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Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021 Apr 18:111284. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, Tx, 79430, USA.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy among women worldwide and is a significant cause of morbidity, mortality, and national health care expenditure. Unfortunately, with few exceptions like alcohol consumption, obesity, and physical activity, most BC risk factors are unmodifiable. Antiestrogen endocrine therapy, commonly known as BC chemoprevention, is an effective method of BC prevention. Read More

J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil.

Oligodendrocytes produce the myelin that is critical for rapid neuronal transmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Disruption of myelin has devastating effects on CNS function, as in the demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Microglia are the endogenous immune cells of the CNS and play a central role in demyelination and repair. Read More

Brain Struct Funct 2021 Apr 20. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Mental Health, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.

Numerous processes of neuronal development and synaptic plasticity in the brain rely on the palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC7, as it palmitoylates various synaptic and extrasynaptic proteins such as neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. In addition, ZDHHC7 palmitoylates sex steroid hormone receptors and is, therefore, indirectly linked to mental disorders that often occur because of or in conjunction with stress. In this work, we investigated how ZDHHC7 affects stress responses in mice. Read More

J Endocrinol 2021 Apr 1. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

V Vieira-Potter, Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri System, Columbia, United States.

Estrogen receptor  (ERb), one of the two major estrogen receptors, acts via genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways to affect many metabolic functions, including mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. This study assessed the effect of ERb classical genomic activity on adipocyte-specific and systemic metabolic responses to wheel running exercise in a rodent model of menopause. Female mice lacking the ERb DNA-binding domain (ERbDBDKO, N = 20) and wild-type (WT, N = 21) littermate controls were fed high-fat diet (HFD), ovariectomized (OVX), and randomized to control (no running wheel) and exercise (running wheel access) groups and were followed for eight weeks. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2021 Apr 20;27:e929170. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND Postmenopausal osteoporosis, a common disease among elderly women, is linked to estrogen deficiency, mechanical loading, and genotype. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are formed through reverse splicing of the splice donor at the 3' end and the splice accepter at the 5' end in pre-mRNA and have been shown to be involved in the development of multiple diseases. Based on their high sequence conservation and stability, circRNAs may be useful biomarkers in different diseases. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 Apr 19;13. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Geriatrics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, Sichuang, China.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease known to be mediated by numerous factors, among which endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role. Oscillatory shear stress induces endothelial cells to lose their anti-atherosclerotic properties and downregulates the expression of the innate protective transcription factor, Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), which is typically upregulated in vascular endothelial cells in response to harmful stimuli. Oxidative stress and inflammation impair endothelial function and damage their survival. Read More

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, United States.

We recently reported that compared to males, female mice have increased hepatic mitochondrial respiratory capacity and are protected against high-fat diet-induced steatosis. Here we sought to determine the role of estrogen in hepatic mitochondrial function, steatosis, and bile acid metabolism in female mice, as well as investigate potential benefits of exercise in the absence or presence of estrogen via ovariectomy (OVX). Female C57BL mice (n=6 per group) were randomly assigned to sham surgery (Sham), ovariectomy (OVX), or OVX plus estradiol replacement therapy (OVX+Est). Read More

Oncol Lett 2021 Jun 1;21(6):440. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Pathology, The First Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China.

DEK proto-oncogene (DEK) has been demonstrated as an oncogene and is associated with the development of many types of tumor; however, the expression and role of DEK in breast cancer remain unknown. The present study aimed to determine the role of DEK in the progression of breast cancer. The expression of DEK in 110 breast cancer tissues and 50 adjacent normal breast tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry. Read More

Oncol Lett 2021 Jun 31;21(6):432. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of General Surgery, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232007, P.R. China.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and is responsible for a high mortality rate. However, the underlying pathological mechanism of breast cancer remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) play critical roles in the progression of breast cancer. Read More

Endocr J 2021 Apr 17. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.

