Gender Differences in Cortisol and Cortisol Receptors in Depression: A Narrative Review

Chuin Hau Teo, Ally Chai Hui Wong, Rooba Nair Sivakumaran, Ishwar Parhar, Tomoko Soga*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stress is known to have a significant impact on mental health. While gender differences can be found in stress response and mental disorders, there are limited studies on the neuronal mechanisms of gender differences in mental health. Here, we discuss gender and cortisol in depression as presented by recent clinical studies, as well as gender differences in the role of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in stress-associated mental disorders. When examining clinical studies drawn from PubMed/MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine) and EMBASE, salivary cortisol generally showed no gender correlation. However, young males were reported to show heightened cortisol reactivity compared to females of similar age in depression. Pubertal hormones, age, early life stressors, and types of bio-samples for cortisol measurement affected the recorded cortisol levels. The role of GRs and MRs in the HPA axis could be different between males and females during depression, with increased HPA activity and upregulated MR expression in male mice, while the inverse happened in female mice. The functional heterogeneity and imbalance of GRs and MRs in the brain may explain gender differences in mental disorders. This knowledge and understanding will support the development of gender-specific diagnostic markers involving GRs and MRs in depression.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7129
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume24
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023/04

Keywords

  • cortisol
  • depression
  • gender
  • glucocorticoid receptors
  • mineralocorticoid receptors
  • stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Molecular Biology
  • Spectroscopy
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

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