In vitro gender differences in neuronal survival on hypoxia and in 17beta-estradiol-mediated neuroprotection.
Gender differences in neuropsychiatric disease are recognized but not well understood. Investigating the survival of primary rat hippocampal neurons in culture, we found significant and inverted gender differences on normoxia versus hypoxia. Male cells were more resistant under normoxia but more vulnerable under hypoxia than female cells. Male vulnerability pattern was acquired in cells from neonatally testosterone-primed females. Estrogens, acting via membrane receptors, had a higher neuroprotective power in male neurons, explained at least in part by the pronounced increase in estrogen receptor beta/alpha ratio during hypoxia in male cells only.
Heyer
Andrea
A
Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
Hasselblatt
Martin
M
von Ahsen
Nicolas
N
Häfner
Heinz
H
Sirén
Anna-Leena
AL
Ehrenreich
Hannelore
H
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000187:drug effects; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol