Estradiol, via estrogen receptor β signaling, mediates stress-susceptibility in the male brain.

ABSTRACT: Dysregulation of normal reward processing via psychological stress contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders. Estrogen is involved in reward processing in females, but this effect has not been well studied in males despite the abundant conversion of androgens to estrogens in the male brain. Here, we used a combination of genetic deletions, behavioral assays, pharmacology, circuit dissection, electrophysiology, in vivo fiber photometry, and optogenetics/chemogenetics to determine the role of the most prevalent and potent estrogen, 17β-estradiol, in male stress-induced reward processing dysfunction. We found that absence of estrogen receptor (ER) β renders male but not female mice susceptible to stress-induced maladaptive reward-processing behaviors. We demonstrated that activa

SUBMITTER: Georgiou P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12235942 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature