Androgen Binding and Metabolism in the Cerebral Cortex of the Developing Rhesus Monkey

The influence of gonadal steroids on the maturation of the cerebral cortex and their possible influence on cortical function are not well understood. The present study examines androgen binding and metabolism in regions of the cerebral cortex and several subcortical structures at different time points during the development of the rhesus monkey. Androgen binding and metabolism were assessed in selected cortical and subcortical regions from neonatal, juvenile, and adult rhesus monkeys. Specific high affinity androgen-binding sites (apparent equilibrium dissociation constants for [3H]R1881, 0.04-0.3 nM) were observed in many areas of the rhesus monkey brain. These areas included (but were not limited to) the hypothalamus, amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbital prefrontal cortex, visual and somatosensory cortex, and corpus callosum. Although the highest level of androgen binding was observed in the hypothalamus (8-20 fmol/mg protein), cortical samples also had measurable levels of binding (1-5 fmol/mg protein). No apparent regional or developmental differences in the number or affinity of androgen-binding sites were detected in animals ranging from 1 week to 8 yr in age. Androgen metabolism via aromatization and 5 alpha-reduction was observed in all regions of the neocortex examined, although at lower levels than in the hypothalamus and amygdala. Overall production of estrogens and 5 alpha-reduced androgens declined approximately 10-fold from prenatal to early postnatal life in both cortical and subcortical structures. The presence of androgen binding and metabolism in the monkey cerebral cortex indicates that steroid hormones may have considerable impact on cortical function in primates at postnatal as well as prenatal ages.