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Quintana DS, Glaser BD, Kang H, Kildal ESM, Audunsdottir K, Sartorius AM, Barth C. The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105765. [PMID: 38885888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research has uncovered that oxytocin has a much wider range of roles in physiology and behavior. Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications of intranasally administered oxytocin, the results of these intervention studies have been inconsistent. Various reasons for these mixed results have been proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While methodological issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests that the interaction between oxytocin and sex hormones may also account for these varied findings. To better understand the purpose and function of the interaction of oxytocin with sex hormones, with a focus on estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone, we conducted a comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, and survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights the critical function of sex hormone activity for accomplishing the diverse roles of oxytocin via the modulation of oxytocin release and oxytocin receptor activity, which is also likely to contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes after oxytocin administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Bernt D Glaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Heemin Kang
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emilie S M Kildal
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin Audunsdottir
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Claudia Barth
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Gaižauskaitė R, Gladutytė L, Zelionkaitė I, Čėsnaitė E, Busch NA, Grikšienė R. The search for the relationship between female hormonal status, alpha oscillations, and aperiodic features of resting state EEG. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 198:112312. [PMID: 38336163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fluctuations in sex steroid levels during the menstrual cycle and the use of hormonal contraceptives have been linked to changes in cognitive function and emotions in females. Such variations may be mediated by overall brain activity and excitability. We aimed to investigate the impact of female hormonal status on resting state EEG (rsEEG) parameters, including periodic (individual alpha frequency, alpha power) and aperiodic (1/f slope) features. rsEEG was recorded in healthy females (mean age 26.4 ± 4.6 years), who were naturally cycling in the early follicular (n = 33) or mid-luteal phases (n = 35), or who used either oral contraceptives (n = 35) or hormonal intrauterine devices (n = 28). Salivary concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were measured. Contrary to previous findings, this study did not reveal significant differences in rsEEG parameters between groups or significant relationships with hormonal levels. Age emerged as a covariate negatively related to the median 1/f slope. Based on these findings, we found no significant evidence to suggest that the periodic (alpha power and peak frequency) or aperiodic activity patterns in the brain during the resting state differ between the groups of females under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimantė Gaižauskaitė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Lina Gladutytė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ingrida Zelionkaitė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Elena Čėsnaitė
- Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Niko A Busch
- Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ramunė Grikšienė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Dou L, Sun S, Chen L, Lv L, Chen C, Huang Z, Zhang A, He H, Tao H, Yu M, Zhu M, Zhang C, Hao J. The association between prenatal bisphenol F exposure and infant neurodevelopment: The mediating role of placental estradiol. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:116009. [PMID: 38277971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are limited population studies on the neurodevelopmental effects of bisphenol F (BPF), a substitute for bisphenol A. Furthermore, the role of placental estradiol as a potential mediator linking these two factors remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between maternal prenatal BPF exposure and infant neurodevelopment in a prospective cohort study and to explore the mediating effects of placental estradiol between BPF exposure and neurodevelopment in a nested case-control study. METHODS The prospective cohort study included 1077 mother-neonate pairs from the Wuhu city cohort study in China. Maternal BPF was determined using the liquid/liquid extraction and Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Children's neurodevelopment was assessed at ages 3, 6, and 12 months using Ages and Stages Questionnaires. The nested case-control study included 150 neurodevelopmental delay cases and 150 healthy controls. Placental estradiol levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Generalized estimating equation models and robust Poisson regression models were used to examine the associations between BPF exposure and children's neurodevelopment. In the nested case-control study, causal mediation analysis was conducted to assess the role of placental estradiol as a mediator in multivariate models. RESULTS In the prospective cohort study, the pregnancy-average BPF concentration was positively associated with developmental delays in gross-motor, fine-motor, and problem-solving ( ORtotal ASQ: 1.14(1.05, 1.25), ORgross-motor: 1.22(1.10, 1.36), ORfine-motor: 1.19(1.07, 1.31), ORproblem-solving: 1.11(1.01, 1.23)). After sex-stratified analyses, pregnancy-average BPF concentration was associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays in the gross-motor (ORgross-motor:1.30(1.12, 1.51)) and fine-motor (ORfine-motor: 1.22(1.06, 1.40)) domains in boys. In the nested case-control study, placental estradiol mediated 16.6% (95%CI: 4.4%, 35.0%) of the effects of prenatal BPF exposure on developmental delay. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports an inverse relationship between prenatal BPF exposure and child neurodevelopment in infancy, particularly in boys. Decreased placental estradiol may be an underlying biological pathway linking prenatal BPF exposure to neurodevelopmental delay in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianjie Dou
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Shu Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Lan Chen
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Lanxing Lv
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhaohui Huang
- Anhui Provincial Center for Women and Children's Health, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Anhui Zhang
- Wuhu Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Haiyan He
- Wuhu Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Hong Tao
- Wuhu Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Min Yu
- Wuhu Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Min Zhu
- Wuhu Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University),Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
| | - Jiahu Hao
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University),Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
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Prokai-Tatrai K, Prokai L. The impact of 17β-estradiol on the estrogen-deficient female brain: from mechanisms to therapy with hot flushes as target symptoms. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1310432. [PMID: 38260155 PMCID: PMC10800853 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1310432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex steroids are essential for whole body development and functions. Among these steroids, 17β-estradiol (E2) has been known as the principal "female" hormone. However, E2's actions are not restricted to reproduction, as it plays a myriad of important roles throughout the body including the brain. In fact, this hormone also has profound effects on the female brain throughout the life span. The brain receives this gonadal hormone from the circulation, and local formation of E2 from testosterone via aromatase has been shown. Therefore, the brain appears to be not only a target but also a producer of this steroid. The beneficial broad actions of the hormone in the brain are the end result of well-orchestrated delayed genomic and rapid non-genomic responses. A drastic and steady decline in circulating E2 in a female occurs naturally over an extended period of time starting with the perimenopausal transition, as ovarian functions are gradually declining until the complete cessation of the menstrual cycle. The waning of endogenous E2 in the blood leads to an estrogen-deficient brain. This adversely impacts neural and behavioral functions and may lead to a constellation of maladies such as vasomotor symptoms with varying severity among women and, also, over time within an individual. Vasomotor symptoms triggered apparently by estrogen deficiency are related to abnormal changes in the hypothalamus particularly involving its preoptic and anterior areas. However, conventional hormone therapies to "re-estrogenize" the brain carry risks due to multiple confounding factors including unwanted hormonal exposure of the periphery. In this review, we focus on hot flushes as the archetypic manifestation of estrogen deprivation in the brain. Beyond our current mechanistic understanding of the symptoms, we highlight the arduous process and various obstacles of developing effective and safe therapies for hot flushes using E2. We discuss our preclinical efforts to constrain E2's beneficial actions to the brain by the DHED prodrug our laboratory developed to treat maladies associated with the hypoestrogenic brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Prokai-Tatrai
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
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5
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Sivcev S, Kudova E, Zemkova H. Neurosteroids as positive and negative allosteric modulators of ligand-gated ion channels: P2X receptor perspective. Neuropharmacology 2023; 234:109542. [PMID: 37040816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Neurosteroids are steroids synthesized de novo in the brain from cholesterol in an independent manner from peripheral steroid sources. The term "neuroactive steroid" includes all steroids independent of their origin, and newly synthesized analogs of neurosteroids that modify neuronal activities. In vivo application of neuroactive steroids induces potent anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, sedative, analgesic and amnesic effects, mainly through interaction with the γ-aminobutyric acid type-A receptor (GABAAR). However, neuroactive steroids also act as positive or negative allosteric regulators on several ligand-gated