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Arteaga-Silva M, Limón-Morales O, Bonilla-Jaime H, Vigueras-Villaseñor RM, Rojas-Castañeda J, Hernández-Rodríguez J, Montes S, Hernández-González M, Ríos C. Effects of postnatal exposure to cadmium on male sexual incentive motivation and copulatory behavior: Estrogen and androgen receptors expression in adult brain rat. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 120:108445. [PMID: 37482142 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108445] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
There are numerous evidence showing that cadmium (Cd) is an endocrine disruptor that exerts multiple toxic effects at different reproductive levels, including male sexual behavior (MSB). The effect of early exposure to Cd on sexual incentive motivation (SIM) and MSB in adult stage, and the immunoreactivity of receptors for hormones such as estrogens and androgens in brain regions that are relevant for the SIM and MSB display, have not been studied until now. The present study evaluated the effects of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg CdCl2 from day 1-56 of postnatal life on SIM and MSB in adults rats, as well as serum testosterone concentrations, Cd concentration in blood, testis, and brain areas, and the immunoreactivity in estrogen receptors (ER-α and -β), and androgen receptor (AR) in the olfactory bulbs (OB), medial preoptic area (mPOA), and medial amygdala (MeA). Our results showed that both doses of Cd decreased SIM and MSB, accompanied by low serum concentrations of testosterone. Also, there was a significant reduction in immunoreactivity of ER-α and AR in mPOA, and a significant reduction in AR in MeA on male rats treated with Cd 1 mg/kg. These results show that exposure to high doses of Cd in early postnatal life could alter the correct integration of hormonal signals in the brain areas that regulate and display SIM and MSB in adult male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Arteaga-Silva
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, Col. Leyes de Reforma 1ª, Sección, Alcaldía Iztapalapa, C.P. 09340, A.P. 55-535, Ciudad de México, México.
| | - Ofelia Limón-Morales
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, Col. Leyes de Reforma 1ª, Sección, Alcaldía Iztapalapa, C.P. 09340, A.P. 55-535, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, Col. Leyes de Reforma 1ª, Sección, Alcaldía Iztapalapa, C.P. 09340, A.P. 55-535, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Rosa María Vigueras-Villaseñor
- Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Calzada México Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Tlalpan, CP 14370 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Julio Rojas-Castañeda
- Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Calzada México Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Tlalpan, CP 14370 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Joel Hernández-Rodríguez
- Cuerpo Académico de Investigación en Salud de la Licenciatura en Quiropráctica (CA-UNEVE-01), Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec, Estado de México 55210, México
| | - Sergio Montes
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa-Aztlán, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Lago de Chapala y Calle 16, Aztlán, Reynosa 88740, México
| | - Marisela Hernández-González
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Francisco de Quevedo No. 180, Col. Arcos Vallarta, 44130 Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Camilo Ríos
- Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 14389, México
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Abruzzese GA, Arbocco FCV, Ferrer MJ, Silva AF, Motta AB. Role of Hormones During Gestation and Early Development: Pathways Involved in Developmental Programming. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1428:31-70. [PMID: 37466768 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32554-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that an altered maternal milieu and environmental insults during the intrauterine and perinatal periods of life affect the developing organism, leading to detrimental long-term outcomes and often to adult pathologies through programming effects. Hormones, together with growth factors, play critical roles in the regulation of maternal-fetal and maternal-neonate interfaces, and alterations in any of them may lead to programming effects on the developing organism. In this chapter, we will review the role of sex steroids, thyroid hormones, and insulin-like growth factors, as crucial factors involved in physiological processes during pregnancy and lactation, and their role in developmental programming effects during fetal and early neonatal life. Also, we will consider epidemiological evidence and data from animal models of altered maternal hormonal environments and focus on the role of different tissues in the establishment of maternal and fetus/infant interaction. Finally, we will identify unresolved questions and discuss potential future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Adriana Abruzzese
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fiorella Campo Verde Arbocco
- Laboratorio de Hormonas y Biología del Cáncer, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Reproducción y Lactancia, IMBECU, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María José Ferrer
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aimé Florencia Silva
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alicia Beatriz Motta
- Laboratorio de Fisio-patología ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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3
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Cabrera Zapata LE, Cambiasso MJ, Arevalo MA. Epigenetic modifier Kdm6a/Utx controls the specification of hypothalamic neuronal subtypes in a sex-dependent manner. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:937875. [PMID: 36268511 PMCID: PMC9577230 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.937875] [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: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Kdm6a is an X-chromosome-linked H3K27me2/3 demethylase that promotes chromatin accessibility and gene transcription and is critical for tissue/cell-specific differentiation. Previous results showed higher Kdm6a levels in XX than in XY hypothalamic neurons and a female-specific requirement for Kdm6a in mediating increased axogenesis before brain masculinization. Here, we explored the sex-specific role of Kdm6a in the specification of neuronal subtypes in the developing hypothalamus. Hypothalamic neuronal cultures were established from sex-segregated E14 mouse embryos and transfected with siRNAs to knockdown Kdm6a expression (Kdm6a-KD). We evaluated the effect of Kdm6a-KD on Ngn3 expression, a bHLH transcription factor regulating neuronal sub-specification in hypothalamus. Kdm6a-KD decreased Ngn3 expression in females but not in males, abolishing basal sex differences. Then, we analyzed Kdm6a-KD effect on Ascl1, Pomc, Npy, Sf1, Gad1, and Th expression by RT-qPCR. While Kdm6a-KD downregulated Ascl1 in both sexes equally, we found sex-specific effects for Pomc, Npy, and Th. Pomc and Th expressed higher in female than in male neurons, and Kdm6a-KD reduced their levels only in females, while Npy expressed higher in male than in female neurons, and Kdm6a-KD upregulated its expression only in females. Identical results were found by immunofluorescence for Pomc and Npy neuropeptides. Finally, using ChIP-qPCR, we found higher H3K27me3 levels at Ngn3, Pomc, and Npy promoters in male neurons, in line with Kdm6a higher expression and demethylase activity in females. At all three promoters, Kdm6a-KD induced an enrichment of H3K27me3 only in females. These results indicate that Kdm6a plays a sex-specific role in controlling the expression of transcription factors and neuropeptides critical for the differentiation of hypothalamic neuronal populations regulating food intake and energy homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Julia Cambiasso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- *Correspondence: María Julia Cambiasso, , Maria Angeles Arevalo,
| | - Maria Angeles Arevalo
- Instituto Cajal (IC), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: María Julia Cambiasso, , Maria Angeles Arevalo,
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Wang S, Bryan C, Xie J, Zhao H, Lin L, Tai JAC, Horzmann KA, Sanchez O, Zhang M, Freeman JL, Yuan C. Atrazine exposure in zebrafish induces aberrant genome-wide methylation. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 92:107091. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Brann DW, Lu Y, Wang J, Zhang Q, Thakkar R, Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Brain-derived estrogen and neural function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:793-817. [PMID: 34823913 PMCID: PMC8816863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although classically known as an endocrine signal produced by the ovary, 17β-estradiol (E2) is also a neurosteroid produced in neurons and astrocytes in the brain of many different species. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the localization, regulation, sex differences, and physiological/pathological roles of brain-derived E2 (BDE2). Much of what we know regarding the functional roles of BDE2 has come from studies using specific inhibitors of the E2 synthesis enzyme, aromatase, as well as the recent development of conditional forebrain neuron-specific and astrocyte-specific aromatase knockout mouse models. The evidence from these studies support a critical role for neuron-derived E2 (NDE2) in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, memory, socio-sexual behavior, sexual differentiation, reproduction, injury-induced reactive gliosis, and neuroprotection. Furthermore, we review evidence that astrocyte-derived E2 (ADE2) is induced following brain injury/ischemia, and plays a key role in reactive gliosis, neuroprotection, and cognitive preservation. Finally, we conclude by discussing the key controversies and challenges in this area, as well as potential future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell W Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Roshni Thakkar
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA; Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Ramirez K, Fernández R, Collet S, Kiyar M, Delgado-Zayas E, Gómez-Gil E, Van Den Eynde T, T'Sjoen G, Guillamon A, Mueller SC, Pásaro E. Epigenetics Is Implicated in the Basis of Gender Incongruence: An Epigenome-Wide Association Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:701017. [PMID: 34489625 PMCID: PMC8418298 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.701017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The main objective was to carry out a global DNA methylation analysis in a population with gender incongruence before gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT), in comparison to a cisgender population. Methods A global CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine) methylation analysis was performed on blood from 16 transgender people before GAHT vs. 16 cisgender people using the Illumina© Infinium Human Methylation 850k BeadChip, after bisulfite conversion. Changes in the DNA methylome in cisgender vs. transgender populations were analyzed with the Partek® Genomics Suite program by a 2-way ANOVA test comparing populations by group and their sex assigned at birth. Results The principal components analysis (PCA) showed that both populations (cis and trans) differ in the degree of global CpG methylation prior to GAHT. The 2-way ANOVA test showed 71,515 CpGs that passed the criterion FDR p < 0.05. Subsequently, in male assigned at birth population we found 87 CpGs that passed both criteria (FDR p < 0.05; fold change ≥ ± 2) of which 22 were located in islands. The most significant CpGs were related to genes: WDR45B, SLC6A20, NHLH1, PLEKHA5, UBALD1, SLC37A1, ARL6IP1, GRASP, and NCOA6. Regarding the female assigned at birth populations, we found 2 CpGs that passed both criteria (FDR p < 0.05; fold change ≥ ± 2), but none were located in islands. One of these CpGs, related to the MPPED2 gene, is shared by both, trans men and trans women. The enrichment analysis showed that these genes are involved in functions such as negative regulation of gene expression (GO:0010629), central nervous system development (GO:0007417), brain development (GO:0007420), ribonucleotide binding (GO:0032553), and RNA binding (GO:0003723), among others. Strengths and Limitations It is the first time that a global CpG methylation analysis has been carried out in a population with gender incongruence before GAHT. A prospective study before/during GAHT would provide a better understanding of the influence of epigenetics in this process. Conclusion The main finding of this study is that the cis and trans populations have different global CpG methylation profiles prior to GAHT. Therefore, our results suggest that epigenetics may be involved in the etiology of gender incongruence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Ramirez
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Psychology, Institute Advanced Scientific Research Center (CICA), University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.,Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Center for Biophysics and Biochemistry, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Rosa Fernández
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Psychology, Institute Advanced Scientific Research Center (CICA), University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Sarah Collet
- Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Meltem Kiyar
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Enrique Delgado-Zayas
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Psychology, Institute Advanced Scientific Research Center (CICA), University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | | | | | - Guy T'Sjoen
- Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Antonio Guillamon
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Psychology, Institute Advanced Scientific Research Center (CICA), University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
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Streifer M, Gore AC. Epigenetics, estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and the brain. ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS 2021; 92:73-99. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Court L, Vandries L, Balthazart J, Cornil CA. Key role of estrogen receptor β in the organization of brain and behavior of the Japanese quail. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104827. [PMID: 32735801 PMCID: PMC7541764 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Estrogens play a key role in the sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. While early estrogen actions exert masculinizing effects on the brain of male rodents, a diametrically opposite effect is observed in birds where estrogens demasculinize the brain of females. Yet, the two vertebrate classes express similar sex differences in the brain and behavior. Although ERα is thought to play a major role in these processes in rodents, the role of ERβ is still controversial. In birds, the identity of the estrogen receptor(s) underlying the demasculinization of the female brain remains unclear. The aim of the present study was thus to determine in Japanese quail the effects of specific agonists of ERα (propylpyrazole triol, PPT) and ERβ (diarylpropionitrile, DPN) administered at the beginning of the sensitive period (embryonic day 7, E7) on the sexual differentiation of male sexual behavior and on the density of vasotocin-immunoreactive (VT-ir) fibers, a known marker of the organizational action of estrogens on the quail brain. We demonstrate that estradiol benzoate and the ERβ agonist (DPN) demasculinize male sexual behavior and decrease the density of VT-ir fibers in the medial preoptic nucleus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, while PPT has no effect on these measures. These results clearly indicate that ERβ, but not ERα, is involved in the estrogen-induced sexual differentiation of brain and sexual behavior in quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Court
- Neuroendocrinology laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laura Vandries
- Neuroendocrinology laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Neuroendocrinology laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- Neuroendocrinology laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
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Karalexi MA, Georgakis MK, Dimitriou NG, Vichos T, Katsimpris A, Petridou ET, Papadopoulos FC. Gender-affirming hormone treatment and cognitive function in transgender young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 119:104721. [PMID: 32512250 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have examined whether steroid hormone treatment in transgender individuals may affect cognitive function; yet, their limited power does not allow firm conclusions to be drawn. We leveraged data from to-date literature aiming to explore the effect of gender-affirming hormone administration on cognitive function in transgender individuals. METHODS A search strategy of MEDLINE was developed (through June 1, 2019) using the key terms transgender, hormone therapy and cognitive function. Eligible were (i) cohort studies examining the longitudinal effect of hormone therapy on cognition, and (ii) cross-sectional studies comparing the cognitive function between treated and non-treated individuals. Standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) were pooled using random-effects models. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. OUTCOMES Ten studies (seven cohort and three cross-sectional) were eligible representing 234 birth-assigned males (aM) and 150 birth-assigned females (aF). The synthesis of cohort studies (n = 5) for visuospatial ability following hormone treatment showed a statistically significant enhancement among aF (g = 0.55, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.29, 0.82) and an improvement with a trend towards statistical significance among aM (g = 0.28, 95%CI: -0.01, 0.58). By contrast, no adverse effects of hormone administration were shown. No heterogeneity was evident in most meta-analyses. INTERPRETATION Current evidence does not support an adverse impact of hormone therapy on cognitive function, whereas a statistically significant enhancing effect on visuospatial ability was shown in aF. New longitudinal studies with longer follow-up should explore the long-term effects of hormone therapy, especially the effects on younger individuals, where there is greater scarcity of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Karalexi
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marios K Georgakis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos G Dimitriou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodoros Vichos
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas Katsimpris
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Th Petridou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fotios C Papadopoulos
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Lian T, Zhang X, Wang X, Wang R, Gao H, Tai F, Yu Q. Neonatal exposure to chlordecone alters female social behaviors and central estrogen alpha receptor expression in socially monogamous mandarin voles. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2020; 9:173-181. [PMID: 32670549 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa014] [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: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlordecone (CD) is one of the common persistent organic pollutants in nature and has a profound impact on the environment and on public health. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that neonatal exposure of CD influences adult physiology and behavior due to its estrogenic properties. Using socially monogamous mandarin voles as an experimental animal model, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of neonatal exposure to CD on female social behaviors and central estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression in adulthood. After receiving a single subcutaneous injection with sesame seed oil (female control group), 17 beta-estradiol (E2 group), or CD group on postnatal Day 1, the social behaviors of adult animals and ERα expression in specific brain regions were assessed. The data indicated that CD or E2-treated female animals displayed increased affiliative behaviors and decreased aggressive behaviors with regard to the unfamiliar females in the social interaction test. In addition, CD or E2-treated female voles exhibited significant preferences to females over males in the sexual preference test. Moreover, CD-treated female animals exhibited higher levels of ERα expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the central amygdala, the medial amygdala and the medial preoptic area compared with those of the control voles. The results suggested that neonatal exposure to CD may masculinize female social behaviors, possibly via CD-induced changes in the ERα expression of relevant brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lian
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China.,Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Disease, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- China-Nepal Friendship Medical Research center of Rajiv Kumar Jha, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xiye Wang
- Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Disease, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Huan Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Changan South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qi Yu
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
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11
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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: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [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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12
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Martini M, Corces VG, Rissman EF. Mini-review: Epigenetic mechanisms that promote transgenerational actions of endocrine disrupting chemicals: Applications to behavioral neuroendocrinology. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104677. [PMID: 31927019 PMCID: PMC9942829 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
It is our hope this mini-review will stimulate discussion and new research. Here we briefly examine the literature on transgenerational actions of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on brain and behavior and their underlying epigenetic mechanisms including: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. We stress that epigenetic modifications need to be examined in a synergistic manner, as they act together in situ on chromatin to change transcription. Next we highlight recent work from one of our laboratories (VGC). The data provide new evidence that the sperm genome is poised for transcription. In developing sperm, gene enhancers and promoters are accessible for transcription and these activating motifs are also found in preimplantation embryos. Thus, DNA modifications associated with transcription factors during fertilization, in primordial germ cells (PGCs), and/or during germ cell maturation may be passed to offspring. We discuss the implications of this model to EDC exposures and speculate on whether natural variation in hormone levels during fertilization and PGC migration may impart transgenerational effects on brain and behavior. Lastly we discuss how this mechanism could apply to neural sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Martini
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States of America
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America.
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13
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Mehl-Madrona L, McFarlane P, Mainguy B. Epigenetics, Gender, and Sex in the Diagnosis of Depression. CURRENT PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH AND REVIEWS 2020. [DOI: 10.2174/2666082215666191029141418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background :
A marked sexual dimorphism exists in psychiatric diagnoses. Culture derived
gender bias in diagnostic criteria is one explanation. Adverse childhood events, including sexual
and physical abuse, are more reliable and consistent predictors of later psychiatric diagnoses,
including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some interesting interactions between genes
and experience have been uncovered, but the primary effect appears to be epigenetic with life experience
altering gene expression and being transmitted to subsequent generations.
Objectives :
To determine if reconceptualizing depression as encompassing both internalizing and
externalizing strategies would eliminate gender differences in the diagnosis of depression
Methods :
We reviewed 74 life stories of patients, collected during a study of the effect of physicians’
knowing patients’ life stories on the quality of the doctor-patient relationship. Looking at
diagnoses, the prevalence of women to men was 2.9 to 1. We redefined depression as a response to
being in a seemingly hopeless situation accompanied by despair, either externalizing ((more often
diagnosed as substance use disorders, impulse control disorders, antisocial personality disorder, or
bipolar disorder) or internalizing (the more standard diagnosis of depression). Then we reviewed
these life stories from that perspective to determine how many would be diagnosed as depressed.
Results :
With this reconceptualization of depression, the sex ratio changed to 1.2 to 1.
Conclusions:
From this perspective, men and women are equally likely to respond to hopelessness,
though men are more socialized to externalize and women to internalize. Considering depression in
this way may help to better identify men at risk for suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Eastern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Bangor, ME 04401, United States
| | - Patrick McFarlane
- Eastern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Bangor, ME 04401, United States
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Talarowska ME, Szemraj J, Kuan-Pin S. Expression of ESR1 and ESR2 oestrogen receptor encoding gene and personality traits - preliminary study. PRZEGLAD MENOPAUZALNY = MENOPAUSE REVIEW 2019; 18:133-140. [PMID: 31975979 PMCID: PMC6970415 DOI: 10.5114/pm.2019.90804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The main objective of the study is to examine the hypothesis claiming a correlation between personality traits measured with the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) personality questionnaire and the expression of the ERα (ESR1) and ERβ (ESR2) encoding gene in patients suffering from depression. MATERIAL AND METHODS The experiment was carried out on a group of 44 individuals with depression. The Polish variant of the MMPI-2 was applied with the aim of assessing personality traits. Furthermore, the authors evaluated the expression of the genes encoding the oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) at the mRNA level and protein level in the studied population. RESULTS No significant differences in the expression of ERα and ERβ encoding genes were found and confirmed in the patients with the first episode of depression and those suffering from subsequent episodes of the disease. No differences were found between women and men, either. In women a positive relationship was found between the scale of psychopathy (p = 0.04), paranoia (p = 0.01), and mania (p = 0.03) and expression for the ERα encoding gene at the mRNA level. A negative relationship was found between the mania scale and ERβ encoding gene expression at mRNA (p = 0.03) and protein (p = 0.04) levels. In males a positive relationship between anxiety as a personality trait and expression of the ERβ receptor encoding gene at mRNA level (p = 0.03) and protein level (p = 0.03) was found. CONCLUSIONS Personality traits may be linked with the expression of genes encoding oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) among patients with depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika E. Talarowska
- Department of Personality and Individual Differences, Institute of Psychology, University of Lodz, Poland
| | - Janusz Szemraj
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
| | - Su Kuan-Pin
- Department of General Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
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15
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Neonatal treatment with clomipramine modifies the expression of estrogen receptors in brain areas of male adult rats. Brain Res 2019; 1724:146443. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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16
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Inoue S, Yang R, Tantry A, Davis CH, Yang T, Knoedler JR, Wei Y, Adams EL, Thombare S, Golf SR, Neve RL, Tessier-Lavigne M, Ding JB, Shah NM. Periodic Remodeling in a Neural Circuit Governs Timing of Female Sexual Behavior. Cell 2019; 179:1393-1408.e16. [PMID: 31735496 PMCID: PMC7096331 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Behaviors are inextricably linked to internal state. We have identified a neural mechanism that links female sexual behavior with the estrus, the ovulatory phase of the estrous cycle. We find that progesterone-receptor (PR)-expressing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) are active and required during this behavior. Activating these neurons, however, does not elicit sexual behavior in non-estrus females. We show that projections of PR+ VMH neurons to the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nucleus change across the 5-day mouse estrous cycle, with ∼3-fold more termini and functional connections during estrus. This cyclic increase in connectivity is found in adult females, but not males, and regulated by estrogen signaling in PR+ VMH neurons. We further show that these connections are essential for sexual behavior in receptive females. Thus, estrogen-regulated structural plasticity of behaviorally salient connections in the adult female brain links sexual behavior to the estrus phase of the estrous cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Inoue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Renzhi Yang
- Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Adarsh Tantry
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chung-Ha Davis
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Taehong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joseph R Knoedler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yichao Wei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eliza L Adams
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Shivani Thombare
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Samantha R Golf
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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17
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Hull EM, Dominguez JM. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Male Sexual Behavior. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:1383-1410. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c180018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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18
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Arias-Reyes C, Losantos-Ramos K, Gonzales M, Furrer D, Soliz J. NADH-linked mitochondrial respiration in the developing mouse brain is sex-, age- and tissue-dependent. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2019; 266:156-162. [PMID: 31128272 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a major role in the brain. Apart from energy production, mitochondria regulate key factors in the activation of cell signaling pathways such as survival, proliferation, and differentiation. While all these processes occur during the physiological development of the brain, it is surprising that the mitochondrial functions and functioning in the brain during the postnatal development remain poorly explored. In this work, we collected samples of brainstem and cortex of mice at postnatal ages 3 (P3), 21 (P21), and at adulthood (3 months old) and evaluated the mitochondrial oxygen consumption after complex I activation. To do so, we used our oxygraph-2 K system (OROBOROS) that measures the mitochondrial bioenergetics in saponin-permeabilized tissue punches of 2 mg weight. Furthermore, as sex dimorphism in the brain occurs since very early stages of development, we performed experiments in brain samples of male and female mice. Accordingly, the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was evaluated under activation of complex I (NADH-linked respiration - mitochondrial state 3), and during the inhibition of the complex V (ATP synthase) with oligomycin (mitochondrial state 4). In following, the respiratory control ratio (RCR - state 3/state4) was calculated as an index of mitochondrial oxidative-phosphorylation coupling. Our results show that the activity of the mitochondrial complex I in the brain increases along with the postnatal development in a sex- and tissue-dependent manner, with males showing higher activity than females, and with brainstem tissue showing higher activity than cortex. Our data may contribute to a better understanding of the sex-dependent maturation of the cortex and the cardiorespiratory network located in the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Arias-Reyes
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Instituto de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - K Losantos-Ramos
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - M Gonzales
- Instituto Boliviano de Biología de la Altura, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - D Furrer
- Oncology Axis, CHU of Quebec Research Center, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - J Soliz
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Instituto de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia.
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19
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Swift-Gallant A. Individual differences in the biological basis of androphilia in mice and men. Horm Behav 2019; 111:23-30. [PMID: 30579744 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
For nearly 60 years since the seminal paper from W.C Young and colleagues (Phoenix et al., 1959), the principles of sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior have maintained that female-typical sexual behaviors (e.g., lordosis) and sexual preferences (e.g., attraction to males) are the result of low androgen levels during development, whereas higher androgen levels promote male-typical sexual behaviors (e.g., mounting and thrusting) and preferences (e.g., attraction to females). However, recent reports suggest that the relationship between androgens and male-typical behaviors is not always linear - when androgen signaling is increased in male rodents, via exogenous androgen exposure or androgen receptor overexpression, males continue to exhibit male-typical sexual behaviors, but their sexual preferences are altered such that their interest in same-sex partners is increased. Analogous to this rodent literature, recent findings indicate that high level androgen exposure may contribute to the sexual orientation of a subset of gay men who prefer insertive anal sex and report more male-typical gender traits, whereas gay men who prefer receptive anal sex, and who on average report more gender nonconformity, present with biomarkers suggestive of low androgen exposure. Together, the evidence indicates that for both mice and men there is an inverted-U curvilinear relationship between androgens and sexual preferences, such that low and high androgen exposure increases androphilic sexual attraction, whereas relative mid-range androgen exposure leads to gynephilic attraction. Future directions for studying how individual differences in biological development mediate sexual behavior and sexual preferences in both mice and humans are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 293 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada.
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20
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Loch Batista R, Inácio M, Prado Arnhold IJ, Gomes NL, Diniz Faria JA, Rodrigues de Moraes D, Frade Costa EM, Domenice S, Bilharinho Mendonça B. Psychosexual Aspects, Effects of Prenatal Androgen Exposure, and Gender Change in 46,XY Disorders of Sex Development. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:1160-1170. [PMID: 30388241 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-01866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT In 46,XY disorders of sexual development (DSD) patients, several factors may affect psychosexual development, leading to gender identity discrepancy and gender change later in life. Prenatal sexual steroid exposure and external genital virilization are considered to influence human psychosexual development, but their roles not completely understood yet. DESIGN A total of 144 individuals (18 to 60 years of age) with a clinical/molecular diagnosis of 46,XY DSD from a single tertiary center were enrolled. Psychosexual outcomes (gender role, gender identity, and sexual orientation) were assessed using questionnaires and psychological test. The Sinnecker score was used for genital virilization measurement. Prenatal androgen exposure was estimated according to 46,XY DSD etiology. RESULTS We found a positive association between prenatal androgen exposure and male psychosexual outcomes. Alternatively, prenatal estrogen exposure, age of gonadectomy, and the degree of external genital virilization did not influence any psychosexual outcome. There were 19% (n = 27) with gender change, which was associated with prenatal androgen exposure (P < 0.001) but not with the external genital virilization. The median age of gender change was 15 years, but most of the patients reported the desire for gender change earlier. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal androgen exposure influenced psychosexual development in 46,XY DSD favoring male psychosexuality in all psychosexual outcomes, whereas the degree of external genital virilization did not influence these outcomes. The organizational effect of sexual steroids on psychosexuality at puberty appears to be weak in comparison with the prenatal effects. Prenatal androgen exposure also influenced female-to-male gender change frequency. All 46,XY DSD conditions with prenatal androgen exposure must be followed for gender issues in their management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Loch Batista
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marlene Inácio
- Psychology Department, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivo Jorge Prado Arnhold
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nathália Lisboa Gomes
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Antônio Diniz Faria
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Rodrigues de Moraes
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elaine Maria Frade Costa
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sorahia Domenice
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Berenice Bilharinho Mendonça
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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21
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Fernández R, Guillamon A, Cortés-Cortés J, Gómez-Gil E, Jácome A, Esteva I, Almaraz M, Mora M, Aranda G, Pásaro E. Molecular basis of Gender Dysphoria: androgen and estrogen receptor interaction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 98:161-167. [PMID: 30165284 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in sex steroid receptors have been associated with transsexualism. However, published replication studies have yielded inconsistent findings, possibly because of a limited sample size and/or the heterogeneity of the transsexual population with respect to the onset of dysphoria and sexual orientation. We assessed the role of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), and aromatase (CYP19A1) in two large and homogeneous transsexual male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) populations. METHODS The association of each polymorphism with transsexualism was studied with a twofold subject-control analysis: in a homogeneous population of 549 early onset androphilic MtF transsexuals versus 728 male controls, and 425 gynephilic FtMs versus 599 female controls. Associations and interactions were investigated using binary logistic regression. RESULTS Our data show that specific allele and genotype combinations of ERβ, ERα and AR are implicated in the genetic basis of transsexualism, and that MtF gender development requires AR, which must be accompanied by ERβ. An inverse allele interaction between ERβ and AR is characteristic of the MtF population: when either of these polymorphisms is short, the other is long. ERβ and ERα are also associated with transsexualism in the FtM population although there was no interaction between the polymorphisms. Our data show that ERβ plays a key role in the typical brain differentiation of humans. CONCLUSION ERβ plays a key role in human gender differentiation in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Fernández
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Antonio Guillamon
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Esther Gómez-Gil
- Unidad de Identidad de Género, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Amalia Jácome
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Isabel Esteva
- Unidad de Transexualidad e Identidad de Género, Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga, Spain.
| | - MariCruz Almaraz
- Unidad de Transexualidad e Identidad de Género, Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga, Spain.
| | - Mireia Mora
- Departmento de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gloria Aranda
- Departmento de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
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22
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Hatcher KM, Royston SE, Mahoney MM. Modulation of circadian rhythms through estrogen receptor signaling. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 51:217-228. [PMID: 30270552 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are physiological and behavioral processes that exhibit a 24-hr cycle. These daily rhythms are essential for living organisms to align their behavior and physiology with the environment to increase the likelihood of survival. In mammals, circadian rhythms synchronize with the environment primarily by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a hypothalamic brain region that integrates exogenous and endogenous timing cues. Sex steroid hormones, including estrogens, are thought to modulate sexually dimorphic behaviors through developmental programming of the brain (i.e., organization), as well as acute receptor signaling during adulthood (i.e., activation). Importantly, there are known sex differences in the expression of circadian locomotor activity and molecular organization of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, likely due, in part, to the actions of circulating estrogens. Circadian locomotor rhythms, which are coordinated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, have been shown to be regulated by developmental and adult levels of circulating estrogens. Further, increasing evidence suggests that estrogens can modulate expression of circadian clock genes that are essential for orchestration of circadian rhythms by the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In this review, we will discuss the organizational and activational modulation of the circadian timekeeping system by estrogens through estrogen receptor signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Hatcher
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Sara E Royston
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Spine and Pain Management, Christie Clinic, Champaign, Illinois
| | - Megan M Mahoney
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
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23
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Graïc JM, Corain L, Peruffo A, Cozzi B, Swaab DF. The bovine anterior hypothalamus: Characterization of the vasopressin-oxytocin containing nucleus and changes in relation to sexual differentiation. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2898-2917. [PMID: 30255945 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In an effort to systematically describe the neurochemical anatomy of the bovine anterior hypothalamus, we used a series of immunocytochemical markers such as acetylcholine esterase (AChE), arginine-vasopressin (AVP), calbindin (Calb), galanin (Gal), neuropeptide-Y (NPY), oxytocin (OXT), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). We also investigated the potential sex difference present in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the vasopressin-oxytocin containing nucleus (VON) of six male and six female Bos taurus. Our study revealed that the cytochemical structure of the cattle anterior hypothalamus follows the blueprint of other mammals. The VON, which was never described before in cattle, showed a sex difference with a 33.7% smaller volume and 23.2% fewer magnocellular neurons (approximately 20-30 μm) in the male. The SCN also did show a sex difference in VIP neurons and volume with a 36.1% larger female nucleus with 28.1% more cells. Additionally, we included five heifers with freemartin syndrome as a new animal model relevant to sexual differentiation in the brain. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first freemartin study in relation to the brain. Surprisingly, the SCN of freemartin heifers was 32.5% larger than its control male and female counterparts with 29% more VIP cells. Conversely, the freemartin VON had an intermediary size between male and female. To analyze our data, a classical statistical analysis and a novel multivariate and multi-aspect approach were applied. These findings shed new light on sexual dimorphism in the bovine brain and present this species with freemartins as a valuable animal model in neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marie Graïc
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Livio Corain
- Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Dick F Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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24
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Della Torre S, Rando G, Meda C, Ciana P, Ottobrini L, Maggi A. Transcriptional activity of oestrogen receptors in the course of embryo development. J Endocrinol 2018; 238:165-176. [PMID: 30012715 PMCID: PMC6084787 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Oestrogens are well-known proliferation and differentiation factors that play an essential role in the correct development of sex-related organs and behaviour in mammals. With the use of the ERE-Luc reporter mouse model, we show herein that throughout mouse development, oestrogen receptors (ERs) are active starting from day 12 post conception. Most interestingly, we show that prenatal luciferase expression in each organ is proportionally different in relation to the germ layer of the origin. The luciferase content is highest in ectoderm-derived organs (such as brain and skin) and is lowest in endoderm-derived organs (such as liver, lung, thymus and intestine). Consistent with the testosterone surge occurring in male mice at the end of pregnancy, in the first 2 days after birth, we observed a significant increase in the luciferase content in several organs, including the liver, bone, gonads and hindbrain. The results of the present study show a widespread transcriptional activity of ERs in developing embryos, pointing to the potential contribution of these receptors in the development of non-reproductive as well as reproductive organs. Consequently, the findings reported here might be relevant in explaining the significant differences in male and female physiopathology reported by a growing number of studies and may underline the necessity for more systematic analyses aimed at the identification of the prenatal effects of drugs interfering with ER signalling, such as aromatase inhibitors or endocrine disrupter chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Rando
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Meda
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciana
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-OncologyUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Ottobrini
- Department of Pathophysiology and TransplantationUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of Milan, Milan, Italy
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25
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Immonen E, Hämäläinen A, Schuett W, Tarka M. Evolution of sex-specific pace-of-life syndromes: genetic architecture and physiological mechanisms. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:60. [PMID: 29576676 PMCID: PMC5856903 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2462-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in life history, physiology, and behavior are nearly ubiquitous across taxa, owing to sex-specific selection that arises from different reproductive strategies of the sexes. The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts that most variation in such traits among individuals, populations, and species falls along a slow-fast pace-of-life continuum. As a result of their different reproductive roles and environment, the sexes also commonly differ in pace-of-life, with important consequences for the evolution of POLS. Here, we outline mechanisms for how males and females can evolve differences in POLS traits and in how such traits can covary differently despite constraints resulting from a shared genome. We review the current knowledge of the genetic basis of POLS traits and suggest candidate genes and pathways for future studies. Pleiotropic effects may govern many of the genetic correlations, but little is still known about the mechanisms involved in trade-offs between current and future reproduction and their integration with behavioral variation. We highlight the importance of metabolic and hormonal pathways in mediating sex differences in POLS traits; however, there is still a shortage of studies that test for sex specificity in molecular effects and their evolutionary causes. Considering whether and how sexual dimorphism evolves in POLS traits provides a more holistic framework to understand how behavioral variation is integrated with life histories and physiology, and we call for studies that focus on examining the sex-specific genetic architecture of this integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Immonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-75 236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Zoological Institute, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maja Tarka
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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26
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Turano A, Osborne BF, Schwarz JM. Sexual Differentiation and Sex Differences in Neural Development. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2018; 43:69-110. [PMID: 29967999 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2018_56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination occurs at the moment of conception, as a result of XX or XY chromosome pairing. From that point, the body undergoes the process of sexual differentiation, inducing the development of physical characteristics that are easily distinguishable between the sexes and are often reflected in one's physical appearance and gender identity. Although less apparent, the brain also undergoes sexual differentiation. Sex differences in the brain are organized during a critical period of neural development and have an instrumental role in determining the physiology and behavior of an individual throughout the lifespan. Understanding the extent of sex differences in neurodevelopment also influences our understanding of the potential risk for a number of neurodevelopmental, neurological, and mental health disorders that exhibit strong sex biases. Advances made in our understanding of sexually dimorphic brain nuclei, sex differences in neural cell communication, and sex differences in the communication between the brain and peripheral organs are all research fields that have provided valuable information related to the physiological and behavioral outcomes of sex differences in brain development. More recently, investigations into the impact of epigenetic mechanisms on sexual differentiation of the brain have indicated that changes in gene expression, via epigenetic modifications, also contribute to sexual differentiation of the developing brain. Still, there are a number of important questions and ideas that have arisen from our current understanding of sex differences in neurodevelopmental processes that necessitate more time and attention in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Turano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Brittany F Osborne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Jaclyn M Schwarz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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27
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Wang X, Liang S, Sun Y, Li H, Endo F, Nakao M, Saitoh N, Wu L. Analysis of estrogen receptor β gene methylation in autistic males in a Chinese Han population. Metab Brain Dis 2017; 32:1033-1042. [PMID: 28299627 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-9990-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder with abnormalities of social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviors. The higher prevalence of ASD in men implies a potential relationship between sex hormones and ASD etiology. The ESR2 gene encodes estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) and plays an important role during brain development. A relationship between ESR2 and ASD has been suggested by studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms and mRNA and protein expression levels in ASD patients. Here, we explored the possible epigenetic regulation of the ESR2 gene in autism. We collected genomic DNA from the peripheral blood of Chinese Han males with autism and age-matched normal males and measured DNA methylation of CpG islands in the ESR2 gene, which consisted of 41 CpG sites among the proximal promoter region and an untranslated exon, by bisulfite sequencing. We also investigated a relationship between DNA methylation and phenotypic features of autism, as assessed by the Children Autism Rating Scale. We found little overall difference in the DNA methylation of the ESR2 5'-flanking region in individuals with autism compared with normal individuals. However, detailed analyses revealed that eight specific CpG sites were hypermethylated in autistic individuals and that four specific CpG sites were positively associated with the severity of autistic symptoms. Our study indicates that the epigenetic dysregulation of ESR2 may govern the development of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelai Wang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, No.157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Shuang Liang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, No.157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, No.157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Haixin Li
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, No.157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Fumio Endo
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Mitsuyoshi Nakao
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Noriko Saitoh
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan.
- Department of Cancer Biology, The Cancer Institute of JFCR, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, No.157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China.
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28
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Vastagh C, Liposits Z. Impact of Proestrus on Gene Expression in the Medial Preoptic Area of Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:183. [PMID: 28725181 PMCID: PMC5495965 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The antero-ventral periventricular zone (AVPV) and medial preoptic area (MPOA) have been recognized as gonadal hormone receptive regions of the rodent brain that-via wiring to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons-contribute to orchestration of the preovulatory GnRH surge. We hypothesized that neural genes regulating the induction of GnRH surge show altered expression in proestrus. Therefore, we compared the expression of 48 genes obtained from intact proestrous and metestrous mice, respectively, by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method. Differential expression of 24 genes reached significance (p < 0.05). Genes upregulated in proestrus encoded neuropeptides (kisspeptin (KP), galanin (GAL), neurotensin (NT), cholecystokinin (CCK)), hormone receptors (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, μ-opioid receptor), gonadal steroid receptors (estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR)), solute carrier family proteins (vesicular glutamate transporter 2, vesicular monoamine transporter 2), proteins of transmitter synthesis (tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)) and transmitter receptor subunit (AMPA4), and other proteins (uncoupling protein 2, nuclear receptor related 1 protein). Proestrus evoked a marked downregulation of genes coding for adenosine A2a receptor, vesicular gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter, 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, tachykinin precursor 1, NT receptor 3, arginine vasopressin receptor 1A, cannabinoid receptor 1, ephrin receptor A3 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member L1. Immunocytochemistry was used to visualize the proteins encoded by Kiss1, Gal, Cck and Th genes in neuronal subsets of the AVPV/MPOA of the proestrous mice. The results indicate that gene expression of the AVPV/MPOA is significantly modified at late proestrus including genes that code for neuropeptides, gonadal steroid hormone receptors and synaptic vesicle transporters. These events support cellular and neuronal network requirements of the positive estradiol feedback action and contribute to preparation of the GnRH neuron system for the pre-ovulatory surge release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Vastagh
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of SciencesBudapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Liposits
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of SciencesBudapest, Hungary.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic UniversityBudapest, Hungary
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29
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Cooke PS, Nanjappa MK, Ko C, Prins GS, Hess RA. Estrogens in Male Physiology. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:995-1043. [PMID: 28539434 PMCID: PMC6151497 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogens have historically been associated with female reproduction, but work over the last two decades established that estrogens and their main nuclear receptors (ESR1 and ESR2) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) also regulate male reproductive and nonreproductive organs. 17β-Estradiol (E2) is measureable in blood of men and males of other species, but in rete testis fluids, E2 reaches concentrations normally found only in females and in some species nanomolar concentrations of estrone sulfate are found in semen. Aromatase, which converts androgens to estrogens, is expressed in Leydig cells, seminiferous epithelium, and other male organs. Early studies showed E2 binding in numerous male tissues, and ESR1 and ESR2 each show unique distributions and actions in males. Exogenous estrogen treatment produced male reproductive pathologies in laboratory animals and men, especially during development, and studies with transgenic mice with compromised estrogen signaling demonstrated an E2 role in normal male physiology. Efferent ductules and epididymal functions are dependent on estrogen signaling through ESR1, whose loss impaired ion transport and water reabsorption, resulting in abnormal sperm. Loss of ESR1 or aromatase also produces effects on nonreproductive targets such as brain, adipose, skeletal muscle, bone, cardiovascular, and immune tissues. Expression of GPER is extensive in male tracts, suggesting a possible role for E2 signaling through this receptor in male reproduction. Recent evidence also indicates that membrane ESR1 has critical roles in male reproduction. Thus estrogens are important physiological regulators in males, and future studies may reveal additional roles for estrogen signaling in various target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Cooke
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Manjunatha K Nanjappa
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - CheMyong Ko
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gail S Prins
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rex A Hess
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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30
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Genotypes and Haplotypes of the Estrogen Receptor α Gene ( ESR1 ) Are Associated With Female-to-Male Gender Dysphoria. J Sex Med 2017; 14:464-472. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.12.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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31
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Hodes GE, Walker DM, Labonté B, Nestler EJ, Russo SJ. Understanding the epigenetic basis of sex differences in depression. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:692-702. [PMID: 27870456 PMCID: PMC5130105 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics refers to potentially heritable processes that can mediate both lasting and transient changes in gene expression in the absence of genome sequence alterations. The field of epigenetics has introduced a novel understanding of the mechanisms through which the environment can shape an individual and potentially its offspring. This Mini-Review examines the current literature exploring the role of epigenetics in the development of mood disorders such as depression. Depression is twofold more common in females, yet the majority of preclinical research has been conducted exclusively in male subjects. Here we discuss what is known about sex differences in epigenetic regulation and function and how this may contribute to the etiology and onset of mood disorders. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia E. Hodes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Freidman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Deena M. Walker
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Freidman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Freidman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Freidman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Scott J. Russo
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Freidman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
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32
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Animal Models in Sexual Medicine: The Need and Importance of Studying Sexual Motivation. Sex Med Rev 2017; 5:5-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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33
