scholarly journals Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke Sensitivity Are Influenced by Gonadal Hormones, Not by Sex Chromosome Complement

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharti Manwani ◽  
Kathryn Bentivegna ◽  
Sharon E Benashski ◽  
Venugopal Reddy Venna ◽  
Yan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Serum Testosterone ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Male Mice

Epidemiologic studies have shown sex differences in ischemic stroke. The four core genotype (FCG) mouse model, in which the testes determining gene, Sry, has been moved from Y chromosome to an autosome, was used to dissociate the effects of sex hormones from sex chromosome in ischemic stroke outcome. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in gonad intact FCG mice revealed that gonadal males (XXM and XYM) had significantly higher infarct volumes as compared with gonadal females (XXF and XYF). Serum testosterone levels were equivalent in adult XXM and XYM, as was serum estrogen in XXF and XYF mice. To remove the effects of gonadal hormones, gonadectomized FCG mice were subjected to MCAO. Gonadectomy significantly increased infarct volumes in females, while no change was seen in gonadectomized males, indicating that estrogen loss increases ischemic sensitivity. Estradiol supplementation in gonadectomized FCG mice rescued this phenotype. Interestingly, FCG male mice were less sensitive to effects of hormones. This may be due to enhanced expression of the transgene Sry in brains of FCG male mice. Sex differences in ischemic stroke sensitivity appear to be shaped by organizational and activational effects of sex hormones, rather than sex chromosomal complement.

scholarly journals Gonadal- and Sex-Chromosome-Dependent Sex Differences in the Circadian System

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (4) ◽  
pp. 1501-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dika A. Kuljis ◽  
Dawn H. Loh ◽  
Danny Truong ◽  
Andrew M. Vosko ◽  
Margaret L. Ong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Circadian System ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Activity Duration ◽  
Wheel Running Activity

Abstract Compelling reasons to study the role of sex in the circadian system include the higher rates of sleep disorders in women than in men and evidence that sex steroids modulate circadian control of locomotor activity. To address the issue of sex differences in the circadian system, we examined daily and circadian rhythms in wheel-running activity, electrical activity within the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and PER2::LUC-driven bioluminescence of gonadally-intact adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. We observed greater precision of activity onset in 12-hour light, 12-hour dark cycle for male mice, longer activity duration in 24 hours of constant darkness for female mice, and phase-delayed PER2::LUC bioluminescence rhythm in female pituitary and liver. Next, in order to investigate whether sex differences in behavior are sex chromosome or gonadal sex dependent, we used the 4 core genotypes (FCG) mouse model, in which sex chromosome complement is independent of gonadal phenotype. Gonadal males had more androgen receptor expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and behaviorally reduced photic phase shift response compared with gonadal female FCG mice. Removal of circulating gonadal hormones in adults, to test activational vs organizational effects of sex revealed that XX animals have longer activity duration than XY animals regardless of gonadal phenotype. Additionally, we observed that the activational effects of gonadal hormones were more important for regulating activity levels in gonadal male mice than in gonadal female FCG mice. Taken together, sex differences in the circadian rhythms of activity, neuronal physiology, and gene expression were subtle but provide important clues for understanding the pathophysiology of the circadian system.

scholarly journals Sexual Differentiation and Substance Use: A Mini-Review

Endocrinology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 161 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J Harp ◽  
Mariangela Martini ◽  
Wendy J Lynch ◽  
Emilie F Rissman
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Four Core Genotype

Abstract The organizational/activational hypothesis suggests that gonadal steroid hormones like testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) are important at 2 different times during the lifespan when they perform 2 different functions. First steroids “organize” brain structures early in life and during puberty, and in adults these same hormones “activate” sexually dimorphic behaviors. This hypothesis has been tested and proven valid for a large number of behaviors (learning, memory, social, and sexual behaviors). Sex differences in drug addiction are well established both for humans and animal models. Previous research in this field has focused primarily on cocaine self-administration by rats. Traditionally, observed sex differences have been explained by the sex-specific concentrations of gonadal hormones present at the time of the drug-related behavior. Studies with gonadectomized rodents establishes an activational role for E2 that facilitates vulnerability in females, and when E2 is combined with progesterone, addiction is attenuated. Literature on organizational actions of steroids is sparse but predicts that T, after it is aromatized to E2, changes aspects of the neural reward system. Here we summarize these data and propose that sex chromosome complement also plays a role in determining sex-specific drug-taking behavior. Future research is needed to disentangle the effects of hormones and sex chromosome complement, and we propose the four core genotype mouse model as an effective tool for answering these questions.

scholarly journals Sex differences in circadian food anticipatory activity are not altered by individual manipulations of sex hormones or sex chromosome copy number in mice

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. e0191373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Aguayo ◽  
Camille S. Martin ◽  
Timothy F. Huddy ◽  
Maya Ogawa-Okada ◽  
Jamie L. Adkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Copy Number ◽  
Food Anticipatory Activity ◽  
Anticipatory Activity

scholarly journals X and Y Chromosome Complement Influence Adiposity and Metabolism in Mice

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 1092-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuqi Chen ◽  
Rebecca McClusky ◽  
Yuichiro Itoh ◽  
Karen Reue ◽  
Arthur P. Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Xy Model ◽  
Second Sex ◽  
Metabolic Variables ◽  
Novel Model

Abstract Three different models of MF1 strain mice were studied to measure the effects of gonadal secretions and sex chromosome type and number on body weight and composition, and on related metabolic variables such as glucose homeostasis, feeding, and activity. The 3 genetic models varied sex chromosome complement in different ways, as follows: 1) “four core genotypes” mice, comprising XX and XY gonadal males, and XX and XY gonadal females; 2) the XY* model comprising groups similar to XO, XX, XY, and XXY; and 3) a novel model comprising 6 groups having XO, XX, and XY chromosomes with either testes or ovaries. In gonadally intact mice, gonadal males were heavier than gonadal females, but sex chromosome complement also influenced weight. The male/female difference was abolished by adult gonadectomy, after which mice with 2 sex chromosomes (XX or XY) had greater body weight and percentage of body fat than mice with 1 X chromosome. A second sex chromosome of either type, X or Y, had similar effects, indicating that the 2 sex chromosomes each possess factors that influence body weight and composition in the MF1 genetic background. Sex chromosome complement also influenced metabolic variables such as food intake and glucose tolerance. The results reveal a role for the Y chromosome in metabolism independent of testes and gonadal hormones and point to a small number of X–Y gene pairs with similar coding sequences as candidates for causing these effects.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Stroke

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 2100-2107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy AM Haast ◽  
Deborah R Gustafson ◽  
Amanda J Kiliaan
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Stroke Onset ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Sex Steroid Hormone ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
The Impact

Sex differences in stroke are observed across epidemiologic studies, pathophysiology, treatments, and outcomes. These sex differences have profound implications for effective prevention and treatment and are the focus of this review. Epidemiologic studies reveal a clear age-by-sex interaction in stroke prevalence, incidence, and mortality. While premenopausal women experience fewer strokes than men of comparable age, stroke rates increase among postmenopausal women compared with age-matched men. This postmenopausal phenomenon, in combination with living longer, are reasons for women being older at stroke onset and suffering more severe strokes. Thus, a primary focus of stroke prevention has been based on sex steroid hormone-dependent mechanisms. Sex hormones affect different (patho)physiologic functions of the cerebral circulation. Clarifying the impact of sex hormones on cerebral vasculature using suitable animal models is essential to elucidate male–female differences in stroke pathophysiology and development of sex-specific treatments. Much remains to be learned about sex differences in stroke as anatomic and genetic factors may also contribute, revealing its multifactorial nature. In addition, the aftermath of stroke appears to be more adverse in women than in men, again based on older age at stroke onset, longer prehospital delays, and potentially, differences in treatment.

scholarly journals Sex differences in gene expression and proliferation are dependent on the epigenetic modifier HP1γ

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui-Pik Law ◽  
Ping-Kei Chan ◽  
Kirsten McEwen ◽  
Huihan Zhi ◽  
Bing Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Autosomal Gene ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Heterochromatin Protein 1 ◽  
Epigenetic Modifier ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Males And Females

SummarySex differences in growth rate in very early embryos have been recognized in a variety of mammals and attributed to sex-chromosome complement effects as they occur before overt sexual differentiation. We previously found that sex-chromosome complement, rather than sex hormones regulates heterochromatin-mediated silencing of a transgene and autosomal gene expression in mice. Here, sex dimorphism in proliferation was investigated. We confirm that male embryonic fibroblasts proliferate faster than female fibroblasts and show that this proliferation advantage is completely dependent upon heterochromatin protein 1 gamma (HP1γ). To determine whether this sex-regulatory effect of HP1γ was a more general phenomenon, we performed RNA sequencing on MEFs derived from males and females, with or without HP1γ. Strikingly, HP1γ was found to be crucial for regulating nearly all sexually dimorphic autosomal gene expression because deletion of the HP1γ gene in males abolished sex differences in autosomal gene expression. The identification of a key epigenetic modifier as central in defining gene expression differences between males and females has important implications for understanding physiological sex differences and sex bias in disease.

scholarly journals Differential regulation of mouse hippocampal gene expression sex differences by chromosomal content and gonadal sex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R Ocanas ◽  
Victor A Ansere ◽  
Kyla B Tooley ◽  
Niran Hadad ◽  
Ana J Chucair-Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Autosomal Gene ◽  
Sex Effects

Sex differences in the brain as they relate to health and disease are often overlooked in experimental models. Many neurological disorders, like Alzheimer's disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and autism, differ in prevalence between males and females. Sex differences originate either from differential gene expression on sex chromosomes or from hormonal differences, either directly or indirectly. To disentangle the relative contributions of genetic sex (XX v. XY) and gonadal sex (ovaries v. testes) to the regulation of hippocampal sex effects, we use the "sex-reversal" Four Core Genotype (FCG) mouse model which uncouples sex chromosome complement from gonadal sex. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses of hippocampal RNA and DNA from ~12 month old FCG mice, reveals differential regulatory effects of sex chromosome content and gonadal sex on X- versus autosome-encoded gene expression and DNA modification patterns. Gene expression and DNA methylation patterns on the X chromosome were driven primarily by sex chromosome content, not gonadal sex. The majority of DNA methylation changes involved hypermethylation in the XX genotypes (as compared to XY) in the CpG context, with the largest differences in CpG islands, promoters, and CTCF binding sites. Autosomal gene expression and DNA modifications demonstrated regulation by sex chromosome complement and gonadal sex. These data demonstrate the importance of sex chromosomes themselves, independent of hormonal status, in regulating hippocampal sex effects. Future studies will need to further interrogate specific CNS cell types, identify the mechanisms by which sex chromosome regulate autosomes, and differentiate organizational from activational hormonal effects.

scholarly journals Testosterone inhibits aneurysm formation and vascular inflammation in male mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 241 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Kyung Son ◽  
Taro Kojima ◽  
Sumito Ogawa ◽  
Masahiro Akishita
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Vascular Inflammation ◽  
Serum Testosterone ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Aortic Pathology ◽  
Wild Type Male ◽  
Testosterone Administration ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), one of the pathological phenotypes of vascular aging, is characterized by aortic dilation with impaired arterial wall integrity. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that men with AAA have lower serum testosterone compared to men without. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of testosterone on AAA formation using a murine AAA model under the conditions of depletion and administration of testosterone. In wild-type male mice (C57BL/6J), AAA was induced by CaCl2 application and angiotensin II infusion at 5 weeks after castration. Exacerbated AAA formation was seen in castrated mice, compared with sham-operated mice. Histological analysis revealed marked infiltration of macrophages in the destroyed aorta and IL-6/pSTAT3 expression was significantly elevated, suggesting that AAA development by castration is attributable to pronounced inflammation. Conversely, both 4-week and 9-week administration of testosterone significantly prevented AAA formation, and improvement of histological findings was confirmed. Aortic F4/80, Il-1b and Il-6 expression were significantly inhibited both by testosterone administration. Indeed, mice with implanted flutamide exhibited exacerbated AAA formation and aortic F4/80, Il-1b and Il-6 expression were significantly increased. Taken together, these results demonstrate that testosterone depletion and AR blockade precede AAA formation, and conversely, testosterone administration could suppress AAA formation by regulating macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. This anti-inflammatory action of testosterone/AR on AAA formation might provide a mechanistic insight into the vascular protective actions of testosterone and suggest that its proper administration or selective AR modulators might be novel therapeutic strategies for this aortic pathology.

scholarly journals Gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement differentially contribute to ethanol intake, preference, and relapse-like behavior in Four Core Genotypes mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Sneddon ◽  
Lindsay N. Rasizer ◽  
Natalie G. Cavalco ◽  
Asa H. Jaymes ◽  
Noah J. Ostlie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Rodent Models ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Drinking Behaviors

AbstractAlcohol use and high-risk alcohol drinking behaviors among women are rapidly rising. In rodent models, females typically consume more ethanol (EtOH) than males. Here, we used the Four Core Genotypes (FCG) mouse model to investigate the influence of gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement to EtOH drinking behaviors. FCG mice were given access to escalating concentrations of EtOH in a two-bottle, 24-h continuous access drinking paradigm to assess consumption and preference. Relapse-like behavior was measured by assessing escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure. Twenty-four hour EtOH consumption was greater in mice with ovaries (Sry−), relative to those with testes, and in mice with the XX chromosome complement, relative to those with XY sex chromosomes. EtOH preference was higher in XX vs. XY mice but not influenced by gonad type. Escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure emerged only in XX mice (vs. XY). These results demonstrate that aspects of EtOH drinking behavior may be independently regulated by sex hormones and chromosomes and inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms which contribute to EtOH dependence in male and female mice. Future investigation of the contribution of sex chromosomes to EtOH drinking behaviors is warranted.

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