title: Androgen rapidly increases dendritic thorns of CA3 neurons in male rat hippocampus.
abstract: Modulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity by androgen has been attracting much attention. Thorns of thorny excrescences of CA3 hippocampal neurons are post-synaptic regions whose presynaptic partners are mossy fiber terminals. Here we demonstrated rapid effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T) on the density of thorns, by imaging Lucifer Yellow-injected neurons in adult male rat hippocampal slices. The application of 10nM DHT or T induced rapid increase in the density of thorns within 2h. The androgen-mediated increase was suppressed by blocking several kinases, such as Erk MAPK, p38 MAPK, PKC, and CaMKII. On the other hand, PKA, PI3K were not involved in the signaling of thorn-genesis. The increase in the thorn density by androgen was also blocked by the inhibitor of classical androgen receptor. Almost no difference was observed between DHT and T in the effect on the thorn density. We observed that the androgen-induced thorn-genesis is opposite to estrogen-induced thorn-degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komatsuzaki
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawato
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases