Endocrine Abstracts

The human endometrium is a complex multicellular tissue the prime function of which is to provide a receptive environment during a fertile cycle. The tissue responds to steroid hormones exhibiting dynamic cyclical regeneration, angiogenesis, differentiation (decidualisation) and inflammation. In the absence of an embryo the inner surface is shed and repaired without scarring (menstruation). The endometrium exhitbits spatial and temporal expression of androgen receptors (AR) in...

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynaecological malignancy. Obesity is a major risk factor for EC and is associated with elevated cholesterol. 27-Hydroxycholesterol (27HC) is a cholesterol metabolite that functions as an endogenous agonist for Liver X Receptor (LXR) and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Exposure to estrogenic ligands increases risk of developing EC however the impact of 27HC on EC is unknown.Samples of stage 1 EC ...

The uterus is an androgen-responsive tissue and AR is expressed in cells within the endometrium and myometrium. We have demonstrated that treatment of ovariectomised mice with the potent androgen dihydrosterone (DHT) induces a uterotrophic response with changes in expression of genes involved in cell-cycle progression, Wnt signalling and an expansion of the glandular epithelium. Selective androgen receptors modulators (SARMs) are AR ligands in development as potential therapeu...

Endometriosis is a chronic oestrogen-dependent incurable inflammatory disorder, defined by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity that affects 6–10% of women of reproductive age. It is associated with debilitating pelvic pain and subfertility with a significant impact on quality of life and estimated annual costs to the UK of £11.7 billion. Recent findings from our laboratory have shown that there is a shift in cell metabolism from mitocho...