Sex Differences in Cortical Astroglia Throughout Postnatal Development

Sexual differentiation is a well characterized phenomena of the mammalian central nervous system. There are many structural and functional sex differences characterized throughout the brain and have been well studied. Unfortunately, less well understood is the sexually dimorphic prevalence of psychiatric, neurological, and mood and anxiety disorders in the human population. Many of which have developmental etiologies coinciding with organization of the neocortex. The developmental trajectory of the neocortex has a distinct and well understood temporal and mechanistic patterns. Astroglial cells are fundamental in neocortical development by facilitating radial neuron migration, synaptic maturation and pruning in addition to their neurogenic potential. Sexual dimorphism of astroglial and cells in the neocortex has not been studied. This study examines the phenotypic changes of cortical astroglial cells in postnatal development of both sexes. Although our study yields mixed results, the neurogenic potential of cortical astroglia is sexually dimorphic in the perinatal period.