Neuroendocrine Regulation and Homeostasis
Author(s) -
Mani Shaila K.,
AnselmoFranci Janete,
Lara Hernan,
Suchecki Deborah,
Poletini Maristela O.,
Handa Robert J.,
Wu Taoyiao John
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1111/jne.12184
Subject(s) - library science , medicine , computer science
This special issue of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology comprisesve review articles, centred on the theme of the neuroendocrineregulation of homeostasis, and provides a snapshot of the sessionsat the 2013 International Workshop in Neuroendocrinology (IWNE).The workshop was held in Santa Clara Resort, in the town ofDourado, S~ao Paulo, Brazil, from 4–7 August 2013 and emergedfrom the unication of two independent neuroendocrine meetingsheld in August 2011: The First US–Latin American Workshop inNeuroendocrinology (Vi~na del Mar, Chile) and the First BrazilianInternational Symposium on Integrative Neuroendocrinology (Dourado,Brazil). The small, intimate venue not only facilitated scienticinteractions between Neuroendocrinologists from the United Statesand South America, but also provided graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with the opportunity to interact with each otherand with established investigators. It provided the unique opportu-nity for 11 competitively chosen young investigators to discusstheir research ndings as an oral or poster presentation in aninformal setting. Several of these young investigators spearheadedthe writing and compilation of the review articles, with input fromthe established investigators.Stress coping mechanisms have evolved over phyla and play animportant role in the survival of the species. In adaptive responseto stress, living organisms redirect their physiological functionstowards the maintenance of homeostasis, by mobilising energystores and suppressing diverse processes such as feeding, bodyrepair, reproduction and behaviours. Glucocorticoids, the end prod-ucts of the stress-stimulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)axis, exert effects on multiple organ systems to regulate metabolic,cardiovascular, immune, behavioural and neuroendocrine activitiesto maintain homeostasis. Sex differences in stress reactivity as aresult of the activational effects of gonadal steroids are wellknown. The HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes are inti-mately intertwined, wherein activation of the former affects thefunction of the latter and vice versa. In addition, the adaptive stressresponse is determined by genetic, environmental, nutritional anddevelopmental factors, which dictate the characteristics of themobilised defences against stressors throughout the lifespan. Thereviews in this special issue attempt to summarise current researchon various aspects related to the central theme of the neuroendocrineregulation of homeostasis.The rst review by Uchoa et al. (1) discusses the current state ofknowledge about the regulation of the HPA axis by glucocorticoids,and elaborates the role of glucocorticoids in neural plasticity,immunomodulation and feeding behaviours. Toufexis et al. (2) out-line the complex interplay between the reproductive and stressaxes. Based on studies from rodents to primates, the review high-lights how stressors, during development and adulthood, disruptgonadal hormone-mediated neuroendocrine and behaviouralresponses and impair reproductive health and emotional wellbeing.The review by Boersma et al. (3) discusses how environmentalperturbations such as stress and nutrition during development canlead to epigenetic alterations and maladaptive consequences (i.e.obesity and heightened stress sensitivity) in adulthood. Amaralet al. (4) emphasise the importance of circadian rhythms in themaintenance of physiological homeostasis and discuss the impor-tance of hormonal and neural cues in the synchronisation of thecircadian timing system to the light/dark cycle. No discussion onneuroendocrine regulation can be complete without due consider-ation of the environmental effects of oestrogens on homeostasis.The review by Cruz et al. (5) discusses how neonatal exposure toenvironmental oestrogens can modify epigenetic programming andproduce alterations in reproductive function in adulthood.The topics covered in this issue on neuroendocrine regulation ofstress have important implications for the day-to-day lives of allliving organisms. Although neuroendocrinologists have begun tounravel the multifaceted and integrative mechanisms involved insuch regulation, we have barely touched the tip of the iceberg.Application of newer concepts and tools will potentially propel theeld into revealing the nuts and bolts biology of how stress exposurecan disrupt homeostatic functions, leading to pathophysiology.