“Sex differences in a real academic stressor, cognitive appraisal and the cortisol response”

2017 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Helbig ◽  
Jutta Backhaus
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Appraisal ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Academic Stressor

scholarly journals Influence of sex and gonadal status of sheep on cortisol secretion in response to ACTH and on cortisol and LH secretion in response to stress: importance of different stressors

2002 ◽  
Vol 173 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
AI Turner ◽  
BJ Canny ◽  
RJ Hobbs ◽  
JD Bond ◽  
IJ Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Restraint Stress ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Lh Secretion ◽  
Gonadal Status ◽  
Major Mediator

There are sex differences in the response to stress and in the influence of stress on reproduction which may be due to gonadal steroids but the nature of these differences and the role of the gonads are not understood. We tested the hypotheses that sex and the presence/absence of gonads (gonadal status) will influence the cortisol response to injection of ACTH, insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and isolation/restraint stress, and that sex and gonadal status will influence the secretion of LH in response to isolation/restraint stress. Four groups of sheep were used in each of three experiments: gonad-intact rams, gonadectomised rams, gonad-intact ewes in the mid-luteal phase of the oestrous cycle and gonadectomised ewes. In Experiment 1 (n=4/group), jugular blood samples were collected every 10 min for 6 h; after 3 h, two animals in each group were injected (i.v.) with ACTH and the remaining two animals were injected (i.v.) with saline. Treatments were reversed 5 days later so that every animal received both treatments. Experiment 2 (n=4/group) used a similar schedule except that insulin was injected (i.v.) instead of ACTH. In Experiment 3 (n=5/group), blood samples were collected every 10 min for 16 h on a control day and again 2 weeks later when, after 8 h of sampling, all sheep were isolated and restrained for 8 h. Plasma cortisol was significantly (P<0.05) elevated following injection of ACTH or insulin and during isolation/restraint stress. There were no significant differences between the sexes in the cortisol response to ACTH. Rams had a greater (P<0.05) cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia than ewes while ewes had a greater (P<0.05) cortisol response to isolation/restraint stress than rams. There was no effect of gonadal status on these parameters. Plasma LH was suppressed (P<0.05) in gonadectomised animals during isolation/restraint stress but was not affected in gonad-intact animals, and there were no differences between the sexes. Our results show that the sex that has the greater cortisol response to a stressor depends on the stressor imposed and that these sex differences are likely to be at the level of the hypothalamo-pituitary unit rather than at the adrenal gland. Since there was a sex difference in the cortisol response to isolation/restraint, the lack of a sex difference in the response of LH to this stress suggests that glucocorticoids are unlikely to be a major mediator of the stress-induced suppression of LH secretion.

Cognitive Appraisal of Child Abuse Among Israeli Inmates: Does Sex Make a Difference?

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 2050-2068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gila Chen ◽  
Keren Gueta
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Cognitive Appraisal ◽  
Female Inmates ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Family Risk Factors ◽  
Family Risk ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Male Inmates

Sex differences in child abuse and neglect (CAN) have long interested researchers due to their adverse impact. Cognitive appraisal of CAN may also affect the negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to assess sex differences in (a) the experience and (b) the cognitive appraisal of CAN among 247 Israeli inmates. The findings indicated that female inmates experienced higher rates of total CAN than male inmates. No significant sex differences were found in physical abuse, emotional neglect, or cognitive appraisal of CAN. However, there were significant sex differences in ranking the significance of different dimensions of cognitive appraisal of CAN. Paternal partner violence was a predictor of CAN and its cognitive appraisal for both sexes; maternal partner violence was a predictor of both among female inmates only. Even when male and female inmates share similar family risk factors, their effects may differ by sex. Possible clinical implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in the Ovine Fetal Cortisol Response to Stress

2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino A Giussani ◽  
Andrew J W Fletcher ◽  
David S Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Ovine Fetal

Sex differences in cortisol response to noxious stress

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (Supplement 26) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
C. Zimmer ◽  
H-D. Basler ◽  
H. Vedder ◽  
S. Lautenbacher
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cortisol Response

Sex Differences in Cortisol Response to Noxious Stress

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Zimmer ◽  
Heinz-Dieter Basler ◽  
Helmut Vedder ◽  
Stefan Lautenbacher
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cortisol Response

scholarly journals The Cortisol Response of Male and Female Choroidal Endothelial Cells: Implications for Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joost Brinks ◽  
Elon H C van Dijk ◽  
Szymon M Kiełbasa ◽  
Hailiang Mei ◽  
Isa van der Veen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽  
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Vascular Integrity ◽  
Interindividual Differences ◽  
Vascular Regulation

