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...

Thyroid hormones are essential for optimum fetal neurodevelopment. In-utero nutrition is dependant on adequate placentation. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) have been demonstrated to affect proliferation of human trophoblast and may therefore play a role in adequate human placentation. Intrauterine growth restriction (a process associated with malplacentation) is associated with fetal hypothyroxinemia and enhanced thyroid receptor (TR) expressi...