Testosterone regulates aromatase activity in discrete brain areas of male rhesus macaques

The nonhuman primate brain contains two divergent pathways for testosterone (T) metabolism. Estradiol is biosynthesized from T by aromatization through the first pathway, whereas dihydrotestosterone is produced by the action of 5 alpha-reductase through the second pathway. Previously, we mapped the distribution of these enzyme activities within specific microdissected brain area and determined that aromatase activity (AA), but not 5 alpha-reductase activity (5 alpha RA), was reduced in certain brain areas after castration. In the present study, we measured AA and 5 alpha RA in thirteen brain nuclei and subregions from five castrated and five T-treated castrated male rhesus monkeys to determine whether exogenous androgen treatment could reverse the effects of castration on brain AA. We found that T, administered in a dose that maintained serum levels at 14.2 +/- 1.6 (SEM) ng/ml, suppressed circulating luteinizing hormone (Castrates = 491.9 +/- 86 ng/ml vs. T-treated castrates = 1.8 +/- 0.2 ng/ml), and stimulated AA in specific nuclei including the suprachiasmatic nucleus (n.), periventricular area, ventromedial n., and lateral hypothalamus. T treatment had no significant effect on AA in nine other nuclei or on 5 alpha RA in any brain areas that we studied. These data indicate that AA in diencephalic and limbic structures of the nonhuman primate brain is distributed heterogeneously into androgen-dependent and androgen-independent regions. This distribution is similar to that found in rodents. 5 alpha RA, on the other hand, is more homogeneously distributed than AA in these same brain regions and is not controlled by androgens.