Prepubertal ethanol exposure alters hypothalamic transforming growth factor-α and erbB1 receptor signaling in the female rat.

ABSTRACT: Glial-derived transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) activates the erbB1/erbB2 receptor complex on adjacent glial cells in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH). This receptor activation stimulates the synthesis and release of prostaglandin-E(2) (PGE(2)) from the glial cells, which then induces the release of prepubertal luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) secretion from nearby nerve terminals; thus, showing the importance of glial-neuronal communications at the time of puberty. Ethanol (EtOH) is known to cause depressed prepubertal LHRH secretion and delayed pubertal development. In this study, we assessed whether short-term EtOH exposure could alter the hypothalamic glial to glial signaling components involved in prepubertal PGE(2) secretion. Immature female rats began receiving

SUBMITTER: Srivastava VK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020245 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature