testosterone and aromatase

[togetherwecan]

Brooke came across this today...the highlighted part is quite interesting...let's discuss...

Effects on the brain
As testosterone affects the entire body (often by enlarging; men have bigger hearts, lungs, liver, etc.) the brain is also affected by this "sexual" advancement; the enzyme aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen that is responsible for masculinization of the brain in a male fetus. Factors that in any way reduce aromatase can result in an individual with male gender, male body but with a "female" brain.
There are some differences in a male and female brain (the result of testosterone); a clear difference is the size, the male human brain is on average larger, however in females (that do not use testosterone as much) the corpus callosum is proportionally larger. This means that the effect of testosterone is a greater overall brain volume, but a decreased connection between the hemispheres.[4]

Recent research has suggested that alcohol consumption in women can temporarily raise testosterone levels. A 2006 BBC article states: "According to medical research, testosterone - the hormone connected to male characteristics such as aggression and sex drive - rises in women by up to 50% when they get drunk. In men, it falls" [1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone

Aromatase is an enzyme of the cytochrome P450 group (EC 1.14.14.1), whose function is to mediate the aromatization of androgens (that is, to selectively increase their aromaticity), producing estrogens. As such, it is an important factor in sexual development.

The enzyme is located in the endoplasmic reticulum of the cell and its activity is regulated by tissue specific promoters that are in turn controlled by hormones, cytokines, and other factors. The principal action of the enzyme transforms androstenedione to estrone and testosterone to estradiol. The aromatase enzyme can be found in many tissues including gonads, brain, adipose tissue, placenta, blood vessels, skin, bone, endometrium as well as in tissue of endometriosis, uterine fibroids, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

Factors known to increase aromatase activity include age, obesity, insulin, gonadotropins, and alcohol. Aromatase activity is decreased by prolactin, AMH, and smoking. Aromatase activity appears to be enhanced in certain estrogen-dependent local tissue next to breast cancer, endometrial cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatase

[Dennis]

Factors known to increase aromatase activity include age, obesity, insulin, gonadotropins, and alcohol. Aromatase activity is decreased by prolactin, AMH, and smoking.

What I'm getting out of this is that if I continue to smoke, I may counter the possible effect of reduction of testosterone caused by drinking. I like it!

Serious discussion may commence now

Dennis

[Tiffany Elise]

If the female brain is physically smaller wouldn't this at last give some solid proof for those who are sceptical? Just wondering.
Tiff

[ChildOfTheLight]

If the female brain is physically smaller wouldn't this at last give some solid proof for those who are sceptical? Just wondering.
Tiff

Maybe so, if:

1. There's not much, if any, overlap between the range of male and female brain sizes (after controlling for things like weight and height.)
2. MtF transsexuals are shown to have female brain sizes, and FtMs are shown to have male brain sizes, before any hormone treatment.  (One study suggested this on some part of the brain that met condition 1, but it was after hormone treatment, which another study suggests does affect these things, so it's not clear what to make of that.)

[togetherwecan]

Do we agree this is an interesting piece of information?

[TheBattler]

Do we agree this is an interesting piece of information?

Yes - I would love to know why I am like I am. I would love to give people some medial evidence that says for sure I have a female brain. I act like a female and have many feminine charateristric, if I could somehow prove my mind is feminine perhaps it would make any decision on transistion easier.

Alice

[togetherwecan]

I think with this bit of information we look to our parents and what was going on with them during conception and pregnancy. Where our mothers in the above mentioned category? If so, can it be proven? With proof, we do what? Can we change legislation with infomation like this if properly positioned? If so how? How can we take this and use it to our advantage to make all the red tape of transition easier? There has got to be something here...

[Tiffany Elise]

  Personally, I am very interested in finding out if this could be proven. This is not the place to get all religious but for some of us this would this would make all the difference in whether or not to transition and it would shed a whole new light on the issue of "clobber passages" being used on those who have no control over their feelings.
  It would point out where many may have judged or condemned that which they knew nothing about.
  I hope that makes sense.
  Tiff

[togetherwecan]

It makes perfect sense and who better than us to investigate and do whatever we can to set things straight?