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The female sex hormone oestrogen as a neuroprotectant

1999; Elsevier BV; Volume: 20; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0165-6147(99)01392-9

1873-3735

Christian Behl, Herta Flor,

Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments

It is well recognized that oestrogen regulates sex differentiation and maturation of sex organs via binding to specific intracellular receptors. However, oestrogen receptors (ERs) are expressed in a variety of other tissues, including the nervous system, which suggests that oestrogen's effects are not limited to primary and secondary sex organs. Increasing evidence supports the role of oestrogen as a neuroprotective compound that can act dependently or independently of ER activation; oestrogen has recently been shown to exhibit intrinsic antioxidant activity that is ER independent. Thus, oestrogen might represent a potential 'chemical shield' for neurones. In this article, some recent advances in the elucidation of oestrogen's beneficial activities on nerve cell survival are discussed.