Graduate Program

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2008

Thesis Director

Britto Nathan

Thesis Committee Member

Gary Bulla

Thesis Committee Member

Charles Costa

Abstract

Estradiol is the primary premenopausal hormone circulating in women. It is a powerful hormone in the female body since it sends signals to the brain, regulates ovulation and menstrual cycle and acts on the nervous syste~ heart, breast and many other tissues in the body. However all estradiol production is stopped after menopause. Post menopausal women can develop a host of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. If the onset of progressive dementia is after menopause during loss of estradiol, it seems logical to assume that the lack of estradiol should have a big role to play in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's dementia.

Many epidemiological studies suggest that estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) decreased morbidity from different chronic neurological disorders. ApoE alleles have been proved to modify the risk for progression of the same diseases. Literature review suggests a close relationship between estradiol and apoE in the central nervous system. ApoE levels in mouse brain vary during the estrous cycle and increase in the presence of estradiol. Research has proved that ERT exerts neuroprotective effect by increasing resistance against j3 amyloid induced toxicity. We propose that these neuroprotective effects of estradiol are mediated by apoE.

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