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Walker DM, Gore AC. Epigenetic impacts of endocrine disruptors in the brain. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:1-26. [PMID: 27663243 PMCID: PMC5429819 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of reproductive competence is organized and activated by steroid hormones acting upon the hypothalamus during critical windows of development. This review describes the potential role of epigenetic processes, particularly DNA methylation, in the regulation of sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus by hormones. We examine disruption of these processes by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in an age-, sex-, and region-specific manner, focusing on how perinatal EDCs act through epigenetic mechanisms to reprogram DNA methylation and sex steroid hormone receptor expression throughout life. These receptors are necessary for brain sexual differentiation and their altered expression may underlie disrupted reproductive physiology and behavior. Finally, we review the literature on histone modifications and non-coding RNA involvement in brain sexual differentiation and their perturbation by EDCs. By putting these data into a sex and developmental context we conclude that perinatal EDC exposure alters the developmental trajectory of reproductive neuroendocrine systems in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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34
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Armeni AK, Assimakopoulos K, Marioli D, Koika V, Michaelidou E, Mourtzi N, Iconomou G, Georgopoulos NA. Impact of estrogen receptor α gene and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms on female sexuality. Endocr Connect 2017; 6:44-52. [PMID: 28069897 PMCID: PMC5302163 DOI: 10.1530/ec-16-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, research attention has increasingly been paid to the neurobiological component of sexual behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of estrogen receptor α (ERA) gene polymorphism (rs2234693-PvuII) (T→C substitution) and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (rs53576) (G→A substitution) with sexuality parameters of young, healthy women. One hundred thirty-three Greek heterosexual women, students in higher education institutions, 20-25 years of age, sexually active, with normal menstrual cycles (28-35 days), were recruited in the study. Exclusion criteria were chronic and/or major psychiatric diseases, use of oral contraceptive pills (OCs), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid diseases as well as drugs that are implicated in hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. T allele (wildtype) of rs2234693 (PvuII) polymorphism of ERA gene was correlated with increased levels of arousal and lubrication, whereas A allele (polymorphic) of rs53576 (OXTR) polymorphism was correlated with increased arousal levels. The simultaneous presence of both T allele of rs2234693 (PvuII) and A allele of rs53576 (OXTR) polymorphisms (T + A group) was correlated with increased arousal, orgasm levels as well as female sexual function index full score. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the interaction between ERA and OXTR with regard to sexual function in women. Female sexuality is a complex behavioral trait that encompasses both biological and psychological components. It seems that variability in female sexual response stems from genetic variability that characterizes endocrine, neurotransmitter and central nervous system influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia K Armeni
- Division of Reproductive EndocrinologyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Dimitra Marioli
- Division of Reproductive EndocrinologyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Koika
- Division of Reproductive EndocrinologyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Niki Mourtzi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Gregoris Iconomou
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Neoklis A Georgopoulos
- Division of Reproductive EndocrinologyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
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35
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Effects of neonatal treatment with two phytoestrogens on male rat sexual behavior and partner preference. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 27:570-8. [PMID: 27482864 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to compare the effect of neonatal treatment with the phytoestrogens coumestrol (COU) and genistein (GEN), administered in equimolecular doses, on the sexual behavior and partner preference of male rats. Four groups of male rats were injected daily from day 1 to 5 with 150 µg of GEN, an equivalent amount of COU, 1 µg of β-estradiol 3-benzoato (EB), or olive oil (VEH) (control). A fifth group remained intact. In the GEN group, intromission and ejaculation latencies decreased, whereas ejaculatory frequency increased. Contrasting results were observed in COU males. EB males could not ejaculate and their mount and intromission latencies increased significantly. To determine sexual-partner preferences, a multiple partner preference arena was used and two types of tests were performed, the first one without allowing contact test (CT) with the stimulus animals, followed by a CT. COU and GEN groups did not show preference for any stimulus animal, whereas the EB males preferred the expert male. When CT with the stimulus animals was allowed, GEN-males preferred the receptive female, unlike the COU and EB groups. It is concluded that neonatal treatment with COU and GEN induced opposite effects, the effects of COU being more estrogenic.
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Rossetti MF, Cambiasso MJ, Holschbach MA, Cabrera R. Oestrogens and Progestagens: Synthesis and Action in the Brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 27306650 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
When steroids, such as pregnenolone, progesterone and oestrogen, are synthesised de novo in neural tissues, they are more specifically referred to as neurosteroids. These neurosteroids bind specific receptors to promote essential brain functions. Pregnenolone supports cognition and protects mouse hippocampal cells against glutamate and amyloid peptide-induced cell death. Progesterone promotes myelination, spinogenesis, synaptogenesis, neuronal survival and dendritic growth. Allopregnanolone increases hippocampal neurogenesis, neuronal survival and cognitive functions. Oestrogens, such as oestradiol, regulate synaptic plasticity, reproductive behaviour, aggressive behaviour and learning. In addition, neurosteroids are neuroprotective in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, brain injury and ageing. Using in situ hybridisation and/or immunohistochemistry, steroidogenic enzymes, including cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4 isomerase, cytochrome P450arom, steroid 5α-reductase and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, have been detected in numerous brain regions, including the hippocampus, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. In the present review, we summarise some of the studies related to the synthesis and function of oestrogens and progestagens in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Rossetti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - 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
| | - M A Holschbach
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - R Cabrera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, INBIOMED-IMBECU-CONICET, Universidad de Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
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Social behavior, hormones and adult neurogenesis. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 41:71-86. [PMID: 26996817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
A variety of experiences have been shown to affect the production of neurons in the adult hippocampus. These effects may be mediated by experience-driven hormonal changes, which, in turn, interact with factors such as sex, age and life history to alter brain plasticity. Although the effects of physical experience and stress have been extensively characterized, various types of social experience across the lifespan trigger profound neuroendocrine changes in parallel with changes in adult neurogenesis. This review article focuses on the influence of specific social experiences on adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and the potential role of hormones in these effects.
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Antaramian A, González-Gallardo A, García-Ugalde C, Portillo W, Paredes RG. Steroid Receptors and Aromatase Gene Expression in Different Brain Areas of Copulating and Sexually Sluggish Male Rats. J Sex Med 2015; 12:2267-75. [PMID: 26646350 DOI: 10.1111/jsm.13073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sexually sluggish (SS) males have been identified in several species of mammals including rats. These animals take more than 30 minutes to ejaculate; they do not ejaculate or do so inconsistently despite being tested repeatedly with sexually receptive females. Different brain areas and hormones play an important role in the control of male sexual behavior. AIMS Determine gene expression for the androgen receptor (AR), the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), the progesterone receptor (PR), and the aromatase enzyme (ARO), in brain regions important in the control of male sexual behavior including the medial preoptic area (MPOA), the amygdala (AMG), the olfactory bulb (OB), and, as a control, the cortex (CTX) of copulating (C) and SS male rats. METHODS Males that ejaculated within 30 minutes in three tests with receptive females were included in the C group, while those males that ejaculated in one or none of the four tests were included in the SS group. RNA was isolated 1 week after the last test of sexual behavior, and cDNA was synthesized from the brain areas listed above. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Expression of the AR, ERα, PR, and ARO genes was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Cyclophilin A (CycA) and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase-tryptophan activation protein zeta (Ywhaz) were housekeeping genes used to determine relative gene expression with the 2(-ΔΔCt) method. RESULTS The expression of mRNA for AR and ARO increased in the MPOA of SS males. ARO mRNA was increased in the AMG of SS males. In the OB, ERα mRNA was increased and AR mRNA reduced in SS males. CONCLUSION These results indicate SS and C males show differences in gene expression within brain regions controlling sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaid Antaramian
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Carlos García-Ugalde
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Raúl G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
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Radhika NS, Govindaraj V, Sarangi SK, Rao AJ. Neonatal exposure to 17β-estradiol down-regulates the expression of synaptogenesis related genes in selected brain regions of adult female rats. Life Sci 2015; 141:1-7. [PMID: 26409312 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Administration of estradiol or compounds with estrogenic activity to newborn female rats results in irreversible masculinization as well as defeminization in the brain and the animals exhibit altered reproductive behavior as adults. The cellular and molecular mechanism involved in inducing the irreversible changes is largely unknown. In the present study, we have monitored the changes in the expression of selected synaptogenesis related genes in the sexually dimorphic brain regions such as POA, hypothalamus and pituitary following 17β-estradiol administration to neonatal female rats. MAIN METHODS Female Wistar rats which were administered 17β-estradiol on day 2 and 3 after birth were sacrificed 120days later and the expression levels of genes implicated in synaptogenesis were monitored by semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Since estradiol induced up-regulation of COX-2 in POA is a marker for estradiol induced masculinization as well as defeminization, in the present study only animals in which the increase in expression of COX-2 gene was observed in POA were included in the study. KEY FINDINGS Down-regulation of genes such as NMDA-2B, NETRIN-1, BDNF, MT-5 MMP and TNF-α was observed in the pre-optic area of neonatally E2 treated female rat brain but not in hypothalamus and pituitary compared to the vehicle- treated controls as assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. SIGNIFICANCE Our results suggest a possibility that down-regulation of genes associated with synaptogenesis in POA, may be resulting in disruption of the cyclical regulation of hormone secretion by pituitary the consequence of which could be infertility and altered reproductive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- N S Radhika
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India
| | | | - S K Sarangi
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India
| | - A J Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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Yu CJ, Fang QQ, Tai FD. Pubertal BPA exposure changes central ERα levels in female mice. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2015; 40:606-614. [PMID: 26361328 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite many studies on the effects of perinatal Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on the brain, its effects on brain estrogen receptor (ERα) expression during puberty remain unclear. Here, mice were injected subcutaneously with BPA (50μg/kg), estradiol (10μg 17β-E2/kg) or oil (0.05ml sesame oil) daily during puberty (postnatal days 23-30). Immunohistochemistry was used to examine changes in ERα immunoreactive neurons in different brain regions. Compared to control animals, pubertal exposure to BPA significantly increased ERα immunoreactive neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (Arc), ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) in females. E2 exposure during puberty also increased ERα immunoreactive neurons in the lateral septum (LS) of females. No effect was detected in males. These results indicate that the effects of estrogenic chemicals on ERα immunoreactive neurons are sex-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng J Yu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China; School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Qian Q Fang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Fa D Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China.
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Kuhn C. Emergence of sex differences in the development of substance use and abuse during adolescence. Pharmacol Ther 2015; 153:55-78. [PMID: 26049025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Substance use and abuse begin during adolescence. Male and female adolescent humans initiate use at comparable rates, but males increase use faster. In adulthood, more men than women use and abuse addictive drugs. However, some women progress more rapidly from initiation of use to entry into treatment. In animal models, adolescent males and females consume addictive drugs similarly. However, reproductively mature females acquire self-administration faster, and in some models, escalate use more. Sex/gender differences exist in neurobiologic factors mediating both reinforcement (dopamine, opioids) and aversiveness (CRF, dynorphin), as well as intrinsic factors (personality, psychiatric co-morbidities) and extrinsic factors (history of abuse, environment especially peers and family) which influence the progression from initial use to abuse. Many of these important differences emerge during adolescence, and are moderated by sexual differentiation of the brain. Estradiol effects which enhance both dopaminergic and CRF-mediated processes contribute to the female vulnerability to substance use and abuse. Testosterone enhances impulsivity and sensation seeking in both males and females. Several protective factors in females also influence initiation and progression of substance use including hormonal changes of pregnancy as well as greater capacity for self-regulation and lower peak levels of impulsivity/sensation seeking. Same sex peers represent a risk factor more for males than females during adolescence, while romantic partners increase risk for women during this developmental epoch. In summary, biologic factors, psychiatric co-morbidities as well as personality and environment present sex/gender-specific risks as adolescents begin to initiate substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Kuhn
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Box 3813, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
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Oyola MG, Zuloaga DG, Carbone D, Malysz AM, Acevedo-Rodriguez A, Handa RJ, Mani SK. CYP7B1 Enzyme Deletion Impairs Reproductive Behaviors in Male Mice. Endocrinology 2015; 156:2150-61. [PMID: 25849728 PMCID: PMC4430609 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
In addition to androgenic properties mediated via androgen receptors, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) also regulates estrogenic functions via an alternate pathway. These estrogenic functions of DHT are mediated by its metabolite 5α-androstane-3β, 17β-diol (3β-diol) binding to estrogen receptor β (ERβ). CYP7B1 enzyme converts 3β-diol to inactive 6α- or 7α-triols and plays an important role as a regulator of estrogenic functions mediated by 3β-diol. Using a mutant mouse carrying a null mutation for the CYP7B1 gene (CYP7B1KO), we examined the contribution of CYP7B1 on physiology and behavior. Male, gonadectomized (GDX) CYP7B1KO and their wild type (WT) littermates were assessed for their behavioral phenotype, anxiety-related behavioral measures, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis reactivity. No significant effects of genotype were evident in anxiety-like behaviors in open field (OFA), light-dark (L/D) exploration, and elevated plus maze (EPM). T significantly reduced open arm time on the EPM while not affecting L/D exploratory and OFA behaviors in CYP7B1KO and WT littermates. T also attenuated the corticosterone response to EPM in both genotypes. In GDX animals, T was able to reinstate male-specific reproductive behaviors (latencies and number of mounts, intromission, and ejaculations) in the WT but not in the CYP7B1KO mice. The male reproductive behavior defect in CYP7B1KO seems to be due to their inability to distinguish olfactory cues from a behavioral estrus female. CYP7B1KO mice also showed a reduction in androgen receptor mRNA expression in the olfactory bulb. Our findings suggest a novel role for the CYP7B1 enzyme in the regulation of male reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario G Oyola
- Department of Neuroscience (M.G.O., A.A.-R., S.K.M.), Molecular & Cellular Biology (A.M.M., S.K.M.), Memory and Brain Research Center (M.G.O., A.M.M., A.A.-R., S.K.M.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030; and Department Of Basic Medical Sciences (D.G.Z., D.C., R.J.H.), University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona 85004
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Venerosi A, Tait S, Stecca L, Chiarotti F, De Felice A, Cometa MF, Volpe MT, Calamandrei G, Ricceri L. Effects of maternal chlorpyrifos diet on social investigation and brain neuroendocrine markers in the offspring - a mouse study. Environ Health 2015; 14:32. [PMID: 25889763 PMCID: PMC4448273 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-015-0019-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides worldwide. Epidemiological studies on pregnant women and their children suggest a link between in utero CPF exposure and delay in psychomotor and cognitive maturation. A large number of studies in animal models have shown adverse effects of CPF on developing brain and more recently on endocrine targets. Our aim was to determine if developmental exposure to CPF affects social responsiveness and associated molecular neuroendocrine markers at adulthood. METHOD Pregnant CD1 outbred mice were fed from gestational day 15 to lactation day 14 with either a CPF-added (equivalent to 6 mg/kg/bw/day during pregnancy) or a standard diet. We then assessed in the offspring the long-term effects of CPF exposure on locomotion, social recognition performances and gene expression levels of selected neurondocrine markers in amygdala and hypothalamus. RESULTS No sign of CPF systemic toxicity was detected. CPF induced behavioral alterations in adult offspring of both sexes: CPF-exposed males displayed enhanced investigative response to unfamiliar social stimuli, whereas CPF-exposed females showed a delayed onset of social investigation and lack of reaction to social novelty. In parallel, molecular effects of CPF were sex dimorphic: in males CPF increased expression of estrogen receptor beta in hypothalamus and decreased oxytocin expression in amygdala; CPF increased vasopressin 1a receptor expression in amygdala in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that developmental CPF affects mouse social behavior and interferes with development of sex-dimorphic neuroendocrine pathways with potential disruptive effects on neuroendocrine axes homeostasis. The route of exposure selected in our study corresponds to relevant human exposure scenarios, our data thus supports the view that neuroendocrine effects, especially in susceptible time windows, should deserve more attention in risk assessment of OP insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldina Venerosi
- Department Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Sabrina Tait
- Department Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Laura Stecca
- Department Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavia Chiarotti
- Department Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Department Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Maria Teresa Volpe
- Department Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gemma Calamandrei
- Department Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Laura Ricceri
- Department Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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Brock O, De Mees C, Bakker J. Hypothalamic expression of oestrogen receptor α and androgen receptor is sex-, age- and region-dependent in mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:264-76. [PMID: 25599767 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones act on developing neural circuits regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and are involved in hormone-sensitive behaviours. These hormones act mainly via nuclear receptors, such as oestrogen receptor (ER)-α and androgen receptor (AR). By using immunohistochemistry, we analysed the expression level of ERα and AR throughout perinatal life [at embryonic (E) day 19 and postnatal (P) days 5, 15 and 25] and in adulthood in several hypothalamic nuclei controlling reproduction in both wild-type and aromatase knockout (ArKO) (i.e. which cannot convert testosterone into oestradiol) mice to determine whether there are sex differences in hypothalamic ERα and AR expression and, if so, whether these are established by the action of oestradiol. As early as E19, ERα immunoreactivity (-IR) was observed at same expression levels in both sexes in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv), the medial preoptic area (MPOA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnST), the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the arcuate nucleus (ARC). Sex differences (female > male) in ERα-IR were observed not only during the prepubertal period in the BnST (P5 to P25) and the MPOA (P15), but also in adulthood in these two brain regions. Sex differences in AR-IR (male > female) were observed at P5 in the AVPv and ARC, and at P25 in the MPOA and ARC, as well as in adulthood in all hypothalamic regions analysed. In adulthood, gonadectomy and hormonal treatment (oestradiol or dihydrotestosterone) also strongly modulated ERα-IR and AR, respectively. Taken together, sex differences in ERα-IR and AR-IR were observed in all hypothalamic regions analysed, although they most likely do not reflect the action of oestradiol because ArKO mice of both sexes showed expression levels very similar to wild-type mice throughout perinatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Brock
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Brain feminization requires active repression of masculinization via DNA methylation. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:690-7. [PMID: 25821913 PMCID: PMC4519828 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The developing mammalian brain is destined for a female phenotype unless exposed to gonadal hormones during a perinatal sensitive period. It has been assumed that the undifferentiated brain is masculinized by direct induction of transcription by ligand-activated nuclear steroid receptors. We found that a primary effect of gonadal steroids in the highly sexually-dimorphic preoptic area (POA) is to reduce activity of DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) enzymes, thereby decreasing DNA methylation and releasing masculinizing genes from epigenetic repression. Pharmacological inhibition of Dnmts mimicked gonadal steroids, resulting in masculinized neuronal markers and male sexual behavior in females. Conditional knockout of the de novo Dnmt isoform, Dnmt3a, also masculinized sexual behavior in female mice. RNA sequencing revealed gene and isoform variants modulated by methylation that may underlie the divergent reproductive behaviors of males versus females. Our data show that brain feminization is maintained by the active suppression of masculinization via DNA methylation.
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Sá SI, Fonseca BM, Teixeira N, Madeira MD. Estrogen receptors α and β have different roles in the induction and trafficking of progesterone receptors in hypothalamic ventromedial neurons. FEBS J 2015; 282:1126-36. [PMID: 25612677 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone receptor (PR) activation in the ventrolateral division of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMNvl) is essential for promoting female sexual behavior. Estrogen receptor (ER) α, in contrast to ERβ, has been implicated in the induction of PRs. The simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ, although not increasing the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons in the VMNvl, facilitates lordosis, which suggests that ERβ and/or the ERα-ERβ interaction might play a role in PR dynamics and/or PR expression by individual neurons. To address this question, we used western blot and immunohistochemical studies to determine the amounts and subcellular distributions of both PR isoforms in VMNvl neurons of ovariectomized rats injected with estradiol benzoate or with specific agonists of ERα and ERβ, alone or in association. The present data show that ERα activation does not change PR expression in individual neurons, but increases the number of PRs in the VMNvl, because it increases the number of neurons expressing PRs. Conversely, ERβ activation does not change the total number of PRs in the VMNvl, but increases the labeling intensity of the perikaryal cytoplasm, which suggests that it promotes the transport of PRs from neurites into cell bodies. In addition, the simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ increases the expression of PRs by individual neurons and, consequently, increases the total number of PRs in the VMNvl. Our findings reveal that individual and simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ have different effects on the levels and subcellular location of PRs in VMNvl neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana I Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; Center of Experimental Morphology (CME), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
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Fernández R, Esteva I, Gómez-Gil E, Rumbo T, Almaraz MC, Roda E, Haro-Mora JJ, Guillamón A, Pásaro E. Association Study of ERβ, AR, and CYP19A1 Genes and MtF Transsexualism. J Sex Med 2014; 11:2986-94. [DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Mogi K, Takanashi H, Nagasawa M, Kikusui T. Sex differences in spatiotemporal expression of AR, ERα, and ERβ mRNA in the perinatal mouse brain. Neurosci Lett 2014; 584:88-92. [PMID: 25459284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that every masculinized function might be organized by a particular contribution of androgens vs. estrogens in a critical time window. Here, we aimed to investigate the sex differences in brain testosterone levels and in the spatiotemporal dynamics of steroid receptor mRNA expression in perinatal mice, by using enzyme immunoassay and real-time PCR, respectively. We found that testosterone levels in the forebrain transiently increased around birth in male mice. During the perinatal period, levels of androgen receptor mRNA in the hypothalamus (hypo) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were higher in male mice than in female mice. Estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA levels in the hypo and hippocampus were higher in male mice than in female mice before birth. In contrast, ERβ mRNA expression in the PFC was higher in female mice immediately after birth. These spatiotemporal sex differences in steroid receptor expression might contribute to organizing sex differences of not only reproductive function, but also anxiety, stress responses, and cognition in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Mogi
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan
| | - Haruka Takanashi
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan.
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Shin JA, Oh S, Ahn JH, Park EM. Estrogen receptor-mediated resveratrol actions on blood-brain barrier of ovariectomized mice. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 36:993-1006. [PMID: 25448605 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
To test whether resveratrol provides benefits via estrogen receptors (ERs) in the blood-brain barrier of estrogen-deficient females, ovariectomized mice were treated with resveratrol then were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Compared with vehicle treatment, resveratrol reduced infarct volume and neurologic deficits after MCAO. Basal tight junction (TJ) protein levels in the brain were increased by resveratrol. After MCAO, blood-brain barrier breakdown reduced levels of TJ proteins, and induction of HIF-1α and VEGF were attenuated by resveratrol. These effects were reversed by the ERs antagonist, ICI182,780. In mouse brain, endothelial cells (bEnd.3) exposed to hypoxia, resveratrol treatment protected the cells against cytotoxicity, increases of paracellular permeability and changes in levels of TJ protein and HIF-1α/VEGF proteins. These effects were reversed by ICI182,780 but not by specific ERα or ERβ antagonists, indicating nonspecific ER mediated effects. Altogether, these results showed that neuroprotective effects of resveratrol in ovariectomized mice were mediated by ERs and associated with tightening of blood-brain barrier, suggesting that resveratrol can be an alternative to estrogens to protect the brains of estrogen-deficient females against ischemic insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin A Shin
- Department of Pharmacology, Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seikwan Oh
- Department of Neuroscience, Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyuck Ahn
- Department of Biochemistry, Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Mi Park
- Department of Pharmacology, Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Mahawong P, Sinclair A, Li Y, Schlomer B, Rodriguez E, Ferretti MM, Liu B, Baskin LS, Cunha GR. Prenatal diethylstilbestrol induces malformation of the external genitalia of male and female mice and persistent second-generation developmental abnormalities of the external genitalia in two mouse strains. Differentiation 2014; 88:51-69. [PMID: 25449352 PMCID: PMC4254634 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Potential trans-generational influence of diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure emerged with reports of effects in grandchildren of DES-treated pregnant women and of reproductive tract tumors in offspring of mice exposed in utero to DES. Accordingly, we examined the trans-generational influence of DES on development of external genitalia (ExG) and compared effects of in utero DES exposure in CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice injected with oil or DES every other day from gestational days 12 to 18. Mice were examined at birth, and on 5-120 days postnatal to evaluate ExG malformations. Of 23 adult (>60 days) prenatally DES-exposed males, features indicative of urethral meatal hypospadias (see text for definitions) ranged from 18% to 100% in prenatally DES-exposed CD-1 males and 31% to 100% in prenatally DES-exposed C57BL/6 males. Thus, the strains differed only slightly in the incidence of male urethral hypospadias. Ninety-one percent of DES-exposed CD-1 females and 100% of DES-exposed C57BL/6 females had urethral-vaginal fistula. All DES-exposed CD-1 and C57BL/6 females lacked an os clitoris. None of the prenatally oil-treated CD-1 and C57BL/6 male and female mice had ExG malformations. For the second-generation study, 10 adult CD-1 males and females, from oil- and DES-exposed groups, respectively, were paired with untreated CD-1 mice for 30 days, and their offspring evaluated for ExG malformations. None of the F1 DES-treated females were fertile. Nine of 10 prenatally DES-exposed CD-1 males sired offspring with untreated females, producing 55 male and 42 female pups. Of the F2 DES-lineage adult males, 20% had exposed urethral flaps, a criterion of urethral meatal hypospadias. Five of 42 (11.9%) F2 DES lineage females had urethral-vaginal fistula. In contrast, all F2 oil-lineage males and all oil-lineage females were normal. Thus, prenatal DES exposure induces malformations of ExG in both sexes and strains of mice, and certain malformations are transmitted to the second-generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phitsanu Mahawong
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Yi Li
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Bruce Schlomer
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Esequiel Rodriguez
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Max M Ferretti
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Baomei Liu
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Laurence S Baskin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
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