Glutamatergic dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple conditions including epilepsy, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), raising interest in potential ways of modifying glutamate in the nervous system. Emerging research has suggested an interactive effect between sex hormones and glutamatergic neurotransmission. The objective of this paper was to review existing literature on the mechanism of interaction between sex hormones and glutamatergic neurotransmission, as well as to explore what is known about these interactions in various neurological and psychiatric conditions. This paper summarizes knowledge regarding mechanisms for these effects, and glutamatergic response to direct modulation of sex hormones. Research articles were identified via scholarly databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. Articles were included if they were original research from peer-reviewed academic journals that dealt with glutamate, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, neurosteroids, glutamate and sex hormone interactions, or the potential impact of glutamate and sex hormone interactions in the following conditions: chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, and PMDD. Current evidence suggests that sex hormones can directly modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission, with specific protective effects against excitotoxicity noted for estrogens. An effect of monosodium glutamate consumption on sex hormone levels has also been demonstrated, suggesting a possible bidirectional effect. Overall, there is a good deal of evidence suggesting a role for sex hormones, and specifically for estrogens, in the modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission.

中文翻译：

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性激素、神经类固醇和谷氨酸神经传递：文献综述。

谷氨酸功能障碍与多种疾病的病理生理学有关，包括癫痫、慢性疼痛、创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 和经前焦虑症 (PMDD)，这引起了人们对改变神经系统中谷氨酸的潜在方法的兴趣。新兴研究表明性激素和谷氨酸能神经传递之间存在相互作用。本文的目的是回顾有关性激素和谷氨酸神经传递之间相互作用机制的现有文献，并探讨在各种神经和精神疾病中这些相互作用的已知情况。本文总结了有关这些效应的机制以及对性激素直接调节的谷氨酸能反应的知识。研究文章是通过 PubMed、Google Scholar 和 ProQuest 等学术数据库确定的。如果文章是来自同行评审学术期刊的原创研究，涉及谷氨酸、雌激素、黄体酮、睾酮、神经类固醇、谷氨酸和性激素相互作用，或者谷氨酸和性激素相互作用在以下情况下的潜在影响，则文章被纳入：慢性疼痛、癫痫、创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 和经前抑郁症 (PMDD)。目前的证据表明，性激素可以直接调节谷氨酸能神经传递，对雌激素的兴奋性毒性具有特定的保护作用。食用谷氨酸钠对性激素水平也有影响，这表明可能存在双向影响。总体而言，有大量证据表明性激素，特别是雌激素，在谷氨酸能神经传递的调节中发挥作用。