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Volkova K, Reyhanian Caspillo N, Porseryd T, Hallgren S, Dinnetz P, Olsén H, Porsch Hällström I. Transgenerational effects of 17α-ethinyl estradiol on anxiety behavior in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 223:66-72. [PMID: 26431611 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental contaminants can cause alterations that can be transgenerationally transmitted to subsequent generations. Estrogens are among those contaminants shown to induce heritable changes that persist over generations in mammals. Results in other vertebrates are few. We have analyzed the effects on anxiety of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) in the F1 and F2 generations in guppies, Poecilia reticulata, obtained from F0 fish maternally exposed to 0 or 20ng/L EE2 until birth. F0 males and females were bred with fish of the same treatment but different families producing F1 offspring. Behavior in the novel tank test at 6months revealed that males with EE2-exposed parents had significantly longer latency to the upper half of the tank than control males, while no EE2 effects were observed in females. Also in F2, obtained from F1 as above, males in the EE2 group had longer latency time compared to control males, with no differences due to EE2-exposure of F0 observed in females. In the scototaxis (light/dark preference) test, latency to first transition to black compartment and total transitions to black were significantly altered in females due to EE2 exposure of F0 while the total time in black was higher in males with EE2-exposed F0 compared with controls. The increased anxiety in the F2 generation demonstrates a transgenerational anxiety phenotype and shows that non-reproductive behavior can be transgenerationally modified by estrogens in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Volkova
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden; Örebro Life Science Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-170 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Nasim Reyhanian Caspillo
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden; Örebro Life Science Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-170 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Tove Porseryd
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Stefan Hallgren
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Organism Biology, Uppsala University, SE-75 236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrik Dinnetz
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Håkan Olsén
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Inger Porsch Hällström
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden.
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Polimanti R, Simonelli I, Zappasodi F, Ventriglia M, Pellicciari MC, Benussi L, Squitti R, Rossini PM, Tecchio F. Biological factors and age-dependence of primary motor cortex experimental plasticity. Neurol Sci 2015; 37:211-8. [PMID: 26445942 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-015-2388-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate whether the age-dependence of brain plasticity correlates with the levels of proteins involved in hormone and brain functions we executed a paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol and blood tests. We measured the PAS-induced plasticity in the primary motor cortex. Blood levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), estradiol, the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, the insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3, progesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, and the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) were determined in 15 healthy men and 20 healthy women. We observed an age-related reduction of PAS-induced plasticity in females that it is not present in males. In females, PAS-induced plasticity displayed a correlation with testosterone (p = 0.006) that became a trend after the adjustment for the age effect (p = 0.078). In males, IGF-1 showed a nominally significant correlation with the PAS-induced plasticity (p = 0.043). In conclusion, we observed that hormone blood levels (testosterone in females and IGF-1 in males) may be involved in the age-dependence of brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Polimanti
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ilaria Simonelli
- Department of Imaging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
- Medical Statistics and Information Technology and Department of Neuroscience, Fatebenefratelli Foundation, AFaR Division, Fatebenefratelli Hospital-Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Zappasodi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti, Italy
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti, Italy
| | - Mariacarla Ventriglia
- Medical Statistics and Information Technology and Department of Neuroscience, Fatebenefratelli Foundation, AFaR Division, Fatebenefratelli Hospital-Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Pellicciari
- Cognitive Neuroscience Section and Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luisa Benussi
- Cognitive Neuroscience Section and Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosanna Squitti
- Department of Imaging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
- Medical Statistics and Information Technology and Department of Neuroscience, Fatebenefratelli Foundation, AFaR Division, Fatebenefratelli Hospital-Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Maria Rossini
- Department of Imaging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Franca Tecchio
- Department of Imaging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational neuroScience (LET'S), Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.
