The agonistic adrenal: melatonin elicits female aggression via regulation of adrenal androgens
The agonistic adrenal: melatonin elicits female aggression via regulation of adrenal androgens
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2015.2080
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发表时间：
2015-11-22
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Demas, Gregory E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Rendon, Nikki M.;Rudolph, Lauren M.;Demas, Gregory E.
经典的研究结果表明，性类固醇在调节攻击性方面发挥着重要作用，但在某些环境背景下，这种关系是缺乏的。在哺乳动物和鸟类中，肾上腺雄激素脱氢表雄酮（DHEA）是一种生物活性类固醇的非性腺前体，与攻击性有关。尽管雌性和雄性一样，在争夺有限的资源时也会使用攻击，但雌性攻击的潜在机制仍未得到充分研究。在这里，我们提出了一个先前未描述的内分泌机制，通过松果体褪黑激素对肾上腺雄激素的直接作用来调节雌性攻击性。我们在一种单独的仓鼠物种Phodopus sungorus中进行了研究，这种仓鼠的两性在整个季节都具有高度的领土意识，并且在短暂的“冬季样”日子里，随着血清性类固醇水平的降低，攻击性增加。短时间而非长时间的雌性小鼠肾上腺脱氢表雄酮反应性增加，并伴有肾上腺形态变化。此外，血清脱氢表雄酮和肾上腺总脱氢表雄酮含量在短时间内升高。最后，褪黑素增加脱氢表雄酮和攻击性，并刺激脱氢表雄酮从培养的肾上腺释放。总的来说，这些发现表明DHEA是攻击的关键外周调节剂，褪黑激素通过直接作用于肾上腺，协调从性腺到肾上腺的“季节性转换”。
Classic findings have demonstrated an important role for sex steroids as regulators of aggression, but this relationship is lacking within some environmental contexts. In mammals and birds, the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a non-gonadal precursor of biologically active steroids, has been linked to aggression. Although females, like males, use aggression when competing for limited resources, the mechanisms underlying female aggression remain understudied. Here, we propose a previously undescribed endocrine mechanism regulating female aggression via direct action of the pineal hormone melatonin on adrenal androgens. We examined this in a solitary hamster species, Phodopus sungorus, in which both sexes are highly territorial across the seasons, and display increased aggression concomitant with decreased serum levels of sex steroids in short 'winter-like' days. Short- but not long-day females had increased adrenal DHEA responsiveness co-occurring with morphological changes in the adrenal gland. Further, serum DHEA and total adrenal DHEA content were elevated in short days. Lastly, melatonin increased DHEA and aggression and stimulated DHEA release from cultured adrenals. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that DHEA is a key peripheral regulator of aggression and that melatonin coordinates a 'seasonal switch' from gonadal to adrenal regulation of aggression by direct action on the adrenal glands.