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Ågmo A. Androgen receptors and sociosexual behaviors in mammals: The limits of generalization. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105530. [PMID: 38176634 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Circulating testosterone is easily aromatized to estradiol and reduced to dihydrotestosterone in target tissues and elsewhere in the body. Thus, the actions of testosterone can be mediated either by the estrogen receptors, the androgen receptor or by simultaneous action at both receptors. To determine the role of androgens acting at the androgen receptor, we need to eliminate actions at the estrogen receptors. Alternatively, actions at the androgen receptor itself can be eliminated. In the present review, I will analyze the specific role of androgen receptors in male and female sexual behavior as well as in aggression. Some comments about androgen receptors and social recognition are also made. It will be shown that there are important differences between species, even between strains within a species, concerning the actions of the androgen receptor on the behaviors mentioned. This fact makes generalizations from one species to another or from one strain to another very risky. The existence of important species differences is often ignored, leading to many misunderstandings and much confusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
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2
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Ubba V, Joseph S, Awe O, Jones D, Dsilva MK, Feng M, Wang J, Fu X, Akbar RJ, Bodnar BH, Hu W, Wang H, Yang X, Yang L, Yang P, Taib B, Ahima R, Divall S, Wu S. Reproductive Profile of Neuronal Androgen Receptor Knockout Female Mice With a Low Dose of DHT. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqad199. [PMID: 38156784 PMCID: PMC10794876 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian syndrome result from the imbalance or increase of androgen levels in females. Androgen receptor (AR) mediates the effects of androgens, and this study examines whether neuronal AR plays a role in reproduction under normal and increased androgen conditions in female mice. The neuron-specific AR knockout (KO) mouse (SynARKO) was generated from a female mouse (synapsin promoter driven Cre) and a male mouse (Ar fl/y). Puberty onset and the levels of reproductive hormones such as LH, FSH, testosterone, and estradiol were comparable between the control and the SynARKO mice. There were no differences in cyclicity and fertility between the control and SynARKO mice, with similar impairment in both groups on DHT treatment. Neuronal AR KO, as in this SynARKO mouse model, did not alleviate the infertility associated with DHT treatment. These studies suggest that neuronal AR KO neither altered reproductive function under physiological androgen levels, nor restored fertility under hyperandrogenic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhave Ubba
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Serene Joseph
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Olubusayo Awe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Dustin Jones
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Milan K Dsilva
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Mingxiao Feng
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
| | - Junjiang Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Surgery and General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiaomin Fu
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Razeen J Akbar
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Brittany H Bodnar
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics & Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Peixin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21201, USA
| | - Bouchra Taib
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Rexford Ahima
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sara Divall
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, 98145-5005, USA
| | - Sheng Wu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21087, USA
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3
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Noachtar IA, Hidalgo-Lopez E, Pletzer B. Duration of oral contraceptive use relates to cognitive performance and brain activation in current and past users. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:885617. [PMID: 36204097 PMCID: PMC9530450 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.885617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies indicate effects of oral contraceptive (OC) use on spatial and verbal cognition. However, a better understanding of the OC effects is still needed, including the differential effects of androgenic or anti-androgenic OC use and whether the possible impact persists beyond the OC use. We aim to investigate the associations of OC use duration with spatial and verbal cognition, differentiating between androgenic and anti-androgenic OC. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we scanned a group of 94 past and current OC-users in a single session. We grouped current OC users (N=53) and past OC users with a natural cycle (N=41) into androgenic and anti-androgenic user. Effects of OC use duration were observed for current use and after discontinuation. Duration of OC use was reflected only in verbal fluency performance but not navigation: The longer the current OC use, the less words were produced in the verbal fluency task. During navigation, deactivation in the caudate and postcentral gyrus was duration-dependent in current androgenic OC users. Only during the verbal fluency task, duration of previous OC use affects several brain parameters, including activation of the left putamen and connectivity between right-hemispheric language areas (i.e., right inferior frontal gyrus and right angular gyrus). The results regarding performance and brain activation point towards stronger organizational effects of OCs on verbal rather than spatial processing. Irrespective of the task, a duration-dependent connectivity between the hippocampus and various occipital areas was observed. This could suggest a shift in strategy or processing style with long-term contraceptive use during navigation/verbal fluency. The current findings suggest a key role of the progestogenic component of OCs in both tasks. The influence of OC use on verbal fluency remains even after discontinuation which further points out the importance of future studies on OC effects and their reversibility.
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Zheng DJ, Singh A, Phelps SM. Conservation and dimorphism in androgen receptor distribution in Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina). J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:2539-2557. [PMID: 33576501 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Because of their roles in courtship and intrasexual competition, sexual displays are often sexually dimorphic, but we know little about the mechanisms that produce such dimorphism. Among mammals, one example is the vocalization of Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina), which consists of a series of rapidly repeated, frequency-modulated notes. The rate and duration of songs is sexually dimorphic and androgen responsive. To understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism, we map the sites of androgen sensitivity throughout the brain, focusing analysis along a pathway that spans from limbic structures to vocal motor regions. We find widespread expression of AR immunoreactivity (AR-ir) throughout limbic structures important for social behavior and vocalization, including the lateral septum, extended amygdala, preoptic area and hypothalamus. We also find extensive AR staining along previously documented vocal motor pathways, including the periaqueductal gray, parabrachial nucleus, and nucleus ambiguus, the last of which innervates intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Lastly, AR-ir is also evident in sensory areas such as the medial geniculate, inferior, and superior colliculi. A quantitative analysis revealed that males exhibited more AR-ir than females, a pattern that was most pronounced in the hypothalamus. Despite the elaboration of vocalization in singing mice, comparison with prior literature suggests that the broad pattern of AR-ir may be conserved across a wide range of rodents. Together these data identify brain nuclei well positioned to shape the sexually dimorphic vocalization of S. teguina and suggest that such androgen modulation of vocalization is evolutionary conserved among rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Jiang Zheng
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Aditi Singh
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Morgans AK, Renzulli J, Olivier K, Shore ND. Risk of Cognitive Effects in Comorbid Patients With Prostate Cancer Treated With Androgen Receptor Inhibitors. Clin Genitourin Cancer 2021; 19:467.e1-467.e11. [PMID: 33893042 DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2021.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) is primarily a disease of older men. As the risk of neurocognitive decline increases as people age, cognitive dysfunction is a potential complication in men with PC, imposing detrimental effects on functional independence and quality of life. Importantly, risk of cognitive decline may increase with exposure to androgen deprivation therapy and other hormonal therapies. Particular consideration should be given to patients with castration-resistant PC (CRPC), many of whom require continuous, long-term androgen deprivation therapy combined with a second-generation androgen receptor inhibitor. Non-comparative evidence from interventional trials of androgen receptor inhibitors in men with non-metastatic CRPC suggests differential effects on cognitive function and central nervous system-related adverse events within this drug class. Drug-drug interactions with concomitant medications for chronic, non-malignant comorbidities differ among ARIs and thus may contribute further to cognitive impairment. Hence, establishing baseline cognitive function is a prerequisite to identifying subsequent clinical decline associated with androgen receptor-targeted therapies. Although brief, sensitive screening tools for cancer-related cognitive dysfunction are lacking, mental status can be ascertained from the initial medical history and neurocognitive examination, progressing to more in-depth evaluation when impairment is suspected. On-treatment neurocognitive monitoring should be integrated into regular clinical follow-up to preserve cognitive function and quality of life throughout disease management. This review summarizes the multiple factors that may contribute to cognitive decline in men with CRPC, awareness of which will assist clinicians to optimize individual treatment. Practical, clinic-based strategies for managing the risks for and symptoms of cognitive dysfunction are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia K Morgans
- Department of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
| | - Joseph Renzulli
- Department of Urology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Kara Olivier
- Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA
| | - Neal D Shore
- Department of Urology, Carolina Urologic Research Center, Atlantic Urology Clinics, Myrtle Beach, SC
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Tobiansky DJ, Fuxjager MJ. Sex Steroids as Regulators of Gestural Communication. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5822602. [PMID: 32307535 PMCID: PMC7316366 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gestural communication is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom, occurring in species that range from humans to arthropods. Individuals produce gestural signals when their nervous system triggers the production of limb and body movement, which in turn functions to help mediate communication between or among individuals. Like many stereotyped motor patterns, the probability of a gestural display in a given social context can be modulated by sex steroid hormones. Here, we review how steroid hormones mediate the neural mechanisms that underly gestural communication in humans and nonhumans alike. This is a growing area of research, and thus we explore how sex steroids mediate brain areas involved in language production, social behavior, and motor performance. We also examine the way that sex steroids can regulate behavioral output by acting in the periphery via skeletal muscle. Altogether, we outline a new avenue of behavioral endocrinology research that aims to uncover the hormonal basis for one of the most common modes of communication among animals on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Correspondence: Daniel J. Tobiansky, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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7
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Contreras-Zárate MJ, Cittelly DM. Sex steroid hormone function in the brain niche: Implications for brain metastatic colonization and progression. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2020; 5:e1241. [PMID: 33350105 PMCID: PMC8022872 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While sex hormones and their receptors play well-known roles in progression of primary tumors through direct action on sex steroid hormone-responsive cancer cells, emerging evidence suggest that hormones also play important roles in metastatic progression by modulating the tumor microenvironment. Estrogens and androgens synthesized in gonads and within the brain influence memory, behavior, and outcomes of brain pathologies. Yet, their impact on brain metastatic colonization and progression is just beginning to be explored. RECENT FINDINGS Estradiol and testosterone cross the blood-brain barrier and are synthesized de novo in astrocytes and other cells within the adult brain. Circulating and brain-synthesized estrogens have been shown to promote brain metastatic colonization of tumors lacking estrogen receptors (ERs), through mechanisms involving the upregulation of growth factors and neurotrophins in ER+ reactive astrocytes. In this review, we discuss additional mechanisms by which hormones may influence brain metastases, through modulation of brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and microglia. CONCLUSION A greater understanding of hormone-brain-tumor interactions may shed further light on the mechanisms underlying the adaptation of cancer cells to the brain niche, and provide therapeutic alternatives modulating the brain metastatic niche.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana M Cittelly
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
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Turner D, Briken P. Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders in Sexual Offenders or Men With a Risk of Sexual Offending With Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists: An Updated Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2019; 15:77-93. [PMID: 29289377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different pharmacologic agents are used in the treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders or men with a risk of sexual offending, with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists being the agents introduced more recently to treatment regimens. AIM To summarize the relevant literature concerning LHRH agonist treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders and update the previously published systematic review by Briken et al (J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:890-897). METHODS The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for literature published from January 2003 through October 2017 using the following key words: LHRH agonists, GnRH agonists, antiandrogens AND paraphilia, pedophilia, sex offenders. OUTCOMES Evaluation of the effectiveness and side effects of LHRH agonist treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders. RESULTS After screening for duplicates and applying specific selection criteria, the search yielded 24 eligible studies reporting on a sample of 256 patients. There is increasing evidence that LHRH agonists are more effective than steroidal antiandrogens in lowering paraphilic sexual thoughts and behaviors. Current research also is based on methods that might be less susceptible to faking (eg, eye-tracking, brain imaging, and viewing-time measures). Side effects occurring most frequently are fatigue, hot flashes, depressive mood, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, gynecomastia, loss of erectile function, and loss of bone mineral density. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Although LHRH agonists seem to be the most effective drugs in the treatment of paraphilic fantasies and behaviors, they should be reserved for patients with a paraphilic disorder and the highest risk of sexual offending because of their extensive side effects. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This systematic review considers all types of research on LHRH agonist treatment in patients with paraphilic disorders, thereby providing a complete overview of the current state of research. However, most studies are case reports or observational studies and randomized controlled clinical trials have not been conducted or published. CONCLUSIONS LHRH agonists are a useful treatment when combined with psychotherapy in patients with a paraphilic disorder and the highest risk of sexual offending. However, throughout treatment, close monitoring of side effects is needed and ethical concerns must always be kept in mind. Turner D, Briken P. Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders in Sexual Offenders or Men With a Risk of Sexual Offending With Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists: An Updated Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2018;15:77-93.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Turner
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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Effects of age, BMI and sex on the glial cell marker TSPO - a multicentre [ 11C]PBR28 HRRT PET study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019; 46:2329-2338. [PMID: 31363804 PMCID: PMC6717599 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-019-04403-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ageing, sex and body mass index (BMI) on translocator protein (TSPO) availability in healthy subjects using positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [11C]PBR28. Methods [11C]PBR28 data from 140 healthy volunteers (72 males and 68 females; N = 78 with HAB and N = 62 MAB genotype; age range 19–80 years; BMI range 17.6–36.9) were acquired with High Resolution Research Tomograph at three centres: Karolinska Institutet (N = 53), Turku PET centre (N = 62) and Yale University PET Center (N = 25). The total volume of distribution (VT) was estimated in global grey matter, frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal cortices, hippocampus and thalamus using multilinear analysis 1. The effects of age, BMI and sex on TSPO availability were investigated using linear mixed effects model, with TSPO genotype and PET centre specified as random intercepts. Results There were significant positive correlations between age and VT in the frontal and temporal cortex. BMI showed a significant negative correlation with VT in all regions. Additionally, significant differences between males and females were observed in all regions, with females showing higher VT. A subgroup analysis revealed a positive correlation between VT and age in all regions in male subjects, whereas age showed no effect on TSPO levels in female subjects. Conclusion These findings provide evidence that individual biological properties may contribute significantly to the high variation shown in TSPO binding estimates, and suggest that age, BMI and sex can be confounding factors in clinical studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00259-019-04403-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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10
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Brzozowska MM, Kepreotis S, Tsang F, Fuentes- Patarroyo SX. Improvement in cognitive impairment following the successful treatment of endogenous Cushing's syndrome-a case report and literature review. BMC Endocr Disord 2019; 19:68. [PMID: 31253144 PMCID: PMC6599300 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-019-0401-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endogenous Cushing's syndrome, a rare endocrine disorder, characterised by chronic cortisol hypersecretion, results in neuropsychiatric disturbances and in cognitive deficits, which are only partially reversible after the biochemical remission of the disease. CASE PRESENTATION We report a case of a woman with a profound cognitive deficit and a gradual functional decline caused by Cushing's disease of at least 10 years duration. The neurosurgical resection of her 2 mm adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secreting pituitary microadenoma resulted in a successful resolution of the patient's hypercortisolism and a significant recovery of her neurocognitive function. The patient's progress was evaluated using serial clinical observations, functional assessments, Mini-Mental Status exams and through the formal neuropsychological report. Furthermore, the patient's recovery of her neurocognitive function was reflected by a sustained improvement in the patient's specific structural brain abnormalities on radiological imaging. CONCLUSIONS This report illustrates the importance of early detection and treatment of Cushing's syndrome in order to prevent neurocognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders which are associated with an endogenous cortisol hypersecretion. The long term adverse effects of severe hypercortisolaemia on brain function and the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the structural and functional changes in brain anatomy due to glucocorticoid excess are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Monika Brzozowska
- Endocrinology Department, Sutherland Hospital, Sydney, NSW Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW Australia
- Garvan institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Sacha Kepreotis
- Endocrinology Department, Sutherland Hospital, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Fiona Tsang
- Endocrinology Department, Sutherland Hospital, Sydney, NSW Australia
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Understanding how Age-Related Decline in Testosterone Affects Male Sexual Behavior: Neurosteroids as the Missing Piece. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-018-0175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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12
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Zhou JN, Fang H. Transcriptional regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone gene in stress response. IBRO Rep 2018; 5:137-146. [PMID: 30591954 PMCID: PMC6303479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a central player of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the corticotropin -releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) determine the state of HPA axis and play a key role in stress response. Evidence supports that during stress response the transcription and expression of CRH was finely tuned, which involved cis-element-transcriptional factor (TF) interactions and epigenetic mechanisms. Here we reviewed recent progress in CRH transcription regulation from DNA methylation to classic TFs regulation, in which a number of paired receptors were involved. The imbalance of multiple paired receptors in regulating the activity of CRH neurons indicates a possible molecular network mechanisms underlying depression etiology and directs novel therapeutic strategies of depression in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Corresponding author at: School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, PR China.
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13
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Abstract
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of 28 younger and older adults to visually bisect distances in depth both indoors and outdoors; half of the observers were male and half were female. Observers viewed 15-m and 30-m distance extents in four different environmental settings (two outdoor grassy fields and an indoor hallway and atrium) and were required to adjust the position of a marker to place it at the midpoint of each stimulus distance interval. Overall, the observers' judgments were more accurate indoors than outdoors. In outdoor environments, many individual observers exhibited perceptual compression of farther distances (e.g., these observers placed the marker closer than the actual physical midpoints of the stimulus distance intervals). There were significant modulatory effects of both age and sex upon the accuracy and precision of the observers' judgments. The judgments of the male observers were more accurate than those of the female observers and they were less influenced by environmental context. In addition, the accuracies of the younger observers' judgments were less influenced by context than those of the older observers. With regard to the precision of the observers' judgments, the older females exhibited much more variability across repeated judgments than the other groups of observers (younger males, younger females, and older males). The results of our study demonstrate that age and sex are important variables that significantly affect the visual perception of distance.
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14
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Shathasivam P, Kollara A, Spybey T, Park S, Clarke B, Ringuette MJ, Brown TJ. VEPH1 expression decreases vascularisation in ovarian cancer xenografts and inhibits VEGFA and IL8 expression through inhibition of AKT activation. Br J Cancer 2017; 116:1065-1076. [PMID: 28301874 PMCID: PMC5396109 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: VEPH1 is amplified in several cancers including ovarian but its impact on tumour progression is unknown. Previous work has shown that VEPH1 inhibits TGFβ signalling while its Drosophila ortholog increases tissue growth, raising the possibility that VEPH1 could impact tumour growth or progression. Methods: A CRISPR approach was used to disrupt VEPH1 expression in ovarian cancer ES-2 cells, while VEPH1-negative SKOV3 cells were stably transfected with VEPH1 cDNA. The impact of altered VEPH1 expression was assessed using in vitro and in vivo assays and mechanistic studies were performed in vitro. Results: VEPH1 expression in SKOV3 cells resulted in a reduced tumour growth rate associated with increased necrotic area, and decreased microvessel density and VEGF-A levels relative to tumours formed by mock-transfected cells. VEPH1 expression also decreased VEGFA and IL8 expression in SKOV3 cells and was associated with decreased activated AKT levels. These effects were not observed in ES-2 cells, which bear a BRAFV600E activating mutation that leads to constitutively increased IL8 and VEGFA expression. Conclusions: VEPH1 expression in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells inhibits AKT activation to decrease VEGFA and IL8 expression, which leads to decreased tumour vascularisation and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Premalatha Shathasivam
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, M5T 3L9 ON, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Toronto, M5G 1E2 ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Kollara
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, M5T 3L9 ON, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Toronto, M5G 1E2 ON, Canada
| | - Thomasina Spybey
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, M5T 3L9 ON, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Toronto, M5G 1E2 ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, M5S 1A8 ON, Canada
| | - Soyeon Park
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, M5T 3L9 ON, Canada
| | - Blaise Clarke
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Health Network, 190 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, M5G 2C4 ON, Canada
| | - Maurice J Ringuette
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, M5S 3G5 ON, Canada
| | - Theodore J Brown
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, M5T 3L9 ON, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Toronto, M5G 1E2 ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, M5S 1A8 ON, Canada
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15
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Piekarski DJ, Johnson CM, Boivin JR, Thomas AW, Lin WC, Delevich K, M Galarce E, Wilbrecht L. Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? Brain Res 2017; 1654:123-144. [PMID: 27590721 PMCID: PMC5283387 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Postnatal brain development is studded with sensitive periods during which experience dependent plasticity is enhanced. This enables rapid learning from environmental inputs and reorganization of cortical circuits that matches behavior with environmental contingencies. Significant headway has been achieved in characterizing and understanding sensitive period biology in primary sensory cortices, but relatively little is known about sensitive period biology in associative neocortex. One possible mediator is the onset of puberty, which marks the transition to adolescence, when animals shift their behavior toward gaining independence and exploring their social world. Puberty onset correlates with reduced behavioral plasticity in some domains and enhanced plasticity in others, and therefore may drive the transition from juvenile to adolescent brain function. Pubertal onset is also occurring earlier in developed nations, particularly in unserved populations, and earlier puberty is associated with vulnerability for substance use, depression and anxiety. In the present article we review the evidence that supports a causal role for puberty in developmental changes in the function and neurobiology of the associative neocortex. We also propose a model for how pubertal hormones may regulate sensitive period plasticity in associative neocortex. We conclude that the evidence suggests puberty onset may play a causal role in some aspects of associative neocortical development, but that further research that manipulates puberty and measures gonadal hormones is required. We argue that further work of this kind is urgently needed to determine how earlier puberty may negatively impact human health and learning potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Adolescent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Piekarski
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Carolyn M Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Josiah R Boivin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
| | - A Wren Thomas
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Kristen Delevich
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Ezequiel M Galarce
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA.
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16
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Seiger R, Hahn A, Hummer A, Kranz GS, Ganger S, Woletz M, Kraus C, Sladky R, Kautzky A, Kasper S, Windischberger C, Lanzenberger R. Subcortical gray matter changes in transgender subjects after long-term cross-sex hormone administration. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 74:371-379. [PMID: 27744092 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex-steroid hormones are primarily involved in sexual differentiation and development and are thought to underlie processes related to cognition and emotion. However, divergent results have been reported concerning the effects of hormone administration on brain structure including side effects like brain atrophy and dementia. Cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender subjects offers a unique model for studying the effects of sex hormones on the living human brain. In this study, 25 Female-to-Male (FtM) and 14 Male-to-Female (MtF) subjects underwent MRI examinations at baseline and after a period of at least 4-months of continuous cross-sex hormone administration. While MtFs received estradiol and anti-androgens, FtM subjects underwent high-dose testosterone treatment. The longitudinal processing stream of the FreeSurfer software suite was used for the automated assessment and delineation of brain volumes to assess the structural changes over the treatment period of cross-sex hormone administration. Most prominent results were found for MtFs receiving estradiol and anti-androgens in the form of significant decreases in the hippocampal region. Further analysis revealed that these decreases were reflected by increases in the ventricles. Additionally, changes in progesterone levels correlated with changes in gray matter structures in MtF subjects. In line with prior studies, our results indicate hormonal influences on subcortical structures related to memory and emotional processing. Additionally, this study adds valuable knowledge that progesterone may play an important role in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Allan Hummer
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Ganger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Woletz
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Kautzky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Windischberger
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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17
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Abstract
The current review gives an overview of brain studies in transgender people. First, we describe studies into the aetiology of feelings of gender incongruence, primarily addressing the sexual differentiation hypothesis: does the brain of transgender individuals resemble that of their natal sex, or that of their experienced gender? Findings from neuroimaging studies focusing on brain structure suggest that the brain phenotypes of trans women (MtF) and trans men (FtM) differ in various ways from control men and women with feminine, masculine, demasculinized and defeminized features. The brain phenotypes of people with feelings of gender incongruence may help us to figure out whether sex differentiation of the brain is atypical in these individuals, and shed light on gender identity development. Task-related imaging studies may show whether brain activation and task performance in transgender people is sex-atypical. Second, we review studies that evaluate the effects of cross-sex hormone treatment on the brain. This type of research provides knowledge on how changes in sex hormone levels may affect brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baudewijntje P C Kreukels
- a VU University Medical Centre, Department of Medical Psychology, Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research , Amsterdam , the Netherlands
| | - Antonio Guillamon
- b Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED) , Departamento de Psicobiologia , Madrid , Spain
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18
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Uchoa MF, Moser VA, Pike CJ. Interactions between inflammation, sex steroids, and Alzheimer's disease risk factors. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 43:60-82. [PMID: 27651175 PMCID: PMC5123957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder for which there are no effective strategies to prevent or slow its progression. Because AD is multifactorial, recent research has focused on understanding interactions among the numerous risk factors and mechanisms underlying the disease. One mechanism through which several risk factors may be acting is inflammation. AD is characterized by chronic inflammation that is observed before clinical onset of dementia. Several genetic and environmental risk factors for AD increase inflammation, including apolipoprotein E4, obesity, and air pollution. Additionally, sex steroid hormones appear to contribute to AD risk, with age-related losses of estrogens in women and androgens in men associated with increased risk. Importantly, sex steroid hormones have anti-inflammatory actions and can interact with several other AD risk factors. This review examines the individual and interactive roles of inflammation and sex steroid hormones in AD, as well as their relationships with the AD risk factors apolipoprotein E4, obesity, and air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana F Uchoa
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - V Alexandra Moser
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christian J Pike
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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19
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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.
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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
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20
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Acaz-Fonseca E, Avila-Rodriguez M, Garcia-Segura LM, Barreto GE. Regulation of astroglia by gonadal steroid hormones under physiological and pathological conditions. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 144:5-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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21
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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]
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22
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Liu C, Zhang Y, Zhang K, Bian C, Zhao Y, Zhang J. Expression of estrogen receptors, androgen receptor and steroid receptor coactivator-3 is negatively correlated to the differentiation of astrocytic tumors. Cancer Epidemiol 2014; 38:291-7. [PMID: 24680642 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 01/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytic tumors are the most common primary brain tumors. It has been reported that androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ) and their coactivator SRC-1 and SRC-3 are involved in the regulation of the growth and development of many tumors, but their expression profiles and significances in the astrocytic tumors remain largely unknown. In this study, the expression of AR, ERs, and SRCs, and the possible roles of them in astrocytic neoplasm were evaluated and compared to normal brain tissues by nickel-intensified immunohistochemistry with tissue microarrays. The results showed that there were no age- or gender-differences regarding to the levels of these receptors or coactivators in astrocytic or normal brain tissues. In the high-grade astrocytic tissue, the levels of AR, ERs and SRC-3 were significantly decreased when compared to the low-grade astrocytic tissues, but the levels of SRC-1 remain unchanged. Correlation analysis revealed that the levels of AR, ERs and SRC-3 were negatively correlated to tumor differentiation, and the levels of SRC-3 were positively correlated to that of ERα. Furthermore, the decreased levels of SRC-3 were associated with an increase of ERβ in astrocytic tumors when compared to that of normal brain tissues. These above results indicate a combination of decreased expression of ERs, AR and SRC-3 but not SRC-1 may be involved in the tumorigenesis of gliomas, ERα/SRC-3 axis may play central role in the regulation these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Cadet Brigade, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yanlei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Cadet Brigade, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Kaiyuan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Cadet Brigade, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Chen Bian
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yangang Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jiqiang Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
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23
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Nowak NT, Diamond MP, Land SJ, Moffat SD. Contributions of sex, testosterone, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number to virtual Morris water maze performance. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 41:13-22. [PMID: 24495604 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The possibility that androgens contribute to the male advantage typically found on measures of spatial cognition has been investigated using a variety of approaches. To date, evidence to support the notion that androgens affect spatial cognition in healthy young adults is somewhat equivocal. The present study sought to clarify the association between testosterone (T) and spatial performance by extending measurements of androgenicity to include both measures of circulating T as well as an androgen receptor-specific genetic marker. The aims of this study were to assess the contributions of sex, T, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number (CAGr) on virtual Morris water task (vMWT) performance in a group of healthy young men and women. The hypothesis that men would outperform women on vMWT outcomes was supported. Results indicate that CAGr may interact with T to impact navigation performance and suggest that consideration of androgen receptor sensitivity is an important consideration in evaluating hormone-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole T Nowak
- University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Michael P Diamond
- Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Susan J Land
- Wayne State University, Wayne State Applied Genomics Technology Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Scott D Moffat
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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24
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Panizzon MS, Hauger R, Xian H, Vuoksimaa E, Spoon KM, Mendoza SP, Jacobson KC, Vasilopoulos T, Rana BK, McKenzie R, McCaffery JM, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS, Franz CE. Interaction of APOE genotype and testosterone on episodic memory in middle-aged men. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 35:1778.e1-8. [PMID: 24444806 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Age-related changes in testosterone are believed to be a key component of the processes that contribute to cognitive aging in men. The APOE-ε4 allele may interact with testosterone and moderate the hormone's association with cognition. The goals of the present study were to examine the degree to which free testosterone is associated with episodic memory in a community-based sample of middle-aged men, and examine the potential interaction between free testosterone and the APOE-ε4 allele. Data were used from 717 participants in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Average age was 55.4 years (standard deviation = 2.5). Significant positive associations were observed between free testosterone level and verbal episodic memory, as well as a significant interaction between free testosterone and APOE-ε4 status. In ε4 carriers free testosterone was positively associated with verbal episodic memory performance (story recall), whereas no association was observed in ε4 noncarriers. Results support the hypothesis that APOE-ε4 status increases susceptibility to other risk factors, such as low testosterone, which may ultimately contribute to cognitive decline or dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Richard Hauger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, CA, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, St. Louis, MO, USA; Research Service, St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, MO
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kelly M Spoon
- Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sally P Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Brinda K Rana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ruth McKenzie
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeanne M McCaffery
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Miriam Hospital and Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, CA, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Twin Research Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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25
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Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases serum levels of androgens and estrogens but does not enhance short-term memory in post-menopausal women. Brain Res 2012; 1483:54-62. [PMID: 22985672 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The current study examines the effect of administering dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on short-term memory. This experiment used a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design to explore the effects of a four week regimen of 50 mg oral DHEA on performance on the digit span, verbal span, and modified Sternberg (Oberauer) tasks. The results demonstrate that the current regimen of drug administration significantly increases serum levels of DHEA, DHEAS, testosterone and estrone and substantially alters the patterns of correlations among the serum levels of these hormones. Despite this substantial change in the hormonal milieu, DHEA administration produced no beneficial effects on cognitive performance in the digit span, verbal span, or modified Sternberg paradigm tasks. Ancillary analyses of the relation between hormone levels and cognitive performance demonstrated a strong positive correlation between DHEA levels and performance on digit span forward/backward and verbal span forward in the placebo drug condition, but not in the DHEA condition. We interpret the juxtaposition of the null results of DHEA administration and the correlation of DHEA levels and performance in the placebo condition to indicate that the referenced correlations arise because a third variable (i.e., age) is associated with both performance and DHEA levels. Additional analyses supported this hypothesis.
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26
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Rametti G, Carrillo B, Gómez-Gil E, Junque C, Zubiaurre-Elorza L, Segovia S, Gomez A, Karadi K, Guillamon A. Effects of androgenization on the white matter microstructure of female-to-male transsexuals. A diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1261-9. [PMID: 22260939 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can sensitively detect white matter sex differences and the effects of pharmacological treatments. Before cross-sex hormone treatment, the white matter microstructure of several brain bundles in female-to-male transsexuals (FtMs) differs from those in females but not from that in males. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cross-sex hormone treatment (androgenization) affects the brain white matter microstructure. Using a Siemens 3 T Trio Tim Magneton, DTI was performed twice, before and during cross-sex hormonal treatment with testosterone in 15 FtMs scanned. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was analyzed on white matter of the whole brain, and the latter was spatially analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. Before each scan the subjects were assessed for serum testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin level (SHBG), and their free testosterone index. After at least seven months of cross-gender hormonal treatment, FA values increased in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the right corticospinal tract (CST) in FtMs compared to their pre-treatment values. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the increments in the FA values in the SLF and CST are predicted by the free testosterone index before hormonal treatment. All these observations suggest that testosterone treatment changes white matter microstructure in FtMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Rametti
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Giltay EJ, Enter D, Zitman FG, Penninx BWJH, van Pelt J, Spinhoven P, Roelofs K. Salivary testosterone: associations with depression, anxiety disorders, and antidepressant use in a large cohort study. J Psychosom Res 2012; 72:205-13. [PMID: 22325700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Low circulating levels of testosterone have been associated with major depression, but there is more limited evidence for differences in patients with anxiety disorders. The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants is associated with sexual side effects, warranting testing for interactions with testosterone. METHODS Data are from 722 male and 1380 female participants of The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), who were recruited from the community, general practice care, and specialized mental health care. Depressive and anxiety diagnoses were assessed using the DSM-IV Composite International Diagnostic Interview. To smooth the episodic secretion, the four morning saliva samples per participant and the two evening samples were pooled before testosterone analysis. RESULTS Morning median testosterone levels were 25.2 pg/ml in men and 16.2 pg/ml in women, with lower evening levels of 18.2 and 14.1 pg/ml, respectively. Significant determinants of testosterone levels were sex, age, time of the day, use of contraceptives, and smoking status. Female patients with a current (1-month) depressive disorder (effect size 0.29; P=0.002), generalized anxiety disorder (0.25; P=0.01), social phobia (0.30; P<0.001), and agoraphobia without panic disorder (0.30; P=0.02) had lower salivary testosterone levels than female controls. Higher testosterone levels were found in male and female participants using SSRIs than in non-users (effect size 0.26; P<0.001). CONCLUSION Salivary testosterone levels are lower in female patients with a depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and agoraphobia as compared to female controls. SSRIs may increase salivary testosterone in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Giltay
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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28
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Jordan K, Fromberger P, Stolpmann G, Müller JL. The Role of Testosterone in Sexuality and Paraphilia—A Neurobiological Approach. Part I: Testosterone and Sexuality. J Sex Med 2011; 8:2993-3007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02394.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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29
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Stangl B, Hirshman E, Verbalis J. Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) enhances visual-spatial performance in postmenopausal women. Behav Neurosci 2011; 125:742-52. [PMID: 21942436 PMCID: PMC3715689 DOI: 10.1037/a0025151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The current article examines the effect of administering dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on visual-spatial performance in postmenopausal women (N = 24, ages 55-80). The concurrent reduction of serum DHEA levels and visual-spatial performance in this population, coupled with the documented effects of DHEA's androgenic metabolites on visual-spatial performance, suggests that DHEA administration may enhance visual-spatial performance. The current experiment used a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design in which 50 mg of oral DHEA was administered daily in the drug condition to explore this hypothesis. Performance on the Mental Rotation, Subject-Ordered Pointing, Fragmented Picture Identification, Perceptual Identification, Same-Different Judgment, and Visual Search tasks and serum levels of DHEA, DHEAS, testosterone, estrone, and cortisol were measured in the DHEA and placebo conditions. In contrast to prior experiments using the current methodology that did not demonstrate effects of DHEA administration on episodic and short-term memory tasks, the current experiment demonstrated large beneficial effects of DHEA administration on Mental Rotation, Subject-Ordered Pointing, Fragmented Picture Identification, Perceptual Identification, and Same-Different Judgment. Moreover, DHEA administration enhanced serum levels of DHEA, DHEAS, testosterone, and estrone, and regression analyses demonstrated that levels of DHEA and its metabolites were positively related to cognitive performance on the visual-spatial tasks in the DHEA condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Stangl
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, USA
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Fujisawa TX, Shinohara K. Sex differences in the recognition of emotional prosody in late childhood and adolescence. J Physiol Sci 2011; 61:429-35. [PMID: 21647818 PMCID: PMC10717528 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-011-0156-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We examined sex-related differences in the ability to recognize emotional prosody in late childhood (9-12 year olds) and adolescence (13-15 year olds) in relation to salivary testosterone levels. In order to examine both the accuracy and the sensitivity in labeling emotional prosody expressions, five intensities (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) for each of three emotion categories were used as stimuli. Totals of 25 male and 22 female children and 28 male and 28 female adolescents were tested on their recognition of happy, angry and sad prosody at the different intensities. The results showed that adolescent females were more sensitive to happy and sad prosody than males but not to angry prosody, whereas there were no sex-related differences in emotional prosody in late childhood for any of the emotional categories. Furthermore, salivary testosterone levels were higher in males than females in adolescence, but not in late childhood, suggesting that the sex differences for emotional prosody recognition emerges in adolescence during which testosterone levels become higher in males than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi X. Fujisawa
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523 Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Shinohara
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523 Japan
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Alibhai SMH, Breunis H, Timilshina N, Marzouk S, Stewart D, Tannock I, Naglie G, Tomlinson G, Fleshner N, Krahn M, Warde P, Canning SD. Impact of androgen-deprivation therapy on cognitive function in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:5030-7. [PMID: 21041708 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2010.30.8742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the effects of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) on cognitive function in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer (PC). PATIENTS AND METHODS The following three groups of men age 50 years or older and matched on age and education were enrolled: patients with PC starting continuous ADT (n = 77), patients with PC not receiving ADT (PC controls, n = 82), and healthy controls (n = 82). A battery of 14 neuropsychological tests, examining eight cognitive domains, was administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Changes in cognitive scores over time were analyzed using the following three approaches: multivariable linear regression; the proportion of participants per group with 1 standard deviation (SD) or greater declines, and the proportion of participants who declined by at least 1.5 SD on two or more tests. RESULTS The mean age and education level of participants were 68.9 years (range, 50 to 87 years) and 15.4 years of education (range, 8 to 24 years), respectively. Adjusted for age and education, all three cohorts had similar cognitive scores at baseline other than in one test of working memory. In adjusted regressions, ADT use was not associated with significant changes in the domains of attention/processing speed, verbal fluency, verbal memory, visual memory, or cognitive flexibility at either 6 months (all P > .05) or 12 months (all P > .05). One test each of immediate memory (P = .029), working memory (P = .031), and visuospatial ability (P = .034) were worse among ADT users than controls at 12 months, but these findings were not confirmed using other analytic approaches. CONCLUSION There is no consistent evidence that 12 months of ADT use has an adverse effect on cognitive function in elderly men with PC.
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Cortical activation during mental rotation in male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals under hormonal treatment. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:1213-22. [PMID: 20219285 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Revised: 02/08/2010] [Accepted: 02/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
There is strong evidence of sex differences in mental rotation tasks. Transsexualism is an extreme gender identity disorder in which individuals seek cross-gender treatment to change their sex. The aim of our study was to investigate if male-to-female (MF) and female-to-male (FM) transsexuals receiving cross-sex hormonal treatment have different patterns of cortical activation during a three-dimensional (3D) mental rotation task. An fMRI study was performed using a 3-T scan in a sample of 18 MF and 19 FM under chronic cross-sex hormonal treatment. Twenty-three males and 19 females served as controls. The general pattern of cerebral activation seen while visualizing the rotated and non-rotated figures was similar for all four groups showing strong occipito-parieto-frontal brain activation. However, compared to control males, the activation of MF transsexuals during the task was lower in the superior parietal lobe. Compared to control females, MF transsexuals showed higher activation in orbital and right dorsolateral prefrontal regions and lower activation in the left prefrontal gyrus. FM transsexuals did not differ from either the MF transsexual or control groups. Regression analyses between cerebral activation and the number of months of hormonal treatment showed a significant negative correlation in parietal, occipital and temporal regions in the MF transsexuals. No significant correlations with time were seen in the FM transsexuals. In conclusion, although we did not find a specific pattern of cerebral activation in the FM transsexuals, we have identified a specific pattern of cerebral activation during a mental 3D rotation task in MF transsexuals under cross-sex hormonal treatment that differed from control males in the parietal region and from control females in the orbital prefrontal region. The hypoactivation in MF transsexuals in the parietal region could be due to the hormonal treatment or could reflect a priori cerebral differences between MF transsexual and control subjects.
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Feng Y, Weijdegård B, Wang T, Egecioglu E, Fernandez-Rodriguez J, Huhtaniemi I, Stener-Victorin E, Billig H, Shao R. Spatiotemporal expression of androgen receptors in the female rat brain during the oestrous cycle and the impact of exogenous androgen administration: a comparison with gonadally intact males. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2010; 321:161-74. [PMID: 20197080 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2010.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Revised: 02/18/2010] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the regulation and cellular distribution of androgen receptors (ARs) in female rodent brains at various stages of the oestrous cycle. This information is critical for further studies of androgen signalling in the regulation of brain function under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In this report, we show that the distribution of AR immunoreactivity in the female rat brain is consistent with reported AR mRNA hybridisation signals in the male brain, except for the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses performed herein revealed that the onset of region-specific changes in AR proteins was strongly correlated with circulating and ovarian levels of estradiol and testosterone across the oestrous cycle. During the metestrus and diestrus stages, however, the highest levels of AR expression were abolished by chronic dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment. This demonstrates that fluctuations in endogenous androgens are required for the regulation of AR expression in the female rat brain. Colocalisation studies revealed that: (1) anatomical variations in AR protein localisation existed between female and male brains, (2) AR immunoreactivity was both neuronal and non-neuronal, and (3) AR protein expression was lower in female rat brains at all stages of the oestrous cycle compared to age-matched males. Our results indicate the presence of regional sex differences in AR expression and changes in the proportion of AR between different subcellular compartments. Furthermore, DHT was found to down-regulate the level of AR in the subcellular compartment in females in a region-specific manner. As a whole, the present study provides the first step toward understanding the dynamics of AR expression and regulation in the brain during normal physiological conditions and for differences in neuronal androgen effects based on sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Feng
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Alibhai S, Mahmoud S, Hussain F, Naglie G, Tannock I, Tomlinson G, Fleshner N, Krahn M, Warde P, Klotz L, Breunis H, Leach M, Canning SD. Levels of sex hormones have limited effect on cognition in older men with or without prostate cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2010; 73:167-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2009.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2008] [Revised: 02/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss the relationship between androgens, cognition and Alzheimer's disease. RECENT FINDINGS It has been found that low circulating levels of androgens are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Decreased circulating androgens are also associated with declining cognitive performance, particularly in memory-related tasks. Conversely, androgen supplementation to hypogonadal men results in improved memory performance. It has therefore been hypothesized that androgen supplementation may be beneficial in Alzheimer's disease. In recent studies, animal models have been used to elucidate the molecular mechanism behind this relationship between androgens and Alzheimer's disease. These studies have shown that androgen depletion results in increased levels of beta amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau, changes which are thought to be associated with subsequent neuronal death. SUMMARY Androgen depletion results in molecular changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. Further human trials are needed to determine whether androgen modulating therapy for Alzheimer's disease has clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor S Drummond
- School of Anatomy and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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Abstract
In this article, the literature examining the relationship between testosterone and various cognitive domains in elderly men is reviewed. The review focuses on the role of endogenous testosterone levels and the effects of androgen depletion and replacement. The cognitive domains most commonly linked to testosterone include memory and visuospatial function. Indeed, the literature suggests that in certain conditions (ie, hypogonadism, cognitive impairment) testosterone levels may be significantly associated with memory and visuospatial function, but not other cognitive functions. Studies with larger sample sizes and more sensitive cognitive measures are indicated, as questions remain about the potential role of testosterone as a cognitive enhancer.
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Scheithauer BW, Kovacs K, Zorludemir S, Lloyd RV, Erdogan S, Slezak J. Immunoexpression of androgen receptor in the nontumorous pituitary and in adenomas. Endocr Pathol 2008; 19:27-33. [PMID: 18228161 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-007-9012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Little information is available regarding androgen receptor immunoexpression (AR) in the normal and neoplastic human pituitary. Available experimental data links it to primarily gonadotroph cells. We undertook an immunohistochemical study of 41 autopsy-derived normal glands from patients of both sexes and all ages as well as 79 fully characterized pituitary adenomas of all types, the focus being upon AR expression in normal and neoplastic gonadotrophs. Nuclear AR immunoreactivity was noted in gonadotrophs and other normal adeno- and neurohypophysial cells. In addition to its presence in 74% of gonadotroph and 55% of null cell adenomas, lesser proportions of other adenoma types (adrenocorticotropic hormone 50%, prolactin 38%, growth hormone 33%) also exhibited AR immunoreactivity. No staining of thyroid-stimulating hormone adenomas was noted. The physiologic significance of our findings remains to be explored. The literature regarding AR expression in animal and human pituitaries is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd W Scheithauer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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Abstract
Androgen deprivation leads to a profound loss of synaptic density in the hippocampus and changes in learning and memory in animal models. The authors examined group differences in verbal memory between men on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a commonly used treatment for prostate cancer, and healthy men. The authors found that men on ADT have a specific impairment of retention but normal encoding and retrieval processes on a word list-learning task. Speed and accuracy for both perceptual and semantic encoding, as well as retrieval at a very short retention interval, were not affected; however, recognition fell to chance after a 2-min retention interval in men on ADT. Healthy men showed only moderate forgetting, and performance was still above chance at 12 min. This pattern of preserved encoding and retrieval but impaired retention suggests that androgens play a role in hippocampally mediated memory processes, possibly having a specific affect on consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Bussiere
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
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Lorenz B, Garcia-Segura LM, DonCarlos LL. Cellular phenotype of androgen receptor-immunoreactive nuclei in the developing and adult rat brain. J Comp Neurol 2006; 492:456-68. [PMID: 16228996 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Androgen exposure during development and adulthood promotes cell-to-cell communication, modulates the size of specific brain nuclei, and influences hormone-dependent behavioral and neuroendocrine functions. Androgen action involves the activation of androgen receptors (AR). To elucidate the mechanisms involved in AR-mediated effects on forebrain development, double-label fluorescent immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy were employed to identify the cellular phenotype of AR-immunoreactive (AR(+)) cells in the developing (embryonic day 20, postnatal days 0, 4, 10) and adult male rat forebrain. Sections were doubly labeled with antibodies directed against AR and one of the following: neurons (immature, nestin; mature, NeuN) or astrocytes [immature, vimentin; mature, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)] or mature oligodendrocytes (mGalC). In all brain regions examined, by far the majority of AR(+) cells were neurons. In addition, small subsets of AR(+) cells were identified as mature astrocytes (GFAP(+)) but only in specific brain regions at specific ages. AR(+)/GFAP(+) cells were observed in the cerebral cortex but only in postnatal day 10 rats and in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus but only in adult rats. Immature neurons, immature astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes were not AR(+) at any age, in any region. Thus, both neurons and astrocytes in the male rat forebrain contain ARs, suggesting that androgens, via ARs, may exert effects on both cell types in an age- and region-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Lorenz
- Neuroscience Program, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
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Corona G, Petrone L, Mannucci E, Ricca V, Balercia G, Giommi R, Forti G, Maggi M. The impotent couple: low desire. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 28 Suppl 2:46-52. [PMID: 16236064 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00594.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hypoactive sexual desire (HSD) is the deficiency of sexual fantasies and desire that should be considered as a disorder if it causes distress to the couple. In the general population, it is the most widespread sexuality-related problem. It is generally accepted that testosterone and prolactin regulate sexual desire. We recently reported that other psychobiological factors associate with HSD in a sample of almost 500 male patients attending our Outpatient Clinic for sexual dysfunction, by using SIEDY structured interview. We now originally extend investigation to a threefold broader patient sample. Considering marital parameters, perceived partner's libido and climax, patient's partner diseases, conflictual or even prolonged couple relationship were all significantly associated with an impairment of patients' sexual desire. Moreover, other lifestyle factors as satisfaction at work and/or domestic inhabitant relationship were significantly correlated to hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Among hormonal parameters, severe hyperprolactinaemia (>700 mU/L), although rarely diagnosed (<2.0%), seems to play a greater role than the more common (23%) endocrine disease hypogonadism (testosterone < 12 nm) to the pathogenesis of HSD (RR = 7.5 [2.5-22.4] vs. 1.5 [1.1-1.9], respectively). Both mental disorders and use of medication interfering with sexual function were also significantly associated with HSDD, as well as depressive and anxiety symptoms. Finally, HSD was inversely correlated to sexual and masturbation frequency attempts. In conclusion, HSD is associated with several biological, psychological, and relational factors that can be simultaneously identified and quantified using the SIEDY structured interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Corona
- Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Florence Italy
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Redouté J, Stoléru S, Pugeat M, Costes N, Lavenne F, Le Bars D, Dechaud H, Cinotti L, Pujol JF. Brain processing of visual sexual stimuli in treated and untreated hypogonadal patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2005; 30:461-82. [PMID: 15721058 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2004.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2004] [Revised: 12/07/2004] [Accepted: 12/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although various brain regions have been shown to respond to the presentation of visual sexual stimuli (VSS), whether these regions are specifically mediating sexual arousal or whether they mediate general emotional or motivational arousal is unknown. To clarify this issue, our purpose was to map the regions where the response to VSS was related to plasma testosterone. Specific objectives were (i) to identify regions that respond differentially to VSS in untreated hypogonadal patients compared with healthy controls and (ii) to identify in hypogonadal patients the regions that respond differentially to VSS as a function of therapeutically induced increased testosterone levels. METHOD In nine male hypogonadal patients, in the same patients under treatment, and in eight healthy males, we used Positron Emission Tomography to investigate responses of regional cerebral blood flow to VSS. Statistical Parametric Mapping was used to locate regions that demonstrated a differential response. RESULTS Regions responding differentially both in untreated patients compared with controls and in untreated patients compared with themselves under treatment were the right orbitofrontal cortex, insula and claustrum, where the activation was higher in controls than in untreated patients and where activation increased under treatment, and the left inferior frontal gyrus, that demonstrated a deactivation only in controls and in patients under treatment. That these responses appear to depend on testosterone indicates that these regions mediate sexual arousal and not only a process of general emotional or motivational arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Redouté
- Inserm U 483, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Boite 23, 9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
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Garcia-Ovejero D, Azcoitia I, Doncarlos LL, Melcangi RC, Garcia-Segura LM. Glia-neuron crosstalk in the neuroprotective mechanisms of sex steroid hormones. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 48:273-86. [PMID: 15850667 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2004] [Accepted: 12/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Proteins involved in the intramitochondrial trafficking of cholesterol, the first step in steroidogenesis, such as the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), are upregulated in the nervous system after injury. Accordingly, a local increase in the levels of steroids, such as pregnenolone and progesterone, is observed following traumatic injury in the brain and spinal cord. The expression and activity of aromatase, the enzyme that synthesizes estradiol, is also increased in injured brain areas and its inhibition results in an increased neurodegeneration. These findings suggest that an increase in steroidogenesis is part of an overall mechanism used by the nervous tissue to cope with neurodegenerative conditions. Neural steroidogenesis is the result of a coordinated interaction of neurons and glia. For example, after neural injury, there is an upregulation of StAR in neurons and of PBR in microglia and astroglia. Aromatase is expressed in neurons under basal conditions and is upregulated in reactive astrocytes after injury. Some of the steroids produced by glia are neuroprotective. Progesterone and progesterone derivatives produced by Schwann cells, promote myelin formation and the remyelination and regeneration of injured nerves. In the central nervous system, the steroids produced by glia regulate synaptic function, affect anxiety, cognition, sleep and behavior, and exert neuroprotective and reparative roles. In addition, glial cells are targets for steroids and mediate some of the effects of these molecules on neurons, including the regulation of survival and regeneration.
