SEX STEROIDS Edited by Scott M. Kahn Sex Steroids Edited by Scott M. Kahn Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2011 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. As for readers, this license allows users to download, copy and build upon published chapters even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Bojan Rafaj Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer InTech Design Team First published January, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from [email protected] Sex Steroids, Edited by Scott M. Kahn p. cm. ISBN 978-953-307-857-1 free online editions of InTech Books and Journals can be found at www.intechopen.com Contents Preface IX Part 1 Biology of Sex Steroids 1 Chapter 1 Evolutionary Perspectives on Sex Steroids in the Vertebrates 3 Nigel C. Noriega Chapter 2 Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin as a Modulator of the Prostate “Androgenome” 35 Scott M. Kahn, Nicholas A. Romas and William Rosner Chapter 3 Estrogens in the Control of Growth Hormone Actions in Liver 47 Leandro Fernández-Pérez and Amilcar Flores-Morales Chapter 4 Somatostatin in the Periventricular Nucleus of the Female Rat: Age Specific Effects of Estrogen and Onset of Reproductive Aging 71 Eline M. Van der Beek, Harmke H. Van Vugt, Annelieke N. Schepens-Franke and Bert J.M. Van de Heijning Chapter 5 Telocytes in Human Fallopian Tube and Uterus Express Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors 91 Sanda M. Cretoiu, Dragos Cretoiu, Anca Simionescu and Laurentiu M. Popescu Chapter 6 Sex Differences and the Role of Sex Steroids in Sympatho- Adrenal Medullary System and Hypothalamo-Pituitary Adrenal Axis Responses to Stress 115 Anne I. Turner, Charlotte L. Keating and Alan J. Tilbrook Part 2 Sex Steroids, Memory and the Brain 137 Chapter 7 Estrogen and Brain Protection 139 Xiaohua Ju, Daniel Metzger and Marianna Jung VI Contents Chapter 8 Estrogen Influences on Cognition 163 Antonella Gasbarri and Carlos Tomaz Chapter 9 An Integrative Review of Estradiol Effects on Dendritic Spines and Memory over the Lifespan 183 Victoria Luine and Maya Frankfurt Part 3 Sex Steroids and the Immune Response 197 Chapter 10 Sex Steroids Modulate Fish Immune Response 199 Elena Chaves-Pozo, Isabel Cabas and Alfonsa García-Ayala Chapter 11 Interactions Between Reproductive and Immune Systems During Ontogeny: Roles of GnRH, Sex Steroids, and Immunomediators 221 Liudmila A. Zakharova and Marina S. Izvolskaia Chapter 12 Modulation of Immune Senescence by Menopause and Hormone Therapy 247 Flora Engelmann, Mark Asquith and Ilhem Messaoudi Chapter 13 The Role of Sex Steroids in the Host-Parasite Interaction 273 Karen Nava-Castro, Romel Hernández-Bello, Saé Muñiz-Hernández and Jorge Morales-Montor Part 4 Therapy 289 Chapter 14 Adipose Tissue Metabolism and Effect of Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy on Change of Body Composition 291 Kyong Wook Yi and Seung Yup Ku Chapter 15 Standard Gonadotropin-Suppressive Therapy in Japanese Girls with Idiopathic Central Precocious or Early Puberty Does Not Adversely Affect Body Composition 305 Toshihide Kubo Chapter 16 Hormone Therapy for the Treatment of Patients with Malignant Salivary Gland Tumor (MSGT) 315 Tomoki Sumida and Akiko Ishikawa Preface In “Sex Steroids”, we have compiled a collection of insightful and timely chapters meant to provide the reader with expert analyses on our current state of knowledge in select areas of sex steroid research. Sex steroids are central players in many fundamental biologic processes. In addition to their roles in reproduction, development, growth, differentiation, homeostasis, behavior, memory, etc., sex steroids are fundamentally involved in many diseases and disorders. Throughout the years, great progress have been made in our understanding of sex steroid actions at the molecular level. The classical model of sex steroid signaling involves diffusion of an androgen, estrogen, or progesterone across the cell membrane, where it binds to its cognate steroid receptor. This receptor then translocates to the cell nucleus, where it modulates the expression of steroid responsive genes. While many of the pleiotropic effects attributed to sex steroids are explained by this classical model, we know that their mechanisms of action are far more complex and intricate. Aberrant sex steroid signaling programs are responsible for many aspects of altered sexual characteristics and development. Furthermore, the pioneering work of visionaries, such as George Beatson and Charles Huggins on hormone ablation as treatment for breast and prostate cancer, respectively, highlights the importance of sex steroids in the development and progression of these diseases. Sex steroids are implicated in cardiovascular disease, CNS diseases, memory loss, and a host of other afflictions. In this age of advancements in “–omics”, platforms, computational and systems biology, and many other rapidly emerging areas, we should continue to anticipate tremendous advances in our understanding of sex steroid actions, their biologic properties, and their influence on disease prevention and progression. The initial section of “Sex Steroids” entitled, “The Biology of Sex Steroids”, features chapters on the evolutionary and functional overview of sex steroids, sex hormone- binding globulin and its effects on androgen responsiveness, estrogens and growth hormone action in the liver, hormonal feedback, and reproductive aging. Additional chapters include sex steroid receptors in teleocytes, and the influence of sex steroids on stress responsiveness. This is then followed by “Sex Steroids, Memory, and the Brain”, which offers chapters on estrogen and brain protection, and estrogen influences on cognition and memory. The third section, “Sex Steroids and the Immune Response”, includes chapters describing the fish immune response, the reciprocal X Preface nature of the reproductive and immune systems during ontogeny, modulation of the immune response by menopause and hormone therapy, and the role of sex steroids in the host-parasite interaction. The final section, entitled, “Therapy”, presents chapters on the effect of postmenopausal therapy on adipose tissue, gonadotropin-suppressive therapy, and hormonal therapy for the treatment of malignant salivary gland tumors. It is my hope, as editor of “Sex Steroids”, that this book provides insights into the fascinating complexity of sex steroid biology that are of interest to seasoned researchers in this field. In addition, I hope it will stimulate newer investigators who are intrigued by the many exciting areas of sex steroid research that remains to be explored. I offer my sincerest appreciation to the many authors and scientists who devoted themselves to the work presented in this book. I would like to close on a personal note. Earlier this year, the field of sex steroid research lost one of its most devoted and highly respected colleagues. Dr. Jonathan J. Li was a beloved mentor, and also a generous and dear friend who dedicated his professional life to understanding the role that estrogens play in breast cancer. For those of us who were fortunate to spend long hours with Dr. Li on the history of sex steroid research, discussing his views on the interplay between steroids and cancer, he will be greatly missed. Dr. Li, together with his wonderfully bright and talented wife, Sara, have impacted many areas of hormonal research, most recently on estrogen as an initiator of breast cancer. As one who greatly valued discourse in science and the field of sex hormones and cancer, Jonathan co-founded the International Symposium on Hormonal Oncogenesis (ISHO). As one of the more successful and highly acclaimed academic research symposia, the ISHO series has brought together renowned leaders from all over the world, as well as junior researchers in a warm and collegial manner. It is with this spirit of Jonathan’s that I hope this book serves the complex and captivating field of sex steroids. Scott M. Kahn Director of Basic Urologic Research St. Luke's-Roosevelt Health Science Center Adjunct Associate Research Scientist Department of Urology Member, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Columbia University Chairman, Biomarkers Council, International Cancer Advocacy Network (ICAN), New York, USA Part 1 Biology of Sex Steroids 1 Evolutionary Perspectives on Sex