1
|
Ubba V, Joseph S, Awe O, Jones D, Dsilva MK, Feng M, Wang J, Fu X, Akbar RJ, Bodnar BH, Hu W, Wang H, Yang X, Yang L, Yang P, Taib B, Ahima R, Divall S, Wu S. Reproductive Profile of Neuronal Androgen Receptor Knockout Female Mice With a Low Dose of DHT. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqad199. [PMID: 38156784 PMCID: PMC10794876 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian syndrome result from the imbalance or increase of androgen levels in females. Androgen receptor (AR) mediates the effects of androgens, and this study examines whether neuronal AR plays a role in reproduction under normal and increased androgen conditions in female mice. The neuron-specific AR knockout (KO) mouse (SynARKO) was generated from a female mouse (synapsin promoter driven Cre) and a male mouse (Ar fl/y). Puberty onset and the levels of reproductive hormones such as LH, FSH, testosterone, and estradiol were comparable between the control and the SynARKO mice. There were no differences in cyclicity and fertility between the control and SynARKO mice, with similar impairment in both groups on DHT treatment. Neuronal AR KO, as in this SynARKO mouse model, did not alleviate the infertility associated with DHT treatment. These studies suggest that neuronal AR KO neither altered reproductive function under physiological androgen levels, nor restored fertility under hyperandrogenic conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhave Ubba
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Serene Joseph
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Olubusayo Awe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Dustin Jones
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Milan K Dsilva
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Mingxiao Feng
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
| | - Junjiang Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Surgery and General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiaomin Fu
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Razeen J Akbar
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Brittany H Bodnar
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics & Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Peixin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21201, USA
| | - Bouchra Taib
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Rexford Ahima
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sara Divall
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, 98145-5005, USA
| | - Sheng Wu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao Z, Gobrogge K. Neurodevelopmental Model Explaining Associations between Sex Hormones, Personality, and Eating Pathology. Brain Sci 2023; 13:859. [PMID: 37371339 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical scientists have been investigating the relationships between sex hormones, personality, and eating disorders for decades. However, there is a lack of direct research that addresses whether personality mediates or moderates the relationships between sex hormones and eating pathology. Moreover, the neural mechanisms that underlie the interactive associations between these variables remain unclear. This review aims to summarize the associations between these constructs, describe a neural mechanism mediating these relationships, and offer clinical strategies for the early identification and intervention of eating disorders. The gathered evidence shows that aggressiveness, impulsivity, and obsessive-compulsiveness may mediate or moderate the relationships between sex hormones and eating pathology, but only among females. Furthermore, sex hormone receptor density in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway may explain the neural mechanism of these associations. Future research should use more comprehensive personality measurements and assess the mediation and moderation effects of temperament while taking the hormone levels of women across menstrual cycles into account. Additionally, electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging should be implemented to directly assess brain activity and corroborate these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Zhao
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kyle Gobrogge
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, College of Art & Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kovacs-Balint ZA, Raper J, Richardson R, Gopakumar A, Kettimuthu KP, Higgins M, Feczko E, Earl E, Ethun KF, Li L, Styner M, Fair D, Bachevalier J, Sanchez MM. The role of puberty on physical and brain development: A longitudinal study in male Rhesus Macaques. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101237. [PMID: 37031512 PMCID: PMC10114189 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the role of male pubertal maturation on physical growth and development of neurocircuits that regulate stress, emotional and cognitive control using a translational nonhuman primate model. We collected longitudinal data from male macaques between pre- and peri-puberty, including measures of physical growth, pubertal maturation (testicular volume, blood testosterone -T- concentrations) and brain structural and resting-state functional MRI scans to examine developmental changes in amygdala (AMY), hippocampus (HIPPO), prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as functional connectivity (FC) between those regions. Physical growth and pubertal measures increased from pre- to peri-puberty. The indexes of pubertal maturation -testicular size and T- were correlated at peri-puberty, but not at pre-puberty (23 months). Our findings also showed ICV, AMY, HIPPO and total PFC volumetric growth, but with region-specific changes in PFC. Surprisingly, FC in these neural circuits only showed developmental changes from pre- to peri-puberty for HIPPO-orbitofrontal FC. Finally, testicular size was a better predictor of brain structural maturation than T levels -suggesting gonadal hormones-independent mechanisms-, whereas T was a strong predictor of functional connectivity development. We expect that these neural circuits will show more drastic pubertal-dependent maturation, including stronger associations with pubertal measures later, during and after male puberty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Z A Kovacs-Balint
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - J Raper
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - R Richardson
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - A Gopakumar
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - K P Kettimuthu
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - M Higgins
- Office of Nursing Research, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - E Feczko
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA; Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - E Earl
- Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - K F Ethun
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - L Li
- Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Marcus Autism Center; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Styner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - D Fair
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA; Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - J Bachevalier
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - M M Sanchez
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Turco F, Di Prima L, Pisano C, Poletto S, De Filippis M, Crespi V, Farinea G, Cani M, Calabrese M, Saporita I, Di Stefano RF, Tucci M, Buttigliero C. How to Improve the Quality of Life of Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with Hormone Therapy? Res Rep Urol 2023; 15:9-26. [PMID: 36698681 PMCID: PMC9869701 DOI: 10.2147/rru.s350793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) is a hormone-sensitive tumor. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the cornerstone of systemic therapy for patients with intermediate or high-risk localized, recurrent, and metastatic prostate cancer. Although generally well tolerated, ADT can lead to short- and long-term adverse events that can worsen the quality of life of patients with PC. In the last decade, the introduction of novel generation androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) has resulted in an improvement in the prognosis of patients with metastatic PC when used in combination with ADT. The use of ARPI in increasingly early stages of the disease determines a longer exposure of patients to these treatments. Although ARPIs are normally well-tolerated drugs, they generally cause an increase in toxicity compared to ADT alone, being able to worsen some adverse events already induced by ADT or leading to the development of specific side effects. Although there are no specific treatments for all the adverse events induced by hormonal therapies, it is essential to know the possible toxicities induced by the different treatments and to start procedures to prevent and/or recognize and consequently treat them early in order to not compromise the quality of life of the patients with PC. The aim of this review is to describe the adverse events induced by hormonal therapies. We will first describe the side effects induced by both ADT and ARPI and then the specific adverse events of the different ARPIs. Furthermore, we will try to highlight the possible therapeutic options to prevent or mitigate the toxicity induced by hormone therapies in order to improve the quality of life of the patients with PC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Turco
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Lavinia Di Prima
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Pisano
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Poletto
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco De Filippis
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Veronica Crespi
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Farinea
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Cani
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Mariangela Calabrese
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Isabella Saporita
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosario Francesco Di Stefano
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Marcello Tucci
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cardinal Massaia Hospital, Asti, Italy,Correspondence: Marcello Tucci, Department of Medical Oncology, Cardinal Massaia Hospital, Corso Dante Alighieri 202, Asti, 14100, Italy, Tel +393286754734, Email
| | - Consuelo Buttigliero
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, at Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kuwahara N, Nicholson K, Isaacs L, MacLusky NJ. Androgen Effects on Neural Plasticity. ANDROGENS: CLINICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS 2021; 2:216-230. [PMID: 35024693 PMCID: PMC8744448 DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Androgens are synthesized in the brain, gonads, and adrenal glands, in both sexes, exerting physiologically important effects on the structure and function of the central nervous system. These effects may contribute to the incidence and progression of neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease, which occur at different rates in males and females. This review briefly summarizes the current state of knowledge with respect to the neuroplastic effects of androgens, with particular emphasis on the hippocampus, which has been the focus of much of the research in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nariko Kuwahara
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Kate Nicholson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lauren Isaacs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Neil J. MacLusky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Göttlich M, Buades-Rotger M, Wiechert J, Beyer F, Krämer UM. Structural covariance of amygdala subregions is associated with trait aggression and endogenous testosterone in healthy individuals. Neuropsychologia 2021; 165:108113. [PMID: 34896406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many studies point toward volume reductions in the amygdala as a potential neurostructural marker for trait aggression. However, most of these findings stem from clinical samples, rendering unclear whether the findings generalize to non-clinical populations. Furthermore, the notion of neural networks suggests that interregional correlations in gray matter volume (i.e., structural covariance) can explain individual differences in aggressive behavior beyond local univariate associations. Here, we tested whether structural covariance between amygdala subregions and the rest of the brain is associated with self-reported aggression in a large sample of healthy young students (n = 263; 49% women). Salivary testosterone concentrations were measured for a subset of n = 40 male and n = 36 female subjects, allowing us to investigate the influence of endogenous testosterone on structural covariance. Aggressive individuals showed enhanced covariance between left superficial amygdala (SFA) and left dorsal anterior insula (dAI), but lower covariance between right laterobasal amygdala (LBA) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). These structural patterns overlap with functional networks involved in the genesis and regulation of aggressive behavior, respectively. With increasing endogenous testosterone, we observed stronger structural covariance between right centromedial amygdala (CMA) and right medial prefrontal cortex in men and between left CMA and bilateral orbitofrontal cortex in women. These results speak for structural covariance of amygdala subregions as a robust correlate of trait aggression in healthy individuals. Moreover, regions that showed structural covariance with the amygdala modulated by either testosterone or aggression did not overlap, suggesting a complex role of testosterone in human social behavior beyond facilitating aggressiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Göttlich
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Macià Buades-Rotger
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Juliana Wiechert
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Frederike Beyer
- Psychology Department, Queen Mary University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike M Krämer
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Revealing the Influences of Sex Hormones and Sex Differences in Atrial Fibrillation and Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168776. [PMID: 34445515 PMCID: PMC8396287 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of sex differences on the biology of various organ systems and the influences of sex hormones on modulating health and disease have become increasingly relevant in clinical and biomedical research. A growing body of evidence has recently suggested fundamental sex differences in cardiovascular and cognitive function, including anatomy, pathophysiology, incidence and age of disease onset, symptoms affecting disease diagnosis, disease severity, progression, and treatment responses and outcomes. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently recognized as the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and might contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), including a range of cognitive deficits, from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. In this review, we describe sex-based differences and sex hormone functions in the physiology of the brain and vasculature and the pathophysiology of disorders therein, with special emphasis on AF and VCI. Deciphering how sex hormones and their receptor signaling (estrogen and androgen receptors) potentially impact on sex differences could help to reveal disease links between AF and VCI and identify therapeutic targets that may lead to potentially novel therapeutic interventions early in the disease course of AF and VCI.
Collapse
|
8
|
Wallace T, Schaeuble D, Pace SA, Schackmuth MK, Hentges ST, Chicco AJ, Myers B. Sexually divergent cortical control of affective-autonomic integration. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 129:105238. [PMID: 33930756 PMCID: PMC8217303 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Depression and cardiovascular disease reduce quality of life and increase mortality risk. These conditions commonly co-occur with sex-based differences in incidence and severity. However, the biological mechanisms linking the disorders are poorly understood. In the current study, we hypothesized that the infralimbic (IL) prefrontal cortex integrates mood-related behaviors with the cardiovascular burden of chronic stress. In a rodent model, we utilized optogenetics during behavior and in vivo physiological monitoring to examine how the IL regulates affect, social motivation, neuroendocrine-autonomic stress reactivity, and the cardiac consequences of chronic stress. Our results indicate that IL glutamate neurons increase socio-motivational behaviors specifically in males. IL activation also reduced endocrine and cardiovascular stress responses in males, while increasing reactivity in females. Moreover, prior IL stimulation protected males from subsequent chronic stress-induced sympatho-vagal imbalance and cardiac hypertrophy. Our findings suggest that cortical regulation of behavior, physiological stress responses, and cardiovascular outcomes fundamentally differ between sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Wallace
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Derek Schaeuble
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sebastian A Pace
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Morgan K Schackmuth
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Shane T Hentges
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Adam J Chicco
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Brent Myers
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Armbruster D, Kirschbaum C, Strobel A. Androgenic morality? Associations of sex, oral contraceptive use and basal testosterone levels with moral decision making. Behav Brain Res 2021; 408:113196. [PMID: 33621608 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Aside from cultural, psychological, or situational factors, differences in moral judgements might also be influenced by biological variables. Since previous studies have reported stronger utilitarian tendencies in men, the relationship between testosterone and moral judgments has gained interest. Utilitarian judgements focus on the consequences of an action in terms of a cost-benefit analysis while deontological judgements are based on rules that are independent of an action's outcome or of situational features. We investigated decisions in moral dilemma situations in N = 157 young adults using a process dissociation approach to allow an independent estimate of underlying utilitarianism and deontology. Significant effects of sex (p = .009) and endocrine status (p = .011) on utilitarianism were found with the highest levels in men and the lowest in free cycling women while oral contraceptive users fell in between. Furthermore, there were correlations of salivary testosterone with utilitarianism in free cycling women (r = .303) and with deontology in men (r = -0.263) while no significant associations between testosterone and moral choices were found in oral contraceptive users. However, the duration of contraceptive use correlated negatively with deontology (r = -.316). The findings underscore the role of sex, endocrine status as well as testosterone in moral judgements but also point to specific associations depending on sex and oral contraceptive use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Armbruster
- Personality and Individual Differences, Institute of Psychology I, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology I, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Personality and Individual Differences, Institute of Psychology I, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Long KLP, Breton JM, Barraza MK, Perloff OS, Kaufer D. Hormonal Regulation of Oligodendrogenesis I: Effects across the Lifespan. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020283. [PMID: 33672939 PMCID: PMC7918364 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain’s capacity to respond to changing environments via hormonal signaling is critical to fine-tuned function. An emerging body of literature highlights a role for myelin plasticity as a prominent type of experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain. Myelin plasticity is driven by oligodendrocytes (OLs) and their precursor cells (OPCs). OPC differentiation regulates the trajectory of myelin production throughout development, and importantly, OPCs maintain the ability to proliferate and generate new OLs throughout adulthood. The process of oligodendrogenesis, the creation of new OLs, can be dramatically influenced during early development and in adulthood by internal and environmental conditions such as hormones. Here, we review the current literature describing hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis within physiological conditions, focusing on several classes of hormones: steroid, peptide, and thyroid hormones. We discuss hormonal regulation at each stage of oligodendrogenesis and describe mechanisms of action, where known. Overall, the majority of hormones enhance oligodendrogenesis, increasing OPC differentiation and inducing maturation and myelin production in OLs. The mechanisms underlying these processes vary for each hormone but may ultimately converge upon common signaling pathways, mediated by specific receptors expressed across the OL lineage. However, not all of the mechanisms have been fully elucidated, and here, we note the remaining gaps in the literature, including the complex interactions between hormonal systems and with the immune system. In the companion manuscript in this issue, we discuss the implications of hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis for neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by white matter loss. Ultimately, a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis across the entire lifespan, especially in vivo, will progress both basic and translational research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. P. Long
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jocelyn M. Breton
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
| | - Matthew K. Barraza
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
| | - Olga S. Perloff
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Daniela Kaufer
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Picard K, St-Pierre MK, Vecchiarelli HA, Bordeleau M, Tremblay MÈ. Neuroendocrine, neuroinflammatory and pathological outcomes of chronic stress: A story of microglial remodeling. Neurochem Int 2021; 145:104987. [PMID: 33587954 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.104987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the resident macrophage cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are involved in a myriad of processes required to maintain CNS homeostasis. These cells are dynamic and can adapt their phenotype and functions to the physiological needs of the organism. Microglia rapidly respond to changes occurring in their microenvironment, such as the ones taking place during stress. While stress can be beneficial for the organism to adapt to a situation, it can become highly detrimental when it turns chronic. Microglial response to prolonged stress may lead to an alteration of their beneficial physiological functions, becoming either maladaptive or pro-inflammatory. In this review, we aim to summarize the effects of chronic stress exerted on microglia through the neuroendocrine system and inflammation at adulthood. We also discuss how these effects of chronic stress could contribute to microglial involvement in neuropsychiatric and sleep disorders, as well as neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Picard
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Kim St-Pierre
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Maude Bordeleau
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Perry CJ, Campbell EJ, Drummond KD, Lum JS, Kim JH. Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: Impact of early life stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:963-981. [PMID: 33025572 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic events during early life have been linked with later life psychopathology. To understand this risk factor, researchers have studied the effects of prenatal and postnatal early life stress on neurochemical changes. Here we review the rodent literature on sex differences and sex-specific impact of early life stress on frontal cortex neurochemistry. This region is implicated in regulating motivation and emotion, which are often disrupted in psychological disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in particular is one of the last brain regions to develop, and there are sex differences in the rate of this development. To draw direct comparisons between sexes, our review of the literature was restricted to studies where the effects of prenatal or postnatal stress had been described in male and female littermates. This literature included research describing glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), corticosteroids, monoamines, and cannabinoids. We found that sex-dependent effects of stress are mediated by the age at which stress is experienced, age at test, and type of stress endured. More research is required, particularly into the effects of adolescent stress on male and female littermates. We hope that a greater understanding of sex-specific susceptibilities in response to stress across development will help to uncover risk factors for psychological disorders in vulnerable populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Jeremy S Lum
- Neuropharmacology and Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Quantifying observational evidence for risk of dementia following androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2020; 24:15-23. [PMID: 32814845 DOI: 10.1038/s41391-020-00267-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) administration was recently reported and might be positively associated with dementia. However, the existing studies showed controversial results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ADT and the risk of dementia through a meta-analysis. METHODS Original articles published up to March 2020 were retrieved from Embase, Pubmed, the Cochrane library, and Web of Science for studies focusing on associations between ADT for prostate cancer (PCa) and incidence of dementia. A meta-analysis was conducted using a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) as effect measures. Heterogeneity between the studies was examined using I2 statistics. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and meta-regression were conducted, and publication bias was assessed by Egger's test. RESULTS Thirteen studies were included in this systematic review. Eleven cohort studies involving 339,400 cases and 436,851 controls were included in the main meta-analysis. ADT administration was associated with a 21% increase in dementia risk (pooled HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.13-1.30, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on ADT types showed that luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (HR = 1.14, P < 0.001), bilateral orchiectomy (HR = 1.42, P < 0.001), oral antiandrogens (HR = 1.35, P = 0.138), and combined androgen blockade (HR = 1.22, P = 0.097) were positively related to subsequent risk of dementia, although the differences were not statistically significant with oral antiandrogens and combined androgen blockade. CONCLUSIONS The current study indicated that ADT administration, no matter with types of ADT, is associated with the risk of dementia in patients with PCa. Future studies are needed to determine whether ADT causes dementia or is merely associated with increased risk.
Collapse
|
14
|
Roles of Progesterone, Testosterone and Their Nuclear Receptors in Central Nervous System Myelination and Remyelination. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093163. [PMID: 32365806 PMCID: PMC7246940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Progesterone and testosterone, beyond their roles as sex hormones, are neuroactive steroids, playing crucial regulatory functions within the nervous system. Among these, neuroprotection and myelin regeneration are important ones. The present review aims to discuss the stimulatory effects of progesterone and testosterone on the process of myelination and remyelination. These effects have been demonstrated in vitro (i.e., organotypic cultures) and in vivo (cuprizone- or lysolecithin-induced demyelination and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)). Both steroids stimulate myelin formation and regeneration by acting through their respective intracellular receptors: progesterone receptors (PR) and androgen receptors (AR). Activation of these receptors results in multiple events involving direct transcription and translation, regulating general homeostasis, cell proliferation, differentiation, growth and myelination. It also ameliorates immune response as seen in the EAE model, resulting in a significant decrease in inflammation leading to a fast recovery. Although natural progesterone and testosterone have a therapeutic potential, their synthetic derivatives—the 19-norprogesterone (nestorone) and 7α-methyl-nortestosterone (MENT), already used as hormonal contraception or in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapies, may offer enhanced benefits for myelin repair. We summarize here a recent advancement in the field of myelin biology, to treat demyelinating disorders using the natural as well as synthetic analogs of progesterone and testosterone.
Collapse
|
15
|
Low KL, Tomm RJ, Ma C, Tobiansky DJ, Floresco SB, Soma KK. Effects of aging on testosterone and androgen receptors in the mesocorticolimbic system of male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104689. [PMID: 31954104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As males age, systemic testosterone (T) levels decline. T regulates executive function, a collection of cognitive processes that are mediated by the mesocorticolimbic system. Here, we examined young adult (5 months) and aged (22 months) male Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats, and measured systemic T levels in serum and local T levels in microdissected nodes of the mesocorticolimbic system (ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)). We also measured androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity (-ir) in the mesocorticolimbic system. As expected, systemic T levels decreased with age. Local T levels in mesocorticolimbic regions - except the VTA - also decreased with age. Mesocorticolimbic T levels were higher than serum T levels at both ages. AR-ir was present in the VTA, NAc, mPFC, and OFC and decreased with age in the mPFC. Taken together with previous results, the data suggest that changes in androgen signaling may contribute to changes in executive function during aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn L Low
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan J Tomm
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chunqi Ma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Barha CK, Best JR, Rosano C, Yaffe K, Catov JM, Liu-Ambrose T. Sex-Specific Relationship Between Long-Term Maintenance of Physical Activity and Cognition in the Health ABC Study: Potential Role of Hippocampal and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Volume. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 75:764-770. [PMID: 30958523 PMCID: PMC7931854 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glz093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is a promising strategy for the promotion of brain health, although substantial variation exists in the effects of PA at the individual level. Given the greater prevalence and faster progression of Alzheimer's disease in women compared to men, and known sex differences in brain architecture, analysis of sex differences in the relationship between PA, cognition, and brain region volumes is warranted. METHODS To address this, we conducted secondary analyses of data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. To determine whether longitudinal changes in PA over 10 years predicted declines in global cognitive functioning and executive functions and processing speed differently in males and females, latent growth curve modeling was utilized. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at year 10, and the hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were identified as regions of interest. RESULTS Maintaining PA over 10 years predicted less declines in executive functions and processing speed in females but not males. Maintaining PA over 10 years was significantly associated with greater volume of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in executive functions, in year 10 in females only. Maintaining physical activity was associated with better global cognitive function in both males and females, and also predicted volume of the left hippocampus, albeit in different directions with females showing a negative relationship and males showing a positive relationship. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the relationship of PA with cognition and its neurobiological correlates differ by sex, with females apparently benefiting from PA to a greater extent than males. Development of personalized, tailored exercise recommendations to promote healthy brain aging should account for sex differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy K Barha
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - John R Best
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Caterina Rosano
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Janet M Catov
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Doi H, Shinohara K. Low Salivary Testosterone Level Is Associated With Efficient Attention Holding by Self Face in Women. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:261. [PMID: 31849621 PMCID: PMC6895659 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Capacity to recognize one’s own face (hereinafter referred to as self face) is a fundamental component of various domains of social cognition such as empathy in humans. Previous research has demonstrated that a high level of androgen suppresses empathic behavior and social brain function. Taking these into consideration, we hypothesized that people with high androgen level show reduced response to self face. The present study examined this hypothesis by investigating the association between attentiveness towards self face, as assessed by a psychophysiological experiment, and salivary testosterone concentration. The attentional responses to self face was measured by a modified Go/NoGo task. In this task, self face or unfamiliar other’s face was presented simultaneously with Go or NoGo signal. In go trials, participants had to divert their attention from the face to a peripheral target. The reaction time (RT) for peripheral target detection in each condition was measured. In addition to behavioral data, saliva samples were collected to assay salivary testosterone concentration. The index of potency of self face to hold viewer’s attention that was computed based on RT data was regressed against salivary testosterone concentration in men and women separately. The analyses revealed that self face holds visuospatial attention more effectively in women with low than high salivary testosterone level, but no such trend was observed in men. This pattern of results indicates that low testosterone level is associated with a pronounced response to self face as we hypothesized and raises the possibility that multiple aspects of self-face processing are under the influence of endocrinological function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Doi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Shinohara
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Sex Hormones as Cognitive Enhancers? JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00156-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding the differences in the way women and men think has made headway thanks to experiments showing how sex hormones influence cognitive capacities. Masculine and feminine sex hormones (androgens and estrogens, respectively) affect cognition in different ways and may account for some of the gender differences in cognitive abilities, allowing men and women to perform better in certain cognitive tests. In this opinion article, we discuss studies addressing differences in cognitive functions between males and females and the underlying neural substrates, as well as the effects of sex hormone supplementation. Even though some studies on patients receiving exogenous sex hormones showed gender differences that emerge at group levels on a few cognitive tasks, it is not yet clear whether these differences can be partially attributed to hormonal causes. Supplementation of female estrogen can enhance verbal skills, whereas masculine androgen can increase performance in mathematical and visuospatial tasks. Studies of the administration of exogenous sex hormones have allowed further insight into the use of sex hormones as possible cognitive enhancers.
