Neurosteroids and sex steroids in the central nervous system | Neuroesteroides y esteroides sexuales en el sistema nervioso central

TL;DRAbstract

The nervous system is both a target for the steroid hormones and a steroidogenic tissue, able to synthesize steroids that act on neurons and glia in a paracrine and autocrine way. The term >neurosteroids> was coined to distinguish the steroids that are locally synthesized in the nervous system from those of peripheral origin. In this review, we analyse the capacity of neurons and glia to synthesize steroids, and the role of some key-molecules in this process, as the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and aromatase, the enzyme that catalyses the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. We also discuss the mechanisms of action of steroid hormones and neurosteroids in the nervous system; these mechanisms include the regulation of protein synthesis in neurons and glia by acting on nuclear receptors and rapid effects mediated by the modulation of membrane receptors or the allosteric modulation of some neurotransmitter recep

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