Vk. Patchev et Ofx. Almeida, GENDER SPECIFICITY IN THE NEURAL REGULATION OF THE RESPONSE TO STRESS- NEW LEADS FROM CLASSICAL PARADIGMS, Molecular neurobiology, 16(1), 1998, pp. 63-77
Pronounced gender-related differences are observable in the regulation
of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) activity under ba
sal and stress-related conditions, and by circulating glucocorticoid l
evels. This article reviews recent studies that have unequivocally dem
onstrated that these differences emerge from the organizational effect
s of gonadal steroids during early brain development. Although largely
masked by the dominating role of glucocorticoids in maintaining feedb
ack thresholds, gonadal steroids continue to exert gender-specific act
ivational effects on the LHPA axis through adulthood. The importance o
f these modulatory effects of gonadal steroids may be reflected in gen
der differences in the incidence of psychopathologies that are accompa
nied by symptoms of LHPA dysregulation. One goal of this review is to
highlight the need for further investigations into the (still elusive)
cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the activational effects
of sex steroids, which may provide leads for neuroprotective hormone
replacement strategies.