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Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
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Cadoret A, Dion-Albert L, Amrani S, Caron L, Théberge M, Turmel A, Lebel M, Menard C. Environmental conditions of recognition memory testing induce neurovascular changes in the hippocampus in a sex-specific manner in mice. Behav Brain Res 2023; 448:114443. [PMID: 37088405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Experiences are linked to emotions impacting memory consolidation and associated brain neuronal circuits. Posttraumatic stress disorder is an example of strong negative emotions affecting memory processes by flashbacks of past traumas. Stress-related memory deficits are also observed in major depressive disorder (MDD). We recently highlighted that sex-specific blood-brain barrier (BBB) alterations underlie stress responses in mice and human depression. However, little is known about the relationship between emotional valence, memory encoding and BBB gene expression. Here, we investigated the effects of novel object recognition (NOR) test, an experience considered of neutral emotional valence, on BBB properties in dorsal vs ventral hippocampus (HIPP) in the context of various environmental conditions (arena size, handling, age). The HIPP is a brain area central for learning and memory processes with the dorsal and ventral subregions being associated with working memory vs reference memory retrieval, respectively. Expression of genes related to BBB integrity are altered in line with learning and memory processes in a region- and sex-specific manner. We observed correlations between poor learning, anxiety, stress-induced corticosterone release and changes in BBB-associated gene expression. Comparison of BBB transcriptomes between sexes also revealed profound differences at baseline in both ventral and dorsal HIPP. Finally, we identified circulating vascular biomarkers, such as sE-selectin and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), altered following NOR exposure supporting that recognition memory formation has an impact on the neurovasculature. Although deemed as a neutral valence test, NOR experimental conditions can shift it toward a negative valence, impacting performance and highlighting the need to minimize anxiety when performing this commonly used test in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cadoret
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Laurence Dion-Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Sara Amrani
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Laurianne Caron
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Mathilde Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Audrey Turmel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada, G1E 1T2.
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Ling Y, Yuan S, Huang X, Tan S, Huang T, Xu A, Lyu J. The association of night shift work with the risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease: a longitudinal study of 245,570 UK Biobank participants. J Neurol 2023:10.1007/s00415-023-11672-8. [PMID: 37022480 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this research was to investigate a possible link between night shift work and the development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as determine the contribution of night shift work, genetic susceptibility to AD. METHODS This study was conducted using the UK Biobank database. 245,570 participants with a mean follow-up length of 13.1 years were included. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the link between night shift work and the development of all-cause dementia or AD. RESULTS We counted a total of 1248 participants with all-cause dementia. In the final multivariable adjusted model, the risk of dementia was highest in always night shift workers (HR 1.465, 95% CI 1.058-2.028, P = 0.022), followed by irregular shift workers (HR 1.197, 95% CI 1.026-1.396, P = 0.023). AD events were recorded in 474 participants during the follow-up period. After final multivariate adjustment of model, always night shift workers remained at the highest risk (HR 2.031, 95% CI 1.269-3.250, P = 0.003). Moreover, always night shift workers were associated with a higher risk of AD in both low, intermediate and high AD-GRS groups. CONCLUSIONS Always night shift work had a higher risk of developing all-cause dementia and AD. Irregular shift workers had a higher risk of developing all-cause dementia than no shift workers. Always night shift work had a higher AD risk, regardless of whether they had a high, intermediate or low AD-GRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitong Ling
- Department of Neurology, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiqi Yuan
- Department of Neurology, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaxuan Huang
- Department of Neurology, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanyuan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Clinical Research, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Anding Xu
- Department of Neurology, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jun Lyu
- Department of Clinical Research, Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatization, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Zhou L, Kong J, Li X, Ren Q. Sex differences in the effects of sleep disorders on cognitive dysfunction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 146:105067. [PMID: 36716906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is an essential physiological function that sustains human life. Sleep disorders involve problems with the quality, duration, and abnormal behaviour of sleep. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, followed by sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Sleep disorders often occur along with medical conditions or other mental health conditions. Of particular interest to researchers is the role of sleep disorders in cognitive dysfunction. Sleep disorder is a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction, yet the exact pathogenesis is still far from agreement. Little is known about how sex differences influence the changes in cognitive functions caused by sleep disorders. This narrative review examines how sleep disorders might affect cognitive impairment, and then explores the sex-specific consequences of sleep disorders as a risk factor for dementia and the potential underlying mechanisms. Some insights on the direction of further research are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lv Zhou
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jingting Kong
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qingguo Ren
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Sánchez-Lafuente CL, Romay-Tallon R, Allen J, Johnston JN, Kalynchuk LE, Caruncho HJ. Sex differences in basal reelin levels in the paraventricular hypothalamus and in response to chronic stress induced by repeated corticosterone in rats. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105267. [PMID: 36274499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone results in depressive-like behaviours paralleled by the downregulation of hippocampal reelin expression. Reelin is expressed in key neural populations involved in the stress response, but whether its hypothalamic expression is sex-specific or involved in sex-specific vulnerability to stress is unknown. Female and male rats were treated with either daily vehicle or corticosterone injections (40 mg/kg) for 21 days. Thereafter, they were subjected to several behavioural tasks before being sacrificed to allow the analysis of reelin expression in hypothalamic nuclei. The basal density of reelin-positive cells in males was significantly higher in the paraventricular nucleus (19 %) and in the medial preoptic area (51 %) compared to females. Chronic corticosterone injections increased the immobility time in the forced swim test in males (107 %) and females (108 %) and decreased the exploration of the elevated plus maze in males (34 %). Corticosterone also caused a significant decrease in the density of reelin-positive cells in males, in both ventrodorsal (37 %) and ventrolateral (32 %) subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus, while not affecting females. Moreover, in the paraventricular nucleus of males, 30 % of the basal reelin-positive cells co-expressed oxytocin while only 17.5 % did in females, showing a positive correlation between reelin and oxytocin levels. Chronic corticosterone did not significantly affect co-localization levels. For the first time, this study shows that there is a sexually dimorphic subpopulation of reelin-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus that can be differentially affected by chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Josh Allen
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Jenessa N Johnston
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa E Kalynchuk
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Hector J Caruncho
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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Jentsch VL, Pötzl L, Wolf OT, Merz CJ. Hormonal contraceptive usage influences stress hormone effects on cognition and emotion. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101012. [PMID: 35798220 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Men and women partially differ in how they respond to stress and how stress in return affects their cognition and emotion. The influence of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on this interaction has received little attention, which is surprising given the prevalence of HC usage. This selective review illustrates how HC usage modulates the effects of stress hormones on cognition and emotion. As three examples, we discuss stress hormone effects on episodic memory, fear conditioning and cognitive emotion regulation. The identified studies revealed that stress effects on cognitive-emotional processes in women using HCs were at times reduced or even absent when compared to men or naturally cycling women. Especially striking were the few examples of reversed effects in HC women. As underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms, we discuss influences of HCs on the neuroendocrine stress response and effects of HCs on central glucocorticoid sensitivity. The summarized findings emphasize the need for additional translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Lisa Pötzl
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Christian J Merz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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7
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Nascimento EB, Dierschnabel AL, Lima RH, Sousa MBC, Suchecki D, Silva RH, Ribeiro AM. Stress-related impairment of fear memory acquisition and disruption of risk assessment behavior in female but not in male mice. Behav Processes 2022; 199:104660. [PMID: 35550163 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104660] [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: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Stress encompasses reactions to stimuli that promote negative and positive effects on cognitive functions, such as learning and memory processes. Herein, we investigate the effect of restraint stress on learning, memory, anxiety levels and locomotor activity of male and female mice. We used the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT), a behavioral task based on the innate exploratory response of rodents to new environments. Moreover, this task is used to simultaneously evaluate learning, memory, anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity. Male and female mice were tested after repeated daily restraint stress (4h/day for 3 days). The results showed stress-induced deficits on aversive memory retrieval only in female mice, suggesting a sexual dimorphism on memory acquisition. Furthermore, stressed females exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior and decreased exploratory behavior. Plasma corticosterone levels were similarly increased by restraint stress in both sexes, suggesting that the behavioral outcome was not related to hormonal secretion. Our findings corroborate previous studies, showing a sexually dimorphic effect of restraint stress on cognition. In addition, our study suggests that stress-related acquisition deficit may be the consequence of elevated emotional response in females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ramón Hypolito Lima
- Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Deborah Suchecki
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Department of Psychobiology, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Regina H Silva
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Department of Pharmacology, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alessandra M Ribeiro
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Department of Biosciences, Santos, SP, Brazil.
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8
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Silveira‐Rosa T, Mateus‐Pinheiro A, Correia JS, Silva JM, Martins‐Macedo J, Araújo B, Machado‐Santos AR, Alves ND, Silva M, Loureiro‐Campos E, Sotiropoulos I, Bessa JM, Rodrigues AJ, Sousa N, Patrício P, Pinto L. Suppression of adult cytogenesis in the rat brain leads to sex-differentiated disruption of the HPA axis activity. Cell Prolif 2022; 55:e13165. [PMID: 34970787 PMCID: PMC8828259 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The action of stress hormones, mainly glucocorticoids, starts and coordinates the systemic response to stressful events. The HPA axis activity is predicated on information processing and modulation by upstream centres, such as the hippocampus where adult-born neurons (hABN) have been reported to be an important component in the processing and integration of new information. Still, it remains unclear whether and how hABN regulates HPA axis activity and CORT production, particularly when considering sex differences. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using both sexes of a transgenic rat model of cytogenesis ablation (GFAP-Tk rat model), we examined the endocrinological and behavioural effects of disrupting the generation of new astrocytes and neurons within the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). RESULTS Our results show that GFAP-Tk male rats present a heightened acute stress response. In contrast, GFAP-Tk female rats have increased corticosterone secretion at nadir, a heightened, yet delayed, response to an acute stress stimulus, accompanied by neuronal hypertrophy in the basal lateral amygdala and increased expression of the glucocorticoid receptors in the ventral DG. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal that hABN regulation of the HPA axis response is sex-differentiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Silveira‐Rosa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - António Mateus‐Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Department of Internal MedicineCoimbra Hospital and University CenterCoimbraPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
| | - Joana Sofia Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Joana Margarida Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Joana Martins‐Macedo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
| | - Bruna Araújo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Ana Rita Machado‐Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Nuno Dinis Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Present address:
Department of PsychiatryColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Mariana Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Eduardo Loureiro‐Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Ioannis Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - João Miguel Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B’s ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Bn’ML – Behavioral and Molecular LabBragaPortugal
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Sheng JA, Tan SML, Hale TM, Handa RJ. Androgens and Their Role in Regulating Sex Differences in the Hypothalamic/Pituitary/Adrenal Axis Stress Response and Stress-Related Behaviors. ANDROGENS: CLINICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS 2022; 2:261-274. [PMID: 35024695 PMCID: PMC8744007 DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Androgens play a pivotal role during development. These gonadal hormones and their receptors exert organizational actions that shape brain morphology in regions controlling the stress regulatory systems in a male-specific manner. Specifically, androgens drive sex differences in the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis and corresponding hypothalamic neuropeptides. While studies have examined the role of estradiol and its receptors in sex differences in the HPA axis and associated behaviors, the role of androgens remains far less studied. Androgens are generally thought to modulate the HPA axis through the activation of androgen receptors (ARs). They can also impact the HPA axis through reduction to estrogenic metabolites that can bind estrogen receptors in the brain and periphery. Such regulation of the HPA axis stress response by androgens can often result in sex-biased risk factors for stress-related disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This review focuses on the biosynthesis pathways and molecular actions of androgens and their nuclear receptors. The impact of androgens on hypothalamic neuropeptide systems (corticotropin-releasing hormone, arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin) that control the stress response and stress-related disorders is discussed. Finally, this review discusses potential therapeutics involving androgens (androgen replacement therapies, selective AR modulator therapies) and ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah M L Tan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Taben M Hale
- Department of Basic Medical Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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10
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Involvement of Ghrelin Dynamics in Stress-Induced Eating Disorder: Effects of Sex and Aging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111695. [PMID: 34769125 PMCID: PMC8583769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111695] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress, a factor that affects appetite in our daily lives, enhances or suppresses appetite and changes palatability. However, so far, the mechanisms underlying the link between stress and eating have not been fully elucidated. Among the peripherally produced appetite-related peptides, ghrelin is the only orexigenic peptide, and abnormalities in the dynamics and reactivity of this peptide are involved in appetite abnormalities in various diseases and psychological states. This review presents an overview of the research results of studies evaluating the effects of various stresses on appetite. The first half of this review describes the relationship between appetite and stress, and the second half describes the relationship between the appetite-promoting peptide ghrelin and stress. The effects of sex differences and aging under stress on appetite are also described.
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11
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McAllister MJ, Martaindale MH. Women demonstrate lower markers of stress and oxidative stress during active shooter training drill. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 6:100046. [PMID: 35757370 PMCID: PMC9216655 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been well documented that police officers are frequently engaged in a variety of high stress situations during their normal daily tasks, such as civilian encounters where force is needed or domestic violence situations, that cause significant increases in a variety of physiological and psychological stress markers. Chronic exposure to stressors increases risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) progression. The purpose of this study was to compare male and female salivary and blood markers of stress in response to an active shooter training drill (ASD) to determine if acute stress differentially impacts men and women to better understand if interventions should be targeted. Thirty-one participants (males = 15 [mean age: 23], females = 16 [mean age: 21]) participated in an ASD involving professional actors playing the role of one active gunman, as well as four victims. The ASD lasted approximately 50 seconds. Blood samples were collected 15 min prior as well as after the ASD and analyzed for epinephrine (EPI), norepinephrine (NE), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels. Saliva samples were collected 30 and 5 min prior to the ASD and 5 and 30 min after the ASD, and were analyzed for cortisol, α-amylase, uric acid, and secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA). Our analysis revealed that acute (~50 sec) psychological stress in the form of an ASD resulted in significant increases in blood and salivary stress and oxidative stress markers in both men and women. However, four of the seven markers were lower in female participants (cortisol, uric acid, H2O2, and α-amylase presented significant main effects for sex). In addition, SIgA was significantly lower in women compared to men 30 min prior to, and five min post ASD. These findings suggest females may be at a lower risk to stress induced oxidative stress and CVD. Acute psychological stress results in significant increases in blood and saliva stress and oxidative stress markers. Stress markers were attenuated in female participants. Blood oxidative stress was lower in female participants.
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12
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HIV-1 Tat Protein Promotes Neuroendocrine Dysfunction Concurrent with the Potentiation of Oxycodone's Psychomotor Effects in Female Mice. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050813. [PMID: 33946474 PMCID: PMC8147167 DOI: 10.3390/v13050813] [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: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with neuroendocrine dysfunction which may contribute to co-morbid stress-sensitive disorders. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) or -gonadal (HPG) axes are perturbed in up to 50% of HIV patients. The mechanisms are not known, but we have found the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein to recapitulate the clinical phenotype in male mice. We hypothesized that HPA and/or HPG dysregulation contributes to Tat-mediated interactions with oxycodone, an opioid often prescribed to HIV patients, in females. Female mice that conditionally-expressed the Tat1-86 protein [Tat(+) mice] or their counterparts that did not [Tat(-) control mice] were exposed to forced swim stress (or not) and behaviorally-assessed for motor and anxiety-like behavior. Some mice had glucocorticoid receptors (GR) or corticotropin-releasing factor receptors (CRF-R) pharmacologically inhibited. Some mice were ovariectomized (OVX). As seen previously in males, Tat elevated basal corticosterone levels and potentiated oxycodone's psychomotor activity in females. Unlike males, females did not demonstrate adrenal insufficiency and oxycodone potentiation was not regulated by GRs or CRF-Rs. Rather OVX attenuated Tat/oxycodone interactions. Either Tat or oxycodone increased anxiety-like behavior and their combination increased hypothalamic allopregnanolone. OVX increased basal hypothalamic allopregnanolone and obviated Tat or oxycodone-mediated fluctuations. Together, these data provide further evidence for Tat-mediated dysregulation of the HPA axis and reveal the importance of HPG axis regulation in females. HPA/HPG disruption may contribute vulnerability to affective and substance use disorders.
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Gao X, Yamazaki Y, Tezuka Y, Omata K, Ono Y, Morimoto R, Nakamura Y, Satoh F, Sasano H. Gender differences in human adrenal cortex and its disorders. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 526:111177. [PMID: 33582213 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The adrenal cortex plays pivotal roles in the maintenance of blood volume, responsiveness to stress and the development of gender characteristics. Gender differences of human adrenal cortex have been recently reported and attracted increasing interests. Gender differences occur from the developing stage of the adrenal, in which female subjects had more activated stem cells with higher renewal capacity resulting in gender-associated divergent structures and functions of cortical zonations of human adrenal. Female subjects generally have the lower blood pressure with the lower renin levels and ACE activities than male subjects. In addition, HPA axis was more activated in female than male, which could possibly contribute to gender differences in coping with various stressful events in our life. Of particular interest, estrogens were reported to suppress RAAS but activate HPA axis, whereas androgens had opposite effects. In addition, adrenocortical disorders in general occur more frequently in female with more pronounced adrenocortical hormonal abnormalities possibly due to their more activated WNT and PRK signaling pathways with more abundant activated adrenocortical stem cells present in female adrenal glands. Therefore, it has become pivotal to clarify the gender influence on both clinical and biological features of adrenocortical disorders. We herein reviewed recent advances in these fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yuto Yamazaki
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yuta Tezuka
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Kei Omata
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Yoshikiyo Ono
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Ryo Morimoto
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakamura
- Division of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan
| | - Fumitoshi Satoh
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
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Zuloaga DG, Heck AL, De Guzman RM, Handa RJ. Roles for androgens in mediating the sex differences of neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:44. [PMID: 32727567 PMCID: PMC7388454 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00319-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol and testosterone are powerful steroid hormones that impact brain function in numerous ways. During development, these hormones can act to program the adult brain in a male or female direction. During adulthood, gonadal steroid hormones can activate or inhibit brain regions to modulate adult functions. Sex differences in behavioral and neuroendocrine (i.e., hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis) responses to stress arise as a result of these organizational and activational actions. The sex differences that are present in the HPA and behavioral responses to stress are particularly important considering their role in maintaining homeostasis. Furthermore, dysregulation of these systems can underlie the sex biases in risk for complex, stress-related diseases that are found in humans. Although many studies have explored the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors in mediating sex differences in stress-related behaviors and HPA function, much less consideration has been given to the role of androgens. While circulating androgens can act by binding and activating androgen receptors, they can also act by metabolism to estrogenic molecules to impact estrogen signaling in the brain and periphery. This review focuses on androgens as an important hormone for modulating the HPA axis and behaviors throughout life and for setting up sex differences in key stress regulatory systems that could impact risk for disease in adulthood. In particular, impacts of androgens on neuropeptide systems known to play key roles in HPA and behavioral responses to stress (corticotropin-releasing factor, vasopressin, and oxytocin) are discussed. A greater knowledge of androgen action in the brain is key to understanding the neurobiology of stress in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley L Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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Heck AL, Thompson MK, Uht RM, Handa RJ. Sex-Dependent Mechanisms of Glucocorticoid Regulation of the Mouse Hypothalamic Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Gene. Endocrinology 2020; 161:bqz012. [PMID: 31754709 PMCID: PMC7188085 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To limit excessive glucocorticoid secretion following hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stimulation, circulating glucocorticoids inhibit corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons. As HPA function differs between sexes and depends on circulating estradiol (E2) levels in females, we investigated sex/estrous stage-dependent glucocorticoid regulation of PVN Crh. Using NanoString nCounter technology, we first demonstrated that adrenalectomized (ADX'd) diestrous female (low E2), but not male or proestrous female (high E2), mice exhibited a robust decrease in PVN CRH mRNA following 2-day treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist RU28362. Immunohistochemical analysis of PVN CRH neurons in Crh-IRES-Cre;Ai14 mice, where TdTomato fluorescence permanently tags CRH-expressing neurons, showed similarly abundant co-expression of GR-immunoreactivity in males, diestrous females, and proestrous females. However, we identified sex/estrous stage-related glucocorticoid regulation or expression of GR transcriptional coregulators. Out of 17 coregulator genes examined using nCounter multiplex analysis, mRNAs that were decreased by RU28362 in ADX'd mice in a sex/estrous stage-dependent fashion included: GR (males = diestrous females > proestrous females), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) (males < diestrous = proestrous), and HDAC1 (males < diestrous > proestrous). Steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3), nuclear corepressor 1 (NCoR1), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnrnpu), CREB binding protein (CBP) and CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 2 (CRTC2) mRNAs were lower in ADX'd diestrous and proestrous females versus males. Additionally, most PVN CRH neurons co-expressed methylated CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2)-immunoreactivity in diestrous female and male Crh-IRES-Cre;Ai14 mice. Our findings collectively suggest that GR's sex-dependent regulation of PVN Crh may depend upon differences in the GR transcriptional machinery and an underlying influence of E2 levels in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Maranda K Thompson
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Rosalie M Uht
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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The Impact of Ethologically Relevant Stressors on Adult Mammalian Neurogenesis. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9070158. [PMID: 31277460 PMCID: PMC6680763 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9070158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis—the formation and functional integration of adult-generated neurons—remains a hot neuroscience topic. Decades of research have identified numerous endogenous (such as neurotransmitters and hormones) and exogenous (such as environmental enrichment and exercise) factors that regulate the various neurogenic stages. Stress, an exogenous factor, has received a lot of attention. Despite the large number of reviews discussing the impact of stress on adult neurogenesis, no systematic review on ethologically relevant stressors exists to date. The current review details the effects of conspecifically-induced psychosocial stress (specifically looking at the lack or disruption of social interactions and confrontation) as well as non-conspecifically-induced stress on mammalian adult neurogenesis. The underlying mechanisms, as well as the possible functional role of the altered neurogenesis level, are also discussed. The reviewed data suggest that ethologically relevant stressors reduce adult neurogenesis.
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Hajali V, Andersen ML, Negah SS, Sheibani V. Sex differences in sleep and sleep loss-induced cognitive deficits: The influence of gonadal hormones. Horm Behav 2019; 108:50-61. [PMID: 30597139 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Males and females can respond differentially to the same environmental stimuli and experimental conditions. Chronic sleep loss is a frequent and growing problem in many modern societies and has a broad variety of negative outcomes for health and well-being. While much has been done to explore the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on cognition in both human and animal studies over the last few decades, very little attention has been paid to the part played by sex differences and gonadal steroids in respect of changes in cognitive functions caused by sleep loss. The effects of gonadal hormones on sleep regulation and cognitive performances are well established. Reduced gonadal function in menopausal women and elderly men is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline as well as dementia, which suggests that sex steroids play a key role in modulating these conditions. Finding out whether there are sex differences in respect of the effect of insufficient sleep on cognition, and how neuroendocrine mediators influence cognitive impairment induced by SD could provide valuable insights into the best therapies for each sex. In this review, we aim to highlight the involvement of sex differences and gonadal hormone status on the severity of cognitive deficits induced by sleep deficiency in both human and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Hajali
- Department of Neuroscience, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Monica L Andersen
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, Brazil
| | - Sajad Sahab Negah
- Department of Neuroscience, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Heck AL, Handa RJ. Sex differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis' response to stress: an important role for gonadal hormones. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:45-58. [PMID: 30111811 PMCID: PMC6235871 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a neuroendocrine network that controls hormonal responses to internal and external challenges in an organism's environment, exhibits strikingly sex-biased activity. In adult female rodents, acute HPA function following a stressor is markedly greater than it is in males, and this difference has largely been attributed to modulation by the gonadal hormones testosterone and estradiol. These gonadal hormones are produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and have been shown to determine sex differences in adult HPA function after acute stress via their activational and organizational effects. Although these actions of gonadal hormones are well supported, the possibility that sex chromosomes similarly influence HPA activity is unexplored. Moreover, questions remain regarding sex differences in the activity of the HPA axis following chronic stress and the underlying contributions of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes. The present review examines what is currently known about sex differences in the neuroendocrine response to stress, as well as outstanding questions regarding this sex bias. Although it primarily focuses on the rodent literature, a brief discussion of sex differences in the human HPA axis is also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Heck
- 0000 0004 1936 8083grid.47894.36Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Robert J. Handa
- 0000 0004 1936 8083grid.47894.36Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
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Lesuis SL, Catsburg LAE, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Effects of corticosterone on mild auditory fear conditioning and extinction; role of sex and training paradigm. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 25:544-549. [PMID: 30224557 PMCID: PMC6149954 DOI: 10.1101/lm.047811.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that glucocorticoid hormones enhance memory consolidation of fearful events. However, most of these studies involve male individuals. Since anxiety, fear, and fear-associated disorders present differently in male and female subjects we investigated in mice whether male and female mice perform differently in a mild, auditory fear conditioning task and tested the modulatory role of glucocorticoid hormones. Using an auditory fear conditioning paradigm with different footshock intensities (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mA) and frequencies (1× or 3×), we find that intraperitoneal injections with corticosterone (2 mg/kg) immediately after training, altered freezing behavior when repeated footshocks were applied, and that the direction of the effects were opposite in male and female mice. Effects were independent of footshock intensity. In male mice, corticosterone consistently increased freezing behavior in response to the tone, whereas in female mice, corticosterone reduced freezing behavior 24 h after training. These effects were not related to the phase of the oestrous cycle. In addition, corticosterone enhanced extinction learning for all tones, in both male and female mice. These results emphasize that glucocorticoid hormones influence memory consolidation and retrieval, and underscore sex-specific effects of glucocorticoid hormones in modulating conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie L Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa A E Catsburg
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Green MR, Marcolin ML, McCormick CM. The effects of ovarian hormones on stressor-induced hormonal responses, glucocorticoid receptor expression and translocation, and genes related to receptor signaling in adult female rats. Stress 2018; 21:90-100. [PMID: 29189098 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1409719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol potentiates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity and delays the return of glucocorticoid secretion to baseline after a stressor exposure in female rats; we investigated whether estradiol effects involve actions on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) translocation and expression of receptor co-chaperones. In Experiment 1 intact females and ovariectomized (OVX) females were treated for four days with vehicle (VEH), 17β-estradiol benzoate (EB), or EB and progesterone (EB + P). Samples were taken from rats in the home cage (baseline) or after 30 min of restraint stress in a plastic restrainer (post-restraint) (n = 10/group). OVX-VEH treatment reduced baseline and post-restraint plasma concentrations of corticosterone versus all other treatments. Western blots indicated that OVX-VEH treated rats had greater hippocampal cytosolic GR expression than other treatments. Stress increased hippocampal nuclear GR expression, but without treatment differences. In Experiment 2 OVX rats were treated daily with VEH, EB, or EB + P (n = 8/group). OVX-VEH rats showed a lower stimulation of corticosterone secretion by restraint stress than other treatments and OVX-EB + P treated rats had lower concentrations than the OVX-EB group, suggesting progesterone mitigated estradiol effects. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments indicated that stress increased Fkbp5 mRNA in the ventral hippocampus, with no effect of stress or treatment on Nr3c1 (GR), Nr3c2 (MR), Fkbp4, Bag1, or Ncoa1 (SRC-1) expression. Thus, the hypothesis is that estradiol effects on negative feedback are mediated by altered expression of receptor co-chaperones or co-modulators in the hippocampus was not supported. Estradiol may blunt feedback by limiting the availability of cytosolic GR protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Green
- a Psychology Department , Brock University , St Catharines , Canada
| | - Marina L Marcolin
- b Biological Sciences Department , Brock University , St Catharines , Canada
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- a Psychology Department , Brock University , St Catharines , Canada
- b Biological Sciences Department , Brock University , St Catharines , Canada
- c Centre for Neuroscience , Brock University , St Catharines , Canada
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Glucocorticoid receptor expression on circulating leukocytes differs between healthy male and female adults. J Clin Transl Sci 2017. [PMID: 28649452 PMCID: PMC5471823 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2016.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a key receptor involved in inflammatory responses and is influenced by sex steroids. This study measured GR expression on circulating leukocyte subtypes in males and females. Methods A total of 23 healthy adults (12 female) participated in this study. GR expression was measured in leukocyte subtypes using flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expression of GR (NR3C1), GR β, TGF-β1 and 2, and glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results Leukocyte GR was lower in females, particularly in granulocytes, natural killer cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (p≤0.01). GR protein expression was different across leukocyte subtypes, with higher expression in eosinophils compared with granulocytes, T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells (p<0.05). There was higher gene expression of GR β in males (p=0.03). Conclusions This is the first study to identify sexual dimorphism in GR expression in healthy adults using flow cytometry. These results may begin to explain the sexual dimorphism seen in many diseases and sex differences in glucocorticoid responsiveness.
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Quinn MA, Cidlowski JA. Endogenous hepatic glucocorticoid receptor signaling coordinates sex-biased inflammatory gene expression. FASEB J 2015; 30:971-82. [PMID: 26581598 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-278309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
An individual's sex affects gene expression and many inflammatory diseases present in a sex-biased manner. Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are regulators of inflammatory genes, but their role in sex-specific responses is unclear. Our goal was to evaluate whether GR differentially regulates inflammatory gene expression in male and female mouse liver. Twenty-five percent of the 251 genes assayed by nanostring analysis were influenced by sex. Of these baseline sexually dimorphic inflammatory genes, 82% was expressed higher in female liver. Pathway analyses defined pattern-recognition receptors as the most sexually dimorphic pathway. We next exposed male and female mice to the proinflammatory stimulus LPS. Female mice had 177 genes regulated by treatment with LPS, whereas males had 149, with only 66% of LPS-regulated genes common between the sexes. To determine the contribution of GR to sexually dimorphic inflammatory genes we performed nanostring analysis on liver-specific GR knockout (LGRKO) mice in the presence or absence of LPS. Comparing LGRKO to GR(flox/flox) revealed that 36 genes required GR for sexually dimorphic expression, whereas 24 genes became sexually dimorphic in LGRKO. Fifteen percent of LPS-regulated genes in GR(flox/flox) were not regulated in male and female LGRKO mice treated with LPS. Thus, GR action is influenced by sex to regulate inflammatory gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Quinn
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - John A Cidlowski
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Bangasser DA, Valentino RJ. Sex differences in stress-related psychiatric disorders: neurobiological perspectives. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:303-19. [PMID: 24726661 PMCID: PMC4087049 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 435] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stress is associated with the onset and severity of several psychiatric disorders that occur more frequently in women than men, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Patients with these disorders present with dysregulation of several stress response systems, including the neuroendocrine response to stress, corticolimbic responses to negatively valenced stimuli, and hyperarousal. Thus, sex differences within their underlying circuitry may explain sex biases in disease prevalence. This review describes clinical studies that identify sex differences within the activity of these circuits, as well as preclinical studies that demonstrate cellular and molecular sex differences in stress responses systems. These studies reveal sex differences from the molecular to the systems level that increase endocrine, emotional, and arousal responses to stress in females. Exploring these sex differences is critical because this research can reveal the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders and guide the development of novel pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Rita J Valentino
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Lee GW, Oh SY, Kang MH, Kang JH, Park SH, Hwang IG, Yi SY, Choi YJ, Ji JH, Lee HY, Bruera E. Treatment of dexamethasone-induced hiccup in chemotherapy patients by methylprednisolone rotation. Oncologist 2013; 18:1229-34. [PMID: 24107973 DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2013-0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dexamethasone-induced hiccup (DIH) is an underrecognized symptom in patients with cancer, and little information is available about its treatment. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of methylprednisolone rotation as treatment and to confirm the male predominance among those with cancer who experienced DIH during chemotherapy. Methods. Persons with cancer who experienced hiccups during chemotherapy treatment and who were receiving treatment with dexamethasone were presumed to have DIH. The following algorithmic practice was implemented for antiemetic corticosteroid use: rotation from dexamethasone to methylprednisolone in the next cycle and dexamethasone re-administration in the second cycle of chemotherapy after recognition of hiccups to confirm DIH. All other antiemetics except corticosteroid remained unchanged. Patients (n = 40) were recruited from eight cancer centers in Korea from September 2012 to April 2013. Data were collected retrospectively. Results. Hiccup intensity (numeric rating scale [NRS]: 5.38 vs. 0.53) and duration (68.44 minutes vs. 1.79 minutes) were significantly decreased after rotation to methylprednisolone, while intensity of emesis was not increased (NRS: 2.63 vs. 2.08). Median dose of dexamethasone and methylprednisolone were 10 mg and 50 mg, respectively. Thirty-four (85%) of 40 patients showed complete resolution of hiccups after methylprednisolone rotation in the next cycle. Of these 34 patients, 25 (73.5%) had recurrence of hiccups after dexamethasone re-administration. Compared with baseline values, hiccup intensity (NRS: 5.24 vs. 2.44) and duration (66.43 minutes vs. 22.00 minutes) were significantly attenuated after dexamethasone re-administration. Of the 40 eligible patients, 38 (95%) were male. Conclusion. DIH during chemotherapy could be controlled without losing antiemetic potential by replacing dexamethasone with methylprednisolone. We also identified a male predominance of DIH. Further prospective studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeong-Won Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Health Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
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Bangasser DA. Sex differences in stress-related receptors: ″micro″ differences with ″macro″ implications for mood and anxiety disorders. Biol Sex Differ 2013; 4:2. [PMID: 23336736 PMCID: PMC3556142 DOI: 10.1186/2042-6410-4-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as unipolar depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), occur more frequently in women than in men. Emerging research suggests that sex differences in receptors for the stress hormones, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoids, contribute to this disparity. For example, sex differences in CRF receptor binding in the amygdala of rats may predispose females to greater anxiety following stressful events. Additionally, sex differences in CRF receptor signaling and trafficking in the locus coeruleus arousal center combine to make females more sensitive to low levels of CRF, and less adaptable to high levels. These receptor differences in females could lead to hyperarousal, a dysregulated state associated with symptoms of depression and PTSD. Similar to the sex differences observed in CRF receptors, sex differences in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function also appear to make females more susceptible to dysregulation after a stressful event. Following hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activation, GRs are critical to the negative feedback process that inhibits additional glucocorticoid release. Compared to males, female rats have fewer GRs and impaired GR translocation following chronic adolescent stress, effects linked to slower glucocorticoid negative feedback. Thus, under conditions of chronic stress, attenuated negative feedback in females would result in hypercortisolemia, an endocrine state thought to cause depression. Together, these studies suggest that sex differences in stress-related receptors shift females more easily into a dysregulated state of stress reactivity, linked to the development of mood and anxiety disorders. The implications of these receptor sex differences for the development of novel pharmacotherapies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, 1701 North 13th Street, 873 Weiss Hall, Philadelphia, 19122, PA.
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Liu F, McCullough LD. Interactions between age, sex, and hormones in experimental ischemic stroke. Neurochem Int 2012; 61:1255-65. [PMID: 23068990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Revised: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Age, sex, and gonadal hormones have profound effects on ischemic stroke outcomes, although how these factors impact basic stroke pathophysiology remains unclear. There is a plethora of inconsistent data reported throughout the literature, primarily due to differences in the species examined, the timing and methods used to evaluate injury, the models used, and confusion regarding differences in stroke incidence as seen in clinical populations vs. effects on acute neuroprotection or neurorepair in experimental stroke models. Sex and gonadal hormone exposure have considerable independent impact on stroke outcome, but these factors also interact with each other, and the contribution of each differs throughout the lifespan. The contribution of sex and hormones to experimental stroke will be the focus of this review. Recent advances and our current understanding of age, sex, and hormone interactions in ischemic stroke with a focus on inflammation will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fudong Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
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Shabani M, Larizadeh MH, Parsania S, Asadi Shekaari M, Shahrokhi N. Profound destructive effects of adolescent exposure to vincristine accompanied with some sex differences in motor and memory performance. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2012; 90:379-86. [DOI: 10.1139/y11-132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Vincristine, an anticancer drug, is known to induce neuronal cell damage. We have elucidated the alteration in performance of the hippocampus and cerebellum following chronic vincristine treatment (0.2 mg·(kg body mass)–1·week–1) in male and female rats. Intraperitoneal injection of vincristine in adolescent rats caused impairment of motor and cognitive behavior. In the probe test, the length of path traveled and percent swimming time for vincristine-treated rats in the correct quadrant was significantly less than for the saline-treated (control) groups. The path length and time latency at the 2nd and 3rd blocks of trials for the male vincristine-treated group was significantly higher than that for the female saline- and the vincristine-treated rats. In the rod test, vincristine exposure impaired the motor coordination in both male and female rats. Exposure to vincristine caused a significant decrease in hanging time in male rats, compared with the saline- and the vincristine-treated female rats, while there were no differences between the female vincristine-treated rats and the saline-treated rats of both sexes. The rearing frequency, total distance moved, and velocity for both male and female rats were dramatically affected by exposure to vincristine. We have observed that the hippocampal and cerebellar functions of male and female rats were profoundly affected by exposure to vincristine, especially the male rats, suggesting a sexual dimorphism in the developing central nervous system that is affected by chemicals such as anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, PO Box 76198-13159, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Larizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, PO Box 76198-13159, Iran
| | - Shahrnaz Parsania
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, PO Box 76198-13159, Iran
| | - Majid Asadi Shekaari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, PO Box 76198-13159, Iran
| | - Nader Shahrokhi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, PO Box 76198-13159, Iran
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Female rats are more susceptible to the deleterious effects of paradoxical sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. Behav Brain Res 2011; 228:311-8. [PMID: 22192378 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 12/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) may alter subsequent learning and memory capacity. There are differences in both the intensity and direction of responses of the male and female species to the same environmental stimuli and experimental conditions. In the present study, we examined the extent of the effects of PSD for 72h on spatial learning and memory, anxiety-like behavior, corticosterone levels, and the body weight in male as well as in intact and ovariectomized (OVX) female Wistar rats. Multiple platform method was used for PSD induction. Spatial learning and memory and anxiety-like behavior were determined using Morris water maze (MWM) task and open field test, respectively. The data showed that PSD could not significantly affect subsequent spatial learning and short-term memory in male rats, while it significantly impaired the performance of the intact and OVX female rats. The PSD-intact and -OVX female rats showed more memory impairment than the PSD-male animals. Those impairments do not appear to be due to elevated stress level, since the plasma corticosterone did not significantly change following PSD induction. The open field data showed that PSD significantly reduced anxiety-like behavior in all experimental groups. In addition, PSD had a reducing effect on the mean body weight of female groups. Such results suggest that the female rats are more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of sleep loss on cognitive performance.
