Estrogens and aromatization appear to be important mediators. The fact that it also appears in the anlage of steroid-producing tissues such as testes, ovaries and adrenals suggests some relationship between it and brain sex differentiation, although the connection is not clear at present. Receptor expression and function during development and in adult life. In contrast to facial nucleus, hippocampus has aromatase, which plays a role in the masculinization of the hippocampus in the rat, as summarized by McEwen based on work by Handa, MacLusky and Williams and Meck, as well as studies in his own laboratory. McCarthy notes that the largest sex differences she sees are in the hippocampus on PD1.
Androgens are a neglected topic when it comes to non-reproductive actions on brain.
Kawata's elegant demonstration with a video that GFP-tagged MR and GR translocate from cytoplasm to the nucleus by adding the lingand inthe culture medium, while tagged ER stays in the nucleus regardless of the presence of ligand confirmed previous reports obtained by biochemical and EM studies. His demonstration is probably the first of its kind. A big, unanswered question is the presence and possible role of galanin in this system. Fascinating studies showing how E regulates balance between excitation and inhibition, using electrophysiology. This is probably the most systematic way of assessing masculine and feminine characteristics in males and females, defined in terms of types of drawings and topics of drawings.