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Neuroscience
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Abstract
Background: The average menstrual cycle of a healthy adult woman is a duration of approximately 28 days, during which in the follicular phase (first 14 days) the progesterone hormone is at a stable level while estrogen increases to its peak level on day 14. Day 14 is known as ovulation, during which progesterone increases during its Luteinizing Hormone (LH) surge while estrogen decreases. Menses, known colloquially as a woman’s “period,” begins approximately at day 14 after ovulation and lasts an average of 7 days. The luteal phase, otherwise known as the secretory phase, lasts for the remaining 14 days until day 28, during which progesterone is the main hormone driving this phase while estrogen decreases. Due to social stigma surrounding menstrual health and mental health, preclinical models of women’s health issues for translational research are an understudied resource that necessitates a closer inspection. Given that female hamsters have a 4-day cycle, they are an ideal and efficient model to test hypotheses relevant to female reproductive health. The goal of the present study was to investigate the associations between stress reactivity, weight fluctuations, environmental factors, and estrous cycling status to uncover a larger picture of translational potential of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) animal model for human health.
Methods: We used a sample size of six female hamsters to characterize their stress reactions to being handled. Based upon a scale of 1-6, with a higher score indicating higher stress levels, two research assistants independently rated the stress reactions across five trials. Afterwards, the team continued normal cycling and weighing procedures. Univariate between-subjects and within-subjects tests were used to compare the overall stress ratings during each day of the estrous cycle to understand if stress changes throughout the cycle. We also investigated the relationship between weight, housing status, and estrous status.
Results: Results from univariate tests show that stress reactivity is rated higher amongst single-housed hamsters (M=3.5, SE=.660) compared to group-housed (M=2.2, SE=.785) and was found to be significant (p<.05). Also, grouped-housed female hamsters have overall greater average weight (M=204.6, SE=10.431) compared to single-housed female hamsters (M=154.2, SD=10.650). Grouped-housed females had a higher frequency of days (57.14%) in the estrous state compared to single-housed (42.86%).
Conclusion: Our data suggest an association between weight, housing status, and the estrous cycle as a trend revealed female hamsters were more reactive to stress throughout their Diestrous I and Diestrous II states during which there are periods of low estrogen and high progesterone. These two states translate to women’s luteal phase during which there is also higher vulnerability to stress, depression, and anxiety. Single-housed and lower-weight hamsters were also found to be more reactive to stress reactivity handling. Our results shed light on the interaction between stress, weight issues (perhaps linked to under-eating), and reproductive health that goes overlooked in both animal and human studies. A limitation was our low sample-size, yet our significant results point future directions towards studying a larger number of female hamsters in this minimally invasive, but effective study on women’s translational health.
Recommended Citation
Camacho, Bianca A.; Garcia, Laura Emma; Villarreal, Raquel; and Gil, Mario, "Investigating the relationship among environmental factors, reproductive status, and stress in a preclinical model of endocrine function in women’s translational health" (2025). Research Symposium. 35.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/35
Included in
Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Animal Studies Commons, Behavioral Neurobiology Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Comparative Psychology Commons, Endocrinology Commons, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons
Investigating the relationship among environmental factors, reproductive status, and stress in a preclinical model of endocrine function in women’s translational health
Background: The average menstrual cycle of a healthy adult woman is a duration of approximately 28 days, during which in the follicular phase (first 14 days) the progesterone hormone is at a stable level while estrogen increases to its peak level on day 14. Day 14 is known as ovulation, during which progesterone increases during its Luteinizing Hormone (LH) surge while estrogen decreases. Menses, known colloquially as a woman’s “period,” begins approximately at day 14 after ovulation and lasts an average of 7 days. The luteal phase, otherwise known as the secretory phase, lasts for the remaining 14 days until day 28, during which progesterone is the main hormone driving this phase while estrogen decreases. Due to social stigma surrounding menstrual health and mental health, preclinical models of women’s health issues for translational research are an understudied resource that necessitates a closer inspection. Given that female hamsters have a 4-day cycle, they are an ideal and efficient model to test hypotheses relevant to female reproductive health. The goal of the present study was to investigate the associations between stress reactivity, weight fluctuations, environmental factors, and estrous cycling status to uncover a larger picture of translational potential of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) animal model for human health.
Methods: We used a sample size of six female hamsters to characterize their stress reactions to being handled. Based upon a scale of 1-6, with a higher score indicating higher stress levels, two research assistants independently rated the stress reactions across five trials. Afterwards, the team continued normal cycling and weighing procedures. Univariate between-subjects and within-subjects tests were used to compare the overall stress ratings during each day of the estrous cycle to understand if stress changes throughout the cycle. We also investigated the relationship between weight, housing status, and estrous status.
Results: Results from univariate tests show that stress reactivity is rated higher amongst single-housed hamsters (M=3.5, SE=.660) compared to group-housed (M=2.2, SE=.785) and was found to be significant (p<.05). Also, grouped-housed female hamsters have overall greater average weight (M=204.6, SE=10.431) compared to single-housed female hamsters (M=154.2, SD=10.650). Grouped-housed females had a higher frequency of days (57.14%) in the estrous state compared to single-housed (42.86%).
Conclusion: Our data suggest an association between weight, housing status, and the estrous cycle as a trend revealed female hamsters were more reactive to stress throughout their Diestrous I and Diestrous II states during which there are periods of low estrogen and high progesterone. These two states translate to women’s luteal phase during which there is also higher vulnerability to stress, depression, and anxiety. Single-housed and lower-weight hamsters were also found to be more reactive to stress reactivity handling. Our results shed light on the interaction between stress, weight issues (perhaps linked to under-eating), and reproductive health that goes overlooked in both animal and human studies. A limitation was our low sample-size, yet our significant results point future directions towards studying a larger number of female hamsters in this minimally invasive, but effective study on women’s translational health.
