The effect of age and testosterone on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the rat cerebellum.
Testosterone reversed the age-related increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the male rat cerebellum, a brain region not generally associated with gonadal steroid hormone sensitivity. This supports the hypothesis that a decrease in circulating testosterone contributes to age-related increase in GFAP. These data also suggest that reductions in circulating gonadal steroids during aging could render the brain more susceptible to neurodegeneration and that hormone replacement therapy might have value in neurodegenerative disease intervention.
Day
J R
JR
Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA.
Frank
A T
AT
O'Callaghan
J P
JP
Jones
B C
BC
Anderson
J E
JE
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D013739:Testosterone