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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Ovariectomy and 17β-estradiol Replacement in Rats and Mice: A Visual Demonstration
Published on: June 7, 2012
The neuroprotective actions of oestradiol and oestrogen receptors
Maria-Angeles Arevalo1, Iñigo Azcoitia2, Luis M Garcia-Segura1
1Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-28002 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Hormones regulate homeostasis by communicating through the bloodstream to the body's organs, including the brain. As homeostatic regulators of brain function, some hormones exert neuroprotective actions. This is the case for the ovarian hormone 17β-oestradiol, which signals through oestrogen receptors (ERs) that are widely distributed in the male and female brain. Recent discoveries have shown that oestradiol is not only a reproductive hormone but also a brain-derived neuroprotective factor in males and females and that ERs coordinate multiple signalling mechanisms that protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, affective disorders and cognitive decline.
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