Sex differences in estrogenic regulation of neuronal activity in neonatal cultures of ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus.

ABSTRACT: Estrogenic effects have been implicated in sexual differentiation of brain and behavior, in part by affecting neuronal activity in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN). We report here a remarkable sex difference in estrogenic regulation of neuronal activity in male vs. female neural networks. Spontaneous synaptic currents originating from a population of neurons were recorded in primary VMN cultures using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Treatment with 17beta-estradiol (E2, 10 nM) for 24 h induced opposite effects in the two sexes: the frequency of spontaneous synaptic events decreased significantly in neurons derived from males but increased in those from females. Interestingly, the 24-hour E2 effect was partially reversed by an acute application (5 min) of a second dos

SUBMITTER: Zhou J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1253608 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature