Considering sex as a biological variable will require a global shift in science culture

Nature Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 24(4), P. 457 - 464

Published: March 1, 2021

Language: Английский

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Stress-induced plasticity and functioning of ventral tegmental dopamine neurons

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 108, P. 48 - 77

Published: Oct. 27, 2019

The ventral tegmental area dopamine (VTA-DA) mesolimbic circuit processes emotional, motivational, and social reward associations together with their more demanding cognitive aspects that involve the mesocortical circuitry. Coping stress increases VTA-DA excitability, but when stressor becomes chronic is less active, which may lead to degeneration local microglial activation. This switch between activation inhibition of neurons modulated by e.g. corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), opioids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), adrenal glucocorticoids. These actions are coordinated energy-demanding stress-coping styles promote behavioral adaptation. VTA circuits show sexual dimorphism programmed sex hormones during perinatal life in a manner can be affected glucocorticoid exposure. We conclude insight role plasticity connectivity, processing stress-coping, will helpful better understand mechanism resilience breakdown

Language: Английский

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Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences

Nature, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 606(7912), P. 153 - 159

Published: May 4, 2022

Abstract Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates 1–3 and modulates mood, behaviour energy balance adulthood 4–8 . In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα) 9 Although ERα has been extensively characterized breast cancer, neuronal targets of ERα, their involvement brain differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map genomic ERα-binding sites sexually dimorphic circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude orchestrates sexual differentiation mouse two mechanisms: establishing male-biased neuron types activating sustained gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal are defined by hormonal activation steroid receptors. The molecular identify may underlie on development, disease.

Language: Английский

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A Gender Perspective of Addictive Disorders

Current Addiction Reports, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 8(1), P. 89 - 99

Published: Feb. 16, 2021

Language: Английский

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Sex Differences in Opioid and Psychostimulant Craving and Relapse: A Critical Review

Pharmacological Reviews, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 74(1), P. 119 - 140

Published: Jan. 1, 2022

A widely held dogma in the preclinical addiction field is that females are more vulnerable than males to drug craving and relapse. Here, we first review clinical studies on sex differences psychostimulant opioid Next, reinstatement of seeking after extinction self-administration, incubation (time-dependent increase during abstinence). We also discuss ovarian hormones' role relapse humans animal models speculate brain mechanisms underlying their cocaine rodent models. Finally, imaging responses cues stress men women.The results reviewed do not appear support notion women However, this conclusion tentative because most were correlational, sufficiently powered, a priori designed detect differences. Additionally, suggest stress. The provide evidence for stress-induced but cue- or cocaine-induced seeking. These modulated part by hormones. In contrast, available data relapse/reinstatement methamphetamine opioids

Significance Statement

This systematic summarizes Results

Language: Английский

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An atlas of transcriptionally defined cell populations in the rat ventral tegmental area

Cell Reports, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 39(1), P. 110616 - 110616

Published: April 1, 2022

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a complex brain region that essential for reward function and frequently implicated in neuropsychiatric disease. While decades of research on VTA have focused dopamine neurons, recent evidence has identified critical roles GABAergic glutamatergic neurons processes. Additionally, although subsets express genes involved the synthesis transport multiple neurotransmitters, characterization these combinatorial populations largely relied low-throughput methods. To comprehensively define molecular architecture VTA, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing 21,600 cells from rat VTA. Analysis neuronal subclusters identifies selective markers reveals expression profiles receptors targeted by drugs abuse, demonstrates population-specific enrichment gene sets linked to disorders. These results highlight heterogeneity provide resource further exploration expression.

Language: Английский

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Sex differences research is important!

Biology of Sex Differences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(1)

Published: March 10, 2025

Language: Английский

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Relapse to opioid seeking in rat models: behavior, pharmacology and circuits

Neuropsychopharmacology, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 44(3), P. 465 - 477

Published: Oct. 6, 2018

Language: Английский

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Sex differences in dopamine release regulation in the striatum

Neuropsychopharmacology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 46(3), P. 491 - 499

Published: Dec. 14, 2020

Language: Английский

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Sex Differences and the Role of Estradiol in Mesolimbic Reward Circuits and Vulnerability to Cocaine and Opiate Addiction

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: May 20, 2020

Although both men and women become addicted to drugs of abuse, transition addiction faster, experience greater difficulties remaining abstinent, relapse more often than men. In humans rodents, these sex differences in progression are associated with hormonal cycles. Higher concentrations fluctuating levels ovarian hormones females modulate the mesolimbic reward system influence reward-directed behavior. For example, female E2 influences dopamine activity within such that drug-directed behaviors normally rewarding reinforcing enhanced when circulating high. Therefore, neuroendocrine interactions, part, explain motivated by drug reward. Here, we review physiology function order explore notion response specifically cocaine opiates, result molecular neuroadaptations differentially develop depending upon state animal. We propose hormones, estrogen/estradiol, sensitize a specific set target neurons thereby increasing responsivity under either or opiates exposure drug-associated cues. These adaptations may ultimately serve uniquely guide motivational underlie factors cause be vulnerable opiate

Language: Английский

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