Steroid control of higher brain function and behavior

Area of Science:

• Neuroendocrinology
• Neurobiology
• Steroid Biochemistry

Background:

• Behavioral characteristics in vertebrates are influenced by gonadal hormones acting on the central nervous system.
• Steroids readily cross the blood-brain barrier due to their lipophilic nature.
• Peripheral steroid hormones, synthesized in adrenal glands, gonads, and placenta, modulate cerebral function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of steroids in central nervous system function.
• To investigate the implications of newly discovered neurosteroid biosynthesis within the brain.
• To reconsider the established relationship between peripheral steroid hormones and cerebral function.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on steroid hormone action in the central nervous system.
• Analysis of research on the blood-brain barrier permeability to steroids.
• Examination of studies detailing the de novo synthesis of steroidal compounds within brain cells.

Main Results:

• Steroid hormones, particularly gonadal hormones, play a significant role in shaping central nervous system development and function.
• The brain possesses an intrinsic pathway for synthesizing neurosteroids from cholesterol.
• This endogenous brain synthesis of neurosteroids occurs independently of peripheral endocrine glands.

Conclusions:

• The brain's capacity to produce its own neurosteroids necessitates a revised understanding of steroid-brain interactions.
• Neurosteroids may play critical roles in modulating neuronal function and behavior.
• Future research should focus on the specific functions and regulatory mechanisms of brain-derived neurosteroids.