Collapse
|
19
|
Spielberg JM, Schwarz JM, Matyi MA. Anxiety in transition: Neuroendocrine mechanisms supporting the development of anxiety pathology in adolescence and young adulthood. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100791. [PMID: 31542287 PMCID: PMC8265407 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence marks a key developmental window during which emotion dysregulation increases, along with risk for the onset of anxiety and other affect-related pathologies. Although emotion dysregulation and related pathologies normatively decline during the transition into adulthood, this does not occur for a sizable minority of individuals. Finally, sex differences in anxiety emerge during adolescence, with females developing a 2-fold increase in risk relative to males. Unfortunately, a neurobiological model of the mechanisms that cause these changes during adolescence has yet to be proposed. In the present work, we first provide brief reviews of relevant literature. Next, we outline a dual-mechanism model focused on (i) the influence of pubertal testosterone on key emotion-regulation circuitry (i.e., orbitofrontal cortex-amygdala coupling) and (ii) myelination of the fiber bundles connecting such circuitry (i.e., uncinate fasciculus). The proposed model offers a set of specific, testable hypotheses that will hopefully spur much needed cross-disciplinary research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Spielberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 105 the Green, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Jaclyn M Schwarz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 105 the Green, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Melanie A Matyi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 105 the Green, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Owens SJ, Purves-Tyson TD, Webster MJ, Shannon Weickert C. Evidence for enhanced androgen action in the prefrontal cortex of people with bipolar disorder but not schizophrenia or major depressive disorder. Psychiatry Res 2019; 280:112503. [PMID: 31446215 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive disorders are more prevalent in hypogonadal men. Low testosterone levels are associated with greater negative symptoms and impaired cognition in men with schizophrenia. Thus, androgens may contribute to brain pathophysiology in psychiatric disorders. We investigated androgen-related mRNAs in post-mortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of psychiatric disorders. We also assessed androgen receptor (AR) CAG trinucleotide repeat length, a functional AR gene variant associated with AR gene expression, receptor activity, and circulating testosterone. AR CAG repeat length was determined from genomic DNA and AR and 5α-reductase mRNAs measured using quantitative PCR in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and control cases [n = 35/group; Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) Array collection]. Layer-specific AR gene expression was determined using in situ hybridisation in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and control cases (n = 15/group; SMRI Neuropathology Consortium). AR mRNA was increased in bipolar disorder, but was unchanged in schizophrenia, relative to controls. AR and 5α-reductase mRNAs were significantly positively correlated in bipolar disorder. AR CAG repeat length was significantly shorter in bipolar disorder relative to schizophrenia. AR mRNA expression was highest in cortical layers IV and V, but no layer-specific diagnostic differences were detected. Together, our results suggest enhanced cortical androgen action in people with bipolar disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Owens
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, MD 20815, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Prenatal testosterone exposure is associated with delay of gratification and attention problems/overactive behavior in 3-year-old boys. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:49-54. [PMID: 30802710 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in self-control become apparent during preschool years. Girls are better able to delay their gratification and show less attention problems and overactive behavior than boys. In this context, organizational effects of gonadal steroids affecting the neural circuitry underlying self-control could be responsible for these early sex differences. In the present study testosterone levels measured in amniotic fluid (via ultra performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry) were used to examine the role of organizational sex hormones on self-control. One hundred and twenty-two 40-month-old children participated in a delay of gratification task (DoG task) and their parents reported on their attention problems and overactive behavior. Girls waited significantly longer for their preferred reward than boys, and significantly more girls than boys waited the maximum period of time, providing evidence for sex differences in delay of gratification. Boys that were rated as suffering from more attention problems and overactive behavior waited significantly shorter in the DoG task. Amniotic testosterone measures were reliable in boys only. Most importantly, boys who waited shorter in the DoG task and boys who were reported to suffer from more attention problems and overactive behavior had higher prenatal testosterone levels. These findings extend our knowledge concerning organizational effects of testosterone on the brain circuitry underlying self-control in boys, and are of relevance for understanding how sex differences in behavioral disorders are connected with a lack of self-control.
Collapse
|
22
|
The Synthetic Steroid Tibolone Decreases Reactive Gliosis and Neuronal Death in the Cerebral Cortex of Female Mice After a Stab Wound Injury. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:8651-8667. [PMID: 29582398 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that estradiol reduces reactive gliosis after a stab wound injury in the cerebral cortex. Since the therapeutic use of estradiol is limited by its peripheral hormonal effects, it is of interest to determine whether synthetic estrogenic compounds with tissue-specific actions regulate reactive gliosis. Tibolone is a synthetic steroid that is widely used for the treatment of climacteric symptoms and/or the prevention of osteoporosis. In this study, we have assessed the effect of tibolone on reactive gliosis in the cerebral cortex after a stab wound brain injury in ovariectomized adult female mice. By 7 days after brain injury, tibolone reduced the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactive astrocytes, the number of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) immunoreactive microglia, and the number of microglial cells with a reactive phenotype in comparison to vehicle-injected animals. These effects on gliosis were associated with a reduction in neuronal loss in the proximity to the wound, suggesting that tibolone exerts beneficial homeostatic actions in the cerebral cortex after an acute brain injury.
Collapse
|
23
|
Yao S, Song J, Gao J, Lin P, Yang M, Zahid KR, Yan Y, Cao C, Ma P, Zhang H, Li Z, Huang C, Ding H, Xu G. Cognitive Function and Serum Hormone Levels Are Associated with Gray Matter Volume Decline in Female Patients with Prolactinomas. Front Neurol 2018; 8:742. [PMID: 29434564 PMCID: PMC5797301 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Cognitive impairments have been reported in patients with hyperprolactinemia; however, there is a lack of knowledge of brain structure alterations relevant to hyperprolactinemia in prolactinomas. Thus, we aimed to identify changes in brain structure in prolactinomas and to determine whether these changes are related to cognitive performance and clinical characteristics. Methods Participants were 32 female patients with prolactinomas and 26 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, education, and handedness. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging brain scans, neuropsychological assessments, and clinical evaluations. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was used to identify changes in gray matter volume (GMV). Partial correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were performed to determine the relationship between GMV, cognition, and clinical characteristics. Results Compared to HC, patients with prolactinomas demonstrated a decrease in GMV in the left hippocampus, left orbitofrontal cortex, right middle frontal cortex (MFC), and right inferior frontal cortex (IFC). In addition, patients performed worse than controls on tests for verbal memory and executive function, and this was significantly related to the GMV of the left hippocampus and right MFC, respectively. Moreover, in the patients, we found a negative relationship between serum prolactin levels and the GMV of the left hippocampus and right IFC, whereas a positive relationship was found between the GMV of the left hippocampus and serum levels of estradiol and luteinizing hormone. Conclusion In patients with prolactinomas, specific brain structure abnormalities have been identified and are associated with cognitive impairments and dysfunctional hormones. This study enhances our understanding of brain structure changes that may occur with prolactinomas and provides novel and fundamental evidence for previous behavioral findings relevant to hyperprolactinemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shun Yao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Song
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Junfeng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central of University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Pan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central of University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Kashif Rafiq Zahid
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, College of Life Science, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenglong Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Pan Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhouyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Huichao Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Guozheng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
McHugh DJ, Root JC, Nelson CJ, Morris MJ. Androgen-deprivation therapy, dementia, and cognitive dysfunction in men with prostate cancer: How much smoke and how much fire? Cancer 2018; 124:1326-1334. [PMID: 29338083 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) remains the cornerstone of management for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Although the toxicities of ADT are well established, there is increasing controversy surrounding the association between cognitive dysfunction and the receipt of ADT, with some evidence suggesting an increased risk of dementia. The authors conducted a literature search to identify pertinent clinical studies in this field. This general review outlines the key findings and discusses the relative strengths and weaknesses when drawing conclusions about the risk of cognitive dysfunction or dementia with ADT use. Cancer 2018;124:1326-34. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deaglan J McHugh
- Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - James C Root
- Neurocognitive and Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.,Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Christian J Nelson
- Neurocognitive and Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Michael J Morris
- Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Tobiansky DJ, Wallin-Miller KG, Floresco SB, Wood RI, Soma KK. Androgen Regulation of the Mesocorticolimbic System and Executive Function. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:279. [PMID: 29922228 PMCID: PMC5996102 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence indicate that androgens, such as testosterone, modulate the mesocorticolimbic system and executive function. This review integrates neuroanatomical, molecular biological, neurochemical, and behavioral studies to highlight how endogenous and exogenous androgens alter behaviors, such as behavioral flexibility, decision making, and risk taking. First, we briefly review the neuroanatomy of the mesocorticolimbic system, which mediates executive function, with a focus on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Second, we present evidence that androgen receptors (AR) and other steroid receptors are expressed in the mesocorticolimbic system. Using sensitive immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques, ARs are detected in the VTA, NAc, mPFC, and OFC. Third, we describe recent evidence for local androgens ("neuroandrogens") in the mesocorticolimbic system. Steroidogenic enzymes are expressed in mesocorticolimbic regions. Furthermore, following long-term gonadectomy, testosterone is nondetectable in the blood but detectable in the mesocorticolimbic system, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. However, the physiological relevance of neuroandrogens remains unknown. Fourth, we review how anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) influence the mesocorticolimbic system. Fifth, we describe how androgens modulate the neurochemistry and structure of the mesocorticolimbic system, particularly with regard to dopaminergic signaling. Finally, we discuss evidence that androgens influence executive functions, including the effects of androgen deprivation therapy and AAS. Taken together, the evidence indicates that androgens are critical modulators of executive function. Similar to dopamine signaling, there might be optimal levels of androgen signaling within the mesocorticolimbic system for executive functioning. Future studies should examine the regulation and functions of neurosteroids in the mesocorticolimbic system, as well as the potential deleterious and enduring effects of AAS use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Tobiansky
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Daniel J. Tobiansky,
| | - Kathryn G. Wallin-Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stan B. Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ruth I. Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kiran K. Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Nave G, Nadler A, Zava D, Camerer C. Single-Dose Testosterone Administration Impairs Cognitive Reflection in Men. Psychol Sci 2017; 28:1398-1407. [DOI: 10.1177/0956797617709592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In nonhumans, the sex steroid testosterone regulates reproductive behaviors such as fighting between males and mating. In humans, correlational studies have linked testosterone with aggression and disorders associated with poor impulse control, but the neuropsychological processes at work are poorly understood. Building on a dual-process framework, we propose a mechanism underlying testosterone’s behavioral effects in humans: reduction in cognitive reflection. In the largest study of behavioral effects of testosterone administration to date, 243 men received either testosterone or placebo and took the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), which estimates the capacity to override incorrect intuitive judgments with deliberate correct responses. Testosterone administration reduced CRT scores. The effect remained after we controlled for age, mood, math skills, whether participants believed they had received the placebo or testosterone, and the effects of 14 additional hormones, and it held for each of the CRT questions in isolation. Our findings suggest a mechanism underlying testosterone’s diverse effects on humans’ judgments and decision making and provide novel, clear, and testable predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Nave
- Department of Marketing, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
| | - Amos Nadler
- Department of Finance, Ivey School of Business, Western University
| | | | - Colin Camerer
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gunlusoy B, Ceylan Y, Koskderelioglu A, Gedizlioglu M, Degirmenci T, Ortan P, Kozacioglu Z. Cognitive Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer. Urology 2017; 103:167-172. [DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2016.12.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
28
|
Low KL, Ma C, Soma KK. Tyramide Signal Amplification Permits Immunohistochemical Analyses of Androgen Receptors in the Rat Prefrontal Cortex. J Histochem Cytochem 2017; 65:295-308. [PMID: 28438093 PMCID: PMC5407533 DOI: 10.1369/0022155417694870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on neural androgen receptors (ARs) has traditionally focused on brain regions that regulate reproductive and aggressive behaviors, such as the hypothalamus and amygdala. Although many cells in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) also express ARs, the number of ARs per cell appears to be much lower, and thus, AR immunostaining is often hard to detect and quantify in the PFC. Here, we demonstrate that biotin tyramide signal amplification (TSA) dramatically increases AR immunoreactivity in the rat brain, including critical regions of the PFC such as the medial PFC (mPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We show that TSA is useful for AR detection with both chromogenic and immunofluorescent immunohistochemistry. Double-labeling studies reveal that AR+ cells in the PFC and hippocampus are NeuN+ but not GFAP+ and thus primarily neuronal. Finally, in gonadally intact rats, more AR+ cells are present in the mPFC and OFC of males than of females. Future studies can use TSA to further examine AR immunoreactivity across ages, sexes, strains, and different procedures (e.g., fixation methods). In light of emerging evidence for the androgen regulation of executive function and working memory, these results may help understand the distribution and roles of ARs in the PFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn L. Low
- Department of Psychology and The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (KLL, CM, KKS), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology (KLL, KKS), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chunqi Ma
- Department of Psychology and The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (KLL, CM, KKS), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology (KLL, KKS), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kiran K. Soma
- Kiran K. Soma, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wu LM, Amidi A. Cognitive impairment following hormone therapy: current opinion of research in breast and prostate cancer patients. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care 2017; 11:38-45. [PMID: 27926544 PMCID: PMC5297865 DOI: 10.1097/spc.0000000000000251] [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] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Hormone therapy is a common cancer treatment that may be associated with numerous side and late effects, and in recent years, has been linked to changes in cognition. Here, we present the most important recent findings from empirical studies and reviews that have focused on the effects of hormone therapy on cognitive functioning in breast and prostate cancer populations, underline some general shortcomings, and propose directions for future research. RECENT FINDINGS Recent research indicates that cognitive impairment may occur in breast and prostate cancer patients following onset of hormone therapy. However, because of methodological shortcomings and heterogeneity of current research, conclusions regarding the effects of hormone therapy on cognitive functions remain tentative. SUMMARY The review highlights the general findings while also describing the many methodological shortcomings that need to be addressed in future research. It is clear that larger scale neuropsychological studies that also evaluate the impact of impairments on daily life functioning will improve our understanding of the effects of hormone therapy on cognition and inform the development of appropriate interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Wu
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ali Amidi
- Unit for Psycho-oncology and Health Psychology, Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital & Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Diekhof EK, Kraft S. The association between endogenous testosterone level and behavioral flexibility in young men - Evidence from stimulus-outcome reversal learning. Horm Behav 2017; 89:193-200. [PMID: 28185881 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The capacity to flexibly adapt responding to unexpected changes in the environment is crucial for survival. Several neurotransmitters have been implicated in stimulus-outcome reversal learning. Yet, it remains an open question whether inter-individual differences in the neuroactive hormone testosterone may also be related to this type of behavioral flexibility. In this study we assessed the association between endogenous testosterone level and reversal learning in young healthy men. We used an observer reversal learning task, in which subjects viewed computer-based decisions between two stimuli, of which one was currently rewarded while the other one was punished. Contingencies reversed unpredictably every 5-9 trials. Subjects had to indicate the current outcome association before the actual outcome was revealed. In the trial following an unexpected reversal either the same stimulus from the reversal (experienced reversal), or its alternative, for which the reversal had not yet been shown (inferred reversal), could be chosen by the computer, and subjects had to adapt responding accordingly. We found that testosterone predicted better post-reversal performance. This correlation was strongest in the more difficult inferred reversal condition, particularly in impulsive individuals. Collectively, these data support the view that endogenous testosterone may enhance behavioral flexibility in men, particularly when working memory demand is high and subjects have to update several stimulus-outcome contingencies at the same time. It remains to be further elucidated whether this testosterone effect was achieved through an interaction with dopaminergic transmission or through direct interplay with androgen receptors in the brain regions implicated in reversal learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther K Diekhof
- University of Hamburg, Biological Department, Zoological Institute, Neuroendocrinology Unit, Germany.
| | - Susanne Kraft
- University of Hamburg, Biological Department, Zoological Institute, Neuroendocrinology Unit, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kelemenova S, Ostatnikova D. Androgens Contribute to the Process of Neuronal Development: Implications in Explanation of Autism Pathogenesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03379917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Fetal testosterone significantly influences the brain development. It affects number of neurons and conformation of dendritic spines within the sexual dimorphic preoptic area in the hypothalamus. Excessive testosterone levels in utero possibly contribute to the masculinization of the brain. Evidences of these facts are plausible in the anatomic field as well as behavioral effects both in rat models and in humans. Rats exposed to excessive testosterone doses in utero show masculinized brain anatomy and behavior, such as better spatial visualization performance typical for males. In humans, congenital adrenal hyperplasia that causes elevated androgen level possibly results in masculinized behavior observed in these individuals. There are reasons for the theory of the connection existence between testosterone influence on the brain functions and the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review, pathogenesis of autism, the most genetic neurodevelopmental disease is discussed. Autism is a disease with broad genetic heterogeneity and polygenic inheritance. Autism associated genes are localized throughout the genome, with the chromosome 7q most frequently involved. One of these genes encodes reelin protein that is crucial for neuronal migration in the developing brain. The connection between androgens, neuronal migration and neurodevelopmental disorder pathophysiology is also discussed.
Collapse
|
32
|
Piekarski DJ, Johnson CM, Boivin JR, Thomas AW, Lin WC, Delevich K, M Galarce E, Wilbrecht L. Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? Brain Res 2017; 1654:123-144. [PMID: 27590721 PMCID: PMC5283387 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Postnatal brain development is studded with sensitive periods during which experience dependent plasticity is enhanced. This enables rapid learning from environmental inputs and reorganization of cortical circuits that matches behavior with environmental contingencies. Significant headway has been achieved in characterizing and understanding sensitive period biology in primary sensory cortices, but relatively little is known about sensitive period biology in associative neocortex. One possible mediator is the onset of puberty, which marks the transition to adolescence, when animals shift their behavior toward gaining independence and exploring their social world. Puberty onset correlates with reduced behavioral plasticity in some domains and enhanced plasticity in others, and therefore may drive the transition from juvenile to adolescent brain function. Pubertal onset is also occurring earlier in developed nations, particularly in unserved populations, and earlier puberty is associated with vulnerability for substance use, depression and anxiety. In the present article we review the evidence that supports a causal role for puberty in developmental changes in the function and neurobiology of the associative neocortex. We also propose a model for how pubertal hormones may regulate sensitive period plasticity in associative neocortex. We conclude that the evidence suggests puberty onset may play a causal role in some aspects of associative neocortical development, but that further research that manipulates puberty and measures gonadal hormones is required. We argue that further work of this kind is urgently needed to determine how earlier puberty may negatively impact human health and learning potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Adolescent plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Piekarski
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Carolyn M Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Josiah R Boivin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
| | - A Wren Thomas
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Kristen Delevich
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Ezequiel M Galarce
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Unexpected central role of the androgen receptor in the spontaneous regeneration of myelin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14829-14834. [PMID: 27930320 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614826113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lost myelin can be replaced after injury or during demyelinating diseases in a regenerative process called remyelination. In the central nervous system (CNS), the myelin sheaths, which protect axons and allow the fast propagation of electrical impulses, are produced by oligodendrocytes. The abundance and widespread distribution of oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPs) within the adult CNS account for this remarkable regenerative potential. Here, we report a key role for the male gonad, testosterone, and androgen receptor (AR) in CNS remyelination. After lysolecithin-induced demyelination of the male mouse ventral spinal cord white matter, the recruitment of glial fibrillary acidic protein-expressing astrocytes was compromised in the absence of testes and testosterone signaling via AR. Concomitantly, the differentiation of OPs into oligodendrocytes forming myelin basic protein (MBP)+ and proteolipid protein-positive myelin was impaired. Instead, in the absence of astrocytes, axons were remyelinated by protein zero (P0)+ and peripheral myelin protein 22-kDa (PMP22)+ myelin, normally only produced by Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. Thus, testosterone favors astrocyte recruitment and spontaneous oligodendrocyte-mediated remyelination. This finding may have important implications for demyelinating diseases, psychiatric disorders, and cognitive aging. The testosterone dependency of CNS oligodendrocyte remyelination may have roots in the evolutionary history of the AR, because the receptor has evolved from an ancestral 3-ketosteroid receptor through gene duplication at the time when myelin appeared in jawed vertebrates.
