. 2017 Nov 8;37(45):10998–11020. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3874-16.2017

Table 5.

Steroid profiling in brain (left hemisphere) and plasma of young adult PR^loxP/loxP and PR^NesCre mice of both sexes

Steroid	PR^loxP/loxP		PR^NesCre		Two-way ANOVA
Steroid	Males	Females	Males	Females	Two-way ANOVA
Left hemisphere (ng/g)
Pregnenolone	9.94 ± 0.61	6.84 ± 0.08^*	10.3 ± 0.78	6.14 ± 0.17^*	Sex: F_(1,17) = 20.4; p = 0.0003
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.05; p = 0.825
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.43; p = 0.521
Progesterone	0.73 ± 0.08	0.44 ± 0.06	0.38 ± 0.14	0.46 ± 0.11	Sex: F_(1,17) = 1.09; p = 0.311
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 2.59; p = 0.126
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 3.10; p = 0.096
5α-DHP	24.0 ± 5.36	5.69 ± 0.95^**	28.3 ± 2.52	4.81 ± 0.32^**	Sex: F_(1,18) = 29.2; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,18) = 0.19; p = 0.669
					Interaction: F_(1,18) = 0.44; p = 0.515
3α,5α-THP	3.57 ± 0.79	0.53 ± 0.18^***	1.46 ± 0.20^$$	0.15 ± 0.03	Sex: F_(1,18) = 31.6; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,18) = 10.3; p = 0.005
					Interaction: F_(1,18) = 4.96; p = 0.039
20α-DHP	2.12 ± 0.16	22.6 ± 6.42^**	0.90 ± 0.28	18.5 ± 1.63^*	Sex: F_(1,16) = 21.9; p = 0.0003
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 0.43; p = 0.522
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 0.13; p = 0.728
5α,20α-THP	1.30 ± 0.20	0.64 ± 0.16^**	0.50 ± 0.07^$$	0.61 ± 0.05	Sex: F_(1,17) = 3.60; p = 0.075
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 8.38; p = 0.010
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 7.28; p = 0.015
5β-DHP	ND	0.28 ± 0.04	ND	0.30 ± 0.06
3β5α-THP	0.44 ± 0.10	0.01 ± 0.004^***	0.12 ± 0.02^$$$	0.01 ± 0.002	Sex: F_(1,17) = 27.4; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 9.49; p = 0.007
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 9.27; p = 0.007
3α5β-THP	0.03 ± 0.01	0.24 ± 0.05^**	0.10 ± 0.02	0.34 ± 0.06^***	Sex: F_(1,17) = 32.3; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 4.55; p = 0.048
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.30; p = 0.592
3α5α20α-HHP	1.29 ± 0.37	0.53 ± 0.10^*	0.35 ± 0.05^$	0.58 ± 0.04	Sex: F_(1,15) = 1.69; p = 0.213
					Genotype: F_(1,15) = 4.61; p = 0.049
					Interaction: F_(1,15) = 5.82; p = 0.029
3β5α20α-HHP	0.18 ± 0.05	0.04 ± 0.01^**	0.04 ± 0.01^$$	0.03 ± 0.001	Sex: F_(1,15) = 8.63; p = 0.010
					Genotype: F_(1,15) = 7.17; p = 0.017
					Interaction: F_(1,15) = 5.07; p = 0.040
3α5β20α-HHP	0.01 ± 0.003	0.07 ± 0.03^*	ND	0.27 ± 0.01^***^$$$
20α-DHPREG	0.41 ± 0.02	0.30 ± 0.02^*	0.35 ± 0.04	0.34 ± 0.01	Sex: F_(1,17) = 5.47; p = 0.032
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.25; p = 0.625
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 4.16; p = 0.057
DOC	1.78 ± 0.31	7.25 ± 1.32^***	1.11 ± 0.45	6.02 ± 0.31^**	Sex: F_(1,17) = 38.1; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 1.28; p = 0.273
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.11; p = 0.743
5α-DHDOC	0.87 ± 0.24	0.67 ± 0.08	0.71 ± 0.12	0.83 ± 0.11	Sex: F_(1,17) = 0.08; p = 0.786
