Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mood disorders that can lead to impaired quality of life. Current treatment of anxiety disorders has various adverse effects, safety concerns, or restricted efficacy; therefore, novel therapeutic targets need to be studied. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158/full |
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| author | Miriam Pillerová Veronika Borbélyová Michal Pastorek Vladimír Riljak Július Hodosy Karyn M. Frick L’ubomíra Tóthová |
| author_facet | Miriam Pillerová Veronika Borbélyová Michal Pastorek Vladimír Riljak Július Hodosy Karyn M. Frick L’ubomíra Tóthová |
| author_sort | Miriam Pillerová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mood disorders that can lead to impaired quality of life. Current treatment of anxiety disorders has various adverse effects, safety concerns, or restricted efficacy; therefore, novel therapeutic targets need to be studied. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play a crucial role in the formation of brain structures, including regions of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex during perinatal development. In the brain, SSHs have activational and organizational effects mediated by either intracellular or transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. During perinatal developmental periods, the physiological concentrations of SSHs lead to the normal development of the brain; however, the early hormonal dysregulation could result in various anxiety diorders later in life. Sex differences in the prevalence of anxiety disorders suggest that SSHs might be implicated in their development. In this review, we discuss preclinical and clinical studies regarding the role of dysregulated SSHs signaling during early brain development that modifies the risk for anxiety disorders in a sex-specific manner in adulthood. Moreover, our aim is to summarize potential molecular mechanisms by which the SSHs may affect anxiety disorders in preclinical research. Finally, the potential effects of SSHs in the treatment of anxiety disorders are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:19:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0363c8defed949b4943d5eb4506f8aa1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:19:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-0363c8defed949b4943d5eb4506f8aa12022-12-22T04:02:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-09-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158972158Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disordersMiriam Pillerová0Veronika Borbélyová1Michal Pastorek2Vladimír Riljak3Július Hodosy4Karyn M. Frick5L’ubomíra Tóthová6Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaFirst Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United StatesFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaAnxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mood disorders that can lead to impaired quality of life. Current treatment of anxiety disorders has various adverse effects, safety concerns, or restricted efficacy; therefore, novel therapeutic targets need to be studied. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play a crucial role in the formation of brain structures, including regions of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex during perinatal development. In the brain, SSHs have activational and organizational effects mediated by either intracellular or transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. During perinatal developmental periods, the physiological concentrations of SSHs lead to the normal development of the brain; however, the early hormonal dysregulation could result in various anxiety diorders later in life. Sex differences in the prevalence of anxiety disorders suggest that SSHs might be implicated in their development. In this review, we discuss preclinical and clinical studies regarding the role of dysregulated SSHs signaling during early brain development that modifies the risk for anxiety disorders in a sex-specific manner in adulthood. Moreover, our aim is to summarize potential molecular mechanisms by which the SSHs may affect anxiety disorders in preclinical research. Finally, the potential effects of SSHs in the treatment of anxiety disorders are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158/fullmood disorderssex steroid receptorstestosteronebrain structuresmolecular mechanism |
| spellingShingle | Miriam Pillerová Veronika Borbélyová Michal Pastorek Vladimír Riljak Július Hodosy Karyn M. Frick L’ubomíra Tóthová Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders Frontiers in Psychiatry mood disorders sex steroid receptors testosterone brain structures molecular mechanism |
| title | Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| title_full | Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| title_fullStr | Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| title_short | Molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| title_sort | molecular actions of sex hormones in the brain and their potential treatment use in anxiety disorders |
| topic | mood disorders sex steroid receptors testosterone brain structures molecular mechanism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.972158/full |
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