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León-Ahumada YZ, Herrera-Covarrubias D, García LI, Toledo-Cárdenas R, Rojas-Durán F, Manzo J, Coria-Avila GA. Pubertal stress in male rats: Effects on juvenile play behavior and adult sexual partner preference. Physiol Behav 2024; 284:114649. [PMID: 39069113 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114649] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Puberty is a period of brain organization impacting the expression of social and sexual behaviors. Here, we assessed the effects of an acute pubertal stressor (immune challenge) on the expression of juvenile play (short-term) and sexual partner preference (long-term) in male rats. Juvenile play was assessed over ten trials at postnatal days (PND) (31-40) with age- and sex-matched conspecifics, and at PND35 males received a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1.5 mg/kg i.p.) or saline. Then, sexual partner preference was assessed at PND 60, 64, and 68, in a three-compartment chamber with a sexually receptive female and a male as potential partners simultaneously. The results confirmed that a single injection of LPS during puberty induced sickness signs indicative of an immune challenge. However, juvenile play was not affected by LPS treatment during the following days (PND36-40), nor was sexual behavior and partner preference for females in adulthood. These findings highlight that, while other studies have shown that LPS-induced immunological stress during puberty affects behavior and neuroendocrine responses, it does not affect juvenile play and sexual behavior in male rats. This suggests a remarkable resilience of these behavioral systems for adaptation to stressful experiences mediated by immune challenges during critical periods of development. These behaviors, however, might be affected by other types of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luis I García
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
| | | | - Fausto Rojas-Durán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
| | - Jorge Manzo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
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2
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Pramanik S, Devi M H, Chakrabarty S, Paylar B, Pradhan A, Thaker M, Ayyadhury S, Manavalan A, Olsson PE, Pramanik G, Heese K. Microglia signaling in health and disease - Implications in sex-specific brain development and plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 165:105834. [PMID: 39084583 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105834] [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: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Microglia, the intrinsic neuroimmune cells residing in the central nervous system (CNS), exert a pivotal influence on brain development, homeostasis, and functionality, encompassing critical roles during both aging and pathological states. Recent advancements in comprehending brain plasticity and functions have spotlighted conspicuous variances between male and female brains, notably in neurogenesis, neuronal myelination, axon fasciculation, and synaptogenesis. Nevertheless, the precise impact of microglia on sex-specific brain cell plasticity, sculpting diverse neural network architectures and circuits, remains largely unexplored. This article seeks to unravel the present understanding of microglial involvement in brain development, plasticity, and function, with a specific emphasis on microglial signaling in brain sex polymorphism. Commencing with an overview of microglia in the CNS and their associated signaling cascades, we subsequently probe recent revelations regarding molecular signaling by microglia in sex-dependent brain developmental plasticity, functions, and diseases. Notably, C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1), triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), calcium (Ca2+), and apolipoprotein E (APOE) emerge as molecular candidates significantly contributing to sex-dependent brain development and plasticity. In conclusion, we address burgeoning inquiries surrounding microglia's pivotal role in the functional diversity of developing and aging brains, contemplating their potential implications for gender-tailored therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrata Pramanik
- Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Harini Devi M
- Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Saswata Chakrabarty
- Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Berkay Paylar
- Biology, The Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro 70182, Sweden
| | - Ajay Pradhan
- Biology, The Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro 70182, Sweden
| | - Manisha Thaker
- Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Inc., 2425 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601, USA
| | - Shamini Ayyadhury
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Arulmani Manavalan
- Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600077, India
| | - Per-Erik Olsson
- Biology, The Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro 70182, Sweden
| | - Gopal Pramanik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835215, India.
| | - Klaus Heese
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133791, the Republic of Korea.
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3
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Kumar C, Roy JK. Decoding the epigenetic mechanism of mammalian sex determination. Exp Cell Res 2024; 439:114011. [PMID: 38531506 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114011] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Sex determination embodies a dynamic and intricate developmental process wielding significant influence over the destiny of bipotential gonads, steering them towards male or female gonads. Gonadal differentiation and the postnatal manifestation of the gonadal phenotype involve a sophisticated interplay of transcription factors such as SOX9 and FOXL2. Central to this interplay are chromatin modifiers regulating the mutual antagonism during this interplay. In this review, the key findings and knowledge gaps in DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA-mediated control throughout mammalian gonadal development are covered. Furthermore, it explores the role of the developing brain in playing a pivotal role in the initiation of gonadogenesis and the subsequent involvement of gonadal hormone/hormone receptor in fine-tuning sexual differentiation. Based on promising facts, the role of the developing brain through the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis is explained and suggested as a novel hypothesis. The article also discusses the potential impact of ecological factors on the human epigenome in relation to sex determination and trans-generational epigenetics in uncovering novel genes and mechanisms involved in sex determination and gonadal differentiation. We have subtly emphasized the disruptions in epigenetic regulations contributing to sexual disorders, which further allows us to raise certain questions, decipher approaches for handling these questions and setting up the direction of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cash Kumar
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Jagat Kumar Roy
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
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Barradas-Moctezuma M, Herrera-Covarrubias D, García LI, Carrillo P, Pérez-Estudillo CA, Manzo J, Pfaus JG, Coria-Avila GA. Cohabitation with receptive females under D2-type agonism in adulthood restores partner preference and brain dimorphism in the SDN-POA following neonatal gonadectomy in male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106988. [PMID: 38342055 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106988] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Perinatal testosterone, or its metabolite estradiol, organize the brain toward a male phenotype. Male rodents with insufficient testosterone during this period fail to display sexual behavior and partner preference for receptive females in adulthood. However, cohabitation with non-reproductive conspecifics under the influence of a D2 agonist facilitates the expression of conditioned partner preference via Pavlovian learning in gonadally intact male rats. In the present experiment, three groups of neonatal PD1 males (N = 12/group) were either gonadectomized (GDX), sham-GDX, or left intact and evaluated for social preferences and sexual behaviors as adults. We then examined whether the effects of GDX could be reversed by conditioning the males via cohabitation with receptive females under the effects of the D2 agonist quinpirole (QNP) or saline, along with the size of some brain regions, such as the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), posterior dorsal medial amygdala (MeApd) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Results indicated that neonatal GDX resulted in the elimination of male-typical sexual behavior, an increase in same-sex social preference, and a reduction of the area of the SDN-POA. However, GDX-QNP males that underwent exposure to receptive females in adulthood increased their social preference for females and recovered the size in the SDN-POA. Although neonatal GDX impairs sexual behavior and disrupts partner preference and brain dimorphism in adult male rats, Pavlovian conditioning under enhanced D2 agonism ameliorates the effects on social preference and restores brain dimorphism in the SDN-POA without testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luis I García
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | | | | | - Jorge Manzo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico.
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Immenschuh J, Thalhammer SB, Sundström-Poromaa I, Biegon A, Dumas S, Comasco E. Sex differences in distribution and identity of aromatase gene expressing cells in the young adult rat brain. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:54. [PMID: 37658400 PMCID: PMC10474706 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00541-8] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aromatase catalyzes the synthesis of estrogens from androgens. Knowledge on its regional expression in the brain is of relevance to the behavioral implications of these hormones that might be linked to sex differences in mental health. The present study investigated the distribution of cells expressing the aromatase coding gene (Cyp19a1) in limbic regions of young adult rats of both sexes, and characterized the cell types expressing this gene. METHODS Cyp19a1 mRNA was mapped using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Co-expression with specific cell markers was assessed with double FISH; glutamatergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic, glial, monoaminergic, as well as interneuron markers were tested. Automated quantification of the cells expressing the different genes was performed using CellProfiler. Sex differences in the number of cells expressing Cyp19a1 was tested non-parametrically, with the effect size indicated by the rank-biserial correlation. FDR correction for multiple testing was applied. RESULTS In the male brain, the highest percentage of Cyp19a1+ cells was found in the medial amygdaloid nucleus and the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, followed by the medial preoptic area, the CA2/3 fields of the hippocampus, the cortical amygdaloid nucleus and the amygdalo-hippocampal area. A lower percentage was detected in the caudate putamen, the nucleus accumbens, and the ventromedial hypothalamus. In females, the distribution of Cyp19a1+ cells was similar but at a lower percentage. In most regions, the majority of Cyp19a1+ cells were GABAergic, except for in the cortical-like regions of the amygdala where most were glutamatergic. A smaller fraction of cells co-expressed Slc1a3, suggesting expression of Cyp19a1 in astrocytes; monoaminergic markers were not co-expressed. Moreover, sex differences were detected regarding the identity of Cyp19a1+ cells. CONCLUSIONS Females show overall a lower number of cells expressing Cyp19a1 in the limbic brain. In both sexes, aromatase is expressed in a region-specific manner in GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. These findings call for investigations of the relevance of sex-specific and region-dependent expression of Cyp19a1 in the limbic brain to sex differences in behavior and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Immenschuh
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bernhard Thalhammer
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Anat Biegon
- Department of Radiology and Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Bar-Sadeh B, Pnueli L, Keestra S, Bentley GR, Melamed P. Srd5a1 is Differentially Regulated and Methylated During Prepubertal Development in the Ovary and Hypothalamus. J Endocr Soc 2023; 7:bvad108. [PMID: 37646011 PMCID: PMC10461783 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvad108] [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: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
5α-reductase-1 catalyzes production of various steroids, including neurosteroids. We reported previously that expression of its encoding gene, Srd5a1, drops in murine ovaries and hypothalamic preoptic area (POA) after early-life immune stress, seemingly contributing to delayed puberty and ovarian follicle depletion, and in the ovaries the first intron was more methylated at two CpGs. Here, we hypothesized that this CpG-containing locus comprises a methylation-sensitive transcriptional enhancer for Srd5a1. We found that ovarian Srd5a1 mRNA increased 8-fold and methylation of the same two CpGs decreased up to 75% between postnatal days 10 and 30. Estradiol (E2) levels rise during this prepubertal stage, and exposure of ovarian cells to E2 increased Srd5a1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation in an ovarian cell line confirmed ESR1 binding to this differentially methylated genomic region and enrichment of the enhancer modification, H3K4me1. Targeting dCas9-DNMT3 to this locus increased CpG2 methylation 2.5-fold and abolished the Srd5a1 response to E2. In the POA, Srd5a1 mRNA levels decreased 70% between postnatal days 7 and 10 and then remained constant without correlation to CpG methylation levels. Srd5a1 mRNA levels did not respond to E2 in hypothalamic GT1-7 cells, even after dCas9-TET1 reduced CpG1 methylation by 50%. The neonatal drop in POA Srd5a1 expression occurs at a time of increasing glucocorticoids, and treatment of GT1-7 cells with dexamethasone reduced Srd5a1 mRNA levels; chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed glucocorticoid receptor binding at the enhancer. Our findings on the tissue-specific regulation of Srd5a1 and its methylation-sensitive control by E2 in the ovaries illuminate epigenetic mechanisms underlying reproductive phenotypic variation that impact life-long health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Bar-Sadeh
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Lilach Pnueli
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Sarai Keestra
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | | | - Philippa Melamed
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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Terrin F, Tesoriere A, Plotegher N, Dalla Valle L. Sex and Brain: The Role of Sex Chromosomes and Hormones in Brain Development and Parkinson's Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1486. [PMID: 37296608 PMCID: PMC10252697 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones and genes on the sex chromosomes are not only key factors in the regulation of sexual differentiation and reproduction but they are also deeply involved in brain homeostasis. Their action is crucial for the development of the brain, which presents different characteristics depending on the sex of individuals. The role of these players in the brain is fundamental in the maintenance of brain function during adulthood as well, thus being important also with respect to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we explore the role of biological sex in the development of the brain and analyze its impact on the predisposition toward and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, we focus on Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that has a higher incidence in the male population. We report how sex hormones and genes encoded by the sex chromosomes could protect from the disease or alternatively predispose toward its development. We finally underline the importance of considering sex when studying brain physiology and pathology in cellular and animal models in order to better understand disease etiology and develop novel tailored therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicoletta Plotegher
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.T.); (A.T.)
| | - Luisa Dalla Valle
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.T.); (A.T.)
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8
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Hranilovich JA, Millington K. Headache prevalence in transgender and gender diverse youth: A single-center case-control study. Headache 2023; 63:517-522. [PMID: 36988085 PMCID: PMC10373530 DOI: 10.1111/head.14493] [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] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Assess the prevalence of headache in transgender and gender-diverse adolescents, comparing prevalence with and without exposure to gender-affirming hormone therapy. BACKGROUND Transgender and gender-diverse youth are an understudied group in whom we can study the effects of sex steroids on adolescents' development of headache. We hypothesized that transfeminine adolescents treated with estrogen would have higher odds of headache than those not treated, and that transmasculine adolescents treated with testosterone would have lower odds of headache than those not treated. METHODS This retrospective case-control study analyzed all patients seen at the Boston Children's Hospital Gender Multispecialty Service clinic from 2007 to 2017. Cases were defined as patients with headache, controls as those without headache, and exposure as treatment with gender-affirming hormone therapy (i.e., estrogen or testosterone). A computerized search identified cases that were then validated by chart review. RESULTS Fifty-two of the 763 transgender and gender-diverse patients seen were confirmed to have headache. Of 273 transfeminine patients 45% (123/273) received estrogen treatment. Transfeminine patients receiving estrogen were more likely to have headache than those not receiving estrogen (7% [9/123] vs. 1% [2/150]; odd ratio [OR] 5.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-27.6), p = 0.026). Of 490 transmasculine patients, 46% (227/490) received testosterone. Transmasculine patients receiving testosterone were more likely to have headache than those not receiving testosterone (12% [28/227] vs. 5% (13/263); OR 2.71 (95% CI 1.37-5.4), p = 0.005). CONCLUSION Among transfeminine and transmasculine youth, those who received gender-affirming hormone therapy had higher odds of headache compared to those not taking gender-affirming hormone therapy. Further prospective studies to guide headache care of transgender and gender-diverse youth and adults are needed. Our results could be generalizable to other pediatric gender management clinics and may be worth discussing with patients considering treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Hranilovich
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kate Millington
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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9
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Geiger SD, Musaad S, Hill J, Aguiar A, Schantz S. Sex-specific associations between urinary bisphenols concentrations during pregnancy and problematic child behaviors at age 2 years. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 96:107152. [PMID: 36642394 PMCID: PMC10170945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107152] [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: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Effects of prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on child behavior are mixed with some reports suggesting increased problematic behaviors in girls (e.g., aggression and emotional reactivity) and in boys (i.e., externalizing behaviors), while other reports suggest decreased problematic behaviors in girls. Little is known about the potential impact of pregnancy bisphenol S (BPS) exposure on child behavior. In a prospective cohort study (n = 68), five maternal spot urine samples collected across pregnancy were pooled and analyzed for BPA and BPS. Child behavior at 2 years was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Linear regression models were used to assess associations between bisphenols concentrations and both composite and syndrome CBCL scales. Exposure x child sex interactions were included in addition to their main effects and sex-stratified analyses were conducted. Models were adjusted for maternal age, number of siblings, and child age at CBCL intake. Mean maternal age was 29.7 years. Most women were White (88%), had an annual household income ≥$50,000 (66%), and at least a college degree (81%). Median concentrations were 1.3 ng/mL (range 0.4-7.2) for BPA and 0.3 ng/mL (range 0.1-3.5) for BPS. Sex modified the relationship between BPA and scores on several syndrome scales-anxious-depressed, aggressive, and sleep problems-where the association was consistently inverse in males in lower BPA concentrations, and positive (more reported behavior problems) among girls in the higher BPA group. Higher BPS was associated with more problematic internalizing behaviors among girls but not boys, and sex modified the relationship between BPS and emotionally reactive behaviors (Pinteraction = 0.128), with sex-specific estimates revealing more emotionally reactive behaviors among girls (expβ = 3.92 95% CI 1.16, 13.27; P = 0.028) but not boys. Findings were mixed overall, but one notable finding was that BPS, a replacement for BPA, was associated with increased problematic behaviors. There is a need for replication of findings due to our small sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dee Geiger
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America.
| | - Salma Musaad
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Hill
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States of America
| | - Andréa Aguiar
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - Susan Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States of America
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10
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Hashimoto JG, Singer ML, Goeke CM, Zhang F, Song Y, Xia K, Linhardt RJ, Guizzetti M. Sex differences in hippocampal structural plasticity and glycosaminoglycan disaccharide levels after neonatal handling. Exp Neurol 2023; 361:114313. [PMID: 36572372 PMCID: PMC10097408 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114313] [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: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study we investigated the effects of a neonatal handling protocol that mimics the handling of sham control pups in protocols of neonatal exposure to brain insults on dendritic arborization and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels in the developing brain. GAGs are long, unbranched polysaccharides, consisting of repeating disaccharide units that can be modified by sulfation at specific sites and are involved in modulating neuronal plasticity during brain development. In this study, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent neonatal handling daily between post-natal day (PD)4 and PD9, with brains analyzed on PD9. Neuronal morphology and morphometric analysis of the apical and basal dendritic trees of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons were carried out by Golgi-Cox staining followed by neuron tracing and analysis with the software Neurolucida. Chondroitin sulfate (CS)-, Hyaluronic Acid (HA)-, and Heparan Sulfate (HS)-GAG disaccharide levels were quantified in the hippocampus by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry analyses. We found sex by neonatal handling interactions on several parameters of CA1 pyramidal neuron morphology and in the levels of HS-GAGs, with females, but not males, showing an increase in both dendritic arborization and HS-GAG levels. We also observed increased expression of glucocorticoid receptor gene Nr3c1 in the hippocampus of both males and females following neonatal handling suggesting that both sexes experienced a similar stress during the handling procedure. This is the first study to show sex differences in two parameters of brain plasticity, CA1 neuron morphology and HS-GAG levels, following handling stress in neonatal rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel G Hashimoto
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Mo L Singer
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Calla M Goeke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Yuefan Song
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Ke Xia
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Marina Guizzetti
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA.
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11
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Li M, Usui N, Shimada S. Prenatal Sex Hormone Exposure Is Associated with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032203. [PMID: 36768521 PMCID: PMC9916422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual differentiation is a major developmental process. Sex differences resulting from sexual differentiation have attracted the attention of researchers. Unraveling what contributes to and underlies sex differences will provide valuable insights into the development of neurodevelopmental disorders that exhibit sex biases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual's social interaction and communication abilities, and its male preponderance has been consistently reported in clinical studies. The etiology of male preponderance remains unclear, but progress has been made in studying prenatal sex hormone exposure. The present review examined studies that focused on the association between prenatal testosterone exposure and ASD development, as well as sex-specific behaviors in individuals with ASD. This review also included studies on maternal immune activation-induced developmental abnormalities that also showed striking sex differences in offspring and discussed its possible interacting roles in ASD so as to present a potential approach for future studies on sex biases in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwei Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-6-6879-3124
| | - Shoichi Shimada
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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12
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Simões-Henriques CF, Rodrigues-Neves AC, Sousa FJ, Gaspar R, Almeida I, Baptista FI, Ambrósio AF, Gomes CA. Neonatal testosterone voids sexually differentiated microglia morphology and behavior. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1102068. [PMID: 36926023 PMCID: PMC10013065 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1102068] [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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The involvement of immunity in psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, is typified by the morphologic adaptation of microglia, immune cells of the brain, to anxiogenic stimuli. We previously reported sexually differentiated microglia morphology in adult rodents, in brain locations implicated in anxiety, including the pre-frontal cortex. These physiologic differences likely drive sex-dependent patterns of microglia morphologic remodeling in response to varied stress conditions in different periods of life, that correlate with sex-dependent behavioral adaptation to anxiogenic stimuli. The time-window of appearance of sex differences in microglia, correlating with sex-specific behavioral performance in anxiogenic conditions are still unknown. In rodents, a postnatal peak of the sexual hormone testosterone is determinant for the so-called brain masculinization and sex-determined behavioral traits. In the present work we aim to clarify if differences in microglia morphology are present at birth or can be driven by postnatal testosterone and impacts on the ability to deal with an anxiogenic context. Differences in microglia morphology are not present at birth, but are observable at adolescence (increased complexity of male microglia, particularly in branches more proximal to the soma), when differences in behavior are also observed. Our data also show that adolescent females neonatally treated with testosterone exhibit masculinized microglia and behavior. Importantly, between adolescence and adulthood, a sex-determined shift in the pattern of complexity takes place and microglia from females become more complex. When testosterone is administered, this morphological effect is partially abolished, approximating microglia and behavior to the male phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Filipa Simões-Henriques
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A. Catarina Rodrigues-Neves
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fábio J. Sousa
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Gaspar
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês Almeida
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Filipa I. Baptista
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - António F. Ambrósio
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Catarina A. Gomes
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Catarina A. Gomes,
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13
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De Gregorio R, Subah G, Chan JC, Speranza L, Zhang X, Ramakrishnan A, Shen L, Maze I, Stanton PK, Sze JY. Sex-biased effects on hippocampal circuit development by perinatal SERT expression in CA3 pyramidal neurons. Development 2022; 149:dev200549. [PMID: 36178075 PMCID: PMC10655925 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders ranging from autism to intellectual disability display sex-biased prevalence and phenotypical presentations. Despite increasing knowledge about temporospatial cortical map development and genetic variants linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, when and how sex-biased neural circuit derailment may arise in diseased brain remain unknown. Here, we identify in mice that serotonin uptake transporter (SERT) in non-serotonergic neurons - hippocampal and prefrontal pyramidal neurons - confers sex-biased effects specifically during neural circuit development. A set of gradient-patterned CA3 pyramidal neurons transiently express SERT to clear extracellular serotonin, coinciding with hippocampal synaptic circuit establishment. Ablating pyramidal neuron SERT (SERTPyramidΔ) alters dendritic spine developmental trajectory in the hippocampus, and precipitates sex-biased impairments in long-term activity-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive behaviors. Transcriptomic analyses identify sex-biased alterations in gene sets associated with autism, dendritic spine structure, synaptic function and male-specific enrichment of dysregulated genes in glial cells in early postnatal SERTPyramidΔ hippocampus. Our data suggest that SERT function in these pyramidal neurons underscores a temporal- and brain region-specific regulation of normal sex-dimorphic circuit development and a source for sex-biased vulnerability to cognitive and behavioral impairments. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto De Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Galadu Subah
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Jennifer C. Chan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Luisa Speranza
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ian Maze
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Patric K. Stanton
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Ji Y. Sze
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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14
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Fernández-Guasti A, Quintanar BG, Reyes R, Hernández A, Chavira R, Roselli CE. Androgen receptors immunoreactivity in the rat brain of males with same-sex preference. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105279. [PMID: 36370679 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptors (AR) are crucial in the control of male sexual behavior and sex preference. AR are particularly concentrated in areas related with the neuroendocrine control of sex preference including the medial amygdala (MeA), the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), the medial preoptic area (MPOA), the nucleus accumbens (Acb), the suprachiasmatic (SCh) and supraoptic (SO) nuclei, but also seem to be important for the control of reproductive processes in the hippocampus (CA1-CA4 and dentate gyrus, DG). In the present study we analyzed the density of AR in these brain areas of adult male rats with sexual preference (established in a three-compartment box). Same-sex preference was produced in male rats by the prenatal administration of the aromatase inhibitor, letrozole (0.56 μg/kg/ml s.c. G10-22) that usually produces 1-2 animals per litter with same sex preference, while the others retain a female sex preference. We also included a group of proestrus females that had a clear preference for a sexually active male. AR were analyzed by immunocytochemistry using PG21 as primary antibody. We also measured total plasma testosterone concentrations by radioimmunoassay. In males with same sex preference there was a specific AR overexpression in CA3 and CA4 that suggests a feminized pattern because females in proestrus trend to show a higher density of AR in these hippocampal areas. Sex differences in AR density were found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACg) and frontoparietal cortex (FrPa). Serum levels of testosterone did not differ between groups. Data are discussed based on the role of AR in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebeca Reyes
- Departament of Pharmacobiology, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, México City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Hernández
- Departament of Pharmacobiology, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa, México City, Mexico
| | - Roberto Chavira
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México City, Mexico
| | - Charles E Roselli
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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15
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Liu J, Sato Y, Falcone-Juengert J, Kurisu K, Shi J, Yenari MA. Sexual dimorphism in immune cell responses following stroke. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 172:105836. [PMID: 35932990 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent bodies of work in regard to stroke have revealed significant sex differences in terms of risk and outcome. While differences in sex hormones have been the focus of earlier research, the reasons for these differences are much more complex and require further identification. This review covers differences in sex related immune responses with a focus on differences in immune cell composition and function. While females are more susceptible to immune related diseases, they seem to have better outcomes from stroke at the experimental level with reduced pro-inflammatory responses. However, at the clinical level, the picture is much more complex with worse neurological outcomes from stroke. While the use of exogenous sex steroids can replicate some of these findings, it is apparent that many other factors are involved in the modulation of immune responses. As a result, more research is needed to better understand these differences and identify appropriate interventions and risk modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Liu
- Dept Neurosurgery, UCSF and SF VAMC, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yoshimichi Sato
- Dept Neurosurgery, UCSF and SF VAMC, San Francisco, CA, USA; Dept Neurosurgery, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Kota Kurisu
- Dept Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jian Shi
- Dept Neurology, UCSF and SF VAMC, San Francisco, CA, USA
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16
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Sullivan O, Ciernia AV. Work hard, play hard: how sexually differentiated microglia work to shape social play and reproductive behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:989011. [PMID: 36172465 PMCID: PMC9510374 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.989011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are brain-resident immune cells that play a critical role in synaptic pruning and circuit fine-tuning during development. In the adult brain, microglia actively survey their local environment and mobilize inflammatory responses to signs of damage or infection. Sex differences in microglial gene expression and function across the lifespan have been identified, which play a key role in shaping brain function and behavior. The levels of sex hormones such as androgens, estrogens, and progesterone vary in an age-dependent and sex-dependent manner. Microglia respond both directly and indirectly to changes in hormone levels, altering transcriptional gene expression, morphology, and function. Of particular interest is the microglial function in brain regions that are highly sexually differentiated in development such as the amygdala as well as the pre-optic and ventromedial hypothalamic regions. With a focus on hormone-sensitive developmental windows, this review compares male and female microglia in the embryonic, developing, and adult brain with a particular interest in the influence of sex hormones on microglial wiring of social, reproductive, and disordered behavior circuits in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Sullivan
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Annie Vogel Ciernia
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Annie Vogel Ciernia
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17
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Brosolo M, Lecointre M, Laquerrière A, Janin F, Genty D, Lebon A, Lesueur C, Vivien D, Marret S, Marguet F, Gonzalez BJ. In utero alcohol exposure impairs vessel-associated positioning and differentiation of oligodendrocytes in the developing neocortex. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105791. [PMID: 35760273 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a major cause of nongenetic mental retardation and can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the most severe manifestation of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD infants present behavioral disabilities resulting from neurodevelopmental defects. Both grey and white matter lesions have been characterized and are associated with apoptotic death and/or ectopic migration profiles. In the last decade, it was shown that PAE impairs brain angiogenesis, and the radial organization of cortical microvessels is lost. Concurrently, several studies have reported that tangential migration of oligodendrocyte precursors (OPCs) originating from ganglionic eminences is vascular associated. Because numerous migrating oligodendrocytes enter the developing neocortex, the present study aimed to determine whether migrating OPCs interacted with radial cortical microvessels and whether alcohol-induced vascular impairments were associated with altered positioning and differentiation of cortical oligodendrocytes. Using a 3D morphometric analysis, the results revealed that in both human and mouse cortices, 15 to 40% of Olig2-positive cells were in close association with radial cortical microvessels, respectively. Despite perinatal vascular disorganization, PAE did not modify the vessel association of Olig2-positive cells but impaired their positioning between deep and superficial cortical layers. At the molecular level, PAE markedly but transiently reduced the expression of CNPase and MBP, two differentiation markers of immature and mature oligodendrocytes. In particular, PAE inverted their distribution profiles in cortical layers V and VI and reduced the thickness of the myelin sheath of efferent axons. These perinatal oligo-vascular defects were associated with motor disabilities that persisted in adults. Altogether, the present study provides the first evidence that Olig2-positive cells entering the neocortex are associated with radial microvessels. PAE disorganized the cortical microvasculature and delayed the positioning and differentiation of oligodendrocytes. Although most of these oligovascular defects occurred in perinatal life, the offspring developed long-term motor troubles. Altogether, these data suggest that alcohol-induced oligo-vascular impairments contribute to the neurodevelopmental issues described in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brosolo
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - M Lecointre
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - A Laquerrière
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - F Janin
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - D Genty
- Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - A Lebon
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM US 51, CNRS UAR 2026, HeRacLeS-PRIMACEN, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - C Lesueur
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - D Vivien
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), 14000 Caen, France; Department of Clinical Research, Caen-Normandie University Hospital, CHU, Avenue de la côte de Nacre, Caen, France
| | - S Marret
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Neonatal Pediatrics and Intensive Care, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - F Marguet
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - B J Gonzalez
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France.
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18
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González-Martínez Á, Castro S, Camino F, Rosado B, Luño-Muniesa I, Diéguez FJ. Epidemiology of behavioural problems in pet rabbits: An owners’ survey. J Vet Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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19
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Joglekar R, Cauley M, Lipsich T, Corcoran DL, Patisaul HB, Levin ED, Meyer JN, McCarthy MM, Murphy SK. Developmental nicotine exposure and masculinization of the rat preoptic area. Neurotoxicology 2022; 89:41-54. [PMID: 35026373 PMCID: PMC8917982 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine is a neuroteratogenic component of tobacco smoke, e-cigarettes, and other products and can exert sex-specific effects in the developing brain, likely mediated through sex hormones. Estradiol modulates expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rats, and plays critical roles in neurodevelopmental processes, including sexual differentiation of the brain. Here, we examined the effects of developmental nicotine exposure on the sexual differentiation of the preoptic area (POA), a brain region that normally displays robust structural sexual dimorphisms and controls adult mating behavior in rodents. Using a rat model of gestational exposure, developing pups were exposed to nicotine (2 mg/kg/day) via maternal osmotic minipump (subcutaneously, sc) throughout the critical window for brain sexual differentiation. At postnatal day (PND) 4, a subset of offspring was analyzed for epigenetic effects in the POA. At PND40, all offspring were gonadectomized, implanted with a testosterone-releasing capsule (sc), and assessed for male sexual behavior at PND60. Following sexual behavior assessment, the area of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the POA (SDN-POA) was measured using immunofluorescent staining techniques. In adults, normal sex differences in male sexual behavior and in the SDN-POA area were eliminated in nicotine-treated animals. Using novel analytical approaches to evaluate overall masculinization of the adult POA, we identified significant masculinization of the nicotine-treated female POA. In neonates (PND4), nicotine exposure induced trending alterations in methylation-dependent masculinizing gene expression and DNA methylation levels at sexually-dimorphic differentially methylated regions, suggesting that developmental nicotine exposure is capable of triggering masculinization of the rat POA via epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Joglekar
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Marty Cauley
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Taylor Lipsich
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - David L. Corcoran
- Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Heather B. Patisaul
- North Carolina State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Edward D. Levin
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Joel N. Meyer
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Margaret M. McCarthy
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Susan K. Murphy
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
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20
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Mortensen NP, Pathmasiri W, Snyder RW, Caffaro MM, Watson SL, Patel PR, Beeravalli L, Prattipati S, Aravamudhan S, Sumner SJ, Fennell TR. Oral administration of TiO 2 nanoparticles during early life impacts cardiac and neurobehavioral performance and metabolite profile in an age- and sex-related manner. Part Fibre Toxicol 2022; 19:3. [PMID: 34986857 PMCID: PMC8728993 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-021-00444-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly incorporated in everyday products. To investigate the effects of early life exposure to orally ingested TiO2 NP, male and female Sprague-Dawley rat pups received four consecutive daily doses of 10 mg/kg body weight TiO2 NP (diameter: 21 ± 5 nm) or vehicle control (water) by gavage at three different pre-weaning ages: postnatal day (PND) 2-5, PND 7-10, or PND 17-20. Cardiac assessment and basic neurobehavioral tests (locomotor activity, rotarod, and acoustic startle) were conducted on PND 20. Pups were sacrificed at PND 21. Select tissues were collected, weighed, processed for neurotransmitter and metabolomics analyses. RESULTS Heart rate was found to be significantly decreased in female pups when dosed between PND 7-10 and PND 17-20. Females dosed between PND 2-5 showed decrease acoustic startle response and when dosed between PND 7-10 showed decreased performance in the rotarod test and increased locomotor activity. Male pups dosed between PND 17-20 showed decreased locomotor activity. The concentrations of neurotransmitters and related metabolites in brain tissue and the metabolomic profile of plasma were impacted by TiO2 NP administration for all dose groups. Metabolomic pathways perturbed by TiO2 NP administration included pathways involved in amino acid and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION Oral administration of TiO2 NP to rat pups impacted basic cardiac and neurobehavioral performance, neurotransmitters and related metabolites concentrations in brain tissue, and the biochemical profiles of plasma. The findings suggested that female pups were more likely to experience adverse outcome following early life exposure to oral TiO2 NP than male pups. Collectively the data from this exploratory study suggest oral administration of TiO2 NP cause adverse biological effects in an age- and sex-related manner, emphasizing the need to understand the short- and long-term effects of early life exposure to TiO2 NP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninell P Mortensen
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Wimal Pathmasiri
- UNC Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC, 28081, USA
| | - Rodney W Snyder
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Maria Moreno Caffaro
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Scott L Watson
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Purvi R Patel
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Lakshmi Beeravalli
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA
| | - Sharmista Prattipati
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA
| | - Shyam Aravamudhan
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA
| | - Susan J Sumner
- UNC Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC, 28081, USA
| | - Timothy R Fennell
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
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21
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Cortes LR, Cisternas CD, Cabahug INKV, Mason D, Ramlall EK, Castillo-Ruiz A, Forger NG. DNA Methylation and Demethylation Underlie the Sex Difference in Estrogen Receptor Alpha in the Arcuate Nucleus. Neuroendocrinology 2022; 112:636-648. [PMID: 34547753 PMCID: PMC8934748 DOI: 10.1159/000519671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurons expressing estrogen receptor (ER) ɑ in the arcuate (ARC) and ventromedial (VMH) nuclei of the hypothalamus sex-specifically control energy homeostasis, sexual behavior, and bone density. Females have more ERɑ neurons in the VMH and ARC than males, and the sex difference in the VMH is eliminated by neonatal treatment with testosterone or a DNA methylation inhibitor. OBJECTIVE Here, we tested the roles of testosterone and DNA methylation/demethylation in development of ERɑ in the ARC. METHODS ERɑ was examined at birth and weaning in mice that received vehicle or testosterone subcutaneously, and vehicle or DNA methyltransferase inhibitor intracerebroventricularly, as neonates. To examine effects of DNA demethylation on the ERɑ cell number in the ARC, mice were treated neonatally with small interfering RNAs against ten-eleven translocase enzymes. The methylation status of the ERɑ gene (Esr1) was determined in the ARC and VMH using pyrosequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA. RESULTS A sex difference in ERɑ in the ARC, favoring females, developed between birth and weaning and was due to programming effects of testosterone. Neonatal inhibition of DNA methylation decreased ERɑ in the ARC of females, and an inhibition of <underline>de</underline>methylation increased ERɑ in the ARC of males. The promoter region of Esr1 exhibited a small sex difference in percent of total methylation in the ARC (females > males) that was opposite to that in the VMH (males > females). CONCLUSION DNA methylation and demethylation regulate ERɑ cell number in the ARC, and methylation correlates with activation of Esr1 in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R Cortes
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Carla D Cisternas
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferrreyra INIMEC-CONICET-UNC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Damian Mason
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Emma K Ramlall
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Nancy G Forger
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Oliveira VEDM, Bakker J. Neuroendocrine regulation of female aggression. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:957114. [PMID: 36034455 PMCID: PMC9399833 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.957114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Classically the neurobiology of aggression has been studied exclusively in males. Thus, females have been considered mildly aggressive except during lactation. Interestingly, recent studies in rodents and humans have revealed that non-lactating females can show exacerbated and pathological aggression similarly to males. This review provides an overview of recent findings on the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating aggressive behavior in females. In particular, the focus will be on novel rodent models of exaggerated aggression established in non-lactating females. Among the neuromodulatory systems influencing female aggression, special attention has been given to sex-steroids and sex-steroid-sensitive neuronal populations (i.e., the core nuclei of the neural pathway of aggression) as well as to the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin which are major players in the regulation of social behaviors.
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Yamashita J, Nishiike Y, Fleming T, Kayo D, Okubo K. Estrogen mediates sex differences in preoptic neuropeptide and pituitary hormone production in medaka. Commun Biol 2021; 4:948. [PMID: 34373576 PMCID: PMC8352984 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02476-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The preoptic area (POA) is one of the most evolutionarily conserved regions of the vertebrate brain and contains subsets of neuropeptide-expressing neurons. Here we found in the teleost medaka that two neuropeptides belonging to the secretin family, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (Pacap) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip), exhibit opposite patterns of sexually dimorphic expression in the same population of POA neurons that project to the anterior pituitary: Pacap is male-biased, whereas Vip is female-biased. Estrogen secreted by the ovary in adulthood was found to attenuate Pacap expression and, conversely, stimulate Vip expression in the female POA, thereby establishing and maintaining their opposite sexual dimorphism. Pituitary organ culture experiments demonstrated that both Pacap and Vip can markedly alter the expression of various anterior pituitary hormones. Collectively, these findings show that males and females use alternative preoptic neuropeptides to regulate anterior pituitary hormones as a result of their different estrogen milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpei Yamashita
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Nishiike
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daichi Kayo
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kataaki Okubo
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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24
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Pubertal LPS treatment selectively alters PSD-95 expression in male CD-1 mice. Brain Res Bull 2021; 175:186-195. [PMID: 34333052 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Puberty includes a highly stress-sensitive period with significant sex differences in the neurophysiological and behavioural outcomes of a peripheral immune challenge. Sex differences in the pubertal neuroimmune network's responses to systemic LPS may explain some of these enduring sex-specific outcomes of a pubertal immune challenge. However, the functional implications of these sex-specific neuroimmune responses on the local microenvironment are unclear. Western blots were used to examine treatment- and sex-related changes in expression of regulatory proteins in inflammation (NFκB), cell death (AIF), oxidative stress (SOD-1), and synaptic plasticity (PSD-95) following symptomatic recovery (i.e., one week post-treatment) from pubertal immune challenge. Across the four examined brain regions (i.e., hippocampus, PFC, hypothalamus, and cerebellum), only PSD-95 levels were altered one week post-treatment by the pubertal LPS treatment. Unlike their female counterparts, seven-week-old males showed increased PSD-95 expression in the hippocampus (p < .05). AIF, SOD-1, and NFκB levels in both sexes were unaffected by treatment (all p > .05), which suggests appropriate resolution of NFκB-mediated immune responses to pubertal LPS without stimulating AIF-mediated apoptosis and oxidative stress. We also report a significant male-biased sex difference in PSD-95 levels in the PFC and in cerebellar expression of SOD-1 during puberty (all p < .05). These findings highlight the sex-specific vulnerability of the pubertal hippocampus to systemic LPS and suggest that a pubertal immune challenge may expedite neurodevelopment in the hippocampus in a sex-specific manner.
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25
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Russell JMS, Hagelstein M, Lee BH, Sall JW. Anesthesia-induced Recognition Deficit Is Improved in Postnatally Gonadectomized Male Rats. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2021; 33:273-280. [PMID: 31503065 PMCID: PMC7061064 DOI: 10.1097/ana.0000000000000641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical investigations of the effects of general anesthesia on the young brain show differences in vulnerability of males and females to anesthetic exposure at different times during development. However, the mechanism underlying this sex difference is poorly understood. Perinatal testosterone is the primary determinant of sexual differentiation and likely plays an important role in defining the period of susceptibility to anesthetic injury. We investigated whether the removal of testosterone through gonadectomy shortly after birth would improve cognitive outcomes in male rodents after early anesthesia exposure. METHODS Male Sprague Dawley rats underwent gonadectomy at postnatal day 2 (P2), followed by exposure to 6 hours of isoflurane at P7. A control cohort of gonad-intact male littermates was simultaneously exposed. All rats were subjected to a series of object recognition and association tasks beginning at P42. Cell death in the thalamus and hippocampus was assessed in a separate cohort. RESULTS All groups performed similarly on the Novel Object Recognition task; however, the gonad-intact isoflurane group exhibited decreased performance in the more difficult tasks. This deficit was ameliorated in the gonadectomized group. Cell death was similar between both isoflurane-exposed groups, regardless of gonadectomy. CONCLUSIONS The absence of testosterone does not block cell death after anesthesia in specific brain regions of interest; however, does provide some neuroprotection as evidenced by the improved cognitive test performance during adulthood. These findings suggest that testosterone may be mechanistically involved in the sex-specific effects of anesthetic injury on the developing brain by extending the vulnerable period in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Sasaki Russell
- University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
| | - Marlous Hagelstein
- Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, Netherlands, Department of Internal Medicine
| | - Bradley H. Lee
- Hospital for Special Surgery; New York, NY, Department of Anesthesiology
- Weill Cornell Medicine; New York, NY, Department of Anesthesiology
| | - Jeffrey W. Sall
- University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
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26
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Abaffy T, Matsunami H. 19-hydroxy Steroids in the Aromatase Reaction: Review on Expression and Potential Functions. J Endocr Soc 2021; 5:bvab050. [PMID: 34095690 PMCID: PMC8169043 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific evidence related to the aromatase reaction in various biological processes spanning from mid-1960 to today is abundant; however, as our analytical sensitivity increases, a new look at the old chemical reaction is necessary. Here, we review an irreversible aromatase reaction from the substrate androstenedione. It proceeds in 3 consecutive steps. In the first 2 steps, 19-hydroxy steroids are produced. In the third step, estrone is produced. They can dissociate from the enzyme complex and either accumulate in tissues or enter the blood. In this review, we want to highlight the potential importance of these 19-hydroxy steroids in various physiological and pathological conditions. We focus primarily on 19-hydroxy steroids, and in particular on the 19-hydroxyandrostenedione produced by the incomplete aromatase reaction. Using a PubMed database and the search term “aromatase reaction,” 19-hydroxylation of androgens and steroid measurements, we detail the chemistry of the aromatase reaction and list previous and current methods used to measure 19-hydroxy steroids. We present evidence of the existence of 19-hydroxy steroids in brain tissue, ovaries, testes, adrenal glands, prostate cancer, as well as during pregnancy and parturition and in Cushing’s disease. Based on the available literature, a potential involvement of 19-hydroxy steroids in the brain differentiation process, sperm motility, ovarian function, and hypertension is suggested and warrants future research. We hope that with the advancement of highly specific and sensitive analytical methods, future research into 19-hydroxy steroids will be encouraged, as much remains to be learned and discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Abaffy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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27
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Choe HN, Jarvis ED. The role of sex chromosomes and sex hormones in vocal learning systems. Horm Behav 2021; 132:104978. [PMID: 33895570 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vocal learning is the ability to imitate and modify sounds through auditory experience, a rare trait found in only a few lineages of mammals and birds. It is a critical component of human spoken language, allowing us to verbally transmit speech repertoires and knowledge across generations. In many vocal learning species, the vocal learning trait is sexually dimorphic, where it is either limited to males or present in both sexes to different degrees. In humans, recent findings have revealed subtle sexual dimorphism in vocal learning/spoken language brain regions and some associated disorders. For songbirds, where the neural mechanisms of vocal learning have been well studied, vocal learning appears to have been present in both sexes at the origin of the lineage and was then independently lost in females of some subsequent lineages. This loss is associated with an interplay between sex chromosomes and sex steroid hormones. Even in species with little dimorphism, like humans, sex chromosomes and hormones still have some influence on learned vocalizations. Here we present a brief synthesis of these studies, in the context of sex determination broadly, and identify areas of needed investigation to further understand how sex chromosomes and sex steroid hormones help establish sexually dimorphic neural structures for vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Na Choe
- Duke University Medical Center, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States of America.
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Duke University Medical Center, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States of America.
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28
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Serotonin Pretreatment Abolishes Sex-specific NMDA-induced Seizure Behavior in Developing Rats. Neuroscience 2021; 463:184-196. [PMID: 33838289 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal excitability and susceptibility to excitotoxic damage can be sex-specific, with neurons from males usually being more 'easily excitable' compared to neurons from females, especially during development. Increased excitability at an individual neuronal level can lead to the formation of hyperexcitable neuronal networks, which, consequently can make the brain more seizure prone. Both animal and clinical data suggest that males experience more frequent and severe seizures than do females. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) can mediate neuronal excitability and seizure behavior, often serving as an anticonvulsant. Importantly, 5-HT signaling during parts of the perinatal period is sexually dimorphic. Sex differences during development have been reported in both serotonin levels and receptor type (excitatory vs. inhibitory) expression in a manner that may leave the male brain more vulnerable to over-excitation. Thus, we aimed to determine if the anticonvulsant effects of 5-HT were sex- and/or age-dependent in juvenile animals. We report a baseline sex difference in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizure behavior and hippocampal neuronal loss, with postnatal day (PND) 14 males exhibiting more severe seizure behavior compared to females. Pretreatment with the general 5-HT receptor agonist 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT) abolishes baseline sex differences, providing an anticonvulsant effect for males only. These sex differences appear to be at least in part organized by testosterone, as females given neonatal androgen exhibit a seizure behavior profile in between that of males and females.
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29
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Michael V, Goffinet J, Pearson J, Wang F, Tschida K, Mooney R. Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization. eLife 2020; 9:e63493. [PMID: 33372655 PMCID: PMC7793624 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here, we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mice (i.e. PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Michael
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Jack Goffinet
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | | | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
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30
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Mortensen NP, Moreno Caffaro M, Patel PR, Snyder RW, Watson SL, Aravamudhan S, Montgomery SA, Lefever T, Sumner SJ, Fennell TR. Biodistribution, cardiac and neurobehavioral assessments, and neurotransmitter quantification in juvenile rats following oral administration of aluminum oxide nanoparticles. J Appl Toxicol 2020; 41:1316-1329. [PMID: 33269475 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the uptake, biodistribution, and biological responses of nanoparticles (NPs) and their toxicity in developing animals. Here, male and female juvenile Sprague-Dawley rats received four consecutive daily doses of 10 mg/kg Al2 O3 NP (diameter: 24 nm [transmission electron microscope], hydrodynamic diameter: 148 nm) or vehicle control (water) by gavage between postnatal days (PNDs) 17-20. Basic neurobehavioral and cardiac assessments were performed on PND 20. Animals were sacrificed on PND 21, and selected tissues were collected, weighed, and processed for histopathology or neurotransmitter analysis. The biodistribution of Al2 O3 NP in tissue sections of the intestine, liver, spleen, kidney, and lymph nodes were evaluated using enhanced dark-field microscopy (EDM) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). Liver-to-body weight ratio was significantly increased for male pups administered Al2 O3 NP compared with control. HSI suggested that Al2 O3 NP was more abundant in the duodenum and ileum tissue of the female pups compared with the male pups, whereas the abundance of NP was similar for males and females in the other tissues. The abundance of NP was higher in the liver compared with spleen, lymph nodes, and kidney. Homovanillic acid and norepinephrine concentrations in brain were significantly decreased following Al2 O3 NP administration in female and male pups, whereas 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was significantly increased in male pups. EDM/HSI indicates intestinal uptake of Al2 O3 NP following oral administration. Al2 O3 NP altered neurotransmitter/metabolite concentrations in juvenile rats' brain tissues. Together, these data suggest that orally administered Al2 O3 NP interferes with the brain biochemistry in both female and male pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninell P Mortensen
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Moreno Caffaro
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Purvi R Patel
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rodney W Snyder
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott L Watson
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shyam Aravamudhan
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie A Montgomery
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Timothy Lefever
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan J Sumner
- UNC Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Timothy R Fennell
- Discovery Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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31
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Delage CI, Cornil CA. Estrogen‐dependent sex difference in microglia in the developing brain of Japanese quail (
Coturnix japonica
). Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:239-262. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Charlotte Anne Cornil
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology GIGA Neurosciences University of Liège Liège Belgium
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32
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Premachandran H, Zhao M, Arruda-Carvalho M. Sex Differences in the Development of the Rodent Corticolimbic System. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583477. [PMID: 33100964 PMCID: PMC7554619 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a growing body of research has shown sex differences in the prevalence and symptomatology of psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety, and fear-related disorders, all of which show high incidence rates in early life. This has highlighted the importance of including female subjects in animal studies, as well as delineating sex differences in neural processing across development. Of particular interest is the corticolimbic system, comprising the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex. In rodents, these corticolimbic regions undergo dynamic changes in early life, and disruption to their normative development is believed to underlie the age and sex-dependent effects of stress on affective processing. In this review, we consolidate research on sex differences in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex across early development. First, we briefly introduce current principles on sexual differentiation of the rodent brain. We then showcase corticolimbic regional sex differences in volume, morphology, synaptic organization, cell proliferation, microglia, and GABAergic signaling, and explain how these differences are influenced by perinatal and pubertal gonadal hormones. In compiling this research, we outline evidence of what and when sex differences emerge in the developing corticolimbic system, and illustrate how temporal dynamics of its maturational trajectory may differ in male and female rodents. This will help provide insight into potential neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific critical windows for stress susceptibility and behavioral emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mudi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Jardim NS, Müller SG, Sari MHM, Nogueira CW. Females are more susceptible than male mice to thermal hypernociceptive behavior induced by early-life bisphenol-A exposure: Effectiveness of diphenyl diselenide. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 879:173156. [PMID: 32360838 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Humans are ubiquitously exposed to bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most used synthetic monomers for manufacturing polycarbonate plastics. BPA exposure leads to abnormal nociceptive perception and neuroinflammation in rodents. This study investigated whether diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2, a pleiotropic selenium-containing molecule, would be effective against the hypernociceptive behavior induced by the early-life BPA exposure to mice. Three-week-old male and female Swiss mice received intragastrically BPA (5 mg/kg) from 21st to 60th postnatal day. After, the mice received by the intragastric route (PhSe)2 (1 mg/kg) once a day for seven days. After the last day of treatment, the mice performed the hot plate and tail immersion tests. The cerebral cortex samples were used to determine the levels of proteins related to apoptosis and inflammation. The results demonstrated that females were more susceptible than male mice to thermal hypernociception induced by early-life exposure to BPA. (PhSe)2 was effective against the reduction in the latency to paw and tail withdrawal induced by BPA exposure in female mice. Furthermore, (PhSe)2 restored the impairment in the levels of inflammatory proteins (COX-2, IL-1β, and p-JNK/JNK) but not those of apoptosis in the cerebral cortex of female mice exposed to BPA. Collectively, these data showed that females were more susceptible to thermal hypernociceptive behavior induced by early-life exposure to BPA than male mice. The administration of (PhSe)2 reduced thermal hypernociceptive behavior, a sex independent effect, in BPA-exposed mice. (PhSe)2 modulated inflammatory protein levels in the cerebral cortex of female mice exposed to BPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália S Jardim
- Laboratório de Síntese, Reatividade e Avaliação Farmacológica e Toxicológica de Organocalcogênios, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Sabrina G Müller
- Laboratório de Síntese, Reatividade e Avaliação Farmacológica e Toxicológica de Organocalcogênios, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcel H M Sari
- Laboratório de Síntese, Reatividade e Avaliação Farmacológica e Toxicológica de Organocalcogênios, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Cristina W Nogueira
- Laboratório de Síntese, Reatividade e Avaliação Farmacológica e Toxicológica de Organocalcogênios, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, RS, Brazil.
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Hernández A, Olvera-Hernández S, Fernández-Guasti A. Lack of interaction between prenatal stress and prenatal letrozole to induce same-sex preference in male rats. Physiol Behav 2020; 224:113042. [PMID: 32619527 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Same-sex partner preference between males has been observed in all species in which this behavior has been studied. Disruption of brain estradiol synthesis during development has been proposed as one of the biological causes underlying this behavior in some mammals. In support of this possibility, perinatal administration of aromatase inhibitors (such as letrozole) to male rat pups, induces around half of them to have same-sex preference and female sexual behavior in adulthood. Another putative factor that modifies sex preference is prenatal stress. Several stress protocols, applied to the pregnant dam, cause some of the adult male progeny to have an increased male preference, a decreased preference for the female, and lordosis behavior. Interestingly, these effects of stress might be mediated by its inhibitory action on brain aromatase. The aim of the present study was to analyze a possible interaction between these two factors in male rats. Pregnant dams were exposed to one of the four treatments across gestation days 10-22 (G10-G22): 1) vehicle-treated non-stressed controls; 2) letrozole (0.56 µg/kg); 3) 30 min immobilization stress); 4) both letrozole and stress combined. The male offspring were tested in adulthood for partner preference in a three-chambered arena, where we also recorded the masculine and feminine sexual behaviors. One week later males were tested for masculine and feminine sexual behavior in cylindrical arenas where they interacted for 30 min with a receptive female and thereafter with a sexually active male for another 30 min. Letrozole, stress and their combination resulted in same-sex preference in 40, 31 and 50% of males, respectively, compared to 5% in the control group. In the sexual behavior tests, prenatal stress reduced the percentage of males displaying intromissions and ejaculation (impaired masculinization), while letrozole mainly increased lordosis (impaired defeminization). The males prenatally submitted to stress and treated with letrozole presented these behavioral features but did not differ from both treatments given independently. The results indicate that the changes induced by stress or the aromatase inhibition produced by letrozole only accounts for a shift in partner preference in around half of the males and that there was no interaction between these two factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Hernández
- Pharmacobiology Department. Center of Research and Advanced Studies of IPN (CINVESTAV), México
| | - Sandra Olvera-Hernández
- Medical and Psychology School, Autonomous University of Baja California, Tijuana, B.C., México
| | - Alonso Fernández-Guasti
- Pharmacobiology Department. Center of Research and Advanced Studies of IPN (CINVESTAV), México..
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Morishita M, Koiso R, Tsukahara S. Actions of Peripubertal Gonadal Steroids in the Formation of Sexually Dimorphic Brain Regions in Mice. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5821543. [PMID: 32303738 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The calbindin-sexually dimorphic nucleus (CALB-SDN) and calbindin-principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (CALB-BNSTp) show male-biased sex differences in calbindin neuron number. The ventral part of the BNSTp (BNSTpv) exhibits female-biased sex differences in noncalbindin neuron number. We previously reported that prepubertal gonadectomy disrupts the masculinization of the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp and the feminization of the BNSTpv. This study aimed to determine the action mechanisms of testicular androgens on the masculinization of the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp and whether ovarian estrogens are the hormones that have significant actions in the feminization of the BNSTpv. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of calbindin and NeuN, a neuron marker, in male mice orchidectomized on postnatal day 20 (PD20) and treated with cholesterol, testosterone, estradiol, or dihydrotestosterone during PD20-70, female mice ovariectomized on PD20 and treated with cholesterol or estradiol during PD20-70, and PD70 mice gonadectomized on PD56. Calbindin neurons number in the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp in males treated with testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, but not estradiol, was significantly larger than that in cholesterol-treated males. Noncalbindin neuron number in the BNSTpv in estradiol-treated females was significantly larger than that in cholesterol-treated females. Gonadectomy on PD56 had no significant effect on neuron numbers. Additionally, an immunohistochemical analysis revealed the expression of androgen receptors in the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp of PD30 males and estrogen receptors-α in the BNSTpv of PD30 females. These results suggest that peripubertal testicular androgens act to masculinize the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp without aromatization, and peripubertal ovarian estrogens act to feminize the BNSTpv.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ryoma Koiso
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
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Pereira MRF, Aleixo JF, Cavalcanti LDF, Costa NO, Vieira ML, Ceravolo GS, Moreira EG, Gerardin DCC. Can maternal exposure to paracetamol impair reproductive parameters of male rat offspring? Reprod Toxicol 2020; 93:68-74. [PMID: 31926975 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Paracetamol is a widely used medication during gestation and lactation periods for the treatment of pain and fever. Several studies have shown that exposure to paracetamol can increase the incidence of cryptorchidism and decrease testosterone production. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate if maternal treatment with paracetamol during gestation and gestation/lactation periods can alter reproductive and behavioral parameters in male offspring. Female Wistar rats were treated daily by gavage with water or paracetamol (350 mg/kg/day) during gestation (CTRG and PARG) or gestation/lactation periods (CTRGL and PARGL). There were significant differences in histomorphometry (increased volume and total length of the seminiferous tubules) and weight of testes (PARG group) and copulatory behavior and testosterone levels (PARG and PARGL groups) at PND 120. Therefore, the present study showed that maternal exposure to paracetamol has an impact on the reproductive system and sexual behavior of male adult offspring suggesting an impaired in sexual hypothalamic differentiation at the beginning of the development of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeberson Fernando Aleixo
- Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Londrina, 86051-980, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Nathalia Orlandini Costa
- Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Londrina, 86051-980, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
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Cisternas CD, Cortes LR, Golynker I, Castillo-Ruiz A, Forger NG. Neonatal Inhibition of DNA Methylation Disrupts Testosterone-Dependent Masculinization of Neurochemical Phenotype. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5631853. [PMID: 31742329 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqz022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many neural sex differences are differences in the number of neurons of a particular phenotype. For example, male rodents have more calbindin-expressing neurons in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and females have more neurons expressing estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and kisspeptin in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) and the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), respectively. These sex differences depend on neonatal exposure to testosterone, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. DNA methylation is important for cell phenotype differentiation throughout the developing organism. We hypothesized that testosterone causes sex differences in neurochemical phenotype via changes in DNA methylation, and tested this by inhibiting DNA methylation neonatally in male and female mice, and in females given a masculinizing dose of testosterone. Neonatal testosterone treatment masculinized calbindin, ERα and kisspeptin cell number of females at weaning. Inhibiting DNA methylation with zebularine increased calbindin cell number only in control females, thus eliminating sex differences in calbindin in the mPOA and BNST. Zebularine also reduced the sex difference in ERα cell number in the VMH, in this case by increasing ERα neuron number in males and testosterone-treated females. In contrast, the neonatal inhibition of DNA methylation had no effect on kisspeptin cell number. We conclude that testosterone normally increases the number of calbindin cells and reduces ERα cells in males through orchestrated changes in DNA methylation, contributing to, or causing, the sex differences in both cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura R Cortes
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ilona Golynker
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Nancy G Forger
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
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38
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Sze Y, Brunton PJ. Sex, stress and steroids. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 52:2487-2515. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sze
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Paula J. Brunton
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Zhejiang University‐University of Edinburgh Joint Institute Haining Zhejiang China
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Ponti G, Farinetti A, Marraudino M, Panzica G, Gotti S. Postnatal genistein administration selectively abolishes sexual dimorphism in specific hypothalamic dopaminergic system in mice. Brain Res 2019; 1724:146434. [PMID: 31491419 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As demonstrated in previous studies, early postnatal genistein (GEN) administration to mice pups of both sexes, at doses similar to that of infant soy-based formulas, may affect the development of some steroid-sensitive neuronal circuits (i.e. nitrergic and vasopressinergic systems), causing irreversible alterations in adults. Here, we investigated the hypothalamic and mesencephalic dopaminergic system (identified with tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry). GEN administration (50 mg/kg) to mice of both sexes during the first week of postnatal life specifically affected tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry in the hypothalamic subpopulation of neurons, abolishing their sexual dimorphism. On the contrary, we did not observe any effects in the mesencephalic groups. Due to the large involvement of dopamine in circuits controlling rodent sexual behavior and food intake, these results clearly indicate that the early postnatal administration of GEN may irreversibly alter the control of reproduction, of energetic metabolism, and other behaviors. These results suggest the need for a careful evaluation of the use of soy products in both human and animal newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Ponti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (T0), Italy.
| | - Alice Farinetti
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi-Montalcini", University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy
| | - Marilena Marraudino
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi-Montalcini", University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy
| | - GianCarlo Panzica
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi-Montalcini", University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy
| | - Stefano Gotti
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi-Montalcini", University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy
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40
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McKee SE, Reyes TM. Effect of supplementation with methyl-donor nutrients on neurodevelopment and cognition: considerations for future research. Nutr Rev 2019; 76:497-511. [PMID: 29701796 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuy007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy represents a critical period in fetal development, such that the prenatal environment can, in part, establish a lifelong trajectory of health or disease for the offspring. Poor nutrition (macro- or micronutrient deficiencies) can adversely affect brain development and significantly increase offspring risk for metabolic and neurological disease development. The concentration of dietary methyl-donor nutrients is known to alter DNA methylation in the brain, and alterations in DNA methylation can have long-lasting effects on gene expression and neuronal function. The decreased availability of methyl-donor nutrients to the developing fetus in models of poor maternal nutrition is one mechanism hypothesized to link maternal malnutrition and disease risk in offspring. Animal studies indicate that supplementation of both maternal and postnatal (early- and later-life) diets with methyl-donor nutrients can attenuate disease risk in offspring; however, clinical research is more equivocal. The objective of this review is to summarize how specific methyl-donor nutrient deficiencies and excesses during pre- and postnatal life alter neurodevelopment and cognition. Emphasis is placed on reviewing the current literature, highlighting challenges within nutrient supplementation research, and considering potential strategies to ensure robust findings in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E McKee
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Teresa M Reyes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Krishnan K, Hasbum A, Morales D, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals alter the neuromolecular phenotype in F2 generation adult male rats. Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112674. [PMID: 31491443 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures to the fetus have long-lasting effects on health and disease in adulthood. Such EDC exposure to the F1 fetuses also reaches the germ cells that become the F2 generation. Previously, we demonstrated that adult social and communicative behaviors such as ultrasonic vocalizations and mating behaviors were altered by EDCs in F2 rats, especially males. In the current study, we used the brains of these F2 males to ascertain the underlying molecular changes in the hypothalamus related to these behavioral outcomes. Their progenitors were Sprague-Dawley rat dams, treated on pregnancy days 8 to 18 with one of three treatments: a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, Aroclor 1221, selected because it is weakly estrogenic; the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin (VIN); or the vehicle, 6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil (VEH). In adulthood, F1 male and female offspring were bred with untreated partners to generate paternal or maternal lineages of the F2 offspring, the subjects of molecular work. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted in the medial preoptic area (POA) and the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus, selected for their roles in social and sexual behaviors. Of the genes assessed, steroid hormone receptors (estrogen receptor α, androgen receptor, progesterone receptor) but not dopamine receptors 1 and 2 or DNA methyltransferase 3a expression were altered, particularly in the VIN males. Several significant correlations between behavior and gene expression were also detected. These results suggest that preconceptional exposure of male rats to EDCs at the germ cell stage alters the neuromolecular phenotype in adulthood in a lineage-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Asbiel Hasbum
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Daniel Morales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
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42
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Hawkey A, Junaid S, Yao L, Spiera Z, White H, Cauley M, Levin ED. Gestational exposure to nicotine and/or benzo[a]pyrene causes long-lasting neurobehavioral consequences. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:1248-1258. [PMID: 31368242 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture that includes thousands of compounds. Previously, we have found that gestational exposure to the complex mixture of tobacco smoke extract caused long-term neurobehavioral impairments. In this study, we examined the interaction of two of the most biologically active, nicotine and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Developmental effects were determined in Sprague-Dawley rats prenatally exposed to low doses of BaP and nicotine (0.03 mg/kg/day of BaP and 2 mg/kg/day of nicotine) via maternal osmotic minipumps throughout gestation. Behavioral function was assessed in the offspring via a battery of tests through adolescence into adulthood. There were sex-selective effects in four of the behavioral tests. In the elevated plus maze, there was a significant interaction of BaP and sex, where BaP-treated males showed a trend for increased activity. In the novelty suppressed feeding test, there were significant sex selective effects in males such that the normal sex difference in the behavior in this test was eliminated. Male offspring with prenatal exposure to either nicotine or BaP showed significant reductions in fear response. In the Figure-8 locomotor activity test, BAP-exposed male offspring were significantly hyperactive. This also eliminated the sex difference typically seen in this test. This effect persisted into adulthood. In the attention task, males exposed to nicotine during gestation showed a significant percent hit impairment. BaP reversed this effect. No significant effects were seen with percent correct rejection. These data show that both nicotine and BaP cause persisting sex-selective behavioral effects that persist into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hawkey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Shaqif Junaid
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Leah Yao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Zachary Spiera
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hannah White
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Marty Cauley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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43
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Joshi A, Page CE, Damante M, Dye CN, Haim A, Leuner B, Lenz KM. Sex differences in the effects of early life stress exposure on mast cells in the developing rat brain. Horm Behav 2019; 113:76-84. [PMID: 31054843 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress leads to long lasting effects on behavior. Neuroimmune cells have been implicated as key mediators of experience-induced changes in brain and behavioral development, in that they are highly responsive to stress. Mast cells are one such type of neuroimmune cell, but little is known about their role in brain development or following early life stress. Here, we assessed the impact of three different early life stress exposure paradigms on mast cell dynamics in the developing brain of male and female rats, focusing on the hippocampus and hypothalamus, where most mast cells reside. We found that exposure to two weeks of chronic variable stress during gestation led to increased mast cell number and activation in the female offspring hypothalamus on the day of birth. Acute exposure to maternal separation stress on postnatal day (PN) 2 led to significant decreases in mast cells within the hypothalamus and hippocampus of females, but not males. In contrast, one week of exposure to brief daily maternal separation stress (e.g., handling), increased mast cell numbers in the female, but not male, hippocampus. We found significant sex differences in mast cell number and activation, including males having more mast cells than females in the hippocampus on the day of birth and males having significantly more degranulated mast cells on PN11. Thus, mast cells may be an unappreciated mediator of sex-specific brain development in response to early life perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarohi Joshi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chloe E Page
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mark Damante
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Courtney N Dye
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Achikam Haim
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kathryn M Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Barrientos RM, Brunton PJ, Lenz KM, Pyter L, Spencer SJ. Neuroimmunology of the female brain across the lifespan: Plasticity to psychopathology. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 79:39-55. [PMID: 30872093 PMCID: PMC6591071 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The female brain is highly dynamic and can fundamentally remodel throughout the normal ovarian cycle as well as in critical life stages including perinatal development, pregnancy and old-age. As such, females are particularly vulnerable to infections, psychological disorders, certain cancers, and cognitive impairments. We will present the latest evidence on the female brain; how it develops through the neonatal period; how it changes through the ovarian cycle in normal individuals; how it adapts to pregnancy and postpartum; how it responds to illness and disease, particularly cancer; and, finally, how it is shaped by old age. Throughout, we will highlight female vulnerability to and resilience against disease and dysfunction in the face of environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Barrientos
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Centre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Centre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Chronic Brain Injury Program, Discovery Themes Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - P J Brunton
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, Scotland, UK; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Joint Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, PR China
| | - K M Lenz
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Centre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Department of Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - L Pyter
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Centre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Centre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - S J Spencer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic. 3083, Australia.
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Templin JS, Wyrosdic JC, David CD, Wyrosdic BN, Lapp HE, Bala A, Bartlett A, Khan Z, Rokicki A, Park JH. Peripubertal gonadal steroids are necessary for steroid-independent male sexual behavior in castrated B6D2F1 male mice. Horm Behav 2019; 113:38-46. [PMID: 31047887 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal steroids play an integral role in male sexual behavior, and in most rodent models, this relationship is tightly coupled. However, many other species, including humans, continue to demonstrate male sex behavior in the absence of gonadal steroids, and the mechanisms that regulate steroid-independent male sex behavior are not well understood. Approximately 30% of castrated male B6D2F1 hybrid mice display male sex behavior many months after castration, allowing for the investigation of individual variation in steroidal regulation of male sex behavior. During both the perinatal and peripubertal periods of development, the organizational effects of gonadal steroids on sexual differentiation of the neural circuits controlling male sex behavior are well-documented. Several factors can alter the normal range of gonadal steroids or their receptors which may lead to the disruption of the normal processes of masculinization and defeminization. It is unknown whether the organizational effects of gonadal hormones during puberty are necessary for steroid-independent male sex behavior. However, gonadal steroids during puberty were not necessary for either testosterone or estradiol to activate male sex behavior in adulthood. Furthermore, activation of male sex behavior was initiated sooner in hybrid male mice castrated prior to puberty that were administered estradiol in adulthood compared to those that were provided testosterone. The underlying mechanisms by which gonadal hormones, during both the perinatal and peripubertal developmental periods of sexual differentiation, organize the normal maturation of neural circuitry that regulates steroid-independent male sex behavior in adult castrated B6D2F1 male mice warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Scott Templin
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America.
| | - Joshua C Wyrosdic
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America; Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Caroline D David
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Brianna N Wyrosdic
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Hannah E Lapp
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Andis Bala
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Alexander Bartlett
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Zara Khan
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Alicia Rokicki
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
| | - Jin Ho Park
- Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, United States of America
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Luoto S, Krams I, Rantala MJ. A Life History Approach to the Female Sexual Orientation Spectrum: Evolution, Development, Causal Mechanisms, and Health. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1273-1308. [PMID: 30229521 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1261-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Women's capacity for sexual fluidity is at least as interesting a phenomenon from the point of view of evolutionary biology and behavioral endocrinology as exclusively homosexual orientation. Evolutionary hypotheses for female nonheterosexuality have failed to fully account for the existence of these different categories of nonheterosexual women, while also overlooking broader data on the causal mechanisms, physiology, ontogeny, and phylogeny of female nonheterosexuality. We review the evolutionary-developmental origins of various phenotypes in the female sexual orientation spectrum using the synergistic approach of Tinbergen's four questions. We also present femme-specific and butch-specific hypotheses at proximate and ultimate levels of analysis. This review article indicates that various nonheterosexual female phenotypes emerge from and contribute to hormonally mediated fast life history strategies. Life history theory provides a biobehavioral explanatory framework for nonheterosexual women's masculinized body morphology, psychological dispositions, and their elevated likelihood of experiencing violence, substance use, obesity, teenage pregnancy, and lower general health. This pattern of life outcomes can create a feedback loop of environmental unpredictability and harshness which destabilizes intrauterine hormonal conditions in mothers, leading to a greater likelihood of fast life history strategies, global health problems, and nonheterosexual preferences in female offspring. We further explore the potential of female nonheterosexuality to function as an alloparental buffer that enables masculinizing alleles to execute their characteristic fast life history strategies as they appear in the female and the male phenotype. Synthesizing life history theory with the female sexual orientation spectrum enriches existing scientific knowledge on the evolutionary-developmental mechanisms of human sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Arts 1, Building 206, Room 616, 14A Symonds St., Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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47
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Microglia along sex lines: From brain colonization, maturation and function, to implication in neurodevelopmental disorders. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 94:152-163. [PMID: 31201858 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In addition to their traditional role as immune sentinels, recent discoveries over the last decade have shown that microglial functions now include regulation of neuronal/glial cell migration, differentiation and maturation, as well as neuronal network formation. It was thus proposed that disruption of these microglial roles, during critical periods of brain development, could lead to the pathological onset of several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. The prevalence of these disorders exhibits a clear distinction along sex lines with very little known about the mechanisms underlying this difference. One of the fundamental discoveries that arose from recent research into the physiological roles of microglia in neurodevelopment is their sexual dimorphism, raising the intriguing possibility that sex differences in microglial colonization, maturation and/or function in the developing brain could underlie the emergence of various neurodevelopmental disorders. This review discusses the physiological roles of microglia across neurodevelopment, these roles in the two sexes, and the recent evidence that microglial sexually dimorphic nature may contribute, at least partially, to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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48
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Somatic and psychological triggers for bladder storage symptoms among men and women. Int Urogynecol J 2019; 31:933-937. [PMID: 31165217 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-019-03989-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS To determine the prevalence of somatic and psychological triggers for bladder storage symptoms among men and women who have not been diagnosed with overactive bladder (OAB) and to determine their impact on individuals' quality of life (QoL). METHODS Randomly selected male and female volunteers were screened for the presence of bladder storage symptoms and their impact on their QoL using the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 questionnaires. They were also asked about somatic and psychological triggers for these symptoms using the validated SOPSETO questionnaire. Individuals who had previously been diagnosed with or treated for OAB, prostatic hypertrophy, neurological disease or cancer were excluded. RESULTS Sixty-six women and 40 men were included. There was a significantly higher prevalence of urinary urgency (41% vs. 19%, p = 0.021), urge urinary incontinence (22% vs. 0%, p = 0.002) and stress urinary incontinence (30% vs. 3%, p = 0.001) among women than men. Total UDI-6 (17± 15 vs. 9± 8, p = 0.04) and IIQ-7 (21± 10 vs. 15± 4, p = 0.02) scores were also higher among women than men. Of the total 34 triggers evaluated, 18 were ranked significantly higher among women than among men. There was a good correlation between the SOPSETO and the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 scores primarily in women (r = 0.46, p < 0.0001; r = 0.69, p < 0.0001) but also in men (r = 0.44, p = 0.009; r = 0.39, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Women who have not been diagnosed with OAB report bladder storage symptoms more frequently than men. Somatic and psychological triggers are more likely to stimulate these symptoms in women than in men and might add burden to their QoL.
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49
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Ramzan F, Phung T, Swift-Gallant A, Coome LA, Holmes MM, Monks DA. Both neural and global androgen receptor overexpression affect sexual dimorphism in the mouse brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12715. [PMID: 30920021 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone is the main endocrine mechanism mediating sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain, although testosterone signalling is complex and important mechanistic questions remain. Notably, the extent to which testosterone acts via androgen receptors (AR) in this process remains unknown and it is also not clear where testosterone acts in the body to produce sexual dimorphisms in neuroanatomy. To address these questions, we used a transgenic mouse model of Cre/loxP-driven AR overexpression in which AR was induced selectively in neural tissue (Nestin-cre) or in all tissues (CMV-cre). We then studied sexually dimorphic features of several well-characterised sexual dimorphisms: calbindin-immunoreactive neurones in the medial preoptic area (CALB-SDN), tyrosine hydroxylase neurones in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, and vasopressin-immunoreactive neurones originating in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and their projections in the lateral septum. We additionally evaluated oestrogen receptor α immunoreactivity in these nuclei. Briefly, we found that global but not neural overexpression of AR resulted in masculinisation of CALB-SDN nucleus volume, cell number and cell size in transgenic females. Furthermore, neural AR overexpression resulted in increased oestrogen receptor α staining in females compared to males in the medial preoptic area. AR overexpression did not affect other measures. Overall, the results of the present study provide support for the hypothesis that androgenic mechanisms external to the nervous system can affect sexual differentiation of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firyal Ramzan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thanh Phung
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Lindsay A Coome
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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50
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Williamson CM, Lee W, DeCasien AR, Lanham A, Romeo RD, Curley JP. Social hierarchy position in female mice is associated with plasma corticosterone levels and hypothalamic gene expression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7324. [PMID: 31086272 PMCID: PMC6513839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43747-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies emerge when animals compete for access to resources such as food, mates or physical space. Wild and laboratory male mice have been shown to develop linear hierarchies, however, less is known regarding whether female mice have sufficient intrasexual competition to establish significant social dominance relationships. In this study, we examined whether groups of outbred CD-1 virgin female mice housed in a large vivaria formed social hierarchies. We show that females use fighting, chasing and mounting behaviors to rapidly establish highly directionally consistent social relationships. Notably, these female hierarchies are less linear, steep and despotic compared to male hierarchies. Female estrus state was not found to have a significant effect on aggressive behavior, though dominant females had elongated estrus cycles (due to increased time in estrus) compared to subordinate females. Plasma estradiol levels were equivalent between dominant and subordinate females. Subordinate females had significantly higher levels of basal corticosterone compared to dominant females. Analyses of gene expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus indicated that subordinate females have elevated ERα, ERβ and OTR mRNA compared to dominant females. This study provides a methodological framework for the study of the neuroendocrine basis of female social aggression and dominance in laboratory mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cait M Williamson
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Alexandra R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Alesi Lanham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA.
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