Are female sex steroids neuroprotective in experimental stroke.

The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system are important targets of gonadal steroids, which affect brain development and differentiation, and influence neuronal functions. Most of the studies have shown that female sex steroids progesterone and 17beta-estradiol exert protective effects in the experimental models of stroke, although deleterious effects have also been reported. Extensive studies on female sex steroids in cerebral ischemia have described their potential to act on multiple ischemic injury pathways, and pointed out the significance of numerous factors, including gender, age, brain region, duration of ischemia, and precise dose of steroids.