Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce, 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain.
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludables (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 May 2;21(9):3219. doi: 10.3390/ijms21093219.
There are sexual differences in the onset, prevalence, and outcome of numerous neurological diseases. Thus, in Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and major depression disorder, the incidence in women is higher than in men. In contrast, men are more likely to present other pathologies, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum. Although the neurological contribution to these diseases has classically always been studied, the truth is that neurons are not the only cells to be affected, and there are other cells, such as glial cells, that are also involved and could be key to understanding the development of these pathologies. Sexual differences exist not only in pathology but also in physiological processes, which shows how cells are differentially regulated in males and females. One of the reasons these sexual differences may occur could be due to the different action of sex hormones. Many studies have shown an increase in aromatase levels in the brain, which could indicate the main role of estrogens in modulating proinflammatory processes. This review will highlight data about sex differences in glial physiology and how estrogenic compounds, such as estradiol and tibolone, could be used as treatment in neurological diseases due to their anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to modulate glial cell functions.
在许多神经疾病的发病、流行和结果中都存在性别差异。因此，在阿尔茨海默病、多发性硬化症和重度抑郁症中，女性的发病率高于男性。相比之下，男性更有可能出现其他疾病，如肌萎缩侧索硬化症、帕金森病和自闭症谱系障碍。尽管这些疾病的神经学贡献一直以来都在被经典地研究，但事实上神经元并不是唯一受影响的细胞，还有其他细胞，如神经胶质细胞，也会受到影响，并且可能是理解这些病理发展的关键。性别差异不仅存在于病理学中，也存在于生理过程中，这表明细胞在男性和女性中的调控方式是不同的。出现这些性别差异的原因之一可能是由于性激素的不同作用。许多研究表明，大脑中的芳香酶水平增加，这可能表明雌激素在调节促炎过程中起主要作用。这篇综述将重点介绍有关神经胶质细胞生理学性别差异的研究数据，以及雌激素类化合物，如雌二醇和替勃龙，如何因其抗炎作用和调节神经胶质细胞功能的能力而被用作神经疾病的治疗方法。
