title: Neuroprotection by estradiol: a role of aromatase against spine synapse loss after blockade of GABA(A) receptors.
abstract: Estrogen has been suggested to be pro-epileptic by reducing GABA synthesis, resulting in increased spine density and a decreased threshold for seizures in the hippocampus, which, once they occur, are characterized by a dramatic spine loss in the affected brain areas. As considerable amounts of estradiol are synthesized in the hippocampus, in this study we focused on aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme in estrogen synthesis in order to examine the role of locally synthesized estrogens in epilepsy. To this end, we first examined the effects of letrozole, a potent aromatase inhibitor, on GABA metabolism in single interneurons of hippocampal dispersion cultures. Letrozole downregulated estradiol release into the medium, as well as glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) expression and GABA synthesis, and decreased the number of GAD positive cells in the cultures. Next, we counted spine synapses and measured estradiol release of hippocampal slice cultures, in which GABA(A) receptors had been blocked by bicuculline, in order to mimic epileptic activity. Treatment of slice cultures with bicuculline resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of spine synapses and in a significant suppression of estrogen synthesis. The decrease in synapse number in response to bicuculline was restored by combined application of estradiol and bicuculline. Surprisingly, estradiol alone had no effect on either spine synapse number or on GAD expression and GABA synthesis. "Rescue" of synapse number in "epileptic slices" by estradiol and maintenance of GABA metabolism by hippocampus-derived estradiol points to a neuroprotective role of aromatase in epilepsy. Re-filling of estradiol stores after their depletion due to overexcitation may therefore add to therapeutical strategies in epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy I, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lepu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lehan
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wehrenberg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Disteldorf
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Lossow
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mares
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jarry
authors.forename: Gabriele M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rune
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077289:Letrozole; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009570:Nitriles; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D014230:Triazoles; D004958:Estradiol; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077289:Letrozole; D001141:Aromatase; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase