Considering the Estrous Cycle When Analyzing Sex Differences in Functional Deficits Post Traumatic Brain Injury
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability among adults in the United States. There are currently no pharmacological treatments that aid in brain recovery following traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Efforts have been put forth into understanding the mechanisms underlying TBIs and how to decrease the damage resulting from them. Sex differences in injury deficit have been extensively studied in rodent models, but many studies have failed to account for the hormonal fluctuations among the female rodent population when administering the injury. Female rodents are known to have a large fluctuation in hormone concentration (eg; progesterone and estrogen) during their estrous cycle. Studies have shown that progesterone elicits neuroprotective effects by decreasing oxidative stress, reducing brain edemas, inflammation, and apoptosis by acting on nuclear progesterone receptors post TBIs. Administering a traumatic brain injury during the peak and plateau of this hormone could potentially lead to varying results. For this study, we tracked the estrous cycle and administered a mild lateral fluid percussion injury (LFPI) during the proestrus phase and non-proestrus phases in female rats and also to male rats. We then compared across all groups. We found that when an LFPI was given during the proestrus phase of the female cycle, females had less functional deficits post traumatic brain injury compared to females that received an LFPI during non-proestrus phases. It was also found that males had less functional deficits post traumatic brain injury compared to non-proestrus females.
Author: Elkinbard, Isabella S
Institution: University of Colorado Boulder
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6980774588