Abstract Context Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a severe ocular disease characterized by fluid accumulation under the retina and abnormalities in the underlying vascular layer, the choroid. CSC has a striking prevalence in males of 80-90% of total patients. Corticosteroids are the most pronounced extrinsic risk factor for CSC. Choroidal endothelial cells (CECs) are important for the vascular integrity of the choroid, but the effects of corticosteroid effects in these cells are unknown. Design and Objective We aimed to reveal the potential steroidal contribution to CSC. We characterized the expression of the glucocorticoid-, mineralocorticoid-, and androgen receptor in the human choroid, using immunohistochemistry. Using RNA-sequencing, we describe the cortisol response in human CECs derived from 5 male and 5 female postmortem donors. Results The glucocorticoid receptor was highly expressed in the human choroid, whereas no to minimal expression of the mineralocorticoid- and androgen receptors was observed. The extensive transcriptional response to cortisol in human primary cultured CECs showed interindividual differences, but very few sex differences. Several highly regulated genes such as ZBTB16 (log2 fold change males 7.9; females 6.2) provide strong links to choroidal vascular regulation. Conclusions The glucocorticoid receptor predominantly mediates the response to cortisol in human CECs. Interindividual differences are an important determinant regarding the cortisol response in human cultured CECs, whereas intrinsic sex differences appear less pronounced. The marked response of particular target genes in endothelial cells to cortisol, such as ZBTB16, warrants further investigation into their potential role in the pathophysiology of CSC and other vascular conditions.

Sex differences in cortisol response to reboxetine

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai S. Tse ◽  
Alyson J. Bond
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cortisol Response

scholarly journals A sex difference in the cortisol response to tail docking and ACTH develops between 1 and 8 weeks of age in lambs

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
A I Turner ◽  
B J Hosking ◽  
R A Parr ◽  
A J Tilbrook
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Tail Docking ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Cortisol Responses

It is important to understand factors that may influence responses to stress, as these factors may also influence vulnerability to pathologies that can develop when stress responses are excessive or prolonged. It is clear that, in adults, the sex of an individual can influence the cortisol response to stress in a stressor specific manner. Nevertheless, the stage of development at which these sex differences emerge is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that there are sex differences in the cortisol response to tail docking and ACTH in lambs of 1 and 8 weeks of age. We also established cortisol responses in males when tail docking was imposed alone and in combination with castration at these ages. In experiment 1, 1 and 8 week old male and female lambs were subjected to sham handling, tail docking or, in males, a combination of tail docking and castration. In experiment 2, we administered ACTH (1.0 IU/kg) to male and female lambs at 1 and 8 weeks of age. There were significant cortisol responses to all treatments at both ages. Sex differences in the cortisol responses to tail docking and ACTH developed between 1 and 8 weeks of age, with females having greater responses than males. The data suggest that the mechanism for the sex difference in response to tail docking may involve the adrenal glands. At both ages, in males, the cortisol response to the combined treatment of tail docking and castration was significantly greater than that for tail docking alone.

Sex Differences in the Cortisol Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Depressed and Nondepressed Adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raegan Mazurka ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
Kate L. Harkness
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Adolescent Period

Two of the most robust findings in depression research are (a) that women are twice as likely to become depressed than men and (b) that stress is an important risk factor for depression. Although sex differences in stress reactivity may be an important determinant of differential risk for depression, few studies have examined sex differences in neurobiological reactivity to stress. The purpose of the current study was to assess sex differences in the HPA axis response to stress in depressed versus healthy controls by comparing the cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a community sample of adolescents (ages 12–18). Depressed boys showed significantly heightened cortisol reactivity compared with depressed girls, whose response was blunted compared with nondepressed girls. This diverging pattern of cortisol reactivity to stress among depressed girls and boys may help to explain the sex difference in depression prevalence that emerges during the adolescent period.

scholarly journals Effects of sex and early maternal abuse on adrenocorticotropin hormone and cortisol responses to the corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge during the first 3 years of life in group-living rhesus monkeys

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar M. Sanchez ◽  
Kai Mccormack ◽  
Alison P. Grand ◽  
Richelle Fulks ◽  
Anne Graff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Cortisol Responses

AbstractIn this study we investigated the development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in 21 group-living rhesus monkeys infants that were physically abused by their mothers in the first few months of life and in 21 nonabused controls. Cortisol and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) responses to a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) challenge were assessed at 6-month intervals during the subjects' first 3 years of life. Abused infants exhibited greater cortisol responses to CRH than controls across the 3 years. Abused infants also exhibited blunted ACTH secretion in response to CRH, especially at 6 months of age. Although there were no significant sex differences in abuse experienced early in life, females showed a greater cortisol response to CRH than males at all ages. There were no significant sex differences in the ACTH response to CRH, or significant interactions between sex and abuse in the ACTH or cortisol response. Our findings suggest that early parental maltreatment results in greater adrenocortical, and possibly also pituitary, responsiveness to challenges later in life. These long-term alterations in neuroendocrine function may be one the mechanisms through which infant abuse results in later psychopathologies. Our study also suggests that there are developmental sex differences in adrenal function that occur irrespective of early stressful experience. The results of this study can enhance our understanding of the long-term effects of child maltreatment as well as our knowledge of the development of the HPA axis in human and nonhuman primates.

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