Alterations in the threshold of the potassium concentration to evoke cortical spreading depression during the natural estrous cycle in mice.
Cortical spreading depression (CSD) has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. However, the relationship between serum sex hormones and susceptibility to the development of CSD in naturally estrous cycling female animals is largely unknown. The natural estrous cycle of mice consists of four stages, namely, proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus. We measured the serum concentration of estradiol and progesterone in estrus and diestrus and compared the minimum potassium concentrations necessary to evoke CSD in each stage and in males. In diestrus, the minimum potassium concentration required to evoke CSD was significantly lower compared to the other three phases and male animals. The serum level of estradiol is significantly higher and serum level of progesterone is significantly lower in diestrus compared to estrus. Furthermore, when we administered an estrogen receptor antagonist, the susceptibility to the development of CSD was decreased. Conversely, the administration of a progesterone receptor antagonist increased the susceptibility to CSD. Our results demonstrated that neuronal excitability related to CSD induction differs among the natural estrous phases in mice.
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Taeko
T
Ebine
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Haruki
H
Toriumi
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: shimizu-toshi@umin.ac.jp.
Toshihiko
T
Shimizu
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Miyuki
M
Unekawa
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Tsubasa
T
Takizawa
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yohei
Y
Kayama
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Mamoru
M
Shibata
Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Norihiro
N
Suzuki
D000818:Animals; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression; D004031:Diestrus / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011188:Potassium
Cortical spreading depression; Estrogen; Estrous cycle; Migraine; Progesterone