scholarly journals Sex differences in the dendritic arbor of hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus neurons

2009 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald D. Griffin ◽  
Loretta M. Flanagan-Cato
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Ventromedial Nucleus ◽  
Dendritic Arbor

Dendritic arbor of neurons in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

2013 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Ferri ◽  
Carlos J. Rohrbach ◽  
Samantha E. Way ◽  
Kathleen S. Curtis ◽  
J. Thomas Curtis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microtus Ochrogaster ◽  
Ventromedial Nucleus ◽  
Dendritic Arbor ◽  
Prairie Voles

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Serotonergic But Not γ-Aminobutyric Acidergic (GABA) Projections to the Rat Ventromedial Nucleus of the Hypothalamus

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 397-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather B. Patisaul ◽  
Anne E. Fortino ◽  
Eva K. Polston
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Glutamic Acid ◽  
Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Ventromedial Nucleus ◽  
Dorsomedial Nucleus ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 65

Hormonal conditions that elicit lordosis in female rats are ineffective in males, suggesting that this behavior is actively suppressed in males. Previous studies theorize that serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acidergic (GABA) inputs to the ventrolateral division of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMNvl) may contribute to lordosis inhibition in males. Using triple-label immunofluorescent techniques, the present studies explored potential sex differences in the density of these projections within three hypothalamic sites: the VMNvl, the arcuate nucleus (ARC), and the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. Antibodies directed against HuC/D, estrogen receptor (ER)-α and either serotonin (5-HT) or the γ-aminobutyric acid synthetic enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 were used to compare the densities of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-65- and 5-HT-containing fibers in each brain area, the percentage of VMNvl HuC/D immunoreactive (ir) neurons that contained ERα, and the percentage of HuC/D and ERα double-labeled cells receiving apparent contacts from 5-HT fibers between adult, gonadectomized male and female rats. The densities of VMNvl and ARC 5-HT immunolabeled fibers were significantly higher in the males, and the percentage of VMNvl HuC/D-ir neurons containing ERα was significantly higher in the females. The percentage of HuC/D-ir cells contacted by 5-HT fibers was significantly higher in the males, compared with the females, but there was no sex difference in the proportion of those cells receiving contacts that were ERα-ir. Neonatal administration of estradiol but not genistein masculinized 5-HT content in the adult female VMNvl, but the percentage of HuC/D-ir cells colabeled with ERα was not significantly affected by treatment. A similar, but not statistically significant, pattern was observed in the ARC. These findings suggest that the development of serotonergic inputs to the male VMNvl is orchestrated by neonatal estradiol exposure. The hormone-dependent organization of these 5-HT projection patterns may be an important developmental mechanism accounting for sex-specific behaviors in adulthood.

scholarly journals Food Restriction Alters Neuronal Morphology in the Hypothalamic Ventromedial Nucleus of Male Rats

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta M. Flanagan-Cato ◽  
Steven J. Fluharty ◽  
Elena B. Weinreb ◽  
Denise R. LaBelle
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Neuronal Morphology ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Ventromedial Nucleus ◽  
Dendritic Arbor ◽  
Neuronal Function ◽  
Golgi Impregnation ◽  
Soma Size ◽  
Access To Food ◽  
Important Marker

Several lines of evidence have implicated the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) in the control of caloric homeostasis. For example, the activity of VMH neurons depends on energy availability. We tested the hypothesis that energy balance may involve the remodeling of the dendritic arbor of VMH neurons. We compared two groups of animals: one group had ad libitum access to food, and the other experienced 10-d restricted access to food. As expected, the food-deprived group lost body weight and had reduced levels of glucose, insulin, and leptin. VMH neurons were visualized after Golgi impregnation, and dendrite length was measured. Food deprivation had differential effects on VMH neurons. In particular, within the ventrolateral VMH, for neurons with long primary dendrites (LPDs) that extended in the lateral, but not medial, direction, the LPDs were 31% shorter. These same neurons exhibited a 32% reduction in the number of other dendrites without a change in soma size. In contrast, within the dorsomedial VMH, for neurons with medially, but not laterally, extended LPDs, the soma area was reduced by 28%. However, neurons in the dorsomedial VMH did not display a change in the length or number of dendrites, regardless of LPD direction. Thus, although structural changes during calorie depletion occur in both the dorsomedial and ventrolateral VMH, only the latter exhibits a remodeled dendritic arbor. These results also suggest that the direction of the LPD may be an important marker of neuronal function in the VMH.

scholarly journals The Distribution of Cells Containing Estrogen Receptor-α (ERα) and ERβ Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in the Preoptic Area and Hypothalamus of the Sheep: Comparison of Males and Females

Endocrinology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 2951-2962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Scott ◽  
Alan J. Tilbrook ◽  
Donna M. Simmons ◽  
John A. Rawson ◽  
Simon Chu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Estrogen Receptor ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Paraventricular Nucleus ◽  
Arcuate Nucleus ◽  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Estrogen Receptor Α ◽  
Lateral Septum ◽  
Ventromedial Nucleus ◽  
Arcuate Nuclei ◽  
Silver Grains

We have used in situ hybridization to compare the distributions of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ messenger RNA (mRNA)-containing cells in the preoptic area and hypothalamus of ewes and rams. Perfusion-fixed brain tissue was collected from luteal phase ewes and intact rams (n = 4) during the breeding season. Matched pairs of sections were hybridized with sheep-specific, 35S-labeled riboprobes, and semiquantitative image analysis was performed on emulsion-dipped slides. A number of sex differences were observed, with females having a greater density of labeled cells than males (P < 0.001) and a greater number of silver grains per cell (P < 0.01) in the ventromedial nucleus for both ER subtypes. In addition, in the retrochiasmatic area, males had a greater (P < 0.05) cell density for ERα mRNA-containing cells than females, whereas in the paraventricular nucleus, females had a greater density (P < 0.05) of ERα mRNA-containing cells than males. There was a trend (P = 0.068) in the arcuate nucleus for males to have a greater number of silver grains per cell labeled for ERα mRNA. In both sexes, there was considerable overlap in the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells, but the density of labeled cells within each nucleus differed in a number of instances. Nuclei that contained a higher (P < 0.001) density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells included the preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and ventromedial nucleus, whereas the subfornical organ (P < 0.001), paraventricular nucleus (males only, P < 0.05), and retrochiasmatic nucleus (females only, P < 0.05) had a greater density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells. The anterior hypothalamic area and supraoptic nucleus had similar densities of cells containing both ER subtypes. The lateral septum and arcuate nucleus contained only ERα, whereas only ERβ mRNA-containing cells were seen in the zona incerta. The sex differences in the populations of ER mRNA-containing cells in the ventromedial and arcuate nuclei may explain in part the sex differences in the neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to localized estrogen treatment in these nuclei. Within sexes, the differences between the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells may reflect differential regulation of the actions of estrogen in the sheep hypothalamus. Low levels of ERβ mRNA in the preoptic area and ventromedial and arcuate nuclei, regions known to be important for the regulation of reproduction, suggest that ERβ may not be involved in these functions.

Author response for "Sex differences in the brains of capuchin monkeys ( Sapajus [Cebus] apella )"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Hecht ◽  
Olivia T. Reilly ◽  
Marcela Benítez ◽  
Kimberley A. Phillips ◽  
Sarah Brosnan
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cebus Apella ◽  
Author Response ◽  
Capuchin Monkeys
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