Effect of Testosterone Administration, Pre- and Postnatally, on the Immune System of Rats

Mm, Konstadoulakis; Kn, Syrigos; Cn, Baxevanis; Ei, Syrigou; Papamichail, Michael; Peveretos, P; Anapliotou, Margarita; Bc, Golematis

doi:10.1055/s-2007-979958

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…Females exposed to higher concentration of androgen prenatally due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, exhibit less modeling of behavior shown to them by other females, suggesting gender-related behavior change is due to prenatal hormonal exposure (41). Surprisingly, immune response to heterologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR-A) is unaffected by perinatal masculinization in both sexes and is strongest in unmanipulated females (42, 43). Consistent with this, loss of feminization at prenatal stages, leads to decreased T-cell/ B-cell ratios compared with normally feminized mice that mirror ratios observed in male animals (44).…”

Section: Organizational Effects Of Sex Hormones On Immune Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Drives Dimorphic Immune Responses to Viral Infections

Ghosh

Klein

2017

The Journal of Immunology

197

158

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New attention to sexual dimorphism in normal mammalian physiology and disease has uncovered a previously unappreciated breadth of mechanisms by which females and males differentially exhibit quantitative phenotypes. Thus, in addition to the established modifying effects of hormones, which prenatally and post-pubertally pattern cells and tissues in a sexually dimorphic fashion, sex differences are caused by extra-gonadal and dosage effects of genes encoded on sex chromosomes. Sex differences in immune responses, especially during autoimmunity, have been studied predominantly within the context of sex hormone effects. More recently, immune response genes have been localized to sex chromosomes themselves or found to be regulated by sex chromosome genes. Thus, understanding how sex impacts immunity requires the elucidation of complex interactions between sex hormones, sex chromosomes and immune response genes. In this brief review, we discuss current knowledge and new insights into these intricate relationships in the context of viral infections.

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Section: Organizational Effects Of Sex Hormones On Immune Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Drives Dimorphic Immune Responses to Viral Infections

Ghosh

Klein

2017

The Journal of Immunology

197

158

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The effect of testosterone on the thymus can be blocked with aromatase inhibitors (45). Dehydrotestosterone (DHT) is generated within the immune system from androstenediol or testosterone by macrophages and has a stimulatory effect on T-lymphocytes and immunoglobulin formation (46,47).…”

Section: Androgensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pituitary hormones and immune function

Berczi

1997

Acta Paediatrica

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The pituitary gland plays a key role in the regulation of growth, differentiation and function of all cells in the body, including immunocytes. Immune reactions are generated through the proliferation of antigen‐specific lymphocyte clones. Growth hormone and prolactin are required for the development of mature lymphocytes and for the maintenance of immunocompetence. These hormones enable lymphocytes to respond to antigen, which is delivered as an adherence signal in the context of major histocompatibility surface molecules of antigen‐presenting cells. Numerous other adhesion molecules play a role in the regulation of lymphocyte activation. The activation process is completed by cytokine signalling, after which lymphocyte proliferation, differentiation and functional maturation take place. Interleukins, hormones and growth factors may all function as cytokines. Many lymphocytes exist in the body in a quiescent state, with minimal metabolic activities. These cells are maintained by competence hormones and insulin‐like growth factor I, which are present in the systemic and local environment. Apparently, some steroid hormones, opioid peptides and catecholamines are capable of modulating delivery of the signal from the lymphocyte membrane receptor to the nucleus. Steroid and thyroid hormones control nuclear transcription factors as their receptors, and thus are powerful regulators of lymphocyte signalling at the nuclear level. The bioactive forms of thyroid hormone and of several steroid hormones are generated locally by immunocytes. These important hormonal immunoregulators function both at systemic and local levels. Glucocorticoids are major regulators of cytokine production, and α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone functions as a powerful cytokine antagonist. The hormones secreted or regulated by the pituitary gland therefore regulate every level of immune activity, including the competence of lymphocytes to respond to immune/inflammatory stimuli, signal transduction, gene activation, the production and activity of cytokines and other immune effector functions. □ Pituitary hormones, immune function, growth hormone, prolactin, lymphocytes, cytokines, thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids, insulin‐like growth factor I, steroid hormones

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“…Specifically, males had higher antibody responses and shed virus longer than females, regardless of adult hormone manipulation. Sex steroid hormones affect physiology and behavior at two distinct times during ontogeny (2,16,23). During perinatal development, sex steroids cause sex differences in the differentiation or organization of central and peripheral structures.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Seoul Virus Infection Are Not Related to Adult Sex Steroid Concentrations in Norway Rats

Klein

Bird

Glass

2000

J Virol

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Field studies of hantavirus infection in rodents report that a higher percentage of infected individuals are males than females. To determine whether males were more susceptible to hantavirus infection than females, adult male and female Long Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus) were inoculated with doses of Seoul virus ranging from 10 ؊4 to 10 6 PFU. The 50% infective doses (ID 50 ) were not significantly different for male and female rats (10 0.05 and 10 0.8 PFU, respectively). To determine whether sex differences in response to infection were related to circulating sex steroid hormones, sex steroid concentrations were manipulated and antibody responses and virus shedding were assessed following inoculation with the ID 90 . Regardless of hormone treatment, males had higher anti-Seoul virus immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG2a (i.e., Th1) responses than females and IgG1 (i.e., Th2) responses similar to those of females. Males also shed virus in saliva and feces longer than females. Manipulation of sex steroids in adulthood did not alter immune responses or virus shedding, suggesting that sex steroids may organize adult responses to hantavirus earlier during ontogeny.Hantaviruses are negative-sense RNA viruses (family Bunyaviridae) encompassing over 20 different viruses that are each carried by a different host species, with rodents serving as the primary reservoirs (18). Field surveys of several rodent species, including brush mice, deer mice, harvest mice, bank voles, and cotton rats, indicate that males are more commonly infected than females (4,8,11,19,20,27). Because these studies used serology to determine hantavirus infection, sex differences in infection could reflect either a lack of infection or the absence of sustained antibody production in females. Experimental inoculation of female rodents with hantavirus, however, illustrates that females produce long-lasting, detectable antibody (22). Alternatively, sex differences in hantavirus prevalence may reflect differences in endocrine-immune interactions (15). The extent to which sex steroids affect immune responses against hantavirus infection has not been examined.In contrast to other rodent species, sex differences in hantavirus prevalence have not been reported consistently among natural populations of Norway rats. Among adult rats, however, males (90%) tend to be infected with Seoul virus more often than females (75%) (7, 10). Seoul virus is hypothesized to be transmitted via wounding, and adult male rats are more likely to be wounded than either females or juvenile males (10). Thus, sex differences in hantavirus prevalence may reflect complex interactions between behavior and physiology. The first goal of this study was to control for sex differences in exposure and determine whether males were more susceptible to hantavirus infection than females. At 70 to 80 days of age, 5 to 10 male and 5 to 10 female Long Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus) were inoculated with either 10 Ϫ4 , 10 Ϫ3 , 10 Ϫ2 , 10 2 , 10 4 , or 10 6 PFU of Seoul virus (strain SR-11) suspended in ...

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Effect of Testosterone Administration, Pre- and Postnatally, on the Immune System of Rats

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Sex Drives Dimorphic Immune Responses to Viral Infections

Sex Drives Dimorphic Immune Responses to Viral Infections

Pituitary hormones and immune function

Sex Differences in Seoul Virus Infection Are Not Related to Adult Sex Steroid Concentrations in Norway Rats

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