ABSTRACT
Estradiol regulates the development of brain areas involved in the control of neuroendocrine function and behaviors related to reproduction, inducing structural and functional sex differences in brain tissue1,2. In addition, estradiol acts on the adult brain to regulate acutely the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and reproductive behavior3-7. Furthermore, estradiol acts in brain areas that are not considered to be involved in the control of neuroendocrine events or reproductive function8,9. At the same time, a new view of estradiol as a trophic factor for neurons and glial cells has emerged10,11. Acting via estrogen receptors (α and β), estradiol regulates gene expression, neuronal survival and neuronal differentiation in the brain in a way that is not very different from that exerted by neurotrophins and classical growth factors12,13.
