Effects of 17β-estradiol on the spontaneous activity of substantia nigra neurons: Evidence for a non-genomic mechanism

Disruption of α-Synuclein proteostasis in the striatum and midbrain of long-term ovariectomized female mice

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that women are less susceptible to Parkinson's disease (PD) than men. Estrogen exposure is hypothesized to confer protection against dopaminergic neuronal loss in patients with PD. Although the accumulation and propagation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) are closely linked to the clinical progression of PD, no relevant research has examined whether α-Syn proteostasis in the brain is altered in women after menopause. In this study, we established long-term ovariectomized (OVX) mice to simulate late post-menopause and investigated the expression and aggregation of α-Syn following the ovariectomy procedure. We observed that the OVX mice exhibited a significant increase in the expression and aggregation of α-Syn in the striatum and midbrain accompanied by impaired motor performance at 3 months after ovariectomy. The accumulation of α-Syn did not result in a significant loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons but did enhance autophagy and neuroglial activation. These findings imply that menopause may disrupt α-Syn proteostasis and exacerbate the accumulation of α-Syn in the basal ganglia circuit.

Non-genomic Effect of Estradiol on the Neurovascular Unit and Possible Involvement in the Cerebral Vascular Accident

Cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic cerebral vascular accident (CVA), are responsible for causing high rates of morbidity, mortality, and disability in the population. The neurovascular unit (NVU) during and after ischemic CVA plays crucial roles in cell regulation and preservation, the immune and inflammatory response, and cell and/or tissue survival and repair. Cellular responses to 17β-estradiol (E2) can be triggered by two mechanisms: one called classical or genomic, which is due to the activation of the "classical" nuclear estrogen receptors α (ERα) and β (ERβ), and the non-genomic or rapid mechanism, which is due to the activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) that is located in the plasma membrane and some in intracellular membranes, such as in the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum. Nuclear receptors can regulate gene expression and cellular functions. On the contrary, activating the GPER by E2 and/or its G-1 agonist triggers several rapid cell signaling pathways. Therefore, E2 or its G-1 agonist, by mediating GPER activation and/or expression, can influence several NVU cell types. Most studies argue that the activation of the GPER may be used as a potential therapeutic target in various pathologies, such as CVA. Thus, with this review, we aimed to summarize the existing literature on the role of GPER mediated by E2 and/or its agonist G-1 in the physiology and pathophysiology of NVU.

Sex differences in rat decision-making: The confounding role of extraneous feeder sampling between trials

Although male and female rats appear to perform differently in some tasks, a clear picture of sex differences in decision-making has yet to develop. This is in part due to significant variability arising from differences in strains and tasks. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of sex on specific response elements in a reinforcement learning task so as to help identify potential explanations for this variability. We found that the primary difference between sexes was the propensity to approach feeders out of the task context. This extraneous feeder sampling affects choice on subsequent trials in both sexes by promoting a lose-shift response away from the last feeder sampled. Female rats, however, were more likely to engage in this extraneous feeder sampling, and therefore exhibited a greater rate of this effect. Once trials following extraneous sampling were removed, there were no significant sex differences in any of the tested measures. These data suggest that feeder approach outside of the task context, which is often not recorded, could produce a confound in sex-based differences of reinforcement sensitivity in some tasks.

Impact of pubertal and adult estradiol treatments on cocaine self-administration

Estradiol is thought to play a critical role in the increased vulnerability to psychostimulant abuse in women. Sex differences in the ability of estradiol to influence cocaine self-administration in adult rats have been hypothesized to depend upon pubertal estradiol exposure. The current study investigated whether the presence of gonadal hormones during puberty affected cocaine self-administration behavior and its sensitivity to adult estradiol treatment in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects were gonadectomized or SHAM-operated at postnatal day (PD) 22, and received either OIL or estradiol benzoate (EB) during the approximate time of puberty (PD27 to PD37). Adult rats were subsequently treated with either EB or OIL 30 min before cocaine self-administration (0.3 mg/kg/inf) in order to examine the effects of pubertal manipulations on the estradiol sensitivity of acquisition on a fixed ratio (FR) 1 schedule, total intake on a FR5 schedule and motivation on a progressive ratio schedule. Adult EB treatment only affected cocaine self-administration in females, which is consistent with previous research. Adult EB treatment enhanced acquisition in all females irrespective of puberty manipulations. All females, except those treated with EB during puberty, displayed increased cocaine intake following adult EB treatment. Adult EB treatment only enhanced motivation in females that were intact during puberty, whereas those treated with EB during puberty showed reduced motivation. Therefore, the sensitivities of different self-administration behaviors to adult estradiol treatment are organized independently in females, with pubertal estradiol exerting a greater influence over motivational processes, and negligible effects on learning/acquisition.

Effects of 17beta-estradiol on responses of viscerosomatic convergent thalamic neurons in the ovariectomized female rat

Ovarian hormones have been shown to exert multiple effects on CNS function and viscerosomatic convergent activity. Ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were used in the present study to examine the long-term effects of proestrus levels of 17beta-estradiol (EB) delivered by a 60-day time-released subcutaneous pellet on the response properties of viscerosomatic convergent thalamic neurons. In addition, avoidance thresholds to mechanical stimulation for one of the convergent somatic territories, the trunk, was assessed using an electro-von Frey anesthesiometer before and at the end of the 6-wk post-OVX/implant period prior to the terminal electrophysiological experiments, which were done under urethane anesthesia. Rats implanted with an EB-containing pellet, relative to placebo controls, demonstrated 1) altered thalamic response frequencies and thresholds for cervix and vaginal but not colon stimulation; 2) some response variations for just the lateral group of thalamic subnuclei; and 3) altered thalamic response frequencies and thresholds for trunk stimulation. Thalamic response thresholds for trunk pressure in EB versus placebo rats were consistent with the avoidance thresholds obtained from the same groups. In addition, EB replacement affected visceral and somatic thresholds in opposite ways (i.e., reproductive-related structures were less sensitive to pressure, whereas somatic regions showed increased sensitivity). These results have obvious reproductive advantages (i.e., decreased reproductive organ sensitivity for copulation and increased trunk sensitivity for lordosis posturing), as well as possible clinical implications in women suffering from chronic pelvic pain syndromes and/or neuropathic pain.

Estrogen regulates responses of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area to cocaine

RATIONALE

Sex differences in cocaine abuse have been well documented. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the potential role of ovarian hormones in the regulation of dopamine (DA) neuron firing activity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) induced by acute cocaine in intact female or ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

RESULTS

The basal firing activity of VTA DA neurons was changed in a manner phase-locked to the estrous cycle: being highest in estrus and lowest in proestrus. Acute cocaine produced greater inhibition (P < 0.05) on the firing of VTA DA neurons during proestrus than during estrus. The inhibitory effect was completely blocked by OVX and restored by replacement of 17-beta-estradiol or, to a less extent, by replacement of progesterone. In addition, we also detected female hormone-associated changes in slow oscillation in VTA DA neurons. The results indicate that ovarian hormones, particularly estrogen, not only synergize with the inhibitory effect of cocaine on VTA DA neuron activity but also play an essential role in maintaining the sensitivity of DA neurons to cocaine-mediated inhibition on firing. Moreover, pretreatment of estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist raloxifene or a selective ERalpha antagonist Y134 largely attenuated the cocaine-inhibited DA neuron firing. We also found that cocaine-induced locomotor activity was estrous cycle dependent; 17-beta-estradiol but not progesterone replacement restored the cocaine-induced locomotor activity in OVX rats.

CONCLUSION

The present results demonstrated that ovarian hormones, particularly estrogen, produce profound effect on VTA DA neuron activity, which, in turn, may contribute to the sex differences in response to psychostimulants.

Rapid neural Fos responses to oestradiol in oestrogen receptor alphabeta double knockout mice

The standard mode of action for oestradiol is via activation of nuclear oestrogen receptors (ERs), which initiate DNA transcription leading to protein formation. In the present study, we examined the rapid and potentially ER-independent action of oestradiol using Fos as a marker of neural activity. We assessed Fos immunoreactivity (ir) in brains of mice with functional versus nonfunctional ERs. Fos-ir was compared in brains of control mice that did and did not receive oestradiol treatment prior to sacrifice, and cell numbers in the preoptic area (POA), ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), area 2 of cingulate cortex (CG2), granular layer of accessory olfactory bulb (Gr-AOB), olivary pretectal nucleus (OPT) and pyramidal layer of field CA3 of hippocampus (Py-CA3) were increased 90 min after oestradiol treatment. By contrast, in brains of double oestrogen receptor alphabeta knockout (ERalphabetaKO) female mice, no change in Fos-ir was noted after oestradiol treatment in the POA, VMH, Gr-AOB or Py-CA3, suggesting that these responses to oestradiol depend on ERalpha and/or ERbeta. However, Fos-ir was induced by oestradiol in the OPT and CG2 in ERalphabetaKO mice. These regions do not contain ERalpha-ir in control brains. In ERalphabetaKO brains as well, ERalpha-ir was absent, suggesting that the mutant ERalpha (E1) present in ERalphaKO brain is also absent in these regions. We speculate that oestradiol has rapid effects in the OPT and CG2 via a novel mechanism that does not require either classic oestrogen receptor.