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Aspesi D, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of androgens and estrogens in social interactions and social cognition. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00151-3. [PMID: 37080448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormones are becoming increasingly recognized for their effects on cognition. Estrogens, in particular, have received attention for their effects on learning and memory that rely upon the functioning of various brain regions. However, the impacts of androgens on cognition are relatively under investigated. Testosterone, as well as estrogens, have been shown to play a role in the modulation of different aspects of social cognition. This review explores the impact of testosterone and other androgens on various facets of social cognition including social recognition, social learning, social approach/avoidance, and aggression. We highlight the relevance of considering not only the actions of the most commonly studied steroids (i.e., testosterone, 17β-estradiol, and dihydrotestosterone), but also that of their metabolites and precursors, which interact with a plethora of different receptors and signalling molecules, ultimately modulating behaviour. We point out that it is also essential to investigate the effects of androgens, their precursors and metabolites in females, as prior studies have mostly focused on males. Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of steroids such as androgens on behaviour is fundamental for a full understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition, including that of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph.
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Sex Steroids Effects on Asthma: A Network Perspective of Immune and Airway Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11142238. [PMID: 35883681 PMCID: PMC9318292 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A multitude of evidence has suggested the differential incidence, prevalence and severity of asthma between males and females. A compilation of recent literature recognized sex differences as a significant non-modifiable risk factor in asthma pathogenesis. Understanding the cellular and mechanistic basis of sex differences remains complex and the pivotal point of this ever elusive quest, which remains to be clarified in the current scenario. Sex steroids are an integral part of human development and evolution while also playing a critical role in the conditioning of the immune system and thereby influencing the function of peripheral organs. Classical perspectives suggest a pre-defined effect of sex steroids, generalizing estrogens popularly under the “estrogen paradox” due to conflicting reports associating estrogen with a pro- and anti-inflammatory role. On the other hand, androgens are classified as “anti-inflammatory,” serving a protective role in mitigating inflammation. Although considered mainstream and simplistic, this observation remains valid for numerous reasons, as elaborated in the current review. Women appear immune-favored with stronger and more responsive immune elements than men. However, the remarkable female predominance of diverse autoimmune and allergic diseases contradicts this observation suggesting that hormonal differences between the sexes might modulate the normal and dysfunctional regulation of the immune system. This review illustrates the potential relationship between key elements of the immune cell system and their interplay with sex steroids, relevant to structural cells in the pathophysiology of asthma and many other lung diseases. Here, we discuss established and emerging paradigms in the clarification of observed sex differences in asthma in the context of the immune system, which will deepen our understanding of asthma etiopathology.
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Sigala S, Bothou C, Penton D, Abate A, Peitzsch M, Cosentini D, Tiberio GAM, Bornstein SR, Berruti A, Hantel C. A Comprehensive Investigation of Steroidogenic Signaling in Classical and New Experimental Cell Models of Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Cells 2022; 11:1439. [PMID: 35563746 PMCID: PMC9103477 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a heterogeneous and aggressive cancer that originates from steroidogenic cells within the adrenal cortex. In this study, we have assessed for the preclinical gold standard NCI-H295 in direct comparison with the more recently established MUC-1 and a here newly reported ACC cell line (TVBF-7) the mutational status of important driver genes (TP53, MEN1, PRKAR1A, CTNNB1, APC, ZNRF-3, IGF-2, EGFR, RB1, BRCA1, BRCA2, RET, GNAS and PTEN), Wnt-signaling specificities (CTNNB1 mutation vs. APC mutation vs. wildtype), steroidogenic-(CYP11A1, CYP17A1, HSD3B2, HSD17B4, CYP21A2, CYP11B1, CYP11B2, MC2R, AT1R) and nuclear-receptor-signaling (AR, ER, GCR), varying electrophysiological potentials as well as highly individual hormone secretion profiles (Cortisol, Aldosterone, DHEA, DHEAS, Testosterone, 17-OH Progesterone, among others) which were investigated under basal and stimulated conditions (ACTH, AngII, FSK). Our findings reveal important genetic and pathophysiological characteristics for these three cell lines and reveal the importance of such cell-line panels reflecting differential endocrine functionalities to thereby better reflect clinically well-known ACC patient heterogeneities in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Sigala
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Christina Bothou
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.R.B.)
| | - David Penton
- Electrophysiology Facility (e-phac), Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich (UZH), 8057 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Andrea Abate
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Mirko Peitzsch
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
| | - Deborah Cosentini
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (D.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Guido A. M. Tiberio
- Surgical Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Stefan R. Bornstein
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.R.B.)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
- Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Paul-Langerhans-Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Center Munich, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Alfredo Berruti
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (D.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Constanze Hantel
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zürich, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.R.B.)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
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So SY, Savidge TC. Gut feelings: the microbiota-gut-brain axis on steroids. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2022; 322:G1-G20. [PMID: 34730020 PMCID: PMC8698538 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00294.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The intricate connection between central and enteric nervous systems is well established with emerging evidence linking gut microbiota function as a significant new contributor to gut-brain axis signaling. Several microbial signals contribute to altered gut-brain communications, with steroids representing an important biological class that impacts central and enteric nervous system function. Neuroactive steroids contribute pathologically to neurological disorders, including dementia and depression, by modulating the activity of neuroreceptors. However, limited information is available on the influence of neuroactive steroids on the enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal function. In this review, we outline how steroids can modulate enteric nervous system function by focusing on their influence on different receptors that are present in the intestine in health and disease. We also highlight the potential role of the gut microbiota in modulating neuroactive steroid signaling along the gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sik Yu So
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Tor C Savidge
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Pathology, Texas Children's Microbiome Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
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5
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Diviccaro S, Caputi V, Cioffi L, Giatti S, Lyte JM, Caruso D, O’Mahony SM, Melcangi RC. Exploring the Impact of the Microbiome on Neuroactive Steroid Levels in Germ-Free Animals. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212551. [PMID: 34830433 PMCID: PMC8622241 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones are essential biomolecules for human physiology as they modulate the endocrine system, nervous function and behaviour. Recent studies have shown that the gut microbiota is directly involved in the production and metabolism of steroid hormones in the periphery. However, the influence of the gut microbiota on levels of steroids acting and present in the brain (i.e., neuroactive steroids) is not fully understood. Therefore, using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we assessed the levels of several neuroactive steroids in various brain areas and the plasma of germ-free (GF) male mice and conventionally colonized controls. The data obtained indicate an increase in allopregnanolone levels associated with a decrease in those of 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol (3α-diol) in the plasma of GF mice. Moreover, an increase of dihydroprogesterone and isoallopregnanolone in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex was also reported. Changes in dihydrotestosterone and 3α-diol levels were also observed in the hippocampus of GF mice. In addition, an increase in dehydroepiandrosterone was associated with a decrease in testosterone levels in the hypothalamus of GF mice. Our findings suggest that the absence of microbes affects the neuroactive steroids in the periphery and the brain, supporting the evidence of a microbiota-mediated modulation of neuroendocrine pathways involved in preserving host brain functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Diviccaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (S.G.); (D.C.)
| | - Valentina Caputi
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland; (V.C.); (J.M.L.); (S.M.O.)
| | - Lucia Cioffi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (S.G.); (D.C.)
| | - Silvia Giatti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (S.G.); (D.C.)
| | - Joshua M. Lyte
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland; (V.C.); (J.M.L.); (S.M.O.)
- Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (S.G.); (D.C.)
| | - Siobhain M. O’Mahony
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland; (V.C.); (J.M.L.); (S.M.O.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, T12 ND89 Cork, Ireland
| | - Roberto Cosimo Melcangi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (S.G.); (D.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-50318238; Fax: +39-02-50318202
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6
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Nguyen TV. Developmental effects of androgens in the human brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30. [PMID: 28489322 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine theories of brain development posit that androgens play a crucial role in sex-specific cortical growth, although little is known about the differential effects of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on cortico-limbic development and cognition during adolescence. In this context, the National Institutes of Health Study of Normal Brain Development, a longitudinal study of typically developing children and adolescents aged 4-24 years (n=433), offers a unique opportunity to examine the developmental effects of androgens on cortico-limbic maturation and cognition. Using data from this sample, our group found that higher testosterone levels were associated with left-sided decreases in cortical thickness (CTh) in post-pubertal boys, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, compared to right-sided increases in CTh in somatosensory areas in pre-pubertal girls. Prefrontal-amygdala and prefrontal-hippocampal structural covariance (considered to reflect structural connectivity) also varied according to testosterone levels, with the testosterone-related brain phenotype predicting higher aggression levels and lower executive function, particularly in boys. By contrast, DHEA was associated with a pre-pubertal increase in CTh of several regions involved in cognitive control in both boys and girls. Covariance within several cortico-amygdalar structural networks also varied as a function of DHEA levels, with the DHEA-related brain phenotype predicting improvements in visual attention in both boys and girls. DHEA-related cortico-hippocampal structural covariance, on the other hand, predicted higher scores on a test of working memory. Interestingly, there were significant interactions between testosterone and DHEA, such that DHEA tended to mitigate the anti-proliferative effects of testosterone on brain structure. In sum, testosterone-related effects on the developing brain may lead to detrimental effects on cortical functions (ie, higher aggression and lower executive function), whereas DHEA-related effects may optimise cortical functions (ie, better attention and working memory), perhaps by decreasing the influence of amygdalar and hippocampal afferents on cortical functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T-V Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
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7
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Nguyen TV, Wu M, Lew J, Albaugh MD, Botteron KN, Hudziak JJ, Fonov VS, Collins DL, Campbell BC, Booij L, Herba C, Monnier P, Ducharme S, McCracken JT. Dehydroepiandrosterone impacts working memory by shaping cortico-hippocampal structural covariance during development. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 86:110-121. [PMID: 28946055 PMCID: PMC5659912 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Existing studies suggest that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may be important for human brain development and cognition. For example, molecular studies have hinted at the critical role of DHEA in enhancing brain plasticity. Studies of human brain development also support the notion that DHEA is involved in preserving cortical plasticity. Further, some, though not all, studies show that DHEA administration may lead to improvements in working memory in adults. Yet these findings remain limited by an incomplete understanding of the specific neuroanatomical mechanisms through which DHEA may impact the CNS during development. Here we examined associations between DHEA, cortico-hippocampal structural covariance, and working memory (216 participants [female=123], age range 6-22 years old, mean age: 13.6 +/-3.6 years, each followed for a maximum of 3 visits over the course of 4 years). In addition to administering performance-based, spatial working memory tests to these children, we also collected ecological, parent ratings of working memory in everyday situations. We found that increasingly higher DHEA levels were associated with a shift toward positive insular-hippocampal and occipito-hippocampal structural covariance. In turn, DHEA-related insular-hippocampal covariance was associated with lower spatial working memory but higher overall working memory as measured by the ecological parent ratings. Taken together with previous research, these results support the hypothesis that DHEA may optimize cortical functions related to general attentional and working memory processes, but impair the development of bottom-up, hippocampal-to-cortical connections, resulting in impaired encoding of spatial cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A1A1, Canada; Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
| | - Mia Wu
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jimin Lew
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Matthew D Albaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Brain Development Cooperative Group, United States
| | - James J Hudziak
- Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA; Brain Development Cooperative Group, United States
| | - Vladimir S Fonov
- McConnell Brain imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - D Louis Collins
- McConnell Brain imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Benjamin C Campbell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Linda Booij
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A1A1, Canada; Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada; CHU Sainte Justine Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3T1C5, Canada
| | - Catherine Herba
- CHU Sainte Justine Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3T1C5, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patricia Monnier
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A1A1, Canada; McConnell Brain imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - James T McCracken
- Brain Development Cooperative Group, United States; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
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do Rego JL, Vaudry H. Comparative aspects of neurosteroidogenesis: From fish to mammals. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:120-9. [PMID: 26079790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
It is now clearly established that the central and peripheral nervous systems have the ability to synthesize de novo steroids referred to as neurosteroids. The major evidence for biosynthesis of neuroactive steroids by nervous tissues is based on the expression of enzymes implicated in the formation of steroids in neural cells. The aim of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the presence of steroidogenic enzymes in the brain of vertebrates and to highlight the very considerable contribution of Professor Kazuyoshi Tsutsui in this domain. The data indicate that expression of steroid-producing enzymes in the brain appeared early during vertebrate evolution and has been preserved from fish to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Luc do Rego
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), University of Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), University of Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Neurotrophic Factors and Neuronal Differentiation Team, Inserm U982, University of Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
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DHEA-induced modulation of renal gluconeogenesis, insulin sensitivity and plasma lipid profile in the control- and dexamethasone-treated rabbits. Metabolic studies. Biochimie 2016; 121:87-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Giatti S, Garcia-Segura LM, Melcangi RC. New steps forward in the neuroactive steroid field. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 153:127-34. [PMID: 25797031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Evidence accumulated in recent years suggests that the systemic treatment with neuroactive steroids, or the pharmacological modulation of its production by brain cells, represent therapeutic options to promote neuroprotection. However, new findings, which are reviewed in this paper, suggest that the factors to be considered for the design of possible therapies based on neuroactive steroids are more complex than previously thought. Thus, although as recently reported, the nervous system regulates neuroactive steroid synthesis and metabolism in adaptation to modifications in peripheral steroidogenesis, the neuroactive steroid levels in the brain do not fully reflect its levels in plasma. Even, in some cases, neuroactive steroid level modifications occurring in the nervous tissues, under physiological and pathological conditions, are in the opposite direction than in the periphery. This suggests that the systemic treatment with these molecules may have unexpected outcomes on neural steroid levels. In addition, the multiple metabolic pathways and signaling mechanisms of neuroactive steroids, which may change from one brain region to another, together with the existence of regional and sex differences in its neural levels are additional sources of complexity that should be clarified. This complexity in the levels and actions of these molecules may explain why in some cases these molecules have detrimental rather than beneficial actions for the nervous system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Steroid Perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Giatti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Cosimo Melcangi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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12
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Shohat-Tal A, Sen A, Barad DH, Kushnir V, Gleicher N. Genetics of androgen metabolism in women with infertility and hypoandrogenism. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2015; 11:429-41. [PMID: 25942654 DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2015.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hypoandrogenism in women with low functional ovarian reserve (LFOR, defined as an abnormally low number of small growing follicles) adversely affects fertility. The androgen precursor dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is increasingly used to supplement treatment protocols in women with LFOR undergoing in vitro fertilization. Due to differences in androgen metabolism, however, responses to DHEA supplementation vary between patients. In addition to overall declines in steroidogenic capacity with advancing age, genetic factors, which result in altered expression or enzymatic function of key steroidogenic proteins or their upstream regulators, might further exacerbate variations in the conversion of DHEA to testosterone. In this Review, we discuss in vitro studies and animal models of polymorphisms and gene mutations that affect the conversion of DHEA to testosterone and attempt to elucidate how these variations affect female hormone profiles. We also discuss treatment options that modulate levels of testosterone by targeting the expression of steroidogenic genes. Common variants in genes encoding DHEA sulphotransferase, aromatase, steroid 5α-reductase, androgen receptor, sex-hormone binding globulin, fragile X mental retardation protein and breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein have been implicated in androgen metabolism and, therefore, can affect levels of androgens in women. Short of screening for all potential genetic variants, hormonal assessments of patients with low testosterone levels after DHEA supplementation facilitate identification of underlying genetic defects. The genetic predisposition of patients can then be used to design individualized fertility treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Shohat-Tal
- Center for Human Reproduction, 21 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Aritro Sen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - David H Barad
- Center for Human Reproduction, 21 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Vitaly Kushnir
- Center for Human Reproduction, 21 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Norbert Gleicher
- Center for Human Reproduction, 21 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Fokidis HB, Adomat HH, Kharmate G, Hosseini-Beheshti E, Guns ES, Soma KK. Regulation of local steroidogenesis in the brain and in prostate cancer: lessons learned from interdisciplinary collaboration. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:108-29. [PMID: 25223867 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play critical roles in the regulation of the brain and many other organs. Traditionally, researchers have focused on sex steroid signaling that involves travel from the gonads via the circulation to intracellular receptors in target tissues. This classic concept has been challenged, however, by the growing number of cases in which steroids are synthesized locally and act locally within diverse tissues. For example, the brain and prostate carcinoma were previously considered targets of gonadal sex steroids, but under certain circumstances, these tissues can upregulate their steroidogenic potential, particularly when circulating sex steroid concentrations are low. We review some of the similarities and differences between local sex steroid synthesis in the brain and prostate cancer. We also share five lessons that we have learned during the course of our interdisciplinary collaboration, which brought together neuroendocrinologists and cancer biologists. These lessons have important implications for future research in both fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bobby Fokidis
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 37289, USA; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
| | - Hans H Adomat
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | | | | | - Emma S Guns
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada; Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Quinn TA, Ratnayake U, Dickinson H, Nguyen TH, McIntosh M, Castillo-Melendez M, Conley AJ, Walker DW. Ontogeny of the adrenal gland in the spiny mouse, with particular reference to production of the steroids cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. Endocrinology 2013; 154:1190-201. [PMID: 23354096 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by the fetal adrenal gland is important for placental estrogen production and may also be important for modulating the effects of glucocorticoids on the developing brain. The presence of cortisol in spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) blood led us to determine whether the adrenal gland of this precocial rodent also synthesized DHEA. Cytochrome P450 enzyme 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17), cytochrome-b5 (Cytb5), and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD) were detected in the adrenal gland from 30 days gestation (term = 39 days), and DHEA, cortisol, and aldosterone were detected in fetal plasma from this time. Plasma DHEA concentrations increased 4-fold, whereas cortisol concentrations decreased from day 30 of gestation until the day of birth. Explant culture of fetal adrenal tissue showed that DHEA was produced from exogenous pregnenolone, and thus, the DHEA in the fetal circulation is likely to be of fetal origin. Clear zonation of the fetal adrenal cortex was evident by 38 days gestation when expression of Cytb5 was present throughout the cortex, and coexpression of P450c17 and Cytb5 occurred in the zona reticularis and fasciculata. 3βHSD was expressed in the cortex from at least 30 days gestation and decreased as term approached, consistent with the fall of cortisol in late gestation in this species. These results show that the spiny mouse adrenal gland, like that of the human fetus, can synthesize and secrete DHEA from at least 30 days (relative gestation length, 30 days of a 39-day gestation, 0.76) of gestation, and DHEA may have important roles in placental biosynthesis of estrogens and in modulating the actions of glucocorticoids in the developing brain in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Quinn
- The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3168
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Do Rego JL, Seong JY, Burel D, Leprince J, Vaudry D, Luu-The V, Tonon MC, Tsutsui K, Pelletier G, Vaudry H. Regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2012; 3:4. [PMID: 22654849 PMCID: PMC3356045 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The enzymatic pathways leading to the synthesis of bioactive steroids in the brain are now almost completely elucidated in various groups of vertebrates and, during the last decade, the neuronal mechanisms involved in the regulation of neurosteroid production have received increasing attention. This report reviews the current knowledge concerning the effects of neurotransmitters, peptide hormones, and neuropeptides on the biosynthesis of neurosteroids. Anatomical studies have been carried out to visualize the neurotransmitter- or neuropeptide-containing fibers contacting steroid-synthesizing neurons as well as the neurotransmitter, peptide hormones, or neuropeptide receptors expressed in these neurons. Biochemical experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of neurotransmitters, peptide hormones, or neuropeptides on neurosteroid biosynthesis, and to characterize the type of receptors involved. Thus, it has been found that glutamate, acting through kainate and/or AMPA receptors, rapidly inactivates P450arom, and that melatonin produced by the pineal gland and eye inhibits the biosynthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone (7α-OH-Δ(5)P), while prolactin produced by the adenohypophysis enhances the formation of 7α-OH-Δ(5)P. It has also been demonstrated that the biosynthesis of neurosteroids is inhibited by GABA, acting through GABA(A) receptors, and neuropeptide Y, acting through Y1 receptors. In contrast, it has been shown that the octadecaneuropetide ODN, acting through central-type benzodiazepine receptors, the triakontatetraneuropeptide TTN, acting though peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors, and vasotocin, acting through V1a-like receptors, stimulate the production of neurosteroids. Since neurosteroids are implicated in the control of various neurophysiological and behavioral processes, these data suggest that some of the neurophysiological effects exerted by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides may be mediated via the regulation of neurosteroid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Luc Do Rego
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Jae Young Seong
- Laboratory of G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University College of MedicineSeoul, Korea
| | - Delphine Burel
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Jerôme Leprince
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - David Vaudry
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Van Luu-The
- Research Center in Molecular Endocrinology, Oncology and Genetics, Laval University Hospital CenterQuébec, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Christine Tonon
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda UniversityTokyo, Japan
- Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda UniversityTokyo, Japan
| | - Georges Pelletier
- Research Center in Molecular Endocrinology, Oncology and Genetics, Laval University Hospital CenterQuébec, QC, Canada
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- INSERMMont-Saint-Aignan France
- European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, Regional Platform for Cell Imaging, PRIMACEN, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- International Associated Laboratory Samuel de ChamplainMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
- *Correspondence: Hubert Vaudry, INSERM U982, European Institute for Peptide Research, IFRMP 23, University of Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France. e-mail:
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Sex-dimorphic effects of dehydroepiandrosterone in diabetic neuropathy. Neuroscience 2011; 199:401-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2011] [Revised: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Ręk P, Osiejuk TS, Budka M. Functionally similar acoustic signals in the corncrake (Crex crex) transmit information about different states of the sender during aggressive interactions. Horm Behav 2011; 60:706-12. [PMID: 21983228 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Revised: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We combined playback experiments with hormonal manipulations to study the information content of acoustic signals during aggressive interactions between male corncrakes. During territorial conflicts, fights are uncommon, but the intensity of signaling usually increases. Such signals can be temporally and contextually associated with many aggressive behaviors and most likely function as threats or as indicators of the sender's quality or motivation. However, such correlational data are unsatisfactory for the proper interpretation of the function and information content of signals. Experimental tests are required to determine whether signals and aggressive behaviors are controlled by common or independent mechanisms. In our experiment, we assigned subjects to four groups: testosterone-implanted birds, flutamide-implanted birds, birds with empty implants, and non-captured control birds. Males produced two types of calls (quiet soft calls and loud broadcast calls), both of which are known to be reliable predictors of aggressive escalation. When testosterone action was blocked with flutamide, males significantly limited the amount of time spent close to the playback speaker and stopped responding to playback with soft calls. Broadcast calling was unaffected by the blockage of testosterone. Conversely, increased levels of testosterone neither affected calling nor the time spent near the speaker, indicating a permissive, rather than a graded effect of androgens. We concluded that, despite the seemingly similar function, both signals may transmit information about different states of the sender; soft calls seem to imply a threat of force, while broadcast calls appear to be more similar to an announcement, which is only indirectly associated with a male's aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Ręk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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Shi XB, Xue L, Shi D, deVere White RW. Influence of short polyglutamine tracts and p160 coactivators on the transactivation of the androgen receptor. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2011; 26:191-201. [PMID: 21539451 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2010.0888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) acting as a transcription factor plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and progression of prostate cancer (CaP). Several AR-related factors or modulators have been reported to influence AR activity. Whether and how these factors cooperatively modulate the AR activity has not been well defined. In the present study, the combined effect of p160 coactivators, short CAG length (encoding a short polyQ tract), and AR mutations on AR transactivation in a yeast system was evaluated. It was found that the short polyQ tract can upregulate the transactivation of the wild-type (WT) AR and partial-function (PF) AR mutants in response to a physiological level (10(-9) M) of dihydrotestosterone. Addition of a p160 coactivator (SRC-1 or TIF2) to the above systems resulted in a significant increase in the ligand-stimulated transactivation. Although the androgen antagonist bicalutamide could suppress the activity of androgen-activated WT or PF ARs, it was unable to do so for gain-of-function AR mutants. A combination of the short polyQ tract and coactivator TIF2 acted cooperatively on the WT AR and PF AR mutants to enhance their transactivation in response to either a low level of dihydrotestosterone (10(-10) M) or adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone. Taken together, this finding suggests that the modulated AR activity may involve early in the carcinogenesis of CaP. Additionally, these data support the concept that a given CaP in which the AR activity is modulated by multiple AR modulators may progress more readily to castrate resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Bao Shi
- Department of Urology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817, USA
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Budziszewska B, Zając A, Basta-Kaim A, Leśkiewicz M, Steczkowska M, Lasoń W, Kaciński M. Effects of neurosteroids on the human corticotropin-releasing hormone gene. Pharmacol Rep 2010; 62:1030-40. [DOI: 10.1016/s1734-1140(10)70365-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Revised: 09/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Cunningham RL, Giuffrida A, Roberts JL. Androgens induce dopaminergic neurotoxicity via caspase-3-dependent activation of protein kinase Cdelta. Endocrinology 2009; 150:5539-48. [PMID: 19837873 PMCID: PMC2795716 DOI: 10.1210/en.2009-0640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Aged men have a greater incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) than women. PD is a neurodegenerative condition associated with the loss of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. This study examined the neurotoxic effects of androgens in a dopaminergic cell line (N27 cells) and the downstream signaling pathways activated by androgens. Treatment of N27 cells with testosterone- and dihydrotestosterone-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, protein kinase C (PKC)-delta cleavage, and apoptosis in dopaminergic neuronal cells. Inhibition of caspase-3 prevented the cleavage of PKCdelta from the full-length element to the catalytic fragment and apoptosis in N27 cells, suggesting that androgen-induced apoptosis is mediated by caspase-3-dependent activation of PKCdelta. Androgen-induced apoptosis may be specific to dopamine neurons as evidenced by a lack of testosterone-induced apoptosis in GnRH neurons. These results support a neurotoxic consequence of testosterone on dopaminergic neurons and may provide insight into the gender bias found in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Cunningham
- Department of Pharmacology and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA.
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Scotti MAL, Schmidt KL, Newman AEM, Bonu T, Soma KK, Demas GE. Aggressive encounters differentially affect serum dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone concentrations in male Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Horm Behav 2009; 56:376-81. [PMID: 19616550 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2009] [Revised: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 07/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The gonadal hormone testosterone (T) regulates aggression across a wide range of vertebrate species. Recent evidence suggests that the adrenal prohormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may also play an important role in regulating aggression. DHEA can be converted into active sex steroids, such as T and estradiol (E(2)), within the brain. Previous studies show that circulating DHEA levels display diurnal rhythms and that melatonin increases adrenal DHEA secretion in vitro. Here we examined serum DHEA and T levels in long-day housed Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), a nocturnal species in which melatonin treatment increases aggression. In Experiment 1, serum DHEA and T levels were measured in adult male hamsters during the day (1200 h, noon) and night (2400 h, midnight). In Experiment 2, aggression was elicited using 5-min resident-intruder trials during the day (1800 h) and night (2000 h) (lights-off at 2000 h). Serum DHEA and T levels were measured 24 h before and immediately after aggressive encounters. In Experiment 1, there was no significant difference in serum DHEA or T levels between noon and midnight, although DHEA levels showed a trend to be lower at midnight. In Experiment 2, territorial aggression was greater during the night than the day. Moreover, at night, aggressive interactions rapidly decreased serum DHEA levels but increased serum T levels. In contrast, aggressive interactions during the day did not affect serum DHEA or T levels. These data suggest that nocturnal aggressive encounters rapidly increase conversion of DHEA to T and that melatonin may play a permissive role in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa-Ann L Scotti
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Abstract
Androgen effects, mediated by the androgen receptor, regulate important cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, and differentiation. The presence of androgen receptor has been described in structures of the central nervous system, mainly in advanced fetuses, newborns, and adult animals. This study describes the presence and location of androgen receptor in early developmental stages of the nervous system. The androgen receptor mRNA was evidenced through reverse transcriptase-PCR and the androgen receptor protein by immunohistochemistry and western blot techniques in the cerebral vesicles of 9.5-day mouse embryos and chicken embryos at stages 8-17 of Hamburger and Hamilton. The androgen receptor protein was located in the nucleus of neuroepithelial cells throughout the neural tube.
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Mo Q, Lu S, Garippa C, Brownstein MJ, Simon NG. Genome-wide analysis of DHEA- and DHT-induced gene expression in mouse hypothalamus and hippocampus. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2009; 114:135-43. [PMID: 19429443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2009.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2008] [Revised: 01/07/2009] [Accepted: 01/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is the most abundant steroid in humans and a multi-functional neuroactive steroid that has been implicated in a variety of biological effects in both the periphery and central nervous system. Mechanistic studies of DHEA in the periphery have emphasized its role as a prohormone and those in the brain have focused on effects exerted at cell surface receptors. Recent results demonstrated that DHEA is intrinsically androgenic. It competes with DHT for binding to androgen receptor (AR), induces AR-regulated reporter gene expression in vitro, and exogenous DHEA administration regulates gene expression in peripheral androgen-dependent tissues and LnCAP prostate cancer cells, indicating genomic effects and adding a level of complexity to functional models. The absence of information about the effect of DHEA on gene expression in the CNS is a significant gap in light of continuing clinical interest in the compound as a hormone replacement therapy in older individuals, patients with adrenal insufficiency, and as a treatment that improves sense of well-being, increases libido, relieves depressive symptoms, and serves as a neuroprotective agent. In the present study, ovariectomized CF-1 female mice, an established model for assessing CNS effects of androgens, were treated with DHEA (1mg/day), dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a potent androgen used as a positive control; 0.1mg/day) or vehicle (negative control) for 7 days. The effects of DHEA on gene expression were assessed in two regions of the CNS that are enriched in AR, hypothalamus and hippocampus, using DNA microarray, real-time RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. RIA of serum samples assessed treatment effects on circulating levels of major steroids. In hypothalamus, DHEA and DHT significantly up-regulated the gene expression of hypocretin (Hcrt; also called orexin), pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (Pmch), and protein kinase C delta (Prkcd), and down-regulated the expression of deleted in bladder cancer chromosome region candidate 1 (Dbccr1) and chitinase 3-like 3 (Chi3l3). Two-step real-time RT-PCR confirmed changes in the expression of three genes (Pmch, Hcrt and Prkcd) using the same RNA sample employed in the microarray experiment. Immunohistochemistry showed augmentation of prepro-hypocretin (pHcrt) neuropeptide protein expression by DHEA and DHT in hypothalamus, consistent with the localization of orexin neurons. In hippocampus, DHT down-regulated the expression of Prkcd, while DHEA did not have significant effects. RIA results supported the view that DHEA-induced effects were mediated through AR. The current study identified neurogenomic effects of DHEA treatment on a subset of genes directly implicated in the regulation of appetite, energy utilization, alertness, apoptosis, and cell survival. These changes in gene expression in the CNS represent a constellation of effects that may help explain the diverse benefits attributed to replacement therapy with DHEA. The data also provide a new level of detail regarding the genomic mechanism of action of DHEA in the CNS and strongly support a central role for the androgen receptor in the production of these effects. More broadly, the results may be clinically significant because they provide new insights into processes that appear to mediate the diverse CNS effects attributed to DHEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianxing Mo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
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Scotti MAL, Belén J, Jackson JE, Demas GE. The role of androgens in the mediation of seasonal territorial aggression in male Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Physiol Behav 2008; 95:633-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2008] [Revised: 09/04/2008] [Accepted: 09/05/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Chen C, Lang S, Zuo P, Yang N, Wang X. Treatment with Dehydroepiandrosterone Increases Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptors of Mitochondria from Cerebral Cortex in d-Galactose-Induced Aged Rats. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2008; 103:493-501. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2008.00288.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Soma KK, Scotti MAL, Newman AEM, Charlier TD, Demas GE. Novel mechanisms for neuroendocrine regulation of aggression. Front Neuroendocrinol 2008; 29:476-89. [PMID: 18280561 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2007.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2007] [Revised: 10/02/2007] [Accepted: 12/25/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In 1849, Berthold demonstrated that testicular secretions are necessary for aggressive behavior in roosters. Since then, research on the neuroendocrinology of aggression has been dominated by the paradigm that the brain receives gonadal hormones, primarily testosterone, which modulate relevant neural circuits. While this paradigm has been extremely useful, recent studies reveal important alternatives. For example, most vertebrate species are seasonal breeders, and many species show aggression outside of the breeding season, when gonads are regressed and circulating testosterone levels are typically low. Studies in birds and mammals suggest that an adrenal androgen precursor-dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-may be important for the expression of aggression when gonadal testosterone synthesis is low. Circulating DHEA can be metabolized into active sex steroids within the brain. Another possibility is that the brain can autonomously synthesize sex steroids de novo from cholesterol, thereby uncoupling brain steroid levels from circulating steroid levels. These alternative neuroendocrine mechanisms to provide sex steroids to specific neural circuits may have evolved to avoid the "costs" of high circulating testosterone during particular seasons. Physiological indicators of season (e.g., melatonin) may allow animals to switch from one neuroendocrine mechanism to another across the year. Such mechanisms may be important for the control of aggression in many vertebrate species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
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He D, Falany CN. Inhibition of SULT2B1b expression alters effects of 3beta-hydroxysteroids on cell proliferation and steroid hormone receptor expression in human LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Prostate 2007; 67:1318-29. [PMID: 17626250 DOI: 10.1002/pros.20615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sulfation is an important steroid inactivation in human tissues. Sulfotransferase (SULT) 2B1b selectively conjugates 3beta-hydroxysteroids and is expressed in epithelial cells of normal and cancerous prostate tissues. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Delta(5)-androstenediol (Delta(5)-Adiol) sulfation prevents their conversion to more potent androgens and estrogens in tissues although both compounds may also be biologically active. METHODS SULT2B1b expression and activity were inhibited >85% in human LNCaP prostate adenocarcinoma cells using short interference RNA (siRNA). The effects of treating control and SULT2B1b-deficient LNCaP cells with DHEA, Delta(5)-Adiol, and 5alpha-androstane-3beta-17beta-diol (Anstane-diol) on cellular proliferation, estrogen receptors (ERs), androgen receptor (AR), and prostate specific antigen protein levels were examined. RESULTS Physiological concentrations of DHEA and Delta(5)-Adiol increased proliferation of control cells and the proliferative effects were significantly increased in SULT2B1b-siRNA cells. DHEA, but not Delta(5)-Adiol increased AR levels at concentrations >/=1,000 nM in SULT2B1b-siRNA cells but not in control LNCaP cells. ER-alpha levels were not affected with any of the compounds tested. Physiological concentrations of DHEA and Delta(5)-A-diol decreased ER-beta levels in control cells and had significantly greater effects in SULT2B1b-siRNA cells. In contrast, Anstane-diol had no effect on AR or ER-alpha levels but induced more elevation of ER-beta levels in SULT2B1b-siRNA cells at concentrations >/=1,000 nM. CONCLUSIONS SULT2B1b is involved in regulating prostate cell responsiveness to DHEA and Delta(5)-Adiol. Inhibition of SULT2B1b increased cell proliferation and ER-beta repression after treatment with physiological levels of DHEA and Delta(5)-Adiol indicating that SULT2B1b has an inhibitory effect on DHEA and Delta(5)-Adiol activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongning He
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA
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Basta-Kaim A, Budziszewska B, Jaworska-Feil L, Leśkiewicz M, Tetich M, Otczyk M, Kubera M, Lasoń W. Effects of neurosteroids on glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene transcription in LMCAT cells--a possible interaction with psychotropic drugs. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2007; 17:37-45. [PMID: 16581232 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2006.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2005] [Revised: 01/30/2006] [Accepted: 02/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is often observed in psychiatric disorders and both antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs are known to ameliorate some deleterious effects of glucocorticoids on brain function. Some neurosteroids possess antidepressant and neuroleptic-like properties and attenuate the stress-activated HPA axis activity. However, intracellular mechanism of neurosteroid interaction with glucocorticoids has not been elucidated. We evaluated effects of some neurosteroids on functional activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in vitro. A combined treatment with antipsychotic drugs and involvement of some protein kinases in allopregnanolone effect on GR function were also studied. The effects of allopregnanolone, its two isomers (5beta-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one and 5alpha-pregnan-3beta-ol-20-one) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) on the corticosterone-induced chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) activity were evaluated in mouse fibroblast cells stably transfected with mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-CAT plasmid. We found that allopregnanolone (1-100 microM) and, to a lesser extent, both its isomers inhibited the GR-mediated gene transcription in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, DHEAS at the concentration up to 100 microM was inactive. Further experiments revealed that allopregnanolone and antipsychotic drugs (chlorpromazine and clozapine) showed a moderate, additive inhibitory effect on the GR function. With respect to intracellular mechanism of allopregnanolone action, we showed that this neurosteroid inhibited protein kinase C (PKC) activity, decreased the level of PKCalpha isoenzyme in the membrane fraction and decreased the amount of active phosphorylated form of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK-MAPK) in LMCAT cells. Since PKC and ERK-MAPK inhibitors attenuate the corticosterone-mediated gene transcription, the above findings suggest that allopregnanolone effect on GR function involves interaction with these kinase pathways. On the other hand, allopregnanolone had no effect on protein kinase A (PKA) activity. These data indicate that pregnanolone derivatives, like antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, may attenuate some glucocorticoid effects via inhibition of GR-mediated gene transcription. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of allopregnanolone on the corticosterone-induced gene transcription in LMCAT cells depended on the inhibition of PKC and ERK-MAPK pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Basta-Kaim
- Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Mo Q, Lu SF, Simon NG. Dehydroepiandrosterone and its metabolites: differential effects on androgen receptor trafficking and transcriptional activity. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 99:50-8. [PMID: 16524719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2005.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2005] [Accepted: 11/14/2005] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a multi-functional steroid that has been implicated in a broad range of biological effects in humans and rodents. Recent studies demonstrated that DHEA acts genomically through the androgen receptor (AR) in addition to its well-known effects on cell surface receptors. However, the relative contribution of DHEA and its major metabolites, including DHEA-Sulfate (DHEA-S), 7alpha-OH-DHEA, 7beta-OH-DHEA, 7-oxo-DHEA, androstenedione (Adione), and androstenediol (Adiol), in the production of genomic effects remains controversial, in part because the metabolism of DHEA varies in different cells and tissues. In the current study, the ability of DHEA and its metabolites to promote AR intracellular trafficking and regulate AR-mediated reporter gene expression, which are characteristic effects of androgens, was determined. Intracellular trafficking of AR-GFP protein was assessed in COS-7 cells while AR transcriptional activity was tested in CV-1 cells transiently co-transfected with AR expression plasmid and an MMTV-ARE-CAT reporter. The results demonstrated that DHEA, the 3beta-HSD metabolite Adione, and the 17beta-HSD metabolite Adiol, were androgenic. Each promoted AR-GFP intracellular trafficking, the formation of nuclear clusters, and AR-dependent transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, DHEA-S, 7alpha-OH-DHEA, 7beta-OH-DHEA, and 7-oxo-DHEA were ineffective and exhibited minimal androgenic activity, even at relatively high concentrations (10(-6) M). These results provide the first systematic comparison of the (i) androgenic activity of DHEA and its sulfated and hydroxylated metabolites, (ii) relative androgenicity of DHEA itself vs. the established androgens Adione and Adiol, and (iii) ability of DHEA and its major metabolites to promote AR-GFP intracellular trafficking. In addition to partitioning DHEA and its metabolites into compounds with (DHEA, Adione, Adiol) and without (DHEA-S, 7alpha-OH-DHEA, 7beta-OH-DHEA, and 7-oxo-DHEA) androgenic activity, the findings improve our understanding of the intracellular processes mediating the genomic effects of DHEA through AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianxing Mo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States
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Simon NG, Mo Q, Hu S, Garippa C, Lu SF. Hormonal Pathways Regulating Intermale And Interfemale Aggression. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2006; 73:99-123. [PMID: 16737902 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(06)73003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Neal G Simon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
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