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Long-Term Cortisol Treatment Inhibits Pubertal Development in Male Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio L¹

^a Graduate School for Developmental Biology, Research Group for Comparative Endocrinology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands ^b Department for Fish Culture and Fisheries, Wageningen Agricultural University, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

The onset and regulation of puberty is determined by functional development of the brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis. Stress has been shown to interfere with reproduction and the functioning of the BPG axis. The response to chronic and severe stress may require much energy and force the organism to make adaptive choices. Energy that is normally available for processes like growth, immune response, or reproduction will be channeled into restoration of the disturbed homeostasis. Cortisol plays a key role in the homeostatic adaptation during or after stress. In the present study, immature common carp were fed with cortisol-containing food pellets covering the pubertal period. We showed that cortisol caused an inhibition of pubertal development, by affecting directly or indirectly all components of the BPG axis. The salmon GnRH content of the brain was decreased. Luteinizing hormone- and FSH-encoding mRNA levels in the pituitary and LH plasma levels were diminished by long-term cortisol treatment, as was the testicular androgen secretion. Testicular development, reflected by gonadosomatic index and the first wave of spermatogenesis, was retarded.

FOOTNOTES

First decision: 11 July 2000.

¹ This project was supported by grant 805-33.103P from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

² Correspondence: D. Consten, Graduate School for Developmental Biology, Research Group for Comparative Endocrinology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands. FAX: 31 30 253 2837; d.consten{at}bio.uu.nl

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