Endocrine Abstracts

The establishment of pregnancy requires dynamic remodelling of the endometrium. Decidualization, a key part of this process, is characterised by differentiation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESF) which secrete factors that regulate implantation and placental development. We recently discovered that ESF synthesise androgens which modulate the expression of endometrial receptivity and decidualization markers. Utilisation of the circulating androgen precursor DHEA within ta...

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is higher in women than men. Our study aimed to investigate the behavioral, biochemical, and histological changes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AD, to study effect of estrogen in AD clarifying the possible involved underlying mechanisms and its modulation by progestsserone. Groups: Female albino rats were divided into control, AD, AD+ovariectomy (OVX), AD+OVX+estrogen replacement and AD+OVX+estrogen+pr...

Prostaglandin (PG) E2 acts through its receptors (EP1–4) to influence uterine contractility during gestation and parturition. The aim of the present study was to identify functional EP receptor targets in isolated myometrium from term pregnant, non-labouring donors by use of specific and novel EP agonists.Biopsies of human myometrium were obtained at elective caesarean section from consenting term pregnant women, not in labour ...

Introduction: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) affects over 1 million women in the UK. At menses, progesterone (P4) withdrawal drives inflammation, tissue break-down and repair of the endometrium. Glucocorticoids are mediators of inflammation and angiogenesis. Our previous studies have demonstrated that differential endometrial expression of the glucocorticoid-metabolising enzymes, 11β-HSD-1 and -2, may play a role in HMB. We hypothesise that aberrant lo...