Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM

The widespread use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and their resistance to degradation, renders human exposure to them inevitable. PFAS exposure disturbs endocrine function, potentially affecting cognitive development in new…

Endometriosis, characterized by uterine-like tissue growth outside the uterus, is a complex disorder with significant clinical implications. This review explores how body composition - both low body mass index (BMI) and obesity - modulates …

The Notch signaling pathway is conserved among mammalian species and controls proliferation, differentiation, and cell death in many organs throughout the body including the reproductive tract. Notch signaling plays critical roles in the de…

Nerves and blood vessels (BVs) establish extensive arborized networks to innervate tissues and deliver oxygen/metabolic support. Developmental cues direct the formation of these intricate and often overlapping patterns, which reflect close …

Progesterone acts through the progesterone receptor to direct physiological adaption of the uterus in preparation and completion of pregnancy. Genome-wide transcriptome and cistrome analyses have uncovered new members and novel modifiers of…

Endometriosis is the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and is characterized by progesterone resistance and changes in global and progesterone target gene expression. However, the mechanism behind this and whether it is innate,…

Endometriosis is an extremely prevalent estrogen-dependent condition characterized by the growth of ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, and is often presented with severe pain. Although the relationship between lesion and…

Coregulator recruitment to nuclear receptors (NRs) and other transcription factors is essential for proper metabolic gene regulation, with coactivators enhancing and corepressors attenuating gene transcription. The steroid receptor coactiva…

FKBP51 and FKBP52 are diverse regulators of steroid hormone receptor signaling, including receptor maturation, hormone binding and nuclear translocation. Although structurally similar, they are functionally divergent, which is largely attri…

The uterine endometrium is exquisitely sensitive to steroid hormones that act through well-described nuclear receptors. Estrogen drives epithelial proliferation, and progesterone inhibits growth and causes cell differentiation. The importan…

Clock gene expression has been observed in tissues of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Whereas the contribution of hypothalamic oscillators to the timing of reproductive biology is well known, the role of peripheral oscillator…

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a cell membrane phospholipid metabolite that can act as an extracellular signal. Its effects are mediated through at least five G protein-coupled receptors, LPA(1-5), and probably others as well. Studies in mu…

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) is a biologically active metabolite of 17beta-estradiol that appears to inhibit key processes associated with cell replication in vitro. The molecule has been suggested to have potent growth-inhibitory effects on p…

Dicer is an RNAse III endonuclease that is essential for the biogenesis of microRNAs and small interfering RNAs. These small RNAs post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA gene expression through several mechanisms to affect key cellular events …

Prostaglandins are bioactive lipids that exert an autocrine or paracrine function by binding to specific G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to activate intracellular signalling and gene transcription. Prostaglandins are key regulators of r…

A crucial stage in pregnancy is the implantation of the embryo into the endometrium. The endometrium, which is situated in the lining of the uterus, is a complex structure consisting of a single epithelial layer overlying a mesenchymal stro…

In contrast to normal endometrium, the expression of aromatase is aberrant in endometriosis and is stimulated by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). This results in local production of estrogen, which induces PGE2 formation and establishes a positive …

The steroid hormone progesterone is a key modulator of the cellular processes that are required for the development and maintenance of reproductive function. Produced primarily by ovarian granulosa cells, it mediates its biological activity…

The chemical characterization of the hypothalamic decapeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has stimulated the development of analogues of GnRH with important clinical applications. Chronic administration of the GnRH analogues nafar…