Sexual dimorphic stages affect both proliferation and serotonergic innervation in the adult rostral migratory stream.
One of the sexual dimorphic differences in adult rodents is neural proliferation. Here we demonstrate that physiological hormone stages can modulate this proliferation in the adult forebrain. Female mice, both pregnant and synchronized in oestrus, exhibited higher proliferating cell percentages than males in both the rostral migratory stream (RMS) and the olfactory bulb (OB). Moreover, although the hormonal component also influenced the subventricular zone (SVZ), no differences in proliferation were observed in this region. In addition, both groups of females had higher numbers of serotonergic fibres in these regions. Serotonin may therefore be related to the mechanism of action by which hormones can affect cell proliferation of this brain region. We also evaluated cell death in the SVZ in males and females, finding that this was higher in the former. Taken together, our results support the idea that in female rodents more neuroblasts are able to reach the RMS and then proliferate, apoptosis being an additional mechanism affecting the low proliferation of cells in the RMS and OB in males. Thus, proliferation in the RMS is influenced by sexual dimorphism.
Díaz
D
D
Lab. Neuronal Plasticity and Neurorepair, Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
Valero
J
J
Airado
C
C
Baltanás
F C
FC
Weruaga
E
E
Alonso
J R
JR
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin