Estrogen and progesterone as neuroprotective agents in the treatment of acute brain injuries.
Estrogen and progesterone are often thought of as steroid hormones that strongly influence reproductive and maternal behaviours. However, the steroids are now showing considerable promise as neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents in stroke and traumatic brain injuries. Collectively, these two hormones have been reported to reduce the consequences of the injury cascade by enhancing anti-oxidant mechanisms, reducing excitotoxicity: altering glutamate receptor activity, reducing immune inflammation, providing neurotrophic support, stimulating axonal remyelinization and enhancing synaptogenesis and dendritic arborization. Estrogen has often been tried as a prophylactic treatment in females for ischemic brain injury, while progesterone has, thus far, been given as a post-injury treatment for both male and female subjects with acute, ischemic and traumatic injuries of the brain and spinal cord. This review compares and evaluates estrogen and progesterone as neuroactive agents in the acute treatment of brain damage caused by stroke and trauma.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, 1648 Pierce Drive, Room 261, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. dstei04@emory.edu
Donald G
DG
Stein
Stuart W
SW
Hoffman
D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control
D004967:Estrogens; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011374:Progesterone