Effects of gonadal steroid hormones on GIRK₂ gene transcription in the rat central nervous system

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• 作者：Nematollah Ahangar ; Bahram Kazemi ; Masoumeh Jorjani
• 关键词：GIRK₂ ; Development ; Hormonal regulation ; Gonadal sex steroids ; RT-PCR ; Rat ; CNS
• 刊名：Neuroscience Letters
• 出版年：2008
• 出版时间：6 February 2008
• 年：2008
• 卷：431
• 期：3
• 页码：201-205
• 全文大小：249 K

文摘

GIRK₂ is the primary post-synaptic effector of opioids in the CNS that may contribute to the sex differences or age dependency in opioid analgesia. In the present study, we investigated the differential developmental and hormonal regulation of GIRK₂ gene transcription in rats. Male and female Wistar rats were divided into infant or adult intact, gonadectomized, sham and gonadectomy + testosterone groups. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the levels of GIRK₂ gene expression in spinal cord and brain. Our results showed that in male spinal cord/brain, the gene transcription of the infant group did not differ from expression levels of this gene in the gonadectomized or adult intact groups. Castration of males significantly decreased the expression levels of the GIRK₂ gene. Testosterone replacement in castrated rats did not raise GIRK₂ gene expression completely to the level of shams. In females however, a greater expression of GIRK₂ gene expression was found in adult intact or gonadectomized rats than in the infant groups. Ovariectomy failed to alter GIRK₂ mRNA levels significantly. No significant sex differences were observed in GIRK₂ gene transcription between intact, sham and infant groups, but gonadectomy produced sex differences in GIRK₂ gene transcription. The results strongly demonstrate the differential developmental and hormonal regulation of GIRK₂ in the rat CNS.