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| Neuroscience
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William C. Engeland, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
engel002@umn.edu
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 Neuroendocrinology
of stress.
The
focus of the laboratory is to delineate neuroendocrine mechanisms for
the control of adrenal secretion of glucocorticoids, the major output
of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. One goal is to
define the role of adrenal innervation on the control of glucocorticoid
secretion. The secretion of the adrenal cortex is dependent on the
pituitary hormone, ACTH. Our work has shown that autonomic neural
activity contributes to circadian and stress-induced corticosteroid
secretion by modulating steroidogenic responses to ACTH, but the
central and peripheral neural pathways involved have not been
delineated.
To characterize the central neural substrate for
circadian changes in glucocorticoids, a combination of a physiological
and neuroanatomical methods are employed; plasma ACTH, vasopressin and
adrenal steroids are measured and double-label immunohistochemistry and
retrograde labeling are used to define the phenotype of neurons
activated as a function of time of day. The hypothesis to be tested is
that neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus
receive input from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and project to the
spinal cord to provide inhibitory and excitatory input to the adrenal
cortex that drives the circadian rhythm.
Other studies are
determining the central and peripheral mechanisms that control rapid
decreases in glucocorticoids. By active removal of a stressor,
rehydration after water restriction or feeding after food restriction
are viewed as unique models for assessing processes invoked to reduce
stress as reflected by decreases in HPA activity. Using Fos
immunohistochemistry coupled with phenotypic labeling, our studies have
identified a unique pattern of neural activity in the PVN induced by
drinking after repeated water restriction that is not observed after a
single episode of water deprivation. Experiments will incorporate
microdialysis with CE-LIF detection to determine neurotransmitters
released in the PVN that mediate changes in neural and endocrine
responses. The goal of this work is to identify central neural
circuits controlling HPA activity that could be mobilized to reduce the
deleterious effects of stress. |
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Selected Publications
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Wotus, C, Arnhold, MM and Engeland WC.
Dehydration-Induced Driniking Results in a Rapid Decrease in FOS
Expression in Hypothalmic Paraventricular Neurons Expressing
Vasopressin, But Not Corticotropin-releasing Hormone.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Oct 26; [Epub ahead of print] |
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Ulrich-Lai, YM, Engeland, WC, Arnhold, MM.
Adrenal
splanchnic innervation contributes to the diurnal rhythm of plasma
corticosterone in rats by modulating adrenal sensitivity to ACTH.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Apr;290(4):R1128-35. |
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Engeland, WC, Arnhold, MM.
Neural circuitry in the regulation of adrenal corticosterone rhythmicity.
Endocrine. 2005 Dec;28(3):325-32. Review. |
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Ennen, WB, Levay-Young, BK, Engeland, WC.
Zone-specific cell proliferation during adrenocortical regeneration after enucleation in rats.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Nov;289(5):E883-91 |
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Engeland, WC, Ennen WB, Elayaperumal, A, Durand, DA, Levay-Young, BK.
Zone-specific cell proliferation during compensatory adrenal growth in rats.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Feb;288(2):E298-306. |
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