Endocrine Abstracts

Kit ligand (KL)-c-kit interaction is critical for oogenesis and folliculogenesis in the ovary. However, the significance of KL-c-kit loop in ovarian steroidogenesis has yet to be elucidated. We here investigated the impact of KL-c-kit interaction in regulation of steroidogenesis using rat primary granulosa cells co-cultured with oocytes. Treatment with soluble KL suppressed FSH-induced estradiol production and aromatase mRNA expression without changing FSH-induced progesterone...

Involvement of BMP-3b (also called GDF-10) in osteogenesis, embryogenesis and adipogenesis has been reported to date. However, the functional receptors and intracellular signaling of BMP-3b have yet to be determined. In the present study, we studied the cellular mechanism of BMP-3b in osteoblast differentiation using mouse myoblastic C2C12 cells, which show osteoblasitc differentiation in response to osteogenetic BMP ligands. BMP-3b stimulated activin/TGF-β-responsive pro...

Here, we investigated roles of p38 MAPK pathway in the regulation of FSH-induced steroidogenesis using co-culture of rat primary granulosa cells with oocytes. The p38 protein was readily phosphorylated in granulosa cells by treatment with activin and FSH. The activin effect on p38 phosphorylation was abolished by a selective ALK-4, -5, -7 inhibitor SB431542. SB431542 suppressed FSH-induced estradiol production, but had no effect on progesterone production with a marginal reduc...

Estrogen action is involved in the development and progression of breast cancer. In the present study, we studied the effects of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) on breast cancer cell proliferation induced by estrogen using human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 cells express estrogen receptors (ER)α and β, BMP receptors, and Smad signaling molecules. Estradiol and membrane-impermeable estradiol stimulated MCF-7 cell proliferation. Estradiol also reduced mRNA level...