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Carrillo B, Fernandez-Garcia JM, García-Úbeda R, Grassi D, Primo U, Blanco N, Ballesta A, Arevalo MA, Collado P, Pinos H. Neonatal inhibition of androgen activity alters the programming of body weight and orexinergic peptides differentially in male and female rats. Brain Res Bull 2024; 208:110898. [PMID: 38360152 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The involvement of androgens in the regulation of energy metabolism has been demonstrated. The main objective of the present research was to study the involvement of androgens in both the programming of energy metabolism and the regulatory peptides associated with feeding. For this purpose, androgen receptors and the main metabolic pathways of testosterone were inhibited during the first five days of postnatal life in male and female Wistar rats. Pups received a daily s.c. injection from the day of birth, postnatal day (P) 1, to P5 of Flutamide (a competitive inhibitor of androgen receptors), Letrozole (an aromatase inhibitor), Finasteride (a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor) or vehicle. Body weight, food intake and fat pads were measured. Moreover, hypothalamic Agouti-related peptide (AgRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), orexin, and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The inhibition of androgenic activity during the first five days of life produced a significant decrease in body weight in females at P90 but did not affect this parameter in males. Moreover, the inhibition of aromatase decreased hypothalamic AgRP mRNA levels in males while the inhibition of 5α-reductase decreased hypothalamic AgRP and orexin mRNA levels in female rats. Finally, food intake and visceral fat, but not subcutaneous fat, were affected in both males and females depending on which testosterone metabolic pathway was inhibited. Our results highlight the differential involvement of androgens in the programming of energy metabolism as well as the AgRP and orexin systems during development in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Carrillo
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Research-UNED-Institute of Health Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Fernandez-Garcia
- University Institute of Research-UNED-Institute of Health Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Villanueva Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío García-Úbeda
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Grassi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ulises Primo
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemí Blanco
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Research-UNED-Institute of Health Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Ballesta
- Department of Psychobiology, Centro de Enseñanza Superior Cardenal Cisneros, Spain
| | - Maria Angeles Arevalo
- Neuroactive Steroids Lab, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Collado
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Research-UNED-Institute of Health Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Helena Pinos
- Department of Psychobiology, National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Research-UNED-Institute of Health Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain.
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2
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Abaffy T, Matsunami H. 19-hydroxy Steroids in the Aromatase Reaction: Review on Expression and Potential Functions. J Endocr Soc 2021; 5:bvab050. [PMID: 34095690 PMCID: PMC8169043 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific evidence related to the aromatase reaction in various biological processes spanning from mid-1960 to today is abundant; however, as our analytical sensitivity increases, a new look at the old chemical reaction is necessary. Here, we review an irreversible aromatase reaction from the substrate androstenedione. It proceeds in 3 consecutive steps. In the first 2 steps, 19-hydroxy steroids are produced. In the third step, estrone is produced. They can dissociate from the enzyme complex and either accumulate in tissues or enter the blood. In this review, we want to highlight the potential importance of these 19-hydroxy steroids in various physiological and pathological conditions. We focus primarily on 19-hydroxy steroids, and in particular on the 19-hydroxyandrostenedione produced by the incomplete aromatase reaction. Using a PubMed database and the search term “aromatase reaction,” 19-hydroxylation of androgens and steroid measurements, we detail the chemistry of the aromatase reaction and list previous and current methods used to measure 19-hydroxy steroids. We present evidence of the existence of 19-hydroxy steroids in brain tissue, ovaries, testes, adrenal glands, prostate cancer, as well as during pregnancy and parturition and in Cushing’s disease. Based on the available literature, a potential involvement of 19-hydroxy steroids in the brain differentiation process, sperm motility, ovarian function, and hypertension is suggested and warrants future research. We hope that with the advancement of highly specific and sensitive analytical methods, future research into 19-hydroxy steroids will be encouraged, as much remains to be learned and discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Abaffy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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3
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Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Galbiati M, Maggi A, Poletti A. The Role of Sex and Sex Hormones in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5572525. [PMID: 31544208 PMCID: PMC7156855 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a wide class of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Several factors were hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases, including genetic and environmental factors. Many of these diseases show a sex prevalence and sex steroids were shown to have a role in the progression of specific forms of neurodegeneration. Estrogens were reported to be neuroprotective through their action on cognate nuclear and membrane receptors, while adverse effects of male hormones have been described on neuronal cells, although some data also suggest neuroprotective activities. The response of the CNS to sex steroids is a complex and integrated process that depends on (i) the type and amount of the cognate steroid receptor and (ii) the target cell type-either neurons, glia, or microglia. Moreover, the levels of sex steroids in the CNS fluctuate due to gonadal activities and to local metabolism and synthesis. Importantly, biochemical processes involved in the pathogenesis of NDs are increasingly being recognized as different between the two sexes and as influenced by sex steroids. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art understanding on the potential role of sex steroids and their receptors on the onset and progression of major neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the peculiar motoneuron disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, in which hormonal therapy is potentially useful as disease modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vegeto
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (DiSS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
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4
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Park CJ, Kim H, Jin J, Barakat R, Lin PC, Choi JM, Ko CJ. Porcine intestinal lymphoid tissues synthesize estradiol. J Vet Sci 2018; 19:477-482. [PMID: 29486537 PMCID: PMC6070586 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.4.477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol (17β-estradiol) is synthesized primarily in the gonads of both sexes and regulates the development and function of reproductive organs. Recently, we reported that intestinal lymphocyte homeostasis is regulated by estradiol synthesized de novo in the endothelial cells of the high endothelial venules (HEVs) of mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches in mice. This observation prompted us to hypothesize that HEVs of intestinal lymphoid tissues are sites of estradiol synthesis across species. In this study, we examined whether estradiol is synthesized in the intestinal lymphoid tissues of adolescent piglets. Comparisons of estradiol levels in blood and tissue showed that estradiol concentrations in mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches were significantly higher than the level in serum. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that porcine intestinal lymphoid tissues express mRNAs for steroidogenic enzymes (StAR, 17β-Hsd,3β-Hsd, Cyp17a1, and Cyp19a1), and immunohistochemical results in ilial tissue showed expression of aromatase (CYP19) in Peyer's patch-localized endothelial cells of HEVs. When mesenteric lymph node and Peyer's patch tissues were cultured in vitro, they produced estradiol. Taken together, the results indicate that mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches are sites of estradiol synthesis in adolescent piglets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Jin Park
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA
| | - Heehyen Kim
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA.,Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jooyoung Jin
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA.,Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Radwa Barakat
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA.,Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
| | - Po-Ching Lin
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA
| | - Jeong Moon Choi
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA
| | - CheMyong Jay Ko
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, IL 61802, USA
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5
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Cisternas CD, Garcia-Segura LM, Cambiasso MJ. Hormonal and genetic factors interact to control aromatase expression in the developing brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30. [PMID: 28891264 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Brain expression of the enzyme P450-aromatase has been studied extensively. Subsequent to the aromatisation hypothesis having established brain aromatase as a key factor to convert gonadal testosterone to oestradiol, several studies have investigated the regulation of aromatase during the critical period of brain sexual differentiation. We review previous and recent findings concerning regulation of aromatase. The role of gonadal hormones, sex chromosome genes and neurosteroids is analysed in terms of their contribution to aromatase expression, as well as implications for the organisational effect of steroids during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Cisternas
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - L M Garcia-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - M J Cambiasso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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6
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Cisternas CD, Cabrera Zapata LE, Arevalo MA, Garcia-Segura LM, Cambiasso MJ. Regulation of aromatase expression in the anterior amygdala of the developing mouse brain depends on ERβ and sex chromosome complement. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5320. [PMID: 28706210 PMCID: PMC5509695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05658-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During development sex differences in aromatase expression in limbic regions of mouse brain depend on sex chromosome factors. Genes on the sex chromosomes may affect the hormonal regulation of aromatase expression and this study was undertaken to explore that possibility. Male E15 anterior amygdala neuronal cultures expressed higher levels of aromatase (mRNA and protein) than female cultures. Furthermore, treatment with oestradiol (E2) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increased Cyp19a1 expression and aromatase protein levels only in female neuronal cultures. The effect of E2 on aromatase expression was not imitated by oestrogen receptor (ER) α agonist PPT or the GPER agonist G1, but it was fully reproduced by DPN, a specific ligand of ERβ. By contrast, the effect of DHT on aromatase expression was not blocked by the anti-androgen flutamide, but completely abrogated by the ERβ antagonist PHTPP. Experiments using the four core genotype model showed a sex chromosome effect in ERβ expression (XY > XX) and regulation by E2 or DHT (only XX respond) in amygdala neurons. In conclusion, sex chromosome complement governs the hormonal regulation of aromatase expression through activation of ERβ in developing mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Daniela Cisternas
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología -Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Lucas Ezequiel Cabrera Zapata
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Angeles Arevalo
- Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Ciber de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Ciber de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Julia Cambiasso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. .,Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología -Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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7
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Barakat R, Oakley O, Kim H, Jin J, Ko CJ. Extra-gonadal sites of estrogen biosynthesis and function. BMB Rep 2017; 49:488-96. [PMID: 27530684 PMCID: PMC5227141 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2016.49.9.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogens are the key hormones regulating the development and function of reproductive organs in all vertebrates. Recent evidence indicates that estrogens play important roles in the immune system, cancer development, and other critical biological processes related to human well-being. Obviously, the gonads (ovary and testis) are the primary sites of estrogen synthesis, but estrogens synthesized in extra- gonadal sites play an equally important role in controlling biological activities. Understanding non-gonadal sites of estrogen synthesis and function is crucial and will lead to therapeutic interventions targeting estrogen signaling in disease prevention and treatment. Developing a rationale targeting strategy remains challenging because knowledge of extra-gonadal biosynthesis of estrogens, and the mechanism by which estrogen activity is exerted, is very limited. In this review, we will summarize recent discoveries of extra-gonadal sites of estrogen biosynthesis and their local functions and discuss the significance of the most recent novel discovery of intestinal estrogen biosynthesis. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(9): 488-496]
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa Barakat
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61802, Unites States; Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt
| | - Oliver Oakley
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky 40475, United States
| | - Heehyen Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jooyoung Jin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - CheMyong Jay Ko
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61802, Unites States
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8
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Schmidt M, Lapert F, Brandwein C, Deuschle M, Kasperk C, Grimsley JM, Gass P. Prenatal stress changes courtship vocalizations and bone mineral density in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:203-212. [PMID: 27838514 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Stress during the prenatal period has various effects on social and sexual behavior in both human and animal offspring. The present study examines the effects of chronic restraint stress in the second vs third trimester in pregnancy and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) heterozygous mutation on C57BL/6N male offspring's vocal courtship behavior in adulthood by applying a novel analyzing method. Finally, corticosterone and testosterone levels as well as bone mineral density were measured. Prenatal stress in the third, but not in the second trimester caused a significant qualitative change in males' courtship vocalizations, independent of their GR genotype. Bone mineral density was decreased also by prenatal stress exclusively in the third trimester in GR mutant and wildtype mice and - in contrast to corticosterone and testosterone - highly correlated with courtship vocalizations. In Gr+/- males corticosterone serum levels were significantly increased in animals that had experienced prenatal stress in the third trimester. Testosterone serum levels were overall increased in Gr+/- males in comparison to wildtypes as a tendency - whereas prenatal stress had no influence. Prenatal stress alters adult males' courtship vocalizations exclusively when applied in the third trimester, with closely related changes in bone mineral density. Bone mineral density seems to reflect best the complex neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the production of courtship vocalizations. Besides, we demonstrated for the first time elevated basal corticosterone levels in Gr+/- males after prenatal stress which suggests that the Gr+/- mouse model of depression might also serve as a model of prenatal stress in male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Schmidt
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Florian Lapert
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael Deuschle
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Kasperk
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jasmine M Grimsley
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - Peter Gass
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
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9
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Cisternas CD, Tome K, Caeiro XE, Dadam FM, Garcia-Segura LM, Cambiasso MJ. Sex chromosome complement determines sex differences in aromatase expression and regulation in the stria terminalis and anterior amygdala of the developing mouse brain. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 414:99-110. [PMID: 26231585 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase, which converts testosterone in estradiol, is involved in the generation of brain sex dimorphisms. Here we used the "four core genotypes" mouse model, in which the effect of gonadal sex and sex chromosome complement is dissociated, to determine if sex chromosomes influence the expression of brain aromatase. The brain of 16 days old XY mouse embryos showed higher aromatase expression in the stria terminalis and the anterior amygdaloid area than the brain of XX embryos, independent of gonadal sex. Furthermore, estradiol or dihydrotestosterone increased aromatase expression in cultures of anterior amygdala neurons derived from XX embryos, but not in those derived from XY embryos. This effect was also independent of gonadal sex. The expression of other steroidogenic molecules, estrogen receptor-α and androgen receptor was not influenced by sex chromosomes. In conclusion, sex chromosomes determine sex dimorphisms in aromatase expression and regulation in the developing mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla D Cisternas
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Karina Tome
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ximena E Caeiro
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Florencia M Dadam
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - María J Cambiasso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Biología Bucal, Facultad de Odontología - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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10
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Colciago A, Casati L, Negri-Cesi P, Celotti F. Learning and memory: Steroids and epigenetics. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 150:64-85. [PMID: 25766520 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Memory formation and utilization is a complex process involving several brain structures in conjunction as the hippocampus, the amygdala and the adjacent cortical areas, usually defined as medial temporal lobe structures (MTL). The memory processes depend on the formation and modulation of synaptic connectivity affecting synaptic strength, synaptic plasticity and synaptic consolidation. The basic neurocognitive mechanisms of learning and memory are shortly recalled in the initial section of this paper. The effect of sex hormones (estrogens, androgens and progesterone) and of adrenocortical steroids on several aspects of memory processes are then analyzed on the basis of animal and human studies. A specific attention has been devoted to the different types of steroid receptors (membrane or nuclear) involved and on local metabolic transformations when required. The review is concluded by a short excursus on the steroid activated epigenetic mechanisms involved in memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Colciago
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Biomedicine and Endocrinology, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Lavinia Casati
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Negri-Cesi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Biomedicine and Endocrinology, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Fabio Celotti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Biomedicine and Endocrinology, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
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11
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Peruffo A, Cozzi B. Bovine Brain: An in vitro Translational Model in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative Research. Front Pediatr 2014; 2:74. [PMID: 25072040 PMCID: PMC4090595 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2014.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models provide convenient and clinically relevant tools in the research on neurodegenerative diseases. Studies on developmental disorders extensively rely on the use of laboratory rodents. The present mini-review proposes an alternative translational model based on the use of fetal bovine brain tissue. The bovine (Bos taurus) possesses a large and highly gyrencephalic brain and the long gestation period (41 weeks) is comparable to human pregnancy (38-40 weeks). Primary cultures obtained from fetal bovine brain constitute a validated in vitro model that allows examinations of neurons and/or glial cells under controlled and reproducible conditions. Physiological processes can be also studied on cultured bovine neural cells incubated with specific substrates or by electrically coupled electrolyte-oxide-semiconductor capacitors that permit direct recording from neuronal cells. Bovine neural cells and specific in vitro cell culture could be an alternative in comparative neuroscience and in neurodegenerative research, useful for studying development of normal and altered circuitry in a long gestation mammalian species. Use of bovine tissues would promote a substantial reduction in the use of laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
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12
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Peruffo A, Giacomello M, Montelli S, Panin M, Cozzi B. Expression profile of the pore-forming subunits α1A and α1D in the foetal bovine hypothalamus: a mammal with a long gestation. Neurosci Lett 2013; 556:124-8. [PMID: 24148303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the expression of the voltage operated calcium channels (VOCCs) subunits α1A (typical of the P/Q family) and α1D (of the L family) in the bovine hypothalamus. The expression of both P/Q and L families has been characterized in the brain of adult mammals. However, their distribution and expression during foetal neuronal differentiation have not yet been determined. The expression profile of the α1A and α1D pore-forming subunits was investigated during four embryonic stages in bovine foetuses. Our data suggest that the expressions of α1A and α1D are correlated during development, with an increase only in males that peaks on the last period of gestation. Bovine male hypothalami showed significantly higher α1A and α1D expression values in comparison to female ones during the whole developmental period. In the females, the expression profiles of both genes were constant during all the developmental time. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the presence of the α1A and α1D protein subunits in foetal hypothalamic neurones starting from the third foetal stage. Our data provide new information on the hypothalamic expression of α1A and α1D subunits during development in a mammal with a long gestation period and a large and convoluted brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Vialedell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
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13
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Sánchez P, Torres JM, Castro B, Del Moral RG, de Dios Luna J, Ortega E. Steroid 5α-reductase in adult rat brain after neonatal dihydrotestosterone administration. Neurochem Res 2012; 38:557-63. [PMID: 23229791 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0948-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 12/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is known to play an important masculinizing role in the developing brain of rat, including the regulation of 5α-reductase (5α-R) isozymes. However, the effects of dihydrotesterone (DHT), a more potent androgen than T, have not been elucidated. In this study, DHT was administered from day 5 through day 20 of postnatal life (period of postnatal sexual differentiation of the central nervous system) at doses of: 12 mg/kg/d on days 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, and 20; 15 mg/kg/d on days 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18; and 18 mg/kg/d on days 13, 14, and 15. In adulthood, quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA levels of 5α-R1 and 5α-R2 isozymes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of male and female rats with varied androgenic status. Under our study conditions, neonatal DHT administration influenced on adult PFC 5α-R isozymes levels and their regulation pattern by androgens, and this pattern was the inverse of that reported in adult neonatally T-treated rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sánchez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Avda. de Madrid s/n, 18012, Granada, Spain
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14
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Matsuda KI, Mori H, Kawata M. Epigenetic mechanisms are involved in sexual differentiation of the brain. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2012; 13:163-71. [PMID: 22327342 DOI: 10.1007/s11154-012-9202-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Sexual differentiation of the brain can be considered as a process during which effects of sex steroid hormones secreted during early development is maintained into adulthood. Epigenetic regulation is emerging as a potentially important mechanism of conveyance of long-lasting effects of the hormonal and environmental milieu in the developing brain. Evidence has accumulated to show that epigenetic regulation is involved in the control of sexual differentiation of the brain. In the preoptic area (POA), which is important for male sexual behavior, histones associated with the estrogen receptor (ER) α and aromatase (Arom) gene promoters are differentially acetylated between the sexes, and two subtypes of histone deacetylase (HDAC2 and 4) are associated with the same promoters at higher frequencies in males in the early postnatal period. Since ERα and Arom are essential genes in masculinization of the brain, these findings suggest that histone deacetylation in the early postnatal period is involved in masculinization of the brain. Indeed, inhibition of HDAC activity in males during this period abrogates brain masculinization: structural sexual dimorphism of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is eliminated and expression of male sexual behavior is reduced in adulthood. Previous reports have demonstrated that ERα gene expression in the POA is higher in females during the developmental and pubertal periods and in adulthood, indicating that sexually dimorphic ERα expression that appears in early postnatal development is maintained until adulthood by epigenetic programming. The ERα promoter is also more sparsely methylated in females, with an inverse correlation with ERα expression. In addition to the hormonal effect, the amount of maternal care received during postnatal development has a lasting effect on ERα expression mediated by DNA methylation of its promoter. Taken together, these results suggest that epigenetic mechanisms play a central role in the transduction and maintenance of early hormonal and social cues to organize sexually differentiated brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Ichi Matsuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
