Although prominent sex differences exist in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis's response to stressors, few studies of its regulation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) have compared both male and female subjects. In this study, we sought to explore sex differences in the acute regulation of PVN neuropeptide expression following glucocorticoid (GC) removal and the underlying role of gonadal hormones. We first examined the effects of short-term adrenalectomy (ADX) on PVN Crh and arginine vasopressin (Avp) expression in mice using in situ hybridization. ADX increased PVN AVP mRNA levels in both sexes. In contrast, PVN CRH mRNA was increased by 2 days after ADX in males only. Both sexes showed increases in CRH mRNA after 4 days. To determine if gonadal hormones contributed to this sex bias, we examined adrenalectomized (ADX'd) and gonadectomized (GDX'd) mice with or without gonadal hormone replacement. Unlike the pattern in intact animals, 2 days following ADX/gonadectomy, CRH mRNA levels did not increase in either sex. When males were given DHT propionate, CRH mRNA levels increased in ADX'd/GDX'd males similar to those observed following ADX alone. To determine a potential mechanism, we examined the coexpression of androgen receptor (AR) immunoreactivity and CRH neurons. Abundant colocalization was found in the anteroventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis but not the PVN. Thus, our findings reveal a sex difference in PVN Crh expression following the removal of GC-negative feedback that may depend on indirect AR actions in males.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2019-00238 | DOI Listing |
Urol Oncol
January 2025
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran. Electronic address:
Background And Objective: Research into new noninvasive diagnostic tools for bladder cancer (BCa) with superior sensitivity and specificity to cystoscopy and cytology is promising. The current study evaluated a diagnostic panel of tumor progression-related mRNAs in urine samples of NMIBC patients and controls.
Methods: This study carefully selected 129 participants, including 67 NMIBC patients, 31 hematuria patients due to nonmalignant urological disorders, and 31 healthy individuals.
Introduction: This study aimed to explore the impact and mechanism of Scutellariae radix (SR), dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi of Labiatae, on prenatal stress (PS) induced anxiety-like and depression-like behavior in the offspring in a mouse prenatal stress model.
Methods: The open field test (OFT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swimming test (FST) were utilized to assess the behavior of the offspring. Histological changes were evaluated using HE staining and Nissl staining.
Brain Behav Immun
February 2025
Competence Field Genetics and Genomics, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
The natural substitution Ala610Val in the porcine glucocorticoid receptor (GR) leads to a profound compensatory downregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in early ontogeny. In this study, we leveraged this unique animal model to explore mechanisms of HPA axis regulation and consequences of its genetically-based persistent hypoactivity. To this end, we examined transcriptional signature of GR in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala and adrenal gland in resting conditions (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropharmacology
March 2025
Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address:
During the transition to motherhood, complex brain adaptations occur to ensure adequate maternal responses to offspring' needs accompanied by reduced anxiety. Among others, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and oxytocin (OXT) systems have emerged as crucial regulators of these essential postpartum adaptations. Here, we investigated their roles within the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh), a central region of the reward and maternal circuits, in maternal neglect of lactating rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacol Biochem Behav
January 2025
Department of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:
Background: Fluoxetine is widely used as a first-line antidepressant. However, the molecular mechanisms for its antidepressant effects are still not fully understood. Hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a core pathogenic mechanism contributing to depression, and fluoxetine treatment prevents this dysfunction.
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