The brain mechanism responsible for the pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is important for maintaining reproductive function in mammals. Accumulating evidence suggests that kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin A (KNDy) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) play a critical role in the regulation of pulsatile GnRH and subsequent gonadotropin secretion. Dynorphin A (Dyn) and its receptor, kappa-opioid receptor (KOR, encoded by Oprk1), have been shown to be involved in the suppression of pulsatile GnRH/luteinizing hormone (LH) release. Read More

Cancer Cell Int 2021 Apr 17;21(1):225. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

Department of Hepatic Surgery (II) of the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Navy Medical University, (Second Military Medical University), #225 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common malignant hepatic tumor and has a high postoperative recurrence rate and a poor prognosis. The key roles of most tumor recurrence-associated molecules in iCCA remain unclear. This study aimed to explore hub genes related to the postsurgical recurrence of iCCA. Read More

Life Sci 2021 Apr 13:119480. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China; Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Aims: Bone defect repair in osteoporosis remains a tremendous challenge for clinicians due to increased bone metabolism resulted from estrogen deficiency. This study aims to investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) combined with fibrin glue (FG) in the extraction socket healing process of osteoporosis rats, as well as estimate the role of estrogen receptors (ERs) played in BMSCs differentiation in vitro and in the alveolar bone reconstruction process in vivo.

Main Methods: Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups, under general anesthesia, three groups underwent bilateral ovariectomy(OVX) and one group with the sham operation. Read More

PLoS One 2021 16;16(4):e0246264. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Bioactive Material Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea.

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator used for breast cancer patients. Prolonged use of tamoxifen is not recommended for some patients. In this study, we aimed to identify molecular targets sensitive to TAM using a genome-wide gene deletion library screening of fission yeast heterozygous mutants. Read More

Acta Oncol 2021 Apr 16:1-7. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Centre for Translational Microbiome Reseaarch (CTMR), Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), yet it is largely unclear whether it could also influence survival in women with CRC. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the influence of prediagnostic MHT use on CRC-specific and all-cause mortality in women with CRC.

Methods: This nationwide nested cohort study, within a large population-based matched cohort, included all women diagnosed with incident CRC between January 2006 and December 2012 (N = 7814). Read More

Theranostics 2021 13;11(11):5491-5510. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.

Postmenopausal-induced bone loss is mainly caused by declining core transcription factors (TFs) of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), but little is known about how miRNAs regulate chromatin structure remodeling of TFs gene to maintain BMSCs function in bone homeostasis. We examined the serum, salivary and bone samples from Pre- and Post-menopause women by paired analysis and confirmed canonical ceRNA role of MIR143HG and miR-143/145 complexes in cytoplasm and noncanonical role for SOX2 transcription in nucleus (FISH, qRT-PCR, immunostaining, Luciferase assays and ChIP). Moreover, we took advantage of transgenic mice under OVX-induced osteoporosis, studying the and effect of miR-143/145 deletion on BMSCs function and bone homeostasis. Read More

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021 30;12:660815. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Molecular and Cellular Gynecological Endocrinology Laboratory (MCGEL), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

D-Chiro-Inositol (D-Chiro-Ins) is a secondary messenger in the insulin signaling pathway. D-Chiro-Ins modulates insulin secretion, the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and glycogen storage. Due to these actions D-Chiro-Ins has been proposed to correct defective insulin function in a variety of conditions characterized by metabolic dysfunction, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, gestational diabetes and fat accumulation at menopause. Read More

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021 30;12:650625. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.

Inflammation is a primary component of both initiation and promotion of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cytokines secreted by macrophages, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), activates the pro-survival transcription factor complex NFκB. The precise mechanism of NFκB in CRC is not well studied, but we recently reported the genome-wide transcriptional impact of TNFα in two CRC cell lines. Read More

J Pain Res 2021 9;14:931-940. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implant, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Objective: Pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis (OA). Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a crucial role in the generation of OA pain. And estrogen-alone used resulted in a sustained joint pain reduction in postmenopausal women. Read More

Mol Biol Rep 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disease characterized by extrauterine benign leiomyomatosis in patients with a previous or concomitant history of uterine leiomyoma. Currently, there are no specific criteria to predict the metastasizing ability of the uterine leiomyoma and the risk of malignant degeneration of pulmonary BML, and these are the aims of this study. We analyzed 10 uterine (three leiomyomas, four leiomyomas that gave rise to lung BML, three healthy tissues) and 11 pulmonary tissue samples (eight lung BML, three healthy tissues). Read More

Endocrinology 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Dept. of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

In females, ovarian estradiol (E2) exerts both negative and positive feedback regulation on the neural circuits governing reproductive hormone secretion, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this remain poorly understood. In rodents, ERα-expressing kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular region (AVPV) are prime candidates to mediate E2 positive feedback induction of preovulatory GnRH and LH surges. E2 stimulates AVPV Kiss1 expression, but the full extent of estrogen effects in these neurons is unknown; whether E2 stimulates or inhibits other genes in AVPV Kiss1 cells has not been determined. Read More

Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

FCMSCSP Ringgold Standard Institution-Morphology, São Paulo, Brazil.

Estrogen is an important hormone for health in both genders. It is indispensable to glucose homeostasis, immune robustness, bone health, cardiovascular health, and neural functions. The main way that estrogen acts in the cells is through estrogen receptors (ERs). Read More

Endocr Rev 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris-Diderot, CNRS, INSERM, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative UMR 8251, Physiologie de l'Axe Gonadotrope U1133, Paris, France.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), also called Müllerian inhibiting substance, was shown to be synthesized by the ovary in the eighties. This article reviews the main findings of the past 20 years on the regulation of the expression of AMH and its specific receptor AMHR2 by granulosa cells, the mechanism of action of AMH, the different roles it plays in the reproductive organs, its clinical utility and its involvement in the principal pathological conditions affecting women. The findings in respect of regulation tell us that AMH and AMHR2 expression is mainly regulated by Bone Morphogenetic Proteins, gonadotropins and estrogens. Read More

Mol Hum Reprod 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Institut de Génétique Humaine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Montpellier, 34396 Montpellier, France.

Adenomyosis is characterised by epithelial gland and mesenchymal stroma invasion of the uterine myometrium. Adenomyosis is an oestrogen-dependent gynaecological disease in which a number of factors, such as inflammatory molecules, prostaglandins (PGs), angiogenic factors, cell proliferation and extracellular matrix remodelling proteins also play a role as key disease mediators. In this study, we used mice lacking both L- and H-prostaglandin D synthase (Pgds) genes in which PGD2 is not produced to elucidate PGD2 roles in the uterus. Read More

J Food Biochem 2021 Apr 13:e13725. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used as a plasticizer in polycarbonate plastics. It has been used in consumer products and epoxy resins for decades as protective coatings and linings for food and beverage bottles. This can trigger human reactions to BPA which interferes with estrogen receptors. Read More

J Endocrinol 2021 Apr 1. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

H Sun, physiology department, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.

Currently, there are no conventional treatments for stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCM, also known as Takotsubo syndrome), and the existing therapies are not effective. The recently discovered G protein- coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) executes the rapid effects of estrogen (E2). In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of GPER on epinephrine (Epi)-induced cardiac stress. Read More

Cell Death Dis 2021 Apr 12;12(4):389. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar, HBNI, P.O. Jatni, Khurda, Odisha, 752050, India.

IQGAP2, a member of the IQGAP family, functions as a tumor suppressor in most of the cancers. Unlike IQGAP1 and IQGAP3, which function as oncogenes in breast cancer, the role of IQGAP2 is still unexplored. Here we report a reduced expression of IQGAP2, which was associated with lymph node positivity, lymphovascular invasion, and higher age in breast cancer patients. Read More

Eur J Histochem 2021 Apr 13;65(2). Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing.

There is a prominent local raised pad called nuptial pad on the forelimb of Chinese brown frog (Rana dybowskii), which is hypothetically concluded as an enhancement of the grip and a spreader of pheromone during the amplexus. In this study, we investigated the immunolocalization and protein expression levels of AR, ERα, ERβ and aromatase in the nuptial pad of R. dybowskii during pre-hibernation and the breeding period. Read More

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021 Apr 9;211:105898. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Neuroendocrinology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India. Electronic address:

Optimal functioning of Sertoli cells is crucial for spermatogenesis which is under tight regulation of sex hormones, estrogen and androgen. Adult rat Sertoli cells expresses estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and androgen receptor (AR), both of which regulate gene transcription by binding to the DNA. The present study is aimed to acquire a genome-wide map of estrogen- and androgen-regulated genes in adult Sertoli cells. Read More

Laryngoscope 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Objectives: Otitis media (OM) is the most common pediatric diagnosis in the United States. However, our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of OM remains relatively poor. Investigation of molecular pathways involved in OM may improve the understanding of this disease process and elucidate novel therapeutic targets. Read More

J Cancer Prev 2021 Mar;26(1):18-24

Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Piscataway, NJ, USA.

Endocrine disruptors, such as bisphenol A (BPA), have become more frequently present in the environment as contaminants, especially in industrialized countries. Long-term effects of these environmental contaminants in humans are elusive. With their structural similarity to estrogen, many environmental contaminants including BPA, have been shown to mimic the biological functions of estrogen, potentially contributing to the development of breast cancer. Read More