ESTROGENS, MEMORY AND THE BRAIN--A NEW ANIMAL MODEL

雌激素对于最佳生长和随后的细胞功能至关重要。 个脑袋 事实上，年龄引起的雌激素损失可能是一些缺陷的基础， 记忆功能，并可能有助于神经退行性疾病的症状 比如老年痴呆症。 虽然我们对影响的了解 与认知功能相关的大脑区域的雌激素， 扩大雌激素对大脑和记忆的作用之间的联系 功能仍然不完整。 使用鸣禽动物模型， 发起了实验来测试雌激素影响 海马（HF）结构和记忆功能。 我们的初步结果是 兴奋并表明抑制雌激素合成酶 斑胸草雀体内的芳香化酶会损害空间记忆能力 任务，大大减少了HF的音量和数量， 表达钙结合蛋白的HF神经元的强度 D28K 这项研究源于早期的研究表明，a） 鸣禽具有特殊的记忆能力; B）它们表现出实质性的 神经回路的可塑性，包括HF中的神经回路; c）和记忆 功能可以季节性变化，大概是因为荷尔蒙的变化 环境促进神经变化与增加， 记忆功能下降。 我们发现鸣禽表达 HF中芳香酶含量非常高，表明激素 鸣禽记忆功能变化的潜在底物可能确实是 雌激素. 目前研究雌激素作用的这一系列研究 在这些鸟类的HF结构的行为涉及合作 鸟类神经内分泌学家（Schlinger）和行为 神经生物学家（克莱顿）。 虽然我们的早期数据令人兴奋，但我们需要 进行额外的关键实验来确认雌激素 依赖这些发现。 我们建议在这里进行研究， 这种合作的持续增长， 独特的系统，以了解更多关于雌激素的作用， 认知功能和变化的雌激素环境对 海马结构和功能

Estrogens are critical for optimal growth and then function of the brain. Indeed, age-induced estrogen loss may underlie some deficits in memory function and may contribute to the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer s. While our knowledge of the effects of estrogens on brain regions associated with cognitive function are expanding, the linkage between estrogen's actions on brain and memory function remain incomplete. Using a songbird animal model, we have initiated experiments to test the idea that estrogens influence hippocampal (HF) structure and memory function. Our early results are exciting and indicate that inhibition of the estrogen synthetic enzyme aromatase in the zebra finch impairs performance on a spatial memory task and significantly reduces the volume of the HF and the number and intensity of HF neurons expressing the calcium-binding protein calbindin D28K. This study stemmed from earlier research showing that a) songbirds have exceptional memory capabilities; b) they show substantive plasticity of neural circuits, including those in HF; c) and memory functions can change seasonally, presumably because a changing hormonal environment promotes the neural changes associated with increased and decreased memory function. We discovered that songbirds express aromatase in very high amounts in HF, suggested that the hormonal substrate underlying changes in songbird memory function may indeed be estrogen. This current line of research investigating estrogen effects on behavior of HF structure in these birds involves collaboration between an avian neuroendocrinologist (Schlinger) and a behavioral neurobiologist (Clayton). Although our early data are exciting, we need to perform additional critical experiments to confirm the estrogen- dependence of these findings. We propose studies here to allow for continued growth of this collaboration in tacking this potentially unique system to understand more about the role of estrogens in cognitive function and the effect of a changing estrogen environment on hippocampal structure and function.