1st International Meeting

STEROIDS AND NERVOUS SYSTEM

Torino, Villa Gualino, 11- 14 February 2001

SUNDAY, 11th February 2001

Symposium: Biosynthesis (Chairs:Melcangi R.C., Milano & Wise P.M., Lexington)

Mellon S.H. (University of California, CA, USA), Griffin L.D. and Compagnone N.A. - Biosynthesis and Action of Neurosteroids.

Mensah-Nyagan A.G. (Univ. Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France), Do-Régo J.L., Beaujean D., Tonon M.C., Luu-The V., Pelletier G. and Vaudry H. - Biochemical pathways and regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis in amphibians

Lephart (Brigham Young University, Utah, USA), - Brain Androgen and Progesterone Metabolizing Enzymes: Biosynthesis, Distribution and Function.

Balthazart J. (University of Liège, Belgium), Absil P., Baillien M., Ball G.F. and Panzica G.C. - Control of preoptic aromatase activity by afferent inputs in Japanese quail

MONDAY, 12th February

Symposium: Action Mechanisms (I) (Chairs: Guidotti A., Chicago & Maggi A., Milano)

Lambert J.J. (Univerisity of Dundee, Scotland, U.K), Belelli D., Callachan H., Harney S.A., Frenguelli B. and Peters J.A. - The Interaction of Neurosteroids with Recombinant and Synaptic GABA_A Receptors.

Biggio G. (University of Cagliari, Italy), Follesa P., Mostallino M.C., Sanna E., Purdy R. H. and Concas A. - GABA_A Receptor Plasticity During Lon-Term Exposure to and Withdrawal from Progesterone.

Ramirez V.D. (University of Illinois, IL, USA), Liu J. and Joe I. - Estradiol Targets Several Physiologically Relevant Membrane-Associated Proteins in the CNS.

Dorsa D. (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA), Wade C., Linford N., Fitzpatrick J., Mhyre D. and Shapiro R. - Understanding the Rapid, Membrane-Based Effects of Estrogen.

Puia G. (University of Modena, Italy), Mienville J.-M., Costa E. and Guidotti A. - The decrease in allopregnenolone content in mice brain correlate with a change in the GABA_A receptor sensitivity to agonist.

Belelli D. (University of Dundee, Scotland, U.K.) - Differential sensitivity of GABA_A -mediated synaptic neurotransmission to endogenous and synthetic neuroactive steroids.

Eva C. (University of Torino, Italy), Oberto A., Serra M., Pisu M.G., Panzica G.C., Biggio G. - Chronic treatment with progesterone or allopregnanolone increases NPY-Y₁ receptor gene expression in the medial amygdala of transgenic mice.

Baulieu E.E. (Inserm U488, le Kremlin-Bicetre Cedex, France) - Microtubules are target of neurosteroids: a new mode of action.

Symposium: Action Mechanisms (II) (Chairs: Balthazart J., Liège & Panzica G.C., Torino)

Farb D.H. (University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA), Gibbs T.T., Russek S.J., Pierce C. and Johnson D.W. - Balancing Excitation and Inhibition in the Brain: Neurosteroids as Functional Modulators of Glutamate Receptors

Morrow A.L. (University of North Carolina School of Medicine, NC, USA), VanDoren M. J., Penland S. and Grobin A. C. - Ethanol and Neurosteroid Interactions.

Maurice T. (Inserm U336, Institut de Biologie, Montpellier, France), Phan V.-L., Urani A. and Romieu P. - The Interaction Between Neuroactive Steroids and the Sigma₁ Receptor Function

Purdy R.H. (The Scripps Research Institute, California, CA, USA) Britton K.T, Koob. G.F. Evers A.S., Zorumski C.F. and Covey, D.F - Recent developments in the chemistry and pharmacology of neuroactive steroids.

Di Paolo T. (Laval University Medical Center, Québec., Canada) Cyr, M., Thibault C., Landry M. and Morissette M. - Ovarian steroids and selective estrogen receptor modulators activity on rat brain AMPA and NMDA receptors.

Serra M. (University of Cagliari, Italy), Pisu M.G., Parodo V. and Biggio G - Lithium chloride selectively elevates neuroactive steroid contents in the rat brain.

Rosellini R. A. (The University at Albany-SUNY, NY, USA), Svare B., Rhodes M.E. and Frye C. A. - The testosterone metabolite and neurosteroid 3a -androstanediol mediates the effects of testosterone on conditioned place preference.

TUESDAY, 13th February

Symposium: Neuroendocrine Control (Chairs: Garcia-Segura L.M., Madrid & Martini L., Milano)

Herbison A.E. (The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK) - Gonadal Steroid Regulation of GnRH Neurons.

Melcangi R.C. (University of Milano, Italy), Cavarretta I., Magnaghi V., Martini L. and Galbiati M. - Interactions Between Growth Factors and Steroids in the Control of LHRH Neurons.

Gore A.C. (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA). - GnRH neurons, nmda receptors, and their regulation by steroid hormones across the reproductive life cycle

Frye C.A. (The University at Albany-SUNY, NY, USA) - Neurosteroids in the ventral tegmental area mediate sexual receptivity of rodents

Gerendai I. (Semmelweis University Budapest, Hungary) - Nervous system structures transneuronally connected with the gonads.

El-Etr M. (Inserm U488, Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France), Akwa Y., Baulieu E.E. and Schumacher M. - Rapid modulation of GnRH release by neurosteroids in GT1 neurons.

Bakker J. (University of Liège, Belgium) and Baum M.J. - Neuroendocrine regulation of GnRH release in an induced ovulator, the ferret.

Guerriero G. ("Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy) and Ciarcia G. - Seasonal fluctuations of progesterone receptor in the hypothalamus of the female frog, Rana esculenta.

Panzica G.C. (University of Torino, Italy), Viglietti-Panzica C. and Balthazart J. - Differential effects of testosterone metabolites on vasotocin immunoreactivity in adult male quail.

Free Themes (Chairs: Fasolo A., Torino & Panzica G.C., Torino)

Guidotti A. (University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA) and Costa E. - Putative role of allopregnenolone and 5 a -DHP in psychiatric disordes.

Masera R.G. (University of Torino, Italy), Dovio A., Prolo P., Sartori M.L., Chiappelli F. and Angeli A. - Serum DHEA and in vitro natural killer cell activity correlate with mental deterioration in precocious Alzheimer's disease.

Jalali C. and de Lacalle S. (California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA) - Neurotrophic effects of estrogen on the cholinergic basal forebrain.

Marletta N., Cormaci G., Licciardello D., Spina-Purrello V., Marchetti B. and Avola R. (University of Catania, Italy) - Effects of steroids and growth factors on cytoskeletal protein expression during astroglial cell differentiation in culture.

Samuel D. (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) - Cholesterol, synaptic membrane structure, aging associated memory loss and addiction.

Dygalo N.N. (Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia), Kalinina T.S. and Shishkina G.T. - Regulation of alpha2A-adrenergic receptor expression in the rat brain by testosterone.

Kaiser S. (University of Muenster, Münster, Germany), Kruijver F.P.M. Sachser N. and Swaab D.F. - Prenatal social stress in Guinea Pigs: sex-specific and sex-reversed effects on hormones, brain and behavior.

Rhodes M.E. (The University at Albany-SUNY, NY, USA) and Frye C.A. - Inhibiting progesterone metabolism in the hippocampus alters aversion to noxious stimuli, exploratory, motor, and anxiolytic behaviors of proestrous rats.

Kruijver F.P.M. (Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), and Swaab D. F. - Sex hormone receptors in the human hypothalamus in relation to gender, sexual orientation, transsexuality and endocrine status.

WEDNESDAY, 14th February

Symposium: Aging, Stress, and Degenerative Effect (Chairs: Balthazart J., Liège & Garcia-Segura L.M., Madrid)

Nichols N.R.(Monash University, Melbourne, Australia), Zieba G., Wreford N.G.and Bye N.- Do Glucocorticoids Contribute to Brain Aging?

Riva M.A. (University of Milano, Italy), Roceri M., Molteni R., Magnaghi V., Melcangi R.C., Hendriks W., Ellenbroek B.A. and Racagni G. - Stress during Brain Development: Effects on Neurotrophic Factor Expression and Brain Plasticity.

Wise P.M. (University of Kentucky, KY, U.S.A.), Dubal D.B., Wilson M.E., Rau S.W., Bottner M. and Rosewell K.L. - Estradiol is a Protective Factor in the Adult and Aging Brain: Understanding of Mechanisms Derived From in Vivo and in Vitro Studies.

Marchetti B. (University of Sassari, Italy), Morale M.C., Tirolo C., Testa N., Caniglia S., Barden N., Amor S. and Dijkstra C.D. - Stress, the immune system and vulnerability to degenerative disorders of the central nervous system

Vallée M. (INSERM U259, Bordeaux, FRANCE) - Neurosteroids and Cognitive Aging.

Racchi M. (University of Pavia, Italy), Govoni S., Solerte S.B., Galli C.L. and Corsini E. - Dehydroepiandrosterone and the relationship with aging and memory: a possible link with protein kinase C functional machinery.

Ferrari E. (University of Pavia, Italy), Casarotti D., Muzzoni B, Albertelli N, Cravello L., Fioravanti M., Solerte S.B. and Magri F. - Age-related changes of the adrenal secretory pattern: possible role in pathological brain aging.

Symposium: Neuroprotection (Chairs: Melcangi R.C., Milano & Wise P.M., Lexington)

Schumacher M. (INSERM U488, Bicêtre, France), Guennoun R., Mercier G., Turque N., Coirini H., Benmessahel Y., Robert F., Gago N., El-Etr M., Labombarda F., De Nicola A. and Baulieu E.E. - Progesterone: Regeneration of the Nervous System.

Magnaghi V. (University of Milano, Italy), Cavarretta I., Galbiati M., Martini L. and Melcangi R.C. - Neuroactive Steroids and Peripheral Myelin Proteins.

Jones K.J. (Loyola University, Illinois, USA) - Neuroprotective Effects of Gonadal Steroids on Regenerating Peripheral Motoneurons.

Cardona-Gómez G.P., Mendez P., DonCarlos L.L., Azcoitia I. and Garcia-Segura L.M. (Instituto Cajal, Madrid, Spain) Neuroprotection by Estrogen: Interactions with Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Receptors.

Maggi A. (University of Milano, Italy) - Mechanisms of oestrogen protective activity in neural cells.

Brignardello E. (University of Torino, Italy), Aragno M., Parola S., Betteto S., Manti R., Danni O. and Boccuzzi G. - Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on oxidative damage induced by ischemia/reperfusion in synaptosomes of normal and diabetic rats

Marín R. (University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain), Guerra B., Hernández-Jiménez J.G., Martínez-Morales J.R., Reyes R., Bello A.R., López-Coviella I. and Alonso R. - Estrogen receptor alpha is up-regulated after heat shock in a neuronal-derived cell line co-expressing acetylcholine and LHRH.