An overlooked connection: serotonergic mediation of estrogen-related physiology and pathology

BACKGROUND: In humans, serotonin has typically been investigated as a neurotransmitter. However, serotonin also functions as a hormone across animal phyla, including those lacking an organized central nervous system. This hormonal action allows serotonin to have physiological consequences in systems outside the central nervous system. Fluctuations in estrogen levels over the lifespan and during ovarian cycles cause predictable changes in serotonin systems in female mammals. DISCUSSION: We hypothesize that some of the physiological effects attributed to estrogen may be a consequence of estrogen-related changes in serotonin efficacy and receptor distribution. Here, we integrate data from endocrinology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and epidemiology to propose that serotonin may mediate the effects of estrogen. In the central nervous system, estrogen influences pain transmission, headache, dizziness, nausea, and depression, all of which are known to be a consequence of serotonergic signaling. Outside of the central nervous system, estrogen produces changes in bone density, vascular function, and immune cell self-recognition and activation that are consistent with serotonin's effects. For breast cancer risk, our hypothesis predicts heretofore unexplained observations of the opposing effects of obesity pre- and post-menopause and the increase following treatment with hormone replacement therapy using medroxyprogesterone. SUMMARY: Serotonergic mediation of estrogen has important clinical implications and warrants further evaluation

Boot camp–style teacher workshops to incorporate hands‐on activities in agricultural sciences

Food security is one of the most pressing concerns of our times. Despite the vast opportunities, there is a shortage of skilled professionals in the food, agriculture, and plant sciences. Although most programs focused on addressing this concern have targeted students, we have often overlooked another critical group—the teachers. To address this issue, we recruited high school teachers from the Pharr–San Juan–Alamo Independent School District (PSJA-ISD) in South Texas to participate in a workshop at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and fostered their agricultural knowledge through boot camp–style intensive training by faculty members in food, agriculture, and plant sciences. Through this project, we seek to indirectly educate nearly 2,000 high school students and use these lesson plans as models for undergraduate education. Results from the teacher and student assistant evaluations show that our workshop structure and design is effective in serving the objectives and instigating interest among teachers who plan to incorporate these into their lesson plans. Student assistants involved in the project also describe it as an opportunity to improve their teaching and public speaking skills. Taken together, we suggest that in addition to planning student-centered activities, the teacher-centered activities should also take the center stage in our fight for better food security