Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News and Commentary
  • Published:

News & Commentary

Estrogen and inflammation: hormone generous action spreads to the brain

Molecular Psychiatry volume 7, pages 236–238 (2002)Cite this article

As direct targets of pharmaceuticals, estrogen receptors represent an attractive biological system for the discovery of potent, selective and specific drugs to control the evolution of selected disorders.1 In addition, their endogenous ligands, estrogens, were proved to faithfully fulfill the denomination of endocrine agents: the recent past featured a boost of novel physiological targets outside the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, the system where the action of sex hormones was believed to be restricted. To date, it appears that almost any tissue and cell in the human body is attracted by the fascinating power of estrogen, particularly the brain. A large body of studies points to a potential beneficial role of estrogens in different brain pathologies, as proved by epidemiological, experimental and animal model data after the natural or surgical ablation of estrogen synthesis. The role of estrogens in depression has been hypothesized for quite a long time based on the observation that decreased plasma levels of these molecules during the menstrual phase, after parturition or at menopause are often associated with mood disorders. Epidemiological studies have also suggested the involvement of hormonal factors in multiple sclerosis (MS): increased levels of sex hormones during pregnancy have been shown to associate with significant reduced severity of MS, whereas clinical symptoms often exacerbate postpartum, when sex hormone levels are remarkably reduced. Similarly, post-menopausal administration of estrogens may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in elderly women and ameliorate Parkinson's tremors. More recently, the comparison of the different age profile in the manifestation of psychotic episodes in the two sexes with the levels of circulating estradiol in normal and schizophrenic patients led to hypothesize a role for this hormone also in this CNS disorder.

Because of the diverse etiology of these diseases, the comprehension of the mechanism underlying estrogen beneficial action is puzzling. This issue is even more complex if we consider that hormone positively affects other pathophysiologic processes, such as osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and stroke.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Emery GJ et al. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2001 22: 233–240

  2. Licinio J, Wong ML . Mol Psychiatry 1999 4: 317–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gonzalez-Scarano F, Baltuch G . Ann Rev Neurosci 1999 22: 219–240

  4. Iadecola C, Alexander M . Curr Opin Neurol 2001 14: 89–94

  5. Muller N et al. Ann NY Acad Sci 2000 917: 456–467

  6. Cuzzocrea S et al. Endocrinology 2000 141: 1455–1463

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Miyamoto N et al. J Immunol 1999 163: 374–379

  8. Jansson L et al. J Neuroimmunol 1994 53: 203–207

  9. Kreutzberg GW . Trends Pharmacol Sci 1996 8: 312–318

  10. Bruce-Keller AJ et al. Endocrinology 2000 141: 3646–3656

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Vegeto E et al. J Neurosci 2001 21: 1908–1918

  12. Vegeto E et al. FASEB J 1999 13: 793–803

  13. Toran Allerand CD et al. Front Neuroendocrinol 1999 20: 97–121

  14. Glass CK, Rosenfeld MG . Genes Develop 2000 14: 121–141

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy

    E Vegeto, P Ciana & A Maggi

Authors
  1. E Vegeto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P Ciana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A Maggi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Maggi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vegeto, E., Ciana, P. & Maggi, A. Estrogen and inflammation: hormone generous action spreads to the brain. Mol Psychiatry 7, 236–238 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001007

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001007

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links