Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
Natalia Arias, Javier Morán, Nélida Conejo and Jorge L. Arias
Universidad de Oviedo
Background: There is actually limited evidence about the influence of estrogens on neuronal energy metabolism or functional cerebral asymmetry. In order to evaluate this relationship, eight male and sixteen female adult Wistar rats, divided into estrus and diestrus phase, were used to measure basal neuronal metabolic activity in some of the structures involved in the Papez circuit, using cytochrome c oxidase (C.O.) histochemistry. Method: We used C.O. histochemistry because cytochrome oxidase activity can be considered as a reliable endogenous marker of neuronal activity. Results: We found higher C.O. activity levels in diestrus as compared to estrus and male groups in the prefrontal cortex and thalamus. Conversely, neuronal oxidative metabolism was significantly higher in estrus than in diestrus and male groups in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus (CA1 and CA3) and in the mammillary bodies. However, no hemispheric functional lateralization was found in estrus, diestrus or male groups by C.O. activity. Conclusions: These results suggest a modulatory effect of estrogens on neuronal oxidative metabolism.
Diferencias metabólicas sexuales en el cerebro límbico de rata. Antecedentes: existe poca evidencia acerca de la influencia de los estrógenos sobre el metabolismo energético cerebral o la asimetría cerebral funcional. Para evaluarlo, se utilizaron ocho machos y dieciséis hembras de rata adultas de la cepa Wistar, divididas en fase estro y diestro, con el fin de medir la actividad metabólica neuronal basal en algunas de las estructuras cerebrales del circuito de Papez. Método: utilizamos la histoquímica de la citocromo c oxidasa (C.O.) porque su actividad puede ser considerada como un relevante marcador endógeno de la actividad neuronal. Resultados: encontramos mayores niveles de C.O. en el diestro en comparación con el estro y los machos en la corteza prefrontal y el tálamo. El metabolismo oxidativo neuronal fue significativamente mayor en el estro en comparación con el grupo diestro y los machos en el hipocampo dorsal y ventral (CA1 y CA3), así como en los cuerpos mamilares. No se encontró ninguna lateralización hemisférica funcional en los grupos experimentales. Conclusiones: estos resultados sugieren un efecto modulador de los estrógenos sobre el metabolismo oxidativo neuronal.
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https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2013.100