6^th INTERNATIONAL MEETING

STEROIDS AND NERVOUS SYSTEM

TORINO – Villa Gualino February 19-23, 2011

February 19

Satellite Symposium

Neuroactive steroids: focus on human brain

(Organizers: Melcangi R.C., Panzica G.C., Garcia-Segura L.M.)

• Azcoitia I. Yague J., Veiga S. and García-Segura L.M. (Spain) Estradiol synthesis within the human brain

• Pike C.J. (USA) Sex steroid hormone levels in aging brain and their relationships with Alzheimer’s disease

• Peri A. (Italy) Membrane cholesterol as a mediator of the neuroprotective effects of estrogen

• van Wingen G.A., Ossewaarde L., Bäckström T., Hermans E.J. (Netherlands) Gonadal hormone regulation of the affective neurocircuitry in humans

• Peper J.S., Hulshoff Pol H.E., Crone E.A., van Honk J. (Netherlands) Sex steroids and brain structure in pubertal boys and girls

• Bayer U., Hausmann M. (UK) Sex hormone therapy and functional brain plasticity in postmenopausal women

• Bäckström T., Haage D., Löfgren M., Johansson I.M., Strömberg J., Nyberg S., Andreen L., Björn I., Bengtsson S.K., Lundgren P. (Sweden) Paradoxical effects of GABAa modulators may explain sex steroid induced negative mood symptoms in certain persons

• Marx C.E. (USA) Pregnenolone as a novel therapeutic candidate in schizophrenia: preclinical and clinical evidence

• Stein D.G. (USA) An update on progesterone and its metabolites in the treatment of traumatic brain injury and other CNS disorders

February 19

Opening Lecture:

Schlinger B.A. (USA) Neurosteroidogenesis: a comparative and functional point of view

(Chair: Herbison A.)

February 20

Neuroprotective effects of neuroactive steroids (Chairs: Stein D.G., Pike C.J.)

• Brann D.W., Wang R., Raz L., Vadlamudi R.K., Yang F., and Zhang Q.G. (USA) Estradiol neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia – role of extranuclear estrogen receptors and NADPH oxidase modulation and effect of long-term estrogen deprivation

• Al Sweidi S., Bourque M., Sanchez M. G., Morissette M., Dluzen D. and Di Paolo T. (Canada) Neuroprotective effects of sex steroids in Parkinson's disease: estrogen receptors and signaling pathways implicated

• Beyer C. (Germany) Sex steroids modulate local inflammatory processes and protect myelination in experimentally-demyelinated mice

• Spence R.D., Hamby M.E., Umeda E., Itoh N., Du S., Bondar G., Lam J., Ao Y., Wisdom A., Cao Y., Sandoval F., Sofroniew M.V., Voskuhl R.R. (USA) Neuroprotective effects of estrogen in multiple sclerosis

• Fleiss B., Parkington H.A., Coleman H.A., Castillo-Melendez M., Hirst J.J., Walker D.W. (Australia) Effect of maternal administration of allopregnanolone before birth asphyxia on neonatal hippocampal function in the spiny mouse

• Hampl R., Hill M., Bičíková M. (Czech Republic) Steroids, schizophrenia and Alzheimer disease – what they have in common

Plenary Lecture:

Brinton R.D. (USA) Estrogen-induced plasticity from cells to circuits: predictions for cognitive function

(Chair: Garcia-Segura L.M.)

Pharmacological tools related to neuroactive steroids

(Chairs: Melcangi R.C., Zheng P.)

• Schumacher M., Girard C., Adams D., and Schweizer-Groyer G. (France) Axonal regeneration and neuroinflammation: roles for the translocator protein (TSPO)

• Rupprecht R. (Germany) Translocator protein (18 kDa) as target for anxiolytics without benzodiazepine-like side effects

• Papadopoulos V., and Lecanu L. (Canada) Neurosteroid pharmacology: caprospinol turning the tide on Alzheimer’s drug development

• Pinna G. (USA) SSRIs act as selective brain steroidogenic stimulants (SBSSs): insight into a non-serotonergic mechanism of action of SSRIs in mood and anxiety disorders

• Zheng P. (China) Neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate enhances glutamate release through activation of dopamine D1 and sigma-1 receptor

• Bortolato M., Frau R., Bini V., Pillolla G., Paba S., Marrosu F., and Devoto P. (USA) Therapeutic properties of steroid 5-alpha reductase inhibitors in neuropsychiatric disorders: from bench to bedside

• Cermenati G., Giatti S., Maschi O., Abbiati F., Brioschi E., Cavaletti G., Bianchi R., Pesaresi M., Volonterio A., Saez E., Melcangi R.C., Caruso D. and Mitro N. (Italy) Liver x receptors activation ameliorate diabetic peripheral neuropathy increasing locally neuroactive steroid levels

February 21

Steroids and GnRH System

(Chairs: Herbison A., Melcangi R.C.)

• Moenter S.M. ( USA) Rapid non-genomic effects of oestradiol on GnRH neurons

• Rønnekleiv O.K., Zhang C., Bosch M.A., and Kelly M.J. (USA) Estradiol regulation of T-type calcium channels in GnRH neurons

• Clarkson J., and Herbison A.E. (New Zeland) Estradiol regulation of kisspeptin neurons during pubertal development

• Kauffman A.S. (USA) Circadian and hormonal regulation of neural reproductive circuits

• Taziaux M., Swaab D.F., and Bakker J. (The Netherlands) Neurokinin B in the human infundibular nucleus: sex difference and developmental aspects

• Tolson K.P., Tonsfeldt K.J., Goodall C.P., Palermini A., and Chappell P.E. (USA) Disruption of endogenous circadian clocks in immortalized GT1-7 cells blocks estrogen positive feedback-stimulated GnRHsecretion in vitro

Plenary Lecture:

Tena-Sempere M. (Spain) Sex steroids and the control of kisspeptin system

(Chair: Motta M.)

