کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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2801169 | 1156145 | 2010 | 5 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
We now know that steroids can be synthesized de novo by the brain and the peripheral nervous system. Such steroids are called neurosteroids and de novo neurosteroidogenesis from cholesterol is a conserved property of vertebrate brains. Our studies over the past decade have demonstrated that the brain expresses several kinds of steroidogenic enzymes and produces a variety of neurosteroids in sub-mammalian species. However, neurosteroid biosynthetic pathways in amphibians, as well as other vertebrates may still not be fully mapped. We first found that the newt brain actively produces 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a previously undescribed amphibian neurosteroid. We then demonstrated that 7α-hydroxypregnenolone acts as a novel bioactive neurosteroid to stimulate locomotor activity of newt by means of the dopaminergic system. Subsequently, we analyzed the physiological roles of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in the regulation of locomotor activity of newt. This paper summarizes the advances made in our understanding of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a newly discovered bioactive amphibian neurosteroid stimulating locomotor activity, and its physiological roles in the regulation of locomotion in newt.
Journal: General and Comparative Endocrinology - Volume 168, Issue 2, 1 September 2010, Pages 275–279