Sex differences in microglia morphology and function across the lifespan are mediated by the early hormone environment.

ABSTRACT: Microglia, the resident immune cell of the central nervous system (CNS), contribute to a range of physiological processes across the lifespan. Microglia exhibit notable sex differences in morphology, reactivity, and transcriptomic profiles. Steroid hormones in early life are believed to elicit sex differences in many cells, including microglia, in the CNS. However, few studies have examined how neonatal hormone environment impacts microglial morphology and function across the lifespan. Therefore, here we used steroid hormones to manipulate the early hormone environment to assess the appearance and persistence of sex differences in a rat model of healthy aging. Rat pups were dosed with steroid hormones on postnatal day (P)0 and 1: females received testosterone to "masculinize" them and male

SUBMITTER: Davis LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12797650 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature