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Sex differences in the brain expression of steroidogenic molecules under basal conditions and after gonadectomy
- Source :
- Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2019.
-
Abstract
- The brain is a steroidogenic tissue. It expresses key molecules involved in the synthesis and metabolism of neuroactive steroids, such as steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3β-HSD), 5α-reductases (5α-R) and 3α-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductases (3α-HSOR). Previous studies have shown that the levels of brain steroids are different in male and female rats under basal conditions and after gonadectomy. In the present study, we assessed gene expression of key neurosteroidogenic molecules in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of gonadally intact and gonadectomised adult male and female rats. In the cerebellum, the basal mRNA levels of StAR and 3α-HSOR were significantly higher in females than in males. By contrast, the mRNA levels of TSPO and 5α-R were significantly higher in males. In the cerebral cortex, all neurosteroidogenic molecules analysed showed similar mRNA levels in males and females. Gonadectomy increased the expression of 5α-R in the brain of both sexes, although it affected the brain expression of StAR, TSPO, P450scc and 3α-HSOR in females only and with regional differences. Although protein levels were not investigated in the present study, our findings indicate that mRNA expression of steroidogenic molecules in the adult rat brain is sexually dimorphic and presents regional specificity, both under basal conditions and after gonadectomy. Thus, local steroidogenesis may contribute to the reported sex and regional differences in the levels of brain neuroactive steroids and may be involved in the generation of sex differences in the adult brain function.<br />This research was supported by grants from MIUR Progetto Eccellenza and Intramural Grant Line‐B from Università degli Studi di Milano to Silvia Giatti. We also thank Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain (grant number BFU2017‐82754‐R), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, and Fondos Feder for financial support to L.M. Garcia‐Segura.
- Subjects :
- Male
Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase
endocrine system
medicine.medical_specialty
Cerebellum
Neuroactive steroid
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Gene Expression
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Biology
neuroactive steroids
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
03 medical and health sciences
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
0302 clinical medicine
Endocrinology
male
Internal medicine
Gene expression
medicine
Translocator protein
Animals
Castration
Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme
RNA, Messenger
Cerebral Cortex
Sex Characteristics
Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein
Cerebral cortex
3-alpha-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (B-Specific)
Phosphoproteins
Receptors, GABA-A
Sexual dimorphism
female
medicine.anatomical_structure
biology.protein
Female
Steroids
Carrier Proteins
Oxidoreductases
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13652826 and 09538194
- Volume :
- 31
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Neuroendocrinology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....51ce83a65ec5c9df5fc4bcc409d10366