channels including N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and ATP-gated purinergic P2X receptors. Seven different P2X subunits (P2X1-7) can assemble to form homotrimeric or heterotrimeric ion channels permeable for monovalent cations and calcium. Among them, P2X2, P2X4, and P2X7 are the most abundant within the brain and can be regulated by neurosteroids. Transmembrane domains are necessary for neurosteroid binding, however, no generic motif of amino acids can accurately predict the neurosteroid binding site for any of the ligand-gated ion channels including P2X. Here, we will review what is currently known about the modulation of rat and human P2X by neuroactive steroids and the possible structural determinants underlying neurosteroid-induced potentiation and inhibition of the P2X2 and P2X4 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Sivcev
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kudova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Zemkova
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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6
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Bölte S, Neufeld J, Marschik PB, Williams ZJ, Gallagher L, Lai MC. Sex and gender in neurodevelopmental conditions. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:136-159. [PMID: 36747038 PMCID: PMC10154737 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Health-related conditions often differ qualitatively or quantitatively between individuals of different birth-assigned sexes and gender identities, and/or with different gendered experiences, requiring tailored care. Studying the moderating and mediating effects of sex-related and gender-related factors on impairment, disability, wellbeing and health is of paramount importance especially for neurodivergent individuals, who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions with uneven sex/gender distributions. Researchers have become aware of the myriad influences that sex-related and gender-related variables have on the manifestations of neurodevelopmental conditions, and contemporary work has begun to investigate the mechanisms through which these effects are mediated. Here we describe topical concepts of sex and gender science, summarize current knowledge, and discuss research and clinical challenges related to autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other neurodevelopmental conditions. We consider sex and gender in the context of epidemiology, behavioural phenotypes, neurobiology, genetics, endocrinology and neighbouring disciplines. The available evidence supports the view that sex and gender are important contributors to the biological and behavioural variability in neurodevelopmental conditions. Methodological caveats such as frequent conflation of sex and gender constructs, inappropriate measurement of these constructs and under-representation of specific demographic groups (for example, female and gender minority individuals and people with intellectual disabilities) limit the translational potential of research so far. Future research and clinical implementation should integrate sex and gender into next-generation diagnostics, mechanistic investigations and support practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Janina Neufeld
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter B Marschik
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen and Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Division of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, and Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, and Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
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7
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Song JY, Patton CD, Friedman R, Mahajan LS, Nordlicht R, Sayed R, Lipton ML. Hormonal contraceptives and the brain: A systematic review on 60 years of neuroimaging, EEG, and biochemical studies in humans and animals. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 68:101051. [PMID: 36577486 PMCID: PMC9898167 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Hormonal contraception has been widely prescribed for decades. Although safety and efficacy are well-established, much uncertainty remains regarding brain effects of hormonal contraception. We systematically review human and animal studies on the brain effects of hormonal contraception which employed neuroimaging techniques such as MRI, PET and EEG, as well as animal studies which reported on neurotransmitter and other brain biochemical effects. We screened 1001 articles and ultimately extracted data from 70, comprising 51 human and 19 animal studies. Of note, there were no animal studies which employed structural or functional MRI, MRS or PET. In summary, our review shows hormonal contraceptive associations with changes in the brain have been documented. Many questions remain and more studies are needed to describe the effects of hormonal contraception on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Y Song
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; The Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Renee Friedman
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Lakshmi S Mahajan
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Nordlicht
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rahman Sayed
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael L Lipton
- The Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; The Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.
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8
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Overman MJ, Pendleton N, O'Neill TW, Bartfai G, Casanueva FF, Forti G, Rastrelli G, Giwercman A, Han TS, Huhtaniemi IT, Slowikowska-Hilczer J, Lean ME, Punab M, Lee DM, Antonio L, Gielen E, Rutter MK, Vanderschueren D, Wu FC, Tournoy J. Reproductive hormone levels, androgen receptor CAG repeat length and their longitudinal relationships with decline in cognitive subdomains in men: The European Male Ageing Study. Physiol Behav 2022; 252:113825. [PMID: 35487276 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It has been proposed that endogenous sex hormone levels may present a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. However, the evidence for effects of sex steroids on cognitive ageing is conflicting. We therefore investigated associations between endogenous hormone levels, androgen receptor CAG repeat length, and cognitive domains including visuoconstructional abilities, visual memory, and processing speed in a large-scale longitudinal study of middle-aged and older men. METHODS Men aged 40-79 years from the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) underwent cognitive assessments and measurements of hormone levels at baseline and follow-up (mean = 4.4 years, SD ± 0.3 years). Hormone levels measured included total and calculated free testosterone and estradiol, dihydrotestosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and sex hormone-binding globulin. Cognitive function was assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Copy and Recall, the Camden Topographical Recognition Memory and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test. Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine associations between baseline and change hormone levels, androgen receptor CAG repeat length, and cognitive decline. RESULTS Statistical analyses included 1,827 and 1,423 participants for models investigating relationships of cognition with hormone levels and CAG repeat length, respectively. In age-adjusted models, we found a significant association of higher baseline free testosterone (β=-0.001, p=0.005) and dihydrotestosterone levels (β=-0.065, p=0.003) with greater decline on Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Recall over time. However, these effects were no longer significant following adjustment for centre, health, and lifestyle factors. No relationships were observed between any other baseline hormone levels, change in hormone levels, or androgen receptor CAG repeat length with cognitive decline in the measured domains. CONCLUSIONS In this large-scale prospective study there was no evidence for an association between endogenous sex hormone levels or CAG repeat length and cognitive ageing in men. These data suggest that sex steroid levels do not affect visuospatial function, visual memory, or processing speed in middle-aged and older men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot J Overman
- Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Neil Pendleton
- Clinical & Cognitive Neurosciences, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, UK
| | - Terence W O'Neill
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Gyorgy Bartfai
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology, Albert Szent-György Medical University, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Felipe F Casanueva
- Department of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela University Spain; CIBEROBN Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Gianni Forti
- Endocrinology Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Rastrelli
- Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit, Department of Experimental, Clinical, and Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Aleksander Giwercman
- Reproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
| | - Thang S Han
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
| | - Ilpo T Huhtaniemi
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London UK
| | | | - Michael Ej Lean
- Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Margus Punab
- Andrology Unit, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - David M Lee
- Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Leen Antonio
- Department of Andrology and Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Gielen
- Geriatric Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Martin K Rutter
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Dirk Vanderschueren
- Department of Andrology and Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederick Cw Wu
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jos Tournoy
- Geriatric Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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9
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White SF, Estrada Gonzalez SM, Moriarty EM. Raging Hormones: Why Age-Based Etiological Conceptualizations of the Development of Antisocial Behavior Are Insufficient. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:853697. [PMID: 35493950 PMCID: PMC9041342 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.853697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental science, particularly developmental neuroscience, has substantially influenced the modern legal system. However, this science has typically failed to consider the role of puberty and pubertal hormones on development when considering antisocial behavior. This review describes major theoretical positions on the developmental neuroscience of antisocial behavior and highlights where basic developmental neuroscience suggests that the role of puberty and pubertal hormones should be considered. The implications of the current state of the science with respect to developmental neuroscience is considered, particularly what is known in light of development beyond puberty. This review shows that development continues to an older age for many youth than the legal system typically acknowledges. The plasticity of the brain that this continued development implies has implications for the outcome of interventions in the legal system in ways that have not been explored. Future directions for both developmental scientists and legal professions are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart F. White
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
- *Correspondence: Stuart F. White,
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10
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Aspesi D, Choleris E. Neuroendocrine underpinning of social recognition in males and females. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13070. [PMID: 34927288 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Social recognition is an essential skill for the expression of appropriate behaviors towards conspecifics in most social species. Several studies point to oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) as key mediators of social recognition in males and females. However, sex differences in social cognitive behaviors highlight an important interplay between OT, AVP and the sex steroids. Estrogens facilitate social recognition by regulating OT action in the hypothalamus and that of OT receptor in the medial amygdala. The role of OT in these brain regions appears to be essential for social recognition in both males and females. Conversely, social recognition in male rats and mice is more dependent on AVP release in the lateral septum than in females. The AVP system comprises a series of highly sexually dimorphic brain nuclei, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the amygdala and the lateral septum. Various studies suggest that testosterone and its metabolites, including estradiol, influence social recognition in males by modulating the activity of the AVP at V1a receptor. Intriguingly, both estrogens and androgens can affect social recognition very rapidly, through non-genomic mechanisms. In addition, the androgen metabolites, namely 3α-diol and 3β-diol, may also have an impact on social behaviors either by interacting with the estrogen receptors or through other mechanisms. Overall, the regulation of OT and AVP by sex steroids fine tunes social recognition and the behaviors that depend upon it (e.g., social bond, hierarchical organization, aggression) in a sex-dependent manner. Elucidating the sex-dependent interaction between sex steroids and neuroendocrine systems is essential for understanding sex differences in the normal and abnormal expression of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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11
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Delvecchio G, Maggioni E, Pigoni A, Crespo-Facorro B, Nenadić I, Benedetti F, Gaser C, Sauer H, Roiz-Santiañez R, Poletti S, Rossetti MG, Bellani M, Perlini C, Ruggeri M, Diwadkar VA, Brambilla P. Sexual Regional Dimorphism of Post-Adolescent and Middle Age Brain Maturation. A Multi-center 3T MRI Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:622054. [PMID: 33613268 PMCID: PMC7892767 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.622054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-related differences are tied into neurodevelopmental and lifespan processes, beginning early in the perinatal and developmental phases and continue into adulthood. The present study was designed to investigate sexual dimorphism of changes in gray matter (GM) volume in post-adolescence, with a focus on early and middle-adulthood using a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset of healthy controls from the European Network on Psychosis, Affective disorders and Cognitive Trajectory (ENPACT). Three hundred and seventy three subjects underwent a 3.0 T MRI session across four European Centers. Age by sex effects on GM volumes were investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and the Automated Anatomical Labeling atlas regions (ROI). Females and males showed overlapping and non-overlapping patterns of GM volume changes during aging. Overlapping age-related changes emerged in bilateral frontal and temporal cortices, insula and thalamus. Both VBM and ROI analyses revealed non-overlapping changes in multiple regions, including cerebellum and vermis, bilateral mid frontal, mid occipital cortices, left inferior temporal and precentral gyri. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for sex differences in cross-sectional analyses, not only in the study of normative changes, but particularly in the context of psychiatric and neurologic disorders, wherein sex effects may be confounded with disease-related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pigoni
- MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - B Crespo-Facorro
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío, IBiS, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital - UKGM, Marburg, Germany
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Division of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Roberto Roiz-Santiañez
- CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria-IDIVAL, Santander, Spain
| | - Sara Poletti
- Division of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria G Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Perlini
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mirella Ruggeri
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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12
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Brain functional changes in perimenopausal women: an amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:384-390. [PMID: 33438891 PMCID: PMC8284389 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000001720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effects of sex hormones on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in brain regions related to cognition in perimenopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 25 perimenopausal women and 25 premenopausal women who underwent behavioral evaluations, sex hormone level measurements, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). All data and ALFF analyses were preprocessed using the Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI. Statistical analyses were performed using the Resting-State fMRI Data Analysis Toolkit to explore the differences in ALFF between perimenopausal and premenopausal women. The gray matter volume (GMV) values extracted from brain regions (regions of interest) with significantly different ALFF values between the perimenopausal and premenopausal groups were compared. We analyzed the correlations of the ALFF and GMV values of these regions of interest with the results of behavioral evaluations and sex hormone levels in the two groups. Results: Compared with the premenopausal group, the perimenopausal group showed significant ALFF increase in the left gyrus rectus. Regions with decreased ALFF in the perimenopausal group included the left superior temporal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, and left insula. The GMV values of the left gyrus rectus and left superior temporal gyrus were reduced in perimenopausal women. Furthermore, the estradiol level was negatively correlated with the ALFF value of the left gyrus rectus in perimenopausal women. Conclusions: The ALFF and GMV values of certain brain regions related to cognitive function were changed in perimenopausal women. Such functional brain alterations may provide more information regarding the mechanism of cognitive dysfunction in perimenopausal women.
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13
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Castelán F, Cuevas-Romero E, Martínez-Gómez M. The Expression of Hormone Receptors as a Gateway toward Understanding Endocrine Actions in Female Pelvic Floor Muscles. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2021; 20:305-320. [PMID: 32216732 DOI: 10.2174/1871530319666191009154751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To provide an overview of the hormone actions and receptors expressed in the female pelvic floor muscles, relevant for understanding the pelvic floor disorders. METHODS We performed a literature review focused on the expression of hormone receptors mainly in the pelvic floor muscles of women and female rats and rabbits. RESULTS The impairment of the pelvic floor muscles can lead to the onset of pelvic floor dysfunctions, including stress urinary incontinence in women. Hormone milieu is associated with the structure and function alterations of pelvic floor muscles, a notion supported by the fact that these muscles express different hormone receptors. Nuclear receptors, such as steroid receptors, are up till now the most investigated. The present review accounts for the limited studies conducted to elucidate the expression of hormone receptors in pelvic floor muscles in females. CONCLUSION Hormone receptor expression is the cornerstone in some hormone-based therapies, which require further detailed studies on the distribution of receptors in particular pelvic floor muscles, as well as their association with muscle effectors, involved in the alterations relevant for understanding pelvic floor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Castelán
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Biomedical Research Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.,Tlaxcala Center for Behavioral Biology, Autonomous University of Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Estela Cuevas-Romero
- Tlaxcala Center for Behavioral Biology, Autonomous University of Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Biomedical Research Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.,Tlaxcala Center for Behavioral Biology, Autonomous University of Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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14
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Yousefzadeh F, Pirzad Jahromi G, Mokari Manshadi E, Hatef B. The Effect of Prostration (Sajdah) on the Prefrontal Brain Activity: A Pilot Study. Basic Clin Neurosci 2019; 10:257-268. [PMID: 31462980 PMCID: PMC6712630 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.9.10.195] [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: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction "Sajdah", a prostration position, is part of Muslim daily prayers. It seems to have several effects on the brain and heart function. This study aimed to investigate the prefrontal brain activity after 10 seconds of Sajdah in the direction of Qibla (the direction that a Muslim prays) while putting the forehead on the ground. Methods Three women and two men participated in this pilot study. Linear (absolute and relative power of θ (4-8Hz), α 1 (8-10 Hz), α 2 (10-12 Hz), β 1 (12-16 Hz), β 2 (16-20 Hz), β 3 (20-30 Hz), γ 1 (30-40 Hz), γ 2 (40-50 Hz) and non-linear features (approximate entropy, Katz fractal dimension, Petrosian fractal dimension, spectral entropy, and sample entropy) from Fps channel were calculated. Results The relative β to γ band, approximate and sample entropy, Petrosian fractal dimension and mean of amplitude decreased in open eye state in women. While θ to γ bands in the closed eye state decreased after Sajdah in women. The absolute γ bands in closed eye state and relative β band in open eye state increased after Sajdah in men. Conclusion The pilot study showed that 10 seconds of Sajdah has effects on brain activity and sometimes showed the opposite effect on genders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gila Pirzad Jahromi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Mokari Manshadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Boshra Hatef
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Moradi F, Jahanian Sadatmahalleh S, Ziaei S. The effect of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function in postmenopausal women: An RCT. Int J Reprod Biomed 2019; 16. [PMID: 31417982 PMCID: PMC6600282 DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v16i12.3682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During the reproductive age, the human brain becomes a target for gonadal steroid hormones. Estrogens influence neural function through effects on neurons and affects indirectly the oxidative stress, inflammation, the cerebral vascular and the immune system. Objective To evaluate the effect of the traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods In this randomized clinical trial, 140 postmenopausal women, from November 2014 to February 2015, were included. Women were randomly divided into two groups. Each woman in the case group took traditional HRT (0.625mg conjugated equine estrogens+2.5mg medroxyprogesterone acetate daily) plus one Cal+D tablet (500 mg calcium+200 IU vitamin D) daily for four months. Women in the control group received only one Cal+D tablet (500 mg calcium+200 IU vitamin D) daily for four months period. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Green Climacteric Scale (GCS) questionnaires filled out after the intervention and compared between the two groups. Results The mean points of the MoCA after the intervention indicate that all MoCA domains except for the orientation improved in the case group. There was a significant difference in the memory domain after the treatment between the two groups. MoCA domains and GCS were negatively correlated after the intervention (r=-0.235,p=0.006). Conclusion The HRT has affected some of the MoCA factors. The effects of HRT on cognitive function should be studied in a large prospective study in a group of women in their early and late menopausal ages with periodic assessment of their cognitive function during these follow-up years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Moradi
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Saeideh Ziaei
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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16
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Struik D, Sanna F, Fattore L. The Modulating Role of Sex and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Hormones in Cannabinoid Sensitivity. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:249. [PMID: 30416437 PMCID: PMC6212868 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide. Although its use is associated with multiple adverse health effects, including the risk of developing addiction, recreational and medical cannabis use is being increasing legalized. In addition, use of synthetic cannabinoid drugs is gaining considerable popularity and is associated with mass poisonings and occasional deaths. Delineating factors involved in cannabis use and addiction therefore becomes increasingly important. Similarly to other drugs of abuse, the prevalence of cannabis use and addiction differs remarkably between males and females, suggesting that sex plays a role in regulating cannabinoid sensitivity. Although it remains unclear how sex may affect the initiation and maintenance of cannabis use in humans, animal studies strongly suggest that endogenous sex hormones modulate cannabinoid sensitivity. In addition, synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroids alter substance use and further support the importance of sex steroids in controlling drug sensitivity. The recent discovery that pregnenolone, the precursor of all steroid hormones, controls cannabinoid receptor activation corroborates the link between steroid hormones and the endocannabinoid system. This article reviews the literature regarding the influence of endogenous and synthetic steroid hormones on the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dicky Struik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari - Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari - Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Liana Fattore
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience-Cagliari, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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17
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Kirshner ZZ, Gibbs RB. Use of the REVERT ® total protein stain as a loading control demonstrates significant benefits over the use of housekeeping proteins when analyzing brain homogenates by Western blot: An analysis of samples representing different gonadal hormone states. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 473:156-165. [PMID: 29396126 PMCID: PMC6045444 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Western blot is routinely used to quantify differences in the levels of target proteins in tissues. Standard methods typically use measurements of housekeeping proteins to control for variations in loading and protein transfer. This is problematic, however, when housekeeping proteins also are affected by experimental conditions such as injury, disease, and/or gonadal hormone manipulations. Our goal was to evaluate an alternative and perhaps superior method for conducting Western blot analysis of brain tissue homogenates from rats with distinct physiologically relevant gonadal hormone states. Tissues were collected from the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and striatum of young adult female rats that either were ovariectomized to model surgical menopause, or were treated with the ovatotoxin 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) to model transitional menopause. Tissues also were collected from rats with a normal estrous cycle killed at proestrus when estradiol levels are high, and at diestrus when estradiol levels are low. Western blot detection of α-tubulin, β-actin, and GAPDH was performed and were compared for sensitivity and reliability with a fluorescent total protein stain (REVERT®). Results show that the total protein stain was much less variable across samples and had a greater linear range than α-tubulin, β-actin, or GAPDH. The stain was stable and easy to use, and did not interfere with the immunodetection or multiplexed detection of the housekeeping proteins. In addition, we show that normalization of our data to total protein, but not to GAPDH, revealed significant differences in α-tubulin expression in the hippocampus as a function of treatment, and that gel-to-gel consistency in measuring differences between paired samples run on multiple gels was significantly better when data were normalized to total protein than when normalized to GAPDH. These results demonstrate that the REVERT® total protein stain can be used in Western blot analysis of brain tissue homogenates to control for variations in loading and protein transfer, and provides significant advantages over the use of housekeeping proteins for quantifying changes in the levels of multiple target proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Z Kirshner
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1004 Salk Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | - R B Gibbs
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1004 Salk Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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18
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Manoli DS, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulatory mechanisms underlying sex differences in brain development and psychiatric disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1420:26-45. [PMID: 29363776 PMCID: PMC5991992 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sexual differentiation of the mammalian nervous system requires the precise coordination of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in diverse cell types. Sex hormones act at multiple developmental time points to specify sex-typical differentiation during embryonic and early development and to coordinate subsequent responses to gonadal hormones later in life by establishing sex-typical patterns of epigenetic modifications across the genome. Thus, mutations associated with neuropsychiatric conditions may result in sexually dimorphic symptoms by acting on different neural substrates or chromatin landscapes in males and females. Finally, as stress hormone signaling may directly alter the molecular machinery that interacts with sex hormone receptors to regulate gene expression, the contribution of chronic stress to the pathogenesis or presentation of mental illness may be additionally different between the sexes. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system and consider some of the implications of these processes for sex differences in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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19
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Baker FC, Sattari N, de Zambotti M, Goldstone A, Alaynick WA, Mednick SC. Impact of sex steroids and reproductive stage on sleep-dependent memory consolidation in women. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 160:118-131. [PMID: 29574082 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Age and sex are two of the three major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (ApoE-e4 allele is the third), with women having a twofold greater risk for Alzheimer's disease after the age of 75 years. Sex differences have been shown across a wide range of cognitive skills in young and older adults, and evidence supports a role for sex steroids, especially estradiol, in protecting against the development of cognitive decline in women. Sleep may also be a protective factor against age-related cognitive decline, since specific electrophysiological sleep events (e.g. sleep spindle/slow oscillation coupling) are critical for offline memory consolidation. Furthermore, studies in young women have shown fluctuations in sleep events and sleep-dependent memory consolidation during different phases of the menstrual cycle that are associated with the levels of sex steroids. An under-appreciated possibility is that there may be an important interaction between these two protective factors (sex steroids and sleep) that may play a role in daily fluctuations in cognitive processing, in particular memory, across a woman's lifespan. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of sex steroid-dependent influences on sleep and cognition across the lifespan in women, with special emphasis on sleep-dependent memory processing. We further indicate gaps in knowledge that require further experimental examination in order to fully appreciate the complex and changing landscape of sex steroids and cognition. Lastly, we propose a series of testable predictions for how sex steroids impact sleep events and sleep-dependent cognition across the three major reproductive stages in women (reproductive years, menopause transition, and post-menopause).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona C Baker
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Negin Sattari
- UC Irvine, Department of Cognitive Sciences, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | | - Aimee Goldstone
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | | | - Sara C Mednick
- UC Irvine, Department of Cognitive Sciences, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Moraga‐Amaro R, van Waarde A, Doorduin J, de Vries EFJ. Sex steroid hormones and brain function: PET imaging as a tool for research. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12565. [PMID: 29237239 PMCID: PMC5838537 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones are major regulators of sexual characteristic among species. These hormones, however, are also produced in the brain. Steroidal hormone-mediated signalling via the corresponding hormone receptors can influence brain function at the cellular level and thus affect behaviour and higher brain functions. Altered steroid hormone signalling has been associated with psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Neurosteroids are also considered to have a neuroprotective effect in neurodegenerative diseases. So far, the role of steroid hormone receptors in physiological and pathological conditions has mainly been investigated post mortem on animal or human brain tissues. To study the dynamic interplay between sex steroids, their receptors, brain function and behaviour in psychiatric and neurological disorders in a longitudinal manner, however, non-invasive techniques are needed. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging tool that is used to quantitatively investigate a variety of physiological and biochemical parameters in vivo. PET uses radiotracers aimed at a specific target (eg, receptor, enzyme, transporter) to visualise the processes of interest. In this review, we discuss the current status of the use of PET imaging for studying sex steroid hormones in the brain. So far, PET has mainly been investigated as a tool to measure (changes in) sex hormone receptor expression in the brain, to measure a key enzyme in the steroid synthesis pathway (aromatase) and to evaluate the effects of hormonal treatment by imaging specific downstream processes in the brain. Although validated radiotracers for a number of targets are still warranted, PET can already be a useful technique for steroid hormone research and facilitate the translation of interesting findings in animal studies to clinical trials in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Moraga‐Amaro
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - A. van Waarde
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - J. Doorduin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - E. F. J. de Vries
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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