title: Sex hormones and expression pattern of cytoskeletal proteins in the rat brain throughout pregnancy.
abstract: Pregnancy involves diverse changes in brain function that implicate a re-organization in neuronal cytoskeleton. In this physiological state, the brain is in contact with several hormones that it has never been exposed, as well as with very high levels of hormones that the brain has been in touch throughout life. Among the latter hormones are progesterone and estradiol which regulate several brain functions, including learning, memory, neuroprotection, and the display of sexual and maternal behavior. These functions involve changes in the structure and organization of neurons and glial cells that require the participation of cytoskeletal proteins whose expression and activity is regulated by estradiol and progesterone. We have found that the expression pattern of Microtubule Associated Protein 2, Tau, and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein changes in a tissue-specific manner in the brain of the rat throughout gestation and the start of lactation, suggesting that these proteins participate in the plastic changes observed in the brain during pregnancy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Pregnancy and Steroids'.
authors: Facultad de Química, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, México, D.F., México.
authors: Aliesha
authors: A
authors: González-Arenas
authors: Ana Gabriela
authors: AG
authors: Piña-Medina
authors: Oscar
authors: O
authors: González-Flores
authors: Agustín
authors: A
authors: Galván-Rosas
authors: Porfirio Gómora-Arrati
authors: Ignacio
authors: I
authors: Camacho-Arroyo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: Brain; Cytoskeleton; Estradiol; GFAP; MAP2; Pregnancy; Progesterone; Tau