1
|
Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
PILLEROVÁ M, PASTOREK M, BORBÉLYOVÁ V, RILJAK V, FRICK KM, HODOSY J, TÓTHOVÁ Ľ. Sex steroid hormones in depressive disorders as a basis for new potential treatment strategies. Physiol Res 2022; 71:S187-S202. [PMID: 36647907 PMCID: PMC9906660 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.935001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The sex steroid hormones (SSHs) such as testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and their metabolites have important organizational and activational impacts on the brain during critical periods of brain development and in adulthood. A variety of slow and rapid mechanisms mediate both organizational and activational processes via intracellular or membrane receptors for SSHs. Physiological concentrations and distribution of SSHs in the brain result in normal brain development. Nevertheless, dysregulation of hormonal equilibrium may result in several mood disorders, including depressive disorders, later in adolescence or adulthood. Gender differences in cognitive abilities, emotions as well as the 2-3 times higher prevalence of depressive disorders in females, were already described. This implies that SSHs may play a role in the development of depressive disorders. In this review, we discuss preclinical and clinical studies linked to SSHs and development of depressive disorders. Our secondary aim includes a review of up-to-date knowledge about molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. Understanding these molecular mechanisms might lead to significant treatment adjustments for patients with depressive disorders and to an amelioration of clinical outcomes for these patients. Nevertheless, the impact of SSHs on the brain in the context of the development of depressive disorders, progression, and treatment responsiveness is complex in nature, and depends upon several factors in concert such as gender, age, comorbidities, and general health conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam PILLEROVÁ
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Michal PASTOREK
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika BORBÉLYOVÁ
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Vladimír RILJAK
- Institute of Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karyn M. FRICK
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Július HODOSY
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Ľubomíra TÓTHOVÁ
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
BİLSEL BA, DURUSOY E, MUTUŞ R. Testosteron Hormonunun Duygusal, Bilişsel ve Davranışsal Etkileri. İSTANBUL GELIŞIM ÜNIVERSITESI SAĞLIK BILIMLERI DERGISI 2022. [DOI: 10.38079/igusabder.1087451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
|
4
|
Liu X, Bai Y, Cui R, He S, Ling Y, Wu C, Fang M. Integrated Analysis of the ceRNA Network and M-7474 Function in Testosterone-Mediated Fat Deposition in Pigs. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13040668. [PMID: 35456474 PMCID: PMC9032878 DOI: 10.3390/genes13040668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Castration can significantly enhance fat deposition in pigs, and the molecular mechanism of fat deposition caused by castration and its influence on fat deposition in different parts of pigs remain unclear. RNA-seq was performed on adipose tissue from different parts of castrated and intact Yorkshire pigs. Different ceRNA networks were constructed for different fat parts. GO and KEGG pathway annotations suggested that testosterone elevates cell migration and affects differentiation and apoptosis in back fat, while it predisposes animals to glycolipid metabolism disorders and increases the expression of inflammatory cytokines in abdominal fat. The interaction between M-7474, novel_miR_243 and SGK1 was verified by dual fluorescence experiments. This ceRNA relationship has also been demonstrated in porcine preadipocytes. Overexpression of M-7474 significantly inhibited the differentiation of preadipocytes compared to the control group. When 100 nM testosterone was added during preadipocyte differentiation, the expression of M-7474 was increased, and preadipocyte differentiation was significantly inhibited. Testosterone can affect preadipocyte differentiation by upregulating the expression of M-7474, sponging novel-miR-243, and regulating the expression of genes such as SGK1. At the same time, HSD11B1 and SLC2A4 may also be regulated by the corresponding lncRNA and miRNA, which ultimately affects glucose uptake by adipocytes and leads to obesity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ximing Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
| | - Ying Bai
- College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056021, China;
| | - Ran Cui
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
| | - Shuaihan He
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
| | - Yao Ling
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
| | - Changxin Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
| | - Meiying Fang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.L.); (R.C.); (S.H.); (Y.L.); (C.W.)
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-10-62734943; Fax: +86-10-62734943
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Effects of circulating estradiol on physiological, behavioural, and subjective correlates of anxiety: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 138:105682. [PMID: 35123210 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety-related behaviours as well as the prevalence of anxiety disorders show a large sex difference in humans. Clinical studies in humans as well as behavioural studies in rodents suggest that estradiol may have anxiolytic properties. In line with this, anxiety symptoms fluctuate with estradiol levels along the menstrual cycle. However, the influence of estradiol on subjective, behavioural, as well as physiological correlates of anxiety has never been systematically addressed in humans. We ran a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (N = 126) to investigate the effects of estradiol on anxiety in men and women. In healthy volunteers, circulating estradiol levels were elevated through estradiol administration over two consecutive days to simulate the rise in estradiol levels around ovulation. Subjective, behavioral, as well as, physiological correlates of anxiety were assessed using a virtual reality elevated plus-maze (EPM). Estradiol treatment reduced the physiological stress response with blunted heart rate response and lower cortisol levels compared to placebo treatment in both sexes. In contrast, respiration frequency was only reduced in women after estradiol treatment. Behavioural measures of anxiety as well as subjective anxiety on the EPM were not affected by estradiol treatment. In general, women showed more avoidance and less approach behavior and reported higher subjective anxiety levels on the EPM than men. These results highlight the limited anxiolytic properties of circulating levels of estradiol in humans, which influence physiological markers of anxiety but not approach and avoidance behaviour or subjective anxiety levels.
Collapse
|