Gonadal hormones and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly males: results from a prospective cohort study in China.

Background: Research has shown that gonadal hormones are involved in metabolic pathways relevant to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Nevertheless, no longitudinal study has been conducted on the association between SHBG and MetS in Chinese. The objective of our study was to determine whether there is any association between middle-aged and elderly males in China. Methods: A total of 531 eligible male subjects, aged above 40 years or older, without MetS at baseline, were recruited. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), total testosterone (TT), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured. A harmonized definition and recommended thresholds for the Chinese population were used to determine metabolic syndrome. Results: During 3.2 years of follow-up, 20.7% of subjects had developed MetS. Compared with the non-MetS group, subjects in the new-onset MetS group had significantly lower SHBG (43.5 nmol/L [28.8, 74.9] vs 53.7nmol/L [33.8, 115.0], P=0.0018), TT (18.1nmol/L [13.6-21.7] vs 19.5nmol/L[15.0-23.6], P=0.0204), and LH (5.13mIU/L [3.63-7.29] vs 5.87mIU/L [4.05-8.36]) at baseline. The incidence of MetS was decreased according to elevated SHBG quartiles (Q1:26.9%, Q2:22.7%, Q3:21.1%, Q4:12.1%, P for trend =0.0035), TT (Q1: 25.2%, Q2:23.7%, Q3: 17.3%, Q4: 16.7%, P for trend=0.0425), and LH (Q1:25.0%, Q2:21.8%, Q3: 21.8%, Q4: 14.3%, P for trend=0.0411). Compared with those in quartile 4, the OR[CI] of incident MetS for participants in Quartile 1 was 2.33[1.13-4.79] after multiple adjustments. But associations between incident MetS and different quartiles of LH, TT, and FSH were not observed after multiple adjustments. In the subgroup analyses, the significant association between SHBG level and Mets was detected in subjects over 60 years or older, with normal BMI, without insulin resistance, and with eGFR ≥90 mL/min per 1.73m2. Conclusion: Compared with TT, LH, and FSH, a lower level of SHBG is significantly related to the incidence of MetS among middle-aged and elderly males in China.

Use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Experimental Ovarian Damage.

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol-A (BPA) has a well-proven deleterious effect on the hypothalamicpituitary- gonadal axis. OBJECTIVES: The current study investigated the therapeutic potentials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a murine model of BPA-induced ovarian damage. METHODS: Fifty adult female rats were divided into: Group 1; control group, Group IIa, IIb: rats were given oral gavage of BPA (25 and 50 mg/Kg body weight respectively) on a daily basis for 15 days, and Group IIIa, IIIb; rats were intravenously treated with of MSCs (106 cells) after receiving the last dose of BPA as in group II. Plasma and ovarian tissue levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and gonadal axis hormones were assessed. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNNEL assay and by apoptosis markers (FAS, FASL, Caspase 3, SLTM). A histological examination of ovarian tissue was also conducted. RESULTS: BPA resulted in a significant elevation in plasma levels of LH, FSH, and ovarian tissue levels of MDA and a significant decrease in estradiol and progesterone. All genetic and protein markers of apoptosis were elevated in BPA treated group with decreased oestrogen receptor expression in the ovarian tissue. Increased apoptotic cells were confirmed by TUNEL assay. A high dose of BPA was able to increase the number of atretic follicles in the ovarian tissue whereas the numbers of primordial, primary, secondary and Graafian follicles were decreased. All the laboratory and histological abnormalities were ameliorated by treatment with MSCs. CONCLUSION: The antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of MSCs could possibly explain the ability of this therapeutic modality to ameliorate BPA-induced-ovarian damage.

Determination of serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels in a low-prognosis women treated in-vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A cohort study.

Background: Outcome prediction of participants treated with in-vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) using anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentration has been widely used. According to the patient-oriented strategies encompassing individualized oocyte number (POSEIDON) definition, low prognosis Bologna responders have changed from poor. This definition divides low prognosis into 4 groups. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess blood AMH levels in the group of women treated with IVF/ICSI who were thought to have a low prognosis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study among 252 suspected low-prognosis group participants was assessed between January 2016 and December 2019 at Morula IVF, National hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Observed AMH serum levels and pregnancy rates were compared among 4 subgroups. Results: The AMH cutoff value was 1.7 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 70% for diagnosing low-prognosis women using POSEIDON criteria. There was no difference in the pregnancy rate between those groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: AMH levels may indicate a poor prognosis for women having IVF/ICSI in accordance with POSEIDON guidelines. To predict the poor prognosis in women, the cutoff value must be identified.

Reproductive status of a female white cockatoo (Cacatua alba) based on relationships among urofecal steroid hormone dynamics, molting, and body weight.

The detailed reproductive physiology of cockatoos based on gonadal hormone dynamics is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate ovarian activity by monitoring urofecal sex steroid hormone profiles in a captive female white cockatoo (Cacatua alba) and to noninvasively reveal basic reproductive physiology by comparing the hormone profiles with the laying dates, body mass changes, and molt progress. Urofeces were collected regularly for approximately 4 years from one female that frequently laid unfertilized eggs under single-rearing conditions. Urofecal progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17ß (E2) were measured by enzyme immunoassay. In addition, body mass and the number of fallen feathers were measured periodically. The urofecal P4 concentration peaked at an average of 17.7 days after the start of the rise in urofecal E2 concentration, and egg laying began on the day after the peak urofecal P4 concentration. The clutch size was usually two eggs, with an average interval of 4.5 days between eggs in each egg-laying cycle. There was a significant correlation between the dynamics of E2 concentration in urofeces and body mass. The results strongly suggest that E2 and P4 reflect the follicle growth and ovulation status, respectively, and that noninvasive monitoring of hormone dynamics using urofeces can accurately capture ovarian activity in the white cockatoo. Furthermore, changes in body mass can predict follicular growth, and reproduction and molt are antagonistic.

Effect of puberty on the immune system: Relevance to multiple sclerosis.

Puberty is a dynamic period marked by changing levels of sex hormones, the development of secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive maturity. This period has profound effects on various organ systems, including the immune system. The critical changes that occur in the immune system during pubertal onset have been shown to have implications for autoimmune conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is rare prior to puberty but can manifest in children after puberty. This disease also has a clear female preponderance that only arises following pubertal onset, highlighting a potential role for sex hormones in autoimmunity. Early onset of puberty has also been shown to be a risk factor for MS. The purpose of this review is to overview the evidence that puberty regulates MS susceptibility and disease activity. Given that there is a paucity of studies that directly evaluate the effects of puberty on the immune system, we also discuss how the immune system is different in children and mice of pre- vs. post-pubertal ages and describe how gonadal hormones may regulate these immune mechanisms. We present evidence that puberty enhances the expression of co-stimulatory molecules and cytokine production by type 2 dendritic cells (DC2s) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), increases T helper 1 (Th1), Th17, and T follicular helper immunity, and promotes immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody production. Overall, this review highlights how the immune system undergoes a functional maturation during puberty, which has the potential to explain the higher prevalence of MS and other autoimmune diseases seen in adolescence.

Gonadal hormone trigger the dynamic microglial alterations through Traf6/TAK1 axis that correlate with depressive behaviors.

Gonadal hormone deficiency is associated with the development of depression, but what mediates this association is unclear. To test the possibility that it reflects neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory processes, we analyzed how gonadal hormone deficiency and replacement affect microglial activation and inflammatory response during the development of depressive symptomatology in gonadectomized male mice. Testosterone level and the ratio of testosterone to estradiol in the serum and brain tissue of mice exposed to 3-35 days of chronic unpredictable stress were much lower than in control animals. Gonadal hormone sustained deficiency in gonadectomized mice and subsequent led to acute inflammation at day 7 following castration. Activating microglia in mice exposed to 7 days of castration subsequently suppressed the proliferation of microglia, such that their numbers in hippocampus and cortex were lower than the numbers in sham-operated mice after 30 days of castration. Here, we showed that gonadal hormone deficiency induces Traf6-mediated microglia activation, a type of inflammatory mediator. Microglia treated in this way for long time showed down-regulation of activation markers, abnormal morphology and depressive-like behaviors. Restoration and maintenance of a fixed ratio of testosterone to estradiol significantly suppressed microglial activation, neuronal necroptosis, dramatically inducing hippocampal neurogenesis and reducing depressive behaviors via the suppression of Traf6/TAK1 pathway. These findings suggest that activated or immunoreactive microglia contribute to gonadal hormone deficiency-induced depression, as well as testosterone and estradiol exert synergistic anti-depressant effects via suppressing microglial activaton in gonadectomized male mice, possibly through Traf6 signaling.

Cross-sectional analysis of gonadal hormone expression and relevant factors in female centenarians in Hainan, China. / ä¸­å›½æµ·å—ç™¾å²å¥³æ€§è€äººæ€§è ºæ¿€ç´ è¡¨è¾¾ç‰¹å¾åŠå ³è”å› ç´ çš„æ¨ªæ–­é¢åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: Gonadal hormone is essential for the health of postmenopausal women, however, few studies have focused on the epidemiological distribution of gonadal hormones in postmenopausal women in very late postmenopausal women. This study aims to investigate and analyze the differences of serum gonadal hormone content and its influential factors among female centenarians in Hainan, China. METHODS: The questionnaire and physical examination data of 741 female centenarians and 401 elderly females in Hainan Province were collected, and venous blood samples were taken to detect the indexes of lipid metabolism, bone metabolism, and gonadal hormone. The differences of gonadal hormones and relavant factors in female centenarians were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The serum levels of estradiol and progesterone of female centenarians were significantly higher than those of the elderly females (both P<0.001). The serum levels of estradiol and testosterone of ethnic minority centenarians were higher than those in Han nationality (P<0.001), and the serum estradiol and testosterone concentrations were relatively higher when the daily activities were more than 10 min (both P<0.05). Serum estradiol concentration was negatively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I, high density lipoprotein, triglyceride and bone formation markers such as calcium, inorganic phosphorus and vitamin D3, and was positively correlated with the special sequence of ß-collagen (markers of bone resorption) (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: For the extremely late postmenopausal women (such as centenarians), there may be characteristic expressions of gonadal hormones, especially estradiol. There is an unprotective correlation of serum estradiol with lipid metabolism index and bone metabolism index in female centenarians, so it is necessary to evaluate the estrogen content and the use of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women.

Sex-Associated Differences in Neurovascular Dysfunction During Ischemic Stroke.

Neurovascular units (NVUs) are basic functional units in the central nervous system and include neurons, astrocytes and vascular compartments. Ischemic stroke triggers not only neuronal damage, but also dissonance of intercellular crosstalk within the NVU. Stroke is sexually dimorphic, but the sex-associated differences involved in stroke-induced neurovascular dysfunction are studied in a limited extend. Preclinical studies have found that in rodent models of stroke, females have less neuronal loss, stronger repairing potential of astrocytes and more stable vascular conjunction; these properties are highly related to the cerebroprotective effects of female hormones. However, in humans, these research findings may be applicable only to premenopausal stroke patients. Women who have had a stroke usually have poorer outcomes compared to men, and because stoke is age-related, hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women may exacerbate stroke symptoms, which contradicts the findings of most preclinical studies. This stark contrast between clinical and laboratory findings suggests that understanding of neurovascular differences between the sexes is limited. Actually, apart from gonadal hormones, differences in neuroinflammation as well as genetics and epigenetics promote the sexual dimorphism of NVU functions. In this review, we summarize the confirmed sex-associated differences in NVUs during ischemic stroke and the possible contributing mechanisms. We also describe the gap between clinical and preclinical studies in terms of sexual dimorphism.

