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Penna DBDS, Gumiéro Costa S, Dos Santos-Rodrigues A, Pandolfo P. The association of caffeine and nandrolone decanoate modulates aversive memory and nociception in rats. Brain Res 2024; 1837:148937. [PMID: 38615923 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148937] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Caffeine and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are commonly used to improve muscle mass and athletic performance. Nandrolone Decanoate (ND) is one of the most abused AAS worldwide, leading to behavioral changes in both humans and rodents. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychostimulant globally, is present in various thermogenic and gym supplements. Low and moderate doses of caffeine antagonize adenosine receptors and have been linked to improved memory and pain relief. We have previously demonstrated that consuming caffeine prevents the risk-taking behavior triggered by nandrolone. In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term effects of ND and caffeine, either alone or in combination, on passive avoidance memory and nociception. We used the step-down and hot-plate tasks in male and female Lister Hooded rats. Our results confirmed the antinociceptive effect of caffeine and indicated that chronic administration of the ND-caffeine association promotes the evocation of aversive memory in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bussinger de Souza Penna
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil; Institute of Biology, Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil
| | - Samara Gumiéro Costa
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil
| | | | - Pablo Pandolfo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil; Institute of Biology, Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil.
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Méndez P, de la Vega-Ruiz R, Montes-Mellado A. Estrogenic regulation of hippocampal inhibitory system across lifespan. J Neuroendocrinol 2024:e13441. [PMID: 39143852 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Estrogens produced in peripheral tissues and locally in the brain are potent neuromodulators. The function of the hippocampus, a brain region essential for episodic memory and spatial navigation, relies on the activity of ensembles of excitatory neurons whose activity is temporally and spatially coordinated by a wide diversity of inhibitory neurons (INs) types. Over the last years, we have accumulated evidence that indicates that estrogens regulate the function of hippocampal INs through different mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation and rapid nongenomic signaling. Here, we argue that the well-documented influence of estrogens on episodic memory may be related to the actions of local and peripheral estrogens on the heterogenous populations of hippocampal INs. We discuss how physiological changes in peripheral sex hormone levels throughout lifespan may interact with local brain sources to regulate IN function at different stages of life, from early hippocampal development to the aging brain. We conclude that considering INs as mediators of sex hormone actions in the hippocampus across the healthy life span will benefit our understanding of sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders and physiological aging.
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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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4
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Yarmohammadi-Samani P, Vatanparast J. Sex-specific dendritic morphology of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in the adolescent and young adult rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:47-63. [PMID: 37933732 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10307] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons are the major sources of hippocampal efferents. The structural features of these neurons are presumed to be involved in various normal/abnormal cognitive and emotional outcomes by influencing the pattern of synaptic inputs and neuronal signal processing. Although many studies have described hippocampal structure differences between males and females, these reports mainly focused on gross anatomical features in adult or aged models, and such distinctions on neuronal morphology and dendritic spine density during adolescence, a period of high vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders, have received much less attention. In this work, we analyzed dendritic architecture and density of spines in CA1 and CA3 neurons of male and female rats in early adolescence (postnatal day, PND 40) and compared them with those in late adolescence/young adulthood (PND 60). On PND 40, CA1 neurons of male rats showed more Sholl intersections and spine density in apical and basal dendrites compared to those in females. The Sholl intersections in basal dendrites of CA3 neurons were also more in males, whereas the number of apical dendrite intersections was not significantly different between sexes. In male rats, there was a notable decrease in the number of branch and terminal points in the basal dendrite of CA1 neurons of young adults when compared to their sex-matched adolescent rats. On the other hand, CA1 neurons in young adult females also showed more Sholl intersections in apical and basal dendrites compared to adolescent females. Meanwhile, the total cable length, the number of branches, and terminal points of apical dendrites in CA3 neurons also exhibited a significant reduction in young adult male rats compared to their sex-matched adolescents. In young adult rats, both apical and basal dendrites of CA3 neurons in males showed fewer intersections with Sholl circles, but there were no significant differences in dendritic spine density or count estimation between males and females. On the other hand, young adult female rats had more Sholl intersections and dendritic spine count on the basal dendrites of CA3 neurons compared to adolescent females. Although no significant sex- and age-dependent difference in neuronal density was detected in CA1 and CA3 subareas, CA3 pyramidal neurons of both male and female rats showed reduced soma area compared to adolescent rats. Our findings show that the sex differences in the dendritic structure of CA1 and CA3 neurons vary by age and also by the compartments of dendritic arbors. Such variations in the morphology of hippocampal pyramidal neurons may take part as a basis for normal cognitive and affective differences between the sexes, as well as distinct sensitivity to interfering factors and the prevalence of neuropsychological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jafar Vatanparast
- Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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5
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Bobotis BC, Braniff O, Gargus M, Akinluyi ET, Awogbindin IO, Tremblay MÈ. Sex differences of microglia in the healthy brain from embryonic development to adulthood and across lifestyle influences. Brain Res Bull 2023; 202:110752. [PMID: 37652267 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the central nervous system innate immune cells, play a critical role in maintaining a homeostatic environment in the brain throughout life. These cells exhibit an impressive range of functions and characteristics that help to ensure proper functioning of the brain. Notably, microglia can present differences in their genetic and physical traits, which can be influenced by a range of factors, including age, environmental exposures, disease, and sex. Remarkably, microglia have been found to express receptors for sex hormones, suggesting that these hormones may play a role in modulating microglial behavior and potentially contribute to sex differences. Additionally, sex-chromosomal factors were shown to impact microglial genetics and functioning. In this review, we will examine how microglial responses in homeostasis are impacted by their interaction with sex hormones and sex chromosomes. Specifically, our investigation will focus on examining this interaction from embryonic development to adulthood, and the influence of lifestyle elements on various microglial features, including density and distribution, morphology, transcriptome, and proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia Braniff
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Makenna Gargus
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Toyin Akinluyi
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Ifeoluwa Oluleke Awogbindin
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Neuroimmunology Group, Molecular Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Neurosciences Axis, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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6
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Dutra-Tavares AC, Souza TP, Silva JO, Semeão KA, Mello FF, Filgueiras CC, Ribeiro-Carvalho A, Manhães AC, Abreu-Villaça Y. Neonatal phencyclidine as a model of sex-biased schizophrenia symptomatology in adolescent mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2111-2129. [PMID: 37530885 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06434-3] [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: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Sex-biased differences in schizophrenia are evident in several features of the disease, including symptomatology and response to pharmacological treatments. As a neurodevelopmental disorder, these differences might originate early in life and emerge later during adolescence. Considering that the disruption of the glutamatergic system during development is known to contribute to schizophrenia, we hypothesized that the neonatal phencyclidine model could induce sex-dependent behavioral and neurochemical changes associated with this disorder during adolescence. C57BL/6 mice received either saline or phencyclidine (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg) on postnatal days (PN) 7, 9, and 11. Behavioral assessment occurred in late adolescence (PN48-50), when mice were submitted to the open field, social interaction, and prepulse inhibition tests. Either olanzapine or saline was administered before each test. The NMDAR obligatory GluN1 subunit and the postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) were evaluated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus at early (PN30) and late (PN50) adolescence. Neonatal phencyclidine evoked dose-dependent deficits in all analyzed behaviors and males were more susceptible. Males also had reduced GluN1 expression in the frontal cortex at PN30. There were late-emergent effects at PN50. Cortical GluN1 was increased in both sexes, while phencyclidine increased cortical and decreased hippocampal PSD-95 in females. Olanzapine failed to mitigate most phencyclidine-evoked alterations. In some instances, this antipsychotic aggravated the deficits or potentiated subthreshold effects. These results lend support to the use of neonatal phencyclidine as a sex-biased neurodevelopmental preclinical model of schizophrenia. Olanzapine null effects and deleterious outcomes suggest that its use during adolescence should be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Dutra-Tavares
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Thainá P Souza
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Juliana O Silva
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Keila A Semeão
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Felipe F Mello
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Claudio C Filgueiras
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ribeiro-Carvalho
- Departamento de Ciências, Faculdade de Formação de Professores da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ, São Gonçalo, Brazil
| | - Alex C Manhães
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Yael Abreu-Villaça
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil.
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7
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Newell AJ, Jima D, Reading B, Patisaul HB. Machine learning reveals common transcriptomic signatures across rat brain and placenta following developmental organophosphate ester exposure. Toxicol Sci 2023; 195:103-122. [PMID: 37399109 PMCID: PMC10695431 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxicogenomics is a critical area of inquiry for hazard identification and to identify both mechanisms of action and potential markers of exposure to toxic compounds. However, data generated by these experiments are highly dimensional and present challenges to standard statistical approaches, requiring strict correction for multiple comparisons. This stringency often fails to detect meaningful changes to low expression genes and/or eliminate genes with small but consistent changes particularly in tissues where slight changes in expression can have important functional differences, such as brain. Machine learning offers an alternative analytical approach for "omics" data that effectively sidesteps the challenges of analyzing highly dimensional data. Using 3 rat RNA transcriptome sets, we utilized an ensemble machine learning approach to predict developmental exposure to a mixture of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in brain (newborn cortex and day 10 hippocampus) and late gestation placenta of male and female rats, and identified genes that informed predictor performance. OPE exposure had sex specific effects on hippocampal transcriptome, and significantly impacted genes associated with mitochondrial transcriptional regulation and cation transport in females, including voltage-gated potassium and calcium channels and subunits. To establish if this holds for other tissues, RNAseq data from cortex and placenta, both previously published and analyzed via a more traditional pipeline, were reanalyzed with the ensemble machine learning methodology. Significant enrichment for pathways of oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain was found, suggesting a transcriptomic signature of OPE exposure impacting mitochondrial metabolism across tissue types and developmental epoch. Here we show how machine learning can complement more traditional analytical approaches to identify vulnerable "signature" pathways disrupted by chemical exposures and biomarkers of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Newell
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Dereje Jima
- Molecular Education, Technology, and Research Innovation Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Benjamin Reading
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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8
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Lupu DI, Cediel Ulloa A, Rüegg J. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Hippocampal Development: The Role of Estrogen and Androgen Signaling. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 113:1193-1214. [PMID: 37356425 DOI: 10.1159/000531669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Hormones are important regulators of key processes during fetal brain development. Thus, the developing brain is vulnerable to the action of chemicals that can interfere with endocrine signals. Epidemiological studies have pointed toward sexually dimorphic associations between neurodevelopmental outcomes, such as cognitive abilities, in children and prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This points toward disruption of sex steroid signaling in the development of neural structures underlying cognitive functions, such as the hippocampus, an essential mediator of learning and memory processes. Indeed, during development, the hippocampus is subjected to the organizational effects of estrogens and androgens, which influence hippocampal cell proliferation, differentiation, dendritic growth, and synaptogenesis in the hippocampal fields of Cornu Ammonis and the dentate gyrus. These early organizational effects correlate with a sexual dimorphism in spatial cognition and are subject to exogenous chemical perturbations. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the organizational effects of estrogens and androgens on the developing hippocampus and the evidence for hippocampal-dependent learning and memory perturbations induced by developmental exposure to EDCs. We conclude that, while it is clear that sex hormone signaling plays a significant role during hippocampal development, a complete picture at the molecular and cellular levels would be needed to establish causative links between the endocrine modes of action exerted by EDCs and the adverse outcomes these chemicals can induce at the organism level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana-Ioana Lupu
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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9
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Lissaman AC, Girling JE, Cree LM, Campbell RE, Ponnampalam AP. Androgen signalling in the ovaries and endometrium. Mol Hum Reprod 2023; 29:gaad017. [PMID: 37171897 PMCID: PMC10663053 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaad017] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, our understanding of hormonal regulation within the female reproductive system is largely based on our knowledge of estrogen and progesterone signalling. However, while the important functions of androgens in male physiology are well known, it is also recognized that androgens play critical roles in the female reproductive system. Further, androgen signalling is altered in a variety of gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, indicative of regulatory roles in endometrial and ovarian function. Co-regulatory mechanisms exist between different androgens, estrogens, and progesterone, resulting in a complex network of steroid hormone interactions. Evidence from animal knockout studies, in vitro experiments, and human data indicate that androgen receptor expression is cell-specific and menstrual cycle stage-dependent, with important regulatory roles in the menstrual cycle, endometrial biology, and follicular development in the ovaries. This review will discuss the expression and co-regulatory interactions of androgen receptors, highlighting the complexity of the androgen signalling pathway in the endometrium and ovaries, and the synthesis of androgens from additional alternative pathways previously disregarded as male-specific. Moreover, it will illustrate the challenges faced when studying androgens in female biology, and the need for a more in-depth, integrative view of androgen metabolism and signalling in the female reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey C Lissaman
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane E Girling
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Lynsey M Cree
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca E Campbell
- Department of Physiology and Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anna P Ponnampalam
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pūtahi Manawa-Healthy Hearts for Aotearoa New Zealand, Centre of Research Excellence, New Zealand
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10
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Colón L, Peru E, Zuloaga DG, Poulos AM. Contributions of gonadal hormones in the sex-specific organization of context fear learning. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282293. [PMID: 36862730 PMCID: PMC9980802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely established that gonadal hormones are fundamental to modulating and organizing the sex-specific nature of reproductive behaviors. Recently we proposed that context fear conditioning (CFC) may emerge in a sex-specific manner organized prior to the pubertal surge of gonadal hormones. Here we sought to determine the necessity of male and female gonadal hormones secreted at critical periods of development upon context fear learning. We tested the organizational hypothesis that neonatal and pubertal gonadal hormones play a permanent role in organizing contextual fear learning. We demonstrate that the postnatal absence of gonadal hormones by neonatal orchiectomy (oRX) in males and ovariectomy (oVX) in females resulted in an attenuation of CFC in adult males and an enhancement of CFC in adult females. In females, the gradual introduction of estrogen before conditioning partially rescued this effect. However, the decrease of CFC in adult males was not rescued by introducing testosterone before conditioning. Next, at a further point in development, preventing the pubertal surge of gonadal hormones by prepubertal oRX in males resulted in a reduction in adult CFC. In contrast, in females, prepubertal oVX did not alter adult CFC. However, the adult introduction of estrogen in prepubertal oVX rats reduced adult CFC. Lastly, the adult-specific deletion of gonadal hormones by adult oRX or oVX alone or replacement of testosterone or estrogen did not alter CFC. Consistent with our hypothesis, we provide initial evidence that gonadal hormones at early periods of development exert a vital role in the organization and development of CFC in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorianna Colón
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Eduardo Peru
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Damian G. Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Thongkorn S, Kanlayaprasit S, Kasitipradit K, Lertpeerapan P, Panjabud P, Hu VW, Jindatip D, Sarachana T. Investigation of autism-related transcription factors underlying sex differences in the effects of bisphenol A on transcriptome profiles and synaptogenesis in the offspring hippocampus. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:8. [PMID: 36803626 PMCID: PMC9940328 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00496-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our recent studies have shown that prenatal BPA exposure disrupted ASD-related gene expression in the hippocampus, neurological functions, and behaviors associated with ASD in a sex-specific pattern. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of BPA are still unclear. METHODS Transcriptome data mining and molecular docking analyses were performed to identify ASD-related transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes underlying the sex-specific effects of prenatal BPA exposure. Gene ontology analysis was conducted to predict biological functions associated with these genes. The expression levels of ASD-related TFs and targets in the hippocampus of rat pups prenatally exposed to BPA were measured using qRT-PCR analysis. The role of the androgen receptor (AR) in BPA-mediated regulation of ASD candidate genes was investigated using a human neuronal cell line stably transfected with AR-expression or control plasmid. Synaptogenesis, which is a function associated with genes transcriptionally regulated by ASD-related TFs, was assessed using primary hippocampal neurons isolated from male and female rat pups prenatally exposed to BPA. RESULTS We found that there was a sex difference in ASD-related TFs underlying the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on the transcriptome profiles of the offspring hippocampus. In addition to the known BPA targets AR and ESR1, BPA could directly interact with novel targets (i.e., KDM5B, SMAD4, and TCF7L2). The targets of these TFs were also associated with ASD. Prenatal BPA exposure disrupted the expression of ASD-related TFs and targets in the offspring hippocampus in a sex-dependent manner. Moreover, AR was involved in the BPA-mediated dysregulation of AUTS2, KMT2C, and SMARCC2. Prenatal BPA exposure altered synaptogenesis by increasing synaptic protein levels in males but not in females, but the number of excitatory synapses was increased in female primary neurons only. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that AR and other ASD-related TFs are involved in sex differences in the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on transcriptome profiles and synaptogenesis in the offspring hippocampus. These TFs may play an essential role in an increased ASD susceptibility associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, particularly BPA, and the male bias of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surangrat Thongkorn
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Songphon Kanlayaprasit
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
| | - Kasidit Kasitipradit
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pattanachat Lertpeerapan
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pawinee Panjabud
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Valerie W. Hu
- grid.253615.60000 0004 1936 9510Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC USA
| | - Depicha Jindatip
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand ,grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tewarit Sarachana
- SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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12
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Ayoub LJ, Zhu J, Lee SJ, Mugisha N, Patel K, Duerden EG, Stinson J, Verriotis M, Noel M, Kong D, Moayedi M, McAndrews MP. Age-related effects on the anterior and posterior hippocampal volumes in 6-21 year olds: A model selection approach. Hippocampus 2023; 33:37-46. [PMID: 36519826 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although recent studies support significant differences in intrinsic structure, function, and connectivity along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus, few studies have investigated the normative development of this dimension. In addition, factors known to influence hippocampal structure, such as sex or puberty, have yet to be characterized when assessing age-related effects on its subregions. This study addresses this gap by investigating the relationship of the anterior (antHC) and posterior (postHC) hippocampus volumes with age, and how these are moderated by sex or puberty, in structural magnetic resonance imaging scans from 183 typically developing participants aged 6-21 years. Based on previous literature, we first anticipated that non-linear models would best represent the relationship between age and the antHC and postHC volumes. We found that age-related effects are region-specific, such that the antHC volume remains stable with increasing age, while the postHC shows a cubic function characterized by overall volume increase with age but a slower rate during adolescence. Second, we hypothesized that models, which include biological sex or pubertal status would best describe these relationships. Contrary to expectation, models comprising either biological sex or pubertal status did not significantly improve model performance. Further longitudinal research is needed to evaluate their effects on the antHC and postHC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizbeth J Ayoub
- Centre for Multimodal Sensorimotor and Pain Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Junhao Zhu
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven J Lee
- Centre for Multimodal Sensorimotor and Pain Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy Mugisha
- Centre for Multimodal Sensorimotor and Pain Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle Patel
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer Stinson
- Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Madeleine Verriotis
- Pain Research, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Melanie Noel
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dehan Kong
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Massieh Moayedi
- Centre for Multimodal Sensorimotor and Pain Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Dentistry, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mary Pat McAndrews
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Immature excitatory neurons in the amygdala come of age during puberty. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 56:101133. [PMID: 35841648 PMCID: PMC9289873 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The human amygdala is critical for emotional learning, valence coding, and complex social interactions, all of which mature throughout childhood, puberty, and adolescence. Across these ages, the amygdala paralaminar nucleus (PL) undergoes significant structural changes including increased numbers of mature neurons. The PL contains a large population of immature excitatory neurons at birth, some of which may continue to be born from local progenitors. These progenitors disappear rapidly in infancy, but the immature neurons persist throughout childhood and adolescent ages, indicating that they develop on a protracted timeline. Many of these late-maturing neurons settle locally within the PL, though a small subset appear to migrate into neighboring amygdala subnuclei. Despite its prominent growth during postnatal life and possible contributions to multiple amygdala circuits, the function of the PL remains unknown. PL maturation occurs predominately during late childhood and into puberty when sex hormone levels change. Sex hormones can promote developmental processes such as neuron migration, dendritic outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity, which appear to be ongoing in late-maturing PL neurons. Collectively, we describe how the growth of late-maturing neurons occurs in the right time and place to be relevant for amygdala functions and neuropsychiatric conditions.
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14
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Arnold AP. Integrating Sex Chromosome and Endocrine Theories to Improve Teaching of Sexual Differentiation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039057. [PMID: 35667790 PMCID: PMC9438782 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Major sex differences in mammalian tissues are functionally tied to reproduction and evolved as adaptations to meet different reproductive needs of females and males. They were thus directly controlled by gonadal hormones. Factors encoded on the sex chromosomes also cause many sex differences in diverse tissues because they are present in different doses in XX and XY cells. The sex chromosome effects likely evolved not because of demands of reproduction, but as side effects of genomic forces that adaptively reduced sexual inequality. Sex-specific effects of particular factors, including gonadal hormones, therefore, are not necessarily explained as adaptations for reproduction, but also as potential factors offsetting, rather than producing, sex differences. The incorporation of these concepts would improve future teaching about sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-7239, USA
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15
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Early Life Events and Maturation of the Dentate Gyrus: Implications for Neurons and Glial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084261. [PMID: 35457079 PMCID: PMC9031216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG), an important part of the hippocampus, plays a significant role in learning, memory, and emotional behavior. Factors potentially influencing normal development of neurons and glial cells in the DG during its maturation can exert long-lasting effects on brain functions. Early life stress may modify maturation of the DG and induce lifelong alterations in its structure and functioning, underlying brain pathologies in adults. In this paper, maturation of neurons and glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) and the effects of early life events on maturation processes in the DG have been comprehensively reviewed. Early postnatal interventions affecting the DG eventually result in an altered number of granule neurons in the DG, ectopic location of neurons and changes in adult neurogenesis. Adverse events in early life provoke proinflammatory changes in hippocampal glia at cellular and molecular levels immediately after stress exposure. Later, the cellular changes may disappear, though alterations in gene expression pattern persist. Additional stressful events later in life contribute to manifestation of glial changes and behavioral deficits. Alterations in the maturation of neuronal and glial cells induced by early life stress are interdependent and influence the development of neural nets, thus predisposing the brain to the development of cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
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16
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Stockman SL, Kight KE, Bowers JM, McCarthy MM. Neurogenesis in the neonatal rat hippocampus is regulated by sexually dimorphic epigenetic modifiers. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:9. [PMID: 35255959 PMCID: PMC8900308 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00418-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurogenesis in the hippocampus endures across the lifespan but is particularly prolific during the first postnatal week in the developing rodent brain. The majority of new born neurons are in the dentate gyrus (DG). The number of new neurons born during the first postnatal week in the DG of male rat pups is about double the number in females. In other systems, the rate of cell proliferation is controlled by epigenetic modifications in stem cells. We, therefore, explored the potential impact of DNA methylation and histone acetylation on cell genesis in the developing DG of male and female rats.
Methods Cell genesis was assessed by quantification of BrdU + cells in the DG of neonatal rats following injections on multiple days. Methylation and acetylation were manipulated pharmacologically by injection of well vetted drugs. DNA methylation, histone acetylation and associated enzyme activity were measured using commercially available colorimetric assays. mRNA was quantified by PCR. Multiple group comparisons were made by one- or two-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc tests controlling for multiple comparisons. Two groups were compared by t test. Results We found higher levels of DNA methylation in male DG and treatment with the DNA methylating enzyme inhibitor zebularine reduced the methylation and correspondingly reduced cell genesis. The same treatment had no impact on either measure in females. By contrast, treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin-A, increased histone acetylation in the DG of both sexes but increased cell genesis only in females. Females had higher baseline histone deacetylase activity and greater inhibition in response to trichostatin-A treatment. The mRNA levels of the proproliferative gene brain-derived neurotrophic factor were greater in males and reduced by inhibiting both DNA methylation and histone deacetylation only in males.
Conclusions These data reveal a sexually dimorphic epigenetically based regulation of neurogenesis in the DG but the mechanisms establishing the distinct regulation involving DNA methylation in males and histone acetylation in females is unknown. Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus peaks in the early postnatal period and in the laboratory rat is significantly greater in males than females. Here we report divergent regulation of cell genesis in the neonatal dentate gyrus. DNA methylation is a critical regulator of the higher rates of proliferation in males. Conversely, histone acetylation is essential for cell genesis in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Stockman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - K E Kight
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - J M Bowers
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - M M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA. .,University of Maryland Baltimore, Program in Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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17
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Le AA, Lauterborn JC, Jia Y, Wang W, Cox CD, Gall CM, Lynch G. Prepubescent female rodents have enhanced hippocampal LTP and learning relative to males, reversing in adulthood as inhibition increases. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:180-190. [PMID: 35087246 PMCID: PMC8876130 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-01001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Multiple studies indicate that adult male rodents perform better than females on spatial problems and have a lower threshold for long-term potentiation (LTP) of hippocampal CA3-to-CA1 synapses. We report here that, in rodents, prepubescent females rapidly encode spatial information and express low-threshold LTP, whereas age-matched males do not. The loss of low-threshold LTP across female puberty was associated with three inter-related changes: increased densities of α5 subunit-containing GABAARs at inhibitory synapses, greater shunting of burst responses used to induce LTP and a reduction of NMDAR-mediated synaptic responses. A negative allosteric modulator of α5-GABAARs increased burst responses to a greater degree in adult than in juvenile females and markedly enhanced both LTP and spatial memory in adults. The reasons for the gain of functions with male puberty do not involve these mechanisms. In all, puberty has opposite consequences for plasticity in the two sexes, albeit through different routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliza A Le
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Julie C Lauterborn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yousheng Jia
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Weisheng Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Conor D Cox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Christine M Gall
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Gary Lynch
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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18
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Tronson NC. Puberty reverses sex differences in learning. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:134-135. [PMID: 35087247 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00986-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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19
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Patisaul HB. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the neuroendocrine system: Beyond estrogen, androgen, and thyroid. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 92:101-150. [PMID: 34452685 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hundreds of anthropogenic chemicals occupy our bodies, a situation that threatens the health of present and future generations. This chapter focuses on endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), both naturally occurring and man-made, that affect the neuroendocrine system to adversely impact health, with an emphasis on reproductive and metabolic pathways. The neuroendocrine system is highly sexually dimorphic and essential for maintaining homeostasis and appropriately responding to the environment. Comprising both neural and endocrine components, the neuroendocrine system is hormone sensitive throughout life and touches every organ system in the body. The integrative nature of the neuroendocrine system means that EDCs can have multi-system effects. Additionally, because gonadal hormones are essential for the sex-specific organization of numerous neuroendocrine pathways, endocrine disruption of this programming can lead to permanent deficits. Included in this review is a brief history of the neuroendocrine disruption field and a thorough discussion of the most common and less well understood neuroendocrine disruption modes of action. Also provided are extensive examples of how EDCs are likely contributing to neuroendocrine disorders such as obesity, and evidence that they have the potential for multi-generational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.
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20
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Srancikova A, Mihalj D, Bacova Z, Bakos J. The effects of testosterone on gene expression of cell-adhesion molecules and scaffolding proteins: The role of sex in early development. Andrologia 2021; 53:e14153. [PMID: 34138481 DOI: 10.1111/and.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific differences in brain plasticity appear to be organised by testosterone, which is particularly important during the early stages of development. The main purpose of the present study was to examine the sex differences in mRNA and protein levels of selected cell-adhesion molecules and scaffolding proteins on postnatal days 5 (P5) and 9 (P9) in the rat hippocampus, as well as evaluate the effects of testosterone treatment (100 nM, 48 hr) on synaptic proteins in SH-SY5Y (neuron-like) and U-87MG (astrocyte-like) cells. The gene expression levels of Neuroligin 3 and 'SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains protein' 1 and 3 (SHANK1 and SHANK3) were significantly lower in males compared to females at P5. At P9, a similar significant trend towards a decrease in mRNA expression and protein levels of SHANK3 was found in males. Testosterone treatment induced a significant decrease of Neuroligin 1-3 mRNA expression in both SH-SY5Y and U-87MG cells. SHANK1 and SHANK3 mRNA levels significantly decreased in U-87MG cells response to testosterone presence. The presented results demonstrate that the association of selected postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules and scaffolding proteins is sex-related. Testosterone appears to be particularly involved in the developmental mechanisms related to neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Srancikova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Denisa Mihalj
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Bacova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jan Bakos
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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21
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Lyu Z, Ghoshdastidar S, Rekha KR, Suresh D, Mao J, Bivens N, Kannan R, Joshi T, Rosenfeld CS, Upendran A. Developmental exposure to silver nanoparticles leads to long term gut dysbiosis and neurobehavioral alterations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6558. [PMID: 33753813 PMCID: PMC7985313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85919-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their antimicrobial properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in a wide range of consumer products that includes topical wound dressings, coatings for biomedical devices, and food-packaging to extend the shelf-life. Despite their beneficial antimicrobial effects, developmental exposure to such AgNPs may lead to gut dysbiosis and long-term health consequences in exposed offspring. AgNPs can cross the placenta and blood–brain-barrier to translocate in the brain of offspring. The underlying hypothesis tested in the current study was that developmental exposure of male and female mice to AgNPs disrupts the microbiome–gut–brain axis. To examine for such effects, C57BL6 female mice were exposed orally to AgNPs at a dose of 3 mg/kg BW or vehicle control 2 weeks prior to breeding and throughout gestation. Male and female offspring were tested in various mazes that measure different behavioral domains, and the gut microbial profiles were surveyed from 30 through 120 days of age. Our study results suggest that developmental exposure results in increased likelihood of engaging in repetitive behaviors and reductions in resident microglial cells. Echo-MRI results indicate increased body fat in offspring exposed to AgNPs exhibit. Coprobacillus spp., Mucispirillum spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. were reduced, while Prevotella spp., Bacillus spp., Planococcaceae, Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., and Ruminococcus spp. were increased in those developmentally exposed to NPs. These bacterial changes were linked to behavioral and metabolic alterations. In conclusion, developmental exposure of AgNPs results in long term gut dysbiosis, body fat increase and neurobehavioral alterations in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Lyu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA
| | - Shreya Ghoshdastidar
- Department of Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Karamkolly R Rekha
- Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA
| | - Dhananjay Suresh
- Department of Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jiude Mao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.,MU Institute of Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA
| | - Nathan Bivens
- DNA Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA
| | - Raghuraman Kannan
- Department of Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA
| | - Trupti Joshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,MU Institute of Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
| | - Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,MU Institute of Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,Department of Medical Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
| | - Anandhi Upendran
- Department of Medical Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA. .,MU-Institute of Clinical and Translational Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65212, USA.
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22
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Nalvarte I, Varshney M, Inzunza J, Gustafsson JÅ. Estrogen receptor beta and neural development. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2021; 116:313-326. [PMID: 33752823 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The female sex hormone estradiol (E2, 17β-estradiol) has important functions in the developing brain. In addition to regulating sexual differentiation of the brain, E2 participates in the development of brain areas involved in functions unrelated to reproduction, such as cognition. E2 signals mainly thorough two estrogen receptors; estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ). While ERα has distinct functions for sexual imprinting of the developing brain, ERβ is considered to participate in the development of brain areas related to cognitive function. In this chapter we will focus on ERβ's role during neural development. We will discuss the contributions of sex chromosomal and sex hormonal effects in this process and place it in relation to recent data on ERβ obtained from stem cell models. Finally, we will discuss the lessons learned from mouse and stem cell models in understanding ERβ's role in neural development and how new stem cell models, by addressing the human relevance, may help to advance our progress in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Nalvarte
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Mukesh Varshney
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jose Inzunza
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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