Thyroid hormone: sex-dependent role in nervous system regulation and disease

Abstract

Thyroid hormone (TH) regulates many functions including metabolism, cell differentiation, and nervous system development. Alteration of thyroid hormone level in the body can lead to nervous system-related problems linked to cognition, visual attention, visual processing, motor skills, language, and memory skills. TH has also been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. Males and females display sex-specific differences in neuronal signaling. Steroid hormones including testosterone and estrogen are considered to be the prime regulators for programing the neuronal signaling in a male- and female-specific manner. However, other than steroid hormones, TH could also be one of the key signaling molecules to regulate different brain signaling in a male- and female-specific manner. Thyroid-related diseases and neurological diseases show sex-specific incidence; however, the molecular mechanisms behind this are not clear. Hence, it will be very beneficial to understand how TH acts in male and female brains and what are the critical genes and signaling networks. In this review, we have highlighted the role of TH in nervous system regulation and disease outcome and given special emphasis on its sex-specific role in male and female brains. A network model is also presented that provides critical information on TH-regulated genes, signaling, and disease.