Astrocytes in the rat medial amygdala are responsive to adult androgens Journal Article


Authors: Johnson, R. T.; Schneider, A; DonCarlos, L. L.; Breedlove, S. M.; Jordan, C. L.
Article Title: Astrocytes in the rat medial amygdala are responsive to adult androgens
Abstract: The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) exhibits numerous sex differences including differences in volume and in the number and morphology of neurons and astroctyes. In adulthood, gonadal hormones, including both androgens and estrogens, have been shown to play a role in maintaining the masculine character of many of these sex differences, but whether adult gonadal hormones maintain the increased number and complexity of astrocytes in the male MePD was unknown. To answer this question we examined astrocytes in the MePD of male and female Long Evans rats that were gonadectomized as adults and treated for 30 days with either testosterone or a control treatment. At the end of treatment brains were collected and immunostained for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Stereological analysis revealed that adult androgen levels influenced the number and complexity of astrocytes in the MePD of both sexes, but the specific effects of androgens were different in males and females. However, sex differences in the number and complexity of adult astrocytes persisted even in the absence of gonadal hormones in adulthood, suggesting that androgens also act earlier in life to determine these adult sex differences. Using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, we found robust androgen receptor immunostaining in a subpopulation of MePD astrocytes, suggesting that testosterone may act directly on MePD astrocytes to influence their structure and function.
Journal Title: The Journal of comparative neurology
Volume: 520
Issue: 11
ISSN: 1096-9861; 0021-9967
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals, Inc  
Journal Place: United States
Date Published: 2012
Start Page: 2531
End Page: 2544
Language: eng
DOI/URL:
Notes: LR: 20140113; CI: Copyright (c) 2012; GR: F31-MH084655-02/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States; GR: NS028421/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States; GR: NS0450195/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 NS028421/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 NS045195/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States; JID: 0406041; 0 (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein); 3XMK78S47O (Testosterone); ppublish