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.0001; p = 0.992
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 1.38; p = 0.257
5β-DHDOC	ND	4.11 ± 0.77	ND	5.21 ± 0.82
3α5α-THDOC	0.75 ± 0.05	0.06 ± 0.01^***	0.33 ± 0.06^$$$	0.12 ± 0.04^**	Sex: F_(1,18) = 102.2; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,18) = 16.2; p = 0.0008
					Interaction: F_(1,18) = 27.5; p < 0.0001
3α5β-THDOC	ND	1.00 ± 0.27	ND	1.41 ± 0.29
Corticosterone	47.6 ± 4.73	32.5 ± 4.66	19.4 ± 3.05^$$$	34.2 ± 4.29	Sex: F_(1,18) = 0.001; p = 0.979
					Genotype: F_(1,18) = 9.86; p = 0.006
					Interaction: F_(1,18) = 12.6; p = 0.002
Testosterone	0.09 ± 0.002	0.01 ± 0.004^*	0.11 ± 0.03	0.01 ± 0.004^**	Sex: F_(1,14) = 23.7; p = 0.0003
					Genotype: F_(1,14) = 0.41; p = 0.533
					Interaction: F_(1,14) = 0.52; p = 0.482
5α-DHT	0.03 ± 0.01	0.02 ± 0.01	0.03 ± 0.01	0.02 ± 0.01	Sex: F_(1,16) = 2.41; p = 0.141
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 0.02; p = 0.901
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 0.15; p = 0.704
3α5α-THT	0.01 ± 0.003	0.002 ± 0.00002^**	0.007 ± 0.004	0.002 ± 0.00004	Sex: F_(1,16) = 13.3; p = 0.002
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 1.85; p = 0.193
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 1.83; p = 0.195
Estradiol	0.02 ± 0.0003	0.01 ± 0.002	0.01 ± 0.002	0.01 ± 0.001	Sex: F_(1,16) = 0.89; p = 0.361
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 2.24; p = 0.154
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 3.89; p = 0.066
Plasma (ng/ml)
Pregnenolone	0.35 ± 0.07	0.39 ± 0.02	0.23 ± 0.03	0.36 ± 0.12	Sex: F_(1,17) = 1.54; p = 0.232
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 1.33; p = 0.265
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.51; p = 0.486
Progesterone	0.52 ± 0.08	0.51 ± 0.09	0.43 ± 0.17	0.33 ± 0.02	Sex: F_(1,18) = 0.34; p = 0.565
					Genotype: F_(1,18) = 2.46; p = 0.134
					Interaction: F_(1,18) = 0.29; p = 0.598
5α-DHP	9.66 ± 0.61	0.57 ± 0.10^***	8.85 ± 0.66	0.67 ± 0.10^***	Sex: F_(1,17) = 318.2; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.54; p = 0.471
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.90; p = 0.357
3α,5α-THP	2.29 ± 0.47	0.18 ± 0.07^***	0.89 ± 0.06^$$$	0.19 ± 0.06	Sex: F_(1,16) = 33.3; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 8.05; p = 0.012
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 8.30; p = 0.011
20α-DHP	1.51 ± 0.19	19.3 ± 4.35^***	0.64 ± 0.11	22.3 ± 2.01^***	Sex: F_(1,16) = 71.3; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 0.22; p = 0.645
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 0.71; p = 0.412
5α,20α-THP	0.33 ± 0.10	0.17 ± 0.06	0.10 ± 0.02	0.18 ± 0.01	Sex: F_(1,16) = 0.33; p = 0.575
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 3.28; p = 0.089
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 3.96; p = 0.064
5β-DHP	ND	0.11 ± 0.01	0.01 ± 0.002	0.10 ± 0.02
3β5α-THP	0.03 ± 0.01	0.002 ± 0.001^**	0.005 ± 0.001^$$	0.004 ± 0.002	Sex: F_(1,17) = 9.21; p = 0.008
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 6.24; p = 0.023
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 7.49; p = 0.014
3α5β-THP	0.01 ± 0.002	0.24 ± 0.02^***	0.01 ± 0.002	0.31 ± 0.02^***^$$	Sex: F_(1,13) = 338.9; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,13) = 5.62; p = 0.034
					Interaction: F_(1,13) = 5.71; p = 0.033
3α5α20α-HHP	1.02 ± 0.28	0.71 ± 0.20	0.27 ± 0.02	0.50 ± 0.03	Sex: F_(1,16) = 0.04; p = 0.839
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 6.31; p = 0.023
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 2.10; p = 0.167
3β5α20α-HHP	0.12 ± 0.04	0.03 ± 0.003^**	0.02 ± 0.002^$	0.02 ± 0.005	Sex: F_(1,15) = 4.28; p = 0.056
					Genotype: F_(1,15) = 6.74; p = 0.020
					Interaction: F_(1,15) = 4.61; p = 0.049
3α5β20α-HHP	ND	0.14 ± 0.06^*	ND	0.32 ± 0.02^***^$$
20α -DHPREG	0.02 ± 0.003	0.02 ± 0.005	0.02 ± 0.004	0.02 ± 0.003	Sex: F_(1,16) = 0.39; p = 0.540
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 2.18; p = 0.160
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 0.14; p = 0.715
DOC	0.15 ± 0.03	0.63 ± 0.22	0.14 ± 0.05	0.83 ± 0.25^*	Sex: F_(1,18) = 12.1; p = 0.003
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.30; p = 0.593
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.43; p = 0.518
5α-DHDOC	5.09 ± 1.31	1.26 ± 0.12^*	3.34 ± 0.83	1.13 ± 0.22	Sex: F_(1,16) = 12.7; p = 0.003
					Genotype: F_(1,16) = 1.24; p = 0.282
					Interaction: F_(1,16) = 0.92; p = 0.352
5β-DHDOC	ND	1.87 ± 0.33	ND	3.99 ± 1.60
3α5α-THDOC	0.97 ± 0.24	0.02 ± 0.01^**	0.57 ± 0.14	0.06 ± 0.02	Sex: F_(1,15) = 20.4; p = 0.0004
					Genotype: F_(1,15) = 1.24; p = 0.283
					Interaction: F_(1,15) = 1.87; p = 0.192
3α5β-THDOC	<0.005	0.14 ± 0.04	<0.005	0.58 ± 0.27
Corticosterone	82.1 ± 4.78	65.1 ± 11.2	46.8 ± 6.20^$	76.2 ± 6.72	Sex: F_(1,17) = 0.55; p = 0.469
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 2.09; p = 0.167
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 7.64; p = 0.013
Testosterone	0.10 ± 0.02	0.002 ± 0.00003^***	0.11 ± 0.03	0.01 ± 0.005^***	Sex: F_(1,17) = 46.1; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.42; p = 0.523
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.01; p = 0.913
5α-DHT	0.01 ± 0.001	0.002 ± 0.00002^***	0.01 ± 0.003	0.002 ± 0.00003^**	Sex: F_(1,17) = 36.5; p < 0.0001
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.84; p = 0.373
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.78; p = 0.389
3α5α-THT	0.02 ± 0.002	0.003 ± 0.001^*	0.03 ± 0.004	0.01 ± 0.01^*	Sex: F_(1,17) = 17.7; p = 0.0006
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 2.72; p = 0.117
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 0.002; p = 0.969
Estradiol	0.01 ± 0.001	0.01 ± 0.001	0.01 ± 0.001	0.01 ± 0.003	Sex: F_(1,17) = 0.11; p = 0.741
					Genotype: F_(1,17) = 0.31; p = 0.587
					Interaction: F_(1,17) = 2.30; p = 0.148

Results are presented as means ± SEM (n = 5–6 per group) and were analyzed by two-way ANOVA (sex × genotype) for brain and plasma followed by Newman–Keuls multiple-comparisons tests.

***p < 0.001,

**p < 0.01,

*p < 0.05 versus males; ^$$$p < 0.001, ^$$p < 0.01, ^$$p < 0.05 versus PR^loxP/loxP.

Abbreviations of steroids are as for Table 1. ND, Not detected.