Progesterone receptor distribution in the human hypothalamus and its association with suicide.

ABSTRACT: The human hypothalamus modulates mental health by balancing interactions between hormonal fluctuations and stress responses. Stress-induced progesterone release activates progesterone receptors (PR) in the human brain and triggers alterations in neuropeptides/neurotransmitters. As recent epidemiological studies have associated peripheral progesterone levels with suicide risks in humans, we mapped PR distribution in the human hypothalamus in relation to age and sex and characterized its (co-) expression in specific cell types. The infundibular nucleus (INF) appeared to be the primary hypothalamic structure via which progesterone modulates stress-related neural circuitry. An elevation of the number of pro-opiomelanocortin⁺ (POMC, an endogenous opioid precursor) neurons in the INF,

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10807127 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature