Testosterone (T) plays an important role in developing brain, dictating sex-specific behavior and physiology. 3α,5α-Reduced neurosteroids also regulate reproductive behavior. The key enzyme in the biosynthesis of these neurosteroids is 5α-reductase (5α-R), expressed as two isozymes, 5α-R1 and 5α-R2. In this study, T and sesame oil (vehicle) were administered during postnatal sexual differentiation of the central nervous system (CNS) and mRNA levels of 5α-R isozymes, were measured using quantitative RT-PCR in prefrontal cortex of male and female rats with different androgenic status at adulthood. Our results indicate that T concentrations during postnatal sexual differentiation of the rat CNS, among other sex-dependent factors, influence brain levels of 5α-R isozymes in adulthood and the pattern of their regulation by androgen hormones.
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Cureus
December 2024
Internal Medicine, Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman, ARE.
, the bacteria that causes syphilis, is typically acquired through sexual contact but can also be transmitted transplacentally (through the placenta), causing congenital infection. Syphilis in pregnancy is a major contributing factor to perinatal morbidity and mortality. Untreated neonates may develop complications affecting the central nervous system, bones, joints, teeth, eyes, and skin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Top Dev Biol
January 2025
Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC UMR 7104, Illkirch, France; CNRS, UMR 7104, Illkirch, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1258, Illkirch, France; IGBMC, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France. Electronic address:
In mammals, differentiation of germ cells is crucial for sexual reproduction, involving complex signaling pathways and environmental cues defined by the somatic cells of the gonads. This review examines the long-standing model positing that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) acts as a meiosis-inducing substance (MIS) in the fetal ovary by inducing expression of STRA8 in female germ cells, while CYP26B1 serves as a meiosis-preventing substance (MPS) in the fetal testis by degrading ATRA and preventing STRA8 expression in the male germ cells until postnatal development. Recent genetic studies in the mouse challenge this paradigm, revealing that meiosis initiation in female germ cells can occur independently of ATRA signaling, with key roles played by other intrinsic factors like DAZL and DMRT1, and extrinsic signals such as BMPs and vitamin C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocrinology
January 2025
Cardiopulmonary Immunotoxicology Branch, Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Maternal exposure to ozone during implantation results in reduced fetal weight gain in rats. Offspring from ozone-exposed dams demonstrate sexually dimorphic risks to high-fat diet feeding in adolescence. To better understand the adolescent hepatic metabolic landscape following fetal growth restriction, RNA sequencing was performed to characterize the effects of ozone-induced fetal growth restriction on male and female offspring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Int AIDS Soc
February 2025
Centre for Integrated Data and Epidemiological Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of vertical HIV transmission and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. In South Africa, syndromic management is the standard of care for STI management. We assessed the potential impact of point-of-care (POC) screening for curable STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis [CT], Trichomonas vaginalis [TV] and Neisseria gonorrhoeae [NG]) during pregnancy on vertical HIV transmission and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Population and Health, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Background: Teenage childbirth is an issue of social and public health concern in Ghana, with high prevalence in some regions, including the Central Region. There is a dire need to understand the experiences of teenagers beyond pregnancies to facilitate comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and service provision. We explored the postnatal experiences of teenage mothers in five communities in the Central Region of Ghana.
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