Electrophysiological and cellular effects of estrogen on neuronal function

Estrogen exerts a variety of electrophysiological, neurotrophic, and metabo lic effects on neurons in the adult central nervous system. Recent epidemio logical studies have suggested that estrogen, as hormone replacement therap y in postmenopausal women, may be protective against Alzheimer's disease; t he biological basis for a potential neuroprotective effect of estrogen in h umans is an area of intense current research. This review summarizes electr ophysiological and cellular effects of estrogen on neuronal function, with particular emphasis on hypothalamic and hippocampal neurons. Classic electr ophysiological studies are compared with more recent cellular and molecular analyses in an effort to illuminate significant relationships between data gathered over the last 30 years and from varied sources. Hypotheses are ma de for the mechanisms of estrogen action in the brain as well as the functi onal consequences of estrogen's effects for both normal brain function and pathological states.