Relationship between serum gonadal hormone levels and synkinesis in postmenopausal women and man with idiopathic facial paralysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether serum gonadal hormone levels are correlated to the development of facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy in postmenopausal women and man. METHODS: A total of 149 patients with Bell's palsy were enrolled in this study. All patients were instructed in standard treatment strategy by expert staff from their first visit. The degree of synkinesis was evaluated at 12 months after the onset of facial nerve palsy based on the synkinesis scores of Sunnybrook facial grading system. The patients were divided into two groups by gender. RESULTS: Serum estradiol levels were significantly higher in patients with facial synkinesis than in patients without facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy in postmenopausal female. Male patients with facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy had a higher serum estradiol and testosterone levels. Baseline ENoG values (OR=11.144, 95% CI=1.001-124.126, p=0.008) and serum estradiol levels (OR=1.145, 95% CI=1.033-1.270, p=0.010) were the two independent predictors for facial synkinesis in postmenopausal female patients. Meanwhile, baseline ENoG values (OR=5.312, 95% CI=0.626-45.069, p=0.035), HbA1c values (OR=27.470, 95% CI=2.001-43.084, p=0.016), serum E2 levels (OR=1.298, 95% CI=1.092-1.542, p=0.003), and serum testosterone levels (OR=1.892, 95% CI=1.309-2.734, p=0.001) were the independent predictors for facial synkinesis in male patients. CONCLUSION: Serum estradiol levels are associated with the development of facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy in postmenopausal female patients. Serum estradiol and testosterone levels are associated with the development of facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy in male patients. Serum gonadal hormone levels might be acted as potential biomarker for predicting facial synkinesis following Bell's palsy.

Sex differences in daily timekeeping and circadian clock circuits.

The circadian system regulates behavior and physiology in many ways important for health. Circadian rhythms are expressed by nearly every cell in the body, and this large system is coordinated by a central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Sex differences in daily rhythms are evident in humans and understanding how circadian function is modulated by biological sex is an important goal. This review highlights work examining effects of sex and gonadal hormones on daily rhythms, with a focus on behavior and SCN circuitry in animal models commonly used in pre-clinical studies. Many questions remain in this area of the field, which would benefit from further work investigating this topic.

Cross-sectional analysis of gonadal hormone expression and relevant factors in female centenarians in Hainan, China / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Gonadal hormone is essential for the health of postmenopausal women, however, few studies have focused on the epidemiological distribution of gonadal hormones in postmenopausal women in very late postmenopausal women. This study aims to investigate and analyze the differences of serum gonadal hormone content and its influential factors among female centenarians in Hainan, China.@*METHODS@#The questionnaire and physical examination data of 741 female centenarians and 401 elderly females in Hainan Province were collected, and venous blood samples were taken to detect the indexes of lipid metabolism, bone metabolism, and gonadal hormone. The differences of gonadal hormones and relavant factors in female centenarians were analyzed and compared.@*RESULTS@#The serum levels of estradiol and progesterone of female centenarians were significantly higher than those of the elderly females (both P<0.001). The serum levels of estradiol and testosterone of ethnic minority centenarians were higher than those in Han nationality (P<0.001), and the serum estradiol and testosterone concentrations were relatively higher when the daily activities were more than 10 min (both P<0.05). Serum estradiol concentration was negatively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I, high density lipoprotein, triglyceride and bone formation markers such as calcium, inorganic phosphorus and vitamin D3, and was positively correlated with the special sequence of β-collagen (markers of bone resorption) (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#For the extremely late postmenopausal women (such as centenarians), there may be characteristic expressions of gonadal hormones, especially estradiol. There is an unprotective correlation of serum estradiol with lipid metabolism index and bone metabolism index in female centenarians, so it is necessary to evaluate the estrogen content and the use of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women.

The Role of Reproductive Hormones in Sex Differences in Sleep Homeostasis and Arousal Response in Mice.

There are various sex differences in sleep/wake behaviors in mice. However, it is unclear whether there are sex differences in sleep homeostasis and arousal responses and whether gonadal hormones are involved in these sex differences. Here, we examined sleep/wake behaviors under baseline condition, after sleep deprivation by gentle handling, and arousal responses to repeated cage changes in male and female C57BL/6 mice that are hormonally intact, gonadectomized, or gonadectomized with hormone supplementation. Compared to males, females had longer wake time, shorter non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) time, and longer rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) episodes. After sleep deprivation, males showed an increase in NREMS delta power, NREMS time, and REMS time, but females showed a smaller increase. Females and males showed similar arousal responses. Gonadectomy had only a modest effect on homeostatic sleep regulation in males but enhanced it in females. Gonadectomy weakened arousal response in males and females. With hormone replacement, baseline sleep in gonadectomized females was similar to that of intact females, and baseline sleep in gonadectomized males was close to that of intact males. Gonadal hormone supplementation restored arousal response in males but not in females. These results indicate that male and female mice differ in their baseline sleep-wake behavior, homeostatic sleep regulation, and arousal responses to external stimuli, which are differentially affected by reproductive hormones.

Association between gonadal hormones and osteoporosis in schizophrenia patients undergoing risperidone monotherapy: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with schizophrenia are at increased risk of osteoporosis. This study first determined the osteoporosis rate in patients with schizophrenia and then then explored the association between serum gonadal hormone levels and osteoporosis among these patients. METHODS: A total of 250 patients with schizophrenia and 288 healthy controls were recruited. Osteoporosis was defined by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) of the calcaneus. Serum fasting levels of gonadal hormones (prolactin, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone) were determined. The relationship between osteoporosis and hormone levels was statistically analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Our results showed that patients with schizophrenia had a markedly higher rate of osteoporosis (24.4% vs. 10.1%) than healthy controls (P < 0.001). Patients with osteoporosis were older, had a longer disease course, and had a lower body mass index (BMI) than patients without osteoporosis (all P < 0.05). Regarding gonadal hormones, we found significantly higher prolactin, but lower estradiol, levels in patients with osteoporosis than in those without osteoporosis (both P < 0.05). The regression analysis revealed that PRL (OR = 1.1, 95% CI [1.08-1.15], P < 0.001) and E2 level (OR = 0.9, 95%CI [0.96-0.99], P = 0.011) were significantly associated with osteoporosis in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that patients with schizophrenia who are being treated with risperidone have a high rate of osteoporosis. Increased prolactin and reduced estradiol levels are significantly associated with osteoporosis.

Kuntai Capsule Combined With Letrozole on Gonadal Hormone Levels and Ovarian Function in Patients With PCOS: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The efficacy of Kuntai capsule combined with letrozole (LE) in improving ovarian function of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been evaluated before, but there is still a lack of evidence-based support for the regulation of sex hormone levels. In recent years, new randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have been reported on the effect of combined therapy on regulating sex hormone levels. Objective: We aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of Kuntai capsule combined with LE in the treatment of PCOS. Methods: A search across the China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang database, PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and Embase was conducted on Kuntai capsule combined with LE in the treatment of PCOS. The time of the self-built database was up to April 30, 2021. RCTs of LE in the control group and LE combined with Kuntai capsule in the experimental group were selected. RevMan5.3 software was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 17 studies were gathered, which included 1,684 patients. The meta-analysis results showed that the total effective rate of the combined group was 93.36% and that of the LE group was 78.15%. The improvement in the ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, number of mature follicles, endometrial thickness, cervical mucus score, and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin (PRL) in the combined group was consistent with the results of a previous meta-analysis and was better than that in the LE group (p < 0.05). In addition, the combination group was better than the LE group in regulating the levels of estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) (p < 0.05). There were no adverse drug reactions in the two groups during treatment. Conclusion: As a type of pure traditional Chinese medicine preparation, Kuntai capsule combined with LE had a better effect than LE alone in the treatment of PCOS, with advantages mainly reflected in enhancing ovarian function and regulating the levels of sex hormones in vivo, among others, but the value of combined therapy still needs to be verified by more high-quality RCTs.

Associations among gonadal hormone, triglycerides and cognitive decline in female patients with major depressive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment has been identified as a core feature of depression. Serum triglycerides (TG), gonadal hormone and sex difference were shown to influence cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among serum TG, gonadal hormone, sex difference and cognitive performance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDD). METHODS: The enrolled 183 patients (male/female = 80/103) meeting DSM-IV criteria for MDD were divided into high TG group (patients-HTG) and normal TG group (patients-NTG) according to TG level. Serum TG, estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels were measured by the glycerokinase peroxidase-peroxidase and chemiluminescence methods. Cognition was assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The study was conducted between August 2016 and January 2020. RESULTS: In female, patients-HTG had lower immediate memory, language, attention, delayed memory and RBANS total scores than patients-NTG after adjusting for covariates. There were significant differences in serum E2 and T levels between patients-HTG and patients-NTG in female after controlling for covariates. In female patients-HTG, serum E2 level was positively associated with immediate memory, delayed memory and RBANS total scores, and serum T level was positively related to immediate memory, language and RBANS total scores. These findings were not seen in male patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that patients-HTG exhibited poorer cognitive function compared with patients-NTG in female. Moreover, the decline in serum gonadal hormone level might contribute to the high TG development of female MDD, and was further implicated in their cognitive decline.

Sex differences in neuro(auto)immunity and chronic sciatic nerve pain.

Chronic pain occurs with greater frequency in women, with a parallel sexually dimorphic trend reported in sufferers of many autoimmune diseases. There is a need to continue examining neuro-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the context of sexual dimorphisms in chronic pain. Several phenomena in particular need to be further explored. In patients, autoantibodies to neural antigens have been associated with sensory pathway hyper-excitability, and the role of self-antigens released by damaged nerves remains to be defined. In addition, specific immune cells release pro-nociceptive cytokines that directly influence neural firing, while T lymphocytes activated by specific antigens secrete factors that either support nerve repair or exacerbate the damage. Modulating specific immune cell populations could therefore be a means to promote nerve recovery, with sex-specific outcomes. Understanding biological sex differences that maintain, or fail to maintain, neuroimmune homeostasis may inform the selection of sex-specific treatment regimens, improving chronic pain management by rebalancing neuroimmune feedback. Given the significance of interactions between nerves and immune cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, this review focuses on sex differences and possible links with persistent autoimmune activity using sciatica as an example.

Sex differences in impulsivity in adult rats are mediated by organizational actions of neonatal gonadal hormones and not by hormones acting at puberty or in adulthood.

Males as compared to females display increased impulsivity and inefficient inhibitory control and are more frequently diagnosed with disorders characterized by impulsivity. We previously demonstrated male rats make more impulsive action responses (i.e. premature responding) than females on the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT). Furthermore, pre-pubertal male rats make more impulsive choice responses (i.e. choosing an immediate small reward over a delayed larger reward) than females on a delayed-based reward T-maze task. The goal of the current work was to determine if gonadal hormones impact sex differences in impulsivity in adult rats. In an initial experiment, male and female rats underwent sham surgeries or were gonadectomized either pre-pubertally or during adulthood and tested on the 5-CSRTT in adulthood. Males displayed more impulsive action responses than females regardless of hormone status. In a second experiment, females received testosterone or vehicle injections on postnatal days 1 and 2. Males received vehicle injections. All rats were gonadectomized prior to puberty and tested on the 5-CSRTT in adulthood. Females treated neonatally with testosterone and control males made more impulsive action responses than control females. In another set of experiments, manipulation of gonadal hormones led to no differences in performance on the delayed-based reward T-maze task in males and females. Results indicate that no sex difference is apparent in impulsive choice on a delayed-base reward task in adult rats. They also reveal that adult sex differences on a task of impulsive action is mediated by organizational effects of gonadal hormones acting during the neonatal period and not impacted by hormones acting during puberty or adulthood.

