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Sexually Dimorphic Effects Of A Prenatal Immune Challenge On Social Play And Vasopressin Expression In Juvenile Rats, Patrick V. Taylor, Alexa H. Veenema, Matthew J. Paul, Remco Bredewold, Stephanie Isaacs, Geert J. De Vries
Sexually Dimorphic Effects Of A Prenatal Immune Challenge On Social Play And Vasopressin Expression In Juvenile Rats, Patrick V. Taylor, Alexa H. Veenema, Matthew J. Paul, Remco Bredewold, Stephanie Isaacs, Geert J. De Vries
Geert De Vries
Background: Infectious diseases and inflammation during pregnancy increase the offspring’s risk for behavioral disorders. However, how immune stress affects neural circuitry during development is not well known. We tested whether a prenatal immune challenge interferes with the development of social play and with neural circuits implicated in social behavior. Methods: Pregnant rats were given intraperitoneal injections of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS – 100 μg /kg) or saline on the 15th day of pregnancy. Offspring were tested for social play behaviors between postnatal days 26–40. Brains were harvested on postnatal day 45 and processed for arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA in …
The Epigenetics Of Sex Differences In The Brain, Geert De Vries, M. M. Mccarthy, A. P. Auger, T. L. Bale, G. A. Dunn, N. G. Forger, E. K. Murray, B. M. Nugent, J. M. Schwarz, M. E. Wilson
The Epigenetics Of Sex Differences In The Brain, Geert De Vries, M. M. Mccarthy, A. P. Auger, T. L. Bale, G. A. Dunn, N. G. Forger, E. K. Murray, B. M. Nugent, J. M. Schwarz, M. E. Wilson
Geert De Vries
Epigenetic changes in the nervous system are emerging as a critical component of enduring effects induced by early life experience, hormonal exposure, trauma and injury, or learning and memory. Sex differences in the brain are largely determined by steroid hormone exposure during a perinatal sensitive period that alters subsequent hormonal and nonhormonal responses throughout the lifespan. Steroid receptors are members of a nuclear receptor transcription factor superfamily and recruit multiple proteins that possess enzymatic activity relevant to epigenetic changes such as acetylation and methylation. Thus steroid hormones are uniquely poised to exert epigenetic effects on the developing nervous system to …
Epigenetic Control Of Sexual Differentiation Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis, Geert De Vries, E. K. Murray, A. Hien, N. G. Forger
Epigenetic Control Of Sexual Differentiation Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis, Geert De Vries, E. K. Murray, A. Hien, N. G. Forger
Geert De Vries
The principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp) is larger in volume and contains more cells in male than female mice. These sex differences depend on testosterone and arise from a higher rate of cell death during early postnatal life in females. There is a delay of several days between the testosterone surge at birth and sexually dimorphic cell death in the BNSTp, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms may be involved. We tested the hypothesis that chromatin remodeling plays a role in sexual differentiation of the BNSTp by manipulating the balance between histone acetylation and deacetylation using …
Social Control Of Brain Morphology In A Eusocial Mammal, Geert De Vries, M. M. Holmes, G. J. Rosen, C. L. Jordan, B. D. Goldman, N. G. Forger
Social Control Of Brain Morphology In A Eusocial Mammal, Geert De Vries, M. M. Holmes, G. J. Rosen, C. L. Jordan, B. D. Goldman, N. G. Forger
Geert De Vries
Social status impacts reproductive behavior in diverse vertebrate species, but little is known about how it affects brain morphology. We explore this in the naked mole-rat, a species with the most rigidly organized reproductive hierarchy among mammals. Naked mole-rats live in large, subterranean colonies where breeding is restricted to a single female and small number of males. All other members of the colony, known as subordinates, are reproductively suppressed. Subordinates can become breeders if removed from the colony and placed with an opposite sex partner, but in nature most individuals never attain reproductive status. We examined the brains of breeding …
Unexpected Effects Of Perinatal Gonadal Hormone Manipulations On Sexual Differentiation Of The Extrahypothalamic Arginine-Vasopressin System In Prairie Voles, Geert De Vries, J. S. Lonstein, B. D. Rood
Unexpected Effects Of Perinatal Gonadal Hormone Manipulations On Sexual Differentiation Of The Extrahypothalamic Arginine-Vasopressin System In Prairie Voles, Geert De Vries, J. S. Lonstein, B. D. Rood
Geert De Vries
The sexually dimorphic extrahypothalamic arginine-vasopressin (AVP) projections from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the lateral septum (LS) and lateral habenula (LHb) are denser in males than females and, in rats, require males' perinatal exposure to gonadal hormones but the absence of such exposure in females. We examined perinatal hormone effects on development of this sex difference in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), which show atypical effects of hormones on sexual differentiation of some reproductive behaviors. Neonatal castration reduced the number of AVP mRNA-expressing cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and AVP immunoreactivity (ir) in the …
Deletion Of Bax Eliminates Sex Differences In The Mouse Forebrain, Geert De Vries, N. G. Forger, G. J. Rosen, E. M. Waters, D. Jacobs, R. B. Simerly
Deletion Of Bax Eliminates Sex Differences In The Mouse Forebrain, Geert De Vries, N. G. Forger, G. J. Rosen, E. M. Waters, D. Jacobs, R. B. Simerly
Geert De Vries
Several of the best-studied sex differences in the mammalian brain are ascribed to the hormonal control of cell death. This conclusion is based primarily on correlations between pyknotic cell counts in development and counts of mature neurons in adulthood; the molecular mechanisms of hormone-regulated, sexually dimorphic cell death are unknown. We asked whether Bax, a member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins that is required for cell death in many developing neurons, might be essential for sex differences in neuron number. We compared Bax knockout mice and their WT siblings, focusing on two regions of the mouse forebrain that show …
Sex Differences In Adult And Developing Brains; Compensation, Compensation, Compensation, Geert De Vries
Sex Differences In Adult And Developing Brains; Compensation, Compensation, Compensation, Geert De Vries
Geert De Vries
Despite decades of research, we do not know the functional significance of most sex differences in the brain. We are heavily invested in the idea that sex differences in brain structure cause sex differences in behavior. We rarely consider the possibility that sex differences in brain structure may also prevent sex differences in overt functions and behavior, by compensating for sex differences in physiological conditions, e.g. gonadal hormone levels that may generate undesirable sex differences if left unchecked. Such a dual function for sex differences is unlikely to be restricted to adult brains. This review will entertain the possibility that …
A Model System For Study Of Sex Chromosome Effects On Sexually Dimorphic Neural And Behavioral Traits, Geert De Vries, E. F. Rissman, R. B. Simerly, Y. L. Yang, E. M. Scordalakes, C. J. Auger, A. Swain, R. Lovell-Badge, P. S. Burgoyne, A. P. Arnold
A Model System For Study Of Sex Chromosome Effects On Sexually Dimorphic Neural And Behavioral Traits, Geert De Vries, E. F. Rissman, R. B. Simerly, Y. L. Yang, E. M. Scordalakes, C. J. Auger, A. Swain, R. Lovell-Badge, P. S. Burgoyne, A. P. Arnold
Geert De Vries
We tested the hypothesis that genes encoded on the sex chromosomes play a direct role in sexual differentiation of brain and behavior. We used mice in which the testis-determining gene (Sry) was moved from the Y chromosome to an autosome (by deletion ofSry from the Y and subsequent insertion of anSry transgene onto an autosome), so that the determination of testis development occurred independently of the complement of X or Y chromosomes. We compared XX and XY mice with ovaries (females) and XX and XY mice with testes (males). These comparisons allowed us to assess the effect of sex chromosome …
Sexual Differentiation Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis In Humans May Extend Into Adulthood, Geert De Vries, W. C.J Chung, D. F. Swaab
Sexual Differentiation Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis In Humans May Extend Into Adulthood, Geert De Vries, W. C.J Chung, D. F. Swaab
Geert De Vries
Gonadal steroids have remarkable developmental effects on sex-dependent brain organization and behavior in animals. Presumably, fetal or neonatal gonadal steroids are also responsible for sexual differentiation of the human brain. A limbic structure of special interest in this regard is the sexually dimorphic central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc), because its size has been related to the gender identity disorder transsexuality. To determine at what age the BSTc becomes sexually dimorphic, the BSTc volume in males and females was studied from midgestation into adulthood. Using vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and somatostatin immunocytochemical staining as markers, we …
Androstenedione Effects On The Vasopressin Innervation Of The Rat Brain, Geert De Vries, C. Villalba, C. L. Auger
Androstenedione Effects On The Vasopressin Innervation Of The Rat Brain, Geert De Vries, C. Villalba, C. L. Auger
Geert De Vries
The steroid hormone androstenedione profoundly influences the development and expression of sexual and aggressive behavior. The neural basis of these effects are, however, poorly understood. In this study we evaluated androstenedione's ability to maintain vasopressin peptide levels in the gonadal steroid-responsive vasopressin cells of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the centromedial amygdala, and their projections. Adult male rats were castrated and given testosterone, androstenedione or no hormonal treatment for five weeks. Their brains were then processed for vasopressin immunoreactivity. Androstenedione and testosterone treatment were equally effective in preventing the reduction of vasopressin immunoreactivity associated with castration. Androstenedione …
Potential Role Of Maternal Progesterone In The Sexual Differentiation Of The Brain, Geert De Vries, C. K. Wagner, A. Y. Nakayama
