2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Pubertal estrogen leads to formation of neural network for sexual orientation
| Project/Area Number |
18K06880
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 48020:Physiology-related
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| Research Institution | Nippon Medical School |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
佐久間 康夫 日本医科大学, 大学院医学研究科, 研究生 (70094307)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | 思春期 / 性指向性 / 視索前野性的二型核 / 分界条床核 / エストロゲン / 性差 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
There are anatomical sex differences in the brain, and the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area is well known as a nucleus that is larger in males. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that neural circuits centered on this nucleus contribute to sexual orientation and that puberty estrogen is important in the formation of these neural circuits.
The results showed that puberty estrogen induces estrous females to prefer male odors, activates sexually dimorphic brain regions, and projects the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area neurons to the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, the center of female sexual behavior, revealing one aspect of puberty estrogen’s effects on sexual orientation.
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| Free Research Field |
神経内分泌学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
性指向性は心の性のひとつであるが、LGBTQsに見られるように、ヒトでは多様性が存在する。その多様性発現の機序を考える上で、本研究の成果は学術的・社会的意義があると考えられる。
思春期は視床下部ー下垂体ー性腺軸が機能的に完成する時期で、そのダイナミックな内分泌環境の変化のため、思春期特有の精神疾患が問題となっている時期でもある。本研究成果はLGBTQs発現の機序解明に寄与するだけでなく、他の精神疾患への応用につながることが期待される。
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