Sexual differentiation of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in humans may extend into adulthood.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Gonadal steroids have remarkable developmental effects on sex-dependent brain organization and behavior in animals. Presumably, fetal or neonatal gonadal steroids are also responsible for sexual differentiation of the human brain. A limbic structure of special interest in this regard is the sexually dimorphic central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc), because its size has been related to the gender identity disorder transsexuality. To determine at what age the BSTc becomes sexually dimorphic, the BSTc volume in males and females was studied from midgestation into adulthood. Using vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and somatostatin immunocytochemical staining as markers, we found that the BSTc was larger and contains more neurons in men than in women. However, this difference became significant only in adulthood, showing that sexual differentiation of the human brain may extend into the adulthood. The unexpectedly late sexual differentiation of the BSTc is discussed in relation to sex differences in developmental, adolescent, and adult gonadal steroid levels.
منابع مشابه
Glutaminergic receptors in rostral ventrolateral medulla mediate the cardiovascular responses to activation of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in female rats
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) has been known to contain estrogen (E)-concentrating neurons. In addition, injections of E into BST have been reported to potentiate the sympathoinhibitory arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) responses elicited by glutamate (Glu) stimulation. In this study, the effect of glutamate antagonist receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL...
متن کاملGlutaminergic receptors in rostral ventrolateral medulla mediate the cardiovascular responses to activation of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in female rats
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) has been known to contain estrogen (E)-concentrating neurons. In addition, injections of E into BST have been reported to potentiate the sympathoinhibitory arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) responses elicited by glutamate (Glu) stimulation. In this study, the effect of glutamate antagonist receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL...
متن کاملGlutaminergic receptor in the rostroal ventrolateral medulla mediate the cardiovascular responses to activation of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in female ovariectomized rat
Introduction: Experiments were done to investigate the cardiovascular response to glutamate (Glu) injection in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST) in urethane anesthetized ovariectomized (OVX) or OVX estrogen treated (OVX+E) female Wistar rats. In this study also the effect of glutaminergic system of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on Glu stimulation of cardiovascular...
متن کاملEffect of GABAA Receptors in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla on Cardiovascular Response to the Activation of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis in Female Ovariectomized Rats
Background: The areas of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) with a high density of estrogen receptors are involved in cardiovascular regulation and send axonal projections to the rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM). We aimed to find the contribution of the RVLM to cardiovascular responses elicited by glutamate microinjection into the BST. Methods: Experiments were done in α-ch...
متن کاملThe role of muscarnic cholinergic receptor of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis on cardiovascular response and baroreflex modulation in rat.
Introduction: The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) is a limbic structure which is involved in cardiovascular regulation and baroreflex modulation. The presence of cholinergic synaptic terminalis with high level of muscarinic receptors in the BST has been demonstrated. This study was performed to find the role of the cholinergic muscarinic receptor in cardiovascular response and baro...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
دوره 22 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2002