Biology of Sex Differences最新文献

{"title":"Sex dependency of subconscious visual perception.","authors":"Zakia Z Haque, Daniel J Fehring, Ranshikha Samandra, Oriana Lamoureux, Alexander J Pascoe, Farshad A Mansouri","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00754-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-025-00754-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Males are more susceptible to neurodevelopmental cognitive deficits in their perception of visual information. Subliminally-presented visual stimuli might be subconsciously perceived and consequently influence upcoming decisions, however it is still unclear whether subconscious perception differs between males and females. In this study, young adults performed a two-choice target detection task. In the Baseline condition (trials), participants relied only on their ability to detect the target. In the Cued-conscious condition, a visual cue (information) was presented (250 ms) on the same side of an upcoming target and indicated its location (left/right). In the Subliminal-same condition, a briefly presented (~16 ms) cue correctly indicated the target location, however in the Subliminal-opposite condition the cue was shown on the opposite side of the upcoming target and provided incorrect information. Participants' performance in the Cued-conscious condition was significantly higher than the Baseline and subliminal conditions. In both females and males, performance in the Subliminal-same and Subliminal-opposite conditions was higher and lower than the Baseline condition respectively; indicating that the subliminal cues (information) affected upcoming decisions. However, the effects were significantly larger in males, suggesting males express heightened sensitivity to subliminal visual information, compared to age- and education-matched females. In both males and females, background acoustic stimuli (Music, White noise or Silence) influenced conscious and subconscious visual information processing. Autonomic nervous system activity, assessed through event-related electrodermal activity, was also differentially modulated by supraliminal and subliminal visual information. Our findings indicate remarkable sex dependency in the effects of subliminal visual information on cognitive functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"72"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145237622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics protein signaling networks identify sex-specific therapeutic candidates in lung adenocarcinoma.","authors":"Chen Chen, Enakshi Saha, Jonas Fischer, Marouen Ben Guebila, Viola Fanfani, Katherine H Shutta, Megha Padi, Kimberly Glass, Dawn L DeMeo, Camila M Lopes-Ramos, John Quackenbush","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00752-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00752-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lung adenocarcinoma shows distinct differences between males and females in incidence, prognosis, and treatment response, suggesting unique molecular mechanisms that remain underexplored. This study aims to identify sex-specific molecular signatures and therapeutic targets in lung adenocarcinoma using multi-omics approaches to inform personalized treatment strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an integrative analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets, comparing male and female lung adenocarcinoma profiles. Transcription factor activity was assessed using TIGER on gene expression data, while kinase activity was evaluated with PTM-SEA on proteomic data. These results were combined to build a kinase-transcription factor signaling network. Potential sex-specific drugs were identified using the PRISM drug screening database.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed significant sex-based differences in transcription factor and kinase activity. Notably, NR3C1, AR, and AURKA exhibited sex-biased expression and activity. The constructed signaling network highlighted druggable pathways linked to cancer-related processes, with distinct profiles in males and females. PRISM screening identified glucocorticoid receptor agonists and aurora kinase inhibitors as promising sex-specific therapeutic candidates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings underscore the importance of considering sex differences in lung adenocarcinoma molecular profiles. The integration of transcriptomic and proteomic data reveals sex-specific pathways and potential therapies, paving the way for personalized treatment approaches tailored to male and female patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"71"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482505/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic variants (Lhcgr^W495X/+) and environmental toxicants (DEHP) synergistically induce DSD by interfering with steroidogenic gene expression.","authors":"Xie Qigen, Xia Kai, Cao Haiming, Xu Zhe, Gao Yong, Deng Chunhua","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00753-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00753-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Emerging evidence suggests that genetic variants and environmental toxicants may synergistically contribute to DSD. To test this hypothesis, we employed Lhcgr^W495X/+ (luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor) male mice subjected to prenatal Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure, a model designed to investigate steroidogenic gene expression in gene-environment interactions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pregnant wild-type (WT) dams (mated with Lhcgr^W495X/+ heterozygote (HET) received varying levels of DEHP: no exposure, low-dose (100 mg/kg/d) DEHP, and high-dose (1000 mg/kg/d) DEHP during gestation, which led to prenatal exposure in male offspring. Male offspring were divided into HET (Lhcgr^W495X/+) and WT groups based on genotype in three levels of DEHP exposure. The study assessed phenotypic characteristics (DSD, testosterone levels, and semen quality) and examined the expression of steroidogenic genes (Lhcgr, Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, Hsd17b3, and Hsd3b2).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Lhcgr^W495X/+ male offspring without DEHP exposure exhibited normal phenotypes and steroidogenic gene profiles. Low-dose DEHP had no detectable effects on WT offspring, but synergistically induced DSD in Lhcgr^W495X/+ male offspring by interfering with steroidogenic gene expression (Lhcgr, Hsd17b3, Hsd3b2). High-dose DEHP caused DSD in both genotypes, but the severity of DSD and interference with steroidogenic gene expression were more pronounced in Lhcgr^W495X/+ male offspring.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study verifies that Genetic variants (Lhcgr^W495X/+) and environmental toxicants (DEHP) synergistically induce DSD, thereby elucidating the pathogenesis of DSD. Interfering with steroidogenic gene expression may be an important synergistical mechanism. This finding highlights the clinical imperative to minimize prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors, particularly in pregnancies with variants of DSD.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"X-linked transcriptome dysregulation across immune cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.","authors":"Mafalda Soares, Inês Saraiva Wemans, Paulo Caldas, Simão Teixeira da Rocha, Ana Rita Grosso","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00750-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00750-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex immune-mediated disease with a strong female predominance. This sex bias may be linked to the presence of two X chromosomes, which are not always adequately dosage compensated by X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Disruption in X-linked transcriptome expression may contribute to altered immune function and increased susceptibility to autoimmunity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To investigate the role of X-linked gene expression in SLE, we performed a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of 27 immune cell types from 125 female SLE patients and 66 healthy controls. We further applied a multivariate approach to integrate X-linked gene expression across all immune cell types and classify SLE patients. Additionally, we extended these models to other chromosomes and explored the correlation between autosome disease markers, including members of the XIST-interactome, and X-linked expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed a significant increase in X-linked gene expression in T cells, B cells and plasmablasts, while monocytes and plasmacytoid dendritic cells exhibited the opposite trend. Multivariate models based solely on X-linked expression were highly accurate and highlighted key disease-associated markers. Interestingly, autosome-based models relied on markers highly correlated with X-linked gene expression and components of the XIST-interactome, which regulates XCI. Notably, we found that XIST lncRNA was consistently downregulated across multiple cell types, particularly in monocytes and Th1 cells. Such downregulation correlated with increased expression of SLE-associated genes, interferon signalling, and epigenetic regulators like KMT2D. Further analysis revealed extensive dysregulation of the XIST-interactome in SLE, predicting X-linked transcriptome alterations in a cell-type-specific manner.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of X-linked gene expression across immune cells in SLE. Our study highlights the complexity of X-linked transcriptional changes, with distinct patterns observed across both innate and adaptive immune cell types. These findings offer novel insights into the role of the X-transcriptome in sex-biased autoimmune susceptibility and may support future efforts to identify molecular targets relevant to SLE pathogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"69"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466074/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global sex disparities in lifetime risk of alopecia areata: a systematic analysis from the global burden of disease study, 1990 to 2021.","authors":"Jiachen Sun, Yuhao Li, Zhenzhen Ye, Shengfeng Wang, Wenhui Wang","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00749-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00749-w","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Alopecia areata (AA) represents a significant autoimmune disorder affecting hair follicles, with sex differences that have yet to reach scientific consensus. The regional and temporal, age-related, and socioeconomic dimensions of sex-based lifetime risk disparities remain inadequately characterized and require further investigation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;(1) We estimated AA lifetime risk using the adjusted for multiple primaries method. We evaluated regional and temporal features of sex disparities through Average Annual Percentage Change analysis, with future projections to 2050 via ARIMA modeling. (2) Age-stratified sex disparity features were analyzed. (3) We evaluated AA risk associations with Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) variations through Spearman correlation analysis and concentration indices to quantify female-to-male relative risk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;(1) Global lifetime risk increased from 29.89% (95% CI, 29.83%-29.94%) to 31.66% (31.61%-31.71%) in females, and from 15.91% (15.86%-15.95%) to 16.93% (16.88%-16.97%) in males between 1990 and 2021. The female-to-male lifetime risk ratio remained stable, measuring 