Sex steroid hormones are synthesized from cholesterol and exert pleiotropic effects notably
in the central nervous system. Pioneering studies from Baulieu and colleagues have …

Over the past two decades, the classical understanding of steroid action has been updated
to include rapid, membrane-initiated, neurotransmitter-like functions. While steroids were …

Beside their genomic mode of action, estrogens also activate a variety of cellular signaling
pathways through non-genomic mechanisms. Until recently, little was known regarding the …

Estradiol (E 2) can act in the brain in a relatively fast manner (ie, seconds to minutes) usually
through signaling initiated at the cell membrane. Brain-derived E 2 has thus been …

Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurological emergency for which new treatments are
needed. In vitro studies suggest a novel approach to controlling seizures in SE: acute …

In seasonal species, glucocorticoid concentrations are often highest during the breeding
season. However, the role of increased hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) activity in the …

This review explores the role of aromatase in the brain as illuminated by a set of conserved
network-level connections identified in several vertebrate taxa. Aromatase-expressing …

Besides their slow genomic actions, estrogens also induce rapid physiological responses.
To be functionally relevant, these effects must be associated with rapid changes in local …

Classically, estrogens regulate male sexual behavior through effects initiated in the nucleus.
However, neuroestrogens, ie, estrogens locally produced in the brain, can act within minutes …

The ovaries are often thought of as the main and only source of estrogens involved in the
regulation of female behavior. However, aromatase, the key enzyme for estrogen synthesis …