Publications

Lenz Lab publications:

• Hormonal contraceptives during adolescence impact the female brain and behavior in a rat model.  Gilfarb RA, Ranade S, Smail M, Wangler L, Stewart M, Rajesh A, Lenz KM, Leuner B. Horm Behav. 2025 May;171:105725. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105725. Epub 2025 Apr 5. PMID: 40188588

• Hormonal contraceptives in adolescence impact the neuroimmune environment of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in female rats. Gilfarb RA, Ranade S, Dybas E, Biddle A, Stewart M, Rajesh A, Leuner B, Lenz KM. Brain Behav Immun. 2025 Jul;127:315-328. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.02.016. Epub 2025 Feb 18. PMID: 39978694

• Peripartum buprenorphine and oxycodone exposure impair maternal behavior and increase neuroinflammation in new mother rats.  Dye CN, Webb AI, Fankhauser MP, Singleton JJ, Kalathil A, Ringland A, Leuner B, Lenz KM. Brain Behav Immun. 2025 Feb;124:264-279. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.11.027. Epub 2024 Nov 27. PMID: 39612963

• Developmental functions of microglia: Impact of psychosocial and physiological early life stress. Smail MA, Lenz KM. Neuropharmacology. 2024 Nov 1;258:110084. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110084. Epub 2024 Jul 17. PMID: 39025401

• Prenatal allergic inflammation in rats confers sex-specific alterations to oxytocin and vasopressin innervation in social brain regions. Breach MR, Akouri HE, Costantine S, Dodson CM, McGovern N, Lenz KM. Horm Behav. 2023 Sep 22;157:105427. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105427. PMID: 37743114

• Microglia depletion facilitates the display of maternal behavior and alters activation of the maternal brain network in nulliparous female rats. Dye CN, Franceschelli D, Leuner B, Lenz KM. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023 Dec;48(13):1869-1877. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01624-1. .PMID: 37330580
• Sex Differences in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Key Role for the Immune System. Breach MR, Lenz KM. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2023;62:165-206. doi: 10.1007/7854_2022_308.PMID: 35435643
• Prenatal allergic inflammation in rats programs the developmental trajectory of dendritic spine patterning in brain regions associated with cognitive and social behavior. Breach MR, Dye CN, Galan A, Lenz KM. Brain Behav Immun. 2022 May;102:279-291. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.026. PMID: 35245680
• Immune System Alterations and Postpartum Mental Illness: Evidence From Basic and Clinical Research. Dye C, Lenz KM, Leuner B.Front Glob Womens Health. 2022 Feb 10;2:758748. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.758748. PMID: 35224544
• Maternal allergic inflammation in rats impacts the offspring perinatal neuroimmune milieu and the development of social play, locomotor behavior, and cognitive flexibility. Breach MR, Dye CN, Joshi A, Platko S, Gilfarb RA, Krug AR, Franceschelli DV, Galan A, Dodson CM, Lenz KM. Brain Behav Immun. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.025. PMID: 33798637
• Microglia Regulate Cell Genesis in a Sex-dependent Manner in the Neonatal Hippocampus.Nelson LH, Peketi P, Lenz KM. Neuroscience. 2021 Jan 15;453:237-255. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.009. PMID: 33129890
• Sex differences in the effects of early life stress exposure on mast cells in the developing rat brain. Joshi A, Page CE, Damante M, Dye CN, Haim A, Leuner B, Lenz KM.Horm Behav. 2019 Jul;113:76-84. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.012. PMID: 31054843
• Neuroimmunology of the female brain across the lifespan: Plasticity to psychopathology. Barrientos RM, Brunton PJ, Lenz KM, Pyter L, Spencer SJ.Brain Behav Immun. 2019 Jul;79:39-55. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.03.010. PMID: 30872093
• Small cells with big implications: Microglia and sex differences in brain development, plasticity and behavioral health. Nelson LH, Saulsbery AI, Lenz KM.Prog Neurobiol. 2019 May;176:103-119. doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.09.002. PMID: 30193820
• Mast Cells in the Developing Brain Determine Adult Sexual Behavior. Lenz KM, Pickett LA, Wright CL, Davis KT, Joshi A, McCarthy MM. J Neurosci. 2018 Sep 12;38(37):8044-8059. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1176-18.2018. PMID: 30093566
• Microglia and Beyond: Innate Immune Cells As Regulators of Brain Development and Behavioral Function. Lenz KM, Nelson LH.Front Immunol. 2018 Apr 13;9:698. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00698.  PMID: 29706957
• Neuroimmunology and neuroepigenetics in the establishment of sex differences in the brain. McCarthy MM, Nugent BM, Lenz KM. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2017 Aug;18(8):471-484. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2017.61. PMID: 28638119
• Sex differences in microglial phagocytosis in the neonatal hippocampus. Nelson LH, Warden S, Lenz KM. Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Aug;64:11-22. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.03.010. Epub 2017 Mar 22.PMID: 28341582
• The immune system as a novel regulator of sex differences in brain and behavioral development. Nelson LH, Lenz KM. J Neurosci Res. 2017 Jan 2;95(1-2):447-461. doi: 10.1002/jnr.23821.PMID: 27870450
• A survey of neuroimmune changes in pregnant and postpartum female rats. Haim A, Julian D, Albin-Brooks C, Brothers HM, Lenz KM, Leuner B.Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Jan;59:67-78. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.026. PMID: 27686844
• Microglia depletion in early life programs persistent changes in social, mood-related, and locomotor behavior in male and female rats. Nelson LH, Lenz KM. Behav Brain Res. 2017 Jan 1;316:279-293. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.006. PMID: 27613230
• Brain feminization requires active repression of masculinization via DNA methylation. Nugent BM, Wright CL, Shetty AC, Hodes GE, Lenz KM, Mahurkar A, Russo SJ, Devine SE, McCarthy MM. Nat Neurosci. 2015 May;18(5):690-7. doi: 10.1038/nn.3988. PMID: 25821913
• Brain feminization requires active repression of masculinization via DNA methylation. Nugent BM, Wright CL, Shetty AC, Hodes GE, Lenz KM, Mahurkar A, Russo SJ, Devine SE, McCarthy MM. Nat Neurosci. 2015 May;18(5):690-7. doi: 10.1038/nn.3988. PMID: 25821913
• Microglia are essential to masculinization of brain and behavior. Lenz KM, Nugent BM, Haliyur R, McCarthy MM. J Neurosci. 2013 Feb 13;33(7):2761-72. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1268-12.2013.PMID: 23407936