title: Testosterone restores respiratory long term facilitation in old male rats by an aromatase-dependent mechanism.
abstract: Steroidal sex hormones play an important role in the neural control of breathing. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that gonadectomy in young male rats (3 months) eliminates a form of respiratory plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia, known as long term facilitation (LTF). Testosterone replenishment restores LTF in gonadectomized male rats, and this is dependent on the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol by aromatase. By middle age (12 months), male rats no longer exhibit LTF of hypoglossal motor output; phrenic LTF is significantly reduced, and this persists into old age. We tested the hypothesis that LTF can be restored in old male rats by administration of testosterone. Intact Fischer 344 rats (>20 months) were implanted with Silastic tubing containing testosterone (T), T plus an aromatase inhibitor (T+ADT), or 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of testosterone not converted to oestradiol. One week post-surgery, LTF of hypoglossal and phrenic motor output was measured. By comparison with control rats, hypoglossal LTF was increased in testosterone-treated rats, with levels approaching that of normal young rats. LTF was not restored in T+ADT or DHT-treated rats. Aromatase levels in hypoglossal and phrenic nuclei did not change with age. As serum testosterone levels did not decline with age, local bioavailability of testosterone in old rats may be a limiting factor in the expression of this form of respiratory plasticity. Our findings suggest that testosterone supplementation could potentially be used to enhance upper airway control in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706-1102, USA.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behan
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000733:Androstatrienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012119:Respiration; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000733:Androstatrienes; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D013739:Testosterone; D001141:Aromatase