Sex-steroid actions on neurotransmission

Current Opinion in Neurology

Volumn 11, Issue 6, 1998, Pages 667-671

  Bicknell, R John ^a  

^a BABRAHAM INSTITUTE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ESTROGEN; ESTROGEN RECEPTOR; HORMONE RECEPTOR; NEUROTROPHIN; PROGESTERONE; PROGESTERONE RECEPTOR; SEX HORMONE;

ALZHEIMER DISEASE; ESTROGEN THERAPY; GENETIC TRANSCRIPTION; HUMAN; NERVE CELL PLASTICITY; NEUROPROTECTION; NEUROTRANSMISSION; PHENOTYPE; RECEPTOR GENE; REVIEW;

AGED; ALZHEIMER DISEASE; BRAIN; ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY; FEMALE; GENE EXPRESSION; GONADAL STEROID HORMONES; HUMANS; MALE; NEURONAL PLASTICITY; RECEPTORS, STEROID; SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION;

EID: 0031771824     PISSN: 13507540     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00019052-199812000-00010     Document Type: Review

References (40)

1. Couse JF, Korach KS. Exploring the role of sex steroids through studies of receptor deficient mice. J Mol Med 1998; 76:497-511. A review is presented of the importance of the oestrogen receptor alpha gained through study of the ERKO mouse.
2. Rissman EF, Early AH, Taylor JA, Korach KS, Lubahn DB. Estrogen receptors are essential for female sexual receptivity. Endocrinology 1997; 138:507-510.
3. Ogawa S, Lubahn DB, Korach KS, Pfaff DW. Behavioral effects of estrogen receptor gene disruption in male mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997; 94:1476-1481.
4. Simerly RB, Zee MC, Pendleton JW, Lubahn DB, Korach KS. Estrogen receptor-dependent sexual differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in the preoptic region of the mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997; 94:14077-14082.
5. Katzenellenbogen BS, Korach KS. A new actor in the estrogen receptor drama-enter ER-β [editorial]. Endocrinology 1997; 138:861-862.
6. Enmark E, Pelto-Huikko M, Grandien K, Lagercrantz S, Lagercrantz J, Fried G, et al. Human estrogen receptor β-gene structure, chromosomal localization, and expression pattern. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997; 82:4258-4265.
7. Shughrue PJ, Lane MV, Merchenthaler I. Comparative distribution of estrogen receptor-alpha and -beta mRNA in the rat central nervous system. J Comp Neurol 1997; 388:507-525. This is the first detailed description of the pattern of expression in the brain of the recently discovered second oestrogen receptor, showing overall similarity with oestrogen receptor-alpha expression but with some interesting differences. Cellular coexpression studies are now ongoing.
8. Chappell PE, Lydon JP, Conneely OM, O'Malley BW, Levine JE, Endocrine defects in mice carrying a null mutation for the progesterone receptor gene. Endocrinology 1997; 138:4147-4152. Progesterone receptor knockout mice show abnormal gonadotrophin cyclicity and lack of a luteinising hormone surge in response to male odour, in addition to other reproductive abnormalities.
9. Simonian SX, Herbison AE. Differential expression of estrogen receptor and neuropeptide Y by brainstem A1 and A2 noradrenaline neurons. Neuroscience 1997; 76:517-529.
10. Herbison AE. Noradrenergic regulation of cyclic GnRH secretion. Rev Reprod 1997; 2:1-6.
11. Yokosuka M, Prins GS, Hayashi S. Co-localization of androgen receptor and nitric oxide synthase in the ventral premammillary nucleus of the newborn rat: an immunohistochemical study. Dev Brain Res 1997; 99:226-233.
12. Herbison AE. Multimodal influence of estrogen upon gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons. Endocrine Rev 1998; 19:302-330. This is an excellent and detailed review of current evidence and thinking as to how oestrogen regulates cyclical gonadotrophin releasing-hormone and gonadotrophin secretion in mammals. Current evidence is strongly in favour of indirect mediation of genomic influences, but still allows for direct actions of oestrogen on the gonadotrophin releasing-hormone neurone.
13. Thind KK, Goldsmith PC. Expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in glutamate and GABA neurons of the pubertal female monkey hypothalamus. Neuroendocrinology 1997; 65:314-324.
14. Eckersell CB, Popper P, Micevych PE. Estrogen-induced alteration of μ-opioid receptor immunoreactivity in the medial preoptic nucleus and medial amygdala. J Neurosci 1998; 18:3967-3976. This study involved elegant utilization of the phenomenon of agonist-induced internalization of G-protein coupled receptors, here measured in situ, to reveal an effect of oestrogen within 30 min on μ-opioid receptors. It is suggested that oestrogen is rapidly stimulating release of endogenous opioids in the specific brain areas examined.
15. McQueen JK, Wilson H, Fink G. Estradiol-17 beta increases serotonin transporter (SERT) mRNA levels and the density of SERT_binding sites in female rat brain. Mol Brain Res 1997; 45:13-23.
16. Sumner BEH, Fink G. The density of 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptors in forebrain is increased at pro-oestrus in intact female rats. Neurosci Lett 1997; 234:7-10.
17. Alves SE, Weiland NG, Hayashi S, McEwen BS. Immunocytochemical localization of nuclear estrogen receptors and progestin receptors within the rat dorsal raphe nucleus. J Comp Neurol 1998; 39:322-334.
18. Mani SK, Allen JMC, Lydon JP, Mulac-Jericevic, Blaustein JD, DeMayo FJ, et al. Dopamine requires the unoccupied progesterone receptor to induce sexual behavior in mice. Mol Endocrinol 1996; 10:1728-1737.
19. 1 dopamine receptor as previously described.
20. 1 and muscarinic cholinergic receptors synergize in this effect.
21. El-Tanani MKK, Green CD. Two separate mechanisms for ligand-independent activation of the estrogen receptor. Mol Endocrinol 1997; 11:928-937.
22. Watters JW, Dorsa DM. Transcriptional effects of estrogen on neuronal neurotensin gene expression involve cAMP/protein kinase A-dependent signaling mechanisms. J Neurosci 1998; 18:6672-6680.
23. A receptor subunit and a decrease in the decay time for GABA currents. Susceptibility to seizures is increased and sensitivity to benzodiazepine anxiolytics is decreased, suggesting that this may be a model for the neural mechanisms underlying premenstrual and perhaps postpartum syndromes.
24. Britton KT, Koob GF. Premenstrual steroids? Nature 1998; 392: 869-870.
25. A receptors to allopregnanolone in late pregnancy when progesterone/allopregnanolone levels fall dramatically before oxytocin neuronal activation at parturition.
26. Grazzini E, Guillon G, Mouillac B, Zingg HH. Inhibition of oxytocin receptor function by direct binding of progesterone. Nature 1998; 392:509-512. This is the first report of a G-protein coupled receptor having a steroid binding modulatory site. Given the association between oxytocin and progesterone receptor functioning in pregnancy, this finding is particularly fascinating.
27. Moss RL, Gu Q, Wong M. Estrogen: nontranscriptional signaling pathway. Rec Prog Horm Res 1997; 52:33-69.
28. Gu Q, Moss RL. Novel mechanism for non-genomic action of 17β-oestradiol on kainate-induced currents in isolated rat CA1 hippocampal neurones. J Physiol 1998; 506:745-754. Oestrogen rapidly potentiates kainate receptor mediated currents. This study provides some of the best evidence to date for the molecular mechanism which, perhaps surprisingly, involves actions at both faces of the plasma membrane.
29. Weaver CE Jr, Park-Chung M, Gibbs TT, Farb DH. 17β-estradiol protects against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity by direct inhibition of NMDA receptors. Brain Res 1997; 761:338-341.
30. Park-Chung M, Wu F-S, Purdy RH, Malayev AA, Gibbs TT, Farb DH. Distinct sites for inverse modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors by sulfated steroids. Mol Pharmacol 1997; 52:1113-1123.
31. Lagrange AH, Ronnekleiv OK, Kelly MJ. Modulation of G protein-coupled receptors by an estrogen receptor that activates protein kinase A. Mol Pharmacol 1997; 51:605-612. Intracellular recordings reveal that estrogen rapidly reduces the potency of μ-opioid agonists to activate a potassium conductance. The authors suggest that estrogen acts non-genomically through a specific receptor, activating protein kinase A to uncouple the opioid receptor from its potassium channel.
32. Cunningham MJ, Fang Y, Selley DA, Kelly MJ. μ-Opioid agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPS binding in guinea pig hypothalamus: effects of estrogen. Brain Res 1998; 791:341-346.
33. McEwen BS, Alves SE, Bulloch K, Weiland NG. Ovarian steroids and the brain: Implications for cognition and aging. Neurology 1997; 40 (Suppl 7):S8-S15.
34. Woolley CS, Weiland NG, McEwen BS, Schwartzkroin PA. Estradiol increases the sensitivity of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells to NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic input: correlation with dendritic spine density. J Neurosci 1997; 17:1848-1859. Oestrogen increasesdendritic spine/synapse density in parallel with increased sensitivity to NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic input. Such synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurones may be involved in the cellular processes of memory and learning.
35. Fernandez-Galaz MC, Morschl E, Chowen JA, Torres-Aleman I, Naftolin F, Garcia-Segura LM. Role of astroglia and insulin-like growth factor-1 in gonadal hormone-dependent synaptic plasticity. Brain Res Bull 1997; 44:525-531.
36. Horvath TL, Garcia-Segura LM, Naftolin F. Lack of gonadotropin-positive feedback in the male rat is associated with lack of estrogen-induced synaptic plasticity in the arcuate nucleus. Neuroendocrinology 1997; 65:136-140.
37. Gibbs RB. Levels of trkA and BDNF mRNA, but not NGF mRNA, fluctuate across the estrous cycle and increase in response to acute hormone replacement. Brain Res 1998; 787:259-268.
38. Henderson VW. The epidemiology of estrogen replacement therapy and Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 1997; 48 (Suppl 7):S27-S35.
39. Xu H, Gouras GK, Greenfield JP, Vincents, Naslund J, Mazzarelli L, et al. Estrogen reduces neuronal generation of Alzheimer β-amyloid peptides. Nature Med 1998; 4:447-451. For the first time a cellular mechanism is suggested whereby oestrogen could interact with processes speculated as causal in Alzheimer's disease.
40. Stone DJ, Rozovsky I, Morgan TE, Anderson CP, Finch CE. Increased synaptic sprouting in response to estrogen via an apolipoprotein E-dependent mechanism: Implications for Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci 1998; 18:3180-3185. The actions of oestrogen to enhance synaptic sprouting after a lesion in the cortex are here shown to compromised in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice. These findings provide a speculative link between two known risk factors in Alzheimer's disease.