Sex differences in the ontogeny of CRF receptors during adolescent development in the dorsal raphe nucleus and ventral tegmental area

This study identified that CRF1 receptors are lower in males than females within the dorsal, ventrolateral region of the DR (DRVL), which is involved in anxiety‐, stress‐, and panic‐related responses. Females had higher CRF2 receptors compared to males in the DRVL only. Levels of TPH2 mRNA in the DRVL were overproduced transiently in females before declining into adulthood. These fundamental studies suggest that sex differences in CRF receptors should be considered when examining stress‐related neuropsychiatric disorders and their treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Lukkes et al., Graphical Abstract: Age‐ and sex‐dependent differences were found in the expression of CRF1 and CRF2 receptor mRNA across the adolescent period within distinct sub‐regions of the dorsal raphe nucleus. These findings may be important for the adolescent emergence of stress‐related psychiatric disorders.
Source: Synapse - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research