Identifying the role of androgens in endometrial function

The endometrium is a complex multicellular tissue that undergoes dynamic alterations under the control of ovarian-derived sex steroid hormones. During the proliferative phase of the human menstrual cycle, oestrogen induces proliferation of the endometrial epithelium while during the progesterone-dominated secretory phase, the endometrial stromal compartment differentiates in preparation for pregnancy. This differentiation event is termed decidualisation and it is accompanied by immune cell infiltration, vascular remodelling and secretion of cytokines and growth factors, as well as a newfound capacity of active steroid synthesis in the endometrium. Defective decidualisation has been described in several endometrial-associated disorders such as endometriosis, a pathology of ectopic endometrial tissue in the peritoneal cavity, often associated with infertility. Rodent models have been used for the investigation of endometrial physiology and pathology due to the similarity in uterine tissue architecture, appropriate endometrial responses to steroid hormones and the opportunity to inform cellular mechanisms using genetic manipulation. While the impact of 17β-oestradiol and progesterone on endometrial function ... (continues)