title: Sex-related differences in striatal dopaminergic system after traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Several studies have demonstrated alterations in the dopamine (DA) system after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Additionally, the existence of significant sex-related differences in the dopaminergic system has long been recognized. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether TBI would differentially alter, in female and male mice, the expression and the function of the striatal vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2), an important DA transporter. After controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury, female mice showed significantly lower striatal DA concentrations and K(+)-evoked DA output. By contrast, no significant sex-related differences were observed in the mRNA and protein levels of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) and VMAT-2 and the methamphetamine (MA)-evoked DA output. These results demonstrated clear sex-related differences in striatal VMAT-2 function in response to TBI and suggested that female mice may be more sensitive to the TBI-induced inhibition of the VMAT-2 function, as indicated by the greater degree of deficits observed when the VMAT-2 DA-storage function was inhibited by TBI. Moreover, the TBI-induced suppression of locomotion was more pronounced than female mice. Such findings highlight the need for sex-specific considerations when examining differences among brain injury conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiupeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Shengwu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Honglu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yinlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Environment & Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: jijing@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000473:pathology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D008694:Methamphetamine; D011188:Potassium; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: DA; Methamphetamine; Potassium; Sex-related differences; TBI