CORT or saline treatment. Animals were randomly assigned to receive one of 4 treatments: a single injection of CORT (0.6 mg/kg, i.p) or saline, or three successive injections separated by 30 minutes of CORT (3xCORT) or saline (3xSaline). This dose of CORT elicited a CORT elevation similar to the endogenous CORT rise induced by restraint stress. One injection of CORT elicited an elevation for 30 minutes; the three-injection paradigm elevated CORT for 90 minutes, the entirety of the post injection LH sampling period. Regardless of estradiol status, LH did not differ between the pre and post injection period in mice administered a single injection of CORT or saline. In contrast, in OVX+E mice, 3xCORT significantly slowed the frequency of LH pulses (pulses/90 min: 2.7±0.2 vs 1.4±0.3; pre vs post, p<0.05) compared to mice given 3xSaline (pulses/90 min: 2.9±0.4 vs 2.8±0.4; pre vs post, p>0.05). Interestingly, in OVX mice, there was no impairment of LH secretion in response to either 3xCORT (pulses/90 min: 4.9±0.4 vs 4.7±0.5; pre vs post, p>0.05) or 3xSaline. Knowing that glucocorticoid receptors are present in arcuate Kiss1 cells, we investigated the effect of CORT on Kiss1 expression. Brains were collected 3 hrs following the initiation of the 3xSaline or 3xCORT treatment, and the arcuate nucleus was micropunched for measurement of Kiss1. In OVX+E mice, Kiss1 expression in the arcuate nucleus was suppressed 47% by 3xCORT compared to 3xSaline treated mice (p<0.05). Collectively these data show that an acute CORT rise is sufficient to impair pulsatile LH secretion and Kiss1 expression, but the rise has to be sustained for more than 30 minutes and requires the presence of estradiol. Whether CORT is acting directly or indirectly on arcuate Kiss1 neurons to impair LH secretion remains to be determined.