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Planz B, Tabatabaei S, Kirley SD, Aretz HT, Wang Q, Lin CW, McDougal WS, Marberger M. Studies on the differentiation pathway and growth characteristics of epithelial culture cells of the human prostate. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2004; 7:73-83. [PMID: 14999242 DOI: 10.1038/sj.pcan.4500704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We established explant primary cultures in order to study the growth and hormone responsiveness, and the differentiation process of prostatic epithelial cells. Cell outgrowth was achieved from explant tissue by using a new DU145-cell-conditioned medium and special plastic coverslips. To define the present model, proliferation assays were tested by [3H]thymidine assay and planimetric analysis. Cells were analyzed using immunocytochemistry, light, phase contrast and electron microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, telomerase ELISA and immunoassay (PSA). Morphology and electron microscopy revealed typical epithelial differentiation. Immunocytochemistry showed the content of basal and secretory epithelial cells, endocrine paracrine cells and a high level of proliferation. With increasing culture time, mature epithelial differentiation (PSA) increases and the initial increase of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) decreases again. After further passaging, alpha-SMA expression is no longer detected and PSA expression decreases. Furthermore, epithelial cells showed both androgen responsiveness and androgen receptor expression. These findings show the presence of epithelial cells in a process of differentiation with endocrine paracrine cells and a high level of proliferation. This model may maintain the cellular and functional properties more closely related to the human prostate and may provide a valuable tool for studying stem cells and differentiation characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Planz
- Department of Urology, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.
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Kumar RC, Thakur MK. Androgen receptor mRNA is inversely regulated by testosterone and estradiol in adult mouse brain. Neurobiol Aging 2004; 25:925-33. [PMID: 15212846 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2003.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2003] [Revised: 09/29/2003] [Accepted: 10/06/2003] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in different tissues including the brain and is under regulation by sex steroid hormones. It mediates the action of androgen which plays a key role in learning, memory, and other brain functions that deteriorate with increasing age. We have correlated the expression of AR mRNA with its promoter methylation and their regulation by testosterone and estradiol in the brain cortex of adult and old male and female mice. Results revealed that (i) AR mRNA expression was significantly higher in male than in female mice. (ii) In both sexes, AR mRNA level was down-regulated by testosterone in adult and old, but up-regulated by estradiol only in adult mice. (iii) Methylation of AR core promoter was increased by testosterone, but decreased by estradiol. These findings show that AR mRNA expression and its core promoter methylation are inversely regulated by testosterone and estradiol in the adult mice brain cortex. Such regulation of AR expression might influence androgen action during aging of the mice brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Kumar
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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Azcoitia I, Sierra A, Veiga S, Garcia-Segura LM. Aromatase expression by reactive astroglia is neuroprotective. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2004; 1007:298-305. [PMID: 14993062 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1286.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The enzyme aromatase catalyzes the conversion of testosterone and other C19 steroids to estradiol. Under normal circumstances, the expression of aromatase in the central nervous system of mammals is restricted to neurons. However, the expression of the enzyme is induced in astrocytes in vitro by stressful stimuli. Furthermore, different types of brain injury induce in vivo the expression of aromatase in reactive astrocytes. The expression of aromatase by reactive astrocytes is neuroprotective, because the pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme in the brain exacerbates neuronal death after different forms of mild neurodegenerative stimuli that do not significantly affect neuronal survival under control conditions. These findings indicate that the induction of aromatase in reactive astrocytes, and the consecutive increase in the local production of estradiol in the brain at injured sites, may be an endogenous neural response to reduce the extent of neurodegenerative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inigo Azcoitia
- Departamento de Biologïa Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Kruijver FPM, Balesar R, Espila AM, Unmehopa UA, Swaab DF. Estrogen-receptor-? distribution in the human hypothalamus: Similarities and differences with ER? distribution. J Comp Neurol 2003; 466:251-77. [PMID: 14528452 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This study reports the first systematic rostrocaudal distribution of estrogen receptor beta immunoreactivity (ER beta-ir) in the human hypothalamus and adjacent areas in five males and five females between 20-39 years of age and compares its distribution to previously reported ER alpha in the same patients. ER beta-ir was generally observed more frequently in the cytoplasm than in the nucleus and appeared to be stronger in women. Basket-like fiber stainings, suggestive for ER beta-ir in synaptic terminals, were additionally observed in various areas. Men showed more robust nuclear ER beta-ir than women in the medial part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular and paratenial nucleus of the thalamus, while less intense, but more nuclear, ER beta-ir appeared to be present in, e.g., the BSTc, sexually dimorphic nucleus of the medial preoptic area, diagonal band of Broca and ventromedial nucleus. Women revealed more nuclear ER beta-ir than men of a low to intermediate level, e.g., in the suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, paraventricular, infundibular, and medial mamillary nucleus. These data indicate potential sex differences in ER beta expression. ER beta-ir expression patterns in subjects with abnormal hormone levels suggests that there may be sex differences in ER beta-ir that are "activational" rather than "organizational" in nature. Similarities, differences, potential functional, and clinical implications of the observed ER alpha and ER beta distributions are discussed in relation to reproduction, autonomic-function, mood, cognition, and neuroprotection in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank P M Kruijver
- Graduate School of Neurosciences, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Non-neuronal cells in the nervous system: sources and targets of neuroactive steroids. ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY 2003. [DOI: 10.1016/s1569-2558(03)31024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Kruijver FPM, Balesar R, Espila AM, Unmehopa UA, Swaab DF. Estrogen receptor-alpha distribution in the human hypothalamus in relation to sex and endocrine status. J Comp Neurol 2002; 454:115-39. [PMID: 12412138 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The present study reports the first systematic rostrocaudal distribution of estrogen receptor-alpha immunoreactivity (ERalpha-ir) in the human hypothalamus and its adjacent areas in young adults. Postmortem material taken from 10 subjects (five male and five female), between 20 and 39 years of age, was investigated. In addition, three age-matched subjects with abnormal levels of estrogens were studied: a castrated, estrogen-treated 50-year-old male-to-female transsexual (T1), a 31-year-old man with an estrogen-producing tumor (S2), and an ovariectomized 46-year-old woman (S8). A strong sex difference, with more nuclear ERalpha-ir in women, was observed rostrally in the diagonal band of Broca and caudally in the medial mamillary nucleus. Less robust sex differences were observed in other brain areas, with more intense nuclear ERalpha-ir in men, e.g., in the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the medial preoptic area, paraventricular nucleus, and lateral hypothalamic area, whereas women had more nuclear ERalpha-ir in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and ventromedial nucleus. No nuclear sex differences in ERalpha were found, e.g., in the central part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. In addition to nuclear staining, ERalpha-ir appeared to be sex-dependently present in the cytoplasm of neurons and was observed in astrocytes, plexus choroideus, and other non-neuronal cells. ERalpha-ir in T1, S2, and S8 suggested that most of the observed sex differences in ERalpha-ir are "activational" (e.g., ventromedial nucleus/medial mamillary nucleus) rather than "organizational." Species similarities and differences in ERalpha-ir distribution and possible functional implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank P M Kruijver
- Graduate School of Neurosciences, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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