Conversion from testosterone to oestradiol is required to modulate respiratory long-term facilitation in male rats
Sex hormones modulate plasticity in the central nervous system, including respiratory long-term facilitation (LTF), a form of serotonin-dependent respiratory plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia. Since gonadectomy (GDX) attenuates LTF in male rats, we tested the hypotheses that: (1) testostero...
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Published in | The Journal of physiology Vol. 576; no. 3; pp. 903 - 912 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford, UK
The Physiological Society
01.11.2006
Blackwell Publishing Ltd Blackwell Science Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Sex hormones modulate plasticity in the central nervous system, including respiratory long-term facilitation (LTF), a form
of serotonin-dependent respiratory plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia. Since gonadectomy (GDX) attenuates LTF in male
rats, we tested the hypotheses that: (1) testosterone replenishment restores LTF in gonadectomized male rats, and (2) that
the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol (under the influence of aromatase) is required for these effects. Intact and
sham operated male F344 rats were compared to gonadectomized rats implanted with Silastic tubing containing testosterone (T),
T plus an aromatase inhibitor (ADT), or 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of testosterone not converted to oestradiol.
Seven days postsurgery, LTF was studied in anaesthetized, neuromuscularly blocked and ventilated rats while monitoring integrated
phrenic and hypoglossal (XII) motor output. LTF was elicited by three 5 min hypoxic episodes ( P a,O 2 = 35 â 45 mmHg). Although significant phrenic and XII LTF were observed in all rat groups, GDX reduced both phrenic and XII
LTF, an effect reversed by T. In contrast, LTF was not restored in T + ADT or DHT-treated gonadectomized rats. We conclude
that the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol modulates phrenic and XII LTF in male F344 rats. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0022-3751 1469-7793 |
DOI: | 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.114850 |