{"title":"Steroid-dependent plasticity in the song control system: Perineuronal nets and HVC neurogenesis","authors":"Jacques Balthazart","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>The vocal control nucleus HVC in songbirds has emerged as a widespread model system to study adult brain plasticity in response to</em> changes in the hormonal and social environment. I review here studies completed in my laboratory during the last decade that concern two aspects of this plasticity: changes in aggregations of extracellular matrix components surrounding the soma of inhibitory parvalbumin-positive neurons called perineuronal nets (PNN) and the production/incorporation of new neurons. Both features are modulated by the season, age, sex and endocrine status of the birds in correlation with changes in song structure and stability. Causal studies have also investigated the role of PNN and of new neurons in the control of song. Dissolving PNN with chondroitinase sulfate, a specific enzyme applied directly on HVC or depletion of new neurons by focalized X-ray irradiation both affected song structure but the amplitude of changes was limited and deserves further investigations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101097"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10490409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raquel Santos-Toscano , Maria Angeles Arevalo , Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura , Daniela Grassi , Natalia Lagunas
{"title":"Interaction of gonadal hormones, dopaminergic system, and epigenetic regulation in the generation of sex differences in substance use disorders: A systematic review","authors":"Raquel Santos-Toscano , Maria Angeles Arevalo , Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura , Daniela Grassi , Natalia Lagunas","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic condition characterized by pathological drug-taking and seeking behaviors. Remarkably different between males and females, suggesting that drug addiction is a sexually differentiated disorder. The neurobiological bases of sex differences in SUD include sex-specific reward system activation, influenced by interactions between gonadal hormone level changes, dopaminergic reward circuits, and epigenetic modifications of key reward system genes. This systematic review, adhering to PICOS and PRISMA-P 2015 guidelines, highlights the sex-dependent roles of estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone in SUD. In particular, estradiol elevates and progesterone reduces dopaminergic activity in SUD females, whilst testosterone and progesterone augment SUD behavior in males. Finally, SUD is associated with a sex-specific increase in the rate of opioid and monoaminergic gene methylation. The study reveals the need for detailed research on gonadal hormone levels, dopaminergic or reward system activity, and epigenetic landscapes in both sexes for efficient SUD therapy development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101085"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9981743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Focus on fentanyl in females: Sex and gender differences in the physiological and behavioral effects of fentanyl","authors":"Kaitlyn M. Little, Therese A Kosten","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The prevalence of opioid use disorder and overdose continues to harm the U.S. population and is further exacerbated by the use of the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, and its analogs. Gender differences in the effects of fentanyl are not well understood. The present article reviews evidence for gender and sex differences in the physiological and behavioral effects of fentanyl in humans and animals. Biological sex seems to be a foundational driver in addiction vulnerability and affects mechanisms related to opioid use including fentanyl. Fentanyl has distinct pharmacodynamics and enhanced efficacy relative to other opioids that highlights the need to investigate how females may be uniquely altered by its use. Behavioral and physiological responses to fentanyl are found to differ by sex and gender in many cases, including outputs like affective symptoms, analgesia, tolerance, and withdrawal emphasizing the need for further research about the role of biological sex on fentanyl use.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101096"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10140790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shameena Bake , Siara K. Rouzer , Shruti Mavuri, Rajesh C. Miranda, Amanda H. Mahnke
{"title":"The interaction of genetic sex and prenatal alcohol exposure on health across the lifespan","authors":"Shameena Bake , Siara K. Rouzer , Shruti Mavuri, Rajesh C. Miranda, Amanda H. Mahnke","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can reprogram the development of cells and tissues, resulting in a spectrum of physical and neurobehavioral teratology. PAE immediately impacts fetal growth, but its effects carry forward post-parturition, into adolescence and adulthood, and can result in a cluster of disabilities, collectively termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Emerging preclinical and clinical research investigating neurological and behavioral outcomes in exposed offspring point to genetic sex as an important modifier of the effects of PAE. In this review, we discuss the literature on sex differences following PAE, with studies spanning the fetal period through adulthood, and highlight gaps in research where sex differences are likely, but currently under-investigated. Understanding how sex and PAE interact to affect offspring health outcomes across the lifespan is critical for identifying the full complement of PAE-associated secondary conditions, and for refining targeted interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals with PAE.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101103"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41116077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jordan C. Barone , Mitchell P. Butler , Ashley Ross , Anna Patterson , Melissa Wagner-Schuman , Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul
{"title":"A scoping review of hormonal clinical trials in menstrual cycle-related brain disorders: Studies in premenstrual mood disorder, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy","authors":"Jordan C. Barone , Mitchell P. Butler , Ashley Ross , Anna Patterson , Melissa Wagner-Schuman , Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cyclic variations in hormones during the normal menstrual cycle underlie multiple central nervous system (CNS)-linked disorders, including premenstrual mood disorder (PMD), menstrual migraine (MM), and catamenial epilepsy (CE). Despite this foundational mechanistic link, these three fields operate independently of each other. In this scoping review (N = 85 studies), we survey existing human research studies in PMD, MM, and CE to outline the exogenous experimental hormone manipulation trials conducted in these fields. We examine a broad range of literature across these disorders in order to summarize existing diagnostic practices and research methods, highlight gaps in the experimental human literature, and elucidate future research opportunities within each field. While no individual treatment or study design can fit every disease, there is immense overlap in study design and established neuroendocrine-based hormone sensitivity among the menstrual cycle-related disorders PMD, MM, and CE.</p></div><div><h3>Scoping review structured summary</h3><p><em>Background.</em> The menstrual cycle can be a biological trigger of symptoms in certain brain disorders, leading to specific, menstrual cycle-linked phenomena such as premenstrual mood disorders (PMD), menstrual migraine (MM), and catamenial epilepsy (CE). Despite the overlap in chronicity and hormonal provocation, these fields have historically operated independently, without any systematic communication about methods or mechanisms.</p><p><em>Objective</em>. Online databases were used to identify articles published between 1950 and 2021 that studied hormonal manipulations in reproductive-aged females with either PMD, MM, or CE. We selected N = 85 studies that met the following criteria: 1) included a study population of females with natural menstrual cycles (e.g., not perimenopausal, pregnant, or using hormonal medications that were not the primary study variable); 2) involved an exogenous hormone manipulation; 3) involved a repeated measurement across at least two cycle phases as the primary outcome variable.</p><p><em>Charting methods.</em> After exporting online database query results, authors extracted sample size, clinical diagnosis of sample population, study design, experimental hormone manipulation, cyclical outcome measure, and results from each trial. Charting was completed manually, with two authors reviewing each trial.</p><p><em>Results.</em> Exogenous hormone manipulations have been tested as treatment options for PMD (N = 56 trials) more frequently than MM (N = 21) or CE (N = 8). Combined oral contraceptive (COC) trials, specifically those containing drospirenone as the progestin, are a well-studied area with promising results for treating both PMDD and MM. We found no trials of COCs in CE. Many trials test ovulation suppression using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), and a <em>meta</em>-analysis supports their efficacy in PMD; GnRHa have been tested in two MM-re","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101098"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10095120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aversion-associated drug and alcohol seeking in females","authors":"Miranda E. Arnold, Jesse R. Schank","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Compulsive drug intake is characterized by the continuation of use regardless of negative consequences. This is modeled preclinically using procedures where a negative stimulus is delivered contingently with consumption of the reinforcer. In humans, women and men exhibit different drug taking behavior as it pertains to overall use, withdrawal symptoms, and rate of dependence. In substance use research, females have often been excluded from many studies due to concerns that circulating sex hormones may affect drug seeking behavior. However, the more recent inclusion of females in preclinical studies has identified interesting sex differences in aversion-resistant intake of drugs and alcohol. This review will serve to summarize key findings in aversion-related intake of alcohol, psychostimulants, and opioids in females by examining studies that have included female subjects. Further discussion will examine the effect of intake model, neuroanatomical pathways, and sex hormones in the expression of aversion-resistant drug and alcohol consumption.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101095"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10018552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stress and gonadal steroid influences on alcohol drinking and withdrawal, with focus on animal models in females","authors":"Deborah A. Finn","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sexually dimorphic effects of alcohol, following binge drinking, chronic intoxication, and withdrawal, are documented at the level of the transcriptome and in behavioral and physiological responses. The purpose of the current review is to update and to expand upon contributions of the endocrine system to alcohol drinking and withdrawal in females, with a focus on animal models. Steroids important in the hypothalamic-pituitary–gonadal and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axes, the reciprocal interactions between these axes, the effects of chronic alcohol use on steroid levels, and the genomic and rapid membrane-associated effects of steroids and neurosteroids in models of alcohol drinking and withdrawal are described. Importantly, comparison between males and females highlight some divergent effects of sex- and stress-steroids on alcohol drinking- and withdrawal-related behaviors, and the distinct differences in response emphasize the importance of considering sex in the development of novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101094"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10173108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Androgen action on myogenesis throughout the lifespan; comparison with neurogenesis","authors":"Sabrina Tzivia Barsky , Douglas Ashley Monks","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Androgens’ pleiotropic actions in promoting sex differences present not only a challenge to providing a comprehensive account of their function, but also an opportunity to gain insights by comparing androgenic actions across organ systems. Although often overlooked by neuroscientists, skeletal muscle is another androgen-responsive organ system which shares with the nervous system properties of electrochemical excitability, behavioral relevance, and remarkable capacity for adaptive plasticity. Here we review androgenic regulation of mitogenic plasticity in skeletal muscle with the goal of identifying areas of interest to those researching androgenic mechanisms mediating sexual differentiation of neurogenesis. We use an organizational-activational framework to relate broad areas of similarity and difference between androgen effects on mitogenesis in muscle and brain throughout the lifespan, from early organogenesis, through pubertal organization, adult activation, and aging. The focus of the review is androgenic regulation of muscle-specific stem cells (satellite cells), which share with neural stem cells essential functions in development, plasticity, and repair, albeit with distinct, muscle-specific features. Also considered are areas of paracrine and endocrine interaction between androgen action on muscle and nervous system, including mediation of neural plasticity of innervating and distal neural populations by muscle-produced trophic factors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101101"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10194990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insufficient support for retinoic acid receptor control of synaptic plasticity through a non-genomic mechanism","authors":"Gregg Duester","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>It is well established that retinoic acid receptors (RARs) function as nuclear receptors that control gene expression in response to binding of the ligand retinoic acid (RA). However, some studies have proposed that RAR-alpha (RARa) controls synaptic plasticity via non-genomic effects outside the nucleus, i.e. effects on mRNA translation of GluA1, a sub-unit of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor. In order to support this non-genomic mechanism, studies have reported RARa knockout mice or treatment with pharmacological levels of RA and RAR antagonists to propose that RARa is required to control normal synaptic plasticity. A major shortcoming of the non-genomic hypothesis is that there have been no mutational studies showing that RARa can bind the GluA1 mRNA to control GLUA1 protein levels in a non-genomic manner. Also, without a genetic study that removes the endogenous ligand RA, it is impossible to conclude that RARa and its ligand RA control synaptic plasticity through a non-genomic signaling mechanism.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101099"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10282474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Águeda Castro-Quintas , Helena Palma-Gudiel , Nerea San Martín-González , Javier R. Caso , Juan C. Leza , Lourdes Fañanás
{"title":"Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A as a potential biomarker of psychosocial stress response during the first stages of life: A systematic review","authors":"Águeda Castro-Quintas , Helena Palma-Gudiel , Nerea San Martín-González , Javier R. Caso , Juan C. Leza , Lourdes Fañanás","doi":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) has been recognized as a key component of human first line defense against infection. However, its reactivity to psychosocial stressors is poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to explore whether s-IgA levels changed after psychosocial stress in subjects under the age of 18. Fifteen articles were included. s-IgA basal levels are increased in children older than 9 years old exposed to stress. Furthermore, s-IgA seems to follow a circadian rhythm, which is altered under stress conditions. Finally, the collective evidence suggests that salivary s-IgA rapidly increases under acute stress after puberty. Overall, our review indicates that s-IgA could be considered a potential psychosocial stress biomarker of interest for pediatric and child-juvenile psychiatric population. Further studies are needed to validate the role of s-IgA circadian rhythm and basal levels as psychosocial stress biomarkers and disentangle the role of age and type of stressor.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12469,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101083"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9877040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}