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Relevance of stress and female sex hormones for emotion and cognition. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2011; 32:725-35. [PMID: 22113371 PMCID: PMC3377901 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-011-9774-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
There are clear sex differences in incidence and onset of stress-related and other psychiatric disorders in humans. Yet, rodent models for psychiatric disorders are predominantly based on male animals. The strongest argument for not using female rodents is their estrous cycle and the fluctuating sex hormones per phase which multiplies the number of animals to be tested. Here, we will discuss studies focused on sex differences in emotionality and cognitive abilities in experimental conditions with and without stress. First, female sex hormones such as estrogens and progesterone affect emotions and cognition, contributing to sex differences in behavior. Second, females respond differently to stress than males which might be related to the phase of the estrous cycle. For example, female rats and mice express less anxiety than males in a novel environment. Proestrus females are less anxious than females in the other estrous phases. Third, males perform in spatial tasks superior to females. However, while stress impairs spatial memory in males, females improve their spatial abilities, depending on the task and kind of stressor. We conclude that the differences in emotion, cognition and responses to stress between males and females over the different phases of the estrous cycle should be used in animal models for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Catalani A, Alemà GS, Cinque C, Zuena AR, Casolini P. Maternal corticosterone effects on hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis regulation and behavior of the offspring in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1502-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Revised: 10/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Soeda F, Nagata M, Kaitsuka T, Shirasaki T, Takahama K. The effect of aging and an ovariectomy operation on the level of phosphorylated CaM kinase II in the hippocampus of female mice prenatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2011; 31:496-499. [PMID: 21787722 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2011.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 01/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The effects of aging and an ovariectomy operation on the brain-disrupting actions caused by prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) were studied in mice. In the young DES-exposed female mice, the level of hippocampal phosphorylated CaM kinase II (pCaMKII) was not changed. However, at 8 months, the level of hippocampal pCaMKII in the DES-exposed female mice significantly increased compared to control. Moreover, the ovariectomy significantly increased the level of pCaMKII in the hippocampus but not the cortex of DES-exposed female mice. These findings suggest that the influence of prenatally-exposed DES on the hippocampal pCaMKII may be affected by the endogenous female sex hormones such as estrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumio Soeda
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Health Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
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Elaković I, Vasiljević D, Adzic M, Djordjevic A, Djordjevic J, Radojcić M, Matić G. Sexually dimorphic functional alterations of rat hepatic glucocorticoid receptor in response to fluoxetine. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 632:79-85. [PMID: 20122922 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2009] [Revised: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/20/2010] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Gender-related differences in the expression and functional properties of the hepatic glucocorticoid receptor were studied before and after antidepressant fluoxetine administration to both unstressed and rats exposed to a chronic social isolation stress. Some of the receptor's functional properties, including hormone-binding capacity (B(max)), hormone-binding potency (B(max)/K(D) ratio) and the DNA-binding ability, were found to be sexually dimorphic. Fluoxetine treatment (5mg/kg body mass, 21day, intraperitoneally) induced a decrease in B(max) and in the amount of Hsp70 co-immunoprecipitated with the glucocorticoid receptor only in males, and stimulated the association of the receptor with Hsp90 in females. When applied during the last three weeks of the 6-week isolation, fluoxetine parallelly elevated B(max) and the receptor protein level in female animals, while in males diminished B(max) and inhibited association of the receptor with Hsp70. Binding of dexamethasone-receptor complexes both to DNA-cellulose and to isolated liver nuclei did not appear to be a target for fluoxetine action. The results point to sex-related differences in the glucocorticoid receptor functioning and in its response to fluoxetine, and suggest that these differences may contribute to well known sexual dimorphism in the sensitivity to stress, to stress-related disorders and to antidepressant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Elaković
- University of Belgrade Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stanković", Department of Biochemistry, Serbia
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Lan N, Hellemans KGC, Ellis L, Viau V, Weinberg J. Role of testosterone in mediating prenatal ethanol effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009; 34:1314-28. [PMID: 19410376 PMCID: PMC2743767 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2008] [Revised: 03/04/2009] [Accepted: 04/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol (E) exposure programs the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and -gonadal (HPG) axes such that E rats show HPA hyperresponsiveness to stressors and altered HPG and reproductive function in adulthood. Importantly, prenatal ethanol may differentially alter stress responsiveness in adult male and female offspring compared to their control counterparts. To test the hypothesis that alterations in HPA activity in E males are mediated, at least in part, by ethanol-induced changes in the capacity of testosterone to regulate HPA activity, we explored dose-related effects of testosterone on HPA and HPG function in adult male offspring from prenatal E, pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum-fed control (C) dams. Our data suggest that E males show changes in both HPA and HPG regulation, as well as altered sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of testosterone. While gonadectomy (GDX) reduced weight gain in all animals, low testosterone replacement restored body weights in PF and C but not E males. Further, sensitivity of the thymus and adrenal to circulating testosterone was reduced in E rats. In addition, stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) levels were increased in PF and C but not E males following GDX, and while low dose testosterone replacement restored CORT levels for PF and C, high testosterone levels were needed to normalize CORT levels for E males. A negative correlation between pre-stress testosterone and post-stress CORT levels in C but not in E and PF males further supports the finding of reduced sensitivity to testosterone. Importantly, testosterone appeared to have reduced effects on central corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) pathways in E, but greater effects on central arginine vasopressin (AVP) pathways in E and/or PF compared to C males. Testosterone also had less of an inhibitory effect on stress-induced luteinizing hormone increases in E than in PF and C males following GDX. In addition, androgen receptor mRNA levels in the medial preoptic nucleus and the principal nucleus of posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis were lower in E and PF compared to C males under intact conditions. Together, these data support our previous work suggesting altered sensitivity to testosterone in E males. Furthermore, differential effects of testosterone on the complex balance between central CRH and central AVP pathways may play a role in the HPA alterations observed. That some findings were similar in E and PF males suggest that nutritional effects of diet may have played a role in mediating at least some of the changes seen in E animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Lan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada.
| | - Kim G. C. Hellemans
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Linda Ellis
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Victor Viau
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada
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Gender-related differences in the effects of antidepressant imipramine on glucocorticoid receptor binding properties and association with heat shock proteins in the rat liver and kidney. Eur J Pharmacol 2009; 608:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2009.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2008] [Revised: 01/28/2009] [Accepted: 02/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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35
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Elaković I, Brkljacić J, Matić G. Long-term imipramine treatment affects rat brain and pituitary corticosteroid receptors and heat shock proteins levels in a gender-specific manner. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2007; 114:1069-80. [PMID: 17393067 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-007-0665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2006] [Accepted: 02/14/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Gender-related differences in the effects of imipramine, on the protein levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and heat shock proteins Hsp90 and Hsp70, as well as on dexamethasone binding to corticosteroid receptors (CRs) in the pituitary, hypothalamus, hippocampus and brain cortex of non-depressed rats were studied. Differences between female and male animals in the GR protein level in the tissues of untreated animals were not noticed. However, imipramine led to opposite changes in the cellular level of GR protein in the brain of female and male rats, as well as to gender- and tissue-specific changes in in vitro dexamethasone binding to GR and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the hippocampus and brain cortex. Gender-related differences in the expression of Hsp90 and Hsp70 were noticed mainly in the hippocampus, only after imipramine treatment. The observed changes in the response of GR to imipramine suggest that this antidepressant may affect both the level of the receptor protein and the mechanisms regulating its binding ability in a gender-related manner.
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MESH Headings
- Adrenal Cortex Hormones/metabolism
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/pharmacology
- Binding, Competitive/drug effects
- Binding, Competitive/physiology
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/metabolism
- Dexamethasone/metabolism
- Female
- HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/drug effects
- HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism
- HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/drug effects
- HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism
- Heat-Shock Proteins/drug effects
- Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/drug effects
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism
- Imipramine/pharmacology
- Male
- Pituitary Gland/drug effects
- Pituitary Gland/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/drug effects
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/metabolism
- Receptors, Steroid/drug effects
- Receptors, Steroid/metabolism
- Sex Characteristics
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- I Elaković
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Biological Research Sinisa Stanković, Belgrade, Serbia
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Abstract
A rapidly burgeoning literature documents copious sex influences on brain anatomy, chemistry and function. This article highlights some of the more intriguing recent discoveries and their implications. Consideration of the effects of sex can help to explain seemingly contradictory findings. Research into sex influences is mandatory to fully understand a host of brain disorders with sex differences in their incidence and/or nature. The striking quantity and diversity of sex-related influences on brain function indicate that the still widespread assumption that sex influences are negligible cannot be justified, and probably retards progress in our field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Cahill
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Qureshey Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3800, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M Kudielka
- Department of Clinical and Theoretical Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, D-54290 Trier, Germany.
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Beck KD, Servatius RJ. Stress and cytokine effects on learning: what does sex have to do with it? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 38:179-88. [PMID: 15070081 DOI: 10.1007/bf02688852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have alluded to sexually dimorphic changes in behavior following stress. Although many have suggested that these changes are a function of stress-induced changes in learning and memory, there are questions regarding whether performance in those learning and memory tasks are influenced by stress-induced changes in drive more than in actual learning and memory processes. We used the classically conditioned eyeblink response (CCER) to determine whether slowed learning following stress in females can be explained by changes in unconditional response (UR) amplitude, a sign of a stress-induced shift in sensory reactivity. In addition, we had a second treatment group injected with the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta to serve as an interoceptive stress condition, a physiological stressor with minimal stimulation to the animal. Replicating the work by Shors and colleagues, we found that stressed female rats had slower acquisition of the conditioned response (CR), but we also found that an IL-1beta injection leads to a slowing of CR acquisition. However, in both cases, UR amplitude was lower in the treatment groups. We followed up these results by testing sensory reactivity through the acoustic startle response (ASR), where the magnitude of the ASR was marginally, but nonsignificantly, reduced by the same dose regimen of IL-1beta. Together, these experiments suggest that tailshock stress and immune signaling (IL-1beta) reduce sensory reactivity and the saliency of the stimuli used in the CCER, leading to slower learning in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Beck
- Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ 07018, USA.
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Conrad CD, Jackson JL, Wieczorek L, Baran SE, Harman JS, Wright RL, Korol DL. Acute stress impairs spatial memory in male but not female rats: influence of estrous cycle. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2004; 78:569-79. [PMID: 15251266 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2004.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2004] [Revised: 04/14/2004] [Accepted: 04/27/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We investigated how sex and estrous cycle influenced spatial recognition memory in the Y-maze after exposure to acute restraint stress. In Experiment 1, intact male and female rats were restrained for 1 h and then 2 h after the start of restraint, rats were trained on the Y-maze. After a 4 h delay, hippocampal-dependent spatial recognition memory was assessed. Acute stress produced opposite patterns between the sexes with spatial memory being impaired in males and facilitated in females. Serum corticosterone measures indicated that both sexes showed a robust corticosterone response after restraint and a moderate corticosterone response after Y-maze exposure. Serum corticosterone levels in response to restraint and Y-maze were not statistically different between the sexes. Experiment 2 examined the influence of the estrous cycle on spatial memory ability after acute stress. Acute stress facilitated spatial memory in females compared to controls, regardless of the estrous cycle phase (estrus and proestrus). Moreover, females in proestrus showed higher serum corticosterone levels during restraint compared to females in estrus. No differences in corticosterone levels were observed at baseline or following 2 h of recovery from restraint. These data show important differences in how sex and estrous cycle influence cognitive functions following acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl D Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Box 1104, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
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Abstract
Puberty is accompanied by a number of changes, among them increased risk for development of major depression. The most common etiology of major depression is stressful life events, being present in approximately 90% of first episodes of depression. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the major systems involved in responses to stress, and this system is clearly influenced by ovarian hormones. Normal women demonstrate resistance to negative feedback of both cortisol in the fast-feedback paradigm and dexamethasone in the standard delayed-feedback paradigm. Depressed premenopausal women show greater increases in baseline cortisol than postmenopausal depressed women and than depressed men. Studies in rodents suggest a similar resistance to glucocorticoid feedback but suggest that estradiol can function to inhibit stress responsiveness. Studies of premenopausal depressed women demonstrate lower estradiol, which suggests that there is less inhibitory feedback of estradiol on the HPA axis, while normal progesterone continues to augment stress responses further. The onset of these reproductive hormonal changes modulating stress systems at puberty may sensitize girls to stressful life events, which become more frequent at the transition to puberty and young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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García MJ, Martínez-Martos JM, Mayas MD, Carrera MP, Ramírez-Expósito MJ. Hormonal status modifies renin-angiotensin system-regulating aminopeptidases and vasopressin-degrading activity in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis of male mice. Life Sci 2003; 73:525-38. [PMID: 12770609 DOI: 10.1016/s0024-3205(03)00294-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Local renin-angiotensin systems (RAS) have been postulated in brain, pituitary and adrenal glands. These local RAS have been implicated, respectively, in the central regulation of the cardiovascular system and body water balance, the secretion of pituitary hormones and the secretion of aldosterone by adrenal glands. By other hand, it is known that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is involved in blood pressure regulation, and is affected by sex hormones. The aim of the present work is to analyze the influence of testosterone on RAS-regulating aminopeptidase A, B and M activities and vasopressin-degrading activity in the HPA axis, measuring these activities in their soluble and membrane-bound forms in the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands of orchidectomized males and orchidectomized males treated subcutaneously with several doses of testosterone. The present data suggest that in male mice, testosterone influences the RAS- and vasopressin-degrading activities at all levels of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jesús García
- Unit of Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Paraje Las Lagunillas s/n, E-23071 Jaén, Spain
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Sheng Z, Yanai A, Fujinaga R, Kawano J, Tanaka M, Watanabe Y, Shinoda K. Gonadal and adrenal effects on the glucocorticoid receptor in the rat hippocampus, with special reference to regulation by estrogen from an immunohistochemical view-point. Neurosci Res 2003; 46:205-18. [PMID: 12767484 DOI: 10.1016/s0168-0102(03)00056-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Focusing on the hippocampal CA1 region, effects of peripheral gonadal and adrenal steroids on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) were immunohistochemically evaluated in male and female adult rat brains after adrenalectomy (ADX), gonadectomy (GDX), and administration of estradiol (E2) and/or corticosterone (CS). In ADXed male rats, the hippocampal nuclear GR decreased and turned back to the cytoplasm, whereas in females, nuclear localization persisted even after ADX. In GDX+ADXed female rats, the GR was dispersedly translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm as well as in GDX+ADXed males. The dispersed cytoplasmic GR was again translocated into the nucleus by administration of CS. In addition, administration of a small dose of E2 for 4-13 days was found to sufficiently recover the nuclear location of GR in GDX+ADXed rat brains, whereas medium-to-large doses could not do this. Also, a longer administration more strongly enhances the nuclear GR location and expression. The present study provided strong immunohistochemical evidence that the sexually dimorphic effects of ADX on hippocampal GR are attributable to gonadal hormones, and that E2 is implicated in the effects in inversely-dose- and directly-duration-dependent manner. Taken together, intriguing gonadal and adrenal crosstalk is considered to play some important role in regulating hippocampal GR morphology and to have a possibly crucial influence on stress-related disorders such as depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Sheng
- Division of Neuroanatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Japan
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Bartesaghi R, Severi S, Guidi S. Effects of early environment on pyramidal neuron morphology in field CA1 of the guinea-pig. Neuroscience 2003; 116:715-32. [PMID: 12573714 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00753-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that early isolation has profound effects on the morphology of the dentate granule cells and field CA3 pyramidal neurons. Aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of early environment on the morphology of field CA1 pyramidal neurons, the third element of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit. The dendritic trees and the soma of field CA1 pyramidal neurons were quantified in Golgi-stained brains of guinea-pigs of both sexes raised in either a social or an isolated environment. Based on the different pattern of the apical dendritic tree two major classes of CA1 pyramidal neurons were recognized (monotufted neurons and bitufted neurons). In males isolation induced in both neuron types a decrease in the number of low order apical branches but in the apical tree of the monotufted neurons isolation induced an increase in the number of intermediate order branches and dendritic length. In isolated females the apical tree of the monotufted neurons showed a very scarce atrophy. In contrast, the apical tree of the bitufted neurons from isolated females showed a decrease in the number of low and intermediate order branches and dendritic length. In isolated males the basal tree of the bitufted neurons had a large decrease in the total number of branches and dendritic length. In contrast, in isolated females the basal tree of both neuron types showed an increase in the number of low order branches. In males but not in females isolation caused a reduction in the soma dimensions of both neuron types. No isolation-induced changes were observed in dendritic spine density in either the apical or basal dendrites. The results demonstrate remarkable structural changes in CA1 pyramidal neurons following early isolation and a different reactivity to environment of the two CA1 pyramidal neuron types, their apical and basal trees and the two sexes. The neuroanatomical changes caused by isolation in field CA1 and in the two other elements of the trisynaptic circuit are likely to be associated with changes in the physiology of the hippocampal formation and in cognitive processes such as learning and memory in which the hippocampal formation plays a pivotal role.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bartesaghi
- Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana e Generale, Università di Bologna, Italy.
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Bartesaghi R, Severi S. Effects of early environment on field CA3a pyramidal neuron morphology in the guinea-pig. Neuroscience 2002; 110:475-88. [PMID: 11906787 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(01)00469-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that early environmental conditions have profound effects on the morphology of the dentate granule cells. The aim of the present study was to obtain information about the effects of early environment on neuron morphology in the hippocampal field CA3, a structure closely linked to the dentate gyrus. The dendritic trees and the somata of field CA3a pyramidal neurons were quantified in Golgi-stained brains of guinea-pigs of both sexes raised in either a social or an isolated environment. Two pyramidal neuron types were found in CA3a, characterized by either a long or a short shaft. Environment affected the apical tree of the long-shaft neurons only in males and that of the short-shaft neurons in both sexes. In isolated males the long-shaft neurons had a decrease in the number of dendritic intersections (62-82%), branching points (76%) and length (71%) in the middle third of the apical tree. The short-shaft neurons had a decrease in the number of intersections at two distal levels only in both isolated males (26, 83%) and females (77, 82%). The shaft spine density was affected by environment in the long-shaft neurons of males only, with a density increase (110%) in isolated males. In both sexes the basal tree of only the long-shaft neurons was affected by environment. Isolated males had a decrease in the number of dendritic intersections (65-88%), primary dendrites (80%) and dendritic length (88%) and isolated females had a decrease in the number of intersections (51-89%), branching points (77%) and dendritic length (85%). The soma major axis of only the long-shaft neurons was affected by environment with a reduction in isolated males (90%) but an increase in isolated females (111%). These results demonstrate dendritic atrophy of CA3a pyramidal neurons following early isolation and a different reactivity to environment of the two CA3a pyramidal neuron types, their apical and basal trees and the two sexes. The dendritic atrophy of CA3a neurons caused by isolation is likely to be associated with an impairment in the physiology of the hippocampal formation and in the forms of memory in which the hippocampal formation plays a major role.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bartesaghi
- Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana e Generale, Università di Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, I-40127, Bologna, Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Hayward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Corchero J, Manzanares J, Fuentes JA. Role of gonadal steroids in the corticotropin-releasing hormone and proopiomelanocortin gene expression response to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in the hypothalamus of the rat. Neuroendocrinology 2001; 74:185-92. [PMID: 11528220 DOI: 10.1159/000054685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) increases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression in the rat hypothalamus. The levels of circulating gonadal steroids concurrently modulate both neuropeptides in male and female rats. However, it remains unknown whether gonadal steroids regulate Delta(9)-THC effects on CRH and POMC gene expression in the hypothalamus of male and female rats. To explore this hypothesis, experiments were conducted on intact, 2-week-gonadectomized, 1-week-gonadectomized, 1-week-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)- or estradiol-replaced male and female rats. One week after hormonal replacement, animals were treated with vehicle or Delta(9)-THC (5 mg/kg/day, i.p. for 7 days). Administration of Delta(9)-THC to intact male rats increased CRH gene expression. Castration abolished Delta(9)-THC effects of CRH gene expression in males but not in females. On the other hand, POMC mRNA levels were reduced as a result of castration, and DHT treatment did not prevent this decrease. Delta(9)-THC treatment similarly increases POMC gene expression of intact, orchidectomized and DHT-replaced males. In females, ovariectomy decreased CRH gene expression. Delta(9)-THC administration increased CRH gene expression to the same extent in castrated and estradiol-replaced rats. On the other hand, POMC gene expression was increased by ovariectomy, and Delta(9)-THC administration did only increase POMC transcript levels in the estradiol-replaced group. These data show that gonadal steroids differentially regulate the effects of Delta(9)-THC on both CRH and POMC gene expression in the hypothalamus of male and female rats, suggesting gender differences in the reaction to cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Corchero
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Farmacia y Unidad de Cartografia Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España
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Morale MC, Gallo F, Tirolo C, Testa N, Caniglia S, Marletta N, Spina-Purrello V, Avola R, Caucci F, Tomasi P, Delitala G, Barden N, Marchetti B. Neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) circuitry from neuron-glial interactions to function: Focus on gender and HPA-HPG interactions on early programming of the NEI system. Immunol Cell Biol 2001; 79:400-17. [PMID: 11488988 DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1711.2001.01030.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems during ontogeny plays a pivotal role in programming the development of neuroendocrine and immune responses in adult life. Signals generated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (i.e. luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, LHRH, and sex steroids), and by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (glucocorticoids (GC)), are major players coordinating the development of immune system function. Conversely, products generated by immune system activation exert a powerful and long-lasting regulation on neuroendocrine axes activity. The neuroendocrine-immune system is very sensitive to preperinatal experiences, including hormonal manipulations and immune challenges, which may influence the future predisposition to several disease entities. We review our work on the ongoing mutual regulation of neuroendocrine and immune cell activities, both at a cellular and molecular level. In the central nervous system, one chief compartment is represented by the astroglial cell and its mediators. Hence, neuron-glial signalling cascades dictate major changes in response to hormonal manipulations and pro-inflammatory triggers. The interplay between LHRH, sex steroids, GC and pro-inflammatory mediators in some physiological and pathological states, together with the potential clinical implications of these findings, are summarized. The overall study highlights the plasticity of this intersystem cross-talk for pharmacological targeting with drugs acting at the neuroendocrine-immune interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Morale
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Bartesaghi R, Serrai A. Effects of early environment on granule cell morphology in the dentate gyrus of the guinea-pig. Neuroscience 2001; 102:87-100. [PMID: 11226672 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(00)00446-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine whether early environment affects the morphology of the dentate gyrus granule cells in the guinea-pig, a rodent whose brain is at an advanced stage of maturation at birth. Male and female guinea-pigs were assigned at six to seven days of age to either a control (social) or an isolated environment where they remained for 80-90 days. The dendritic tree and somata of the granule cells were quantified in Golgi-Cox-stained brains. The granule cells of isolated males had fewer dendritic branches and a shorter dendritic length than those of control males in the inner two-thirds of the dendritic tree, but a larger number of branches and a larger dendritic length in the distal one-fourth. In contrast, the granule cells of isolated females had a larger number of branches and a larger dendritic length than control females in the inner one-half of the dendritic tree and a reduced number of branches and a shorter dendritic length in the distal one-fourth. The granule cell somata were smaller in isolated than in control males. No such difference was observed in females. Sex differences were found in the granule cell morphology. In the control environment, the granule cells of males had more branches and a greater dendritic length in the inner one-half of the dendritic tree than those of females but fewer dendritic branches and a shorter dendritic length in the distal one-fourth. In the isolated environment, the granule cells of males had fewer branches and a shorter dendritic length in the inner two-thirds of the dendritic tree than females, but more dendritic branches and a greater dendritic length in the distal one-fourth. In the control environment male granule cells had a larger soma than those of females. The opposite occurred in the isolated environment. The results of this study indicate that early isolation induces remarkable structural changes in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus in a rodent whose brain is at an advanced stage of maturation at birth. They also indicate that the effects of environment are different at different levels of the dendritic tree and in the two sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bartesaghi
- Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana e Generale, Università di Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, I-40127, Bologna, Italy.
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Marchetti B, Gallo F, Farinella Z, Tirolo C, Testa N, Caniglia S, Morale MC. Gender, neuroendocrine-immune interactions and neuron-glial plasticity. Role of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Ann N Y Acad Sci 2001; 917:678-709. [PMID: 11268397 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb05434.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Signals generated by the hypothalamic-pitutary-gonadal (HPG) axis powerfully modulate immune system function. This article summarizes some aspects of the impact of gender in neuroendocrine immunomodulation. Emphasis is given to the astroglial cell compartment, defined as a key actor in neuroendocrine immune communications. In the brain, the principal hormones of the HPG axis directly interact with astroglial cells. Thus, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, LHRH, influences hypothalamic astrocyte development and growth, and hypothalamic astrocytes direct LHRH neuron differentiation. Hormonally induced changes in neuron-glial plasticity may dictate major changes in CNS output, and thus actively participate in sex dimorphic immune responses. The impact of gender in neuroimmunomodulation is further underlined by the sex dimorphism in the expression of genes encoding for neuroendocrine hormones and their receptors within the thymus, and by the potent modulation exerted by circulating sex steroids during development and immunization. The central role of glucocorticoids in the interactive communication between neuroendocrine and immune systems, and the impact of gender on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis modulation is underscored in transgenic mice expressing a glucocorticoid receptor antisense RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Marchetti
- Department of Pharmacology and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
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Watzka M, Bidlingmaier F, Beyenburg S, Henke RT, Clusmann H, Elger CE, Schramm J, Klingmüller D, Stoffel-Wagner B. Corticosteroid receptor mRNA expression in the brains of patients with epilepsy. Steroids 2000; 65:895-901. [PMID: 11077088 DOI: 10.1016/s0039-128x(00)00205-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The effects of corticosteroids in the brain are mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). We used a sensitive competitive RT-PCR assay to quantify the amounts of GR and MR mRNA in human brain tissue specimens from patients with focal epilepsies. GR and MR mRNAs were expressed at approximately the same levels in the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, and hippocampus as compared to tissues with high glucocorticoid/mineralocorticoid receptor expression (liver/kidney). GR and MR mRNA concentrations in the temporal lobe increased markedly during childhood and reached adult levels at puberty. GR and MR mRNA expression was significantly higher in the temporal lobe and frontal lobe cortex of women than in those of men. In women, MR and GR mRNA concentrations were markedly lower in hippocampal tissue than in frontal and temporal lobe cortex tissue. In conclusion, our data demonstrate sex- and site-dependent expression of corticosteroid receptor mRNA in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Watzka
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
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