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bioRxiv · 10.1101/314641

Estrus-Cycle Regulation of Cortical Inhibition

Clemens, A. M.·Lenschow, C.·Beed, P.·Li, L.·Sammons, R.·Naumann, R. K.·Wang, H.·Schmitz, D.·Brecht, M.
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Abstract

Female mammals experience cyclical changes in sexual receptivity known as the estrus-cycle. Little is known about how estrus affects the cortex although alterations in sensation, cognition and the cyclic occurrence of epilepsy suggest brain-wide processing changes. We performed in vivo juxtacellular and whole-cell recordings in somatosensory cortex of female rats and found that the estrus-cycle potently altered cortical inhibition. Fast-spiking interneurons strongly varied their activity with the estrus-cycle and estradiol in ovariectomized females, while regular-spiking excitatory neurons did not change. In vivo whole-cell recordings revealed a varying excitation-to-inhibition-ratio with estrus. In situ hybridization for estrogen receptor {beta} (Esr2) showed co-localization with parvalbumin-positive interneurons in deep cortical layers, mirroring the laminar distribution of our physiological findings. In vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that estrogen acts locally to increase fast-spiking interneuron excitability through an estrogen receptor {beta} mechanism. We conclude that sex hormones powerfully modulate cortical inhibition in the female brain.

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Clemens, A. M., Lenschow, C., Beed, P., Li, L., Sammons, R., Naumann, R. K., Wang, H., Schmitz, D., Brecht, M.. 2018-05-04. Estrus-Cycle Regulation of Cortical Inhibition. https://doi.org/10.1101/314641

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