Evidence of sexual dimorphism in D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors expression in frontal cortex and striatum of young rats

Abstract

D1 and D2 receptors are key mediators of dopaminergic signaling in the brain, and since the manifestations of pathologies related to dopamine are different in female and male patients, it is important to analyze if there are sex-related differences in dopaminergic markers. To contribute to the knowledge in this regard, the objective of this report was to characterize the particular expression level of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in young male and female rats. Striatum (STR) and frontal cortex (CTX) were obtained from intact 30-days old animals, and the D1 and D2 expression level was analyzed by Western blot. The results show a greater expression of D1, but less of D2, in female CTX compared with males, whereas in STR, both D1 and D2 receptors shows predominance in females. These results support the evidence of dimorphic expression in dopaminergic markers, outside of the sex-related brain nuclei, and suggests an early effect of hormones in establishing long life characteristics in dopaminergic circuits.

Keywords: Cortex; Dopamine; Receptors expression; Striatum.