Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Glucocorticoids may exert important actions in early pregnancy on the invading trophoblast. The local actions of glucocorticoids can be modulated by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) enzymes which catalyse inter-conversion of cortisol with its inert metabolite, cortisone. Although two cloned 11β-HSD isoenzymes are known to be expressed in the term placenta, their expression and activity have not been well characterised in the first trimest...