Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Caroline S. S. Johnson, Paul E. Micevych, Paul G. G. Mermelstein
Summary: Recent studies have shown that traditional estrogen receptors, alpha and beta, can also act at the cell surface in addition to their nuclear functions. Signaling from these membrane-bound estrogen receptors can rapidly affect cellular excitability and ultimately impact gene expression. The interaction between these membrane receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) plays a key role in various female functions such as reproduction and motivation.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yanmeng Zhou, Bingbing Xu, Haiyang Yu, Wei Zhao, Xinxin Song, Yan Liu, Kainan Wang, Nikoli Peacher, Xiaomin Zhao, Han-Ting Zhang
Summary: BCA can improve memory in postmenopausal women with estrogen deficiency by reducing oxidative damage, enhancing intracellular antioxidant enzyme activity, promoting neuronal viability, reversing apoptosis and ROS accumulation, and protecting neurons from damage.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Hector De La Luz Torres, Paola Rojas Perez, Adriana Berenice Silva Gomez
Summary: Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) is an experimental strategy widely used to study depression. This study investigated the effect of neonatal OBX on learning and memory, as well as dendritic spine density in the dorsal hippocampus, in male and female rats. Results showed that male rats with OBX exhibited more pronounced spatial learning deficit, while female rats showed a significant decrease in basilar dendritic spine density. These findings suggest sexual dimorphism in the effect of OBX on the dorsal hippocampus and its relation to spatial learning and memory processes.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mahmoud A. Eisa, Ahmed M. Mansour, Salama A. Salama, Bakheet E. M. Elsadek, Ahmed A. Ashour, Tamer M. Abdelghany
Summary: This study reveals the important role of estrogen/ER activation in alleviating LF pathogenesis through modulation of the TLR-4/NF-k beta pathway.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sabrina Beal Pizzato, Paula Barros Terraciano, Pamela Zanon, Cristiana Palma Kuhl, Tuane Nerissa Alves Garcez, Eduardo Pandolfi Passos, Lucas Tirloni, Markus Berger
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated how platelets and the aorta contribute to the creation and maintenance of a prothrombotic state in an experimental model of postmenopausal hypertension in rats. They observed exacerbated platelet aggregation after ovariectomy in both hypertensive and normotensive rats, which was related to aortic COX2 downregulation and a decrease in AMP, ADP, and ATP hydrolysis. They also found a procoagulant potential in the plasma of ovariectomized rats, with increased thrombin generation in the aorta and platelets.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alyssa F. DeLarge, Peter J. Winsauer
Summary: The psychoactive cannabinoid Delta(9)-THC found in marijuana was studied on memory in female rats. The THC dose-dependently decreased retention and increased errors and decreased response rate, with estradiol attenuation of THC-induced disruptions in OVX female rats.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Saeideh Davari, Nicole 'Costa, Reza Ramezan, John G. Mielke
Summary: Social adversity during childhood and adolescence may increase the likelihood of mental illnesses. A study on rats using the Chronic Early-Life Social Isolation (CELSI) model found that rats who experienced post-weaning social isolation showed stronger spatial learning and memory abilities. The study also observed an increase in expression of PSD-95, a key neuronal protein, in socially isolated male rats. These findings suggest that CELSI may enhance hippocampal-dependent behavior.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Nastaran Golitabari, Forouzan Mohammadian, Ali-Akbar Salari, Mohammad Amani
Summary: This study found that early life exposure to PCP can negatively affect the synaptic function of CA1 neurons in the hippocampus of adult rats, including inhibiting long-term potentiation and depression, and causing significant changes in complex response profiles.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Forouzan Mohammadian, Nastaran Golitabari, Ali Abedi, Hakimeh Saadati, Hamid Sheikhkanloui Milan, Ali-Akbar Salari, Mohammad Amani
Summary: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays an important role in balancing excitatory and inhibitory networks in the brain. The disruption of GABA's depolarizing action during early life can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. This study shows that postnatal exposure to bicuculline, a GABA(A) receptor antagonist, impairs short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 neurons, resulting in disturbances in spatial memory.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Brooke N. Bender, Mary M. Torregrossa
Summary: The study found that habitual drug seeking leads to plasticity in the DLS and behavior that is resistant to cue extinction, but the effects of cue extinction are restored when glutamatergic signaling in the DLS is blocked.