Collapse
|
34
|
Seiger R, Hahn A, Hummer A, Kranz GS, Ganger S, Woletz M, Kraus C, Sladky R, Kautzky A, Kasper S, Windischberger C, Lanzenberger R. Subcortical gray matter changes in transgender subjects after long-term cross-sex hormone administration. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 74:371-379. [PMID: 27744092 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex-steroid hormones are primarily involved in sexual differentiation and development and are thought to underlie processes related to cognition and emotion. However, divergent results have been reported concerning the effects of hormone administration on brain structure including side effects like brain atrophy and dementia. Cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender subjects offers a unique model for studying the effects of sex hormones on the living human brain. In this study, 25 Female-to-Male (FtM) and 14 Male-to-Female (MtF) subjects underwent MRI examinations at baseline and after a period of at least 4-months of continuous cross-sex hormone administration. While MtFs received estradiol and anti-androgens, FtM subjects underwent high-dose testosterone treatment. The longitudinal processing stream of the FreeSurfer software suite was used for the automated assessment and delineation of brain volumes to assess the structural changes over the treatment period of cross-sex hormone administration. Most prominent results were found for MtFs receiving estradiol and anti-androgens in the form of significant decreases in the hippocampal region. Further analysis revealed that these decreases were reflected by increases in the ventricles. Additionally, changes in progesterone levels correlated with changes in gray matter structures in MtF subjects. In line with prior studies, our results indicate hormonal influences on subcortical structures related to memory and emotional processing. Additionally, this study adds valuable knowledge that progesterone may play an important role in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Allan Hummer
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Ganger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Woletz
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Kautzky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Windischberger
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Guillamon A, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E. A Review of the Status of Brain Structure Research in Transsexualism. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:1615-48. [PMID: 27255307 PMCID: PMC4987404 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The present review focuses on the brain structure of male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) homosexual transsexuals before and after cross-sex hormone treatment as shown by in vivo neuroimaging techniques. Cortical thickness and diffusion tensor imaging studies suggest that the brain of MtFs presents complex mixtures of masculine, feminine, and demasculinized regions, while FtMs show feminine, masculine, and defeminized regions. Consequently, the specific brain phenotypes proposed for MtFs and FtMs differ from those of both heterosexual males and females. These phenotypes have theoretical implications for brain intersexuality, asymmetry, and body perception in transsexuals as well as for Blanchard's hypothesis on sexual orientation in homosexual MtFs. Falling within the aegis of the neurohormonal theory of sex differences, we hypothesize that cortical differences between homosexual MtFs and FtMs and male and female controls are due to differently timed cortical thinning in different regions for each group. Cross-sex hormone studies have reported marked effects of the treatment on MtF and FtM brains. Their results are used to discuss the early postmortem histological studies of the MtF brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Guillamon
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, c/Juand del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Academia de Psicología de España, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carme Junque
- Departamento de Psiquiatría y Psicobiología Clínica, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Gómez-Gil
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- Unidad de Identidad de Género, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Acaz-Fonseca E, Avila-Rodriguez M, Garcia-Segura LM, Barreto GE. Regulation of astroglia by gonadal steroid hormones under physiological and pathological conditions. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 144:5-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
|
37
|
Lašaitė L, Čeponis J, Preikša RT, Žilaitienė B. Effects of two-year testosterone replacement therapy on cognition, emotions and quality of life in young and middle-aged hypogonadal men. Andrologia 2016; 49. [PMID: 27545990 DOI: 10.1111/and.12633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the effects of two-year testosterone replacement therapy on cognitive functioning, emotional state and quality of life in young and middle-aged men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Nineteen males diagnosed with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism participated in the study. Cognitive functions were assessed by Trail Making Test and Digit Span Test of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Emotional state was evaluated by Profile of Mood States. Quality of life was evaluated by WHO Brief Quality of Life Questionnaire. Changes after two-year testosterone replacement therapy were detected in Trail Making A (42.9 ± 22.3 vs. 36.2 ± 22.5, p = .050) and B (90.6 ± 55.3 vs. 65.6 ± 21.4, p = .025) tests, showing improvement in attention and visual scanning abilities, executive function and psychomotor speed, as well as in Digit Span Test forward score (5.4 ± 2.0 vs. 6.1 ± 2.6, p = .046), showing improvement in attention capacity and psychomotor speed. No significant differences were observed in emotional state and quality of life. In conclusion, beneficial effect in cognitive functioning (improved attention and visual scanning ability, executive function and psychomotor speed), but not in emotional state and quality of life, was observed in young and middle-aged hypogonadal men after two-year testosterone replacement therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Lašaitė
- Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - J Čeponis
- Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - R T Preikša
- Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - B Žilaitienė
- Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cao J, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. Neonatal Masculinization Blocks Increased Excitatory Synaptic Input in Female Rat Nucleus Accumbens Core. Endocrinology 2016; 157:3181-96. [PMID: 27285859 PMCID: PMC4967116 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Steroid sex hormones and genetic sex regulate the phenotypes of motivated behaviors and relevant disorders. Most studies seeking to elucidate the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms have focused on how 17β-estradiol modulates the role of dopamine in striatal brain regions, which express membrane-associated estrogen receptors. Dopamine action is an important component of striatal function, but excitatory synaptic neurotransmission has also emerged as a key striatal substrate and target of estradiol action. Here, we focus on excitatory synaptic input onto medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatal region nucleus accumbens core (AcbC). In adult AcbC, miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequency is increased in female compared with male MSNs. We tested whether increased mEPSC frequency in female MSNs exists before puberty, whether this increased excitability is due to the absence of estradiol or testosterone during the early developmental critical period, and whether it is accompanied by stable neuron intrinsic membrane properties. We found that mEPSC frequency is increased in female compared with male MSNs before puberty. Increased mEPSC frequency in female MSNs is abolished after neonatal estradiol or testosterone exposure. MSN intrinsic membrane properties did not differ by sex. These data indicate that neonatal masculinization via estradiol and/or testosterone action is sufficient for down-regulating excitatory synaptic input onto MSNs. We conclude that excitatory synaptic input onto AcbC MSNs is organized long before adulthood via steroid sex hormone action, providing new insight into a mechanism by which sex differences in motivated behavior and other AbcC functions may be generated or compromised.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences (J.C., D.M.D., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (J.C., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; Center for Human Health and the Environment (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Comparative Medicine Institute (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - David M Dorris
- Department of Biological Sciences (J.C., D.M.D., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (J.C., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; Center for Human Health and the Environment (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Comparative Medicine Institute (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences (J.C., D.M.D., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology (J.C., J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; Center for Human Health and the Environment (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695; and Comparative Medicine Institute (J.M.), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hamson DK, Roes MM, Galea LAM. Sex Hormones and Cognition: Neuroendocrine Influences on Memory and Learning. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1295-337. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
40
|
Juraska JM, Willing J. Pubertal onset as a critical transition for neural development and cognition. Brain Res 2016; 1654:87-94. [PMID: 27060769 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence, broadly defined as the period between childhood and adulthood, is characterized by a variety of neuroanatomical and behavioral changes. In human adolescents, the cerebral cortex, especially the prefrontal cortex, decreases in size while the cortical white matter increases. Puberty appears to be an important factor in both of these changes. However, the white matter continues to grow beyond what is thought to be adolescence, while the gray matter of the cortex stabilizes by young adulthood. The size changes that are the manifestation of cortical reorganization during human adolescence are also seen in cellular reorganization in the rat cortex. The prefrontal cortex loses neurons, dendrites and synapses while myelination in the white matter continues to increase. All of this reorganization is more marked in female rats, and there is evidence both from pubertal timing and from removal of the ovaries that puberty plays an important role in initiating these changes in females. The maturation of behavioral functions of the prefrontal cortex, such as inhibitory control, occurs in both humans and rats across adolescence. There is also evidence for puberty as a major factor in decreasing perseveration in rats, but few studies have been done using pubertal status as an experimental variable, and the role of the gonadal steroids in modulating behavior throughout life makes clear effects more difficult to document. In all, puberty appears to be so essential to the changes occurring during adolescence that it should be recorded when possible, especially given the sex difference in pubertal timing. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Adolescent plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janice M Juraska
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program University of Illinois, 603 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
| | - Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program University of Illinois, 603 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Crone EA, van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Peper JS. Annual Research Review: Neural contributions to risk-taking in adolescence--developmental changes and individual differences. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:353-68. [PMID: 26889896 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk-taking, which involves voluntary choices for behaviors where outcomes remain uncertain, undergoes considerable developmental changes during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. In addition, risk-taking is thought to be a key element of many externalizing disorders, such as ADHD, delinquency, conduct disorder, and substance abuse. In this review, we will discuss the potential adaptive and nonadaptive properties of risk-taking in childhood and adolescence. FINDINGS We propose that the changes in brain architecture and function are a crucial element underlying these developmental trajectories. We first identify how subcortical and cortical interactions are important for understanding risk-taking behavior in adults. Next, we show how developmental changes in this network underlie changes in risk-taking behavior. Finally, we explore how these differences can be important for understanding externalizing behavioral disorders in childhood and adolescence. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that longitudinal studies are of crucial importance for understanding these developmental trajectories, and many of these studies are currently underway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Weir RK, Forghany R, Smith SE, Patterson PH, McAllister AK, Schumann CM, Bauman MD. Preliminary evidence of neuropathology in nonhuman primates prenatally exposed to maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 48:139-46. [PMID: 25816799 PMCID: PMC5671487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. Rodent models have played a critical role in establishing maternal immune activation (MIA) as a causal factor for altered brain and behavioral development in offspring. We recently extended these findings to a species more closely related to humans by demonstrating that rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) prenatally exposed to MIA also develop abnormal behaviors. Here, for the first time, we present initial evidence of underlying brain pathology in this novel nonhuman primate MIA model. Pregnant rhesus monkeys were injected with a modified form of the viral mimic polyI:C (poly ICLC) or saline at the end of the first trimester. Brain tissue was collected from the offspring at 3.5 years and blocks of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA46) were used to analyze neuronal dendritic morphology and spine density using the Golgi-Cox impregnation method. For each case, 10 layer III pyramidal cells were traced in their entirety, including all apical, oblique and basal dendrites, and their spines. We further analyzed somal size and apical dendrite trunk morphology in 30 cells per case over a 30 μm section located 100±10 μm from the soma. Compared to controls, apical dendrites of MIA-treated offspring were smaller in diameter and exhibited a greater number of oblique dendrites. These data provide the first evidence that prenatal exposure to MIA alters dendritic morphology in a nonhuman primate MIA model, which may have profound implications for revealing the underlying neuropathology of neurodevelopmental disorders related to maternal infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth K. Weir
- The Department of Psychiatry and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, 95817, USA,Corresponding author (for editorial process), Ruth Weir Ph.D. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA ; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. 916-703-0341
| | - Reihaneh Forghany
- The Department of Psychiatry and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Stephen E.P. Smith
- Dept. of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | | | - Cynthia M. Schumann
- The Department of Psychiatry and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- The Department of Psychiatry and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, 95817, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Habib P, Beyer C. Regulation of brain microglia by female gonadal steroids. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 146:3-14. [PMID: 24607811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microglial cells are the primary mediators of the CNS immune defense system and crucial for shaping inflammatory responses. They represent a highly dynamic cell population which is constantly moving and surveying their environment. Acute brain damage causes a local attraction and activation of this immune cell type which involves neuron-to-glia and glia-to-glia interactions. The prevailing view attributes microglia a "negative" role such as defense and debris elimination. More topical studies also suggest a protective and "positive" regulatory function. Estrogens and progestins exert anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in the CNS in acute and chronic brain diseases. Recent work revealed that microglial cells express subsets of classical and non-classical estrogen and progesterone receptors in a highly dynamic way. In this review article, we would like to stress the importance of microglia for the spreading of neural damage during hypoxia, their susceptibility to functional modulation by sex steroids, the potency of sex hormones to switch microglia from a pro-inflammatory M1 to neuroprotective M2 phenotype, and the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory properties including the inflammasome. We will further discuss the possibility that the neuroprotective action of sex steroids in the brain involves an early and direct modulation of local microglia cell function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Sex steroids and brain disorders'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pardes Habib
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Cordian Beyer
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sex differences on prefrontally-dependent cognitive tasks. Brain Cogn 2015; 93:42-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
45
|
Atwi S, McMahon D, Scharfman H, MacLusky NJ. Androgen Modulation of Hippocampal Structure and Function. Neuroscientist 2014; 22:46-60. [PMID: 25416742 DOI: 10.1177/1073858414558065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Androgens have profound effects on hippocampal structure and function, including induction of spines and spine synapses on the dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons, as well as alterations in long-term synaptic plasticity (LTP) and hippocampally dependent cognitive behaviors. How these effects occur remains largely unknown. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that one of the key elements in the response mechanism may be modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the mossy fiber (MF) system. In male rats, orchidectomy increases synaptic transmission and excitability in the MF pathway. Testosterone reverses these effects, suggesting that testosterone exerts tonic suppression on MF BDNF levels. These findings suggest that changes in hippocampal function resulting from declining androgen levels may reflect the outcome of responses mediated through normally balanced, but opposing, mechanisms: loss of androgen effects on the hippocampal circuitry may be compensated, at least in part, by an increase in BDNF-dependent MF plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Atwi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dallan McMahon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Helen Scharfman
- The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Physiology & Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neil J MacLusky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zubiaurre-Elorza L, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E, Guillamon A. Effects of Cross-Sex Hormone Treatment on Cortical Thickness in Transsexual Individuals. J Sex Med 2014; 11:1248-61. [DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
47
|
Does risk-taking mediate the relationship between testosterone and decision-making on the Iowa Gambling Task? PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
48
|
Ghandour S, Voskuhl R, Schumacher M. The androgen receptor as a therapeutic target for myelin repair in demyelinating diseases. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2014; 9:5-7. [PMID: 30743734 DOI: 10.1586/17446651.2014.861740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Steroid hormones exert major influences on the development and functioning of the nervous system, extending well beyond their reproductive effects. There is now also strong experimental evidence for an important role of these hormones in myelin formation. The recent finding that testosterone, via the intracellular androgen receptor, promotes myelin repair, may inspire neurobiologists to take a closer look at this hormone. It also opens new therapeutic opportunities for androgen receptor ligands in the treatment of myelin disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Said Ghandour
- c Biopathology of Myelin, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies, INSERM U 1199, University of Strasbourg, France
| | - Rhonda Voskuhl
- a University of California, Jack Skirball Chair in MS Research, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael Schumacher
- b Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration: Neuroactive Small Molecules, UMR 788 Inserm and University Paris-Sud, France, 94276 Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Panizzon MS, Hauger R, Xian H, Vuoksimaa E, Spoon KM, Mendoza SP, Jacobson KC, Vasilopoulos T, Rana BK, McKenzie R, McCaffery JM, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS, Franz CE. Interaction of APOE genotype and testosterone on episodic memory in middle-aged men. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 35:1778.e1-8. [PMID: 24444806 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Age-related changes in testosterone are believed to be a key component of the processes that contribute to cognitive aging in men. The APOE-ε4 allele may interact with testosterone and moderate the hormone's association with cognition. The goals of the present study were to examine the degree to which free testosterone is associated with episodic memory in a community-based sample of middle-aged men, and examine the potential interaction between free testosterone and the APOE-ε4 allele. Data were used from 717 participants in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Average age was 55.4 years (standard deviation = 2.5). Significant positive associations were observed between free testosterone level and verbal episodic memory, as well as a significant interaction between free testosterone and APOE-ε4 status. In ε4 carriers free testosterone was positively associated with verbal episodic memory performance (story recall), whereas no association was observed in ε4 noncarriers. Results support the hypothesis that APOE-ε4 status increases susceptibility to other risk factors, such as low testosterone, which may ultimately contribute to cognitive decline or dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Richard Hauger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, CA, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, St. Louis, MO, USA; Research Service, St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, MO
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kelly M Spoon
- Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sally P Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Brinda K Rana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ruth McKenzie
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeanne M McCaffery
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Miriam Hospital and Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, CA, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Peper JS, Koolschijn PCMP, Crone EA. Development of Risk Taking: Contributions from Adolescent Testosterone and the Orbito-frontal Cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 25:2141-50. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The role of puberty in the development of risk taking remains poorly understood. Here, in a normative sample of 268 participants between 8 and 25 years old, we applied a psycho-endocrine neuroimaging approach to investigate the contribution of testosterone levels and OFC morphology to individual differences in risk taking. Risk taking was measured with the balloon analogue risk-taking task. We found that, corrected for age, higher endogenous testosterone level was related to increased risk taking in boys (more explosions) and girls (more money earned). In addition, a smaller medial OFC volume in boys and larger OFC surface area in girls related to more risk taking. A mediation analysis indicated that OFC morphology partly mediates the association between testosterone level and risk taking, independent of age. Mediation was found in such a way that a smaller medial OFC in boys potentiates the association between testosterone and risk taking but suppresses the association in girls. This study provides insights into endocrinological and neural underpinnings of normative development of risk taking, by indicating that OFC morphology, at least partly, mediates the association between testosterone and risk-taking behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiska S. Peper
- 1Leiden University, The Netherlands
- 2Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - P. Cédric M. P. Koolschijn
- 1Leiden University, The Netherlands
- 2Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
- 3University of Amsterdam
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- 1Leiden University, The Netherlands
- 2Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
- 3University of Amsterdam
| |
Collapse
|