Transcriptional signatures of steroid hormones in the striatal neurons and astrocytes.

The obtained results indicate that glial cells might be the primary targets of transcriptional action of steroids in the central nervous system. Substantial changes in gene expression driven by the glucocorticoid receptor imply an important role for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the hormone-dependent regulation of brain physiology. This is an in vitro study. Hence, the model may not accurately reflect all the effects of steroids on gene expression in neurons in vivo.