Androgen and estrogen receptor–mediated mechanisms of testosterone action in male rat pelvic autonomic ganglia

Abstract

Although male reproductive function is primarily androgen dependent, many studies suggest that estrogens have direct actions on the male reproductive organs. Pelvic autonomic neurons provide the motor control of the internal reproductive organs and the penis and various properties of these neurons are affected by endogenous androgens. However, the possible role of estrogens at this site has not been examined. Here we have investigated the significance of estrogens produced by aromatisation of testosterone in the physiological actions of androgens on adult male rat pelvic ganglion neurons. RT-PCR studies showed that aromatase and both estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are expressed in these ganglia. Western blotting also showed that aromatase is expressed in male pelvic ganglia. Using immunohistochemical visualisation, ERα was predominantly expressed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-positive parasympathetic pelvic ganglion neurons. In vivo studies showed that the decrease in pelvic ganglion soma size caused by gonadectomy could be prevented by administration of testosterone (T) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but not 17β-estradiol (E2), showing that this maintenance action of testosterone is mediated entirely by androgenic mechanisms. However, in vitro studies of cultured pelvic ganglion neurons revealed that T, DHT and E each stimulated the growth of longer and more complex neurites in both noradrenergic and cholinergic NOS-expressing neurons. The effects of T were attenuated by either androgen or estrogen receptor antagonists, or by inhibition of aromatase. Together these studies demonstrate that estrogens are likely to be synthesised in the male pelvic ganglia, produced from testosterone by local aromatase. The effects of androgens on axonal growth are likely to be at least partly mediated by estrogenic mechanisms, which may be important for understanding disease-, aging-and injury-induced plasticity in this part of the nervous system. KeywordsSteroid; autonomic ganglion; urogenital; regeneration Recent studies suggest that within the framework of androgen dependence of male reproductive function, endogenous estrogens produced by aromatisation of testosterone within local tissues Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptNeuroscience. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008 August 10. Published in final edited form as:Neuroscience. 2007 August 10; 148(1): 92-104. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript are important for development and function of male reproductive organs. Many of the male re...

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