title: Gender differences in spinal cord injury are not estrogen-dependent.
abstract: Recent attention has been given to gender differences in neurotrauma, and the anecdotal suggestion is that females have better outcomes than males, suggesting that circulating levels of estrogen (E(2)) may be neuroprotective. In order to address this issue, both young adult male and ovariectomized female rats were subjected to a T10 spinal cord injury (SCI), and E2 levels were maintained at chronic, constant circulating levels. Animals were clinically evaluated for locomotor changes using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system. Morphologic differences were evaluated with unbiased stereology. Data analysis failed to reveal any significant benefit for the E2 therapy in either males or females. We did find a non-estrogen-dependent difference between male and female rats in length of injury, and percent of spared tissue, with female outcomes more favorable. These results suggest that E(2) does not provide a viable therapy following SCI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA. krswar2@email.uky.edu
authors.forename: Karin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Dominic B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Fee
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Joy
authors.forename: Kelly N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Nicole N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Scheff
authors.forename: Melinda E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Scheff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol