Ovarian hormones differentially influence immunoreactivity for dopamine β- hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, and serotonin in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of adult rhesus monkeys

Mary F. Kritzer, Steven G. Kohama

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

115 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that ovariectomy reduces, and subsequent hormone replacement restores the density of axons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of adult female rhesus monkeys. The present study indicates that three additional extrathalamic frontal lobe afferents are also sensitive to changes in the ovarian hormone environment. Specifically, the combination of hormone manipulation with qualitative and quantitative analysis of immunocytochemistry for dopamine β- hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, and serotonin in the primate prefrontal cortex revealed quantitative responses in both cholinergic and monoaminergic axons to changing ovarian hormone levels. However, whereas ovariectomy produced a modest net decrease in the density of fibers immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase, this same treatment markedly increased the density of axons immunoreactive for dopamine β-hydroxylase and for serotonin. Further, the effects of ovariectomy on these afferent systems were differentially attenuated by estrogen verses estrogen plus progesterone hormone replacement. Estrogen was as effective as estrogen plus progesterone in stimulating normal prefrontal immunoreactivity for choline acetyltransferase and dopamine β-hydroxylase. The dual replacement of estrogen plus progesterone, however, was a much more potent influence than estrogen alone for serotonin immunoreactivity. Thus, ovarian hormones appear to provide stimulation that differentially affects each of four chemically identified extrathalamic prefrontal afferent systems examined to date, and may have roles in maintaining the normal balance and functional interactions between these neurotransmitter systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)438-451
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Comparative Neurology
Volume409
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 5 1999

Keywords

  • Acetylcholine
  • Association cortex
  • Neurotrophins
  • Noradrenalin
  • Schizophrenia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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