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Chen XX, Wang B, Cai W, Zhang YH, Shen L, Zhu YY, Wang T, Meng XH, Wang H, Xu DX. Exposure to 1-nitropyrene after weaning induces anxiety-like behavior partially by inhibiting steroid hormone synthesis in prefrontal cortex. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 475:134911. [PMID: 38889457 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) is a neurodevelopmental toxicant. This study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to 1-NP after weaning on anxiety-like behavior. Five-week-old mice were administered with 1-NP (0.1 or 1 mg/kg) daily for 4 weeks. Anxiety-like behaviour was measured using elevated-plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT). In EPM test, time spending in open arm and times entering open arm were reduced in 1-NP-treated mice. In OFT test, time spent in the center region and times entering the center region were diminished in 1-NP-treated mice. Prefrontal dendritic length and number of dendrite branches were decreased in 1-NP-treated mice. Prefrontal PSD95, an excitatory postsynaptic membrane protein, and gephyrin, an inhibitory postsynaptic membrane protein, were downregulated in 1-NP-treated mice. Further analysis showed that peripheral steroid hormones, including serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2), testicular T, and ovarian E2, were decreased in 1-NP-treated mice. Interestingly, T and E2 were diminished in 1-NP-treated prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal T and E2 synthases were diminished in 1-NP-treated mice. Mechanistically, GCN2-eIF2α, a critical pathway that regulates ribosomal protein translation, was activated in 1-NP-treated prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that exposure to 1-NP after weaning induces anxiety-like behaviour partially by inhibiting steroid hormone synthesis in prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xi Chen
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wei Cai
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yi-Hao Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yan-Yan Zhu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiu-Hong Meng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - De-Xiang Xu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032 China.
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Vajaria R, Davis D, Thaweepanyaporn K, Dovey J, Nasuto S, Delivopoulos E, Tamagnini F, Knight P, Vasudevan N. Estrogen and testosterone secretion from the mouse brain. Steroids 2024; 204:109398. [PMID: 38513983 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2024.109398] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen and testosterone are typically thought of as gonadal or adrenal derived steroids that cross the blood brain barrier to signal via both rapid nongenomic and slower genomic signalling pathways. Estrogen and testosterone signalling has been shown to drive interlinked behaviours such as social behaviours and cognition by binding to their cognate receptors in hypothalamic and forebrain nuclei. So far, acute brain slices have been used to study short-term actions of 17β-estradiol, typically using electrophysiological measures. For example, these techniques have been used to investigate, nongenomic signalling by estrogen such as the estrogen modulation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. Using a modified method that preserves the slice architecture, we show, for the first time, that acute coronal slices from the prefrontal cortex and from the hypothalamus maintained in aCSF over longer periods i.e. 24 h can be steroidogenic, increasing their secretion of testosterone and estrogen. We also show that the hypothalamic nuclei produce more estrogen and testosterone than the prefrontal cortex. Therefore, this extended acute slice system can be used to study the regulation of steroid production and secretion by discrete nuclei in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Vajaria
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - DeAsia Davis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | | | - Janine Dovey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Slawomir Nasuto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | | | | | - Philip Knight
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Sun Q, Li G, Zhao F, Dong M, Xie W, Liu Q, Yang W, Cui R. Role of estrogen in treatment of female depression. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:3021-3042. [PMID: 38309292 PMCID: PMC10911346 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a neurological disorder that profoundly affects human physical and mental health, resulting in various changes in the central nervous system. Despite several prominent hypotheses, such as the monoaminergic theory, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis theory, neuroinflammation, and neuroplasticity, the current understanding of depression's pathogenesis remains incomplete. Importantly, depression is a gender-dimorphic disorder, with women exhibiting higher incidence rates than men. Given estrogen's pivotal role in the menstrual cycle, it is reasonable to postulate that its fluctuating levels could contribute to the pathogenesis of depression. Estrogen acts by binding to a diversity of receptors, which are widely distributed in the central nervous system. An abundance of research has established that estrogen and its receptors play a crucial role in depression, spanning pathogenesis and treatment. In this comprehensive review, we provide an in-depth analysis of the fundamental role of estrogen and its receptors in depression, with a focus on neuroinflammation, neuroendocrinology, and neuroplasticity. Furthermore, we discuss potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of estrogen in the treatment of depression, which may pave the way for new antidepressant drug development and alternative treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihan Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Guangquan Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Fangyi Zhao
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Mengmeng Dong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xie
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Qianqian Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
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Iqbal J, Bibi M, Huang GD, Xue YX, Khatttak JZK, Yang M, Jia XJ. Differential regulation of hippocampal transcriptome by circulating estrogen. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:309. [PMID: 37735249 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01234-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen (E2) modulates the synaptic structure and plasticity in the hippocampus. Previous studies showed that E2 fluctuations during various phases of the menstrual cycle produce subtle neurosynaptic changes that impact women's behavior, emotion, and cognitive functions. In this study, we explored the transcriptome of the hippocampus via RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) between proestrus (PE) and diestrus (DE) stages in young female rats to determine the effect of E2 of PE and DE stages on hippocampal gene expression. We identified 238 genes (at 1.5-fold-change selection criteria, FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05) as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that responded to E2 between PE and DE stages. Functional analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) revealed that a higher E2 level corresponded to an increase in gene transcription among most of the DEGs, suggesting biological mechanisms operating differentially in the hippocampus of female rats between PE and DE stages in the estrus cycle; while analysis with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) found that the DEGs involving neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, antigen processing, cell adhesion molecules, and presentation were upregulated in PE stage, whereas DEGs in pathways relating to bile secretion, coagulation cascades, osteoclast differentiation, cysteine and methionine metabolism were upregulated in DE stage of the estrus cycle. The high-fold expression of DEGs was confirmed by a follow-up quantitative real-time PCR. Our findings in this current study have provided fundamental information for further dissection of neuro-molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus in response to E2 fluctuation and its relationship with disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Maryam Bibi
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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Phillips-Farfán BV, Quintanar BG, Reyes R, Fernández-Guasti A. Distribution of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in the brain of male rats with same-sex preference. Physiol Behav 2023; 268:114237. [PMID: 37192686 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Two distinct estrogen receptors (ERs) exist, ERα and ERβ. Both receptors participate in the sexual differentiation of the rat brain and likely participate in the regulation of adult sexual orientation (i.e. partner preference). This last idea was investigated herein by examining males treated with the aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, administered prenatally (0.56 μg/kg G10-22). This treatment usually provokes same-sex preference in 1-2 males per litter. Vehicle-treated males (with female preference) and females in spontaneous proestrus (with male preference) were included as controls. ERα and ERβ expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in brain areas known to control masculine sexual behavior and partner preference, like the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MeA) and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH), as well as other brain regions suspected to participate in these processes. In addition, serum levels of estradiol were determined in all male groups. Letrozole-treated male rats that preferred sexually experienced males (LPM) showed over-expressed ERα in the hippocampal cornu Ammonis (CA 1, 3, 4) and dentate gyrus. The LPM group showed up-regulated ERβ expression in the CA2 and reticular thalamic nucleus. The levels of estradiol did not differ between the groups. The higher expression of ERs in these males was different than their expression in females, with male sex-preference. This suggests that males with same-sex preference showed a unique brain, this sui generis steroid receptor expression probably participates in the biological underpinnings of sexual preference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebeca Reyes
- Departament of Pharmacobiology, Cinvestav, Unidad Coapa
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From Menopause to Neurodegeneration-Molecular Basis and Potential Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168654. [PMID: 34445359 PMCID: PMC8395405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of menopause on neurodegenerative diseases, especially the changes in steroid hormones, have been well described in cell models, animal models, and humans. However, the therapeutic effects of hormone replacement therapy on postmenopausal women with neurodegenerative diseases remain controversial. The steroid hormones, steroid hormone receptors, and downstream signal pathways in the brain change with aging and contribute to disease progression. Estrogen and progesterone are two steroid hormones which decline in circulation and the brain during menopause. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which plays an import role in neuroprotection, is rapidly decreased in serum after menopause. Here, we summarize the actions of estrogen, progesterone, and IGF-1 and their signaling pathways in the brain. Since the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is higher in women than in men, the associations of steroid hormone changes and AD are emphasized. The signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms for how steroid hormones and IGF-1 provide neuroprotection are also addressed. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of potential estrogen modulation on N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors (NMDARs) are also addressed. We provide the viewpoint of why hormone therapy has inconclusive results based on signaling pathways considering their complex response to aging and hormone treatments. Nonetheless, while diagnosable AD may not be treatable by hormone therapy, its preceding stage of mild cognitive impairment may very well be treatable by hormone therapy.
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Zaręba-Kozioł M, Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek A, Roszkowska M, Bijata K, Figiel I, Halder AK, Kamińska P, Müller FE, Basu S, Zhang W, Ponimaskin E, Włodarczyk J. S-Palmitoylation of Synaptic Proteins as a Novel Mechanism Underlying Sex-Dependent Differences in Neuronal Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126253. [PMID: 34200797 PMCID: PMC8230572 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sex differences in the brain are prevalent, the knowledge about mechanisms underlying sex-related effects on normal and pathological brain functioning is rather poor. It is known that female and male brains differ in size and connectivity. Moreover, those differences are related to neuronal morphology, synaptic plasticity, and molecular signaling pathways. Among different processes assuring proper synapse functions are posttranslational modifications, and among them, S-palmitoylation (S-PALM) emerges as a crucial mechanism regulating synaptic integrity. Protein S-PALM is governed by a family of palmitoyl acyltransferases, also known as DHHC proteins. Here we focused on the sex-related functional importance of DHHC7 acyltransferase because of its S-PALM action over different synaptic proteins as well as sex steroid receptors. Using the mass spectrometry-based PANIMoni method, we identified sex-dependent differences in the S-PALM of synaptic proteins potentially involved in the regulation of membrane excitability and synaptic transmission as well as in the signaling of proteins involved in the structural plasticity of dendritic spines. To determine a mechanistic source for obtained sex-dependent changes in protein S-PALM, we analyzed synaptoneurosomes isolated from DHHC7-/- (DHHC7KO) female and male mice. Our data showed sex-dependent action of DHHC7 acyltransferase. Furthermore, we revealed that different S-PALM proteins control the same biological processes in male and female synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Zaręba-Kozioł
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Correspondence: (M.Z.-K.); (J.W.)
| | - Anna Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Matylda Roszkowska
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Krystian Bijata
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Figiel
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Anup Kumar Halder
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadvapur University, Kolkata 700032, India; (A.K.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Paulina Kamińska
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
| | - Franziska E. Müller
- Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (F.E.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Subhadip Basu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadvapur University, Kolkata 700032, India; (A.K.H.); (S.B.)
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Department of Mental Health, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1/A9, 48149 Munster, Germany;
| | - Evgeni Ponimaskin
- Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (F.E.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Pasteur Str. 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-K.); (M.R.); (K.B.); (I.F.); (P.K.)
- Correspondence: (M.Z.-K.); (J.W.)
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