1
|
Mier Quesada Z, Portillo W, Paredes RG. Behavioral evidence of the functional interaction between the main and accessory olfactory system suggests a large olfactory system with a high plastic capability. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1211644. [PMID: 37908970 PMCID: PMC10613685 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1211644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is fundamental in many species of mammals. In rodents, the integrity of this system is required for the expression of parental and sexual behavior, mate recognition, identification of predators, and finding food. Different anatomical and physiological evidence initially indicated the existence of two anatomically distinct chemosensory systems: The main olfactory system (MOS) and the accessory olfactory system (AOS). It was originally conceived that the MOS detected volatile odorants related to food, giving the animal information about the environment. The AOS, on the other hand, detected non-volatile sexually relevant olfactory cues that influence reproductive behaviors and neuroendocrine functions such as intermale aggression, sexual preference, maternal aggression, pregnancy block (Bruce effect), puberty acceleration (Vandenbergh effect), induction of estrous (Whitten effect) and sexual behavior. Over the last decade, several lines of evidence have demonstrated that although these systems could be anatomically separated, there are neuronal areas in which they are interconnected. Moreover, it is now clear that both the MOS and the AOS process both volatile and no-volatile odorants, indicating that they are also functionally interconnected. In the first part of the review, we will describe the behavioral evidence. In the second part, we will summarize data from our laboratory and other research groups demonstrating that sexual behavior in male and female rodents induces the formation of new neurons that reach the main and accessory olfactory bulbs from the subventricular zone. Three factors are essential for the neurons to reach the AOS and the MOS: The stimulation frequency, the stimulus's temporal presentation, and the release of opioids induced by sexual behavior. We propose that the AOS and the MOS are part of a large olfactory system with a high plastic capability, which favors the adaptation of species to different environmental signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zacnite Mier Quesada
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Santos ABD, Thaneshwaran S, Ali LK, Leguizamón CRR, Wang Y, Kristensen MP, Langkilde AE, Kohlmeier KA. Sex-dependent neuronal effects of α-synuclein reveal that GABAergic transmission is neuroprotective of sleep-controlling neurons. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:172. [PMID: 37710341 PMCID: PMC10500827 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01105-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep disorders (SDs) are a symptom of the prodromal phase of neurodegenerative disorders that are mechanistically linked to the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) including Parkinson's disease (PD). SDs during the prodromal phase could result from neurodegeneration induced in state-controlling neurons by accumulation of α-syn predominant early in the disease, and consistent with this, we reported the monomeric form of α-syn (monomeric α-syn; α-synM) caused cell death in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT), which controls arousal as well as the sleep and wakefulness state. However, we only examined the male LDT, and since sex is considered a risk factor for the development of α-syn-related diseases including prodromal SDs, the possibility exists of sex-based differences in α-synM effects. Accordingly, we examined the hypothesis that α-synM exerts differential effects on membrane excitability, intracellular calcium, and cell viability in the LDT of females compared to males. METHODS Patch clamp electrophysiology, bulk load calcium imaging, and cell death histochemistry were used in LDT brain slices to monitor responses to α-synM and effects of GABA receptor acting agents. RESULTS Consistent with our hypothesis, we found differing effects of α-synM on female LDT neurons when compared to male. In females, α-synM induced a decrease in membrane excitability and heightened reductions in intracellular calcium, which were reliant on functional inhibitory acid transmission, as well as decreased the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) with a concurrent reduction in action potential firing rate. Cell viability studies showed higher α-synM-mediated neurodegeneration in males compared to females that depended on inhibitory amino acid transmission. Further, presence of GABA receptor agonists was associated with reduced cell death in males. CONCLUSIONS When taken together, we conclude that α-synM induces a sex-dependent effect on LDT neurons involving a GABA receptor-mediated mechanism that is neuroprotective. Understanding the potential sex differences in neurodegenerative processes, especially those occurring early in the disease, could enable implementation of sex-based strategies to identify prodromal PD cases, and promote efforts to illuminate new directions for tailored treatment and management of PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Altair Brito Dos Santos
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
- Dept of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2200 Denmark
| | - Siganya Thaneshwaran
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| | - Lara Kamal Ali
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| | - César Ramón Romero Leguizamón
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| | | | - Annette E. Langkilde
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| | - Kristi A. Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100 Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xie W, Chen M, Shen Y, Liu Y, Zhang H, Weng Q. Vomeronasal Receptors Associated with Circulating Estrogen Processing Chemosensory Cues in Semi-Aquatic Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10724. [PMID: 37445898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In numerous animals, one essential chemosensory organ that detects chemical signals is the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is involved in species-specific behaviors, including social and sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism underlying the processing of chemosensory cues in semi-aquatic mammals using muskrats as the animal model. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) has a sensitive VNO system that activates seasonal breeding behaviors through receiving specific substances, including pheromones and hormones. Vomeronasal organ receptor type 1 (V1R) and type 2 (V2R) and estrogen receptor α and β (ERα and ERβ) were found in sensory epithelial cells, non-sensory epithelial cells and lamina propria cells of the female muskrats' VNO. V2R and ERα mRNA levels in the VNO during the breeding period declined sharply, in comparison to those during the non-breeding period, while V1R and ERβ mRNA levels were detected reversely. Additionally, transcriptomic study in the VNO identified that differently expressed genes might be related to estrogen signal and metabolic pathways. These findings suggested that the seasonal structural and functional changes in the VNO of female muskrats with different reproductive status and estrogen was regulated through binding to ERα and ERβ in the female muskrats' VNO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqian Xie
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Meiqi Chen
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuyao Shen
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuning Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haolin Zhang
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qiang Weng
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Maita I, Roepke TA, Samuels BA. Chronic stress-induced synaptic changes to corticotropin-releasing factor-signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:903782. [PMID: 35983475 PMCID: PMC9378865 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.903782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexually dimorphic bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is comprised of several distinct regions, some of which act as a hub for stress-induced changes in neural circuitry and behavior. In rodents, the anterodorsal BNST is especially affected by chronic exposure to stress, which results in alterations to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-signaling pathway, including CRF receptors and upstream regulators. Stress increases cellular excitability in BNST CRF+ neurons by potentiating miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitude, altering the resting membrane potential, and diminishing M-currents (a voltage-gated K+ current that stabilizes membrane potential). Rodent anterodorsal and anterolateral BNST neurons are also critical regulators of behavior, including avoidance of aversive contexts and fear learning (especially that of sustained threats). These rodent behaviors are historically associated with anxiety. Furthermore, BNST is implicated in stress-related mood disorders, including anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders in humans, and may be linked to sex differences found in mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Maita
- Samuels Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Troy A. Roepke
- Roepke Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Benjamin A. Samuels
- Samuels Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States,*Correspondence: Benjamin A. Samuels,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cross SKJ, Martin YH, Salia S, Gamba I, Major CA, Hassan S, Parsons KA, Swift-Gallant A. Puberty is a Critical Period for Vomeronasal Organ Mediation of Socio-sexual Behavior in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:606788. [PMID: 33551763 PMCID: PMC7862124 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.606788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic disruption of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), an organ responsible for pheromone processing, drastically alters socio-sexual behavior in mice. However, it is not known whether the VNO has a role during the pubertal organizational period when sex-typical socio-sexual behaviors emerge, or if disruption of the organ in adulthood is sufficient to alter socio-sexual behavior. To bypass the lifelong VNO disruption of genetic knockout models, we surgically ablated the VNO of male and female mice either during the peripubertal period [postnatal day (PND) 28–30] or adulthood (PND 58–60), with sham controls at both ages. We ruled out anosmia via the buried food test and assessed sexual odor preferences by simultaneously exposing mice to same- and opposite-sex soiled-bedding. We then measured territorial aggression with the resident-intruder paradigm and assessed sexual behavior in response to an encounter with an estrus-induced female. Neural activity approximated by FOS-immunoreactivity along the VNO-accessory olfactory pathway was measured in response to opposite-sex odors. We found that peripubertal VNO ablation decreased sexual odor preferences and neural activity in response to opposite-sex odors, and drastically reduced territorial aggression in male mice. Conversely, adult VNO ablation resulted in subtle differences in sexual odor preferences compared with sham controls. Regardless of the VNO condition, mice displayed sex-typical copulatory behaviors. Together, these results suggest that puberty is a critical period in development whereby the VNO contributes to the sexual differentiation of behavior and neural response to conspecific odors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K J Cross
