Endocrine Abstracts

In addition to their documented impact on the cardiovascular system, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have also been shown to modulate steroidogenesis. However, the mechanistic nature of PUFA action on steroid synthesis remains unknown. PUFAs are recognised modulators of cholesterol trafficking. Liver X receptor (LXR) is a known cholesterol sensor that regulates a range of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism including Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) which...

Mutations of the transcription factor GATA3, which is important for maintaining human breast luminal epithelial cell differentiation and quiescence, have been reported in 17 oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers, although the functional effects of these mutations have not been studied. We therefore investigated 56 ER-positive breast cancers for GATA3 mutations. The tumours were macrodissected, and immunohistochemistry for GATA3 revealed a strong correlation between E...