title: Luteinizing hormone: Evidence for direct action in the CNS.
abstract: This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Hormonal dysfunction due to aging, especially during menopause, plays a substantial role in cognitive decline as well as the progression and development of neurodegenerative diseases. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis has long been implicated in changes in behavior and neuronal morphology. Most notably, estrogens have proven beneficial in the healthy brain through a host of different mechanisms. Recently, luteinizing hormone (LH) has emerged as a candidate for further investigation for its role in the CNS. The basis of this is that both LH and the LH receptor are expressed in the brain, and serum levels of LH correlate with cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence. The study of LH in cognition and AD primarily focuses on evaluating the effects of downregulation of this peptide. This literature has shown that decreasing peripheral LH, through a variety of pharmacological interventions, reduces cognitive deficits in ovariectomy and AD models. However, few studies have researched the direct actions of LH on neurons and glial cells. Here we summarize the role of luteinizing hormone in modulating cognition, and we propose a mechanism that underlies a role for brain LH in this process.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA. Electronic address: gcasades@kent.edu.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casadesus
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011974:Receptors, LH; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: Estrogen; HPG axis; Leuprolide acetate; Luteinizing hormone; Memory; Ovariectomy