Review
Neurosciences
Charlotte Bontempi, Laurence Jacquot, Gerard Brand
Summary: Studies suggest that there are no clear differences in odor hedonic judgment between men and women, with gender effects being more pronounced in body odors than in non-specific odors.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kelly Meneyrol, Anxela Estevez-Salguero, Ismael Gonzalez-Garcia, Jeanne Guitton, Mohammed Taouis, Yacir Benomar, Christophe Magnan, Miguel Lopez, Herve Le Stunff
Summary: Oestrogens regulate body weight, glucose homeostasis, and insulin secretion through their action on the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic de novo ceramide synthesis plays a crucial role in obesity and glucose intolerance induced by oestrogen deficiency.
METABOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gabriel O. de Souza, Frederick Wasinski, Jose Donato
Summary: This study aimed to compare the responses of male and female C57BL/6 mice to various metabolic challenges. The results showed that male mice had stronger responses to food restriction and refeeding, while female mice had higher protection against diet-induced obesity. Additionally, male mice had different feeding responses to ghrelin and leptin compared to females. However, these sex differences were not explained by differences in central responsiveness or neuron fiber density.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Katherine N. Wright, Natalie L. Johnson, Amanda M. Dossat, Jamie T. Wilson, Daniel W. Wesson
Summary: Brain-derived 17 beta-estradiol (E2) has rapid effects on neural activity, and its synthesis in the tubular striatum (TuS) is important for odor-guided motivated behavior. The TuS contains mRNA for estrogen receptors alpha, beta, and the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, which suggests that E2 plays a neuromodulatory role. The study shows that E2 synthesis in the TuS affects females' attraction to female urinary odors, but does not influence males' attraction.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fernando Gonzalez-Uarquin, Vera Sommerfeld, Markus Rodehutscord, Korinna Huber
Summary: Studies suggest a link between chronic nasal inflammation, olfactory dysfunction, and changes in gut microbiota, with differences observed between male and female mice. This highlights the need for further research into the impact of chronic nasal inflammation on brain function.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Philipp Wartenberg, Imre Farkas, Veronika Csillag, William H. Colledge, Erik Hrabovszky, Ulrich Boehm
Summary: Sex steroid hormones act on hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons to regulate reproductive neural circuits in the brain, with a network of aromatase neurons identified in the hypothalamus and amygdala. By birth, this network becomes sexually dimorphic, with aromatase neurons in the arcuate nucleus converting testosterone to estrogen to regulate kisspeptin neuron activity. The study highlights a novel mechanism whereby aromatase neurons regulate the activity of distinct neuronal populations expressing estrogen receptors.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Daniel R. Pfau, Sarah Baribeau, Felix Brown, Niki Khetarpal, S. Marc Breedlove, Cynthia L. Jordan
Summary: The TRPC2 gene plays a role in mediating male and female behavior in mice and affects the development of brain regions involved in VNO signaling. The loss of TRPC2 leads to changes in neuron and astrocyte numbers in the MePD and VMHvl, which may be responsible for the alterations in behavior.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Anlong Jiang, Le Wang, Justin Y. D. Lu, Amy Freeman, Charlie Campbell, Ping Su, Albert H. C. Wong, Fang Liu
Summary: Fragile X syndrome is characterized by varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction and developmental disability, with differences in dopamine signaling between males and females. Male and female wild-type mice show significant sex differences in phosphorylated protein levels, a difference that is absent in Fmr1-KO mice.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Natalie Thomas, Caroline Gurvich, Katherine Huang, Paul R. Gooley, Christopher W. Armstrong
Summary: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease with severe and disabling symptoms that primarily affects women. The development and symptoms of ME/CFS are influenced by sex chromosomes, sex hormones and endocrine events, such as menstrual cycle fluctuations, pregnancy, post-partum and perimenopause. There are also neuroendocrine systems implicated in ME/CFS, including changes in estrogen, progesterone compounds, aldosterone, and cortisol levels, which show sex differences. The effects of steroid hormones may contribute to the diversity of symptoms observed in ME/CFS patients. It is important to further investigate the role of sex, age and steroid biology in ME/CFS.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xin Wang, Joan B. Escobar, David Mendelowitz
Summary: This study explores the potential involvement of atypical activity in the locus coeruleus in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and investigates the neurotransmission from hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) oxytocin (OXT) neurons to LC NA neurons. The research demonstrates the release of oxytocin from PVN OXT fibers in the LC and shows that optogenetic excitation of PVN OXT fibers excites LC NA neurons through co-release of oxytocin and glutamate, with a greater effect observed in males. Additionally, chemogenetic activation of PVN OXT neurons increases attention to novel objects specifically in male animals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Alan A. Beaton, Lowri Jones, David Benton, Gareth Richards
Summary: Androstenol affects the judgement of attractiveness and participants' mood. Sniffing Androstenol through the right nostril makes male participants feel more lively and both male and female participants feel sexier. Sniffing Androstenol through the left nostril makes participants rate themselves as more irritable and aggressive.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Lisa S. Robison, Olivia J. Gannon, Abigail E. Salinero, Charly Abi-Ghanem, Richard D. Kelly, David A. Riccio, Febronia M. Mansour, Kristen L. Zuloaga
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is associated with cognitive decline and affects multiple brain regions. The hypothalamus, which controls energy and glucose homeostasis, is also affected. Changes in metabolism may serve as biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and contribute to disease progression. In this study, sex differences in metabolic disturbances and hypothalamic inflammation were observed in Alzheimer's disease mice.
BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Miguel Lopez, Manuel Fernandez-Real, Stanislav I. Tomarev
Summary: Classically, the regulation of energy balance has been based on central and peripheral mechanisms sensing energy, nutrients, metabolites, and hormonal cues. Recent data have added more complexity to the homeostatic regulation of metabolism by introducing the key role of olfaction in energy homeostasis. Olfactory inputs contribute to the regulation of feeding, energy expenditure, and whole body metabolism.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jing Wang, Uday P. Pratap, Yujiao Lu, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Darrell W. Brann
Summary: Recent research has found that the steroid hormone 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) is produced in the brain by both neurons and astrocytes. A new inducible knockout mouse model was created to specifically deplete the E-2 in astrocytes of adult mice, providing a better research model for studying brain-derived E-2 and its functions. The characterization of this mouse model confirmed the specific depletion of aromatase and E-2 in astrocytes, and revealed the neuroprotective role of astrocyte-derived E-2 in cerebral ischemia.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Alejandra Freire-Regatillo, Sonia Diaz-Pacheco, Laura M. Frago, Maria-Angeles Arevalo, Jesus Argente, Luis M. Garcia-Segura, Maria L. de Ceballos, Julie A. Chowen
Summary: The propensity to develop neurodegenerative diseases is influenced by various factors, including genetic background, sex, lifestyle, and age. High fat diet (HFD) leads to obesity and neurodegeneration, and there are sex differences in the response to HFD, with females showing greater weight gain and fat accumulation.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROANATOMY
(2022)