Luciano Martini Prize Lecture

Martini M. (Italy) Gonadal hormones regulation of nitrergic system

Round Table

Endocrine disrupter action on behavior and neuroendocrine systems

(Chairs: Frye C.A., Panzica G.C.)

• Venerosi A., Tait S., Ricceri L., Stecca L., Mantovani A., and Calamandrei G. (Italy) Dietary exposure to a non-persistent insecticide targets permanently neuroendocrine pathways and sex-dimorphic social response in a mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorder

• Fernandez M., Alessandri M., Paradisi M., Lorenzini L., Sivilia S., Giuliani A., Giardino L., and Calzà L. (Italy) Effects of prenatal 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposition on central nervous system developmental myelination and thyroid hormone status

• Bo E., Miceli D., Rodriguez Gomez A., and Panzica G.C. (Italy) Bisphenol A and genistein alter social and explorative behaviours in CD1 mice

• Fusani L., Farabollini F., Della Seta D., and Dessì-Fulgheri F. (Italy) Environmental-like exposure of rats to xenoestrogen: effects on juvenile brain and behavior

• Patisaul H.B., and Losa S.M. (USA) Endocrine disruption of sexually dimorphic neuroendocrine pathways in the peripubertal rat brain

• Kah O., Le Page Y., Vosges M., Tong S.-K., Chung B.-c. and Brion F. (France) Aromatase-expressing radial progenitor cells are direct targets for endocrine disruptors in zebrafish

February 22

ER beta - where have we got to?

(Chairs: : Kelly , Bakker J.)

• Handa R.J., Sharma D., Uht R., and Mani S.K. (USA) Functional roles for estrogen receptor beta in mediating the actions of androgen metabolites

• Wang J.M., and Brinton R.D. (USA) ERb and neural progenitor cell proliferation

• Ogawa S. (Japan) The role of estrogen receptor beta in the regulation of social and emotional behavior

• Herbison A.E., Cheong R., Porteous R., Ábrahám I.M. (New Zealand) A role for estrogen receptor beta in GnRH neurons?

Steroids and neuroimmunomodulation

(Chairs: Brinton R.D., Garcia-Segura L.M.)

• Deak T., Hueston C.M., and Blandino Jr. P. (USA) The complex interplay between stress responsive systems and neuroinflammation

• Brunton P.J. and Russell J.A. (UK) Inhibition of neuroendocrine stress responses to immune challenge in pregnancy is induced by allopregnanolone

• Reichardt H.M. (Germany) Glucocorticoids in the control of neuroinflammation

• Arevalo M.A., Diz-Chaves Y., Santos-Galindo M., Bellini M.J., and García-Segura L.M. (Spain) Selective estrogen receptor modulators decrease inflammatory response of glial cells

• Quennell J.H., Augustine R.A., Khant Aung. Z., Bunn S.J., and Anderson G.M. (New Zealand) Estrogens: new regulators of brain SOCS

February 23

Alternative signalling mechanisms of neuroactive steroids in nervous system

(Chairs: Mani S., Lambert J.)

• Garcia-Segura L.M., Azcoitia I., Arevalo M.A. (Spain) Interactions of estradiol, IGF-1 and Wnt signalling in the nervous system

• Simoncini T. (Italy) Rapid signaling of estrogen and spine formation via the actin cytoskeleton

• Oberlander J.G., Penatti C.A.A., Porter D.M., and Henderson L.P. (USA) Anabolic androgenic steroid abuse: multiple mechanisms of regulation of GABAergic synapses in the mammalian forebrain

• Santoru F., Berretti R., Sogliano C., Calza A., Dazzi L., and Concas A. (Italy) Changes in neuroactive steroid levels, GABA_A receptor plasticity and sensitivity to anxiolytic drugs induced by neonatal exposure to estrogen

• Kajta M., LasonW., Litwa E., Rzemieniec J., and Wojtowicz A.K. (Poland) Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-induced apoptosis of embryonic neuronal cells: an involvement of G-protein-coupled receptor 30 and glycogen synthase kinase-3b intracellular signaling

Steroid hormones and brain sex dimorphism: Experimental murine models

(Chairs: Panzica G.C., Balthazart J.)

• Brock O., and Bakker J. (Belgium) A role for ovarian hormones in the sexual differentiation of the female brain?

• Büdefeld T., Grgurevic N., Spanic T., Tobet S.A. and Majdic G. (Slovenia) Brain sex differentiation in agonadal steroidogenic factor 1 knockout mice

• Arnold A.P. (USA) Sex chromosome effects that explain sex differences in phenotype: what’s the next step?

• Frye C.A. (USA) Pregnane xenobiotic receptors in the ventral tegmental area may mediate progestogen-facilitated reproductive behavior of female rats

• Marchetti B., L’Episcopo F., Tirolo C., Testa N., Caniglia S., Panzica G.C., and Morale M.C. (Italy) Gender difference in the response of adult subventricular zone (SVZ) neuroprogenitors in a mouse model of Parkinson’ disease: critical role of estrogen