title: Environmental enrichment alters gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the rat hippocampus.
abstract: Neuroactive steroids are synthesized in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of environmental enrichment on neuroactive steroidogenesis in the rat hippocampus. Environmental enrichment rats were housed in a group of nine in a large cage and three groups of pair-housed rats were housed in a standard cage for 8 weeks. The levels of mRNAs for steroidogenic enzymes and proteins in hippocampus were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Environmental enrichment increased the mRNA expression levels of 5α-reductase-1 and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which catalyze synthesis of allopregnanolone from progesterone. Hence, environmental enrichment appears to affect allopregnanolone synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Brain Science, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munetsuna
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakimoto
authors.forename: Atsuhiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawato
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011280:Pregnanolone; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase