A Sexually Dimorphic Distribution of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor 1 in the Paraventricular Hypothalamus

Publication date: Available online 2 May 2019Source: NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Zachary J. Rosinger, Jason S. Jacobskind, Rose M. De Guzman, Nicholas J. Justice, Damian G. ZuloagaAbstractSex differences in neural structures are generally believed to underlie sex differences reported in anxiety, depression, and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, although the specific circuitry involved is largely unclear. Using a corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) reporter line, we report a sexually dimorphic distribution of CRFR1 expressing cells within the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN; males> females). Relative to adult levels, PVN CRFR1-expressing cells are sparse and not sexually dimorphic at postnatal days 0, 4, or 21. This suggests that PVN cells might recruit CRFR1 during puberty or early adulthood in a sex-specific manner. The adult sex difference in PVN CRFR1 persists in old mice (20–24 months). Adult gonadectomy (6 weeks) resulted in a significant decrease in CRFR1-immunoreactive cells in the male but not female PVN. CRFR1 cells show moderate co-expression with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and high co-expression with androgen receptor, indicating potential mechanisms through which circulating gonadal hormones might regulate CRFR1 expression and function. Finally, we demonstrate that a psychological stressor, restraint stress, induces a sexually dimorphic pattern of neural activation in PVN CRFR1 cells (males> females) as assessed by co-localizat...

Source: Neuroscience - May 3, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research