The role of testosterone in the respiratory and thermal responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in rats.

Many diseases of the respiratory system occur differently in males and females, indicating a possible role of gonadal hormones in respiratory control. We hypothesized that testosterone (T) is important for the ventilatory chemosensitivity responses in males. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated ventilation (V̇ E), metabolic rate and body temperature (Tb) under normoxia/normocapnia, hypercapnia and hypoxia in orchiectomized (ORX), ORX with testosterone replacement (ORX + T) or flutamide (FL, androgen receptor blocker)-treated rats. We also performed immunohistochemistry to evaluate the presence of androgen receptor (AR) in the carotid body (CB) of intact males. Orchiectomy promoted a reduction V̇ E and ventilatory equivalent (V̇ E /V̇ O2) under room-air conditions, which was restored with testosterone treatment. Moreover, during hypoxia or hypercapnia, animals that received testosterone replacement had a higher V̇ E and V̇ E /V̇ O2 than control and ORX, without changes in metabolic and thermal variables. Flutamide decreased the hypoxic ventilatory response without changing the CO2-drive to breathe, suggesting that the testosterone effect on hypercapnic hyperventilation does not appear to involve the AR. We also determined the presence of AR in the CB of intact animals. Our findings demonstrate that testosterone seems to be important for maintaining resting V̇ E in males. In addition, the influence of testosterone on V̇ E, either during resting conditions or under hypoxia and hypercapnia, seems to be a direct and specific effect, as no changes in metabolic rate or Tb were observed during any treatment. Finally, a putative site of testosterone action during hypoxia is the CB, since we detected the presence of AR in this structure.

Burning mouth syndrome in postmenopausal women with self-reported sleep problems.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate possible relationships among hematologic factors, psychological dimensions, the presence of self-reported sleep problems, and clinical characteristics in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). METHODS: Twenty-five postmenopausal female patients with primary BMS (aged 55.2 ± 9.6 years) were included. All participants underwent clinical and psychological evaluations and blood sampling. The patients were subdivided according to the absence or presence of the self-reported sleep problems. RESULTS: Pain intensity of BMS patients with sleep problems was significantly higher than those without sleep problems, and the severity of oral complaints was correlated with the presence of depression, anxiety, hostility, phobia, and psychosis. Estradiol levels were significantly lower, and FSH and LH levels were higher in BMS patients with sleep problems than those without sleep problems. DISCUSSION: BMS patients with sleep problems may suffer inharmonious psychoneuroendocrinological interactions that might worsen oral BMS symptoms.

Effect of chronic pretreatment with 17ß-estradiol and/or progesterone on the nociceptive response to uterine cervical distension in a rat model.

It is widely known that visceral pain is more prevalent in women than in men, and this phenomenon is interpreted as a consequence of the gonadal hormone modulation of pain perception and transduction. Uterine cervical distension might cause obstetric and gynecologic pain with clinical relevance to visceral pain. In this study, we focused on the roles of 17ß-estradiol and progesterone in visceral nociception with the use of a rat model of uterine cervical distension. Female ovariectomized rats were injected with 17ß-estradiol (E2) or progesterone (P4) for 21 days, after which visceral pain-induced spinal c-fos expression and visceromotor reflex changes were compared between ovariectomized and hormone-substituted groups. We found that uterine cervical distension induced a drastic increase in spinal c-fos expression and visceromotor reflex activity, and ovariectomy inhibited the increase in c-fos expression induced by visceral pain; this inhibition was reversed by estrogen but not progesterone replacement. This study demonstrates that estrogen is involved in uterine cervical nociception, while progesterone plays less of a significant role.