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15
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Expression of aromatase P450(AROM) in the human fetal and early postnatal cerebral cortex. Brain Res 2012; 1475:11-8. [PMID: 22902617 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aromatase (P450(AROM)), the enzyme responsible for the conversion of testosterone (T) into 17-β estradiol (E(2)), plays a crucial role in the sexual differentiation of specific hypothalamic nuclei. Moreover, recent findings indicate that local E(2) synthesis has an impact on other brain areas including hippocampus, temporal cortex and cerebellum, and may thus influence also cognitive functions. Numerous studies have described the expression and the distribution of P450(AROM) throughout ontogenesis and postnatal development of the central nervous system in several mammals, but data referring to humans are scarce. In the adult human brain, P450(AROM) has been detected in the hypothalamus, limbic areas, and in the basal forebrain, and described in glial cells of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In this study we report the expression, distribution and cellular localization of P450(AROM) in the human fetal and early postnatal cerebral cortex. In our series of fetal brains of the second trimester, P450(AROM) expression appeared at gestational week (GW) 17 and resulted limited to groups of cells localized close to the growing neuroepithelium in the ventricular and subventricular zones. At GWs 20-24, scattered P450(AROM) immunoreactive (-ir) neural cells were identified in the intermediate plate and subplate, and in the parietal cortical plate. In perinatal and early postnatal individuals the quantity of P450(AROM)-ir elements increased, and revealed the morphology typical of glial cells. Double labeling immunostaining with anti-GFAP and anti-P450(AROM) antisera, and subsequent confocal analysis, confirmed this observation. Our data show that the expression of P450(AROM) in the fetal cortex starts approx at the end of the fourth gestational month, but increases steadily only in the last trimester or in the early postnatal period. This temporal trend may suggest that P450(AROM) could act as a differentiation-promoting factor, based on timing of the steroid actions.
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16
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Abstract
The intraneuronal conversion of testosterone to oestradiol constitutes a critical step in the development and sexual differentiation of the brain of many short gestation mammalian species and has been inferred to play a similar role in long gestation sheep. This conversion is catalysed by cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19), which is expressed in specific brain structures during foetal development. The present study was undertaken to examine the specific neuroanatomical distribution and relative expression of aromatase mRNA in the developing sheep hypothalamus. The foetal sheep is a highly tractable model system for localising the region-specific expression of aromatase in the brain during prenatal development that can help predict regions where oestrogen acts to shape neural development. Our results, obtained using real time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, revealed that aromatase mRNA was expressed throughout mid to late gestation in the foetal preoptic area and amygdala. In the preoptic area, aromatase expression declined with advancing gestation, whereas, it increased in the amygdala. No sex differences were observed in either brain area. We next investigated the anatomical distribution of aromatase using in situ hybridisation histochemistry and found that the pattern of mRNA expression was largely established by midgestation. High expression was observed in the medial preoptic nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and corticomedial amygdala. We also observed substantial expression in the dorsal striatum. These results extend our understanding of the developmental expression of aromatase in the foetal sheep brain and lend support to the view that it plays an essential role in sexual differentiation and maturation of the neuroendocrine, motor and reward control systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Roselli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97201-3098, USA.
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17
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ERβ may contribute to the maintaining of radial glia cells polarity through cadherins during corticogenesis. Med Hypotheses 2011; 77:974-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2011.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 08/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Matsuda KI, Mori H, Nugent BM, Pfaff DW, McCarthy MM, Kawata M. Histone deacetylation during brain development is essential for permanent masculinization of sexual behavior. Endocrinology 2011; 152:2760-7. [PMID: 21586557 PMCID: PMC3115610 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic histone modifications are emerging as important mechanisms for conveyance of and maintenance of effects of the hormonal milieu to the developing brain. We hypothesized that alteration of histone acetylation status early in development by sex steroid hormones is important for sexual differentiation of the brain. It was found that during the critical period for sexual differentiation, histones associated with promoters of essential genes in masculinization of the brain (estrogen receptor α and aromatase) in the medial preoptic area, an area necessary for male sexual behavior, were differentially acetylated between the sexes. Consistent with these findings, binding of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 2 and 4 to the promoters was higher in males than in females. To examine the involvement of histone deacetylation on masculinization of the brain at the behavioral level, we inhibited HDAC in vivo by intracerebroventricular infusion of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A or antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against the mRNA for HDAC2 and -4 in newborn male rats. Aspects of male sexual behavior in adulthood were significantly reduced by administration of either trichostatin A or antisense oligodeoxynucleotide. These results demonstrate that HDAC activity during the early postnatal period plays a crucial role in the masculinization of the brain via modifications of histone acetylation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Ichi Matsuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
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19
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Bertolasio J, Fyfe S, Snyder BW, Davis AM. Neonatal injections of methoxychlor decrease adult rat female reproductive behavior. Neurotoxicology 2011; 32:809-13. [PMID: 21726579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2011.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Methoxychlor (MXC), a commonly used pesticide, has been labeled as an endocrine disruptor. To evaluate the impact of neonatal exposure to MXC on female reproduction, female Sprague-Dawley rats were given subcutaneous injections on postnatal days 1, 3, and 5. The injections contained 1.0mg MXC, 2.0mg MXC, 10 μg 17β-estradiol benzoate (positive control), or sesame oil (vehicle). The injections of MXC had no effect on anogenital distance or day of vaginal opening. Treatment with either 2.0mg MXC or estradiol significantly increased the total number of days with vaginal keratinization. Treatment with MXC had no effect on ability to exhibit a mating response as an adult female, although the high dose MXC (2.0) and the positive control (estradiol) animals demonstrated a decrease in degree of receptivity, a decrease in proceptive behavior and an increase in rejection behavior. These data suggest that higher doses of MXC given directly to pups during the neonatal period can act as an estrogen and alter aspects of the nervous system, impacting adult reproductive characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bertolasio
- Biology Department, Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Framingham, MA 01701, USA
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20
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The genetics of sex differences in brain and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2011; 32:227-46. [PMID: 20951723 PMCID: PMC3030621 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2008] [Revised: 10/04/2010] [Accepted: 10/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biological differences between men and women contribute to many sex-specific illnesses and disorders. Historically, it was argued that such differences were largely, if not exclusively, due to gonadal hormone secretions. However, emerging research has shown that some differences are mediated by mechanisms other than the action of these hormone secretions and in particular by products of genes located on the X and Y chromosomes, which we refer to as direct genetic effects. This paper reviews the evidence for direct genetic effects in behavioral and brain sex differences. We highlight the 'four core genotypes' model and sex differences in the midbrain dopaminergic system, specifically focusing on the role of Sry. We also discuss novel research being done on unique populations including people attracted to the same sex and people with a cross-gender identity. As science continues to advance our understanding of biological sex differences, a new field is emerging that is aimed at better addressing the needs of both sexes: gender-based biology and medicine. Ultimately, the study of the biological basis for sex differences will improve healthcare for both men and women.
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21
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Chi JH, Narita K, Ichimaru T, Murata T. Estrogen Increases c-Fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus along with its anorexic effect in developing rats. J Reprod Dev 2011; 57:365-72. [PMID: 21358146 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.10-189e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen inhibits food intake in cycling females in a variety of species. To determine how the development of the anorexic system by estrogen is regulated, rat pups at four developmental stages, postnatal day 11 (P11)-13, P20-22, P25-27 and P29-31, and adult ovariectomized (OVX) rats received a daily subcutaneous injection of 20 µg/kg of estradiol benzoate (EB) or vehicle for three days. Food intake, body weight gain and immunohistochemical c-Fos expression in the brain were measured after each injection. EB treatment decreased both food intake and body weight gain from P27 onwards and significantly increased c-Fos expression in the parvocellular division of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (pPVN), which is coincident with its anorexic effect in developing rats. The pattern of EB-induced c-Fos activation in other feeding-related nuclei did not coincide with its anorexic effect in developing pups. However, in adult OVX rats, EB treatment increased c-Fos expression in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and, to a lesser degree, the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH). These results suggested that the pPVN is an essential site in the brain for controlling the anorexic effect of estrogen and that the feeding system of rat begins to respond to estrogen before the onset of puberty (P25-28).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hua Chi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
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22
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Krohmer RW, DeMarchi GA, Baleckaitis DD, Lutterschmidt DI, Mason RT. Brain nuclei in actively courting red-sided garter snakes: A paradigm of neural trimorphism. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:532-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2010] [Revised: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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23
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Fan X, Xu H, Warner M, Gustafsson JÅ. ERβ in CNS: New Roles in Development and Function. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2010; 181:233-50. [DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)81013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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24
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Colciago A, Casati L, Mornati O, Vergoni A, Santagostino A, Celotti F, Negri-Cesi P. Chronic treatment with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) during pregnancy and lactation in the rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2009; 239:46-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2009] [Revised: 04/01/2009] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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25
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Soskić V, Klemm M, Proikas-Cezanne T, Schwall GP, Poznanović S, Stegmann W, Groebe K, Zengerling H, Schoepf R, Burnet M, Schrattenholz A. A connection between the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, autophagy, and cerebral amyloidogenesis. J Proteome Res 2008; 7:2262-9. [PMID: 18465891 DOI: 10.1021/pr700686x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In a drug reprofiling attempt, we explored novel neuroprotective properties of 4-azasteroids by synthesizing chemical affinity tags capturing adenine nucleotide translocator-1, as a potential target. Dutasteride inhibits the mitochondrial transition pore and induces an increase of autophagosomal structures in human cell lines. In vivo, a surprising reduction of the beta-amyloid plaque load in a model for cerebral amyloidosis appears to connect release of neurotoxic peptides, mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vukić Soskić
- ProteoSys AG, Carl Zeiss Strasse 51, D-55129 Mainz, Germany
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26
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Foecking EM, McDevitt MA, Acosta-Martínez M, Horton TH, Levine JE. Neuroendocrine consequences of androgen excess in female rodents. Horm Behav 2008; 53:673-92. [PMID: 18374922 PMCID: PMC2413177 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2007] [Revised: 12/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Androgens exert significant organizational and activational effects on the nervous system and behavior. Despite the fact that female mammals generally produce low levels of androgens, relative to the male of the same species, increasing evidence suggests that androgens can exert profound effects on the normal physiology and behavior of females during fetal, neonatal, and adult stages of life. This review examines the effects of exposure to androgens at three stages of development--as an adult, during early postnatal life and as a fetus, on reproductive hormone secretions in female rats. We examine the effects of androgen exposure both as a model of neuroendocrine sexual differentiation and with respect to the role androgens play in the normal female. We then discuss the hypothesis that androgens may cause epigenetic modification of estrogen target genes in the brain. Finally we consider the clinical consequences of excess androgen exposure in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen M Foecking
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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27
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Negri-Cesi P, Colciago A, Pravettoni A, Casati L, Conti L, Celotti F. Sexual differentiation of the rodent hypothalamus: hormonal and environmental influences. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2008; 109:294-9. [PMID: 18403198 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2008.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Brain sexual differentiation is a complex developmental phenomenon influenced by the genetic background, sex hormone secretions and environmental inputs, including pollution. The main hormonal drive to masculinize and defeminize the rodent brain is testosterone secreted by the testis. The hormone does not influence sex brain differentiation only in its native configuration, but it mostly needs local conversion into active metabolites (estradiol and DHT) through the action of specific enzymatic systems: the aromatase and 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-R), respectively. This allows the hormone to control target cell gene expression either through the estrogen (ER) or the androgen (AR) receptors. The developmental profile of testosterone metabolizing enzymes, different in the two sexes, is therefore of the utmost importance in affecting the bioavailability of the steroids active in brain differentiation. Widely diffused pollutants, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are able to affect the production and/or action of testosterone metabolites, exerting detrimental influences on reproduction and sex behavior. The main studies performed in our and other laboratories concerning the pattern of expression and the control of the enzymatic systems involved in brain androgen action and metabolism are shortly reviewed. Some recent data on the influence exerted by PCBs on these metabolic systems are also reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Negri-Cesi
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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28
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Peruffo A, Cozzi B, Ballarin C. Ontogenesis of brain aromatase P450 expression in the bovine hypothalamus. Brain Res Bull 2007; 75:60-5. [PMID: 18158096 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2007.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2006] [Revised: 07/10/2007] [Accepted: 07/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase P450 (P450(AROM)), converting testosterone (T) into estradiol (E), plays an important role in sexual differentiation of neural structures in the developing mammalian brain. The aim of the present study was to characterize the qualitative and quantitative profile of P450(AROM) mRNA expression in the bovine hypothalamus (the region of the central nervous system in which the enzyme is mainly localized) using RT-PCR and quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis, respectively. P450(AROM) expression was examined in the developing hypothalamus in a series of experimental groups investigated at 10 weeks interval one from the other. Our data indicate that in the bovine fetal hypothalamus P450(AROM) expression peaks at the second quarter of gestation. The presence of neural cells containing P450(AROM) in the bovine fetal hypothalamus was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, and localized in the medial preoptic area. We conclude that second quarter of the gestation is the developmental stage which represents a critical period for hypothalamic differentiation in bovine ontogenesis, an important difference with the rat and mouse, short gestation species in which P450(AROM) activity peaks around delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Experimental Veterinary Science, University of Padova, viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Agripolis, Italy
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29
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Steinberg RM, Juenger TE, Gore AC. The effects of prenatal PCBs on adult female paced mating reproductive behaviors in rats. Horm Behav 2007; 51:364-72. [PMID: 17274994 PMCID: PMC2692581 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2006] [Revised: 12/03/2006] [Accepted: 12/04/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of toxicants that persist in measurable quantities in human and wildlife tissues, despite their ban in production in 1977. Some PCB mixtures can act as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by mimicking or antagonizing the actions of hormones in the brain and periphery. When exposure to hormonally active substances such as PCBs occurs during vulnerable developmental periods, particularly prenatally or in early postnatal life, they can disrupt sex-specific patterning of the brain, inducing permanent changes that can later be manifested as improper sexual behaviors. Here, we investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to the PCB mixture Aroclor (A) 1221 on adult female reproductive behaviors in a dose-response model in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Using a paced mating paradigm that permits the female to set the timing of mating and control contact with the male during copulation, we were able to uncover significant differences in female-typical sexual activities in A1221-exposed females. Specifically, A1221 causes significant effects on mating trial pacing, vocalizations, ambulation and the female's likelihood to mate. The results further demonstrate that the intermediate treatment group has the greatest number of disrupted endpoints, suggestive of non-linear dose responses to A1221. These data demonstrate that the behavioral phenotype in adulthood is disrupted by low, ecologically relevant exposures to PCBs, and the results have implications for reproductive success and health in wildlife and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Steinberg
- The Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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30
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Fan X, Warner M, Gustafsson JÅ. Estrogen receptor beta expression in the embryonic brain regulates development of calretinin-immunoreactive GABAergic interneurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:19338-43. [PMID: 17159139 PMCID: PMC1748227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0609663103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies with estrogen receptor beta knockout (ERbeta(-/-)) mice demonstrated that ERbeta is necessary for embryonic development of the brain as early as embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) and is involved in neuronal migration. Such early effects of ER were unexpected because estradiol synthesis and action in the brain occur at E18.5. In the present study, we examined the distribution of ERbeta in the developing brain and identified a population of ERbeta-regulated interneurons. ERbeta appears in the brain at E12.5, mainly localized in the wall of the midbrain, neuromere, hypothalamus, thalamus, and basal plate of pons. At E15.5 and E16.5, ERbeta expression increased in the hypothalamus, thalamus, and midbrain and appeared in the limbic forebrain. At E18.5, ERbeta expression was strongly expressed throughout the brain, including the cerebellum and striatum, whereas there were very few positive cells in the ventricular region. In the paraventricular thalamic nucleus and parafascicular nucleus, most of the calretinin-immunopositive interneurons expressed ERbeta. In ERbeta(-/-) mice, calretinin expression was markedly lower than in WT mice in the hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala both at E16.5 and at E18.5. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression was lower in the cortex of ERbeta(-/-) than in WT mice at E15.5 and, unlike WT mice, was absent from the superficial marginal zone. These findings suggest that ERbeta in the embryonic brain is necessary for the development of calretinin-immunoreactive GABAergic interneurons and for neuronal migration in the cortex through modulating epidermal growth factor receptor expression at middle and later embryonic stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotang Fan
- Division of Medical Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Margaret Warner
- Division of Medical Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Division of Medical Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 141 86 Huddinge, Sweden
- *To whom correspondence may be addressed at:
Division of Medical Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 141 86 Huddinge, Sweden. E-mail:
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Colciago A, Negri-Cesi P, Pravettoni A, Mornati O, Casati L, Celotti F. Prenatal Aroclor 1254 exposure and brain sexual differentiation: Effect on the expression of testosterone metabolizing enzymes and androgen receptors in the hypothalamus of male and female rats. Reprod Toxicol 2006; 22:738-45. [PMID: 16938428 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2006.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2006] [Revised: 06/08/2006] [Accepted: 07/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial pollutants detected in human milk, serum and tissues. They readily cross the placenta to accumulate in fetal tissues, particularly the brain. These compounds affect normal brain sexual differentiation by mechanisms that are incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to verify whether a technical mixture of PCBs (Aroclor 1254) would interfere with the normal pattern of expression of hypothalamic aromatase and 5-alpha reductase(s), the two main enzymatic pathways involved in testosterone activation and of androgen receptor (AR). Aroclor 1254 was administered to pregnant rats at a daily dose of 25 mg/kg by gavage from days 15 to 19 of gestation (GD15-19). At GD20 the expression of aromatase, 5-alpha reductase types 1 and 2 and androgen receptor (AR) and aromatase activity were evaluated in the hypothalamus of male and female embryos. The direct effect of Aroclor was also evaluated on aromatase activity adding the PCB mixture to hypothalamic homogenates or to primary hypothalamic neuronal cultures. The data indicate that aromatase expression and activity is not altered by prenatal PCB treatment; 5-alpha reductase type 1 is similarly unaffected while 5-alpha reductase type 2 is markedly stimulated by the PCB exposure in females. Aroclor also decreases the expression of the AR in females. The observed in vivo effects are indicative of a possible adverse effect of PCBs on the important metabolic pathways by which testosterone produces its brain effects. In particular the changes of 5-alpha reductase type 2 and AR in females might be one of the mechanisms by which Aroclor exposure during fetal development affects adult sexual behavior in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Colciago
- Institute of Endocrinology, Via Balzaretti, Milano, Italy
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Ribeiro CM, Pereira OCM. 5alpha-reductase 2 inhibition impairs brain defeminization of male rats: reproductive aspects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2006; 82:228-35. [PMID: 16168471 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2005.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2005] [Revised: 08/18/2005] [Accepted: 08/24/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study was carried out to determine whether 5alpha-reductase 2 (5alpha-R2) metabolic pathway plays a key role in brain sexual differentiation. The inhibition of 5alpha-R2 by finasteride (20 mg/kg/day) from gestational day 19 to postnatal day 5 has long-term effects on sexual behavior and reproductive physiology detected only in adult life. Sexual maturation assessed by timing of preputial separation was unchanged. Finasteride-treated males were able to mate with untreated females which became pregnant but exhibited increased rate of pre-implantation loss. The subfertility observed was probably due to abnormally shaped sperm, since the sperm number was not altered. While plasma testosterone was enhanced, LH levels were not changed. The copulatory potential was not affected and all finasteride-treated rats presented male sexual behavior. Despite this, 53% of them showed homosexual behavior when pretreated with estradiol, suggesting an incomplete brain defeminization. These results indicate that 5alpha-R2 acts in brain sexual differentiation of male rats. Moreover, we suggest that 5alpha-R2 not only produces essential metabolites that act together with estradiol in brain sexual differentiation but also protects the brain from the damaging effects of estradiol excess.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Moreira Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences, Sao Paulo State University- UNESP, 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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