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53
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Elson AE, Simerly RB. Developmental specification of metabolic circuitry. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 39:38-51. [PMID: 26407637 PMCID: PMC4681622 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamus contains a core circuitry that communicates with the brainstem and spinal cord to regulate energy balance. Because metabolic phenotype is influenced by environmental variables during perinatal development, it is important to understand how these neural pathways form in order to identify key signaling pathways that are responsible for metabolic programming. Recent progress in defining gene expression events that direct early patterning and cellular specification of the hypothalamus, as well as advances in our understanding of hormonal control of central neuroendocrine pathways, suggest several key regulatory nodes that may represent targets for metabolic programming of brain structure and function. This review focuses on components of central circuitry known to regulate various aspects of energy balance and summarizes what is known about their developmental neurobiology within the context of metabolic programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Elson
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Richard B Simerly
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
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54
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Sex differences and stress across the lifespan. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1413-20. [PMID: 26404716 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 466] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in stress responses can be found at all stages of life and are related to both the organizational and activational effects of gonadal hormones and to genes on the sex chromosomes. As stress dysregulation is the most common feature across neuropsychiatric diseases, sex differences in how these pathways develop and mature may predict sex-specific periods of vulnerability to disruption and increased disease risk or resilience across the lifespan. The aging brain is also at risk to the effects of stress, where the rapid decline of gonadal hormones in women combined with cellular aging processes promote sex biases in stress dysregulation. In this Review, we discuss potential underlying mechanisms driving sex differences in stress responses and their relevance to disease. Although stress is involved in a much broader range of diseases than neuropsychiatric ones, we highlight here this area and its examples across the lifespan.
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Estradiol Preferentially Induces Progestin Receptor-A (PR-A) Over PR-B in Cells Expressing Nuclear Receptor Coactivators in the Female Mouse Hypothalamus. eNeuro 2015; 2:eN-NWR-0012-15. [PMID: 26465008 PMCID: PMC4596027 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0012-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogens act in brain to profoundly influence neurogenesis, sexual differentiation, neuroprotection, cognition, energy homeostasis, and female reproductive behavior and physiology through a variety of mechanisms, including the induction of progestin receptors (PRs). PRs are expressed as two isoforms, PR-A and PR-B, that have distinct functions in physiology and behavior. Because these PR isoforms cannot be distinguished using cellular resolution techniques, the present study used isoform-specific null mutant mice that lack PR-A or PR-B for the first time to investigate whether 17β-estradiol benzoate (EB) regulates the differential expression of the PR isoforms in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), arcuate nucleus, and medial preoptic area, brain regions that are rich in EB-induced PRs. Interestingly, EB induced more PR-A than PR-B in all three brain regions, suggesting that PR-A is the predominant isoform in these regions. Given that steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-1 and SRC-2 are important in estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent transcription in brain, including PR induction, we tested whether the expression of these coactivators was correlated with PR isoform expression. The majority of EB-induced PR cells expressed both SRC-1 and SRC-2 in the three brain regions of all genotypes. Interestingly, the intensity of PR-A immunoreactivity correlated with SRC-2 expression in the VMN, providing a potential mechanism for selective ER-mediated transactivation of PR-A over PR-B in a brain region-specific manner. In summary, these novel findings indicate that estrogens differentially regulate PR-A and PR-B expression in the female hypothalamus, and provide a mechanism by which steroid action in brain can selectively modulate behavior and physiology.
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56
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Volkova K, Reyhanian Caspillo N, Porseryd T, Hallgren S, Dinnétz P, Porsch-Hällström I. Developmental exposure of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to 17α-ethinylestradiol affects non-reproductive behavior and fertility as adults, and increases anxiety in unexposed progeny. Horm Behav 2015; 73:30-8. [PMID: 26072466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to estrogenic endocrine disruptors (EDCs) during development affects fertility, reproductive and non-reproductive behavior in mammals and fish. These effects can also be transferred to coming generations. In fish, the effects of developmental EDC exposure on non-reproductive behavior are less well studied. Here, we analyze the effects of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on anxiety, shoaling behavior and fertility in zebrafish after developmental treatment and remediation in clean water until adulthood. Zebrafish embryos were exposed from day 1 to day 80 post fertilization to actual concentrations of 1.2 and 1.6ng/L EE2. After remediation for 82days non-reproductive behavior and fertilization success were analyzed in both sexes. Males and females from the 1.2ng/L group, as well as control males and females, were bred, and behavior of the untreated F1 offspring was tested as adults. Developmental treatment with 1.2 and 1.6ng/L EE2 significantly increased anxiety in the novel tank test and increased shoaling intensity in both sexes. Fertilization success was significantly reduced by EE2 in both sexes when mated with untreated fish of opposite sex. Progeny of fish treated with 1.2ng/L EE2 showed increased anxiety in the novel tank test and increased light avoidance in the scototaxis test compared to control offspring. In conclusion, developmental exposure of zebrafish to low doses of EE2 resulted in persistent changes in behavior and fertility. The behavior of unexposed progeny was affected by their parents' exposure, which might suggest transgenerational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Volkova
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden; Örebro Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Nasim Reyhanian Caspillo
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden; Örebro Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Tove Porseryd
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Stefan Hallgren
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Patrik Dinnétz
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Inger Porsch-Hällström
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
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57
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Epigenetic and transgenerational reprogramming of brain development. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:332-44. [PMID: 25921815 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 321] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental programming - the implementation of the genetic and epigenetic blueprints that guide and coordinate normal brain development - requires tight regulation of transcriptional processes. During prenatal and postnatal time periods, epigenetic processes fine-tune neurodevelopment towards an end product that determines how an organism interacts with and responds to exposures and experiences throughout life. Epigenetic processes also have the ability to reprogramme the epigenome in response to environmental challenges, such as maternal stress, making the organism more or less adaptive depending on the future challenges presented. Epigenetic marks generated within germ cells as a result of environmental influences throughout life can also shape future generations long before conception occurs.
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58
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Andersen HR, Debes F, Wohlfahrt-Veje C, Murata K, Grandjean P. Occupational pesticide exposure in early pregnancy associated with sex-specific neurobehavioral deficits in the children at school age. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2015; 47:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Lomniczi A, Wright H, Ojeda SR. Epigenetic regulation of female puberty. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:90-107. [PMID: 25171849 PMCID: PMC6824271 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Substantial progress has been made in recent years toward deciphering the molecular and genetic underpinnings of the pubertal process. The availability of powerful new methods to interrogate the human genome has led to the identification of genes that are essential for puberty to occur. Evidence has also emerged suggesting that the initiation of puberty requires the coordinated activity of gene sets organized into functional networks. At a cellular level, it is currently thought that loss of transsynaptic inhibition, accompanied by an increase in excitatory inputs, results in the pubertal activation of GnRH release. This concept notwithstanding, a mechanism of epigenetic repression targeting genes required for the pubertal activation of GnRH neurons was recently identified as a core component of the molecular machinery underlying the central restraint of puberty. In this chapter we will discuss the potential contribution of various mechanisms of epigenetic regulation to the hypothalamic control of female puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Lomniczi
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
| | - Hollis Wright
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Sergio R Ojeda
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
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60
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Stress and the dynamic genome: Steroids, epigenetics, and the transposome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 112:6828-33. [PMID: 25385609 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1411260111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress plays a substantial role in shaping behavior and brain function, often with lasting effects. How these lasting effects occur in the context of a fixed postmitotic neuronal genome has been an enduring question for the field. Synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis have provided some of the answers to this question, and more recently epigenetic mechanisms have come to the fore. The exploration of epigenetic mechanisms recently led us to discover that a single acute stress can regulate the expression of retrotransposons in the rat hippocampus via an epigenetic mechanism. We propose that this response may represent a genomic stress response aimed at maintaining genomic and transcriptional stability in vulnerable brain regions such as the hippocampus. This finding and those of other researchers have made clear that retrotransposons and the genomic plasticity they permit play a significant role in brain function during stress and disease. These observations also raise the possibility that the transposome might have adaptive functions at the level of both evolution and the individual organism.
