Endocrinology Commons^™

Estrogen Regulation Of Mir-9-5p And Mir-9-3p Stability And Localization In The Aging Female Brain, Chun Kim

Dissertations

In females, levels of estrogens fluctuate across the lifespan and rapidly decline during menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been introduced as a clinical alternative to replenish systemic levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), the primary estrogen in circulation. However, studies from the Women's Health Initiative revealed a critical period immediately following the onset of menopause where HRT is efficacious. Here, we identified the differential regulation of miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that inhibit translation, as a potential mechanism for this temporal switch in estrogen action. Specifically, early - but not late - E2 administration following ovariectomy in a rat model of menopause …

Transition Between Phases Of The Annual Cycle: Spring Migration To Breeding In Nearctic-Neotropical Songbirds, Kristen Marie Covino

Dissertations

Appropriate timing of each life-history stage is crucial for seasonally migratory species. The temporal constraints faced by migratory songbirds require that they overlap preparation for breeding with spring migration. However, previous work has focused primarily on male birds and has produced inconsistent results regarding the degree of overlap between these two life-history stages. I study the degree to which migrating male and female songbirds prepare for breeding throughout spring migration as they move towards their breeding grounds. Overall, male migrants show a significant degree of breeding preparation during spring migration as determined by circulating testosterone levels and their ability to …

Mechanisms Of Estrogen Receptor Alternative Splicing And The Consequences For Aging In The Female Brain, Cody Lee Shults

Dissertations

The advances in healthcare and scientific knowledge have resulted in longer life expectancies in women. These advanced ages in women now means that they are experiencing the effects of age-related changes in the body for much longer periods of time, mainly reproductive senescence, resulting in the loss of circulating ovarian hormones. The age at which menopause occurs has not changed, resulting in women now living over a third of their lives in a postmenopausal state.

The major circulating estrogen produced by the ovaries, 17β-estradiol (E2), has many homeostatic effects in the body like neuroprotection and cardioprotection. Hormone replacement therapy (HT) …

Regulation Of Micrornas By 17Β-Estradiol In The Aging Female Brain, Yathindar Satya Giffin-Rao

Dissertations

Hormone Therapy (HT) is used to increase the 17β-estradiol (E2) levels in women who are going through the menopausal transition to alleviate the negative symptoms associated with menopause and decrease the risk of chronic diseases. Clinical and basic science research had previously shown that HT provided protection from cognitive decline and reduced the risk of dementia. However the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial demonstrated that HT had no beneficial effects for cognitive decline and, in some cases increased the risk of dementia in post-menopausal women. However, further analysis of WHI data showed that when HT was given to women …