Astrocytes Mediate Protective Actions of Estrogenic Compounds after Traumatic Brain Injury

• Published in: Neuroendocrinology Vol. 108; no. 2; p. 142
• Main Authors: Martin-Jiménez, Cynthia, Gaitán-Vaca, Diana Milena, Areiza, Natalia, Echeverria, Valentina, Ashraf, Ghulam Md, González, Janneth, Sahebkar, Amirhossein, Garcia-Segura, Luis Miguel, Barreto, George E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-02-2019
• Subjects: Animals; Astrocytes - drug effects; Astrocytes - metabolism; Brain Injuries, Traumatic - drug therapy; Brain Injuries, Traumatic - metabolism; Estrogens - pharmacology; Estrogens - therapeutic use; Humans; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Neuroprotection; Traumatic brain injury; Astrocytes; Estrogenic compounds
• ISSN: 1423-0194
• DOI: 10.1159/000495078

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem. It may result in severe neurological disabilities and in a variety of cellular metabolic alterations for which available therapeutic strategies are limited. In the last decade, the use of estrogenic compounds, which activate protective mechanisms in astrocytes, has been explored as a potential experimental therapeutic approach. Previous works have suggested estradiol (E2) as a neuroprotective hormone that acts in the brain by binding to estrogen receptors (ERs). Several steroidal and nonsteroidal estrogenic compounds can imitate the effects of estradiol on ERs. These include hormonal estrogens, phytoestrogens and synthetic estrogens, such as selective ER modulators or tibolone. Current evidence of the role of astrocytes in mediating protective actions of estrogenic compounds after TBI is reviewed in this paper. We conclude that the use of estrogenic compounds to modulate astrocytic properties is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of TBI.