Potential Role Of Maternal Progesterone In The Sexual Differentiation Of The Brain, Geert De Vries, C. K. Wagner, A. Y. Nakayama
Geert De Vries
In rats, fetal testosterone directs sexual differentiation of the brain. However, fetuses are also exposed to maternal progesterone. Here we report that progestin receptor immunoreactivity in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of fetal and neonatal rats is high in males but virtually absent in females. The MPN is one of the most sexually dimorphic structures in the rat brain and mediates several sexually differentiated behaviors. This suggests that progesterone may play a previously overlooked role in the development of sex differences in the brain and behavior. Henceforth, a novel function of the mother in the sexual differentiation of the CNS …
The Role Of Septal Vasopressin Innervation In Paternal Behavior In Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster), Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, C. F. Ferris
The Role Of Septal Vasopressin Innervation In Paternal Behavior In Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster), Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, C. F. Ferris
Geert De Vries
After being paired with females, male prairie voles show major changes in their social behaviors among which is an increase in paternal responsiveness. These changes are accompanied by fluctuations in the density of the [Arg8]vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) fibers in the lateral septum, suggesting that septal AVP might be involved in these changes. To explore a possible involvement of septal AVP in paternal responsiveness, we tested whether injections of saline, AVP, or the V1a receptor antagonist [1-(beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid),2-(O-methyltyrosine]AVP [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP] into the lateral septum influenced the four most prominent paternal activities displayed by male prairie voles; grooming, crouching over, contacting, and retrieving …
Sex Differences In The Effects Of Testosterone And Its Metabolites On Vasopressin Messenger Rna Levels In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis Of Rats, Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, N. A. Bullock, S. Numan
Sex Differences In The Effects Of Testosterone And Its Metabolites On Vasopressin Messenger Rna Levels In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis Of Rats, Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, N. A. Bullock, S. Numan
Geert De Vries
Male rats have about two times as many steroid-responsive vasopressin- immunoreactive (AVP-ir) neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) as female rats. This sex difference does not depend on differences in circulating hormone levels, since it persists in males and females that are treated with similar levels of testosterone. To analyze the cellular basis of this sex difference, we compared the effects of testosterone and its metabolites on AVP mRNA expression in the BST of males and females that were gonadectomized at 3 months of age. When rats received implants of Silastic tubing filled with testosterone, males …
Distribution Of Androgen Receptor Immunoreactivity In Vasopressin- Immunoreactive And Oxytocin-Immunoreactive Neurons In The Male Rat Brain, Geert De Vries, L Zhou, J. D. Blaustein
Distribution Of Androgen Receptor Immunoreactivity In Vasopressin- Immunoreactive And Oxytocin-Immunoreactive Neurons In The Male Rat Brain, Geert De Vries, L Zhou, J. D. Blaustein
Geert De Vries
Arginine vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) neurons in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdaloid nucleus are very responsive to gonadal hormones. After gonadectomy, these neurons lose their AVP immunoreactivity and stop expressing AVP mRNA. Testosterone treatment reverses these changes, acting via androgen as well as estrogen receptor-mediated mechanisms. Although AVP-ir neurons contain estrogen receptor immunoreactivity, it is not known whether they also contain androgen receptor immunoreactivity. To answer this question, brains of male rats were stained immunocytochemically for AVP as well as for androgen receptors. In the BST and medial amygdaloid nucleus, respectively, 90.5% and 91.2% of the AVP-ir …
Sexual Differentiation Of Vasopressin Projections Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis And Medial Amygdaloid Nucleus In Rats, Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, N. A. Bullock
Sexual Differentiation Of Vasopressin Projections Of The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis And Medial Amygdaloid Nucleus In Rats, Geert De Vries, Z. X. Wang, N. A. Bullock
Geert De Vries
The vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdaloid nucleus (MA) are much denser in males than in females even if males and females are treated with similar amounts of testosterone. Previous studies have established that testosterone influences AVP-ir projections during development, but not whether these effects of testosterone were permanent. This study tested the effects of various hormonal manipulations during development on the ability of testosterone to influence the AVP immunostaining in cells of the BST and MA and of fibers in the lateral septum of adult rats. In the first experiment, …