Steroid hormones and their receptors in the brain.
Steroid hormones regulate several important functions of the brain by altering the expression of particular genes through their receptors. First in this paper the localization of glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity and mRNA in the brain was examined. Second biphasic effects of glucocorticoid on the hippocampus was described and particular emphasis was given on the apoptosis. Third the significance of estrogen receptor in the sexually dimorphic areas was discussed. These results suggest that steroids modulate the gene expression along with the alteration of cell structures in a different manner in a tissue-specific pattern.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan. mkawata@basic1.kpu-m.ac.jp
M
M
Kawata
K
K
Yuri
H
H
Ozawa
M
M
Nishi
T
T
Ito
Z
Z
Hu
H
H
Lu
M
M
Yoshida
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D013256:Steroids