The glucocorticoids, or ‘stress hormones’ as they are often called, are critical for responding to and recovering from stressors. These hormones (cortisol and corticosterone) are the end products of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and their levels increase following a stressful event. Glucocorticoids are also important, however, for maintaining homeostasis as they are released in a rhythmic pattern throughout the day. These hormones act on numerous cell types and can alter several aspects of physiology and behavior (e.g., cognition, immunity, heart rate, glucose regulation and energy partitioning, locomotion, and reproduction). Harris’ talk explores the bidirectional interaction between the HPA axis and reproductive behavior in the monogamous and biparental California mouse. Does being a father alter the HPA axis? Does stress-induced activation of the HPA axis alter paternal care? Understanding how the HPA axis can be modulated may aid in understanding medical conditions as several human diseases and psychopathologies (e.g., major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia nervosa, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease) present with dysregulation of the HPA axis for unknown reasons and by unknown mechanisms.
