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Akinola OB, Gabriel MO. Neuroanatomical and molecular correlates of cognitive and behavioural outcomes in hypogonadal males. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:491-505. [PMID: 29230619 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-0163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Robust epidemiological, clinical and laboratory evidence supports emerging roles for the sex steroids in such domains as neurodevelopment, behaviour, learning and cognition. Regions of the mammalian brain that are involved in cognitive development and memory do not only express the classical nuclear androgen receptor, but also the non-genomic membrane receptor, which is a G protein-coupled receptor that mediates some rapid effects of the androgens on neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Under physiological conditions, hippocampal neurons do express the enzyme aromatase, and therefore actively aromatize testosterone to oestradiol. Although glial expression of the aromatase enzyme is minimal, increased expression following injury suggests a role for sex steroids in neuroprotection. It is therefore plausible to deduce that low levels of circulating androgens in males would perturb neuronal functions in relation to cognition and memory, as well as neural repair following injury. The present review is an overview of some roles of the sex steroids on cognitive function in males, and the neuroanatomical and molecular underpinnings of some behavioural and cognitive deficits characteristic of such genetic disorders noted for low androgen levels, including Klinefelter syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Kallman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome. Recent literature in relation to some behavioural and cognitive changes secondary to surgical and pharmacological castration are also appraised.
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Affiliation(s)
- O B Akinola
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
| | - M O Gabriel
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
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52
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Bianchi VE, Locatelli V, Rizzi L. Neurotrophic and Neuroregenerative Effects of GH/IGF1. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18112441. [PMID: 29149058 PMCID: PMC5713408 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Human neurodegenerative diseases increase progressively with age and present a high social and economic burden. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are both growth factors exerting trophic effects on neuronal regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). GH and IGF-1 stimulate protein synthesis in neurons, glia, oligodendrocytes, and Schwann cells, and favor neuronal survival, inhibiting apoptosis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of GH and IGF-1 on neurons, and their possible therapeutic clinical applications on neuron regeneration in human subjects. Methods. In the literature, we searched the clinical trials and followed up studies in humans, which have evaluated the effect of GH/IGF-1 on CNS and PNS. The following keywords have been used: “GH/IGF-1” associated with “neuroregeneration”, “amyotrophic lateral sclerosis”, “Alzheimer disease”, “Parkinson’s disease”, “brain”, and “neuron”. Results. Of the retrieved articles, we found nine articles about the effect of GH in healthy patients who suffered from traumatic brain injury (TBI), and six studies (four using IGF-1 and two GH therapy) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The administration of GH in patients after TBI showed a significantly positive recovery of brain and mental function. Treatment with GH and IGF-1 therapy in ALS produced contradictory results. Conclusions. Although strong findings have shown the positive effects of GH/IGF-1 administration on neuroregeneration in animal models, a very limited number of clinical studies have been conducted in humans. GH/IGF-1 therapy had different effects in patients with TBI, evidencing a high recovery of neurons and clinical outcome, while in ALS patients, the results are contradictory. More complex clinical protocols are necessary to evaluate the effect of GH/IGF-1 efficacy in neurodegenerative diseases. It seems evident that GH and IGF-1 therapy favors the optimal recovery of neurons when a consistent residual activity is still present. Furthermore, the effect of GH/IGF-1 could be mediated by, or be overlapped with that of other hormones, such as estradiol and testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Emanuele Bianchi
- Endocrinology and Metabolism, Clinical Center Stella Maris, Strada Rovereta, 42-47891 Falciano, San Marino.
| | - Vittorio Locatelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca via Cadore, 48-20900 Monza Brianza, Italy.
| | - Laura Rizzi
- Molecular Biology, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, via Cadore, 48-20900 Monza Brianza, Italy.
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Liu J, Wang D, Li X, Wang N. Association Between Sex and Speech Auditory Brainstem Responses in Adults, and Relationship to Sex Hormone Levels. Med Sci Monit 2017; 23:2275-2283. [PMID: 28501877 PMCID: PMC5439379 DOI: 10.12659/msm.904651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex and speech-ABR in adults, and its relationship to sex hormone levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS Speech-ABR were elicited with the consonant-vowel syllable (/da/) in a total of 35 adults. Reproductive hormone levels were also measured. RESULTS The transient response of the speech-ABR (waves V, A, and O) in females show a shorter latency (waves V, A and O) and a larger amplitude (waves V and A) than in males (P<0.05), except for the amplitude of peak O (P>0.05). The sustained response of females exhibited a larger amplitude (wave F, P<0.05) and a shorter latency (wave D, E, and F, P<0.05) than in males, except for the amplitude of peak D and E (P>0.05). The latencies of speech-ABR were positively correlated with testosterone level (P<0.05), and were negatively correlated with estradiol (E2) levels (P<0.05), except for wave E (P>0.05). The E2 showed a positive correlation with the absolute value of amplitude of the speech-ABR (P < 0.05). On the contrary, total testosterone showed a negative correlation with the absolute value of amplitude the speech-ABR (P<0.05), except for wave D and wave O (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in speech-ABR are significant in adults. The latencies and amplitude of the speech-ABR waves were correlated with the E2 concentration and testosterone level. The sex hormones likely affect speech encoding in the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Liu
- Corresponding Author: Jinfeng Liu, e-mail: or Ningyu Wang, e-mail:
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54
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Asih PR, Tegg ML, Sohrabi H, Carruthers M, Gandy SE, Saad F, Verdile G, Ittner LM, Martins RN. Multiple Mechanisms Linking Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease: Testosterone as a Modifier. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 59:445-466. [PMID: 28655134 PMCID: PMC6462402 DOI: 10.3233/jad-161259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Evidence in support of links between type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has increased considerably in recent years. AD pathological hallmarks include the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain, which are hypothesized to promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss. T2DM exhibits many AD pathological features, including reduced brain insulin uptake, lipid dysregulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and depression; T2DM has also been shown to increase AD risk, and with increasing age, the prevalence of both conditions increases. In addition, amylin deposition in the pancreas is more common in AD than in normal aging, and although there is no significant increase in cerebral Aβ deposition in T2DM, the extent of Aβ accumulation in AD correlates with T2DM duration. Given these similarities and correlations, there may be common underlying mechanism(s) that predispose to both T2DM and AD. In other studies, an age-related gradual loss of testosterone and an increase in testosterone resistance has been shown in men; low testosterone levels can also occur in women. In this review, we focus on the evidence for low testosterone levels contributing to an increased risk of T2DM and AD, and the potential of testosterone treatment in reducing this risk in both men and women. However, such testosterone treatment may need to be long-term, and would need regular monitoring to maintain testosterone at physiological levels. It is possible that a combination of testosterone therapy together with a healthy lifestyle approach, including improved diet and exercise, may significantly reduce AD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prita R. Asih
- Department of Anatomy, Dementia Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- KaRa Institute of Neurological Diseases, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle L. Tegg
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Hamid Sohrabi
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Australian Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Samuel E. Gandy
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY, USA
| | - Farid Saad
- Bayer Pharma AG, Global Medical Affairs Andrology, Berlin, Germany
- Gulf Medical University School of Medicine, Ajman, UAE
| | - Giuseppe Verdile
- Australian Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Lars M. Ittner
- Department of Anatomy, Dementia Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ralph N. Martins
- KaRa Institute of Neurological Diseases, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Australian Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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55
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Mendell AL, Atwi S, Bailey CDC, McCloskey D, Scharfman HE, MacLusky NJ. Expansion of mossy fibers and CA3 apical dendritic length accompanies the fall in dendritic spine density after gonadectomy in male, but not female, rats. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:587-601. [PMID: 27283589 PMCID: PMC5337402 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1237-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Androgen loss is an important clinical concern because of its cognitive and behavioral effects. Changes in androgen levels are also suspected to contribute to neurological disease. However, the available data on the effects of androgen deprivation in areas of the brain that are central to cognition, like the hippocampus, are mixed. In this study, morphological analysis of pyramidal cells was used to investigate if structural changes could potentially contribute to the mixed cognitive effects that have been observed after androgen loss in males. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orchidectomized or sham-operated. Two months later, their brains were Golgi-impregnated for morphological analysis. Morphological endpoints were studied in areas CA3 and CA1, with comparisons to females either intact or 2 months after ovariectomy. CA3 pyramidal neurons of orchidectomized rats exhibited marked increases in apical dendritic arborization. There were increases in mossy fiber afferent density in area CA3, as well as robust enhancements to dendritic structure in area CA3 of orchidectomized males, but not in CA1. Remarkably, apical dendritic length of CA3 pyramidal cells increased, while spine density declined. By contrast, in females overall dendritic structure was minimally affected by ovariectomy, while dendritic spine density was greatly reduced. Sex differences and subfield-specific effects of gonadal hormone deprivation on the hippocampal circuitry may help explain the different behavioral effects reported in males and females after gonadectomy, or other conditions associated with declining gonadal hormone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari L Mendell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Sarah Atwi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Craig D C Bailey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dan McCloskey
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center of Dementia Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, 10314, USA
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center of Dementia Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Neil J MacLusky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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56
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Association of testosterone and BDNF serum levels with craving during alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol 2016; 54:67-72. [PMID: 27514572 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies show associations between testosterone and brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) serum levels. BDNF and testosterone have been independently reported to influence alcohol consumption. Therefore, we aimed to investigate a possible interplay of testosterone and BDNF contributing to alcohol dependence. Regarding possible interplay of testosterone and BDNF and the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA), we included cortisol serum levels in our research. We investigated testosterone and BDNF serum levels in a sample of 99 male alcohol-dependent patients during alcohol withdrawal (day 1, 7, and 14) and compared them to a healthy male control group (n = 17). The testosterone serum levels were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the patients' group than in the control group and decreased significantly during alcohol withdrawal (p < 0.001). The decrease of testosterone serum levels during alcohol withdrawal (days 1-7) was significantly associated with the BDNF serum levels (day 1: p = 0.008). In a subgroup of patients showing high cortisol serum levels (putatively mirroring high HPA activity), we found a significant association of BDNF and testosterone as well as with alcohol craving measured by the Obsessive and Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Our data suggest a possible association of BDNF and testosterone serum levels, which may be relevant for the symptomatology of alcohol dependence. Further studies are needed to clarify our results.
