Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Alcohol. 2021 Aug 6;98:25–41. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.08.001

Table 2.

Sex Differences and the Effects of Sex Hormones on BLA Structure and Function in Rodents

Sex Differences Estrous Cycle Estrogens Progestogens Androgens
BLA Structure
Calbindin (CB)
Parvalbumin (PV)
Somatostatin (SST)
CB+ interneurons density: Females > Males
Stress: Dendritic hypertrophy in males and dendritic hypotrophy in females		 Proestrus:
↓ PV+ interneurons
ERβ and PV co-express in the LA		 Males:
↑ SST expression in stressed adults
Glutamate/GABA Function
Long-term depression (LTD)
Basal glutamate and GABA function:
Females > Males
↓ firing rate and shift towards greater inhibition during proestrus in LA neurons and diestrus in BA neurons		 Females:
Estrogen withdrawal ↓ GABAergic inhibition and impairs LTD. Reversed by GPR30 activation
Allopregnanolone ↑ GABAA receptor function
Dopamine System
Dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)
Dopamine D5 receptor (D5R)
Basal levels:
Males > Females
Stress: Preferentially ↑ dopamine levels and D1R/D5R expression in females		 Males:
↑ dopamine levels		 Males: Castration ↓ dopamine levels
Females:
↑ dopamine levels
Serotonin System
Serotonin (5-HT)
5-HT receptors (5-HT1AR, 5-HT1BR, 5-HT2R)
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
Basal levels:
Males > Females
Stress-induced ↑ in 5-HT levels: Females > Males
5-HT1BR activation: ↓ glutamate and GABA release only in males		 Females:
↑ 5-HT1 expression, low estrogen levels ↑ glutamate release and NMDA-dependent LTP via 5-HT1AR downregulation & ↓ GABAergic inhibition (↓ LTD) via 5-HT2R downregulation