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The Journal of Neuroscience, March 1, 2003, 23(5):1588
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Gonadal Hormones Affect Spine Synaptic Density in the CA1
Hippocampal Subfield of Male Rats
Csaba
Leranth1, 2,
Ors
Petnehazy1, and
Neil J.
MacLusky3
Departments of 1 Obstetrics and Gynecology and
2 Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut 06520, and 3 Center for Reproductive
Sciences, Columbia University Medical School, New York, New York 10032
The effects of androgen on the density of spine synapses on
pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were studied in
male rats. Gonadectomy (GDNX) had no significant effect on the number
of CA1 pyramidal cells but reduced CA1 spine synapse density by almost
50% (to 0.468 ± 0.018 spine synapses/µm3)
compared with sham-operated controls (0.917 ± 0.06 spine
synapses/µm3). Treatment of GDNX rats with
testosterone propionate (500 µg/d, s.c., 2 d) increased spine
synapse density to levels (1.01 ± 0.026 spine
synapses/µm3) comparable with intact males. A
similar increase in synapse density (1.013 ± 0.05 spine
synapses/µm3) was observed in GDNX animals after
treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (500 µg/d, s.c., 2 d)
but not after estradiol (10 µg/d, s.c., 2 d; 0.455 ± 0.02 spine synapse/µm3). These data indicate that
testosterone is important for maintenance of normal spine synapse
density in the CA1 region of the male rat hippocampus. The comparable
responses to testosterone and the non-aromatizable androgen DHT,
coupled with the lack of response to estradiol, suggest that
testosterone acts directly on hippocampal androgen receptors rather
than indirectly via local estrogen biosynthesis.
Key words:
testosterone; dihydrotestosterone; estrogen; spine
synapse density; CA1 hippocampal area; unbiased stereological
calculation
Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/03/2351588-05$05.00/0
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