Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have elevated levels of testosterone and its chemical relatives. They also have an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Both sons and daughters of women with PCOS have similar symptoms, so it might be transmitted through traditional genetic means. But the idea is gaining traction that it is the fetal environment—specifically, the fact that the fetuses of mothers with PCOS are gestating in high levels of testosterone—that's associated with the problems.
Elevated levels of maternal testosterone are known to affect the brain morphology and function of their offspring and have been linked to anxiety in both humans and rats. To try to determine how, an international team of researchers looked at the levels of androgen receptors in different brain regions associated with anxiety and depression. They worked in a rat model of PCOS where pregnant rats were injected with testosterone.
The team found that offspring of pregnant rats with elevated testosterone were anxious, although this behavior was much more apparent in the baby girl rats than in the baby boy ones. They went on to show that the excess testosterone in the womb diminished the ability of the next generation to respond to it. Levels of the messenger RNAs that encode receptors for testosterone and similar molecules were lower in the amygdalas and hippocampuses of the offspring. The effect was larger in female offspring than in the male offspring.
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