0000000000621259
AUTHOR
Markus Banger
Formation and metabolism of catecholestrogens in depressed patients.
Abstract The evidence that catecholestrogens are formed in the brain and exert behavioral effects in animal models suggests that these steroids might have psychotropic activities. In the present investigation, the formation and metabolism of catecholestrogens were studied in depressed patients. Twenty-four-hr urine samples were collected from 6 male patients (59 ± 8 years) with endogenous retarded depression (subtype primary, endogenous, and recurrent according to Research Diagnostic Criteria) and from 12 male control subjects (51 ± 4 years). The patients were treated with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine (10–40 mg/day for 3–4 weeks). The concentrations of primary estrogens, …
Actions of sex hormones on the brain
1. The brain is a target for sex steroid hormones. As a result of sex hormone actions on the brain various behavioral changes are observed in animal and man. This paper gives a brief overview over the multiple central nervous functions that are under modulatory control of sexual hormones and describes the complex sex steroid actions on the brain by giving an example for "activating" and "organizing" effects of estrogens on noradrenergic neurons in the brain of rats. 2. Estradiol-17 beta induced sex specific alterations in the turnover of noradrenaline in the preoptic area and mediobasal hypothalamus showing "female" or "male" responses. 3. Neonatal manipulations of female rat pups by testos…