Sex hormone supplementation for repair

Patel R, Moore S, Crawford DK, Hannsun G, Sasidhar MV, Tan K, Molaie D, Tiwari-Woodruff SK. Attenuation of corpus callosum axon myelination and remyelination in the absence of circulating sex hormones. Brain Pathol. 2013;23(4):462-75. 

Sex differences in the structure and organization of the corpus callosum (CC) can be attributed to genetic, hormonal or environmental effects, or a combination of these factors. To address the role of gonadal hormones on axon myelination, functional axon conduction and immunohistochemistry analysis of the CC in intact, gonadectomized and hormone-replaced gonadectomized animals were used. These groups were subjected to cuprizone diet-induced demyelination followed by remyelination. The myelinated component of callosal compound action potential was significantly decreased in ovariectomized and castrated animals under normal myelinating condition. Compared to gonadally intact cohorts, both gonadectomized groups displayed more severe demyelination and inhibited remyelination. Castration in males was more deleterious than ovariectomy in females. Callosal conduction in oestradiol-supplemented ovariectomized females was significantly increased during normal myelination, less attenuated during demyelination, and increased beyond placebo-treated ovariectomized or intact female levels during remyelination. In castrated males, the non-aromatizing steroid dihydrotestosterone was less efficient than testosterone and oestradiol in restoring normal myelination/axon conduction and remyelination to levels of intact males. Furthermore, in both sexes, oestradiol supplementation in gonadectomized groups increased the number of oligodendrocytes. These studies suggest an essential role of oestradiol to promote efficient CC myelination and axon conduction in both sexes.

The corpus callosum is the nervous motorway between the left and right side of the brain. In this study they looked at the effect of sex hormones on repair and first removed the sex hormone producing organs and then did hormone replacement. Removing your nads slowed myelin repair and hormone replacement improved repair. Oestrogen supplementation increased oligodendrocyte numbers and promoted better repair.  Are you going to give males female hormone supplementation..unlikely. But male sex hormone could help males remyelinate. Could erythropoetin be a mediator of this effect

Labels: