TY - JOUR T1 - The health status alters the pituitary function and reproduction of mice in a <em>Cxcr2</em>-dependent manner JF - Life Science Alliance JO - Life Sci. Alliance DO - 10.26508/lsa.201900599 VL - 3 IS - 3 SP - e201900599 AU - Colin Timaxian AU - Isabelle Raymond-Letron AU - Céline Bouclier AU - Linda Gulliver AU - Ludovic Le Corre AU - Karim Chébli AU - Anne Guillou AU - Patrice Mollard AU - Karl Balabanian AU - Gwendal Lazennec Y1 - 2020/03/01 UR - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/3/3/e201900599.abstract N2 - Microbiota and chronic infections can affect not only immune status, but also the overall physiology of animals. Here, we report that chronic infections dramatically modify the phenotype of Cxcr2 KO mice, impairing in particular, their reproduction ability. We show that exposure of Cxcr2 KO females to multiple types of chronic infections prevents their ability to cycle, reduces the development of the mammary gland and alters the morphology of the uterus due to an impairment of ovary function. Mammary gland and ovary transplantation demonstrated that the hormonal contexture was playing a crucial role in this phenomenon. This was further evidenced by alterations to circulating levels of sex steroid and pituitary hormones. By analyzing at the molecular level the mechanisms of pituitary dysfunction, we showed that in the absence of Cxcr2, bystander infections affect leukocyte migration, adhesion, and function, as well as ion transport, synaptic function behavior, and reproduction pathways. Taken together, these data reveal that a chemokine receptor plays a direct role in pituitary function and reproduction in the context of chronic infections. ER -