Article
Neurosciences
Abbie C. Johnson, Friederike Uhlig, Zachary Einwag, Noelle Cataldo, Benedek Erdos
Summary: Chronic psychological stress affects brain regions involved in memory, such as the hippocampus, and accelerates age-related cognitive decline. This study revealed the impact of chronic stress on hippocampal vascular function, which in turn affects memory function. Male rats were found to be more susceptible to neuroendocrine-induced hippocampal dysfunction, suggesting that males may be at a higher risk of memory impairment during chronic stress. The therapeutic potential of targeting hippocampal arterioles to prevent or slow memory decline in prolonged and unavoidable stress was highlighted.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lydia Zeibich, Stephanie Koebele, Victoria E. Bernaud, Zehra Esra Ilhan, Blake Dirks, Steven N. Northup-Smith, Rachel Neeley, Juan Maldonado, Khemlal Nirmalkar, Julia A. Files, Anita P. Mayer, Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Summary: This study using a rat model found that ovariectomy-induced ovarian hormone deficiency and subsequent E2 treatment significantly impacted various health-affecting parameters, including intestinal bacterial taxa abundance, microbial short-chain fatty acids abundance, weight/BMI, and cognitive function. Exploratory correlations among intestinal bacteria abundance, cognition, and BMI highlighted the potential influence of surgical menopause and E2 treatment on gut-brain interactions.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Joanna Sadowska, Wioleta Dudzinska, Izabela Dziaduch
Summary: This study explores the relationships between diet, sex hormone concentrations, and the estrous cycle, which are important for understanding infertility and estrogen-dependent diseases. The findings indicate that both the amount and pattern of dietary sucrose intake affect the estrous cycle and sex hormone concentrations in female rats.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ana Paula Rodrigues Martini, Eduarda Hoeper, Thales Avila Pedroso, Andrey Vinicios Soares Carvalho, Felipe Kawa Odorcyk, Rafael Bandeira Fabres, Natividade de Sa Couto Pereira, Carlos Alexandre Netto
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of acrobatic training on male and female rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. The results showed that acrobatic training prevented spatial memory impairments caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, especially in female rats. Additionally, acrobatic training promoted neuronal survival, improved mitochondrial function, and influenced the glial scar in a sex-dependent manner.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Rukmani Pandey, Asmita Garg, Keerti Gupta, Pallavi Shukla, Kapil Mandrah, Somendu Roy, Naibedya Chattopadhyay, Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
Summary: This study found that adult male rats are more susceptible to arsenic-induced neurotoxicity than females, possibly due to altered neural signaling pathways. In addition, endogenous estrogen E2 plays a regulatory role in hippocampal signaling and can attenuate arsenic-induced neuronal dysfunctions.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Maryna Pilkiw, Nathan Insel, Younghua Cui, Caitlin Finney, Mark D. Morrissey, Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
C. A. Finney, A. Shvetcov, R. F. Westbrook, N. M. Jones, M. J. Morris
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Caitlin A. Finney, Nicole M. Jones, Margaret J. Morris
Summary: The study presents an optimized QuPath protocol that is scalable, fully automated, and compatible with whole slide scanning technology. Among various methods for quantifying astrocytic responses in the brain using GFAP and DAB immunohistochemistry, positive proportion appears to be the most effective.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Caitlin A. Finney, Margaret J. Morris, R. Frederick Westbrook, Nicole M. Jones
Summary: Our study induced hippocampal silent infarcts in rats and found that they can lead to cognitive dysfunction characterized by a significant difference in exploration time proportion relative to a baseline and a positive association with time spent with both moved and unmoved objects. Silent infarcts did not result in any detectable cell or synaptophysin loss, but did increase apoptosis, gliosis, and inflammation in the CA1 region.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Caitlin A. Finney, Artur Shvetcov, R. Frederick Westbrook, Margaret J. Morris, Nicole M. Jones
Summary: Silent infarcts (SI) are subcortical cerebral infarcts that occur without typical ischemic symptoms and are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Tamoxifen has been shown to protect against the cognitive deficits and injury responses caused by SI, mitigating apoptosis, gliosis, and inflammation while normalizing estrogen receptor levels in the CA1 region, leading to improved cognitive outcomes after hippocampal SI.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Caitlin A. Finney, Artur Shvetcov, R. Frederick Westbrook, Margaret J. Morris, Nicole M. Jones
Summary: Tamoxifen, as a candidate treatment for silent infarcts (SI) and prevention of associated dementia, showed protective effects against cognitive dysfunction, cell loss, apoptosis, and gliosis induced by SI in experimental studies.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caitlin A. Finney, Fabien Delerue, Wendy A. Gold, David A. Brown, Artur Shvetcov
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia with no effective treatment. Thousands of dysregulated genes have been identified in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. A study using meta-analysis and artificial intelligence techniques suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Artur Shvetcov, Marc J. Ruitenberg, Fabien Delerue, Wendy A. Gold, David A. Brown, Caitlin A. Finney
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to the damage of the spinal cord caused by either trauma or disease. SCI is characterized by various injury phases that affect the transmission of sensory and motor signals, resulting in temporary or long-term functional deficits. Estrogens and estrogenic compounds have been shown to effectively alleviate the effects of SCI, making them potential treatment options.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Eliot Newton-Mann, Caitlin Finney, Tertia Purves-Tyson, Andrea Gogos
CURRENT PSYCHIATRY REVIEWS
(2017)
Article
Sport Sciences
Lynda M. Mainwaring, Caitlin Finney
JOURNAL OF DANCE MEDICINE & SCIENCE
(2017)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jennifer M. Hensel, Carlos Ruiz, Caitlin Finney, Carolyn S. Dewa
JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS
(2015)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Umit Yilmaz, Kevser Tanbek
Summary: This study investigated the effects of intracerebroventricular administration of Spexin on the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis and energy expenditure in rats. The results showed that Spexin reduced food consumption and body weight, increased thyroid hormones, and enhanced energy metabolism.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Kuei-Yu Chien, Yun-Ju Chen, Kuo-Jen Hsu, Chiao-Nan Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of a high-protein diet and high-intensity interval training on appetite and weight loss in obese middle-aged individuals. The results showed that consuming a high-protein drink and following a high-protein diet after exercise can reduce post-exercise appetite and the frequency of late-night snacking.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Review
Psychology, Biological
Melissa Alves Braga Oliveira, Ana Carolina Odebrecht Vergne de Abreu, Debora Barroggi Constantino, Andre C. Tonon, Antoni Diez-Noguera, Fernanda Gaspar Amaral, Maria Paz Hidalgo
Summary: Biological processes in living organisms exhibit strong rhythmicity and are regulated by internal timing systems. Understanding the influence of biological rhythms is crucial for experimental design and reporting.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Yanqun Cao, Hao Chen, Yinna Tan, Xu-Dong Yu, Chuli Xiao, Yin Li, James Reilly, Zhiming He, Xinhua Shu
Summary: There is evidence to suggest that chronic stress impacts neurochemical homeostasis and contributes to mental disorders. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of p-coumaric acid (p-CA), a natural compound found in vegetables and fruits, against stress-associated mental disorders. The findings suggest that p-CA could alleviate cognitive deficits and depression-like behavior in mice exposed to chronic restraint stress (CRS) by regulating the PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Mai O. Spaulding, Jessica R. Hoffman, Grace C. Madu, Magen N. Lord, Caroline Soares Iizuka, Kevin P. Myers, Emily E. Noble
Summary: Food insecurity is associated with obesity and disordered eating behaviors. Studying a rodent model, researchers found that adolescent food insecurity may increase susceptibility to obesity and altered eating behaviors during adulthood.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
K. Oberman, B. L. van Leeuwen, M. Nabben, J. E. Villafranca, R. G. Schoemaker
Summary: The present study investigated the post-operative complications and therapeutic potential of J147 in male Zucker rats, and found that J147 treatment had positive effects on behavioral and metabolic parameters, but did not affect neuroinflammation. The results suggest that a combination of acute and chronic J147 treatment may be optimal for treatment.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Review
Psychology, Biological
Mathieu Cournoyer, Alice Maldera, Alexandre-Charles Gauthier, Fabien Dal Maso, Marie-Eve Mathieu
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive view of the literature on the effect of different odors on physical activity through a systematic review. It was found that pleasant odors have a positive impact on participants' physical activity. However, better methodological consistency is needed in studies to produce more meaningful results.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Gabriel R. Gilmore, Jeff Dyche
Summary: This study examined sleep, sleep/wake regularity, and cognition in college students diagnosed with depression and using serotonergic antidepressants, comparing them to those without a depression diagnosis. The results showed that students using antidepressants had slightly longer wake after sleep onset and lower sleep efficiency, but these differences were likely not noticed by the participants. There were no differences in sleep regularity or cognition between the two groups.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Erica A. Cross, Kim L. Huhman, H. Elliott Albers
Summary: Social stress plays a significant role in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders and can lead to behavioral deficits such as social withdrawal. This study investigates the impact of social stress on social reward in Syrian hamsters. The results show that subordinate and socially defeated males have reduced motivation for social interactions compared to dominant males. Additionally, winning males exhibit greater activation in the mesolimbic dopamine system compared to losers. In females, there were no differences in social entries between winners and losers, but winning females display more activation in the NAc shell.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Daniel A. R. Cabral, Maria L. M. Rego, Eduardo B. Fontes, Vagner D. O. Tavares
Summary: This study examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and negative emotional states (NES) in men with substance use disorders (SUD) undergoing treatment. The findings showed a positive correlation between BMI and stress, anxiety, and depression. These results suggest that reducing body fat accumulation may contribute to improving mental health in individuals with SUD during recovery.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Review
Psychology, Biological
Elizabeth Agbor Epse Muluh, Jessica C. McCormack, Yunfan Mo, Michael Garratt, Mei Peng
Summary: This PROSPERO pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the olfactory and gustatory changes in pregnant individuals. The meta-analysis revealed that pregnant individuals performed poorer in odour identification, rated olfactory stimuli to be more intense during the second and third trimester, and had increased pleasantness for sweet taste in the first trimester. No major difference was observed in terms of gustatory functions between pregnant and non-pregnant subjects.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Renee Spiteri Douglas, Mackenzie R. Hartley, J. Renee Yang, Tamara B. Franklin
Summary: The expression of Hdac2 in the hippocampus is associated with social status, while the expression of closely related genes Hdac1 and HDAC2 protein is not associated with social rank in the hippocampus.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2024)