TY - JOUR
T1 - Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis
AU - Foster, Scott C.
AU - Daniels, Crystal
AU - Bourdette, Dennis N.
AU - Bebo, Bruce F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (BFB), the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls (BFB and DNB), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DNB). BFB is a recipient of a Junior Faculty Award from the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls.
PY - 2003/7
Y1 - 2003/7
N2 - The ability of sex hormones to regulate cytokine production is well established, but the ability of cytokines to regulate sex hormone production has only begun to be investigated. We measured sex hormones in mice with passive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with sexual dysfunction. Abnormally low serum testosterone levels were found in male mice with EAE and in male MS patients, while serum estrogen levels in female mice with EAE were normal. An inverse relationship between cytokine and testosterone levels in male mice with EAE, coupled with an increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, suggests that inflammatory cytokines suppress testosterone production by a direct effect on testicular Leydig cells. Gender differences in the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis to inflammation may be an important factor regulating the duration and severity of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity.
AB - The ability of sex hormones to regulate cytokine production is well established, but the ability of cytokines to regulate sex hormone production has only begun to be investigated. We measured sex hormones in mice with passive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with sexual dysfunction. Abnormally low serum testosterone levels were found in male mice with EAE and in male MS patients, while serum estrogen levels in female mice with EAE were normal. An inverse relationship between cytokine and testosterone levels in male mice with EAE, coupled with an increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, suggests that inflammatory cytokines suppress testosterone production by a direct effect on testicular Leydig cells. Gender differences in the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis to inflammation may be an important factor regulating the duration and severity of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity.
KW - Cytokines
KW - Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
KW - Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - Testosterone
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U2 - 10.1016/S0165-5728(03)00177-2
DO - 10.1016/S0165-5728(03)00177-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 12864974
AN - SCOPUS:0038643772
SN - 0165-5728
VL - 140
SP - 78
EP - 87
JO - Journal of Neuroimmunology
JF - Journal of Neuroimmunology
IS - 1-2
ER -