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Ali N, Sohail R, Jaffer SR, Siddique S, Kaya B, Atowoju I, Imran A, Wright W, Pamulapati S, Choudhry F, Akbar A, Khawaja UA. The Role of Estrogen Therapy as a Protective Factor for Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia in Postmenopausal Women: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Cureus 2023; 15:e43053. [PMID: 37680393 PMCID: PMC10480684 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The complete cessation of menstruation for 12 months with associated vasomotor symptoms is termed menopause. Apart from playing a role in reproduction, estrogen significantly affects the central nervous system (CNS). Population-based studies highlighted a substantial difference in the prevalence of dementia between men and women, with Alzheimer-associated dementia being more prevalent in women, indicating that estrogen deficiency might be a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. Patients with dementia experience a progressive decline in neurocognitive function, beginning with short-term memory loss that progresses to long-term memory loss and the inability to perform everyday activities, leading ultimately to death. There is currently no cure for dementia, so preventing or slowing the disease's progression is paramount. Accordingly, researchers have widely studied the role of estrogen as a neuroprotective agent. Estrogen prevents dementia by augmenting Hippocampal and prefrontal cortex function, reducing neuroinflammation, preventing degradation of estrogen receptors, decreasing oxidative damage to the brain, and increasing cholinergic and serotonergic function. According to the window phase hypothesis, estrogen's effect on preventing dementia is more pronounced if therapy is started early, during the first five years of menopause. Other studies like The Woman's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) showed unfavorable effects of estrogen on the brain. This review aims to establish an understanding of the currently available data on estrogen's effect on neurodegeneration, namely, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Ali
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman, ARE
- General Physician, Dubai Medical College, DXB, ARE
| | - Rohab Sohail
- Internal Medicine, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, PAK
| | | | - Sadia Siddique
- Gastroenterology, Blackpool Victoria Hospital National Health Services (NHS) Foundation Trust, Blackpool, GBR
| | - Berfin Kaya
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, TUR
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Izmir Kâtip Celebi University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, TUR
| | - Inioluwa Atowoju
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kharkiv National Medical University, Kharkiv, UKR
| | - Alizay Imran
- Surgery, Windsor University School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Whitney Wright
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texila American University, Georgetown, GUY
| | - Spandana Pamulapati
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alluri Sita Rama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru, IND
| | - Faiza Choudhry
- Medicine and Surgery, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Sindh, PAK
| | - Anum Akbar
- Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, USA
| | - Uzzam Ahmed Khawaja
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, PAK
- Clinical and Translational Research, Dr Ferrer BioPharma, South Miami, USA
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Xu JX, Song HP, Bu QX, Feng DP, Xu XF, Sun QR, Li XL. Isoflavone Attenuates the Caspase-1 and Caspase-3 Level in Cell Model of Parkinsonism. Behav Neurol 2015; 2015:725897. [PMID: 26161002 PMCID: PMC4487343 DOI: 10.1155/2015/725897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The study has investigated the effect of isoflavone attenuates the caspase-1 and caspase-3 level in cell model of Parkinsonism. The subjects were PC12 cells. They were randomly divided into six groups: control, MPP(+) (250 μmol/L), isoflavone (10 μM), isoflavone (10 μM) + MPP(+) (250 μmol/L), Z-YVAD-CHO (10 nM) + MPP(+) group, and Z-DEVD-CHO (10 nM) + MPP(+) group. Cell viability was measured by MTT methods; the content of tyrosine hydroxylase was measured by immunocytochemistry method of avidinbiotin peroxidase complex; apoptosis ratio was measured by flow cytometry. The results showed that cell viability in the MPP(+) group was lower than in all other five groups. There was no difference in cell viability between isoflavone + MPP(+) and control group. Optical density of TH positive cells in isoflavone group was higher than in control, isoflavone + MPP(+), and MPP(+) only groups. The apoptosis ratio in the isoflavone + MPP(+) group and control group and the Z-YVAD-CHO + MPP(+) and Z-DEVD-CHO + MPP(+) group was similar, which was lower than in the MPP(+) group. The lowest apoptosis ratio was found in the isoflavone only group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-xin Xu
- Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Hai-ping Song
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China
| | - Qing-Xia Bu
- Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - De-Peng Feng
- Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Qian-Ru Sun
- Department of Neuroimmune Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Xue-Li Li
- Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
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Chaudhary S, Scouten A, Schwindt G, Janik R, Lee W, Sled JG, Black SE, Stefanovic B. Hemodynamic effects of cholinesterase inhibition in mild Alzheimer's disease. J Magn Reson Imaging 2012; 38:26-35. [PMID: 23239554 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.23967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the spatiotemporal progression of perfusion changes in early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we imaged the perfusion response to pharmacological treatment in a group of mild AD patients and contrasted it to the perfusion of age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy volunteers over the same time interval. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used pseudo continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL) MRI for quantitative three-dimensional mapping of perfusion immediately before and 6 months after cholinesterase inhibitor treatment. RESULTS Before treatment, patients were found hypoperfused relative to their healthy counterparts in the gray matter of lateral temporal lobe, posterior cingulate, and anterior cingulate as well as in the white matter of the posterior cingulate. Most of the cortical regions investigated and the white matter of posterior cingulate and prefrontal regions showed treatment-elicited increases in perfusion, which were not secondary to changes in regional tissue volume nor were they associated with improvement in either MMSE or ADAS-Cog scores, although lack of deterioration suggested a cognitive benefit. CONCLUSION This study provides a hemodynamic profile of mild AD and sheds light on the perfusion changes related to prolonged cholinesterase inhibition in this early disease stage.
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Pompili A, Arnone B, Gasbarri A. Estrogens and memory in physiological and neuropathological conditions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1379-96. [PMID: 22309827 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2011] [Revised: 01/13/2012] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian hormones can influence brain regions crucial to higher cognitive functions, such as learning and memory, acting at structural, cellular and functional levels, and modulating neurotransmitter systems. Among the main effects of estrogens, the protective role that they may play against the deterioration of cognitive functions occurring with normal aging is of essential importance. In fact, during the last century, there has been a 30 years increase in female life expectancy, from 50 to 83 years; however, the mean age of spontaneous menopause remains stable, 50-51 years, with variability related to race and ethnicity. Therefore, women are now spending a greater fraction of their lives in a hypoestrogenic state. Although many cognitive functions seem to be unaffected by normal aging, age-related impairments are particularly evident in tasks involving working memory (WM), whose deficits are a recognized feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many studies conducted over the past two decades showed that the female gonadal hormone estradiol can influence performance of learning and memory tasks, both in animal and humans. There is a great deal of evidence, mostly from animal models, that estrogens can facilitate or enhance performance on WM tasks; therefore, it is very important to clarify their role on this type of memory. To this aim, in this review we briefly describe the most relevant neurobiological bases of estrogens, that can explain their effects on cognitive functioning, and then we summarize the results of works conducted in our laboratory, both on animals and humans, utilizing the menstrual/estrous cycle as a useful noninvasive model. Finally, we review the possible role of estrogens in neuropathological conditions, such as AD and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Pompili
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
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Gillies GE, McArthur S. Estrogen actions in the brain and the basis for differential action in men and women: a case for sex-specific medicines. Pharmacol Rev 2010; 62:155-98. [PMID: 20392807 PMCID: PMC2879914 DOI: 10.1124/pr.109.002071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 473] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The classic view of estrogen actions in the brain was confined to regulation of ovulation and reproductive behavior in the female of all mammalian species studied, including humans. Burgeoning evidence now documents profound effects of estrogens on learning, memory, and mood as well as neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes. Most data derive from studies in females, but there is mounting recognition that estrogens play important roles in the male brain, where they can be generated from circulating testosterone by local aromatase enzymes or synthesized de novo by neurons and glia. Estrogen-based therapy therefore holds considerable promise for brain disorders that affect both men and women. However, as investigations are beginning to consider the role of estrogens in the male brain more carefully, it emerges that they have different, even opposite, effects as well as similar effects in male and female brains. This review focuses on these differences, including sex dimorphisms in the ability of estradiol to influence synaptic plasticity, neurotransmission, neurodegeneration, and cognition, which, we argue, are due in a large part to sex differences in the organization of the underlying circuitry. There are notable sex differences in the incidence and manifestations of virtually all central nervous system disorders, including neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's), drug abuse, anxiety, and depression. Understanding the cellular and molecular basis of sex differences in brain physiology and responses to estrogen and estrogen mimics is, therefore, vitally important for understanding the nature and origins of sex-specific pathological conditions and for designing novel hormone-based therapeutic agents that will have optimal effectiveness in men or women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda E Gillies
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, DuCane Road, London W12ONN, UK.
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Sharma K, Mehra RD. Long-term administration of estrogen or tamoxifen to ovariectomized rats affords neuroprotection to hippocampal neurons by modulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax. Brain Res 2008; 1204:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.01.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2007] [Revised: 01/17/2008] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Lu YP, Zeng M, Swaab DF, Ravid R, Zhou JN. Colocalization and alteration of estrogen receptor-α and -β in the hippocampus in Alzheimer’s disease. Hum Pathol 2004; 35:275-80. [PMID: 15017582 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2003.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The human hippocampus is severely affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Because postmenopausal estrogen use may decrease the risk and delay the onset and progression of AD, possibly by a direct action on the hippocampal neurons, we used fluorescence immunocytochemistry to examine the colocalization of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) in the hippocampus of elderly human controls and AD patients. Double-labeling cells (DLCs) of ERalpha and ERbeta can be divided into 3 types: double-cytoplasm-staining cells (DCCs), double-nucleus-staining cells (DNCs), and ERalpha nucleus-staining and ERbeta cytoplasm-staining cells (NCCs). There was no difference in the percentage of DLCs in total ERalpha-positive cells or in total ERbeta-positive cells in the CA1 to CA4 subfields of the hippocampus between controls and AD patients. Interestingly, the ratio of DNCs to the total ERalpha-positive cells (2.6% +/- 0.5%) or to the total ERbeta-positive cells (1.8% +/- 0.3%) in the CA1 subfield of the AD hippocampus was significantly decreased in comparison with controls (5.0% +/- 0.7% and 3.9% +/- 0.6%, respectively; P<0.001), suggesting that changes in the compartmentalization of these receptors could play a role in the pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ping Lu
- Department of Neurobiology, Life Sciences School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Current awareness in geriatric psychiatry. Bibliography. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2003; 18:91-98. [PMID: 12569951 DOI: 10.1002/gps.783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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