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Żabińska M, Wiśniewska K, Węgrzyn G, Pierzynowska K. Exploring the physiological role of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) and its associations with human diseases. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107070. [PMID: 38733757 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen is a group of hormones that collaborate with the nervous system to impact the overall well-being of all genders. It influences many processes, including those occurring in the central nervous system, affecting learning and memory, and playing roles in neurodegenerative diseases and mental disorders. The hormone's action is mediated by specific receptors. Significant roles of classical estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, in various diseases were known since many years, but after identifying a structurally and locationally distinct receptor, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), its role in human physiology and pathophysiology was investigated. This review compiles GPER-related information, highlighting its impact on homeostasis and diseases, while putting special attention on functions and dysfunctions of this receptor in neurobiology and biobehavioral processes. Understanding the receptor modulation possibilities is essential for therapy, as disruptions in receptors can lead to diseases or disorders, irrespective of correct estrogen levels. We conclude that studies on the GPER receptor have the potential to develop therapies that regulate estrogen and positively impact human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Żabińska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Karolina Wiśniewska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Karolina Pierzynowska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland.
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Lymer J, Bergman H, Yang S, Mallick R, Galea LAM, Choleris E, Fergusson D. The effects of estrogens on spatial learning and memory in female rodents - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105598. [PMID: 38968677 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Estrogens have inconsistent effects on learning and memory in both the clinical and preclinical literature. Preclinical literature has the advantage of investigating an array of potentially important factors contributing to the varied effects of estrogens on learning and memory, with stringently controlled studies. This study set out to identify specific factors in the animal literature that influence the effects of estrogens on cognition, for possible translation back to clinical practice. The literature was screened and studies meeting strict inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Eligible studies included female ovariectomized rodents with an adequate vehicle for the estrogen treatment, with an outcome of spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze. Training days of the Morris water maze were used to assess acquisition of spatial learning, and the probe trial was used to evaluate spatial memory recall. Continuous outcomes were pooled using a random effects inverse variance method and reported as standardized mean differences with 95 % confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses were developed a priori to assess important factors. The overall analysis favoured treatment for the later stages of training and for the probe trial. Factors including the type of estrogen, route, schedule of administration, age of animals, timing relative to ovariectomy, and duration of treatment were all found to be important. The subgroup analyses showed that chronic treatment with 17β-estradiol, either cyclically or continuously, to young animals improved spatial recall. These results, observed in animals, can inform and guide further clinical research on hormone replacement therapy for cognitive benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lymer
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Hailey Bergman
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Sabrina Yang
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Dean Fergusson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Salinero AE, Abi-Ghanem C, Venkataganesh H, Sura A, Smith RM, Thrasher CA, Kelly RD, Hatcher KM, NyBlom V, Shamlian V, Kyaw NR, Belanger KM, Gannon OJ, Stephens SBZ, Zuloaga DG, Zuloaga KL. Treatment with brain specific estrogen prodrug ameliorates cognitive effects of surgical menopause in mice. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105594. [PMID: 38917776 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Menopause is an endocrine shift leading to increased vulnerability for cognitive impairment and dementia risk factors, in part due to loss of neuroprotective circulating estrogens. Systemic replacement of estrogen post-menopause has limitations, including risk for estrogen-sensitive cancers. A promising therapeutic approach therefore might be to deliver estrogen only to the brain. We examined whether we could enhance cognitive performance by delivering estrogen exclusively to the brain in ovariectomized mice (a surgical menopause model). We treated mice with the prodrug 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), which can be administered systemically but is converted to 17β-estradiol only in the brain. Young and middle-aged C57BL/6 J mice received ovariectomy and subcutaneous implant containing vehicle or DHED and underwent cognitive testing to assess memory after 1-3.5 months of treatment. Low and medium doses of DHED did not alter metabolic status in middle-aged mice. In both age groups, DHED treatment improved spatial memory in ovariectomized mice. Additional testing in middle-aged mice showed that DHED treatment improved working and recognition memory in ovariectomized mice. These results lay the foundation for future studies determining if this intervention is as efficacious in models of dementia with comorbid risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Salinero
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Charly Abi-Ghanem
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Harini Venkataganesh
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Avi Sura
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Rachel M Smith
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Christina A Thrasher
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Richard D Kelly
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Katherine M Hatcher
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Vanessa NyBlom
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA; Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave, Biology 325, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Victoria Shamlian
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Nyi-Rein Kyaw
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Kasey M Belanger
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Olivia J Gannon
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Shannon B Z Stephens
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave, Biology 325, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue, MC-136, Albany, NY 12208, USA.
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Oveisgharan S, Yu L, de Paiva Lopes K, Petyuk VA, Tasaki S, Vialle R, Menon V, Wang Y, De Jager PL, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1, amyloid-β, and tau tangles in older adults. Commun Biol 2024; 7:569. [PMID: 38750228 PMCID: PMC11096330 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06272-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau tangles are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ is extracellular while tau tangles are typically intracellular, and it is unknown how these two proteinopathies are connected. Here, we use data of 1206 elders and test that RNA expression levels of GPER1, a transmembrane protein, modify the association of Aβ with tau tangles. GPER1 RNA expression is related to more tau tangles (p = 0.001). Moreover, GPER1 expression modifies the association of immunohistochemistry-derived Aβ load with tau tangles (p = 0.044). Similarly, GPER1 expression modifies the association between Aβ proteoforms and tau tangles: total Aβ protein (p = 0.030) and Aβ38 peptide (p = 0.002). Using single nuclei RNA-seq indicates that GPER1 RNA expression in astrocytes modifies the relation of Aβ load with tau tangles (p = 0.002), but not GPER1 in excitatory neurons or endothelial cells. We conclude that GPER1 may be a link between Aβ and tau tangles driven mainly by astrocytic GPER1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahram Oveisgharan
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Lei Yu
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katia de Paiva Lopes
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vladislav A Petyuk
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Shinya Tasaki
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ricardo Vialle
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yanling Wang
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Philip L De Jager
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie A Schneider
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Joue G, Navarro-Schröder T, Achtzehn J, Moffat S, Hennies N, Fuß J, Döller C, Wolbers T, Sommer T. Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1037-1063. [PMID: 38407638 PMCID: PMC11031496 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Animal studies suggest that the so-called "female" hormone estrogen enhances spatial navigation and memory. This contradicts the observation that males generally out-perform females in spatial navigation and tasks involving spatial memory. A closer look at the vast number of studies actually reveals that performance differences are not so clear. OBJECTIVES To help clarify the unclear performance differences between men and women and the role of estrogen, we attempted to isolate organizational from activational effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we tested the effects of orally administered estradiol valerate (E2V) in healthy, young women in their low-hormone menstrual cycle phase, compared to healthy, young men. Participants performed several first-person, environmentally rich, 3-D computer games inspired by spatial navigation and memory paradigms in animal research. RESULTS We found navigation behavior suggesting that sex effects dominated any E2 effects with men performing better with allocentric strategies and women with egocentric strategies. Increased E2 levels did not lead to general improvements in spatial ability in either sex but to behavioral changes reflecting navigation flexibility. CONCLUSION Estrogen-driven differences in spatial cognition might be better characterized on a spectrum of navigation flexibility rather than by categorical performance measures or skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Joue
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tobias Navarro-Schröder
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johannes Achtzehn
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology (CVK), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Scott Moffat
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Nora Hennies
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Fuß
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Sex Research, University Duisburg-Essen, Hohlweg 26, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Döller
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Straße 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Machado GDB, Schnitzler AL, Fleischer AW, Beamish SB, Frick KM. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in the dorsal hippocampus regulates memory consolidation in gonadectomized male mice, likely via different signaling mechanisms than in female mice. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105516. [PMID: 38428223 PMCID: PMC11065565 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Studies in ovariectomized (OVX) female rodents suggest that G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is a key regulator of memory, yet little is known about its importance to memory in males or the cellular mechanisms underlying its mnemonic effects in either sex. In OVX mice, bilateral infusion of the GPER agonist G-1 into the dorsal hippocampus (DH) enhances object recognition and spatial memory consolidation in a manner dependent on rapid activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, cofilin phosphorylation, and actin polymerization in the DH. However, the effects of GPER on memory consolidation and DH cell signaling in males are unknown. Thus, the present study first assessed effects of DH infusion of G-1 or the GPER antagonist G-15 on object recognition and spatial memory consolidation in gonadectomized (GDX) male mice. As in OVX mice, immediate post-training bilateral DH infusion of G-1 enhanced, whereas G-15 impaired, memory consolidation in the object recognition and object placement tasks. However, G-1 did not increase levels of phosphorylated JNK (p46, p54) or cofilin in the DH 5, 15, or 30 min after infusion, nor did it affect phosphorylation of ERK (p42, p44), PI3K, or Akt. Levels of phospho-cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) were elevated in the DH 30 min following G-1 infusion, indicating that GPER in males activates a yet unknown signaling mechanism that triggers CREB-mediated gene transcription. Our findings show for the first time that GPER in the DH regulates memory consolidation in males and suggests sex differences in underlying signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo D B Machado
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America
| | - Alexis L Schnitzler
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America
| | - Aaron W Fleischer
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America
| | - Sarah B Beamish
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America
| | - Karyn M Frick
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States of America.
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Garcia-Carachure I, Lira O, Themann A, Rodriguez M, Flores-Ramirez FJ, Lobo MK, Iñiguez SD. Sex-Specific Alterations in Spatial Memory and Hippocampal AKT-mTOR Signaling in Adult Mice Pre-exposed to Ketamine and/or Psychological Stress During Adolescence. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:240-251. [PMID: 38298791 PMCID: PMC10829642 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Ketamine (KET) is administered to manage major depression in adolescent patients. However, the long-term effects of juvenile KET exposure on memory-related tasks have not been thoroughly assessed. We examined whether exposure to KET, psychological stress, or both results in long-lasting alterations in spatial memory in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, we evaluated how KET and/or psychological stress history influenced hippocampal protein kinase B-mechanistic target of rapamycin (AKT-mTOR)-related signaling. Methods On postnatal day 35, male and female mice underwent vicarious defeat stress (VDS), a form of psychological stress that reduces sociability in both sexes, with or without KET exposure (20 mg/kg/day, postnatal days 35-44). In adulthood (postnatal day 70), mice were assessed for spatial memory performance on a water maze task or euthanized for hippocampal tissue collection. Results Juvenile pre-exposure to KET or VDS individually increased the latency (seconds) to locate the escape platform in adult male, but not female, mice. However, juvenile history of concomitant KET and VDS prevented memory impairment. Furthermore, individual KET or VDS pre-exposure, unlike their combined history, decreased hippocampal AKT-mTOR signaling in adult male mice. Conversely, KET pre-exposure alone increased AKT-mTOR in the hippocampus of adult female mice. Lastly, rapamycin-induced decreases of mTOR in naïve adult female mice induced spatial memory retrieval deficits, mimicking adult male mice with a history of exposure to VDS or KET. Conclusions Our preclinical model shows how KET treatment for the management of adolescent psychological stress-induced sequelae does not impair spatial memory later in life. However, juvenile recreational KET misuse, like psychological stress history, results in long-term spatial memory deficits and hippocampal AKT-mTOR signaling changes in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Omar Lira
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Anapaula Themann
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Minerva Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | | | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sergio D. Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
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Davignon LM, Brouillard A, Juster RP, Marin MF. The role of sex hormones, oral contraceptive use, and its parameters on visuospatial abilities, verbal fluency, and verbal memory. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105454. [PMID: 37981465 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Sex hormones can cross the blood-brain barrier and access brain regions underlying higher-order cognition. Containing synthetic sex hormones, oral contraceptives (OC) have been found to modulate visuospatial and verbal abilities, though inconsistencies have been found in the literature. Among possible explanations, certain OC use parameters (progestin androgenicity, synthetic hormone levels, duration of use) have not received consistent consideration. Thus, the objectives were to (1) examine group differences between men, combined OC users, and naturally cycling women (NC women; not using OC) in visuospatial abilities, verbal fluency, and verbal memory and (2) investigate the contribution of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones on these effects. We also aimed to (3) identify OC use parameters relevant to cognitive outcomes. In total, 70 combined OC users, 53 early follicular (EF) women, 43 pre-ovulatory (PO) women, and 47 men underwent cognitive tests. Performance was compared based on hormonal milieus (OC, EF, PO, men) and OC users' contraceptive androgenicity (anti, low, high). Correlations between performance, hormone levels and OC use duration were also conducted. OC use dampened the sex difference that typically favors men in 3D visuospatial abilities, whereas its duration of use positively predicted verbal fluency. Androgenicity and hormone levels did not predict performance in any task. These results highlight the importance of considering OC use duration. Results also did not support a role for androgenicity in cognition. Importantly, combined OC use (including prolonged use) does not impair visuospatial, verbal, and memory functions in a healthy young sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Davignon
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada
| | - Alexandra Brouillard
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marie-France Marin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada.
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9
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Lipatova O, Campolattaro MM, Lockhart BK, Hammad MB. Differential effects of acute stress on spatial learning and memory in the open-field tower maze across the female estrous cycle. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 206:107862. [PMID: 37944635 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107862] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the present investigation was to test how acute stress and levels of circulating estrogens together influence acquisition and retention of spatial learning, as well as explorative behaviors in female rats. We used the hippocampus-dependent Open-field Tower Maze (OFTM) task to assess acquisition followed by a retention test (reacquisition) that was given 48 h later. Immediately prior to acquisition, experimental rats were exposed to an acute restraint stress and were trained under bright lights. Female rats' estrous cycles were tracked throughout training and testing. Exposure to stress did not affect learning when levels of estrogens were low (i.e., during estrus and metestrus). However, acute stress exposure significantly lowered spatial acquisition of the female rats in the phases with rising levels of estrogens (i.e., during diestrus and proestrus). Furthermore, this stress-induced diminishment during acquisition was evident at the beginning of the retention without any presentation of stress. The present findings provide insight about the interactive relationship between stress and sex hormones on cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Lipatova
- Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States.
| | | | - Blakely K Lockhart
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Mariam B Hammad
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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10
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Wu D, Sun Q, Wei W, Bai Y, Zhai L, Jia L. Nrf2-mediated protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid on synaptic oxidative damage and inhibition of PKC/ERK/CREB pathway in bisphenol A-exposed HT-22 cells. Food Chem Toxicol 2023; 181:114112. [PMID: 37858839 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.114112] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The harmful effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on learning and memory may involve hippocampal oxidative damage; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Antioxidants that antagonize BPA-induced neuronal oxidative damage lack research. This study aimed to develop an in vitro model using the HT-22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line to investigate the neurotoxic mechanism of BPA and the protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibition. The results showed that ALA reduced BPA-induced reactive oxygen species and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) levels; however, inhibiting Nrf2 weakened the protective effects of ALA. BPA reduced mitochondrial complex I/III activity and ATP levels, but ALA ameliorated this damage. ALA improved the BPA-induced downregulation of the kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (keap1)/Nrf2 system, synaptic-related proteins, and the protein kinase C (PKC)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) pathway; however, the protective effects of ALA were weakened when Nrf2 was inhibited. Our results suggest that BPA causes oxidative damage to HT-22 cells by damaging mitochondrial function, nNOS, and the keap1/Nrf2 system, thereby impairing synaptic-related proteins and the PKC/ERK/CREB pathway. ALA counters BPA-induced damage via Nrf2, which may be a significant target for the protective action of ALA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Qi Sun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
| | - Yinglong Bai
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
| | - Lingling Zhai
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
| | - Lihong Jia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China.
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11
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Iqbal J, Bibi M, Huang GD, Xue YX, Khatttak JZK, Yang M, Jia XJ. Differential regulation of hippocampal transcriptome by circulating estrogen. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:309. [PMID: 37735249 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01234-6] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen (E2) modulates the synaptic structure and plasticity in the hippocampus. Previous studies showed that E2 fluctuations during various phases of the menstrual cycle produce subtle neurosynaptic changes that impact women's behavior, emotion, and cognitive functions. In this study, we explored the transcriptome of the hippocampus via RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) between proestrus (PE) and diestrus (DE) stages in young female rats to determine the effect of E2 of PE and DE stages on hippocampal gene expression. We identified 238 genes (at 1.5-fold-change selection criteria, FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05) as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that responded to E2 between PE and DE stages. Functional analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) revealed that a higher E2 level corresponded to an increase in gene transcription among most of the DEGs, suggesting biological mechanisms operating differentially in the hippocampus of female rats between PE and DE stages in the estrus cycle; while analysis with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) found that the DEGs involving neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, antigen processing, cell adhesion molecules, and presentation were upregulated in PE stage, whereas DEGs in pathways relating to bile secretion, coagulation cascades, osteoclast differentiation, cysteine and methionine metabolism were upregulated in DE stage of the estrus cycle. The high-fold expression of DEGs was confirmed by a follow-up quantitative real-time PCR. Our findings in this current study have provided fundamental information for further dissection of neuro-molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus in response to E2 fluctuation and its relationship with disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Maryam Bibi
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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12
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Koebele SV, Bernaud VE, Northup-Smith SN, Willeman MN, Strouse IM, Bulen HL, Schrier AR, Newbern JM, DeNardo DF, Mayer LP, Dyer CA, Bimonte-Nelson HA. Gynecological surgery in adulthood imparts cognitive and brain changes in rats: A focus on hysterectomy at short-, moderate-, and long-term intervals after surgery. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105411. [PMID: 37659358 PMCID: PMC11060888 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Premenopausal hysterectomy is associated with a greater relative risk of dementia. We previously demonstrated cognitive impairments in adult rats six weeks after hysterectomy with ovarian conservation compared with intact sham-controls and other gynecological surgery variations. Here, we investigated whether hysterectomy-induced cognitive impairments are transient or persistent. Adult rats received sham-control, ovariectomy (Ovx), hysterectomy, or Ovx-hysterectomy surgery. Spatial working memory, reference memory, and anxiety-like behavior were tested either six-weeks post-surgery, in adulthood; seven-months post-surgery, in early middle-age; or twelve-months post-surgery, in late middle-age. Hysterectomy in adulthood yielded spatial working memory deficits at short-, moderate-, and long-term post-surgery intervals. Serum hormone levels did not differ between ovary-intact, but differed from Ovx, groups. Hysterectomy had no significant impact on healthy ovarian follicle or corpora lutea counts for any post-surgery timepoint compared with intact sham-controls. Frontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex were assessed for activity-dependent markers. In entorhinal cortex, there were alterations in FOSB and ΔFOSB expression during the early middle-age timepoint, and phosphorylated ERK1/2 levels at the adult timepoint. Collectively, results suggest a primary role for the uterus in regulating cognition, and that memory-related neural pathways may be modified following gynecological surgery. This is the first preclinical report of long-term effects of hysterectomy with and without ovarian conservation on cognition, endocrine, ovarian, and brain assessments, initiating a comprehensive framework of gynecological surgery effects. Translationally, findings underscore critical needs to decipher how gynecological surgeries, especially those involving the uterus, impact the brain and its functions, the ovaries, and overall aging from a systems perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie V Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Victoria E Bernaud
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Steven N Northup-Smith
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Mari N Willeman
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Isabel M Strouse
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Haidyn L Bulen
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Ally R Schrier
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
| | - Jason M Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Dale F DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | | | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, 4745 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA.
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13
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Fleischer AW, Frick KM. New perspectives on sex differences in learning and memory. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2023; 34:526-538. [PMID: 37500421 PMCID: PMC10617789 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Females have historically been disregarded in memory research, including the thousands of studies examining roles for the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala in learning and memory. Even when included, females are often judged based on male-centric behavioral and neurobiological standards, generating and perpetuating scientific stereotypes that females exhibit worse memories compared with males in domains such as spatial navigation and fear. Recent research challenges these dogmas by identifying sex-specific strategies in common memory tasks. Here, we discuss rodent data illustrating sex differences in spatial and fear memory, as well as the neural mechanisms underlying memory formation. The influence of sex steroid hormones in both sexes is discussed, as is the importance to basic and translational neuroscience of studying sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron W Fleischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA.
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA.
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14
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Boueid MJ, El-Hage O, Schumacher M, Degerny C, Tawk M. Zebrafish as an emerging model to study estrogen receptors in neural development. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1240018. [PMID: 37664862 PMCID: PMC10469878 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1240018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogens induce several regulatory signals in the nervous system that are mainly mediated through estrogen receptors (ERs). ERs are largely expressed in the nervous system, yet the importance of ERs to neural development has only been elucidated over the last decades. Accumulating evidence shows a fundamental role for estrogens in the development of the central and peripheral nervous systems, hence, the contribution of ERs to neural function is now a growing area of research. The conservation of the structure of the ERs and their response to estrogens make the zebrafish an interesting model to dissect the role of estrogens in the nervous system. In this review, we highlight major findings of ER signaling in embryonic zebrafish neural development and compare the similarities and differences to research in rodents. We also discuss how the recent generation of zebrafish ER mutants, coupled with the availability of several transgenic reporter lines, its amenability to pharmacological studies and in vivo live imaging, could help us explore ER function in embryonic neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Tawk
- *Correspondence: Cindy Degerny, ; Marcel Tawk,
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15
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Salinero AE, Abi-Ghanem C, Venkataganesh H, Sura A, Smith RM, Thrasher CA, Kelly RD, Hatcher KM, NyBlom V, Shamlian V, Kyaw NR, Belanger KM, Gannon OJ, Stephens SB, Zuloaga DG, Zuloaga KL. Brain Specific Estrogen Ameliorates Cognitive Effects of Surgical Menopause in Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.09.552687. [PMID: 37609180 PMCID: PMC10441397 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.09.552687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Menopause is a major endocrinological shift that leads to an increased vulnerability to the risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. This is thought to be due to the loss of circulating estrogens, which exert many potent neuroprotective effects in the brain. Systemic replacement of estrogen post-menopause has many limitations, including increased risk for estrogen-sensitive cancers. A more promising therapeutic approach therefore might be to deliver estrogen only to the brain thus limiting adverse peripheral side effects. We examined whether we could enhance cognitive performance by delivering estrogen exclusively to the brain in post-menopausal mice. We modeled surgical menopause via bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). We treated mice with the pro-drug 10β,17β-dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED), which can be administered systemically but is converted to 17β-estradiol only in the brain. Young (2.5-month) and middle-aged (11-month-old) female C57BL/6J mice received ovariectomy and a subcutaneous implant containing vehicle (cholesterol) or DHED. At 3.5 months old (young group) and 14.5 months old (middle-aged group), mice underwent behavior testing to assess memory. DHED did not significantly alter metabolic status in middle-aged, post-menopausal mice. In both young and middle-aged mice, the brain-specific estrogen DHED improved spatial memory. Additional testing in middle-aged mice also showed that DHED improved working and recognition memory. These promising results lay the foundation for future studies aimed at determining if this intervention is as efficacious in models of dementia that have comorbid risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E. Salinero
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Charly Abi-Ghanem
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Harini Venkataganesh
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Avi Sura
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Rachel M. Smith
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Christina A. Thrasher
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Richard D. Kelly
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Katherine M. Hatcher
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa NyBlom
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Shamlian
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Nyi-Rein Kyaw
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Kasey M. Belanger
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Olivia J. Gannon
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Shannon B.Z. Stephens
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Damian G. Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Kristen L. Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY, USA
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16
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Sheppard PAS, Chandramohan D, Lumsden A, Vellone D, Denley MCS, Srivastava DP, Choleris E. Social memory in female mice is rapidly modulated by 17β-estradiol through ERK and Akt modulation of synapse formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300191120. [PMID: 37490537 PMCID: PMC10400940 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300191120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Social memory is essential to the functioning of a social animal within a group. Estrogens can affect social memory too quickly for classical genomic mechanisms. Previously, 17β-estradiol (E2) rapidly facilitated short-term social memory and increased nascent synapse formation, these synapses being potentiated following neuronal activity. However, what mechanisms underlie and coordinate the rapid facilitation of social memory and synaptogenesis are unclear. Here, the necessity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling for rapid facilitation of short-term social memory and synaptogenesis was tested. Mice performed a short-term social memory task or were used as task-naïve controls. ERK and PI3K pathway inhibitors were infused intradorsal hippocampally 5 min before E2 infusion. Forty minutes following intrahippocampal E2 or vehicle administration, tissues were collected for quantification of glutamatergic synapse number in the CA1. Dorsal hippocampal E2 rapid facilitation of short-term social memory depended upon ERK and PI3K pathways. E2 increased glutamatergic synapse number (bassoon puncta positive for GluA1) in task-performing mice but decreased synapse number in task-naïve mice. Critically, ERK signaling was required for synapse formation/elimination in task-performing and task-naïve mice, whereas PI3K inhibition blocked synapse formation only in task-performing mice. While ERK and PI3K are both required for E2 facilitation of short-term social memory and synapse formation, only ERK is required for synapse elimination. This demonstrates previously unknown, bidirectional, rapid actions of E2 on brain and behavior and underscores the importance of estrogen signaling in the brain to social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. S. Sheppard
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Deepthi Chandramohan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Alanna Lumsden
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Daniella Vellone
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Matthew C. S. Denley
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
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17
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Bayat Z, Damirchi A, Hasannejad-Bibalan M, Babaei P. Concurrent high-intensity interval training and probiotic supplementation improve associative memory via increase in insulin sensitivity in ovariectomized rats. BMC Complement Med Ther 2023; 23:262. [PMID: 37488554 PMCID: PMC10364354 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04097-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a serious concern among postmenopausal women which predisposes them to cardiovascular and cognitive disorders. Healthful diet and exercise training have been essential strategies to prevent the progress of MetS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with a native potential probiotic and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 8 weeks on retention of associative memory in rats with ovariectomy- induced metabolic syndrome. METHOD Thirty-two female ovariectomized Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 8/group): Control (OVX + Veh), exercise (OVX + Exe), probiotic (OVX + Pro), exercise with probiotic (OVX + Exe + Pro). One sham surgery group was included as a control group. Animals received 8 weeks interventions, and then were tested in a step through passive avoidance learning and memory paradigm, to assess long term memory. Then serum levels of adiponectin, insulin and glucose were measured by ELISA and colorimetry respectively. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and also One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS Eight weeks of HIIT and probiotic supplementation caused an increase in step through latency and shortening of total time spent in the dark compartment in OVX + Exe + Pro group compared with OVX + Veh group. Also significant increase in serum adiponectin levels, in parallel with a reduction in glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR were achieved by the group of OVX + Exe + Pro. CONCLUSION The present study indicates that HIIT combined with probiotics supplementation for 8 weeks effectively improves associative memory in MetS model of rats partly via improving insulin sensitivity and adiponectin level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Bayat
- Department of exercise physiology, Faculty of Physical Education &sport sciences, The University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Arsalan Damirchi
- Department of exercise physiology, Faculty of Physical Education &sport sciences, The University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | | | - Parvin Babaei
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- Neuroscience Research center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
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18
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Oveisgharan S, Yang J, Yu L, Burba D, Bang W, Tasaki S, Grodstein F, Wang Y, Zhao J, De Jager PL, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. Estrogen Receptor Genes, Cognitive Decline, and Alzheimer Disease. Neurology 2023; 100:e1474-e1487. [PMID: 36697247 PMCID: PMC10104608 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000206833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Lifetime risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia is twofold higher in women compared with men, and low estrogen levels in postmenopause have been suggested as a possible contributor. We examined 3 ER (GPER1, ER2, and ER1) variants in association with AD traits as an indirect method to test the association between estrogen and AD in women. Although the study focus was on women, in a comparison, we separately examined ER molecular variants in men. METHODS Participants were followed for an average of 10 years in one of the 2 longitudinal clinical pathologic studies of aging. Global cognition was assessed using a composite score derived from 19 neuropsychological tests' scores. Postmortem pathologic assessment included examination of 3 AD (amyloid-β and tau tangles determined by immunohistochemistry, and a global AD pathology score derived from diffuse and neurotic plaques and neurofibrillary tangle count) and 8 non-AD pathology indices. ER molecular genomic variants included genotyping and examining ER DNA methylation and RNA expression in brain regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) that are major players in cognition and often have AD pathology. RESULTS The mean age of women (N = 1711) at baseline was 78.0 (SD = 7.7) years. In women, GPER1 molecular variants had the most consistent associations with AD traits. GPER1 DNA methylation was associated with cognitive decline, tau tangle density, and global AD pathology score. GPER1 RNA expression in DLPFC was related to cognitive decline and tau tangle density. Other associations included associations of ER2 and ER1 sequence variants and DNA methylation with cognition. RNA expressions in DLPFC of genes involved in signaling mechanisms of activated ERs were also associated with cognitive decline and tau tangle density in women. In men (N = 651, average age at baseline: 77.4 [SD = 7.3]), there were less robust associations between ER molecular genomic variants and AD cognitive and pathologic traits. No consistent association was seen between ER molecular genomic variations and non-AD pathologies in either of the sexes. DISCUSSION ER DNA methylation and RNA expression, and to some extent ER polymorphisms, were associated with AD cognitive and pathologic traits in women, and to a lesser extent in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahram Oveisgharan
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
| | - Jingyun Yang
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Lei Yu
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Dominika Burba
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Woojeong Bang
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Shinya Tasaki
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Fran Grodstein
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Yanling Wang
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Jinying Zhao
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Philip Lawrence De Jager
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Julie A Schneider
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - David A Bennett
- From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., D.B., W.B., S.T., F.G., Y.W., J.A.S., D.A.B.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Departments of Neurological Sciences (S.O., J.Y., L.Y., S.T., J.A.S., D.A.B.) and Internal Medicine (F.G.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology (J.Z.), University of Florida, Gainesville; Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology (P.L.D.J.), Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (P.L.D.J.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; and Department of Pathology (J.A.S.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
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19
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Sochocka M, Karska J, Pszczołowska M, Ochnik M, Fułek M, Fułek K, Kurpas D, Chojdak-Łukasiewicz J, Rosner-Tenerowicz A, Leszek J. Cognitive Decline in Early and Premature Menopause. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6566. [PMID: 37047549 PMCID: PMC10095144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early and premature menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), affects 1% of women under the age of 40 years. This paper reviews the main aspects of early and premature menopause and their impact on cognitive decline. Based on the literature, cognitive complaints are more common near menopause: a phase marked by a decrease in hormone levels, especially estrogen. A premature reduction in estrogen puts women at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, parkinsonism, depression, osteoporosis, hypertension, weight gain, midlife diabetes, as well as cognitive disorders and dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that female sex hormones have long-lasting neuroprotective and anti-aging properties. Estrogens seem to prevent cognitive disorders arising from a cholinergic deficit in women and female animals in middle age premature menopause that affects the central nervous system (CNS) directly and indirectly, both transiently and in the long term, leads to cognitive impairment or even dementia, mainly due to the decrease in estrogen levels and comorbidity with cardiovascular risk factors, autoimmune diseases, and aging. Menopausal hormone therapy from menopause to the age of 60 years may provide a "window of opportunity" to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD in later life. Women with earlier menopause should be taken care of by various specialists such as gynecologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists in order to maintain their mental health at the highest possible level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sochocka
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Julia Karska
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Michał Ochnik
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Michał Fułek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Fułek
- Department and Clinic of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Donata Kurpas
- Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Anna Rosner-Tenerowicz
- 2nd Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy Leszek
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
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20
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Datta G, Miller NM, Chen X. 17⍺-Estradiol Protects against HIV-1 Tat-Induced Endolysosome Dysfunction and Dendritic Impairments in Neurons. Cells 2023; 12:813. [PMID: 36899948 PMCID: PMC10000619 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 Tat continues to play an important role in the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which persist in 15-55% of people living with HIV even with virological control. In the brain, Tat is present on neurons, where Tat exerts direct neuronal damaging effects by, at least in part, disrupting endolysosome functions, a pathological feature present in HAND. In this study, we determined the protective effects of 17α-estradiol (17αE2), the predominant form of estrogen in the brain, against Tat-induced endolysosome dysfunction and dendritic impairment in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. We demonstrated that pre-treatment with 17αE2 protected against Tat-induced endolysosome dysfunction and reduction in dendritic spine density. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) knockdown impairs the ability of 17αE2 to protect against Tat-induced endolysosome dysfunction and reduction in dendritic spine density. Furthermore, over-expressing an ERα mutant that fails to localize on endolysosomes impairs 17αE2's protective effects against Tat-induced endolysosome dysfunction and reduction in dendritic spine density. Our findings demonstrate that 17αE2 protects against Tat-induced neuronal injury via a novel ERα-mediated and endolysosome-dependent pathway, and such a finding might lead to the development of novel adjunct therapeutics against HAND.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xuesong Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
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21
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Saldanha CJ. Spatial and temporal specificity of neuroestradiol provision in the songbird. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13192. [PMID: 35983989 PMCID: PMC9889572 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones are often synthesized in multiple tissues, affect several different targets, and modulate numerous physiological endpoints. The mechanisms by which this modulation is achieved with temporal and spatial specificity remain unclear. 17β-estradiol for example, is made in several peripheral tissues and in the brain, where it affects a diverse set of behaviors. How is estradiol delivered to the right target, at the right time, and at the right concentration? In the last two decades, we have learned that aromatase (estrogen-synthase) can be induced in astrocytes following damage to the brain and is expressed at central synapses. Both mechanisms of estrogen provision confer spatial and temporal specificity on a lipophilic neurohormone with potential access to all cells and tissues. In this review, I trace the progress in our understanding of astrocytic and synaptic aromatization. I discuss the incidence, regulation, and functions of neuroestradiol provision by aromatization, first in astrocytes and then at synapses. Finally, I focus on a relatively novel hypothesis about the role of neuroestradiol in the orchestration of species-specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Saldanha
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, USA
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22
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Jensen A, Thériault K, Yilmaz E, Pon E, Davidson PSR. Mental rotation, episodic memory, and executive control: Possible effects of biological sex and oral contraceptive use. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 198:107720. [PMID: 36621560 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Oral contraceptives (OCs) are one of the most common forms of hormonal birth control. A small literature suggests that OC use may affect visuospatial ability, episodic memory, and executive control. However, previous studies have been criticized for small sample sizes and the use of different, single cognitive tests. We investigated the degree to which biological sex and OC use might affect individual mental rotation, episodic memory, and executive control in a large sample of healthy, young adults (N = 155, including 52 OC users, 53 naturally cycling females, and 50 males) tested individually over videoconference. To measure cognition, we used a set of neuropsychological tasks inspired by Glisky and colleagues' two-factor episodic memory and executive control battery, from which two composite scores (based on principal component analysis) were derived for each participant. Our pre-registered analysis revealed a clear female advantage in episodic memory, independent of OC use. In an exploratory analysis, gist memory was elevated in OC users. Interestingly, we found no significant sex-related differences nor effects of OC use on mental rotation or executive control. Duration of OC use was also not related to any of our cognitive measures. These results suggest that the use of combined, monophasic OCs does not lead to many significant changes in cognition in young adults, although young females overall may have better episodic memory than young males. Additional studies, including longitudinal designs and looking in more detail at the menstrual cycle and OC use history, will further clarify the effects of different types of OCs and their duration of use on different aspects of cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaide Jensen
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Kim Thériault
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ece Yilmaz
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ethan Pon
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
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23
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 PMCID: PMC11267399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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24
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Lacasse JM, Boulos V, Fisher C, Hamilton S, Heron M, Mac Cionnaith CE, Peronace V, Tito N, Brake WG. Combined effects of the contraceptive hormones, ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, on the use of place and response memory in gonadally-intact female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 147:105974. [PMID: 36403510 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
During maze navigation rats can rely on hippocampus-mediated place memory or striatum-mediated response memory. Ovarian hormones bias whether females use place or response memory to reach a reward. Here, we investigated the impact of the contraceptive hormones, ethinyl estradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LNG), on memory bias. A total of 63 gonadally-intact female rats were treated with either 10 μg/kg of EE alone, 20 μg/kg of LNG alone, both 10 μg/kg of EE and 20 μg/kg of LNG together, or a sesame oil injection with 5% ethanol as a vehicle control. Rats in the control condition were tested during the diestrus phase of the estrous cycle in order to control for the low circulating levels of gonadotropin and ovarian hormones that occur with oral contraceptive administration. Rats treated with LNG alone had a bias towards the use of place memory compared to diestrus phase control rats. This bias was not observed if LNG was administered in combination with EE. Rats treated with EE or EE+LNG did not have a statistically significant difference in memory bias compared to rats in the control group. These data show that synthetic hormones contained in oral contraceptives administered to females influence which cognitive strategy is predominantly used during navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M Lacasse
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Vanessa Boulos
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Caleigh Fisher
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Sarran Hamilton
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Megan Heron
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Conall E Mac Cionnaith
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Vanessa Peronace
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Noémie Tito
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Wayne G Brake
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal H4B 1R6, Canada.
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25
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Shieu MM, Braley TJ, Becker J, Dunietz GL. The Interplay Among Natural Menopause, Insomnia, and Cognitive Health: A Population-Based Study. Nat Sci Sleep 2023; 15:39-48. [PMID: 36820129 PMCID: PMC9938660 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s398019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The interrelationships among age at menopause, sleep, and brain health have been insufficiently studied. This study sought to examine the influence of age at natural menopause and insomnia symptoms on long-term cognitive function among US women. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our study included a nationally representative cohort of US adults age 50+ from the Health and Retirement Study (2008-2018). We restricted this cohort to 5880 women age 50+, from a diverse racial and ethnic groups. Age at menopause was retrieved from baseline (2008) for women having natural menopause. Five questions were used to identify women with insomnia symptoms (2010 and 2012): trouble falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, early morning awakenings, feelings of nonrestorative sleep, and use of sleep aids. A battery of four neuropsychological tests was conducted biennially (years) to evaluate cognitive function. Longitudinal associations between age at natural menopause and cognitive function were estimated with mixed effects models with a random intercept. Insomnia symptoms were examined as potential mediators or modifiers in the pathway between age at menopause and cognition. RESULTS One year earlier in age at menopause was associated with a 0.49 lower mean in composite cognitive score, in any given survey year (adjusted p = 0.002). Earlier age at menopause was associated with higher risk of developing insomnia symptoms (eg, trouble falling asleep OR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.99), and insomnia symptoms were associated with worse cognitive performance (eg, trouble falling asleep, beta = -0.5, p-value = 0.02). Therefore, insomnia symptoms could potentially mediate the association between age at natural menopause and cognition. CONCLUSION Earlier age at menopause is associated with a lower score in cognitive performance. This association may be mediated by insomnia symptoms. Our findings spotlight that among women who experience early menopause, there is the need for studies of sleep-based interventions to mitigate cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica M Shieu
- Neurology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tiffany J Braley
- Neurology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jill Becker
- Psychology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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26
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Hilz EN, Gore AC. Sex-specific Effects of Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals on Brain Monoamines and Cognitive Behavior. Endocrinology 2022; 163:bqac128. [PMID: 35939362 PMCID: PMC9419695 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The period of brain sexual differentiation is characterized by the development of hormone-sensitive neural circuits that govern the subsequent presentation of sexually dimorphic behavior in adulthood. Perturbations of hormones by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during this developmental period interfere with an organism's endocrine function and can disrupt the normative organization of male- or female-typical neural circuitry. This is well characterized for reproductive and social behaviors and their underlying circuitry in the hypothalamus and other limbic regions of the brain; however, cognitive behaviors are also sexually dimorphic, with their underlying neural circuitry potentially vulnerable to EDC exposure during critical periods of brain development. This review provides recent evidence for sex-specific changes to the brain's monoaminergic systems (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) after developmental EDC exposure and relates these outcomes to sex differences in cognition such as affective, attentional, and learning/memory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Hilz
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Correspondence: Andrea C. Gore, PhD, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton St, Box C0875, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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27
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Adkins JM, Halcomb CJ, Rogers D, Jasnow AM. Stress and sex-dependent effects on conditioned inhibition of fear. Learn Mem 2022; 29:246-255. [PMID: 36206391 PMCID: PMC9488025 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053508.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and stress-related disorders are highly prevalent and are characterized by excessive fear to threatening and nonthreatening stimuli. Moreover, there is a large sex bias in vulnerability to anxiety and stress-related disorders-women make up a disproportionately larger number of affected individuals compared with men. Growing evidence suggests that an impaired ability to suppress fear in the presence of safety signals may in part contribute to the development and maintenance of many anxiety and stress-related disorders. However, the sex-dependent impact of stress on conditioned inhibition of fear remains unclear. The present study investigated sex differences in the acquisition and recall of conditioned inhibition in male and female mice with a focus on understanding how stress impacts fear suppression. In these experiments, the training context served as the "fear" cue and an explicit tone served as the "safety" cue. Here, we found a possible sex difference in the training requirements for safety learning, although this effect was not consistent across experiments. Reductions in freezing to the safety cue in female mice were also not due to alternative fear behavior expression such as darting. Next, using footshock as a stressor, we found that males were impaired in conditioned inhibition of freezing when the stress was experienced before, but not after, conditioned inhibition training. Females were unaffected by footshock stress when it was administered at either time. Extended conditioned inhibition training in males eliminated the deficit produced by footshock stress. Finally, exposing male and female mice to swim stress impaired safety learning in male mice only. Thus, we found sex × stress interactions in the learning of conditioned inhibition and sex-dependent effects of stress modality. The present study adds to the growing literature on sex differences in safety learning, which will be critical for developing sex-specific therapies for a variety of fear-related disorders that involve excessive fear and/or impaired fear inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Adkins
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
| | - Carly J Halcomb
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina 29209, USA
| | - Danielle Rogers
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina 29209, USA
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28
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Gross KS, Lincoln CM, Anderson MM, Geiger GE, Frick KM. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is required in female mice for 17β-estradiol enhancement of hippocampal memory consolidation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105773. [PMID: 35490640 PMCID: PMC9173600 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal plasticity and memory are modulated by the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2). Research on the molecular mechanisms of hippocampal E2 signaling has uncovered multiple intracellular pathways that contribute to these effects, but few have questioned the role that extracellular signaling processes may play in E2 action. Modification of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by proteases like matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is critical for activity-dependent remodeling of synapses, and MMP-9 activity is required for hippocampal learning and memory. Yet little is known about the extent to which E2 regulates MMP-9 in the hippocampus, and the influence this interaction may have on hippocampal memory. Here, we examined the effects of hippocampal MMP-9 activity on E2-induced enhancement of spatial and object recognition memory consolidation. Post-training bilateral infusion of an MMP-9 inhibitor into the dorsal hippocampus of ovariectomized female mice blocked the enhancing effects of E2 on object placement and object recognition memory, supporting a role for MMP-9 in estrogenic regulation of memory consolidation. E2 also rapidly increased the activity of dorsal hippocampal MMP-9 without influencing its protein expression, providing further insight into hippocampal E2/MMP-9 interactions. Together, these results provide the first evidence that E2 regulates MMP-9 to modulate hippocampal memory and highlight the need to further study estrogenic regulation of extracellular modification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Karyn M. Frick
- Correspondence to: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2441 E. Hartford Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA. (K.M. Frick)
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Rinaudo M, Natale F, La Greca F, Spinelli M, Farsetti A, Paciello F, Fusco S, Grassi C. Hippocampal Estrogen Signaling Mediates Sex Differences in Retroactive Interference. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061387. [PMID: 35740410 PMCID: PMC9219958 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being a crucial physiological function of the brain, the mechanisms underlying forgetting are still poorly understood. Estrogens play a critical role in different brain functions, including memory. However, the effects of sex hormones on forgetting vulnerabilitymediated by retroactive interference (RI), a phenomenon in which newly acquired information interferes with the retrieval of already stored information, are still poorly understood. The aim of our study was to characterize the sex differences in interference-mediated forgetting and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that adult male C57bl/6 mice showed a higher susceptibility to RI-dependent memory loss than females. The preference index (PI) in the NOR paradigm was 52.7 ± 5.9% in males and 62.3 ± 13.0% in females. The resistance to RI in female mice was mediated by estrogen signaling involving estrogen receptor α activation in the dorsal hippocampus. Accordingly, following RI, females showed higher phosphorylation levels (+30%) of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) in the hippocampus. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK1/2 made female mice prone to RI. The PI was 70.6 ± 11.0% in vehicle-injected mice and 47.4 ± 10.8% following PD98059 administration. Collectively, our data suggest that hippocampal estrogen α receptor-ERK1/2 signaling is critically involved in a pattern separation mechanism that inhibits object-related RI in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Rinaudo
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Natale
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco La Greca
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
| | - Matteo Spinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Farsetti
- Institute for System Analysis and Computer Science “A. Ruberti” (IASI), National Research Council (CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fabiola Paciello
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Fusco
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.N.); (F.L.G.); (M.S.); (F.P.); (S.F.); (C.G.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Marchant IC, Chabert S, Martínez-Pinto J, Sotomayor-Zárate R, Ramírez-Barrantes R, Acevedo L, Córdova C, Olivero P. Estrogen, Cognitive Performance, and Functional Imaging Studies: What Are We Missing About Neuroprotection? Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:866122. [PMID: 35634466 PMCID: PMC9133497 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.866122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Menopause transition can be interpreted as a vulnerable state characterized by estrogen deficiency with detrimental systemic effects as the low-grade chronic inflammation that appears with aging and partly explains age-related disorders as cancer, diabetes mellitus and increased risk of cognitive impairment. Over the course of a lifetime, estrogen produces several beneficial effects in healthy neurological tissues as well as cardioprotective effects, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, clinical evidence on the efficacy of hormone treatment in menopausal women has failed to confirm the benefit reported in observational studies. Unambiguously, enhanced verbal memory is the most robust finding from longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, what merits consideration for future studies aiming to determine estrogen neuroprotective efficacy. Estrogen related brain activity and functional connectivity remain, however, unexplored. In this context, the resting state paradigm may provide valuable information about reproductive aging and hormonal treatment effects, and their relationship with brain imaging of functional connectivity may be key to understand and anticipate estrogen cognitive protective effects. To go in-depth into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying rapid-to-long lasting protective effects of estrogen, we will provide a comprehensive review of cognitive tasks used in animal studies to evaluate the effect of hormone treatment on cognitive performance and discuss about the tasks best suited to the demonstration of clinically significant differences in cognitive performance to be applied in human studies. Eventually, we will focus on studies evaluating the DMN activity and responsiveness to pharmacological stimulation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanny Carolina Marchant
- Laboratorio de Modelamiento en Medicina, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Centro Interoperativo en Ciencias Odontológicas y Médicas, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- *Correspondence: Ivanny Carolina Marchant
| | - Stéren Chabert
- Millennium Nucleus in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Santiago, Chile
- Escuela de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jonathan Martínez-Pinto
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa, Valparaíso, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neuroquímica y Neurofarmacología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Ramón Sotomayor-Zárate
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa, Valparaíso, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neuroquímica y Neurofarmacología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Lilian Acevedo
- Servicio de Neurología Hospital Carlos van Buren, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Claudio Córdova
- Laboratorio de Estructura y Función Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Pablo Olivero
- Centro Interoperativo en Ciencias Odontológicas y Médicas, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Laboratorio de Estructura y Función Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Pablo Olivero
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Zhou Y, Gu B, Brichant G, Singh JP, Yang H, Chang H, Zhao Y, Cheng C, Liu ZW, Alderman MH, Lu L, Yang X, Gao XB, Taylor HS. The steroid hormone estriol (E3) regulates epigenetic programming of fetal mouse brain and reproductive tract. BMC Biol 2022; 20:93. [PMID: 35491423 PMCID: PMC9059368 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Estriol (E3) is a steroid hormone formed only during pregnancy in primates including humans. Although E3 is synthesized at large amounts through a complex pathway involving the fetus and placenta, it is not required for the maintenance of pregnancy and has classically been considered virtually inactive due to associated very weak canonical estrogen signaling. However, estrogen exposure during pregnancy may have an effect on organs both within and outside the reproductive system, and compounds with binding affinity for estrogen receptors weaker than E3 have been found to impact reproductive organs and the brain. Here, we explore potential effects of E3 on fetal development using mouse as a model system.
Results
We administered E3 to pregnant mice, exposing the fetus to E3. Adult females exposed to E3 in utero (E3-mice) had increased fertility and superior pregnancy outcomes. Female and male E3-mice showed decreased anxiety and increased exploratory behavior. The expression levels and DNA methylation patterns of multiple genes in the uteri and brains of E3-mice were distinct from controls. E3 promoted complexing of estrogen receptors with several DNA/histone modifiers and their binding to target genes. E3 functions by driving epigenetic change, mediated through epigenetic modifier interactions with estrogen receptors rather than through canonical nuclear transcriptional activation.
Conclusions
We identify an unexpected functional role for E3 in fetal reproductive system and brain. We further identify a novel mechanism of estrogen action, through recruitment of epigenetic modifiers to estrogen receptors and their target genes, which is not correlated with the traditional view of estrogen potency.
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Castro CC, Souza Pagnussat A, Munhoz CD, Netto CA. Coumestrol pre‐treatment improves spatial learning and memory deficits following transient cerebral ischemia recruiting hippocampal
GluR2 AMPA
receptors. Hippocampus 2022; 32:413-418. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cibele Canal Castro
- Department of Biochemistry Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Aline Souza Pagnussat
- Department of Physiotherapy Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
- Department of Pharmacology Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomedicas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Carlos Alexandre Netto
- Department of Biochemistry Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
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Behavioral Effects of Exposure to Phthalates in Female Rodents: Evidence for Endocrine Disruption? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052559. [PMID: 35269705 PMCID: PMC8910129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phthalates have been widely studied for their reprotoxic effects in male rodents and in particular on testosterone production, for which reference doses were established. The female rodent brain can also represent a target for exposure to these environmental endocrine disruptors. Indeed, a large range of behaviors including reproductive behaviors, mood-related behaviors, and learning and memory are regulated by sex steroid hormones. Here we review the experimental studies addressing the effects and mechanisms of phthalate exposure on these behaviors in female rodents, paying particular attention to the experimental conditions (period of exposure, doses, estrous stage of analyses etc.). The objective of this review is to provide a clear picture of the consistent effects that can occur in female rodents and the gaps that still need to be filled in terms of effects and mode(s) of action for a better risk assessment for human health.
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Vitku J, Hill M, Kolatorova L, Kubala Havrdova E, Kancheva R. Steroid Sulfation in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:839887. [PMID: 35281259 PMCID: PMC8904904 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.839887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid sulfation and desulfation participates in the regulation of steroid bioactivity, metabolism and transport. The authors focused on sulfation and desulfation balance in three neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer´s disease (AD), Parkinson´s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Circulating steroid conjugates dominate their unconjugated counterparts, but unconjugated steroids outweigh their conjugated counterparts in the brain. Apart from the neurosteroid synthesis in the central nervous system (CNS), most brain steroids cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) from the periphery and then may be further metabolized. Therefore, steroid levels in the periphery partly reflect the situation in the brain. The CNS steroids subsequently influence the neuronal excitability and have neuroprotective, neuroexcitatory, antidepressant and memory enhancing effects. They also exert anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective actions. Like the unconjugated steroids, the sulfated ones modulate various ligand-gated ion channels. Conjugation by sulfotransferases increases steroid water solubility and facilitates steroid transport. Steroid sulfates, having greater half-lives than their unconjugated counterparts, also serve as a steroid stock pool. Sulfotransferases are ubiquitous enzymes providing massive steroid sulfation in adrenal zona reticularis and zona fasciculata.. Steroid sulfatase hydrolyzing the steroid conjugates is exceedingly expressed in placenta but is ubiquitous in low amounts including brain capillaries of BBB which can rapidly hydrolyze the steroid sulfates coming across the BBB from the periphery. Lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) plasma levels and reduced sulfotransferase activity are considered as risk factors in AD patients. The shifted balance towards unconjugated steroids can participate in the pathophysiology of PD and anti-inflammatory effects of DHEAS may counteract the MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Vitku
- Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Jana Vitku,
| | - Martin Hill
- Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Lucie Kolatorova
- Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eva Kubala Havrdova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Radmila Kancheva
- Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czechia
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Beamish SB, Frick KM. A Putative Role for Ubiquitin-Proteasome Signaling in Estrogenic Memory Regulation. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:807215. [PMID: 35145382 PMCID: PMC8821141 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.807215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones such as 17β-estradiol (E2) are critical neuromodulators of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and hippocampus-dependent memory in both males and females. However, the mechanisms through which E2 regulates memory formation in both sexes remain unclear. Research to date suggests that E2 regulates hippocampus-dependent memory by activating numerous cell-signaling cascades to promote the synthesis of proteins that support structural changes at hippocampal synapses. However, this work has largely overlooked the equally important contributions of protein degradation mediated by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) in remodeling the synapse. Despite being critically implicated in synaptic plasticity and successful formation of long-term memories, it remains unclear whether protein degradation mediated by the UPS is necessary for E2 to exert its beneficial effects on hippocampal plasticity and memory formation. The present article provides an overview of the receptor and signaling mechanisms so far identified as critical for regulating hippocampal E2 and UPS function in males and females, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which these mechanisms overlap to support structural integrity and protein composition of hippocampal synapses. We argue that the high degree of correspondence between E2 and UPS activity warrants additional study to examine the contributions of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation in regulating the effects of sex steroid hormones on cognition.
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Estradiol effects on spatial memory in women. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113592. [PMID: 34560131 PMCID: PMC8578444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To examine the role of estradiol in hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in women, 86 female undergraduates were tested in a virtual Morris water task (VMWT), a virtual radial arm maze (VRAM), and a mental rotation task (MRT) within a single daily session. The VMWT and RAM were also administered 24 h later to examine the effects of estradiol on memory consolidation. Women on oral contraceptives (OCs) or those who were naturally cycling and exhibited low estradiol (LE) or high estradiol (HE), as determined by salivary assays, were included. At the start of day two, the HE group showed superior spatial reference memory on the VMWT relative to the LE group, as evidenced by significantly shorter distances navigating to the hidden platform. The LE group also had the poorest probe trial performance at the start of day two compared to both other groups. There were no group differences in performance on the RAM or MRT. These results provide support for estradiol's role in the consolidation of spatial reference memory in women, and emphasize the differential sensitivities of various virtual memory tasks in assessing spatial memory function in women.
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Sheppard PAS, Puri TA, Galea LAM. Sex Differences and Estradiol Effects in MAPK and Akt Cell Signaling across Subregions of the Hippocampus. Neuroendocrinology 2022; 112:621-635. [PMID: 34407537 DOI: 10.1159/000519072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Rapid effects of estrogens within the hippocampus of rodents are dependent upon cell-signaling cascades, and activation of these cascades by estrogens varies by sex. Whether these pathways are rapidly activated within the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 by estrogens across sex and the anatomical longitudinal axis has been overlooked. METHODS Gonadally intact female and male rats were given either vehicle or physiological systemic low (1.1 µg/kg) or high (37.3 µg/kg) doses of 17β-estradiol 30 min prior to tissue collection. To control for the effects of circulating estrogens, an additional group of female rats was ovariectomized (OVX) and administered 17β-estradiol. Brains were extracted, and tissue punches of the CA1 and DG were taken along the longitudinal hippocampal axis (dorsal and ventral) and analyzed for key mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (Akt) cascade phosphoproteins. RESULTS Intact females had higher Akt pathway phosphoproteins (pAkt, pGSK-3β, and pp70S6K) than males in the DG (dorsal and ventral) and lower pERK1/2 in the dorsal DG. Most effects of 17β-estradiol on cell signaling occurred in OVX animals. In OVX animals, 17β-estradiol increased cell signaling of MAPK and Akt phosphoproteins (pERK1/2, pJNK, pAkt, and pGSK-3β) in the CA1 and pERK1/2 and pJNK DG. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS Systemic 17β-estradiol treatment rapidly alters phosphoprotein levels in the hippocampus, dependent on reproductive status, and intact females have greater expression of Akt phosphoproteins than that in intact males in the DG. These findings shed light on underlying mechanisms of sex differences in hippocampal function and response to interventions that affect MAPK or Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tanvi A Puri
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Pillerová M, Borbélyová V, Pastorek M, Riljak V, Hodosy J, Frick KM, Tóthová L. Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:972158. [PMID: 36159923 PMCID: PMC9492942 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mood disorders that can lead to impaired quality of life. Current treatment of anxiety disorders has various adverse effects, safety concerns, or restricted efficacy; therefore, novel therapeutic targets need to be studied. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play a crucial role in the formation of brain structures, including regions of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex during perinatal development. In the brain, SSHs have activational and organizational effects mediated by either intracellular or transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. During perinatal developmental periods, the physiological concentrations of SSHs lead to the normal development of the brain; however, the early hormonal dysregulation could result in various anxiety diorders later in life. Sex differences in the prevalence of anxiety disorders suggest that SSHs might be implicated in their development. In this review, we discuss preclinical and clinical studies regarding the role of dysregulated SSHs signaling during early brain development that modifies the risk for anxiety disorders in a sex-specific manner in adulthood. Moreover, our aim is to summarize potential molecular mechanisms by which the SSHs may affect anxiety disorders in preclinical research. Finally, the potential effects of SSHs in the treatment of anxiety disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Pillerová
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Borbélyová
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Pastorek
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Riljak
- First Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Július Hodosy
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - L'ubomíra Tóthová
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Datta G, Miller NM, Du W, Geiger JD, Chang S, Chen X. Endolysosome Localization of ERα Is Involved in the Protective Effect of 17α-Estradiol against HIV-1 gp120-Induced Neuronal Injury. J Neurosci 2021; 41:10365-10381. [PMID: 34764157 PMCID: PMC8672688 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1475-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotoxic HIV-1 viral proteins contribute to the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), the prevalence of which remains high (30-50%) with no effective treatment available. Estrogen is a known neuroprotective agent; however, the diverse mechanisms of estrogen action on the different types of estrogen receptors is not completely understood. In this study, we determined the extent to which and mechanisms by which 17α-estradiol (17αE2), a natural less-feminizing estrogen, offers neuroprotection against HIV-1 gp120-induced neuronal injury. Endolysosomes are important for neuronal function, and endolysosomal dysfunction contributes to HAND and other neurodegenerative disorders. In hippocampal neurons, estrogen receptor α (ERα) is localized to endolysosomes and 17αE2 acidifies endolysosomes. ERα knockdown or overexpressing an ERα mutant that is deficient in endolysosome localization prevents 17αE2-induced endolysosome acidification. Furthermore, 17αE2-induced increases in dendritic spine density depend on endolysosome localization of ERα. Pretreatment with 17αE2 protected against HIV-1 gp120-induced endolysosome deacidification and reductions in dendritic spines; such protective effects depended on endolysosome localization of ERα. In male HIV-1 transgenic rats, we show that 17αE2 treatment prevents the development of enlarged endolysosomes and reduction in dendritic spines. Our findings demonstrate a novel endolysosome-dependent pathway that governs the ERα-mediated neuroprotective actions of 17αE2, findings that might lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies against HAND.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Extranuclear presence of membrane-bound estrogen receptors (ERs) underlie the enhancing effect of estrogen on cognition and synaptic function. The estrogen receptor subtype ERα is present on endolysosomes and plays a critical role in the enhancing effects of 17αE2 on endolysosomes and dendritic spines. These findings provide novel insight into the neuroprotective actions of estrogen. Furthermore, 17αE2 protected against HIV-1 gp120-induced endolysosome dysfunction and reductions in dendritic spines, and these protective effects of 17αE2 were mediated via endolysosome localization of ERα. Such findings provide a rationale for developing 17αE2 as a therapeutic strategy against HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Datta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037
| | - Nicole M Miller
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037
| | - Wenjuan Du
- Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology and Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey 07079
| | - Jonathan D Geiger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037
| | - Sulie Chang
- Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology and Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey 07079
| | - Xuesong Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037
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Zeibich L, Koebele SV, Bernaud VE, Ilhan ZE, Dirks B, Northup-Smith SN, Neeley R, Maldonado J, Nirmalkar K, Files JA, Mayer AP, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Krajmalnik-Brown R. Surgical Menopause and Estrogen Therapy Modulate the Gut Microbiota, Obesity Markers, and Spatial Memory in Rats. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:702628. [PMID: 34660336 PMCID: PMC8515187 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.702628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Menopause in human females and subsequent ovarian hormone deficiency, particularly concerning 17β-estradiol (E2), increase the risk for metabolic dysfunctions associated with obesity, diabetes type 2, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia. Several studies indicate that these disorders are also strongly associated with compositional changes in the intestinal microbiota; however, how E2 deficiency and hormone therapy affect the gut microbial community is not well understood. Using a rat model, we aimed to evaluate how ovariectomy (OVX) and subsequent E2 administration drive changes in metabolic health and the gut microbial community, as well as potential associations with learning and memory. Findings indicated that OVX-induced ovarian hormone deficiency and E2 treatment had significant impacts on several health-affecting parameters, including (a) the abundance of some intestinal bacterial taxa (e.g., Bifidobacteriaceae and Porphyromonadaceae), (b) the abundance of microbial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (e.g., isobutyrate), (c) weight/BMI, and (d) high-demand spatial working memory following surgical menopause. Furthermore, exploratory correlations among intestinal bacteria abundance, cognition, and BMI underscored the putative influence of surgical menopause and E2 administration on gut-brain interactions. Collectively, this study showed that surgical menopause is associated with physiological and behavioral changes, and that E2-linked compositional changes in the intestinal microbiota might contribute to some of its related negative health consequences. Overall, this study provides novel insights into interactions among endocrine and gastrointestinal systems in the post-menopausal life stage that collectively alter the risk for the development and progression of cardiovascular, metabolic, and dementia-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Zeibich
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Stephanie V Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Victoria E Bernaud
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Zehra Esra Ilhan
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Blake Dirks
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Steven N Northup-Smith
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Rachel Neeley
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Juan Maldonado
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Genomics Core, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Khemlal Nirmalkar
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Julia A Files
- Division of Women's Health Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
| | - Anita P Mayer
- Division of Women's Health Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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41
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Estrogenic hormones receptors in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:7517-7526. [PMID: 34657250 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06792-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens are hormones that play a critical role during development and growth for the adequate functioning of the reproductive system of women, as well as for maintaining bones, metabolism, and cognition. During menopause, the levels of estrogens are decreased, altering their signaling mediated by their intracellular receptors such as estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). In the brain, the reduction of molecular pathways mediated by estrogenic receptors seems to favor the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in postmenopausal women. In this review, we investigate the participation of estrogen receptors in AD in women during aging.
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42
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de Bournonville MP, de Bournonville C, Vandries LM, Nys G, Fillet M, Ball GF, Balthazart J, Cornil CA. Rapid changes in brain estrogen concentration during male sexual behavior are site and stimulus specific. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20130. [PMID: 34635715 PMCID: PMC8505645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99497-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Classically, estrogens regulate male sexual behavior through effects initiated in the nucleus. However, neuroestrogens, i.e., estrogens locally produced in the brain, can act within minutes via membrane-initiated events. In male quail, rapid changes in brain aromatase activity occur after exposure to sexual stimuli. We report here that local extracellular estrogen concentrations measured by in vivo microdialysis increase during sexual interactions in a brain site- and stimulus-specific manner. Indeed, estrogen concentrations rose within 10 min of the initiation of sexual interaction with a female in the medial preoptic nucleus only, while visual access to a female led to an increase in estrogen concentrations only in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. These are the fastest fluctuations in local estrogen concentrations ever observed in the vertebrate brain. Their site and stimulus specificity strongly confirm the neuromodulatory function of neuroestrogens on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura M Vandries
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, 15 Avenue Hippocrate, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gwenaël Nys
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marianne Fillet
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, 15 Avenue Hippocrate, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, 15 Avenue Hippocrate, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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43
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From Menopause to Neurodegeneration-Molecular Basis and Potential Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168654. [PMID: 34445359 PMCID: PMC8395405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of menopause on neurodegenerative diseases, especially the changes in steroid hormones, have been well described in cell models, animal models, and humans. However, the therapeutic effects of hormone replacement therapy on postmenopausal women with neurodegenerative diseases remain controversial. The steroid hormones, steroid hormone receptors, and downstream signal pathways in the brain change with aging and contribute to disease progression. Estrogen and progesterone are two steroid hormones which decline in circulation and the brain during menopause. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which plays an import role in neuroprotection, is rapidly decreased in serum after menopause. Here, we summarize the actions of estrogen, progesterone, and IGF-1 and their signaling pathways in the brain. Since the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is higher in women than in men, the associations of steroid hormone changes and AD are emphasized. The signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms for how steroid hormones and IGF-1 provide neuroprotection are also addressed. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of potential estrogen modulation on N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors (NMDARs) are also addressed. We provide the viewpoint of why hormone therapy has inconclusive results based on signaling pathways considering their complex response to aging and hormone treatments. Nonetheless, while diagnosable AD may not be treatable by hormone therapy, its preceding stage of mild cognitive impairment may very well be treatable by hormone therapy.
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44
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Hidalgo-Lopez E, Zeidman P, Harris T, Razi A, Pletzer B. Spectral dynamic causal modelling in healthy women reveals brain connectivity changes along the menstrual cycle. Commun Biol 2021; 4:954. [PMID: 34376799 PMCID: PMC8355156 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02447-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal menstrual cycle studies allow to investigate the effects of ovarian hormones on brain organization. Here, we use spectral dynamic causal modelling (spDCM) in a triple network model to assess effective connectivity changes along the menstrual cycle within and between the default mode, salience and executive control networks (DMN, SN, and ECN). Sixty healthy young women were scanned three times along their menstrual cycle, during early follicular, pre-ovulatory and mid-luteal phase. Related to estradiol, right before ovulation the left insula recruits the ECN, while the right middle frontal gyrus decreases its connectivity to the precuneus and the DMN decouples into anterior/posterior parts. Related to progesterone during the mid-luteal phase, the insulae (SN) engage to each other, while decreasing their connectivity to parietal ECN, which in turn engages the posterior DMN. When including the most confident connections in a leave-one out cross-validation, we find an above-chance prediction of the left-out subjects' cycle phase. These findings corroborate the plasticity of the female brain in response to acute hormone fluctuations and may help to further understand the neuroendocrine interactions underlying cognitive changes along the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Peter Zeidman
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - TiAnni Harris
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Adeel Razi
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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45
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Koebele SV, Hiroi R, Plumley ZMT, Melikian R, Prakapenka AV, Patel S, Carson C, Kirby D, Mennenga SE, Mayer LP, Dyer CA, Bimonte-Nelson HA. Clinically Used Hormone Formulations Differentially Impact Memory, Anxiety-Like, and Depressive-Like Behaviors in a Rat Model of Transitional Menopause. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:696838. [PMID: 34366807 PMCID: PMC8335488 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.696838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved hormone therapy options are currently used to successfully alleviate unwanted symptoms associated with the changing endogenous hormonal milieu that occurs in midlife with menopause. Depending on the primary indication for treatment, different hormone therapy formulations are utilized, including estrogen-only, progestogen-only, or combined estrogen plus progestogen options. There is little known about how these formulations, or their unique pharmacodynamics, impact neurobiological processes. Seemingly disparate pre-clinical and clinical findings regarding the cognitive effects of hormone therapies, such as the negative effects associated with conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate vs. naturally circulating 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone, signal a critical need to further investigate the neuro-cognitive impact of hormone therapy formulations. Here, utilizing a rat model of transitional menopause, we administered either E2, progesterone, levonorgestrel, or combinations of E2 with progesterone or with levonorgestrel daily to follicle-depleted, middle-aged rats. A battery of assessments, including spatial memory, anxiety-like behaviors, and depressive-like behaviors, as well as endocrine status and ovarian follicle complement, were evaluated. Results indicate divergent outcomes for memory, anxiety, and depression, as well as unique physiological profiles, that were dependent upon the hormone regimen administered. Overall, the combination hormone treatments had the most consistently favorable profile for the domains evaluated in rats that had undergone experimentally induced transitional menopause and remained ovary-intact. The collective results underscore the importance of investigating variations in hormone therapy formulation as well as the menopause background upon which these formulations are delivered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie V. Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Ryoko Hiroi
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Zachary M. T. Plumley
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Ryan Melikian
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Alesia V. Prakapenka
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Shruti Patel
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Catherine Carson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Destiney Kirby
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Sarah E. Mennenga
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | | | | | - Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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46
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Rabiant K, Antol J, Naassila M, Pierrefiche O. Sex difference in the vulnerability to hippocampus plasticity impairment after binge-like ethanol exposure in adolescent rat: Is estrogen the key? Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13002. [PMID: 33511744 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Binge drinking during adolescence induces memory impairments, and evidences suggest that females are more vulnerable than males. However, the reason for such a difference is unclear, whereas preclinical studies addressing this question are lacking. Here we tested the hypothesis that endogenous estrogen level (E2) may explain sex differences in the effects of ethanol on hippocampus plasticity, the cellular mechanism of memory. Long-term depression (LTD) in hippocampus slice of pubertal female rats was recorded 24 h after two ethanol binges (3 g/kg, i.p., 9 h apart). Neither the estrous cycle nor ethanol altered LTD. However, if ethanol was administered during proestrus (i.e., at endogenous E2 peak), LTD was abolished 24 h later, whereas NMDA-fEPSPs response to a GluN2B antagonist increased. The abolition of LTD was not observed in adult female rats. Exogenous E2 combined with ethanol replicated LTD abolition in pubertal, prepubertal female, and in pubertal male rats without changes in ethanol metabolism. In male rats, a higher dose of ethanol was required to abolish LTD at 24-h delay. In pubertal female rats, tamoxifen, an antagonist of estrogen receptors, blocked the impairing effects of endogenous and exogenous E2 on LTD, suggesting estrogen interacts with ethanol through changes in gene expression. In addition, tamoxifen prevented LTD abolition at 24 h but not at 48-h delay. In conclusion, estrogen may explain the increased vulnerability to ethanol-induced plasticity impairment seen in females compared with males. This increased vulnerability of female rats is likely due to changes in the GluN2B subunit that represent a common target between ethanol and estrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Rabiant
- INSERM, UMR 1247 GRAP, Groupe de Recherche sur l'Alcool et les Pharmacodépendances Univ Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé (CURS) Amiens France
| | - Johan Antol
- INSERM, UMR 1247 GRAP, Groupe de Recherche sur l'Alcool et les Pharmacodépendances Univ Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé (CURS) Amiens France
| | - Mickael Naassila
- INSERM, UMR 1247 GRAP, Groupe de Recherche sur l'Alcool et les Pharmacodépendances Univ Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé (CURS) Amiens France
| | - Olivier Pierrefiche
- INSERM, UMR 1247 GRAP, Groupe de Recherche sur l'Alcool et les Pharmacodépendances Univ Picardie Jules Verne, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé (CURS) Amiens France
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47
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Pillerová M, Borbélyová V, Hodosy J, Riljak V, Renczés E, Frick KM, Tóthová Ľ. On the role of sex steroids in biological functions by classical and non-classical pathways. An update. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 62:100926. [PMID: 34089761 PMCID: PMC8523217 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play several roles in regulation of various processes in the cardiovascular, immune, muscular and neural systems. SSHs affect prenatal and postnatal development of various brain structures, including regions associated with important physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional functions. This action can be mediated by either intracellular or transmembrane receptors. While the classical mechanisms of SSHs action are relatively well examined, the physiological importance of non-classical mechanism of SSHs action through membrane-associated and transmembrane receptors in the brain remains unclear. The most recent summary describing the role of SSHs in different body systems is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this review is to discuss classical and non-classical signaling pathways of testosterone and estradiol action via their receptors at functional, cellular, tissue level and to describe the effects on various body systems and behavior. Particular emphasis will be on brain regions including the hippocampus, hypothalamus, frontal cortex and cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Pillerová
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Borbélyová
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Július Hodosy
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Riljak
- Institute of Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Emese Renczés
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ľubomíra Tóthová
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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48
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Echeverria V, Echeverria F, Barreto GE, Echeverría J, Mendoza C. Estrogenic Plants: to Prevent Neurodegeneration and Memory Loss and Other Symptoms in Women After Menopause. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:644103. [PMID: 34093183 PMCID: PMC8172769 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.644103] [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: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sexual hormones such as estrogens play an essential role in maintaining brain homeostasis and function. Estrogen deficit in the brain induces many undesirable symptoms such as learning and memory impairment, sleep and mood disorders, hot flushes, and fatigue. These symptoms are frequent in women who reached menopausal age or have had ovariectomy and in men and women subjected to anti-estrogen therapy. Hormone replacement therapy alleviates menopause symptoms; however, it can increase cardiovascular and cancer diseases. In the search for therapeutic alternatives, medicinal plants and specific synthetic and natural molecules with estrogenic effects have attracted widespread attention between the public and the scientific community. Various plants have been used for centuries to alleviate menstrual and menopause symptoms, such as Cranberry, Ginger, Hops, Milk Thistle, Red clover, Salvia officinalis, Soy, Black cohosh, Turnera diffusa, Ushuva, and Vitex. This review aims to highlight current evidence about estrogenic medicinal plants and their pharmacological effects on cognitive deficits induced by estrogen deficiency during menopause and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Echeverria
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastian, Concepcion, Chile
- Research and Development Service, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, FL, Unites States
| | | | - George E. Barreto
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Javier Echeverría
- Departamento de Ciencias del Ambiente, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristhian Mendoza
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastian, Concepcion, Chile
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49
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Hidalgo-Lopez E, Pletzer B. Fronto-striatal changes along the menstrual cycle during working memory: Effect of sex hormones on activation and connectivity patterns. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105108. [PMID: 33516121 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Frontal and striatal areas are the neuroanatomical basis for working memory (WM), as well as targets for sex steroids. However, up to date little is known regarding menstrual cycle (MC) effects on brain activation and connectivity patterns during verbal WM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal dataset to study dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, putamen and caudate activation and connectivity patterns during a verbal WM task along the natural MC. Thirty-nine naturally cycling healthy women were scanned three times locked to their MC (menses, pre-ovulatory and luteal phase). They performed an N-back task with two trial types, targets and lures, assessing (i) updating and (ii) inhibitory process respectively. Distinct patterns of fronto-striatal activation and connectivity changes were observed for each process. (i) For targets, we observed decreased connectivity between left striatum- and inferior frontal and parietal areas, the circuit underlying phonological WM, in response to elevated progesterone during the luteal phase. Simultaneously, we observed an alleviation of inhibition from fronto-striatal areas on areas related to higher cognitive effort and the salience network. (ii) For lures, negative inter-hemispheric connectivity between fronto-parietal areas during the pre-ovulatory phase, as well as increased connectivity between bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posteromedial structures during the luteal phase. Overall, we corroborated a hormone mediated inter-hemispheric decoupling, enhanced frontal activity and disinhibition of the salience brain network and striatum during the luteal phase. In summary, we interpret these results in relation to a differential top-down regulation in higher hormone levels phases and hyperactive bottom-up network during the luteal phase, which could explain the vulnerability of this phase to MC associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
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50
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Gross KS, Alf RL, Polzin TR, Frick KM. 17β-estradiol activation of dorsal hippocampal TrkB is independent of increased mature BDNF expression and is required for enhanced memory consolidation in female mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105110. [PMID: 33352471 PMCID: PMC7904635 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) is known to enhance hippocampal memory and plasticity, however the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) are regulated by E2, but the potential mechanistic roles of neurotrophic signaling in E2-induced enhancement of memory are not well understood. Here, we examined the effects of hippocampal TrkB signaling on E2-induced enhancement of memory consolidation in the object placement and recognition tasks. Bilateral infusion of the TrkB antagonist ANA-12 into the dorsal hippocampus of ovariectomized female mice blocked E2-induced enhancement of memory consolidation, supporting a role for TrkB-mediated signaling in estrogenic regulation of memory. Although dorsal hippocampal E2 infusion increased levels of phospho-TrkB and mature BDNF (mBDNF) in the dorsal hippocampus within 4-6 h, E2-induced increases in hippocampal mBDNF expression were not required for hippocampal TrkB activation and were not inhibited by TrkB antagonism. Thus, E2 regulates TrkB signaling to facilitate memory consolidation in a manner independent of mBDNF expression. Together these results provide the first direct evidence that E2 modulation of hippocampal TrkB signaling is required for its beneficial effects on memory consolidation and provide additional characterization of the ways in which TrkB/BDNF signaling is regulated by E2 in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karyn M. Frick
- Corresponding author: Karyn M. Frick, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2441 E. Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, Phone: 414-229-6615, Fax: 414-229-5219,
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