Testosterone and estrogen affect neuronal differentiation but not proliferation in early embryonic cortex of the rat: the possible roles of androgen and estrogen receptors.
We examined the effect of testosterone (T) and 17 beta-estradiol (E) on differentiation and proliferation of cultured neurons from the cortex of 14-day-rat embryos (E14) using immunocytochemistry. We found that the cultures receiving E had significantly more neurons with longer neurites than the control cultures, while both fewer and less differentiated neurons were seen after 24 h of incubation with T. However, neither T nor E changed the number of cells positive for BrdU, a proliferation marker. We also found that the androgen receptor (AR) was markedly expressed in the neurons, whereas the expression of estrogen (ER(alpha)) receptor was barely detectable. These results suggest that E and T differ in effect on differentiation, while neither affect proliferation in early developmental cortex. Furthermore, since the AR is expressed in the cortical neurons by E14, the inhibitory effect of T on differentiation may be receptor-mediated, while the stimulatory effects of estrogen in the cortex do not appear to involve nuclear ER(alpha) at this developmental stage.
Zhang
L
L
Building 36, 2C02 Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, NIMH, NIH, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda 20892, USA. zhangl@codon.nih.gov
Chang
Y H
YH
Barker
J L
JL
Hu
Q
Q
Maric
D
D
Li
B S
BS
Rubinow
D R
DR
D000728:Androgens / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000728:Androgens; D015415:Biomarkers; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol