Galea L A, Perrot-Sinal T S, Kavaliers M, Ossenkopp K P
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Brain Res. 1999 Mar 13;821(2):383-91. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(99)01100-2.
The present study examined hippocampal volume and dentate gyrus width and their relations to gonadal hormone levels in adult male and female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Females were split into High and Low Estradiol groups based on the median estradiol level. Males were similarly split into High and Low Testosterone groups. Contrary to previous reports in wild meadow voles, there was no evidence of an overall sex difference in hippocampal volume. However, when male-female comparisons were limited to High Testosterone males and Low Estradiol females a significant sex difference in hippocampal volume favouring males did emerge. Hippocampal volume in males was related to testosterone level, with High Testosterone males having significantly larger hippocampi than Low Testosterone males. Similarly, there was a significant influence of plasma estradiol level on hippocampal volume and left dentate gyrus width, with High Estradiol females having larger hippocampi and dentate gyrus width than Low Estradiol females. In addition, consistent with previous findings in the laboratory rat, there were sex differences favouring males in right dentate gyrus width. These findings show that there is a complex relationship between hippocampal volume, dentate gyrus width and gonadal hormone levels in male and female meadow voles.
本研究检测了成年雄性和雌性草甸田鼠（Microtus pennsylvanicus）的海马体体积和齿状回宽度及其与性腺激素水平的关系。根据雌二醇水平中位数，将雌性分为高雌二醇组和低雌二醇组。雄性同样分为高睾酮组和低睾酮组。与之前关于野生草甸田鼠的报道相反，没有证据表明海马体体积存在总体性别差异。然而，当男女比较仅限于高睾酮雄性和低雌二醇雌性时，确实出现了有利于雄性的海马体体积显著性别差异。雄性海马体体积与睾酮水平相关，高睾酮雄性的海马体明显大于低睾酮雄性。同样，血浆雌二醇水平对海马体体积和左侧齿状回宽度有显著影响，高雌二醇雌性的海马体和齿状回宽度大于低雌二醇雌性。此外，与之前在实验室大鼠中的发现一致，右侧齿状回宽度存在有利于雄性的性别差异。这些发现表明，雄性和雌性草甸田鼠的海马体体积、齿状回宽度和性腺激素水平之间存在复杂的关系。
