Neuroprotective actions of androgens on motoneurons
Fargo KN et al. – A review summarizes the protective and therapeutic effects of androgens in both central and peripheral nervous systems as specifically related to spinal and cranial motoneurons. Also presented are recent studies of how androgen treatment can interact with other treatment strategies to promote recovery from motoneuron injury. Methods- Review of neuroprotective actions of androgens on motoneurons
Results- Androgens are critical for formation of important neuromuscular sex differences, decreasing magnitude of normally occurring cell death in select motoneuron populations
- Throughout lifespan, androgens protect against motoneuron death due to axonal injury
- Surviving motoneurons display regressive changes to their neurites from both direct axonal injury and loss of neighboring motoneurons
- Androgen treatment enhances motoneuron ability to recover from regressive changes and to regenerate axons and dendrites, restoring normal neuromuscular function
- Androgens exert protective effects via a variety of molecular pathways
[more...]
|
|
|