1.88 (1.87-1.89) in 1990 and 1.87 (1.86-1.88) in 2021. Future projections through 2050 indicate increasing lifetime risks reaching 34.44% (32.99%-35.89%) for females and 19.06% (17.50%-20.63%) for males, despite comparatively faster growth rates observed in the male population (9.83% vs. 7.01% for females). Both sexes exhibited similar regional distribution features. (2) Sex differences in age-specific risk features were notable: females exhibited a high lifetime risk window between ages 20-50 years, while males demonstrated a narrower window primarily between ages 20-30 years. Female lifetime risk consistently peaked in the 30-39 age group regardless of SDI level, whereas males displayed significant SDI-dependent variations, with peak lifetime risks occurring at ages 20-29 in high-SDI regions versus ages 30-39 in the other areas. Females showed a slower decline in residual risk with increasing age compared to males, resulting in progressively higher female-to-male risk ratios that were particularly pronounced in high-SDI regions, reaching 4.51 (3.42-5.95) in the 70-79 age cohort. (3) With increasing SDI levels (reflecting socioeconomic development), females exhibited more pronounced risk elevation than males. Females exhibited consistently lower concentration indices relative to males, maintaining stable trends, while male concentration indices have shown a declining trend in recent years. The female-to-male ratio of concentration indices has shown a consistent upward trend since reaching its lowest point of 0.62 (0.51-0.76) in 1993, rising to 0.75 (0.60-0.95) by 2021. High SDI regions persistently demonstrate the lowest female-to-male concentration indices.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our analysis reveals pronounced sex disparities in global AA lifetime risk: consist","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462261/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145136362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex- and age- differences in the expression of critical blood-brain barrier regulators: a physiological context.","authors":"Xue Mi, Zi-Ling Ye, Xu-Jun Zhang, Xiao-Chun Chen, Xiao-Man Dai","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00751-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00751-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Available evidence indicates that blood-brain-barrier (BBB) dysfunction exacerbates with the advancing age and is implicated in a variety of neurological diseases and that there are significant sex differences in these diseases. However, the sex differences and age-related changes in BBB structure and function are still unclear under physiological conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, the mRNA was extracted from the cortical tissues and brain microvessels of male and female mice aged 3 months and 10 months to detect the expression of important BBB-related genes by qPCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Under physiological conditions, compared with age-matched male counterparts, female mice reported a significantly lower mRNA expression of tight junction-related genes (cldn5 and occludin), transporters (Glut1 and D-gp), pericyte marker (Pdgfrb), microvessel marker (Cd31), basement membrane component (Col4a2), glycocalyx-related genes (Hs3st1, Extl2, and Clgalt), vascular homeostasis-related genes (Hif1a, Ddit4, and Pik3ca), and some regulatory genes (Adm, Zfpm2 and Nr3c1). A similar outcome was found in the 10-month mice when compared with the 3-month counterparts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study systematically analyzes the expression characteristics of key BBB regulatory genes in different sexes and ages under physiological conditions and reveals a marked sex difference in the expression of BBB structure/function-related genes, which may persist with the advancing age. The findings may provide important theoretical insights into the pathogenesis of sex-and age-related neurological diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"67"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12403491/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nucleus accumbens core chemogenetic excitation in male mice and chemogenetic inhibition in female mice reduced ethanol reward.","authors":"Amy E Chan, Gillian S Driscoll, Zaynah Usmani, Angela R Ozburn","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00745-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-025-00745-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Women tend to progress from initial alcohol use to dependence more rapidly than men, a phenomenon known as the \"telescoping effect\". This suggests different consequences of early alcohol use, which can impact the development of an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Previous evidence demonstrated that nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) chemogenetic manipulations resulted in opposite effects on binge-like drinking [stimulation decreased ethanol intake in C57BL/6J (B6) females, while inhibition decreased intake in males]. In humans, ethanol cue conditioning is linked to the positive subjective effects of alcohol intake and intoxication. We tested the hypothesis that chemogenetic manipulation of NAcC activity alters ethanol reward (measured by conditioned place preference, CPP) in a sex-specific manner.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In Experiment 1, surgery naïve B6 mice (n = 11-12/sex/treatment) underwent an ethanol CPP protocol and were administered the Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) actuator clozapine-N-oxide (CNO, 1 mg/kg) or vehicle prior to ethanol (2 g/kg) conditioning. In Experiment 2, B6 mice underwent surgery to deliver control (mCherry), excitatory (hM3Dq), or inhibitory (hM4Di) DREADDs to the NAcC (n = 8-13/sex/treatment). After recovery, mice underwent ethanol CPP as in Experiment 1. CPP was conducted in a 3-chamber apparatus. Time spent in each chamber was recorded during the pre-test (before conditioning), and the test (after 4 ethanol and 4 saline conditioning sessions). Data were analyzed separately by sex, viral condition, and treatment with a 2-way RM ANOVA [factors: Time (repeated measure), Chamber].</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both surgery naïve (Experiment 1) and mCherry-expressing female and male B6 mice condition similarly to an intoxicating dose of ethanol and CNO did not interfere with ethanol CPP in the absence of DREADDs. Experiment 2 revealed that NAcC chemogenetic stimulation prevented ethanol CPP in males, while NAcC chemogenetic inhibition prevented ethanol CPP in females.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>NAcC chemogenetic manipulations alter ethanol reward differently in male and female B6 mice. Together with prior work, we demonstrate that NAcC activity has a sex-specific role during ethanol reward and consumption. Evidence of sex differences in ethanol reward may help future research to uncover the mechanisms underlying the \"telescoping effect\" and why women have an increased risk for developing an AUD.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12392586/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overexpression of the human heat shock protein B1 alters obesity-related metabolic changes in a sex-dependent manner in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome.","authors":"Zsófia Ruppert, Márta Sárközy, Bettina Rákóczi, Brigitta Dukay, Petra Hajdu, Gergő Szűcs, Zsolt Galla, Ákos Hunya, Ferenc Kovács, András Kriston, Péter Monostori, Péter Horváth, Gábor Cserni, László Tiszlavicz, Tamás Csont, László Vígh, Miklós Sántha, Zsolt Török, Melinda E Tóth","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00746-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-025-00746-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obesity is a global health challenge that can lead to various complications, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. Heat shock proteins are evolutionarily conserved chaperones that help maintain cellular protein homeostasis. Their expression is dysregulated in various chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia, and they also regulate inflammatory processes. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of a small heat shock protein, HSPB1, on the comorbidities and complications of obesity in a transgenic mouse model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male and female human apolipoprotein B-100 (APOB) transgenic mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) from months 3-10 of age were used as a model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). To study whether HSPB1 influences the development of MetS, APOB animals were crossed with HSPB1-overexpressing mice. Age and sex-matched wild-type and human HSPB1-overexpressing mice were used as controls. Changes in cardiac morphology and function were assessed by transthoracic echocardiography at month 9. At month 10, serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were determined by enzymatic colorimetric assays. Pathological changes in the liver were studied on hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. Expression levels of genes involved in inflammation and metabolism were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in the liver, left ventricle, and visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The body weight and serum LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the APOB animals than in the wild-type mice in both sexes. Notably, HSPB1 overexpression further increased weight gain in female APOB animals. Conversely, in APOB males, HSPB1 overexpression decreased LDL-cholesterol levels without significantly affecting body weight. Furthermore, in APOB females, HSPB1 overexpression elevated Fgf-21 expression in the vWAT, restored Lpl levels, and reduced the expression of several cytokines in the liver. APOB males developed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with diastolic dysfunction. HSPB1 overexpression induced LVH without cardiac dysfunction in the wild-type animals.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both sexes of APOB animals developed MetS. APOB males presented LVH with preserved ejection fraction (EF); however, APOB females showed enlarged left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV). In APOB animals, HSPB1 overexpression exerted a sex-dependent influence on obesity-related alterations, including weight gain, hypercholesterolemia, and hepatic and vWAT gene expression.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12379348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of visual experience in haptic spatial perception: evidence from early blind, late blind, and sighted individuals.","authors":"Lara A Coelho, Daniela E Aguilar Ramirez, Serena Basta, Marta Guarischi, Claudia L R Gonzalez, Monica Gori","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00747-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00747-y","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is contradictory evidence on the effect that visual experience has on haptic abilities. Indeed, some studies have documented that a lack of vision (blindness) results in decreased haptic perception, whereas other studies report an enhanced haptic ability in blind individuals. To examine the role of vision in haptic spatial processing, we recruited early blind, late blind, and sighted participants. Each participant completed a haptic task in which they explored a two-piece LEGO model for eight seconds before searching for the same pieces in a bowl of distractors. Our results showed that blind individuals made more errors than sighted participants. Furthermore, early blind participants performed worse than both late blind and sighted participants, who performed similarly. These findings highlight the importance that vision plays in the development of accurate haptic spatial perception. Additionally, we investigated whether the commonly reported male advantage in haptic tasks depends on visual experience. Our results showed better performance by males in all groups when compared to females. This result suggests that sex differences in haptic spatial processing are a fundamental characteristic of human sensory function, independent of visual experience.Highlights No study has investigated if the previously identified male advantage in haptic spatial processing is mediated by visual experience. Blind participants made more errors than sighted participants; early blind performed the worst. The findings suggest vision is crucial for the development of accurate haptic spatial perception. There was a consistent male advantage in haptic performance across all visual experience groups. Sex differences in haptic spatial ability appear to be independent of visual expertise. Plain language summarySome researchers have suggested that being blind reduces abilities in their other senses, while others believe that a lack of vision can improve them. To further understand which is true, we investigated whether the haptic system-the combination of touch and proprioception (awareness of where the body is in space)-is affected by blindness. To do this, we tested people who were blind from birth (early blind), people who became blind later in life (late blind), and people who can see (sighted) on a simple haptic task. In the task, participants felt a small LEGO model with their hands for eight seconds. Then, they had to find the same LEGO pieces in a bowl filled with other, distractor pieces-using only haptics. We found that blind participants made more mistakes than sighted participants. Those who were blind from birth had the most difficulty. People who became blind later in life performed similarly to sighted individuals. This suggests that vision plays an important role in developing accurate haptic perception. As previous work has shown that males outperform females on haptic tasks, we also investigated whether those differences depended on vision. We f","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12362988/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144881982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive mixed-methods analysis of women's cardiovascular health needs in Georgia, United States.","authors":"Marlo Vernon, Brianna McIndoe, Michael J Ryan, Amanda Behr, Daria Ilatovskaya, Ananya Chakraborty, Suma Yellamraju, Ara Idun, Jennifer Sullivan","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00740-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00740-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>In the United States, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among both men and women; CVD and associated risk factors particularly affect women who live in rural areas. This mixed-methods analysis aims to explore cardiovascular health (CVH) risk factors and healthcare experiences among women in rural Georgia, to identify barriers to care, and to inform strategies for improving long-term health outcomes in rural communities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A convergent mixed methods design was utilized to evaluate CVH prevalence and associated environmental risk factors among women living in rural GA. Quantitative data from 159 Georgia counties were analyzed to compare rural and urban rates of CVD-related conditions and healthcare provider availability. Comparative analyses were performed between counties, urban and rural areas, and on sex differences. Concurrently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 56 women and 11 healthcare providers to explore knowledge of blood pressure (BP) management, access to preventive services, and barriers to care. Qualitative and quantitative findings were analyzed separately and integrated during interpretation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Rural counties have significantly higher prevalence of hypertension, obesity and stroke. General trends revealed higher rates of smoking, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption in rural counties compared to rates in urban counties of GA. Qualitative themes revealed affordability concerns, communication challenges between patients and providers, limited trust in telehealth, and the importance of delivering CVH education in community-based settings. Differences by age were also observed: younger women expressed less concern or awareness about CVH risks, while older women described greater engagement with care and health information. While the original aim included gaps in awareness and education, participants primarily described navigating systemic barriers across the care continuum.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Rural women face individual, provider, and structural barriers to cardiovascular health and care. This unique study identifies chronic disease disparities and risk factors, with a higher disease burden observed in rural counties. Contributing factors may include limited resources for promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and reduced access to healthcare providers. Integrated findings underscore the need for sex- and gender- informed, age-specific, and community tailored strategies that address both health system access, and communication to improve CVH outcomes in underserved rural populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"62"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12337531/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144820381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}