Peruffo Antonella, Buson Genny, Cozzi Bruno, Ballarin Cristina
Department of Experimental Veterinary Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro - Agripolis (PD), Italy.
Neurosci Lett. 2008 Mar 21;434(1):83-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.01.047. Epub 2008 Feb 2.
Estrogens synthesized by neural P450 aromatase (P450Arom) are implicated in many aspects of mammalian brain development and particularly in sexual differentiation of the central nervous system (CNS). This study analyzes the usefulness of an in vitro model based on bovine primary cell cultures from the hypothalamus and frontal cortex to investigate the role of P450Arom and estrogen receptors (ERs) in the development of fetal neural structures. The mRNA expression of P450Arom, ERalpha and ERbeta was detected using RT-PCR analysis in both hypothalamic and cortical primary cell cultures. P450Arom was identified and localized by immunocytochemistry in both neurons and astrocytes. Our results indicate that, within our experimental settings, astrocytes do not express ERalpha. The experimental model that we propose may represent a standardized dynamic model to study cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the complex process of brain sexual differentiation.
由神经P450芳香化酶（P450Arom）合成的雌激素与哺乳动物脑发育的许多方面有关，尤其是中枢神经系统（CNS）的性别分化。本研究分析了一种基于下丘脑和额叶皮质牛原代细胞培养的体外模型在研究P450Arom和雌激素受体（ERs）在胎儿神经结构发育中的作用方面的实用性。使用RT-PCR分析在下丘脑和皮质原代细胞培养物中检测P450Arom、ERα和ERβ的mRNA表达。通过免疫细胞化学在神经元和星形胶质细胞中鉴定并定位了P450Arom。我们的结果表明，在我们的实验条件下，星形胶质细胞不表达ERα。我们提出的实验模型可能代表一种标准化的动态模型，用于研究参与脑性别分化复杂过程的细胞和分子机制。