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Yellow H Martin
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Stephanie Salia
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Iain Gamba
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Christina A Major
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Suhail Hassan
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Katelyn A Parsons
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Logan ML, Neel LK, Nicholson DJ, Stokes AJ, Miller CL, Chung AK, Curlis JD, Keegan KM, Rosso AA, Maayan I, Folfas E, Williams CE, Casement B, Gallegos Koyner MA, Padilla Perez DJ, Falvey CH, Alexander SM, Charles KL, Graham ZA, McMillan WO, Losos JB, Cox CL. Sex-specific microhabitat use is associated with sex-biased thermal physiology in Anolis lizards. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb235697. [PMID: 33328289 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.235697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
If fitness optima for a given trait differ between males and females in a population, sexual dimorphism may evolve. Sex-biased trait variation may affect patterns of habitat use, and if the microhabitats used by each sex have dissimilar microclimates, this can drive sex-specific selection on thermal physiology. Nevertheless, tests of differences between the sexes in thermal physiology are uncommon, and studies linking these differences to microhabitat use or behavior are even rarer. We examined microhabitat use and thermal physiology in two ectothermic congeners that are ecologically similar but differ in their degree of sexual size dimorphism. Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) exhibit male-biased sexual size dimorphism and live in thermally heterogeneous habitats, whereas slender anoles (Anolis apletophallus) are sexually monomorphic in body size and live in thermally homogeneous habitats. We hypothesized that differences in habitat use between the sexes would drive sexual divergence in thermal physiology in brown anoles, but not slender anoles, because male and female brown anoles may be exposed to divergent microclimates. We found that male and female brown anoles, but not slender anoles, used perches with different thermal characteristics and were sexually dimorphic in thermal tolerance traits. However, field-active body temperatures and behavior in a laboratory thermal arena did not differ between females and males in either species. Our results suggest that sexual dimorphism in thermal physiology can arise from phenotypic plasticity or sex-specific selection on traits that are linked to thermal tolerance, rather than from direct effects of thermal environments experienced by males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Logan
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Lauren K Neel
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Daniel J Nicholson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Andrew J Stokes
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Illinois Springfield, Springfield, IL 62703, USA
| | - Christina L Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Albert K Chung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - John David Curlis
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kaitlin M Keegan
- Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Adam A Rosso
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Inbar Maayan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Edite Folfas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Claire E Williams
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brianna Casement
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OH 44883, USA
| | - Maria A Gallegos Koyner
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | | | - Cleo H Falvey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Sean M Alexander
- Departement of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08901, USA
| | | | - Zackary A Graham
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Environment, Florida International University, FL 33199, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Maita I, Bazer A, Blackford JU, Samuels BA. Functional anatomy of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-hypothalamus neural circuitry: Implications for valence surveillance, addiction, feeding, and social behaviors. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:403-418. [PMID: 34225978 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00026-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a medial basal forebrain structure that modulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The heterogeneous subnuclei of the BNST integrate inputs from mood and reward-related areas and send direct inhibitory projections to the hypothalamus. The connections between the BNST and hypothalamus are conserved across species, promote activation of the HPA axis, and can increase avoidance of aversive environments, which is historically associated with anxiety behaviors. However, BNST-hypothalamus circuitry is also implicated in motivated behaviors, drug seeking, feeding, and sexual behavior. These complex and diverse roles, as well its sexual dimorphism, indicate that the BNST-hypothalamus circuitry is an essential component of the neural circuitry that may underlie various psychiatric diseases, ranging from anorexia to anxiety to addiction. The following review is a cross-species exploration of BNST-hypothalamus circuitry. First, we describe the BNST subnuclei, microcircuitry and complex reciprocal connections with the hypothalamus. We will then discuss the behavioral functions of BNST-hypothalamus circuitry, including valence surveillance, addiction, feeding, and social behavior. Finally, we will address sex differences in morphology and function of the BNST and hypothalamus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Maita
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Allyson Bazer
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jennifer Urbano Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States; Research Health Scientist, Tennessee Valley HealthCare System, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hammack SE, Braas KM, May V. Chemoarchitecture of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis: Neurophenotypic diversity and function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:385-402. [PMID: 34225977 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a compact but neurophenotypically complex structure in the ventral forebrain that is structurally and functionally linked to other limbic structures, including the amygdala nuclear complex, hypothalamic nuclei, hippocampus, and related midbrain structures, to participate in a wide range of functions, especially emotion, emotional learning, stress-related responses, and sexual behaviors. From a variety of sensory inputs, the BNST acts as a node for signal integration and coordination for information relay to downstream central neuroendocrine and autonomic centers for appropriate homeostatic physiological and behavioral responses. In contrast to the role of the amygdala in fear, the BNST has gained wide interest from work suggesting that it has main roles in mediating sustained responses to diffuse, unpredictable and/or long-duration threats that are typically associated with anxiety-related responses. Further, some BNST subregions are highly sexually dimorphic which appear contributory to the differential stress and social interactive behaviors, including reproductive responses, between males and females. Notably, maladaptive BNST neuroplasticity and function have been implicated in chronic pain, depression, anxiety-related abnormalities, and other psychopathologies including posttraumatic stress disorders. The BNST circuits are predominantly GABAergic-the glutaminergic neurons represent a minor population-but the complexity of the system results from an overlay of diverse neuropeptide coexpression in these neurons. More than a dozen neuropeptides may be differentially coexpressed in BNST neurons, and from variable G protein-coupled receptor signaling, may inhibit or activate downstream circuit activities. The mechanisms and roles of these peptides in modulating intrinsic BNST neurocircuit signaling and BNST long-distance target cell projections are still not well understood. Nevertheless, an understanding of some of the principal players may allow assembly of the circuit interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayamwong E Hammack
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Karen M Braas
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Victor May
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bayless DW, Yang T, Mason MM, Susanto AAT, Lobdell A, Shah NM. Limbic Neurons Shape Sex Recognition and Social Behavior in Sexually Naive Males. Cell 2019; 176:1190-1205.e20. [PMID: 30712868 PMCID: PMC6453703 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sexually naive animals have to distinguish between the sexes because they show species-typical interactions with males and females without meaningful prior experience. However, central neural pathways in naive mammals that recognize sex of other individuals remain poorly characterized. We examined the role of the principal component of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTpr), a limbic center, in social interactions in mice. We find that activity of aromatase-expressing BNSTpr (AB) neurons appears to encode sex of other animals and subsequent displays of mating in sexually naive males. Silencing these neurons in males eliminates preference for female pheromones and abrogates mating success, whereas activating them even transiently promotes male-male mating. Surprisingly, female AB neurons do not appear to control sex recognition, mating, or maternal aggression. In summary, AB neurons represent sex of other animals and govern ensuing social behaviors in sexually naive males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Bayless
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Taehong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Matthew M Mason
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Albert A T Susanto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alexandra Lobdell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Edwards KA, Madden AM, Zup SL. Serotonin receptor regulation as a potential mechanism for sexually dimorphic oxytocin dysregulation in a model of Autism. Brain Res 2018; 1701:85-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
11
|
Daghfous G, Auclair F, Clotten F, Létourneau JL, Atallah E, Millette JP, Derjean D, Robitaille R, Zielinski BS, Dubuc R. GABAergic modulation of olfactomotor transmission in lampreys. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005512. [PMID: 30286079 PMCID: PMC6191151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Odor-guided behaviors, including homing, predator avoidance, or food and mate searching, are ubiquitous in animals. It is only recently that the neural substrate underlying olfactomotor behaviors in vertebrates was uncovered in lampreys. It consists of a neural pathway extending from the medial part of the olfactory bulb (medOB) to locomotor control centers in the brainstem via a single relay in the caudal diencephalon. This hardwired olfactomotor pathway is present throughout life and may be responsible for the olfactory-induced motor behaviors seen at all life stages. We investigated modulatory mechanisms acting on this pathway by conducting anatomical (tract tracing and immunohistochemistry) and physiological (intracellular recordings and calcium imaging) experiments on lamprey brain preparations. We show that the GABAergic circuitry of the olfactory bulb (OB) acts as a gatekeeper of this hardwired sensorimotor pathway. We also demonstrate the presence of a novel olfactomotor pathway that originates in the non-medOB and consists of a projection to the lateral pallium (LPal) that, in turn, projects to the caudal diencephalon and to the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR). Our results indicate that olfactory inputs can induce behavioral responses by activating brain locomotor centers via two distinct pathways that are strongly modulated by GABA in the OB. The existence of segregated olfactory subsystems in lampreys suggests that the organization of the olfactory system in functional clusters may be a common ancestral trait of vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gheylen Daghfous
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - François Auclair
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Felix Clotten
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Luc Létourneau
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elias Atallah
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Patrick Millette
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dominique Derjean
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard Robitaille
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Barbara S. Zielinski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pinos H, Carrillo B, Díaz F, Chowen JA, Collado P. Differential vulnerability to adverse nutritional conditions in male and female rats: Modulatory role of estradiol during development. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 48:13-22. [PMID: 28754628 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have shown the importance of an adequate nutritional environment during development to optimally establish the neurohormonal circuits that regulate feeding behavior. Under- or over-nutrition during early stages of life can lead to alterations in the physiology and brain networks that control food intake, resulting in a greater vulnerability to suffer maladjustments in energy metabolism in adulthood. These alterations produced by under- or over-nourishment during development differ between males and females, as does the modulatory action that estradiol exerts on the alterations produced by malnutrition. Estradiol regulates metabolism and brain metabolic circuits through the same transcription factor pathway, STAT3, that leptin and ghrelin use to program feeding circuits. Although more research is needed to disentangle the actual role of estradiol during development on the programming of feeding circuits, a synergistic role together with leptin and/or ghrelin might be hypothesized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Pinos
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal n° 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Mixto de Investigación-Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (IMIENS), Spain
| | - Beatriz Carrillo
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal n° 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Mixto de Investigación-Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (IMIENS), Spain
| | - Francisca Díaz
- Departamento de Endocrinología, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo, N° 65, 28009 Madrid, Spain
| | - Julie A Chowen
- Departamento de Endocrinología, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo, N° 65, 28009 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Collado
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal n° 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Mixto de Investigación-Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (IMIENS), Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tomiyasu J, Kondoh D, Sakamoto H, Matsumoto N, Sasaki M, Kitamura N, Haneda S, Matsui M. Morphological and histological features of the vomeronasal organ in the brown bear. J Anat 2017; 231:749-757. [PMID: 28786107 PMCID: PMC5643918 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a peripheral receptor structure that is involved in reproductive behavior and is part of the vomeronasal system. Male bears exhibit flehmen behavior that is regarded as the uptake of pheromones into the VNO to detect estrus in females. However, the morphological and histological features of the VNO in bears have not been comprehensively studied. The present study investigated the properties and degree of development of the VNO of the brown bear by histological, histochemical and ultrastructural methods. The VNO of bears was located at the same position as that of many other mammals, and it opened to the mouth like the VNO of most carnivores. The shape of the vomeronasal cartilages and the histological features of the sensory epithelium in the bear VNO were essentially similar to those of dogs. Receptor cells in the VNO of the bear possessed both cilia and microvilli like those of dogs. The dendritic knobs of receptor cells were positive for anti-G protein alpha-i2 subunit (Gαi2 ) but negative for anti-G protein alpha-o subunit, indicating preferential use of the V1R-Gαi2 pathway in the vomeronasal system of bears, as in other carnivores. The VNO of the bear possessed three types of secretory cells (secretory cells of the vomeronasal gland, multicellular intraepithelial gland cells and goblet cells), and the present findings showed that the secretory granules in these cells also had various properties. The vomeronasal lumen at the middle region of the VNO invaginated toward the ventral region, and this invagination contained tightly packed multicellular intraepithelial gland cells. To our knowledge, this invagination and intraepithelial gland masses in the VNO are unique features of brown bears. The VNO in the brown bear, especially the secretory system, is morphologically well-developed, suggesting that this organ is significant for information transmission in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Laboratory of TheriogenologyDepartment of Applied Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary SciencesGifu UniversityGifuJapan
| | - Daisuke Kondoh
- Laboratory of Veterinary AnatomyDepartment of Basic Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
| | | | | | - Motoki Sasaki
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary SciencesGifu UniversityGifuJapan
- Laboratory of Veterinary AnatomyDepartment of Basic Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
| | - Nobuo Kitamura
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary SciencesGifu UniversityGifuJapan
- Laboratory of Veterinary AnatomyDepartment of Basic Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
| | - Shingo Haneda
- Laboratory of TheriogenologyDepartment of Applied Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
| | - Motozumi Matsui
- Laboratory of TheriogenologyDepartment of Applied Veterinary MedicineObihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicineObihiroHokkaidoJapan
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary SciencesGifu UniversityGifuJapan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kim Y, Yang GR, Pradhan K, Venkataraju KU, Bota M, García Del Molino LC, Fitzgerald G, Ram K, He M, Levine JM, Mitra P, Huang ZJ, Wang XJ, Osten P. Brain-wide Maps Reveal Stereotyped Cell-Type-Based Cortical Architecture and Subcortical Sexual Dimorphism. Cell 2017; 171:456-469.e22. [PMID: 28985566 PMCID: PMC5870827 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The stereotyped features of neuronal circuits are those most likely to explain the remarkable capacity of the brain to process information and govern behaviors, yet it has not been possible to comprehensively quantify neuronal distributions across animals or genders due to the size and complexity of the mammalian brain. Here we apply our quantitative brain-wide (qBrain) mapping platform to document the stereotyped distributions of mainly inhibitory cell types. We discover an unexpected cortical organizing principle: sensory-motor areas are dominated by output-modulating parvalbumin-positive interneurons, whereas association, including frontal, areas are dominated by input-modulating somatostatin-positive interneurons. Furthermore, we identify local cell type distributions with more cells in the female brain in 10 out of 11 sexually dimorphic subcortical areas, in contrast to the overall larger brains in males. The qBrain resource can be further mined to link stereotyped aspects of neuronal distributions to known and unknown functions of diverse brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongsoo Kim
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA; College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | | | - Kith Pradhan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | | | - Mihail Bota
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | | | - Greg Fitzgerald
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Keerthi Ram
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, IIT Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Miao He
- Institute of Brain Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jesse Maurica Levine
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA
| | - Partha Mitra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Z Josh Huang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, 10003, USA; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Swift-Gallant A, Monks DA. Androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 46:32-45. [PMID: 28455096 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Testicular androgens are the major endocrine factor promoting masculine phenotypes in vertebrates, but androgen signaling is complex and operates via multiple signaling pathways and sites of action. Recently, selective androgen receptor mutants have been engineered to study androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. The focus of these studies has been to evaluate androgenic mechanisms within the nervous system by manipulating androgen receptor conditionally in neural tissues. Here we review both the effects of neural loss of AR function as well as the effects of neural overexpression of AR in relation to global AR mutants. Although some studies have conformed to our expectations, others have proved challenging to assumptions underlying the dominant hypotheses. Notably, these studies have called into question both the primacy of direct, neural mechanisms and also the linearity of the relationship between androgenic dose and sexual differentiation of brain and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - D A Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Marking S, Krosnowski K, Ogura T, Lin W. Dichotomous Distribution of Putative Cholinergic Interneurons in Mouse Accessory Olfactory Bulb. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:10. [PMID: 28289379 PMCID: PMC5326757 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory information processing in the olfactory bulb (OB) relies on diverse populations of bulbar interneurons. In rodents, the accessory OB (AOB) is divided into two bulbar regions, the anterior (aAOB) and posterior (pAOB), which differ substantially in their circuitry connections and associated behaviors. We previously identified and characterized a large number of morphologically diverse cholinergic interneurons in the main OB (MOB) using transgenic mice to visualize the cell bodies of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT-expressing neurons and immunolabeling (Krosnowski et al., 2012)). However, whether there are cholinergic neurons in the AOB is controversial and there is no detailed characterization of such neurons. Using the same line of ChAT(bacterial artificial chromosome, BAC)-enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) transgenic mice, we investigated cholinergic neurons in the AOB. We found significant differences in the number and location of GFP-expressing (GFP+), putative cholinergic interneurons between the aAOB and pAOB. The highest numbers of GFP+ interneurons were found in the aAOB glomerular layer (aGL) and pAOB mitral/tufted cell layer (pMCL). We also noted a high density of GFP+ interneurons encircling the border region of the pMCL. Interestingly, a small subset of glomeruli in the middle of the GL receives strong MCL GFP+ nerve processes. These local putative cholinergic-innervated glomeruli are situated just outside the aGL, setting the boundary between the pGL and aGL. Many but not all GFP+ neurons in the AOB were weakly labeled with antibodies against ChAT and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). We further determined if these GFP+ interneurons differ from other previously characterized interneuron populations in the AOB and found that AOB GFP+ interneurons express neither GABAergic nor dopaminergic markers and most also do not express the glutamatergic marker. Similar to the cholinergic interneurons of the MOB, some AOB GFP+ interneurons express the calcium binding protein, calbindin-D28K. Moreover, exposure to either a male intruder or soiled bedding from a mating cage leads to an increase in the number of c-Fos-expressing MCL GFP+ neurons. Taken together, our data reveal a population of largely unidentified putative cholinergic neurons in the AOB. Their dichotomous distribution in the aAOB and pAOB suggests region-specific cholinergic involvement in olfactory information processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Marking
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kurt Krosnowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tatsuya Ogura
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Weihong Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Machado TR, Alves GJ, Quinteiro-Filho WM, Palermo-Neto J. Cohabitation with an Ehrlich tumor-bearing cagemate induces immune but not behavioral changes in male mice. Physiol Behav 2017; 169:82-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
|
18
|
Xue F, Fang G, Yue X, Zhao E, Brauth SE, Tang Y. A lateralized functional auditory network is involved in anuran sexual selection. J Biosci 2016; 41:713-726. [PMID: 27966491 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-016-9638-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Right ear advantage (REA) exists in many land vertebrates in which the right ear and left hemisphere preferentially process conspecific acoustic stimuli such as those related to sexual selection. Although ecological and neural mechanisms for sexual selection have been widely studied, the brain networks involved are still poorly understood. In this study we used multi-channel electroencephalographic data in combination with Granger causal connectivity analysis to demonstrate, for the first time, that auditory neural network interconnecting the left and right midbrain and forebrain function asymmetrically in the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina), an anuran species which exhibits REA. The results showed the network was lateralized. Ascending connections between the mesencephalon and telencephalon were stronger in the left side while descending ones were stronger in the right, which matched with the REA in this species and implied that inhibition from the forebrainmay induce REA partly. Connections from the telencephalon to ipsilateral mesencephalon in response to white noise were the highest in the non-reproductive stage while those to advertisement calls were the highest in reproductive stage, implying the attention resources and living strategy shift when entered the reproductive season. Finally, these connection changes were sexually dimorphic, revealing sex differences in reproductive roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xue
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Guillamon A, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E. A Review of the Status of Brain Structure Research in Transsexualism. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:1615-48. [PMID: 27255307 PMCID: PMC4987404 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The present review focuses on the brain structure of male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) homosexual transsexuals before and after cross-sex hormone treatment as shown by in vivo neuroimaging techniques. Cortical thickness and diffusion tensor imaging studies suggest that the brain of MtFs presents complex mixtures of masculine, feminine, and demasculinized regions, while FtMs show feminine, masculine, and defeminized regions. Consequently, the specific brain phenotypes proposed for MtFs and FtMs differ from those of both heterosexual males and females. These phenotypes have theoretical implications for brain intersexuality, asymmetry, and body perception in transsexuals as well as for Blanchard's hypothesis on sexual orientation in homosexual MtFs. Falling within the aegis of the neurohormonal theory of sex differences, we hypothesize that cortical differences between homosexual MtFs and FtMs and male and female controls are due to differently timed cortical thinning in different regions for each group. Cross-sex hormone studies have reported marked effects of the treatment on MtF and FtM brains. Their results are used to discuss the early postmortem histological studies of the MtF brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Guillamon
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, c/Juand del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Academia de Psicología de España, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carme Junque
- Departamento de Psiquiatría y Psicobiología Clínica, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Gómez-Gil
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- Unidad de Identidad de Género, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Aland RC, Gosden E, Bradley AJ. Seasonal morphometry of the vomeronasal organ in the marsupial mouse, Antechinus subtropicus. J Morphol 2016; 277:1517-1530. [PMID: 27641160 PMCID: PMC5095805 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal system consists of a peripheral organ and the connected central neuronal networks. The central connections are sexually dimorphic in rodents, and in some species, parameters of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) vary with sex, hormonal exposure, body size and seasonality. The VNO of the dasyurid marsupial mouse, Antechinus subtropicus is presumed to be functional. The unusual life history (male semelparity) is marked by distinct seasonality with differences in hormonal environments both between males and females, and in males at different time points. Body size parameters (e.g., length, weight) display sexual dimorphism and, in males, a pronounced weight gain before breeding is followed by a rapid decline during the single, short reproductive season. VNO morphometry was investigated in male and female A. subtropicus to identify possible life cycle associated activity. The overall length of the VNO is positively correlated with the size of the animal. The amount of sensory epithelium exhibits a negative correlation, decreasing with increasing size of the animal. The effects of sex and breeding condition are not obvious, although they do suggest that sensory vomeronasal epithelium mass declines in the breeding period. The VNO may be more important in A. subtropicus before breeding when it may participate in synchronising reproduction and in the development of the male stress response. J. Morphol. 277:1517–1530, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Claire Aland
- School of Rural Medicine, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. .,School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Edward Gosden
- Research Methods Group, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Adrian J Bradley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kaasinen V, Joutsa J, Noponen T, Johansson J, Seppänen M. Effects of aging and gender on striatal and extrastriatal [ 123 I]FP-CIT binding in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:1757-1763. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
22
|
Raznahan A, Lue Y, Probst F, Greenstein D, Giedd J, Wang C, Lerch J, Swerdloff R. Triangulating the sexually dimorphic brain through high-resolution neuroimaging of murine sex chromosome aneuploidies. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3581-93. [PMID: 25146308 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0875-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Murine sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) provide powerful models for charting sex chromosome influences on mammalian brain development. Here, building on prior work in X-monosomic (XO) mice, we use spatially non-biased high-resolution imaging to compare and contrast neuroanatomical alterations in XXY and XO mice relative to their wild-type XX and XY littermates. First, we show that carriage of a supernumerary X chromosome in XXY males (1) does not prevent normative volumetric masculinization of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala, but (2) causes distributed anatomical alterations relative to XY males, which show a statistically unexpected tendency to be co-localized with and reciprocal to XO-XX differences in anatomy. These overlaps identify the lateral septum, BNST, ventral group thalamic nuclei and periaqueductal gray matter as regions with replicable sensitivity to X chromosome dose across two SCAs. We then harness anatomical variation across all four karyotype groups in our study--XO, XX, XY and XXY--to create an agnostic data-driven segmentation of the mouse brain into five distributed clusters which (1) recover fundamental properties of brain organization with high spatial precision, (2) define two previously uncharacterized systems of relative volume excess in females vs. males ("forebrain cholinergic" and "cerebelo-pontine-thalamo-cortical"), and (3) adopt stereotyped spatial motifs which delineate ordered gradients of sex chromosome and gonadal influences on volumetric brain development. Taken together, these data provide a new framework for the study of sexually dimorphic influences on brain development in health and disrupted brain development in SCA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armin Raznahan
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Rm 4C108, Building 20, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20815, USA.
