The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulates individuals' physiological responses to social stress, which is an inevitable aspect of the daily lives of group-living animals. Previous nonhuman primate studies have reported that sex, age, rank, and reproductive condition influence cortisol levels under stressful conditions. In this study we investigated cortisol responses to stress amo...

While stress is known to impact reproductive performance, the pathways involved are not entirely understood. Corticosteroid effects on the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis are thought to be a key aspect of stress-mediated reproductive dysfunction. A vital component of the stress response is the pituitary secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which binds to the m...

Studies show that restraint stress influences male reproductive system. The main purpose of this study was to study the effects of restraint stress on serum LH, FSH or testosterone level and testes tissue in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, acutely or chronically immobilized animals of 5 in each group. In chronically or acutely immobilized groups, animals were...

Social behavior can influence physiological systems dramatically yet the sensory cues responsible are not well understood. Behavior of male African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, in their natural habitat suggests that visual cues from conspecifics contribute significantly to regulation of social behavior. Using a novel paradigm, we asked whether visual cues alone from a larger conspecific...

There is now compelling evidence that psychosocial stress is a cause of reproductive suppression in humans. However, women continue to conceive in the harshest conditions of war, poverty, or famine, suggesting that suppression can be bypassed. The reproductive suppression model (RSM) proposes that natural selection should favor factors that reliably predict conditions for reproduction. In this ...

This review examined environmental and management stressors of farm animals and the effects they have on reproductive and productive performances of livestock. Stress is revealed by the inability of an animal to cope with its environment, a phenomenon that is often reflected in a failure to achieve reproductive, productive and genetic potentials. Identification of environmental and management f...

Background: Physical activity has a range of effects on male reproductive function depending upon the intensity and duration of the activity. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the protective effects of nano zinc oxide on endurance exercise induced testicular oxidative stress, 30 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control group (n=10); exercised ...

BACKGROUND Common mental disorders (CMD) are a constellation of mental health conditions that include depression, anxiety, and other related nonpsychotic affective disorders. Qualitative explanatory models of mental health among reproductive-aged women in India reveal that distress is strongly associated with CMD. The relationship of perceived stress and CMD might be attenuated or exacerbated b...

Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy is difficult in lactating dairy cows exposed to heat stress because of reductions in estrous detection rate and the proportion of inseminated cows that maintain pregnancy. The most common approach to ameliorate heat stress in developed countries has been to alter the cow's environment through provision of shade, fans, sprinklers, and so on. Nonetheless...

Only 23% of women will begin a successful pregnancy during the first menstrual cycle in their attempt to conceive. A large number of these failed reproductive attempts are attributed to a broad set of pathologies, but across studies an important proportion of unsuccessful cycles is consistently left unexplained. Stress has become a commonly cited factor when discussing unexplained reproductive ...