Neuroprotective Role of Steroidal Sex Hormones: An Overview

Abstract

Progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone are the well-known steroidal sex hormones, which have been reported to have "nonreproductive "effects in the brain, specifically in the neuroprotection and neurotrophy. In the last one decade, there has been a surge in the research on the role of these hormones in neuroprotection and their positive impact on different brain injuries. The said interest has been sparked by a desire to understand the action and mechanisms of these steroidal sex hormones throughout the body. The aim of this article was to highlight the potential outcome of the steroidal hormones, viz. progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone in terms of their role in neuroprotection and other brain injuries. Their possible mechanism of action at both genomic and nongenomic level will be also discussed. As far as our knowledge goes, we are for the first time reporting neuroprotective effect and possible mechanism of action of these hormones in a single article.

Spontaneous activities in baroreflex afferent pathway contribute dominant role in parasympathetic neurocontrol of blood pressure regulation

“…It is well documented that the blood pressure is lower in females than that in age‐matched males . This notion is consistent with the recent observations reported in rodent models, indicating that females have a much higher parasympathetic activity than males and neuroprotective action of estrogen . Our previous observation has shown that, in adult female rats, there is a female‐specific subpopulation of myelinated Ah‐type baroreceptor neurons (BRNs) in nodose and baroreceptive neurons in tractus nucleus of solitary (NTS), with which an important neuroanatomical structure supports for a critical parasympathetic activity in baroreflex afferent function in females.…”

Testosterone and Adult Neurogenesis

“…Androgens have been shown to have a wide range of neuroprotective effects, which may or may not involve activation of neurotrophic factors [189]. The idea that testosterone is influencing neurogenesis via increased neuroprotection fits well with findings that testosterone enhances neurogenesis mainly through increased neuronal survival rather than through changes in cell proliferation.…”

Pregnancy improves cognitive deficit and neuronal morphology atrophy in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of aging spontaneously hypertensive rats

“…In the elderly female population, the estradiol and progesterone levels are reduced by age (Sorwell & Urbanski, ). Both hormones showed neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties (for review see Siddiqui et al, ). In agreement with our results, several reports in rats have demonstrated that memory assessed by the novel object recognition test (NORT) changes during the estrous cycle, pregnancy and the postpartum stage (for review see Hu, Yang, Gao, Rudd, & Fang, ; Walf, Koonce, & Frye, ).…”