Androgen actions on central serotonin neurotransmission: Relevance for mood, mental state and memory

Abstract

Sex steroids exert potent effects on mood and mental state in the human. Our previous experimental findings in female rats suggest that these effects may be mediated, in part, by the action of estrogen on the 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptor (5-HT(2A)R) and serotonin transporter (SERT) in brain. Here we review our recent findings on the effect of acute (~32 h) testosterone manipulation on central 5-HT(2A)R and SERT in male rats. Castration decreased while testosterone or estrogen, but not 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT), increased significantly the content of 5-HT(2A)R mRNA and SERT mRNA in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) and the density of 5-HT(2A)R and SERT binding sites in higher centers of..