[Relevance of apoptosis in the female reproductive system].

Gabriela Meresman
Investigacion clinica · 2011 · vol. 52(3) , pp. 274–90 · PMID:21950199 · W2201947943
article OA: closed CC0
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Apoptosis is crucial for cyclic cell turnover in the female reproductive system, including the ovary, endometrium, and mammary gland, influencing development, tissue remodeling, and hormonal regulation.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Apoptosis is a genetically controlled form of cell suicide. Due to the cyclic nature of the female reproductive system, the ovary, the endometrium and the mammary gland sustain continuous cycles of cell growth and apoptosis in response to hormonal changes. Apoptotic cell death plays multiple roles during embryonic and organ development. It is involved in sculpturing tissues and serves to delete structures that are no longer required. It is clear that apoptosis plays an active and important role in ovarian physiological functions. Apoptosis plays a major role during folliculogenesis and dominant follicle selection and also plays part in corpus luteum regression. In addition, it has been shown that programmed cell death plays important roles in the mammary gland development and ductal morphogenesis. During puberty, lumen formation is associated with the selective apoptosis of centrally located cells. In turn, postlactational involution of the mammary gland is characterized by the secretory epithelial cells undergoing programmed cell death. Apoptosis has also been associated with physiological, as well as pathological, endometrial processes such as cancer and endometriosis. The delicate balance between apoptosis and cell proliferation is essential in controlling the cyclical growth of the reproductive tissues and plays an important role in the prevention of neoplastic transformation.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Apoptosis Breast Genitalia, Female Animals Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins Breast Caenorhabditis elegans Caenorhabditis elegans Caenorhabditis elegans Corpus Luteum Corpus Luteum Embryonic Development Endometriosis Endometriosis Epithelial Cells Epithelial Cells Female Genitalia, Female Genital Neoplasms, Female

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (71)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-06-11T06:19:48.454388+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:16:29.858026+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK