{"title":"The role of androgens in sexual health and well-being after menopause: Unmet needs and opportunities","authors":"Sarah Cipriani , Elisa Maseroli , Linda Vignozzi","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Estrogens have been historically considered as the most relevant ovarian hormones for women's general and sexual health. There is, however, growing evidence regarding the important role played by androgens both at central and peripheral levels. Therefore, this review will focus on the role of androgens, particularly testosterone, in sexual health and general well-being in menopausal women.</p><p><span>In the vagina, recent preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of androgens to positively modulate </span>smooth muscle cell relaxation – fundamental for sexual arousal – and to blunt chronic immuno-inflammatory processes. Furthermore, the female brain is also a crucial sexual organ targeted by androgens.</p><p>Future research should address the still controversial role of androgens in affecting female cardiovascular risk and several aspects of women's health.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100405"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46569339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stress, adolescence, and sex dimorphism","authors":"Marie-Pierre Moisan","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>Recent studies have revealed that adolescence is a period of intense brain plasticity rendering this developmental stage vulnerable to the deleterious effects of stress on mental health. Stress-sensitive brain regions, involved in cognitive and affective processes, are actively developing during this period, through synaptic pruning, </span>myelination<span>, and connectivity between each other. Specific stress reactivity in adolescence may result from the programming effect of previous early life adversities or from exposure to stressors incurred during the peri-adolescent period. In each case, the outcomes are often sex-specific due to difference in genes present on sex chromosomes, sex-specific parent-of-origin gene expression as well as the influence of gonadal hormones that impact brain maturation during development and around puberty. Misreporting of sex dimorphism still exist and need to be solved by better training. More longitudinal clinical analyses are awaited to separate the effect of cumulative stress to the ones occurring specifically at adolescence.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100418"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41681268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial overview: Neuroendocrine response to stress","authors":"Ferenc A. Antoni, Megan C. Holmes","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100422","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100422"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41551258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eleni Armeni , Nicoletta Mili , Elina Siliogka , Dimitrios G. Goulis , Irene Lambrinoudaki
{"title":"Menopause medical education around the world: The way forward to serve women's health","authors":"Eleni Armeni , Nicoletta Mili , Elina Siliogka , Dimitrios G. Goulis , Irene Lambrinoudaki","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>The transition to menopause is a hallmark in women's life, associated with bothersome symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, and mood disturbances, which compromise the </span>quality of life<span><span>. Menopause is also associated with chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis<span>. Managing menopause requires theoretical education on the physiologic underpinnings of menopause, which should be combined with clinical experience in treatment strategies. The current review aimed to illustrate gaps in menopause education in Medical School and specialty training programs, and explore physicians' understanding of the topic. Although menopause education is a topic incorporated in Medical School and specialty training curricula and, although Menopause Societies worldwide provide educational modules, physicians' knowledge and competence remain inadequate. General Medicine specialty training programs should reinforce menopause education as part of their mandatory curricula to improve the skills of trainees in managing </span></span>women's health issues at every age.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100387"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43218525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Helen Eachus , Soojin Ryu , Marysia Placzek , Jonathan Wood
{"title":"Zebrafish as a model to investigate the CRH axis and interactions with DISC1","authors":"Helen Eachus , Soojin Ryu , Marysia Placzek , Jonathan Wood","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from CRH neurons activates the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, one of the main physiological stress response systems. Complex feedback loops operate in the HPA axis and understanding the neurobiological mechanisms regulating CRH neurons is of great importance in the context of stress disorders. In this article, we review how <em>in vivo</em> studies in zebrafish have advanced knowledge of the neurobiology of CRH neurons. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) mutant zebrafish have blunted stress responses and can be used to model human stress disorders. We propose that DISC1 influences the development and functioning of CRH neurons as a mechanism linking DISC1 to psychiatric disorders.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100383"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9823094/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9088742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor neurons modulate behavior, endocrine, and autonomic stress responses via direct synaptic projections","authors":"Shivakumar Rajamanickam , Nicholas J. Justice","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In response to stress, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons located in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus<span><span> (PVN) activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Recently, PVN CRF neurons have been shown to also modulate stress-responsive behavior<span> dynamically, via direct synaptic projections. In addition, a population of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) positive neurons were identified in the PVN that respond to local CRF release and project to local, rostral and caudal </span></span>brain nuclei to influence stress responses. Both direct projections by CRF neurons and local activation of CRFR1+ neurons in the PVN allow CRF neurons that traditionally have been thought to be dedicated to controlling HPA axis activity to also modulate behavior, endocrine and autonomic features of the stress response acutely as a threat unfolds.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100400"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48491082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Key factors in menopause health disparities and inequities: Beyond race and ethnicity","authors":"Yamnia I. Cortés , Valentina Marginean","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To summarize recent evidence of the sociocultural, environmental, behavioral, and biological factors that contribute to disparities and inequities in menopause health.</p><p>Racism, discrimination, chronic stress, and trauma are related to more severe menopause symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk during the menopause transition (MT). Living in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of air pollution and less greenspace may be associated with a younger age at menopause. These sociocultural and built environments may lead to adverse physiologic changes and health outcomes during the MT, which disproportionately affect women of color.</p><p>Emerging literature supports the need to address upstream factors that drive inequities in menopause health including, racism, discrimination, and health care access. Women of color and those who identify as a sexual or gender minority likely perceive and experience the MT differently, but additional research is needed to evaluate this fully.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100389"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47664009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stressed and wired: The effects of stress on the VTA circuits underlying motivated behavior","authors":"Daniel C. Lowes , Alexander Z. Harris","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Stress affects many brain regions, including the ventral tegmental area<span> (VTA), which is critically involved in reward processing. Excessive stress can reduce reward-seeking behaviors<span> but also exacerbate substance use disorders, two seemingly contradictory outcomes. Recent research has revealed that the VTA is a heterogenous structure with diverse populations of efferents and afferents serving different functions. Stress has correspondingly diverse effects on VTA neuron activity, tending to decrease lateral VTA dopamine (DA) neuron activity, while increasing medial VTA DA and GABA neuron activity. Here we review the differential effects of stress on the activity of these distinct VTA neuron populations and how they contribute to decreases in reward-seeking behavior or increases in drug self-administration.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100388"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10746300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping endocrine networks by stable isotope tracing","authors":"Ruth Andrew, Roland H. Stimson","doi":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100381","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100381","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hormones regulate metabolic homeostasis through interlinked dynamic networks of proteins and small molecular weight metabolites, and state-of-the-art chemical technologies have been developed to decipher these complex pathways. Stable-isotope tracers have largely replaced radiotracers to measure flux in humans, building on advances in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These technologies are now being applied to localise molecules within tissues. Radiotracers are still highly valuable both preclinically and in 3D imaging by positron emission tomography. The coming of age of vibrational spectroscopy in conjunction with stable-isotope tracing offers detailed cellular insights to map complex biological processes. Together with computational modelling, these approaches are poised to coalesce into multi-modal platforms to provide hitherto inaccessible dynamic and spatial insights into endocrine signalling.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52218,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100381"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451965022000667/pdfft?md5=15cda32b95f78121d2adf52851ed1f09&pid=1-s2.0-S2451965022000667-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47547659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}