| | - YanHe Lue
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Los Angele Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Frank Probst
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deanna Greenstein
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Rm 4C108, Building 20, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Jay Giedd
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Rm 4C108, Building 20, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Christina Wang
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Los Angele Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Jason Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental, The Hospital for Sick Children Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ronald Swerdloff
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Los Angele Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Leite C, Madeira MD, Sá SI. Effects of sex steroids and estrogen receptor agonists on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha in the principal division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of female rats. Brain Res 2014; 1582:99-106. [PMID: 25087654 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen actions on neurons of the principal division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpr) are essential for the regulation of female sexual behavior. However, little is known about the effects of estradiol and progesterone (P) on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression in this nucleus. To study this subject, we used stereological methods to estimate the total number of ERα-immunoreactive (ERα-ir) neurons in the BNSTpr of female rats at each stage of the estrous cycle and of ovariectomized rats after administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) and/or P. To ascertain the percentage of ERα-positive neurons in the BNSTpr, the total number of neurons in this nucleus was also estimated. In order to identify the specific role played by the selective activation of each ER in the expression of ERα, ovariectomized rats were injected with the ERα agonist, propyl-pyrazole triol (PPT), or the ERβ agonist, diaryl-propionitrile (DPN). Data show that ERα is expressed in 40-60% of the BNSTpr neurons and that the number of ERα-ir neurons is lowest at proestrus. This value is paralleled by the administration of EB. The number of ERα-ir neurons was not modified by P. PPT induced no changes in the number of ERα-ir neurons. Contrariwise, DPN induced a decrease in the total number of ERα-ir neurons to values similar to those of EB-treated rats. These results show that P has no effect in the modulation of ERα expression and demonstrate that estradiol regulation of ERα in BNSTpr neurons is mediated by activation of ERβ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Leite
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Dulce Madeira
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Isabel Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wu Z, Autry AE, Bergan JF, Watabe-Uchida M, Dulac CG. Galanin neurons in the medial preoptic area govern parental behaviour. Nature 2014; 509:325-30. [PMID: 24828191 PMCID: PMC4105201 DOI: 10.1038/nature13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Mice display robust, stereotyped behaviors toward pups: virgin males typically attack pups, while virgin females and sexually experienced males and females display parental care. We show here that virgin males genetically impaired in vomeronasal sensing do not attack pups and are parental. Further, we uncover a subset of galanin-expressing neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) that are specifically activated during male and female parenting, and a different subpopulation activated during mating. Genetic ablation of MPOA galanin neurons results in dramatic impairment of parental responses in males and females and affects male mating. Optogenetic activation of these neurons in virgin males suppresses inter-male and pup-directed aggression and induces pup grooming. Thus, MPOA galanin neurons emerge as an essential regulatory node of male and female parenting behavior and other social responses. These results provide an entry point to a circuit-level dissection of parental behavior and its modulation by social experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Anita E Autry
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Joseph F Bergan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Mitsuko Watabe-Uchida
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Catherine G Dulac
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zubiaurre-Elorza L, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E, Guillamon A. Effects of Cross-Sex Hormone Treatment on Cortical Thickness in Transsexual Individuals. J Sex Med 2014; 11:1248-61. [DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
26
|
Liu Y, Lieberwirth C, Jia X, Curtis JT, Meredith M, Wang ZX. Chemosensory cues affect amygdaloid neurogenesis and alter behaviors in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1632-41. [PMID: 24641515 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined the effects of pheromonal exposure on adult neurogenesis and revealed the role of the olfactory pathways on adult neurogenesis and behavior in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Subjects were injected with a cell proliferation marker [5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)] and then exposed to their own soiled bedding or bedding soiled by a same- or opposite-sex conspecific. Exposure to opposite-sex bedding increased BrdU labeling in the amygdala (AMY), but not the dentate gyrus (DG), of female, but not male, voles, indicating a sex-, stimulus-, and brain region-specific effect. The removal of the main olfactory bulbs or lesioning of the vomeronasal organ (VNOX) in females reduced BrdU labeling in the AMY and DG, and inhibited the male bedding-induced BrdU labeling in the AMY, revealing the importance of an intact olfactory pathway for amygdaloid neurogenesis. VNOX increased anxiety-like behavior and altered social preference, but it did not affect social recognition memory in female voles. VNOX also reduced the percentage of BrdU-labeled cells that co-expressed the neuronal marker TuJ1 in the AMY, but not the DG. Together, our data indicate the importance of the olfactory pathway in mediating brain plasticity in the limbic system as well as its role in behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Liu
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Petrulis A. Chemosignals and hormones in the neural control of mammalian sexual behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2013; 34:255-67. [PMID: 23911848 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Males and females of most mammalian species depend on chemosignals to find, attract and evaluate mates and, in most cases, these appetitive sexual behaviors are strongly modulated by activational and organizational effects of sex steroids. The neural circuit underlying chemosensory-mediated pre- and peri-copulatory behavior involves the medial amygdala (MA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial preoptic area (MPOA) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), each area being subdivided into interconnected chemoreceptive and hormone-sensitive zones. For males, MA-BNST connections mediate chemoinvestigation whereas the MA-MPOA pathway regulates copulatory initiation. For females, MA-MPOA/BNST connections also control aspects of precopulatory behavior whereas MA-VMH projections control both precopulatory and copulatory behavior. Significant gaps in understanding remain, including the role of VMH in male behavior and MPOA in female appetitive behavior, the function of cortical amygdala, the underlying chemical architecture of this circuit and sex differences in hormonal and neurochemical regulation of precopulatory behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aras Petrulis
- Georgia State University, Neuroscience Institute, 100 Piedmont Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pérez-Laso C, Ortega E, Martín JLR, Pérez-Izquierdo MA, Gómez F, Segovia S, Del Cerro MCR. Maternal care interacts with prenatal stress in altering sexual dimorphism in male rats. Horm Behav 2013; 64:624-33. [PMID: 23994571 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study analyzes the interaction between prenatal stress and mother's behavior on brain, hormonal, and behavioral development of male offspring in rats. It extends to males our previous findings, in females, that maternal care can alter behavioral dimorphism that becomes evident in the neonates when they mature. Experiment 1 compares the maternal behavior of foster mothers toward cross-fostered pups versus mothers rearing their own litters. Experiment 2 ascertains the induced "maternal" behavior of the male pups, derived from Experiment 1 when they reached maturity. The most striking effect was that the males non-exposed to the stress as fetuses and raised by stressed foster mothers showed the highest levels of "maternal" behavior of all the groups (i.e., induction of maternal behavior and retrieving behavior), not differing from the control, unstressed, female groups. Furthermore, those males showed significantly fewer olfactory bulb mitral cells than the control males that were non-stressed as fetuses and raised by their own non-stressed mothers. They also presented the lowest levels of plasma testosterone of all the male groups. The present findings provide evidence that prenatal environmental stress can "demasculinize" the behavior, brain anatomy and hormone secretion in the male fetuses expressed when they reach maturity. Moreover, the nature of the maternal care received by neonates can affect the behavior and physiology that they express at maturity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Pérez-Laso
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, C/Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
The amygdala in the guinea pig is sexually dimorphic—A morphometric study. Brain Res 2013; 1524:44-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
30
|
Faass O, Ceccatelli R, Schlumpf M, Lichtensteiger W. Developmental effects of perinatal exposure to PBDE and PCB on gene expression in sexually dimorphic rat brain regions and female sexual behavior. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 188:232-41. [PMID: 23619185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2013] [Revised: 03/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The developing nervous system is a potential target of environmental contaminants such as polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE), which accumulate in the biosphere. We compared effects of 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromo-BDE (PBDE99), a PBDE congener present in environmental samples, and PCB on brain development. Time-pregnant rats were subcutaneously injected with PBDE99 (1 or 10mg/kg), the PCB mixture Aroclor 1254 (10mg/kg), or vehicle from gestational day 10-18. mRNA levels of genes involved in central control of reproductive functions and sexual behavior were analyzed by real time RT PCR in two sexually dimorphic brain regions, medial preoptic area (MPO) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of adult offspring of both sexes. Exposure to PBDE99 or the PCB mixture during pre- and postnatal development affected mRNA expression levels in a treatment-, region- and sex-specific manner, and changed the sensitivity of target genes to estradiol. The sex difference in progesterone receptor mRNA levels of VMH normally seen in untreated controls was abolished by both, PBDE99 and PCB. Estrous cycles were significantly affected, and preliminary experiments suggest an impairment of female sexual behavior. Our data indicate that developmental exposure to PBDE99 at doses below signs of general toxicity affects the regulation of estrogen target genes in rat brain. Since PBDE99 was detected in blood and adipose tissue of adult offspring, these effects may result from interactions with developmental processes, with adult functions, or a combination of both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Faass
- GREEN Tox and Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression and conditioned place aversion during protracted withdrawal from chronic intermittent escalating-dose heroin in POMC-EGFP promoter transgenic mice. Neuroscience 2013; 236:220-32. [PMID: 23337531 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In heroin-dependent individuals, the drive to avoid or ameliorate the negative affective/emotional state associated with the discontinuation of heroin contributes to the chronic relapsing nature of the disease. Here, we investigate changes in proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression at three time points across an extended period of heroin withdrawal in a clinically relevant rodent model of addiction using conditioned place aversion (CPA) in POMC-EGFP (POMC-enhanced green fluorescent protein) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice. Neurons expressing POMC-EGFP were found in the medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeA), basomedial amygdala (BMA) and dentate gyrus of hippocampus (DG), as well as the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus (ARC). Heroin-treated mice displayed robust CPA after acute spontaneous withdrawal (12h), which persisted across the extended (14days) withdrawal period. After 12-h withdrawal, heroin-treated mice showed lower signal intensity of POMC-EGFP-positive cells in the ARC, higher levels of POMC mRNA in the amygdala but lower levels in the hippocampus than saline controls. After 7-d withdrawal, heroin-treated mice showed fewer POMC-EGFP-positive cells in the MeA and lower POMC mRNA in the amygdala than saline controls. After extended (14days) withdrawal, heroin-treated mice showed more POMC-EGFP-positive cells in BMA and DG, increased intensity of POMC-EGFP signal in DG, and higher POMC mRNA levels in the hippocampus compared to controls. Our results show dynamic changes in POMC in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic regions that may contribute to the negative affective/emotional state of heroin withdrawal shown by CPA from acute to extended periods of heroin withdrawal.
Collapse
|
32
|
Gleave JA, Wong MD, Dazai J, Altaf M, Henkelman RM, Lerch JP, Nieman BJ. Neuroanatomical phenotyping of the mouse brain with three-dimensional autofluorescence imaging. Physiol Genomics 2012; 44:778-85. [PMID: 22718750 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00055.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural organization of the brain is important for normal brain function and is critical to understand in order to evaluate changes that occur during disease processes. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the mouse brain is necessary to appreciate the spatial context of structures within the brain. In addition, the small scale of many brain structures necessitates resolution at the ∼10 μm scale. 3D optical imaging techniques, such as optical projection tomography (OPT), have the ability to image intact large specimens (1 cm(3)) with ∼5 μm resolution. In this work we assessed the potential of autofluorescence optical imaging methods, and specifically OPT, for phenotyping the mouse brain. We found that both specimen size and fixation methods affected the quality of the OPT image. Based on these findings we developed a specimen preparation method to improve the images. Using this method we assessed the potential of optical imaging for phenotyping. Phenotypic differences between wild-type male and female mice were quantified using computer-automated methods. We found that optical imaging of the endogenous autofluorescence in the mouse brain allows for 3D characterization of neuroanatomy and detailed analysis of brain phenotypes. This will be a powerful tool for understanding mouse models of disease and development and is a technology that fits easily within the workflow of biology and neuroscience labs.
Collapse
|
33
|
Pereno GL, Balaszczuk V, Beltramino CA. Effect of sex differences and gonadal hormones on kainic acid-induced neurodegeneration in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the rat. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 64:283-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.etp.2010.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2010] [Revised: 08/29/2010] [Accepted: 08/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
34
|
Rametti G, Carrillo B, Gómez-Gil E, Junque C, Zubiarre-Elorza L, Segovia S, Gomez Á, Guillamon A. The microstructure of white matter in male to female transsexuals before cross-sex hormonal treatment. A DTI study. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:949-54. [PMID: 21195418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2010] [Revised: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 11/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been shown to be sensitive in detecting white matter differences between sexes. Before cross-sex hormone treatment female to male transsexuals (FtM) differ from females but not from males in several brain fibers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether white matter patterns in male to female (MtF) transsexuals before commencing cross-sex hormone treatment are also more similar to those of their biological sex or whether they are more similar to those of their gender identity. METHOD DTI was performed in 18 MtF transsexuals and 19 male and 19 female controls scanned with a 3 T Trio Tim Magneton. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was performed on white matter of the whole brain, which was spatially analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. RESULTS MtF transsexuals differed from both male and female controls bilaterally in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, the right anterior cingulum, the right forceps minor, and the right corticospinal tract. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the white matter microstructure pattern in untreated MtF transsexuals falls halfway between the pattern of male and female controls. The nature of these differences suggests that some fasciculi do not complete the masculinization process in MtF transsexuals during brain development.
Collapse
|
35
|
Rametti G, Carrillo B, Gómez-Gil E, Junque C, Segovia S, Gomez Á, Guillamon A. White matter microstructure in female to male transsexuals before cross-sex hormonal treatment. A diffusion tensor imaging study. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:199-204. [PMID: 20562024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2010] [Revised: 05/10/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some gray and white matter regions of the brain are sexually dimorphic. The best MRI technique for identifying subtle differences in white matter is diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether white matter patterns in female to male (FtM) transsexuals before commencing cross-sex hormone treatment are more similar to that of their biological sex or to that of their gender identity. METHOD DTI was performed in 18 FtM transsexuals and 24 male and 19 female heterosexual controls scanned with a 3 T Trio Tim Magneton. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was performed on white matter fibers of the whole brain, which was spatially analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. RESULTS In controls, males have significantly higher FA values than females in the medial and posterior parts of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), the forceps minor, and the corticospinal tract. Compared to control females, FtM showed higher FA values in posterior part of the right SLF, the forceps minor and corticospinal tract. Compared to control males, FtM showed only lower FA values in the corticospinal tract. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the white matter microstructure pattern in untreated FtM transsexuals is closer to the pattern of subjects who share their gender identity (males) than those who share their biological sex (females). Our results provide evidence for an inherent difference in the brain structure of FtM transsexuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Rametti
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Arakawa H, Arakawa K, Deak T. Oxytocin and vasopressin in the medial amygdala differentially modulate approach and avoidance behavior toward illness-related social odor. Neuroscience 2010; 171:1141-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2010] [Revised: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 10/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
37
|
Pereno GL, Balaszczuk V, Beltramino CA. Detection of conspecific pheromones elicits fos expression in GABA and calcium-binding cells of the rat vomeronasal system-medial extended amygdala. J Physiol Biochem 2010; 67:71-85. [PMID: 20938761 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-010-0051-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The olfactory accessory system is specialized in the detection of pheromones, being an afferent to medial extended amygdala. In spite of the fact that numerous phenotypes are found in these structures, in the current literature, there are no detailed descriptions about the phenotype of neurons in the vomeronasal system-medial extended amygdala after their activation by pheromonal stimuli. Using immunohistochemistry for fos and dual immunohistochemistry for fos and phenotypes, here we show that females have a greater number of activated neurons by the pheromonal stimulus. Likewise, a great colocalization of fos with GABA, calretinin, and calbindin was observed in the vomeronasal system-medial extended amygdala. These data suggest that in amygdaloid areas, neuronal excitability is controlled by GABAergic neurons that contain different calcium-binding proteins, indicating the important role of inhibitory control on the incoming sensory pheromonal and olfactory inputs controlled and processed by the vomeronasal system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- German Leandro Pereno
- Cátedra de Neurofisiología y Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo esquina Enrique Barros, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Martini M, Miceli D, Gotti S, Viglietti-Panzica C, Fissore E, Palanza P, Panzica G. Effects of perinatal administration of Bisphenol A on the neuronal nitric oxide synthase expressing system in the hypothalamus and limbic system of CD1 mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2010; 22:1004-12. [PMID: 20561153 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.02043.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known plastic-derived pollutant that can bind to oestrogen receptors and is considered an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Its impact on different behaviours in rodents has been largely investigated, however, only a few data are available on its effects upon neural circuits. In the present study, we investigated the long-term effects of early exposure of mice of both sexes to BPA on the nitrinergic system, one of the neural systems involved in the control of sexual behaviour and under the control of gonadal hormones. Mice of both sexes were exposed for eight prenatal and eight postnatal days to BPA that was administered to the mothers. The maternally-exposed mice were sacrificed at the age of 2 months and their brains were sectioned and immunohistochemically treated for the detection of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). Significant effects of BPA exposure were detected for the number of immunoreactive cells in the medial preoptic nucleus and in the ventromedial subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, in a sex-oriented and dose-dependent way. These results indicate that BPA has a powerful effect on specific portions of the nNOS-immunoreactive system belonging to the accessory olfactory system that are particularly important for the control of sexual behaviour. In addition, they confirm that perinatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, in particular to BPA, may have a high impact on the organisation of specific neural pathways that can later affect complex behaviours and functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Martini
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Anatomy, Pharmacology and Forensic Medicine, Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Bonthuis P, Cox K, Searcy B, Kumar P, Tobet S, Rissman E. Of mice and rats: key species variations in the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2010; 31:341-58. [PMID: 20457175 PMCID: PMC2910167 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2010] [Revised: 05/04/2010] [Accepted: 05/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mice and rats are important mammalian models in biomedical research. In contrast to other biomedical fields, work on sexual differentiation of brain and behavior has traditionally utilized comparative animal models. As mice are gaining in popularity, it is essential to acknowledge the differences between these two rodents. Here we review neural and behavioral sexual dimorphisms in rats and mice, which highlight species differences and experimental gaps in the literature, that are needed for direct species comparisons. Moving forward, investigators must answer fundamental questions about their chosen organism, and attend to both species and strain differences as they select the optimal animal models for their research questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P.J. Bonthuis
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - K.H. Cox
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - B.T. Searcy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - P. Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - S. Tobet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - E.F. Rissman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Maternal care counteracts behavioral effects of prenatal environmental stress in female rats. Behav Brain Res 2010; 208:593-602. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2009] [Revised: 01/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
41
|
Keller M, Pawluski JL, Brock O, Douhard Q, Bakker J. The alpha-fetoprotein knock-out mouse model suggests that parental behavior is sexually differentiated under the influence of prenatal estradiol. Horm Behav 2010; 57:434-40. [PMID: 20109458 PMCID: PMC4298041 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Revised: 01/20/2010] [Accepted: 01/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In rodent species, sexual differentiation of the brain for many reproductive processes depends largely on estradiol. This was recently confirmed again by using the alpha-fetoprotein knockout (AFP-KO) mouse model, which lacks the protective actions of alpha-fetoprotein against maternal estradiol and as a result represents a good model to determine the contribution of prenatal estradiol to the sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. Female AFP-KO mice were defeminized and masculinized with regard to their neuroendocrine responses as well as sexual behavior. Since parental behavior is also strongly sexually differentiated in mice, we used the AFP-KO mouse model here to ask whether parental responses are differentiated prenatally under the influence of estradiol. It was found that AFP-KO females showed longer latencies to retrieve pups to the nest and also exhibited lower levels of crouching over the pups in the nest in comparison to WT females. In fact, they resembled males (WT and AFP-KO). Other measures of maternal behavior, for example the incidence of infanticide, tended to be higher in AFP-KO females than in WT females but this increase failed to reach statistical significance. The deficits observed in parental behavior of AFP-KO females could not be explained by any changes in olfactory function, novelty recognition or anxiety. Thus our results suggest that prenatal estradiol defeminizes the parental brain in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Keller
- INRA, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
The main and the accessory olfactory systems interact in the control of mate recognition and sexual behavior. Behav Brain Res 2009; 200:268-76. [PMID: 19374011 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In the field of sensory perception, one noticeable fact regarding olfactory perception is the existence of several olfactory subsystems involved in the detection and processing of olfactory information. Indeed, the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system is usually conceived as being involved in the processing of pheromones as it is closely connected to the hypothalamus, thereby controlling reproductive function. By contrast, the main olfactory system is considered as a general analyzer of volatile chemosignals, used in the context of social communication, for the identification of the status of conspecifics. The respective roles played by the main and the accessory olfactory systems in the control of mate recognition and sexual behavior are at present still controversial. We summarize in this review recent results showing that both the main and accessory olfactory systems are able to process partially overlapping sets of sexual chemosignals and that both systems support complimentary aspects in mate recognition and in the control of sexual behavior.
Collapse
|
43
|
Doty RL, Cameron EL. Sex differences and reproductive hormone influences on human odor perception. Physiol Behav 2009; 97:213-28. [PMID: 19272398 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2009] [Revised: 01/29/2009] [Accepted: 02/20/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The question of whether men and women differ in their ability to smell has been the topic of scientific investigation for over a hundred years. Although conflicting findings abound, most studies suggest that, for at least some odorants, women outperform men on tests of odor detection, identification, discrimination, and memory. Most functional imaging and electrophysiological studies similarly imply that, when sex differences are present, they favor women. In this review we examine what is known about sex-related alterations in human smell function, including influences of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, gonadectomy, and hormone replacement therapy on a range of olfactory measures. We conclude that the relationship between reproductive hormones and human olfactory function is complex and that simple associations between circulating levels of gonadal hormones and measures of olfactory function are rarely present.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Doty
- Smell & Taste Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
The hormonal control of cell death is currently the best-established mechanism for creating sex differences in cell number in the brain and spinal cord. For example, males have more cells than do females in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp) and spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB), whereas females have a cell number advantage in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). In each case, the difference in cell number in adulthood correlates with a sex difference in the number of dying cells at some point in development. Mice with over- or under-expression of cell death genes have been used to test more directly the contribution of cell death to neural sex differences, to identify molecular mechanisms involved, and to determine the behavioural consequences of suppressing developmental cell death. Bax is a pro-death gene of the Bcl-2 family that is singularly important for apoptosis in neural development. In mice lacking bax, the number of cells in the BNSTp, SNB and AVPV are significantly increased, and sex differences in total cell number in each of these regions are eliminated. Cells rescued by bax gene deletion in the BNSTp express markers of differentiated neurones and the androgen receptor. On the other hand, sex differences in other phenotypically identified populations, such as vasopressin-expressing neurones in the BNSTp or dopaminergic neurones in AVPV, are not affected by either bax deletion or bcl-2 over-expression. Possible mechanisms by which testosterone may regulate cell death in the nervous system are discussed, as are the behavioural effects of eliminating sex differences in neuronal cell number.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N G Forger
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
The effects of partial and complete masculinization on the sexual differentiation of nuclei that control lordotic behavior in the male rat. Behav Brain Res 2009; 196:261-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2008] [Revised: 09/11/2008] [Accepted: 09/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
46
|
Suárez R, Mpodozis J. Heterogeneities of size and sexual dimorphism between the subdomains of the lateral-innervated accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of Octodon degus (Rodentia: Hystricognathi). Behav Brain Res 2008; 198:306-12. [PMID: 19046995 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2008] [Accepted: 11/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal system (VNS) of rodents participates in the regulation of a variety of social and sexual behaviours related to semiochemical communication. All rodents studied so far possess two parallel pathways from the vomeronasal organ (VNO) to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). These segregated afferences express either Gi2 or Go protein alpha-subunits and innervate the rostral or caudal half of the AOB, respectively. In muroid rodents, such as rats and mice, both subdivisions of the AOB are of similar proportions; as there is no anatomical feature indicative of the segregation, histochemical detection has been required to portray its boundary. We studied the AOB of Octodon degus, a diurnal caviomorph rodent endemic to central Chile, and found several distinctive traits not reported in a rodent before: (i) the vomeronasal nerve innervates the AOB from its lateral aspect, in opposition to the medial innervation described in rabbits and muroids, (ii) an indentation that spans all layers delimits the boundary between the rostral and caudal AOB subdivisions (rAOB and cAOB, respectively), (iii) the rAOB is twice the size of the cAOB and features more and larger glomeruli, and (iv) the rAOB, but not the cAOB, shows male-biased sexual dimorphisms in size and number of glomeruli, while the cAOB, but not the rAOB, shows a male-biased dimorphism in mitral cell density. The heterogeneities we describe here within AOB subdomains suggest that these segregated regions may engage in distinct operationalities. We discuss our results in relation to conspecific semiochemical communication in O. degus, and present it as a new animal model for the study of VNS neurobiology and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Suárez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Sampedro C, Font E, Desfilis E. Size variation and cell proliferation in chemosensory brain areas of a lizard (Podarcis hispanica): effects of sex and season. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 28:87-98. [PMID: 18662337 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06287.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many lizards rely on chemoreception for crucial aspects of their biology, including exploration, prey and predator detection, and intraspecific communication. Here we investigate sex and seasonal variation in size and proliferative activity in chemosensory areas of the lizard brain. We captured adult Iberian wall lizards (Podarcis hispanica) of either sex in the breeding (April) and non-breeding (November) season, injected them with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and killed them 3 weeks later. We removed the brains, measured the length of the olfactory bulbs, and counted BrdU-labelled cells in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (MOB, AOB), lateral cortex (LC) and nucleus sphericus (NS). Our results show that, relative to body size, males have larger MOBs and AOBs than females; however, relative to brain size, males have larger AOBs, but not larger MOBs than females. Additionally, males produce more new cells than females in the olfactory bulbs, LC and NS. We failed to detect significant seasonal changes or sex x season interaction in size or proliferative activity in these areas. Sex differences in the addition of newly generated cells--mainly neurons--may be partly responsible for the size differences in chemosensory brain areas. The presence of sexual dimorphism in AOB is expected given the available behavioural evidence, which suggests that males of P. hispanica are more responsive than females to socially relevant chemical stimuli. This is the first demonstration of sexual dimorphism in size and proliferative activity in chemosensory areas of a non-mammalian species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Sampedro
- Unidad de Etología, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, Paterna, Spain.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Masculinization induced by neonatal exposure to PGE(2) or estradiol alters c-fos induction by estrous odors in adult rats. Physiol Behav 2008; 96:383-8. [PMID: 18976678 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2008] [Revised: 09/29/2008] [Accepted: 10/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Processing of relevant olfactory and pheromonal cues has long been known as an important process necessary for social and sexual behavior in rodents. Several nuclei that receive input from the vomeronasal projection pathway are involved in sexual behavior and show changes in immediate early gene expression after stimulation with a variety of sex-related stimuli. The nuclei in this pathway are sexually dimorphic due to the early patterning events induced by estradiol derived from testicular androgens, which developmentally defeminize and masculinize the brain and adult sexual behavior. Masculinization can be induced independently of estradiol via prostaglandin-E(2) (PGE(2)), and therefore assessed separately from defeminization. Here we examined the effects of brain defeminization and masculinization on neuronal response to sex-related odors using Fos, the protein product of the immediate early gene c-fos, as an indicator of activity. Female rat pups treated with a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, to reduce PGE(2), plus estradiol, estradiol alone, and PGE(2) alone were exposed to estrous female odor as adults and the resulting Fos expression was examined in the medial amygdala, preoptic area, and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. Defeminized and/or masculinized females all showed patterns of Fos activity similar to control males and significantly different from control females. These results suggest that early exposure to estradiol and PGE(2) do not affect olfaction in females, but switch the activity pattern of sex-related nuclei in females to resemble that of males following exposure to sexually-relevant cues.
Collapse
|
49
|
Galanopoulou AS. Sexually dimorphic expression of KCC2 and GABA function. Epilepsy Res 2008; 80:99-113. [PMID: 18524541 PMCID: PMC2613346 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2008.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2008] [Revised: 04/06/2008] [Accepted: 04/07/2008] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
GABA(A) receptors have an age-adapted function in the brain. During early development, they mediate depolarizing effects, which result in activation of calcium-sensitive signaling processes that are important for the differentiation of the brain. In more mature stages of development and in adults, GABA(A) receptors acquire their classical hyperpolarizing signaling. The switch from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing GABA(A)-ergic signaling is triggered through the developmental shift in the balance of chloride cotransporters that either increase (i.e. NKCC1) or decrease (i.e. KCC2) intracellular chloride. The maturation of GABA(A) signaling follows sex-specific patterns, which correlate with the developmental expression profiles of chloride cotransporters. This has first been demonstrated in the substantia nigra, where the switch occurs earlier in females than in males. As a result, there are sensitive periods during development when drugs or conditions that activate GABA(A) receptors mediate different transcriptional effects in males and females. Furthermore, neurons with depolarizing or hyperpolarizing GABA(A)-ergic signaling respond differently to neurotrophic factors like estrogens. Consequently, during sensitive developmental periods, GABA(A) receptors may act as broadcasters of sexually differentiating signals, promoting gender-appropriate brain development. This has particular implications in epilepsy, where both the pathophysiology and treatment of epileptic seizures involve GABA(A) receptor activation. It is important therefore to study separately the effects of these factors not only on the course of epilepsy but also design new treatments that may not necessarily disturb the gender-appropriate brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aristea S Galanopoulou
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Saul R Korey Department of Neurology, Bronx, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Büdefeld T, Grgurevic N, Tobet SA, Majdic G. Sex differences in brain developing in the presence or absence of gonads. Dev Neurobiol 2008; 68:981-95. [PMID: 18418875 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain sexual differentiation results from the interaction of genetic and hormonal influences. This study used a unique agonadal mouse model to determine relative contributions of genetic and gonadal hormone influences in the differentiation of selected brain regions. SF-1 knockout (SF-1 KO) mice are born without gonads and adrenal glands and are not exposed to endogenous sex steroids during fetal/neonatal development. Consequently, male and female SF-1 KO mice are born with female external genitalia and if left on their own, die shortly after birth due to adrenal insufficiency. In this study, SF-1 KO mice were rescued by neonatal adrenal transplantation to examine their brain morphology in adult life. To determine potential brain loci that might mediate functional sex differences, we examined the area and distribution of immunoreactive calbindin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the preoptic area (POA) and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, two areas previously reported to be sexually dimorphic in the mammalian brain. A sex difference in the positioning of cells containing immunoreactive calbindin in a group within the POA was clearly gonad dependent based on the elimination of the sex difference in SF-1 KO mice. Several other differences in the area of ventromedial hypothalamus and in POA were maintained in male and female SF-1 KO mice, suggesting gonad-independent genetic influences on sexually dimorphic brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomaz Büdefeld
- Center for Animal Genomics, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|