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61
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Fortress AM, Frick KM. Epigenetic regulation of estrogen-dependent memory. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:530-49. [PMID: 24878494 PMCID: PMC4174980 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal memory formation is highly regulated by post-translational histone modifications and DNA methylation. Accordingly, these epigenetic processes play a major role in the effects of modulatory factors, such as sex steroid hormones, on hippocampal memory. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that the ability of the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) to enhance hippocampal-dependent novel object recognition memory in ovariectomized female mice requires ERK-dependent histone H3 acetylation and DNA methylation in the dorsal hippocampus. Although these data provide valuable insight into the chromatin modifications that mediate the memory-enhancing effects of E2, epigenetic regulation of gene expression is enormously complex. Therefore, more research is needed to fully understand how E2 and other hormones employ epigenetic alterations to shape behavior. This review discusses the epigenetic alterations shown thus far to regulate hippocampal memory, briefly reviews the effects of E2 on hippocampal function, and describes in detail our work on epigenetic regulation of estrogenic memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States.
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62
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Luine VN. Estradiol and cognitive function: past, present and future. Horm Behav 2014; 66:602-18. [PMID: 25205317 PMCID: PMC4318702 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A historical perspective on estradiol's enhancement of cognitive function is presented, and research, primarily in animals, but also in humans, is reviewed. Data regarding the mechanisms underlying the enhancements are discussed. Newer studies showing rapid effects of estradiol on consolidation of memory through membrane interactions and activation of inter-cellular signaling pathways are reviewed as well as studies focused on traditional genomic mechanisms. Recent demonstrations of intra-neuronal estradiol synthesis and possible actions as a neurosteroid to promote memory are discussed. This information is applied to the critical issue of the current lack of effective hormonal (or other) treatments for cognitive decline associated with menopause and aging. Finally, the critical period hypothesis for estradiol effects is discussed along with novel strategies for hormone/drug development. Overall, the historical record documents that estradiol positively impacts some aspects of cognitive function, but effective therapeutic interventions using this hormone have yet to be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria N Luine
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of CUNY, New York, NY, USA.
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63
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Regulation of object recognition and object placement by ovarian sex steroid hormones. Behav Brain Res 2014; 285:140-57. [PMID: 25131507 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The ovarian hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) are potent modulators of hippocampal memory formation. Both hormones have been demonstrated to enhance hippocampal memory by regulating the cellular and molecular mechanisms thought to underlie memory formation. Behavioral neuroendocrinologists have increasingly used the object recognition and object placement (object location) tasks to investigate the role of E2 and P4 in regulating hippocampal memory formation in rodents. These one-trial learning tasks are ideal for studying acute effects of hormone treatments on different phases of memory because they can be administered during acquisition (pre-training), consolidation (post-training), or retrieval (pre-testing). This review synthesizes the rodent literature testing the effects of E2 and P4 on object recognition (OR) and object placement (OP), and the molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus supporting memory formation in these tasks. Some general trends emerge from the data. Among gonadally intact females, object memory tends to be best when E2 and P4 levels are elevated during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and in middle age. In ovariectomized females, E2 given before or immediately after testing generally enhances OR and OP in young and middle-aged rats and mice, although effects are mixed in aged rodents. Effects of E2 treatment on OR and OP memory consolidation can be mediated by both classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), and depend on glutamate receptors (NMDA, mGluR1) and activation of numerous cell signaling cascades (e.g., ERK, PI3K/Akt, mTOR) and epigenetic processes (e.g., histone acetylation, DNA methylation). Acute P4 treatment given immediately after training also enhances OR and OP in young and middle-aged ovariectomized females by activating similar cell signaling pathways as E2 (e.g., ERK, mTOR). The few studies that have administered both hormones in combination suggest that treatment can enhance OR and OP, but that effects are highly dependent on factors such as dose and timing of administration. In addition to providing more detail on these general conclusions, this review will discuss directions for future avenues of research into the hormonal regulation of object memory.
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64
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Vázquez-Martínez ER, Mendoza-Garcés L, Vergara-Castañeda E, Cerbón M. Epigenetic regulation of Progesterone Receptor isoforms: from classical models to the sexual brain. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 392:115-24. [PMID: 24859604 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone Receptor is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which regulates several functions in both reproductive and non-reproductive tissues. Progesterone Receptor gene encodes for two main isoforms, A and B, and contains two specific promoters with their respective transcription start sites. The mRNA expression of both isoforms is mainly regulated by estrogens and specifically via the Estrogen Receptor Alpha, in a context specific manner. Furthermore, it has been reported in extensive physiological and pathological models that Progesterone Receptor isoforms regulation is related to the epigenetic state of their respective promoters. Epigenetic regulation of Progesterone Receptor isoforms in the brain is a recent and scarcely explored field in neurosciences. This review focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in Progesterone Receptor regulation, emphasizing the implications for the sexual brain. Future directions for research about this important field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Ricardo Vázquez-Martínez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Av Universidad 3000, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, 04510, Distrito Federal, México, Mexico
| | - Luciano Mendoza-Garcés
- Instituto Nacional de Geriatría, Periférico Sur 2767, San Jerónimo Lídice, Magdalena Contreras, 10200, Distrito Federal, México, Mexico
| | - Edgar Vergara-Castañeda
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Av Universidad 3000, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, 04510, Distrito Federal, México, Mexico
| | - Marco Cerbón
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Av Universidad 3000, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, 04510, Distrito Federal, México, Mexico.
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65
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Sex, epilepsy, and epigenetics. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 72 Pt B:210-6. [PMID: 24998474 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders that are associated with a wide range of pathogenic mechanisms, seizure manifestations, comorbidity profiles, and therapeutic responses. These characteristics are all influenced quite significantly by sex. As with other conditions exhibiting such patterns, sex differences in epilepsy are thought to arise-at the most fundamental level-from the "organizational" and "activational" effects of sex hormones as well as from the direct actions of the sex chromosomes. However, our understanding of the specific molecular, cellular, and network level processes responsible for mediating sex differences in epilepsy remains limited. Because increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are involved both in epilepsy and in brain sexual dimorphism, we make the case here that analyzing epigenetic regulation will provide novel insights into the basis for sex differences in epilepsy.
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Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviors, qualitative or quantitative differences in behaviors between the sexes, result from the activity of a sexually differentiated nervous system. Sensory cues and sex hormones control the entire repertoire of sexually dimorphic behaviors, including those commonly thought to be charged with emotion such as courtship and aggression. Such overarching control mechanisms regulate distinct genes and neurons that in turn specify the display of these behaviors in a modular manner. How such modular control is transformed into cohesive internal states that correspond to sexually dimorphic behavior is poorly understood. We summarize current understanding of the neural circuit control of sexually dimorphic behaviors from several perspectives, including how neural circuits in general, and sexually dimorphic neurons in particular, can generate sexually dimorphic behaviors, and how molecular mechanisms and evolutionary constraints shape these behaviors. We propose that emergent themes such as the modular genetic and neural control of dimorphic behavior are broadly applicable to the neural control of other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy F Yang
- Program in Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, MC2722, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, MC2722, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, MC2722, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Morrison KE, Rodgers AB, Morgan CP, Bale TL. Epigenetic mechanisms in pubertal brain maturation. Neuroscience 2014; 264:17-24. [PMID: 24239720 PMCID: PMC3959229 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Puberty is a critical period of development during which the reemergence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion from the hypothalamus triggers a cascade of hormone-dependent processes. Maturation of specific brain regions including the prefrontal cortex occurs during this window, but the complex mechanisms underlying these dynamic changes are not well understood. Particularly, the potential involvement of epigenetics in this programming has been under-examined. The epigenome is known to guide earlier stages of development, and it is similarly poised to regulate vital pubertal-driven brain maturation. Further, as epigenetic machinery is highly environmentally responsive, its involvement may also lend this period of growth to greater vulnerability to external insults, resulting in reprogramming and increased disease risk. Importantly, neuropsychiatric diseases commonly present in individuals during or immediately following puberty, and environmental perturbations including stress may precipitate disease onset by disrupting the normal trajectory of pubertal brain development via epigenetic mechanisms. In this review, we discuss epigenetic processes involved in pubertal brain maturation, the potential points of derailment, and the importance of future studies for understanding this dynamic developmental window and gaining a better understanding of neuropsychiatric disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Morrison
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
| | - A B Rodgers
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - C P Morgan
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - T L Bale
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
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Godar SC, Bortolato M. Gene-sex interactions in schizophrenia: focus on dopamine neurotransmission. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:71. [PMID: 24639636 PMCID: PMC3944784 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, with a highly complex and heterogenous clinical presentation. Our current perspectives posit that the pathogenic mechanisms of this illness lie in complex arrays of gene × environment interactions. Furthermore, several findings indicate that males have a higher susceptibility for schizophrenia, with earlier age of onset and overall poorer clinical prognosis. Based on these premises, several authors have recently begun exploring the possibility that the greater schizophrenia vulnerability in males may reflect specific gene × sex (G×S) interactions. Our knowledge on such G×S interactions in schizophrenia is still rudimentary; nevertheless, the bulk of preclinical evidence suggests that the molecular mechanisms for such interactions are likely contributed by the neurobiological effects of sex steroids on dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. Accordingly, several recent studies suggest a gender-specific association of certain DAergic genes with schizophrenia. These G×S interactions have been particularly documented for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), the main enzymes catalyzing DA metabolism. In the present review, we will outline the current evidence on the interactions of DA-related genes and sex-related factors, and discuss the potential molecular substrates that may mediate their cooperative actions in schizophrenia pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Godar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, USA ; Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse, University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, USA
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69
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Liang F, Diao L, Liu J, Jiang N, Zhang J, Wang H, Zhou W, Huang G, Ma D. Paternal ethanol exposure and behavioral abnormities in offspring: associated alterations in imprinted gene methylation. Neuropharmacology 2014; 81:126-33. [PMID: 24486713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Research confirms that maternal ethanol (EtOH) exposure can induce physical and mental disorders in offspring, yet the effect of paternal ethanol exposure on offspring is unclear. Methylation alterations in imprinted genes may be related to the well-documented teratogenic effects of ethanol. Here, we report that ethanol (0, 1.1, 3.3 g/kg) was administered intragastrically to male mice and a behavioral study was performed on their F1 generation. Data show that F1 mice with fathers exposed to the highest dose of ethanol had delayed cognitive performance and increased anxiety and depression. A specific circling behavior was observed in the offspring of the paternally ethanol-exposed group. The degree of methylation and mRNA expression of H19, Peg3, Ndn and Snrpn were assessed in paternal sperm and in the cerebral cortices of each offspring. It did affect methylation in paternal sperm (H19 and Peg3) and in the offspring's cerebral cortices (CpG7 and CpG11 in Peg3 and Snrpn), but the level of mRNA expression has not changed. In the circling mice, the highest ethanol exposure increase in methylation (CpG 1, 2, 7 and 11) and decreases in mRNA of Peg3.Thus, chronic paternal ethanol exposure can affect the methylation of imprinted genes in sire sperm that may be passed on to offspring, giving rise to mental deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Lei Diao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huijun Wang
- Children Hospital, Fudan University, 200032, China
| | - Wenhao Zhou
- Children Hospital, Fudan University, 200032, China
| | | | - Duan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Children Hospital, Fudan University, 200032, China.
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Melcangi RC, Panzica GC. Neuroactive steroids and the nervous system: further observations on an incomplete tricky puzzle. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:957-63. [PMID: 24580855 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R C Melcangi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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