The neurosteroid, 3alpha-androstanediol, prevents inhibitory avoidance deficits and pyknotic cells in the granule layer of the dentate gyrus induced by adrenalectomy in rats.
Testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 3alpha-diol (5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol), or vehicle was administered daily to gonadectomized, adrenalectomized male Long-Evans rats. Four days after adrenalectomy (ADX), animals were tested for inhibitory avoidance. Vehicle-treated rats had shorter latencies than 3alpha-diol-treated rats and non-corticosterone-depleted rats. All three androgens significantly reduced the number of pyknotic cells in corticosterone-depleted rats. Neurosteroids may mediate androgens' functional and morphological neuroprotective effects.
Frye
C A
CA
Psychology Department, The University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
McCormick
C M
CM
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol