Frontiers in neuroendocrinology
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Front Neuroendocrinol · Jul 2018
ReviewPrecision medicine and drug development in Alzheimer's disease: the importance of sexual dimorphism and patient stratification.
Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are among the leading causes of disability and mortality. Considerable sex differences exist in the occurrence of the various manifestations leading to cognitive decline. Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibits substantial sexual dimorphisms and disproportionately affects women. ⋯ The emerging precision medicine and pharmacology concepts - taking into account the individual genetic and biological variability relevant for disease risk, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment - are expected to substantially enhance our knowledge and management of AD. Stratifying the affected individuals by sex and gender is an important basic step towards personalization of scientific research, drug development, and care. We hypothesize that sex and gender differences, extending from genetic to psychosocial domains, are highly relevant for the understanding of AD pathophysiology, and for the conceptualization of basic/translational research and for clinical therapy trial design.
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Front Neuroendocrinol · Apr 2015
ReviewTranssynaptic trophic effects of steroid hormones in an avian model of adult brain plasticity.
The avian song control system provides an excellent model for studying transsynaptic trophic effects of steroid sex hormones. Seasonal changes in systemic testosterone (T) and its metabolites regulate plasticity of this system. ⋯ Androgen action on RA neurons increases their activity and this has a retrograde trophic effect on the addition of new neurons to HVC. The functional linkage of sex steroids to BDNF may be of adaptive value in regulating the trophic effects of the neurotrophin and coordinating circuit function in reproductively relevant contexts.
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Front Neuroendocrinol · Apr 2014
ReviewGlucocorticoid actions on synapses, circuits, and behavior: implications for the energetics of stress.
Environmental stimuli that signal real or potential threats to homeostasis lead to glucocorticoid secretion by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Glucocorticoids promote energy redistribution and are critical for survival and adaptation. This adaptation requires the integration of multiple systems and engages key limbic-neuroendocrine circuits. ⋯ Thus, dysregulation of the HPA axis may promote stress-related illnesses (e.g. depression, PTSD). This review summarizes the latest developments in central glucocorticoid actions on synaptic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral regulation. Additionally, these findings will be discussed in terms of the energetic integration of stress and the importance of context-specific regulation of glucocorticoids.
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Front Neuroendocrinol · Jan 2014
ReviewEstrogen: a master regulator of bioenergetic systems in the brain and body.
Estrogen is a fundamental regulator of the metabolic system of the female brain and body. Within the brain, estrogen regulates glucose transport, aerobic glycolysis, and mitochondrial function to generate ATP. In the body, estrogen protects against adiposity, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes, and regulates energy intake and expenditure. ⋯ Estrogen coordinates brain and body metabolism, such that peripheral metabolic state can indicate bioenergetic status of the brain. By generating biomarker profiles that encompass peripheral metabolic changes occurring with menopause, individual risk profiles for decreased brain bioenergetics and cognitive decline can be created. Biomarker profiles could identify women at risk while also serving as indicators of efficacy of hormone therapy or other preventative interventions.
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Front Neuroendocrinol · Oct 2013
ReviewSex differences and hormonal modulation of deep tissue pain.
Women disproportionately suffer from many deep tissue pain conditions. Experimental studies show that women have lower pain thresholds, higher pain ratings and less tolerance to a range of painful stimuli. ⋯ Gonadal hormones modulate responses in primary afferents, dorsal horn neurons and supraspinal sites, but the direction of modulation is variable. This review will examine sex differences in deep tissue pain in humans and animals focusing on the role of gonadal hormones (mainly estradiol) as an underlying component of the modulation of pain sensitivity.