A Quantification of the Injury-Induced Changes in Central Aromatase, Oestrogenic Milieu and Steroid Receptor Expression in the Zebra Finch

In songbirds and mammals, brain injury results in the up-regulation of aromatase (oestrogen synthase) expression in astroglia. The resulting presumed synthesis of neural oestradiol (E-2) has neuroprotective effects including a decrease in neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and apoptosis. The development of therapeutic tools that exploit oestrogenic neuroprotection in the treatment of neurotrauma requires a precise quantification of the endogenous changes in neural aromatase and E-2 following brain injury. Surprisingly, the expected increase in neural oestrogens following brain injury has not been demonstrated. Furthermore, we are just beginning to unravel the mechanisms behind the protective effects of centrally synthesised E-2. In the present study, levels of aromatase immunoprotein, neural E-2 and steroid receptor mRNA were quantified in adult male and female zebra finches 48h following a unilateral penetrating brain injury. Both aromatase and E-2 were up-regulated in the injured hemisphere of the brain compared to the uninjured hemisphere, demonstrating for the first time a robust increase in neural E-2 levels following injury. We did not detect an effect of injury on mRNA expression of the oestrogen receptors (ER)-, ER- or GPER-1, but observed a significant decrease in androgen receptor transcription in the injured lobe relative to the contralateral uninjured hemisphere. We conclude that mechanical damage causes a dramatic increase in local aromatisation, and the resultant high levels of central E-2 are available to modulate steroid sensitive targets. Studies using alternate methods of receptor detection and/or time points may be necessary to understand the complete suite of mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of induced oestrogen synthesis in this animal model.