Elevated Testosterone leads to Nerve Cell Apoptosis

Researchers at Yale found that taking large doses of steroids can lead to a critical loss in nerve cells. Steroids cause behavioral changes (such as aggressiveness) that show signs of changes in neuronal function. In neurons, testosterone acts as a neuroactive steroid and can alter neuron excitability by interacting with neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, which leads to changes in behavior and mood. Overactivation of the intracellular Ca2+ signaling pathways was found to trigger testosterone-induced apoptosis of the nerve cells.

I found this article interesting because it is relevant to brain/neuron physiology, which our group had to learn for our device design project.

Link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060926104352.htm