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57
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Li S, Kang L, Zhang Y, Feng B, Du J, Cui H. Detecting the presence of hippocampus membrane androgen receptors in male SAMP8 mice and their induced synaptic plasticity. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 414:82-90. [PMID: 26164088 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T), the principal androgen, and its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), are known to mediate their effects through binding to intracellular androgen receptors (iARs). In addition to their well-known genomic effects, androgens rapidly alter neuronal excitability through a non-genomic pathway mediated by membrane androgen receptors (mARs). The existence and specificity of mARs in the hippocampus were investigated in SAMP8 mice. Using T-BSA-FITC, we detected plasma membrane labeling by flow cytometry analysis for the presence of mARs. The specificity of binding was examined with iAR antagonist or anti-iAR antibody. Flow cytometry analysis showed that pretreatment with iAR antagonist, flutamide (F), failed to completely prevent the coupling action of the T-BSA-FITC membrane binding. In addition, we found classical iARs did not localize to the membrane of hippocampal neurons. These data indicate that these mARs might be not identical to classical iARs. Modulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity by androgen has been attracting much attention. To identify the functional consequences induced by mARs, we analyzed the rapid effects of T on the density of dendritic spines using Golgi staining. The application of 50 μg/5 μl T and 30 μg/5 μl DHT induced a rapid increase in the dendritic spines within 2 h. Almost no difference was observed between T and T-BSA in the effect on thorn density. Next, we explored the protective mechanism and found that T and DHT altered the expression of synaptophysin (SYN) and postsynaptic dense material 95 (PSD95), which play crucial roles in cognitive function and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China; Hebei Key Laboratory for Brain Aging and Cognitive Neuroscience, Hebei, PR China
| | - Lin Kang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China
| | - Yizhou Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China
| | - Baofeng Feng
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China
| | - Huixian Cui
- Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, PR China; Hebei Key Laboratory for Brain Aging and Cognitive Neuroscience, Hebei, PR China.
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58
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Mottron L, Duret P, Mueller S, Moore RD, Forgeot d'Arc B, Jacquemont S, Xiong L. Sex differences in brain plasticity: a new hypothesis for sex ratio bias in autism. Mol Autism 2015; 6:33. [PMID: 26052415 PMCID: PMC4456778 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Several observations support the hypothesis that differences in synaptic and regional cerebral plasticity between the sexes account for the high ratio of males to females in autism. First, males are more susceptible than females to perturbations in genes involved in synaptic plasticity. Second, sex-related differences in non-autistic brain structure and function are observed in highly variable regions, namely, the heteromodal associative cortices, and overlap with structural particularities and enhanced activity of perceptual associative regions in autistic individuals. Finally, functional cortical reallocations following brain lesions in non-autistic adults (for example, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis) are sex-dependent. Interactions between genetic sex and hormones may therefore result in higher synaptic and consecutively regional plasticity in perceptual brain areas in males than in females. The onset of autism may largely involve mutations altering synaptic plasticity that create a plastic reaction affecting the most variable and sexually dimorphic brain regions. The sex ratio bias in autism may arise because males have a lower threshold than females for the development of this plastic reaction following a genetic or environmental event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Mottron
- Centre d'excellence en Troubles envahissants du dévelopement de l'Université de Montréal (CETEDUM), Montréal, Canada.,Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Département de Psychiatrie, Montréal, Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Pauline Duret
- Centre d'excellence en Troubles envahissants du dévelopement de l'Université de Montréal (CETEDUM), Montréal, Canada.,Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Département de Psychiatrie, Montréal, Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, CEDEX 07 France
| | - Sophia Mueller
- Institute of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals, Munich, Germany.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA.,Harvard University, Center for Brain Science, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Robert D Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.,College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
| | - Baudouin Forgeot d'Arc
- Centre d'excellence en Troubles envahissants du dévelopement de l'Université de Montréal (CETEDUM), Montréal, Canada.,Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Département de Psychiatrie, Montréal, Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada.,Centre de recherche, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte Justine, Montréal, Canada.,Service of Medical Genetics, University Hospital of Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1011 Switzerland
| | - Lan Xiong
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada
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