雌激素在中枢神经系统中的作用

Effects of Estrogen in the Central Nervous System

雌激素对中枢神经系统神经元有多种作用 (包括电生理、神经营养和代谢等的作用 )。近年来 ,随着对雌激素作用基因组机制和非基因组机制的研究 ,人们逐渐加深了其在神经功能方面作用的认识。目前发现 ,雌激素在调节下丘脑GnRH神经元功能活动、诱导和维持海马树状棘突 ,以及保护神经元等诸多方面都发挥着重要作用。流行病学还提示 ,雌激素可以预防绝经妇女患早老性痴呆病 (Alzheimer’sDisease ,AD) ,对神经功能有保护作用。由此可见 ,雌激素除调节生殖功能活动外 。

Estrogen exerts a variety of effects (including eletrophysiological, neurotrophic and metabolic effects) on neurons in the adult central nervous system. With the many progresses made in the study of estrogen signaling through both genomic and nongenomic pathways, awareness of estrogen's effects on neural function is broadening rapidly. And it also helped people to understand more about the mechanisms by which estrogen regulating GnRH neurons, inducing or maintaining dendritic spine in hippocampus and protecting neurons from a variety of insults. Recently, epidemiological studies have suggested that estrogen, as a hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women, may protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Findings in these areas demonstrate a role for estrogen that is beyond direct control of reproductive function.