From the University of Otago press release:<\/p>\n
\nOtago researchers have found the “missing link between stress and infertility<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n
\nPublished in\u00a0The Journal of Neuroscience<\/em><\/strong>, and led by Professor Greg Anderson of the Centre for Neuroendocrinology, the research has confirmed in laboratory testing that a population of nerve cells near the base of the brain — the RFRP neurons — become active in stressful situations and then suppress the reproductive system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
“A revolutionary step forward that has become available to neuroscientists in recent years is the ability to control the activity of selected groups of neurons — to either silence or ramp up their activity, and then monitor the outcomes,” Professor Anderson says.<\/p>\n
“We used cutting edge transgenic techniques to show that when the activity of the RFRP cells is increased, reproductive hormones are suppressed<\/strong> — in a similar manner to what happens during stress, or during exposure to the stress hormone cortisol.<\/p>\n
“Amazingly, when we used cortisol to suppress the reproductive hormones but also silenced the RFRP neurons, the reproductive system continued to function as if cortisol wasn’t there at all — proving that the RFRP neurons are a critical piece of the puzzle in stress-induced suppression of reproduction<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n
The reaction was most evident in females.<\/p>\n
Professor Anderson started researching the role of RFRP neurons in controlling fertility in mammals about a decade ago.<\/p>\n
“I became interested in whether these neurons might be what causes fertility to be suppressed during chronic stress, after reading that these cells become active during stress. This is a question that has remained stubbornly unanswered over the past decades.<\/p>\n
“Although it is known that stress steroids — like cortisol — are probably part of the mechanism involved, it is also known that the brain cells that control reproduction are unable to respond to cortisol, so there seemed to be a missing link in the circuit somewhere.<\/p>\n
“We have now shown that the RFRP neurons are indeed the missing link between stress and infertility. They become active in stressful situations — perhaps by sensing the increasing levels of cortisol — and they then suppress the reproductive system.”<\/p>\n
It is possible drugs could be used to block the actions of the RFRP neurons, and that will be the focus of further research for Professor Anderson.<\/p>\n
“We’d like to see if we can overcome stress-induced infertility using drugs which block the actions of the RFRP neurons.<\/p>\n
“For women struggling with infertility, drugs which block the actions of the RFRP neurons may prove to be a novel therapy. From what we know about these neurons, such a drug wouldn’t have any side-effects.<\/p>\n
“There are such drugs available, but they’re not approved for human use and they would likely need refining,” he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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