1
|
Immenschuh J, Thalhammer SB, Sundström-Poromaa I, Biegon A, Dumas S, Comasco E. Sex differences in distribution and identity of aromatase gene expressing cells in the young adult rat brain. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:54. [PMID: 37658400 PMCID: PMC10474706 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00541-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aromatase catalyzes the synthesis of estrogens from androgens. Knowledge on its regional expression in the brain is of relevance to the behavioral implications of these hormones that might be linked to sex differences in mental health. The present study investigated the distribution of cells expressing the aromatase coding gene (Cyp19a1) in limbic regions of young adult rats of both sexes, and characterized the cell types expressing this gene. METHODS Cyp19a1 mRNA was mapped using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Co-expression with specific cell markers was assessed with double FISH; glutamatergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic, glial, monoaminergic, as well as interneuron markers were tested. Automated quantification of the cells expressing the different genes was performed using CellProfiler. Sex differences in the number of cells expressing Cyp19a1 was tested non-parametrically, with the effect size indicated by the rank-biserial correlation. FDR correction for multiple testing was applied. RESULTS In the male brain, the highest percentage of Cyp19a1+ cells was found in the medial amygdaloid nucleus and the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, followed by the medial preoptic area, the CA2/3 fields of the hippocampus, the cortical amygdaloid nucleus and the amygdalo-hippocampal area. A lower percentage was detected in the caudate putamen, the nucleus accumbens, and the ventromedial hypothalamus. In females, the distribution of Cyp19a1+ cells was similar but at a lower percentage. In most regions, the majority of Cyp19a1+ cells were GABAergic, except for in the cortical-like regions of the amygdala where most were glutamatergic. A smaller fraction of cells co-expressed Slc1a3, suggesting expression of Cyp19a1 in astrocytes; monoaminergic markers were not co-expressed. Moreover, sex differences were detected regarding the identity of Cyp19a1+ cells. CONCLUSIONS Females show overall a lower number of cells expressing Cyp19a1 in the limbic brain. In both sexes, aromatase is expressed in a region-specific manner in GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. These findings call for investigations of the relevance of sex-specific and region-dependent expression of Cyp19a1 in the limbic brain to sex differences in behavior and mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Immenschuh
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bernhard Thalhammer
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Anat Biegon
- Department of Radiology and Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Joachim GE, Bohnert KM, As-Sanie S, Harris HR, Upson K. Cannabis smoking, tobacco cigarette smoking, and adenomyosis risk. Fertil Steril 2023; 119:838-846. [PMID: 36716812 PMCID: PMC10900224 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate cannabis smoking and tobacco cigarette smoking in relation to adenomyosis risk. DESIGN We used data from a case-control study of adenomyosis conducted among enrollees ages 18-59 years of an integrated health care system in Washington State. The case-control study used 2 control groups given the challenge of selecting noncases when cases are diagnosed by hysterectomy. SUBJECTS Cases (n = 386) were enrollees with incident, pathology-confirmed adenomyosis diagnosed between April 1, 2001, and March 31, 2006. The 2 control groups comprised hysterectomy controls (n = 233) with pathology-confirmed absence of adenomyosis and population controls (n = 323) with an intact uterus selected randomly from the health care system population and frequency matched to cases on age. EXPOSURE Detailed data on cannabis and tobacco cigarette smoking history were ascertained through in-person structured interviews, allowing estimation of joint-years of cannabis smoking and pack-years of tobacco cigarette smoking. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between cannabis smoking, tobacco cigarette smoking, and adenomyosis were estimated using multivariable unconditional logistic regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, reference year, menarche age, education, and pack-years of cigarette smoking (or joint-years of cannabis smoking). RESULTS No association was observed between cannabis smoking history and adenomyosis risk. However, we did observe the suggestion of an association between ever tobacco cigarette smoking and adenomyosis risk, comparing cases to hysterectomy controls (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-1.9) and population controls (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8-1.8). Our data suggested a 50% increased odds of adenomyosis with >15 pack-years of smoking (vs. never smoking), comparing cases to hysterectomy controls (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9-2.6; Ptrend=.135). The suggestion of a 40% increased adenomyosis odds was observed with smoking >5-15 pack-years (vs. never smoking), comparing cases to population controls (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.8-2.4; Ptrend=0.136). CONCLUSION In the first study of cannabis smoking and adenomyosis risk, no association was observed. However, our data suggested an increased odds of adenomyosis with history of tobacco cigarette smoking. Further research is warranted to replicate our results given the substantial morbidity with adenomyosis and frequency of cigarette smoking and recreational and medical cannabis use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Joachim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Kipling M Bohnert
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Sawsan As-Sanie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Holly R Harris
- Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kristen Upson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dubol M, Immenschuh J, Jonasson M, Takahashi K, Niwa T, Hosoya T, Roslin S, Wikström J, Antoni G, Watanabe Y, Lubberink M, Biegon A, Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E. Acute nicotine exposure blocks aromatase in the limbic brain of healthy women: A [ 11C]cetrozole PET study. Compr Psychiatry 2023; 123:152381. [PMID: 36905856 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Of interest to women's mental health, a wealth of studies suggests sex differences in nicotine addiction and treatment response, but their psychoneuroendocrine underpinnings remain largely unknown. A pathway involving sex steroids could indeed be involved in the behavioural effects of nicotine, as it was found to inhibit aromatase in vitro and in vivo in rodents and non-human primates, respectively. Aromatase regulates the synthesis of oestrogens and, of relevance to addiction, is highly expressed in the limbic brain. METHODS The present study sought to investigate in vivo aromatase availability in relation to exposure to nicotine in healthy women. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and two [11C]cetrozole positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed to assess the availability of aromatase before and after administration of nicotine. Gonadal hormones and cotinine levels were measured. Given the region-specific expression of aromatase, a ROI-based approach was employed to assess changes in [11C]cetrozole non-displaceable binding potential. RESULTS The highest availability of aromatase was found in the right and left thalamus. Upon nicotine exposure, [11C]cetrozole binding in the thalamus was acutely decreased bilaterally (Cohen's d = -0.99). In line, cotinine levels were negatively associated with aromatase availability in the thalamus, although as non-significant trend. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate acute blocking of aromatase availability by nicotine in the thalamic area. This suggests a new putative mechanism mediating the effects of nicotine on human behaviour, particularly relevant to sex differences in nicotine addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manon Dubol
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jana Immenschuh
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - My Jonasson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kayo Takahashi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takashi Niwa
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan; Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takamitsu Hosoya
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan; Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sara Roslin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Wikström
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Neuroradiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Antoni
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Mark Lubberink
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anat Biegon
- Departments of Radiology and Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sex Differences in Psychostimulant Abuse: Implications for Estrogen Receptors and Histone Deacetylases. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050892. [PMID: 35627277 PMCID: PMC9140379 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance abuse is a chronic pathological disorder that negatively affects many health and neurological processes. A growing body of literature has revealed gender differences in substance use. Compared to men, women display distinct drug-use phenotypes accompanied by recovery and rehabilitation disparities. These observations have led to the notion that sex-dependent susceptibilities exist along the progression to addiction. Within this scope, neuroadaptations following psychostimulant exposure are thought to be distinct for each sex. This review summarizes clinical findings and animal research reporting sex differences in the subjective and behavioral responses to cocaine, methamphetamine, and nicotine. This discussion is followed by an examination of epigenetic and molecular alterations implicated in the addiction process. Special consideration is given to histone deacetylases and estrogen receptor-mediated gene expression.
