Role of Estrogens in Addiction-Related Learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 456-474
Author(s):  
Hanna Yousuf
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cocaine Abuse ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Addictive Behaviors ◽  
Cocaine Seeking ◽  
Preclinical Work ◽  
Novel Therapeutic ◽  
Memory Enhancing

Females exhibit more vulnerability to cocaine abuse compared to males. Sexually dimorphic patterns of cocaine seeking have been observed in both humans and rodents during the different stages of the addiction cycle. While cocaine pharmacokinetics play a minimal role in driving sex differences in addictive behaviors, hormonal influences may be responsible for the reinforcing properties of cocaine in females. In particular, 17β‎-estradiol (E2), enhances performance in a variety of learning paradigms and may act to enhance the formation of drug-related learning. Paradoxically, preclinical work demonstrates that the memory-enhancing effects of E2 may also aid to suppress cocaine seeking via extinction training. In addition to discussing how E2 mediates cocaine use in females, this chapter provides neurobiological mechanisms underlying E2’s influence on cocaine addiction. Finally, this chapter discusses potential strategies for novel therapeutic interventions for female cocaine addicts.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial Function, Biology, and Role in Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (12) ◽  
pp. 1960-1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Murphy ◽  
Hossein Ardehali ◽  
Robert S. Balaban ◽  
Fabio DiLisa ◽  
Gerald W. Dorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Mitochondrial Function ◽  
The United States ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Mitochondrial Defects ◽  
Exciting Time ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

Cardiovascular disease is a major leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and elsewhere. Alterations in mitochondrial function are increasingly being recognized as a contributing factor in myocardial infarction and in patients presenting with cardiomyopathy. Recent understanding of the complex interaction of the mitochondria in regulating metabolism and cell death can provide novel insight and therapeutic targets. The purpose of this statement is to better define the potential role of mitochondria in the genesis of cardiovascular disease such as ischemia and heart failure. To accomplish this, we will define the key mitochondrial processes that play a role in cardiovascular disease that are potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions. This is an exciting time in mitochondrial research. The past decade has provided novel insight into the role of mitochondria function and their importance in complex diseases. This statement will define the key roles that mitochondria play in cardiovascular physiology and disease and provide insight into how mitochondrial defects can contribute to cardiovascular disease; it will also discuss potential biomarkers of mitochondrial disease and suggest potential novel therapeutic approaches.

scholarly journals Melatonin and Human Cardiovascular Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal ◽  
Ahmed S. BaHammam ◽  
Nwakile I. Ojike ◽  
Oluwaseun A. Akinseye ◽  
Tetyana Kendzerska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulsatility Index ◽  
Internal Carotid ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Cardiovascular Disorders ◽  
Nocturnal Hypertension ◽  
Circulating Levels ◽  
Catecholamine Levels ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

The possible therapeutic role of melatonin in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disorder (CAD) is increasingly being recognized. In humans, exogenous melatonin has been shown to decrease nocturnal hypertension, improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduce the pulsatility index in the internal carotid artery, decrease platelet aggregation, and reduce serum catecholamine levels. Low circulating levels of melatonin are reported in individuals with CAD, arterial hypertension, and congestive heart failure. This review assesses current literature on the cardiovascular effects of melatonin in humans. It can be concluded that melatonin deserves to be considered in clinical trials evaluating novel therapeutic interventions for cardiovascular disorders.

scholarly journals Sex Matters in Health and Disease: a review of biological sex differences with an emphasis on glioma

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Christine Massey ◽  
Paula Whitmire ◽  
Tatum E Doyle ◽  
Joseph E Ippolito ◽  
Maciej M Mrugala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Improve Patient

Humans are sexually dimorphic, with sex being the most persistent difference among humans over the course of our evolutionary history. Beyond the visible sex differences that can be considered true dimorphisms, there are also sex differences at the molecular and cellular scales. The role of these biological sex differences for human health, while being increasingly recognized, have long been underappreciated and underexplored. Frequently, these differences are only recognized in sex–specific diseases, such as genitourinary diseases and cancers. However, given the evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology, including metabolism, cellular composition, and immune activity, these differences could have consequences for the etiology and pathophysiology of a majority of diseases. It is thus essential to consider the extent to which these differences may influence the various mechanisms underlying disease processes, response to treatment, and the maintenance of health in order to better improve patient outcomes. Here we review the evidence for a broad array of biological sex differences in humans and discuss how they may relate to observed sex differences in various diseases, with an emphasis on cancer, specifically glioblastoma. We further propose that mathematical approaches can be useful for exploring the extent to which sex differences affect disease outcomes and accounting for those in the development of therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Sex differences in ocular morphology in Caucasian people: a dubious role of sexual selection in the evolution of sexual dimorphism of the human eye

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz P. Danel ◽  
Sławomir Wacewicz ◽  
Karel Kleisner ◽  
Zdzisław Lewandowski ◽  
Mariska E. Kret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Facial Attractiveness ◽  
Total Surface Area ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Human Eye ◽  
Eye Morphology ◽  
Caucasian Men

Abstract The horizontal size of the exposed depigmented sclera in Caucasians has been previously suggested to be sexually dimorphic, and the significance of this phenomenon remains unclear. Here we build on a previous study and extend it by (i) examining sex differences in other measures of ocular morphology and (ii) exploring the link between eye morphology and biometric markers of facial attractiveness. We used facial photographs of 100 Caucasians (50 men) from Eastern-Central Europe and digitally measured four ocular features. Eye measurements were tested for sex differences and associations with morphometric data on facial averageness and sexual shape dimorphism. We found that sclera surface is more horizontally exposed in men, even though the total surface area is similar in both sexes. We also found that eye fissures are rounder (less rectangular) in women than in men and that irises are brighter in women. We did not find any relationship between the examined eye features and two aspects of facial attractiveness: facial averageness and sexual dimorphism in facial shape. Despite being sexually dimorphic, eye features may be loosely linked with the development of facial sexual ornamentation. The role of sexual selection in the evolution of the observed phenomena is disputable. Significance statement It is often argued that because of their physical appearance, human eyes are crucial to interpersonal and social interactions. In many aspects, however, the significance of the human eye architecture is unclear. In this study, we examine sex differences in eye morphology and explore the link between ocular features and biometric measures of facial attractiveness in Caucasian men and women. We found that despite being sexually dimorphic, eye features may be loosely linked with biometric markers of facial attractiveness. We argue that the role of sexual selection in the evolution of the observed sex differences is disputable.

The role of gender and sex hormones in determining the onset and outcome of multiple sclerosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 520-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riley Bove ◽  
Tanuja Chitnis
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Hormonal Modulation

Intriguing sex differences both in multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility and its disease course may offer important insights into MS disease pathophysiology, prevention and treatment. In this review, we first summarize the key sex-related differences in MS risk, heritability and disease progression. One promising hypothesis we explore is whether sexually-dimorphic responsiveness to cultural and environmental changes may explain the observation of an increasing female:male sex ratio in MS. We then review the evidence for hormonal modulation of MS, during such transitions as puberty and pregnancy. Finally, we review sex differences in the non-inflammatory facets of MS. We highlight those research gaps that may point to important sex or sex hormone-mediated mechanistic and therapeutic insights.

scholarly journals Sex Matters in Health and Disease: a review of biological sex differences with an emphasis on glioma

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Christine Massey ◽  
Paula Whitmire ◽  
Tatum E Doyle ◽  
Joseph E Ippolito ◽  
Maciej M Mrugala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Improve Patient

Humans are sexually dimorphic, with sex being the most persistent difference among humans over the course of our evolutionary history. Beyond the visible sex differences that can be considered true dimorphisms, there are also sex differences at the molecular and cellular scales. The role of these biological sex differences for human health, while being increasingly recognized, have long been underappreciated and underexplored. Frequently, these differences are only recognized in sex–specific diseases, such as genitourinary diseases and cancers. However, given the evidence for sex differences in the most basic aspects of human biology, including metabolism, cellular composition, and immune activity, these differences could have consequences for the etiology and pathophysiology of a majority of diseases. It is thus essential to consider the extent to which these differences may influence the various mechanisms underlying disease processes, response to treatment, and the maintenance of health in order to better improve patient outcomes. Here we review the evidence for a broad array of biological sex differences in humans and discuss how they may relate to observed sex differences in various diseases, with an emphasis on cancer, specifically glioblastoma. We further propose that mathematical approaches can be useful for exploring the extent to which sex differences affect disease outcomes and accounting for those in the development of therapeutic strategies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document