Sex-specific effects of androgen and estrogen on proliferation of the embryonic chicken hypothalamic neurons

Effects of androgen and estrogen on proliferation of hypothalamic neurons were evaluated by a chicken hypothalamic neuron-glia coculture model. Hypothalamic cells were dispersed from 17-day-old embryos and challenged with testosterone (T) and 17β-estradiol (E2) alone or combined with androgen receptor antagonist flutamide, estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen, or aromatase inhibitor letrozole for 48 h. The neuron number was counted and the proliferating cells were identified by immunocytochemistry of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Results showed that both E2 and T stimulated proliferation of hypothalamic neurons. E2 showed more intensive effect on females and this promoting effect was abrogated by tamoxifen. T played more intensive effect on males and the effect was inhibited by flutamide, tamoxifen, or letrozole. The above results indicated that E2 stimulated neuron proliferation through estrogenic actions with more sensitive effect on females and T promoted neuron proliferation through both androgenic and estrogenic actions with more intense effect on males. These observations suggested that steroid hormones influence the proliferation of hypothalamic neurons in a sexually dimorphic manner during the development of chicken embryos.