Abstract
Estradiol increases cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the female rodent but it is not known whether the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), a membrane receptor, is involved in this process, nor whether there are regional differences in estradiol’s effects on cell proliferation. Thus, we investigated whether estradiol exerts its effects on cell proliferation in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus through GPER, using the GPER agonist, G1, and antagonist, G15. Ovariectomized adult female rats received a single injection of either: 17β-estradiol (10 μg), G1 (0.1, 5, 10 μg), G15 (40 μg), G15 and estradiol, or vehicle (oil, DMSO, or oil+DMSO). After 30 min, animals received an injection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and were perfused 24 h later. Acute treatment with estradiol increased, while the GPER agonist G1 (5 μg) decreased, the number of BrdU+ cells in the dentate gyrus relative to controls. The GPER antagonist, G15 increased the number of BrdU+ cells relative to control in the dorsal region and decreased the number of BrdU+ cells in the ventral region. However, G15 treatment in conjunction with estradiol partially eliminated the estradiol-induced increase in cell proliferation in the dorsal dentate gyrus. Furthermore, G1 decreased the expression of GPER in the dentate gyrus but not the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. In summary, we found that activation of GPER decreased cell proliferation and GPER expression in the dentate gyrus of young female rats, presenting a potential and novel estrogen-independent role for this receptor in the adult hippocampus.
Highlights
Neurogenesis occurs throughout the lifespan in the mammalian dentate gyrus [1,2,3,4]
Hilus volume was significantly larger than the granule cell layer (GCL) (Region effect: Experiment 1 F(1,19) = 716.65; P
Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) decreased cell proliferation in the dorsal hippocampus, while inactivation of GPER increased or decreased cell proliferation depending on the region of the dentate gyrus in female rats
Summary
Neurogenesis occurs throughout the lifespan in the mammalian dentate gyrus [1,2,3,4]. Estradiol influences hippocampal neurogenesis by modulating both cell proliferation and survival of young neurons in female rodents (reviewed in [5]). In ovariectomized young adult female rats, 17β-estradiol increases cell proliferation after 30 minutes and 2 hours of exposure, but not after 4 hours [6,7,8] and decreases cell proliferation after 48 h [9]. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0129880 June 15, 2015
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
