Delineating the protective effects of testosterone on dentate gyrus neurons

• Main Author: Lim, Xue Yun
• Other Authors: Ajai Vyas
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/75375
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Hippocampal atrophy is implicated in behavioral impairments and memory deficits found associated with normal ageing, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Among which, Alzheimer’s disease and recurrent depression are increasingly prevalent in society. In the investigation of neuroprotective effects of testosterone on reversing hippocampal atrophy, existing studies have focused on neuronal survival and loss while neglecting structural morphological examination in dentate gyrus neurons. Of which, the latter approach might be useful in providing crucial information in understanding the neuroprotective role of testosterone on adult neurogenesis. Furthermore, morphometric studies of testosterone effects to date have been largely confined to CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons rather than dentate gyrus (DG) neurons. Therefore, this paper aims to delineate the neuroprotective effects of testosterone via examining the dendritic architecture of DG neurons in castrated male and intact female mice following testosterone supplementation. Testosterone administration was found to increase the sum of intersections within DG neurons of the treated male group, hence suggesting the neuroprotective role of testosterone in enhancing and/or preserving dendritic arborisation of DG neurons. It was further speculated that this effect was sexually dimorphic as no significant effect was found in the female groups. This study thus serve as a start point to further illuminate the potential of androgen dependent mechanisms in mediating protective effects against hippocampal atrophy.