Collapse
|
5
|
Merii MH, Fardoun MM, El-Asmar K, Khalil MI, Eid A, Dhaini HR. Effect of BPA on CYP450s expression, and nicotine modulation, in fetal rat brain. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 92:107095. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
6
|
Chen T, Wu M, Dong Y, Kong B, Cai Y, Hei C, Wu K, Zhao C, Chang Q. Effect of e-cigarette refill liquid on follicular development and
estrogen secretion in rats. Tob Induc Dis 2022; 20:36. [PMID: 35529323 PMCID: PMC8988604 DOI: 10.18332/tid/146958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tairen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Mengjing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yuting Dong
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Bin Kong
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yufang Cai
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Changchun Hei
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Kai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Chengjun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Brann DW, Lu Y, Wang J, Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Zhang Q, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Neuron-Derived Estrogen-A Key Neuromodulator in Synaptic Function and Memory. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413242. [PMID: 34948039 PMCID: PMC8706511 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to being a steroid hormone, 17β-estradiol (E2) is also a neurosteroid produced in neurons in various regions of the brain of many species, including humans. Neuron-derived E2 (NDE2) is synthesized from androgen precursors via the action of the biosynthetic enzyme aromatase, which is located at synapses and in presynaptic terminals in neurons in both the male and female brain. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting a key role for NDE2 as a neuromodulator that regulates synaptic plasticity and memory. Evidence supporting an important neuromodulatory role of NDE2 in the brain has come from studies using aromatase inhibitors, aromatase overexpression in neurons, global aromatase knockout mice, and the recent development of conditional forebrain neuron-specific knockout mice. Collectively, these studies demonstrate a key role of NDE2 in the regulation of synapse and spine density, efficacy of excitatory synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation, and regulation of hippocampal-dependent recognition memory, spatial reference memory, and contextual fear memory. NDE2 is suggested to achieve these effects through estrogen receptor-mediated regulation of rapid kinase signaling and CREB-BDNF signaling pathways, which regulate actin remodeling, as well as transcription, translation, and transport of synaptic proteins critical for synaptic plasticity and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Darrell W. Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA;
| | - Rajeshwar R. Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Brann DW, Lu Y, Wang J, Zhang Q, Thakkar R, Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Brain-derived estrogen and neural function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:793-817. [PMID: 34823913 PMCID: PMC8816863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although classically known as an endocrine signal produced by the ovary, 17β-estradiol (E2) is also a neurosteroid produced in neurons and astrocytes in the brain of many different species. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the localization, regulation, sex differences, and physiological/pathological roles of brain-derived E2 (BDE2). Much of what we know regarding the functional roles of BDE2 has come from studies using specific inhibitors of the E2 synthesis enzyme, aromatase, as well as the recent development of conditional forebrain neuron-specific and astrocyte-specific aromatase knockout mouse models. The evidence from these studies support a critical role for neuron-derived E2 (NDE2) in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, memory, socio-sexual behavior, sexual differentiation, reproduction, injury-induced reactive gliosis, and neuroprotection. Furthermore, we review evidence that astrocyte-derived E2 (ADE2) is induced following brain injury/ischemia, and plays a key role in reactive gliosis, neuroprotection, and cognitive preservation. Finally, we conclude by discussing the key controversies and challenges in this area, as well as potential future directions for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Darrell W Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Roshni Thakkar
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA; Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Alhowail A. Molecular insights into the benefits of nicotine on memory and cognition (Review). Mol Med Rep 2021; 23:398. [PMID: 33786606 PMCID: PMC8025477 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The health risks of nicotine are well known, but there is some evidence of its beneficial effects on cognitive function. The present review focused on the reported benefits of nicotine in the brain and summarizes the associated underlying mechanisms. Nicotine administration can improve cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and dyskinesia and memory impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). In terms of its mechanism of action, nicotine slows the progression of PD by inhibiting Sirtuin 6, a stress‑responsive protein deacetylase, thereby decreasing neuronal apoptosis and improving neuronal survival. In AD, nicotine improves cognitive impairment by enhancing protein kinase B (also referred to as Akt) activity and stimulating phosphoinositide 3‑kinase/Akt signaling, which regulates learning and memory processes. Nicotine may also activate thyroid receptor signaling pathways to improve memory impairment caused by hypothyroidism. In healthy individuals, nicotine improves memory impairment caused by sleep deprivation by enhancing the phosphorylation of calmodulin‑dependent protein kinase II, an essential regulator of cell proliferation and synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, nicotine may improve memory function through its effect on chromatin modification via the inhibition of histone deacetylases, which causes transcriptional changes in memory‑related genes. Finally, nicotine administration has been demonstrated to rescue long‑term potentiation in individuals with sleep deprivation, AD, chronic stress and hypothyroidism, primarily by desensitizing α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. To conclude, nicotine has several cognitive benefits in healthy individuals, as well as in those with cognitive dysfunction associated with various diseases. However, further research is required to shed light on the effect of acute and chronic nicotine treatment on memory function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Alhowail
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah 52571, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Alia-Klein N, Preston-Campbell RN, Kim SW, Pareto D, Logan J, Wang GJ, Moeller SJ, Fowler JS, Biegon A. Human Cognitive Ability Is Modulated by Aromatase Availability in the Brain in a Sex-Specific Manner. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:565668. [PMID: 33192252 PMCID: PMC7604391 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.565668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The enzyme aromatase catalyzes the final step in estrogen biosynthesis, converting testosterone to estradiol, and is expressed in the brain of all mammals. Estrogens are thought to be important for maintenance of cognitive function in women, whereas testosterone is thought to modulate cognitive abilities in men. Here, we compare differences in cognitive performance in relation to brain aromatase availability in healthy men and women. Twenty-seven healthy participants were administered tests of verbal learning and memory and perceptual/abstract reasoning. In vivo images of brain aromatase availability were acquired in this sample using positron emission tomography (PET) with the validated aromatase radiotracer [11C]vorozole. Regions of interest were placed bilaterally on the amygdala and thalamus where aromatase availability is highest in the human brain. Though cognitive performance and aromatase availability did not differ as a function of sex, higher availability of aromatase in the amygdala was associated with lower cognitive performance in men. No such relationship was found in women; and the corresponding regression slopes were significantly different between the sexes. Thalamic aromatase availability was not significantly correlated with cognitive performance in either sex. These findings suggest that the effects of brain aromatase on cognitive performance are both region- and sex-specific and may explain some of the normal variance seen in verbal and nonverbal cognitive abilities in men and women as well as sex differences in the trajectory of cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nelly Alia-Klein
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Sung Won Kim
- National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Deborah Pareto
- Neuroradiology Unit, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jean Logan
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Scott J. Moeller
- Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | | | - Anat Biegon
- Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Anat Biegon,
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Biegon A, Shroyer KR, Franceschi D, Dhawan J, Tahmi M, Pareto D, Bonilla P, Airola K, Cohen J. Initial Studies with 11C-Vorozole PET Detect Overexpression of Intratumoral Aromatase in Breast Cancer. J Nucl Med 2019; 61:807-813. [PMID: 31757843 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.119.231589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatase inhibitors are the mainstay of hormonal therapy in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, although the response rate is just over 50% and in vitro studies suggest that only two thirds of postmenopausal breast tumors overexpress aromatase. The goal of the present study was to validate and optimize PET with 11C-vorozole for measuring aromatase expression in postmenopausal breast cancer in vivo. Methods: Ten newly diagnosed postmenopausal women with biopsy-confirmed breast cancer were administered 11C-vorozole intravenously, and PET emission data were collected between 40 and 90 min after injection. Tracer injection and scanning were repeated 2 h after ingestion of 2.5 mg of letrozole. Mean and maximal SUVs and ratios to nontumor tissue in the contralateral breast were determined at baseline and after letrozole. Biopsy specimens from the same tumors were stained for aromatase using immunohistochemistry and evaluated for stain intensity and the percentage of immune-positive cells. Results: Seven of the 10 women (70%) demonstrated increased mean focal uptake of tracer (SUV ratio > 1.1) coinciding with the mammographic location of the lesion, whereas the other 3 women (30%) did not (SUV ratio ≤ 1.0). All patients with an SUV ratio above 1.1 had mean SUVs above 2.4, and there was no overlap (SUV ratio ≤ 1; SUVmean, 0.8-1.8). The SUV ratio relative to breast around tumor was indistinguishable from the ratio to contralateral breast. Pretreatment with letrozole reduced tracer uptake in most subjects, although the percentage of blocking varied across and within tumors. Tumors with a high SUV in vivo also showed a high immunohistochemical staining intensity. Conclusion: PET with 11C-vorozole is a useful technique for measuring aromatase expression in individual breast lesions, enabling noninvasive quantitative measurement of baseline and posttreatment aromatase availability in primary tumors and metastatic lesions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Biegon
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Kenneth R Shroyer
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Dinko Franceschi
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Jasbeer Dhawan
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Mouna Tahmi
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Deborah Pareto
- Radiology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Bonilla
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York; and
| | - Krystal Airola
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Jules Cohen
- Hematology/Oncology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Weiser M, Levi L, Zamora D, Biegon A, SanGiovanni JP, Davidson M, Burshtein S, Gonen I, Radu P, Slobozean Pavalache K, Nastas I, Hemi R, Ryan T, Davis JM. Effect of Adjunctive Estradiol on Schizophrenia Among Women of Childbearing Age: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:1009-1017. [PMID: 31365044 PMCID: PMC6669788 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Several lines of evidence suggest that estradiol influences the course of schizophrenia, and a previous randomized controlled trial demonstrated that transdermal estradiol improved symptoms in female patients of childbearing age. However, many initial positive findings in schizophrenia research are not later replicated. OBJECTIVE To independently replicate the results of the effect of estradiol on schizophrenia in women of childbearing age. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An 8-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial performed in the Republic of Moldova between December 4, 2015, and July 29, 2016, among 200 premenopausal women aged 19 to 46 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder as defined by the DSM-5. INTERVENTION Patients were randomized to receive a 200-μg estradiol patch or placebo patch changed twice a week added to their antipsychotic treatment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; lower scores indicated fewer symptoms and higher scores indicated more symptoms), analyzed with mixed models for repeated measures on an intention-to-treat basis. RESULTS A total of 100 women (median age, 38 years; interquartile range, 34-42 years) were randomized to receive an estradiol patch and 100 women (median age, 38 years; interquartile range, 31-41 years) were randomized to receive a placebo patch; the median age at baseline for the entire group of 200 women was 38.0 years (range, 19.5-46.0 years). At baseline, the mean positive PANSS score was 19.6 for both groups combined; at week 8, the mean positive PANSS score was 14.4 in the placebo group and 13.4 in the estradiol group. Compared with placebo, participants receiving add-on estradiol patches had statistically significant improvements in the primary outcome measure, PANSS positive subscale points (-0.94; 95% CI, -1.64 to -0.24; P = .008; effect size = 0.38). Post hoc heterogeneity analyses found that this effect occurred almost entirely in 100 participants older than 38.0 years (46 in placebo group vs 54 in estradiol group; difference, -1.98 points on the PANSS positive subscale; 95% CI, -2.94 to -1.02; P < .001). Younger participants did not benefit from estradiol (difference, 0.08 points on the PANSS positive subscale; 95% CI, -0.91 to 1.07; P = .87). Breast tenderness was more common in the estradiol group (n = 15) than in the placebo group (n = 1) as was weight gain (14 in estradiol group vs 1 in placebo group). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results independently replicate the finding that transdermal estradiol is an effective add-on treatment for women of childbearing age with schizophrenia and extend it, finding improvements in negative symptoms and finding that the effect could be specific to those older than 38 years. The results should be viewed in the context of the differences in the natural course of schizophrenia between females and males. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03848234.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Weiser
- Stanley Medical Research Institute, Kensington, Maryland,Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Linda Levi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Daisy Zamora
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anat Biegon
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University Medical School, Stony Brook, New York,Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University Medical School, Stony Brook, New York
| | - John Paul SanGiovanni
- Section on Nutritional Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Michael Davidson
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,University of Nicosia Medical School, Engomi, Cyprus
| | - Shimon Burshtein
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Igor Nastas
- Psychiatry, Narcology, and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, “Nicolae Testemianu,” Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Rina Hemi
- Institute of Endocrinology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Timothy Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago
| | - John M. Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Takahashi K, Hosoya T, Onoe K, Takashima T, Tanaka M, Ishii A, Nakatomi Y, Tazawa S, Takahashi K, Doi H, Wada Y, Watanabe Y. Association between aromatase in human brains and personality traits. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16841. [PMID: 30442903 PMCID: PMC6237866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35065-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatase, an enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens, has been reported to be involved in several brain functions, including synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, neuroprotection, and regulation of sexual and emotional behaviours in rodents, pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorders in humans. Aromatase has been reported to be involved in aggressive behaviours in genetically modified mice and in personality traits by genotyping studies on humans. However, no study has investigated the relationship between aromatase in living brains and personality traits including aggression. We performed a positron emission tomography (PET) study in 21 healthy subjects using 11C-cetrozole, which has high selectivity and affinity for aromatase. Before performing PET scans, subjects answered the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Temperament and Character Inventory to measure their aggression and personality traits, respectively. A strong accumulation of 11C-cetrozole was detected in the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and medulla. Females showed associations between aromatase levels in subcortical regions, such as the amygdala and supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, and personality traits such as aggression, novelty seeking, and self-transcendence. In contrast, males exhibited associations between aromatase levels in the cortices and harm avoidance, persistence, and self-transcendence. The association of aromatase levels in the thalamus with cooperativeness was common to both sexes. The present study suggests that there might exist associations between aromatase in the brain and personality traits. Some of these associations may differ between sexes, while others are likely common to both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kayo Takahashi
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Takamitsu Hosoya
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, (TMDU), 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Kayo Onoe
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Tadayuki Takashima
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Masaaki Tanaka
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Akira Ishii
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Nakatomi
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.,Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Shusaku Tazawa
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Takahashi
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hisashi Doi
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Wada
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. .,Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lenz B, Röther M, Bouna-Pyrrou P, Mühle C, Tektas OY, Kornhuber J. The androgen model of suicide completion. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 172:84-103. [PMID: 29886148 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Revised: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Suicide is a devastating public health issue that imposes severe psychological, social, and economic burdens not only for the individuals but also for their relatives, friends, clinicians, and the general public. Among the different suicidal behaviors, suicide completion is the worst and the most relevant outcome. The knowledge of biological etiopathological mechanisms involved in suicide completion is limited. Hitherto, no objective markers, either alone or in combination, can reliably predict who will complete a suicide. However, such parameters are strongly needed to establish and optimize prediction and prevention. We introduce here a novel ideation-to-completion framework in suicide research and discuss the problems of studies aiming at identifying and validating clinically useful markers. The male gender is a specific risk factor for suicide, which suggests that androgen effects are implicated in the transition from suicidal ideation to suicide completion. We present multiple lines of direct and indirect evidence showing that both an increased prenatal androgen load (with subsequent permanent neuroadaptations) and increased adult androgen activity are involved in suicide completion. We also review data arguing that modifiable maternal behavioral traits during pregnancy contribute to the offspring's prenatal androgen load and increase the risk for suicide completion later in life. We conclude that in utero androgen exposure and adult androgen levels facilitate suicide completion in an synergistic manner. The androgen model of suicide completion provides the basis for the development of novel predictive and preventive strategies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany.
| | - Mareike Röther
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Polyxeni Bouna-Pyrrou
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Ozan Y Tektas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li J, Wu Q, Wu XK, Zhou ZM, Fu P, Chen XH, Yan Y, Wang X, Yang ZW, Li WL, Stener-Victorin E, Legro RS, Ng EHY, Zhang H, Mol BWJ, Wang CC. Effect of exposure to second-hand smoke from husbands on biochemical hyperandrogenism, metabolic syndrome and conception rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing ovulation induction. Hum Reprod 2018; 33:617-625. [PMID: 29471520 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 26 Heping Road, Harbin, China
| | - Q Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiao-Ke Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 26 Heping Road, Harbin, China
| | - Zhong-Ming Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hubei Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Fu
- Department of Gynecology, Hangzhou City Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiu-Hua Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Department of Traditional Technology, Guangdong Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Yan
- Department of Gynecology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning University of Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, China
| | - Zheng-Wang Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Wei-Li Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | | | - Richard S Legro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, USA
| | - Ernest Hung-Yu Ng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Heping Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ben Willem J Mol
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Chi Chiu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Reproduction and Development Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Current smoking is associated with a larger waist circumference and a more androgenic profile in young healthy women from high-risk breast cancer families. Cancer Causes Control 2018; 29:243-251. [PMID: 29299723 PMCID: PMC5794810 DOI: 10.1007/s10552-017-0999-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The purpose was to elucidate the interplay between current smoking, anthropometric measurements, and endogenous hormone levels in women ≤ 40 years. Questionnaires on lifestyle and reproductive factors were completed by 269 healthy women from high-risk breast cancer families between 1996 and 2006 in Sweden. Blood samples for analyses of plasma testosterone, estradiol, androstenedione, sex hormone-binding globulin, and body measurements were obtained 5–10 days before predicted onset of the next menstrual period. Women without smoking status, who were currently breastfeeding, or using hormonal contraception other than combined oral contraceptives (OCs) were excluded (n = 27). Current smokers (n = 57) had larger waist circumference (adjp = 0.004) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (adjp = 0.007) than non-smokers (n = 185). In non-OC users, adjusted mean androstenedione levels were higher in current smokers compared with non-smokers (10.3 vs. 8.6 nmol/L; adjp = 0.0002). While in current OC users estradiol levels were higher in smokers compared with non-smokers (22.5 vs. 17.4 pg/mL; adjp = 0.012). In multivariable models, WHR was associated with both current smoking (adjp ≤ 0.016) and higher levels of androstenedione (adjp = 0.05) or bioavailable testosterone (adjp = 0.001). Among non-OC users, a more androgenic profile was observed in current smokers compared with non-smokers, but not in current OC users. Irrespective of OC use, current smoking was associated with increased waist circumference.
Collapse
|
17
|
Meng Y, Adi D, Wu Y, Wang Y, Abudoukelimu M, Huang D, Ma X, Liu C, Wang T, Liu F, Chen B, Gai M, Chen X, Fu Z, Ma Y. CYP19A1 polymorphisms associated with coronary artery disease and circulating sex hormone levels in a Chinese population. Oncotarget 2017; 8:97101-97113. [PMID: 29228596 PMCID: PMC5722548 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship between CYP19A1 genetic polymorphisms and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of CYP19A1 genetic polymorphisms with CAD in Han and Uygur populations and to characterize the association between the levels of sex hormones and aromatase with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP19A1 genes in Chinese women. Results There were significant differences in the genotype distributions of rs2236722 and rs4646 between CAD patients and control subjects in the Uygur population. The rs4646 was found to be associated with CAD in the dominant model (CC vs. CA + AA) and the additive model (CA vs. CC + AA) (both P ≤ 0.001). The difference remained statistically significant after multivariate adjustment (OR = 0.483, 95% CI: 0.338–0.690, P = 0.000; and OR = 1.844, 95% CI: 1.300–2.617, P = 0.001, respectively). In normal Uygur postmenopausal women, there were significant differences in the genotype distributions of rs4646 and the circulating hormone and aromatase levels between CAD patients and control subjects. The differences in estradiol and aromatase levels remained statistically significant after multivariate adjustment (OR = 0.889, 95% CI: 0.817–0.969, P = 0.007; and OR = 0.947, 95% CI: 0.936–0.957, P = 0.000, respectively). Additionally, there were differences in sex hormone levels between the different ethnicities among the Xinjiang Chinese population. Materials and Methods Among a total of 1,064 Han individuals (614 men and 450 women) and 790 Uygur individuals (484 men and 306 women), 498 postmenopausal women (265 Han and 233 Uygur individuals) were selected. Four SNPs (rs2236722, rs2304463, rs4646, and rs4275794) were genotyped using the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR) technique. The estradiol and testosterone levels were determined using a radioimmunoassay based on GC-2016γ. In addition, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine the serum P450 aromatase levels. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that the rs2236722 and rs4646 of the CYP19A1 gene are associated with CAD and circulating sex hormone levels in the Xinjiang population of China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Meng
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Dilare Adi
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Mayila Abudoukelimu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Ding Huang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Ma
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Fen Liu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Bangdang Chen
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Mintao Gai
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Xiaocui Chen
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Zhenyan Fu
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| | - Yitong Ma
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, P.R. China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Biegon A. In vivo visualization of aromatase in animals and humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 40:42-51. [PMID: 26456904 PMCID: PMC4783227 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase catalyzes the last and obligatory step in the biosynthesis of estrogens across species. In vivo visualization of aromatase can be performed using positron emission tomography (PET) with radiolabeled aromatase inhibitors such as [(11)C]vorozole. PET studies in rats, monkeys and healthy human subjects demonstrate widespread but heterogeneous aromatase availability in brain and body, which appears to be regulated in a species, sex and region-specific manner. Thus, aromatase availability is high in brain amygdala and in ovaries of all species examined to date, with males demonstrating higher levels than females in all comparable organs. However, the highest concentrations of aromatase in the human brain are found in specific nuclei of the thalamus while the highest levels in rats and monkeys are found in the amygdala. Regional brain aromatase availability is increased by androgens and inhibited by nicotine. Future studies may improve diagnosis and treatment in brain disorders and cancers overexpressing aromatase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Biegon
- Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2565, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Determining the IC 50 Values for Vorozole and Letrozole, on a Series of Human Liver Cytochrome P450s, to Help Determine the Binding Site of Vorozole in the Liver. Enzyme Res 2015; 2015:321820. [PMID: 26635974 PMCID: PMC4655258 DOI: 10.1155/2015/321820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vorozole and letrozole are third-generation aromatase (cytochrome P450 19A1) inhibitors. [11C]-Vorozole can be used as a radiotracer for aromatase in living animals but when administered by IV, it collects in the liver. Pretreatment with letrozole does not affect the binding of vorozole in the liver. In search of finding the protein responsible for the accumulation of vorozole in the liver, fluorometric high-throughput screening assays were used to test the inhibitory capability of vorozole and letrozole on a series of liver cytochrome P450s (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, and CYP3A4). It was determined that vorozole is a potent inhibitor of CYP1A1 (IC50 = 0.469 μM) and a moderate inhibitor of CYP2A6 and CYP3A4 (IC50 = 24.4 and 98.1 μM, resp.). Letrozole is only a moderate inhibitor of CYP1A1 and CYP2A6 (IC50 = 69.8 and 106 μM) and a very weak inhibitor of CYP3A4 (<10% inhibition at 1 mM). Since CYP3A4 makes up the majority of the CYP content found in the human liver, and vorozole inhibits it moderately well but letrozole does not, CYP3A4 is a good candidate for the protein that [11C]-vorozole is binding to in the liver.
Collapse
|
20
|
Biegon A, Alexoff DL, Kim SW, Logan J, Pareto D, Schlyer D, Wang GJ, Fowler JS. Aromatase imaging with [N-methyl-11C]vorozole PET in healthy men and women. J Nucl Med 2015; 56:580-5. [PMID: 25698781 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.114.150383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Aromatase, the last and obligatory enzyme catalyzing estrogen biosynthesis from androgenic precursors, can be labeled in vivo with (11)C-vorozole. Aromatase inhibitors are widely used in breast cancer and other endocrine conditions. The present study aimed to provide baseline information defining aromatase distribution in healthy men and women, against which its perturbation in pathologic situations can be studied. METHODS (11)C-vorozole (111-296 MBq/subject) was injected intravenously in 13 men and 20 women (age range, 23-67 y). PET data were acquired over a 90-min period. Each subject had 4 scans, 2 per day separated by 2-6 wk, including brain and torso or pelvis scans. Young women were scanned at 2 discrete phases of the menstrual cycle (midcycle and late luteal). Men and postmenopausal women were also scanned after pretreatment with a clinical dose of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. Time-activity curves were obtained, and standardized uptake values (SUV) were calculated for major organs including brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, muscle, bone, and male and female reproductive organs (penis, testes, uterus, ovaries). Organ and whole-body radiation exposures were calculated using OLINDA software. RESULTS Liver uptake was higher than uptake in any other organ but was not blocked by pretreatment with letrozole. Mean SUVs were higher in men than in women, and brain uptake was blocked by letrozole. Male brain SUVs were also higher than SUVs in any other organ (ranging from 0.48 ± 0.05 in lungs to 1.5 ± 0.13 in kidneys). Mean ovarian SUVs (3.08 ± 0.7) were comparable to brain levels and higher than in any other organ. Furthermore, ovarian SUVs in young women around the time of ovulation (midcycle) were significantly higher than those measured in the late luteal phase, whereas aging and cigarette smoking reduced (11)C-vorozole uptake. CONCLUSION PET with (11)C-vorozole is useful for assessing physiologic changes in estrogen synthesis capacity in the human body. Baseline levels in breasts, lungs, and bones are low, supporting further investigation of this tracer as a new tool for detection of aromatase-overexpressing primary tumors or metastases in these organs and optimization of treatment in cancer and other disorders in which aromatase inhibitors are useful.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Biegon
- Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York
| | | | - Sung Won Kim
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jean Logan
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Deborah Pareto
- Institut de Recerca Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Alta Tecnologia, Barcelona, Spain; and
| | | | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Joanna S Fowler
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Logan J, Kim SW, Pareto D, Telang F, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Biegon A. Kinetic Analysis of [11C]Vorozole Binding in the Human Brain with Positron Emission Tomography. Mol Imaging 2014. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2014.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Logan
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Sung Won Kim
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Deborah Pareto
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Frank Telang
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Joanna S. Fowler
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Anat Biegon
- From the Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY; National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD; Magnetic Resonance Unit Hospital Vall Hebron, Psg Vall Hebron 119–129, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER BBN, Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY; and Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Dušková M, Hruškovičová H, Šimůnková K, Stárka L, Pařízek A. The effects of smoking on steroid metabolism and fetal programming. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 139:138-43. [PMID: 23685014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Revised: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Tobacco addiction is a serious psychosocial and health problem. A pregnant woman who smokes not only influences the maternal organism, but also passes health risks on to the unborn child. A fetus exposed to maternal smoking is not only directly influenced, but is also endangered by a wide range of diseases up to his or her adult years. The components of tobacco smoke play a significant role in the development of a number of diseases for a large proportion of the smoking population, as well as among those pregnant. This article summarizes findings regarding the impacts on the production of steroid hormones - first describing the smoking-related changes in steroidogenesis in women, and then focusing on the influence of maternal smoking on the fetus's developing steroidogenesis. We assume that if during prenatal development the fetus has already been exposed to the effect of endocrine disruptors at the time fetal steroidogenesis begins fetal programming, this exposure can have serious pathophysiological effects both in the pregnancy as well as later in life. An example of such effects might be a delay in the creation of kidney adrenal androgens, which could also be evident on the level of steroid neuroactive metabolites that may influence the individual's psychological state and lead to later addictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Dušková
- Institute of Endocrinology, Narodní 8, 116 94, Prague 1, Czech Republic; First Faculty of Medicine, Katerinska 32, 121 08, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Puberty dysregulation and increased risk of disease in adult life: possible modes of action. Reprod Toxicol 2013; 44:15-22. [PMID: 23791931 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2012] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Puberty is the developmental window when the final maturation of body systems is orchestrated by hormones; lifelong sex-related differences and capacity to interact with the environment are defined during this life stage. Increased incidence in a number of chronic, multifactorial diseases could be related to environmental exposures during puberty: however, insight on the susceptibility of the peripubertal period is still limited. The estrogen/androgen balance is a crucial axis in harmonizing the whole pubertal development, pointing out the significance of exposures to endocrine disruptors. Besides the reproductive system, endocrine-related perturbations may affect the maturation of skeleton, adipose tissues, brain, immune system, as well as cancer predisposition. Thus, risk assessment of environmental stressors should duly consider specific aspects of the pubertal window. Besides endocrine-related mechanisms, suggested research priorities include signaling molecules (e.g., kisspeptins, dopamine) as xenobiotic targets and disturbances of specific pubertal methylation processes potentially involved in neurobehavioral disorders and cancer risk in adulthood.
Collapse
|
24
|
Ashare RL, Falcone M, Lerman C. Cognitive function during nicotine withdrawal: Implications for nicotine dependence treatment. Neuropharmacology 2013; 76 Pt B:581-91. [PMID: 23639437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine withdrawal is associated with deficits in neurocognitive function including sustained attention, working memory, and response inhibition. Several convergent lines of evidence suggest that these deficits may represent a core dependence phenotype and a target for treatment development efforts. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying withdrawal-related cognitive deficits may lead to improve nicotine dependence treatment. We begin with an overview of the neurocognitive effects of withdrawal in rodent and human models, followed by discussion of the neurobehavioral mechanisms that are thought to underlie these effects. We then review individual differences in withdrawal-related neurocognitive effects including genetics, gender, and psychiatric comorbidity. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this research for developing improved therapies, both pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments, that target cognitive symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Ashare
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Holland JP, Cumming P, Vasdev N. PET radiopharmaceuticals for probing enzymes in the brain. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING 2013; 3:194-216. [PMID: 23638333 PMCID: PMC3627518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biologically important processes in normal brain function and brain disease involve the action of various protein-based receptors, ion channels, transporters and enzymes. The ability to interrogate the location, abundance and activity of these entities in vivo using non-invasive molecular imaging can provide unprecedented information about the spatio-temporal dynamics of brain function. Indeed, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is transforming our understanding of the central nervous system and brain disease. Great emphasis has historically been placed on developing radioligands for the non-invasive detection of neuroreceptors. In contrast, relatively few enzymes have been amenable to examination by PET imaging procedures based upon trapping or accumulation of enzymatic products, because only a subset of enzymes have sufficient catalytic rate to produce measureable accumulation within the practical time-limit of PET recordings. However, high affinity inhibitors are now serving as tracers for enzymes, particularly for measuring the abundance of enzymes mediating intracellular signal transduction in the brain, which offer a rich diversity of potential targets for drug discovery. The purpose of this review is to summarize well-known radiotracers for brain enzymes, and draw attention to recent developments in PET radiotracers for imaging signal transduction pathways in the brain. The review is organized by target class and focuses on structural chemistry of the best-established radiotracers identified in each class.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason P Holland
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School55 Fruit St., White 427, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitätsklinikum ErlangenUlmenweg 18, Erlangen, Germany, 91054
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School55 Fruit St., White 427, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Pharmacokinetics of testosterone and estradiol gel preparations in healthy young men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:171-8. [PMID: 22721608 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Revised: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 05/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The paucity of pharmacokinetic data on testosterone gel formulations and absence of such data on estradiol administration in healthy young men constitutes a fundamental gap of knowledge in behavioral endocrinological research. We addressed this issue in a double-blind and placebo controlled study in which we applied a topical gel containing either 150mg of testosterone (N=10), 2mg of estradiol (N=8) or a respective placebo (N=10) to 28 healthy young men. We then assessed serum concentrations of estradiol and testosterone in one hour intervals up to seven hours after drug application, measured LH, SHBG and cortisol levels once at baseline and three, four as well as six hours after gel administration. Treatment with testosterone gel resulted in maximum total serum testosterone concentration three hours after administration and did not suppress LH, cortisol and SHBG levels at any time point. Administration of estradiol gel led to maximum estradiol serum concentration two hours after administration. There was no suppression of cortisol, SHBG and absolute LH levels. We report here, for the first time, pharmacokinetic data on both high dose testosterone and estradiol gel application in healthy young males. The proposed model will assist in the design of future studies that seek to establish causality between testosterone and estradiol gel administration and behavioral as well as neurophysiological effects.
Collapse
|
27
|
Fernandez JW, Grizzell JA, Wecker L. The role of estrogen receptor β and nicotinic cholinergic receptors in postpartum depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2013; 40:199-206. [PMID: 23063492 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a devastating disease occurring in approximately 20% of women. Women who suffer from PPD appear to be more sensitive to postpartum hormonal changes than women who do not experience this form of depression. Furthermore, women who quit smoking prior to or during pregnancy, and who develop PPD, are at an increased risk of smoking relapse. Unfortunately, the mechanistic relationship between the pathophysiology of PPD and smoking relapse is unknown. Here we review the roles of both estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and cholinergic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in the pathogenesis of depression and propose a mechanistic rationale to explain the high rate of smoking relapse exhibited by women who develop PPD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Winderbaum Fernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33611, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Biegon A, Alia-Klein N, Fowler JS. Potential contribution of aromatase inhibition to the effects of nicotine and related compounds on the brain. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:185. [PMID: 23133418 PMCID: PMC3490106 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cigarette smoking continues to be a major public health problem, and while smoking rates in men have shown some decrease over the last few decades, smoking rates among girls and young women are increasing. Practically all of the important aspects of cigarette smoking and many effects of nicotine are sexually dimorphic (reviewed by Pogun and Yararbas, 2009). Women become addicted more easily than men, while finding it harder to quit. Nicotine replacement appears to be less effective in women. This may be linked to the observation that women are more sensitive than men to non-nicotine cues or ingredients in cigarettes. The reasons for these sex differences are mostly unknown. Several lines of evidence suggest that many of the reported sex differences related to cigarette smoking may stem from the inhibitory effects of nicotine and other tobacco alkaloids on estrogen synthesis via the enzyme aromatase (cyp19a gene product). Aromatase is the last enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis, catalyzing the conversion of androgens to estrogens. This review provides a summary of experimental evidence supporting brain aromatase as a potential mediator and/or modulator of nicotine actions in the brain, contributing to sex differences in smoking behavior. Additional research on the interaction between tobacco smoke, nicotine, and aromatase may help devise new, sex specific methods for prevention and treatment of smoking addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Biegon
- Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Nicotine alters the expression of molecular markers of endocrine disruption in zebrafish. Neurosci Lett 2012; 526:133-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
|
30
|
The Assay of Enzyme Activity by Positron Emission Tomography. MOLECULAR IMAGING IN THE CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/7657_2012_53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
31
|
El-Seweidy MM, Mohamed HE, Asker ME, Atteia HH. Nicotine and vascular endothelial dysfunction in female ovariectomized rats: role of estrogen replacement therapy. J Pharm Pharmacol 2011; 64:108-19. [PMID: 22150678 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01377.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The protective effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) against oxidative injury and endothelial dysfunction in the aortic tissues induced with nicotine in ovariectomized (OVX) rats were investigated. METHODS Female rats were divided into a sham-operated group (n = 8) and four groups in which OVX rats received either vehicle (0.1 ml sesame oil, i.m., n = 8), or nicotine (0.1 mg/kg, s.c., n = 8), or estradiol benzoate (0.1 mg/kg, i.m., n = 8), or both nicotine and estradiol benzoate (n = 8) starting at week 5 after the surgery and continuing for the following 6 weeks. KEY FINDINGS ERT was effective in preventing the rise in plasma lipid profile, atherogenic index and the level of induced endothelin-1 (ET-1) in nicotine-treated OVX rats. It also reduced aortic malondialdehyde, hydroxyproline levels, calcium content and caspase-3 expression induced in nicotine-treated OVX rats. ERT increased serum estradiol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and nitric oxide levels in nicotine-treated OVX rats. Furthermore, ERT was effective in restoring reduced glutathione and cyclic guanosine monophosphate contents and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in aortic tissues of nicotine-treated OVX rats. CONCLUSIONS Short-term ERT could be a promising therapeutic strategy to minimize nicotine-induced oxidative stress and vascular endothelial dysfunction in menopausal women subjected to environmental smoke.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed M El-Seweidy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Zagazig, Zagazig, Egypt
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
|
33
|
Biegon A, Kim SW, Alexoff DL, Jayne M, Carter P, Hubbard B, King P, Logan J, Muench L, Pareto D, Schlyer D, Shea C, Telang F, Wang GJ, Xu Y, Fowler JS. Unique distribution of aromatase in the human brain: in vivo studies with PET and [N-methyl-11C]vorozole. Synapse 2011; 64:801-7. [PMID: 20842717 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase catalyzes the last step in estrogen biosynthesis. Brain aromatase is involved in diverse neurophysiological and behavioral functions including sexual behavior, aggression, cognition, and neuroprotection. Using positron emission tomography (PET) with the radiolabeled aromatase inhibitor [N-methyl-(11)C]vorozole, we characterized the tracer distribution and kinetics in the living human brain. Six young, healthy subjects, three men and three women, were administered the radiotracer alone on two separate occasions. Women were scanned in distinct phases of the menstrual cycle. Specificity was confirmed by pretreatment with a pharmacological (2.5 mg) dose of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. PET data were acquired over a 90-min period and regions of interest placed over selected brain regions. Brain and plasma time activity curves, corrected for metabolites, were used to derive kinetic parameters. Distribution volume (V(T)) values in both men and women followed the following rank order: thalamus > amygdala = preoptic area > medulla (inferior olive) > accumbens, pons, occipital and temporal cortex, putamen, cerebellum, and white matter. Pretreatment with letrozole reduced V(T) in all regions, though the size of the reduction was region-dependent, ranging from ∼70% blocking in thalamus andpreoptic area to ∼10% in cerebellum. The high levels of aromatase in thalamus and medulla (inferior olive) appear to be unique to humans. These studies set the stage for the noninvasive assessment of aromatase involvement in various physiological and pathological processes affecting the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Biegon
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Dušková M, Šimůnková K, Hill M, Velíková M, Kubátová J, Hruškovičová H, Pospíšilová H, Rácz B, Cirmanová V, Králíková E, Stárka L. Cigarette smoking and progesterone and androgen metabolites in premenopausal women. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig 2011; 6:259-64. [DOI: 10.1515/hmbci.2011.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 02/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSmoking represents the most widespread substance dependence in the world. Several studies show nicotine’s ability to alter women hormonal homeostasis. Women smokers have higher testosterone and lower estradiol levels throughout life compared to women non-smokers. This negatively affects women’s reproductive function. Furthermore, alteration of neuroactive and neuroprotective steroids occurs in women smokers, and this plays an important role in the activity of the central nervous system, cognition, mental condition, and degree of substance dependence.We monitored the effect of smoking discontinuation on steroid spectrum in 40 premenopausal women heavy smokers. These women were examined before they began to discontinue smoking, and after 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks of abstinence. In each examination, blood was collected to determine steroid spectrum, LH, FSH, and SHBG; basic anthropometric data were also measured using GC-MS or immunoanalysis. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) model was used for evaluation of the data.Given the small number of women who persisted in not smoking, only the data after 6 weeks could be analyzed. No changes were found in C21 steroids, and a slight increase in androgens occurred after the discontinuation of smoking.Chronic smoking causes hyperandrogenism in fertile women; after smoking discontinuation, it increases further. Longer-term monitoring is necessary to show the effect of smoking discontinuation on steroid spectrum.
Collapse
|