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Female Reproductive Systems: Hormone Dependence and Receptor Expression

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Nuclear Receptors in Human Health and Disease

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1390))

Abstract

The female reproductive system which consists of the ovaries, uterus (myometrium, endometrium), Fallopian tubes, cervix and vagina is exquisitely sensitive to the actions of steroid hormones. The ovaries play a key role in the synthesis of bioactive steroids (oestrogens, androgens, progestins) that act both within the tissue (intracrine/paracrine) as well as on other reproductive organs following release into the blood stream (endocrine action). Sex steroid receptors encoded by the oestrogen (ESR1, ESR2), progesterone (PR) and androgen (AR) receptor genes, which are members of the superfamily of ligand activated transcription factors are widely expressed within these tissues. These receptors play critical role(s) in regulation of cell proliferation, ovulation, endometrial receptivity, myometrial cell function and inflammatory cell infiltration. Our understanding of their importance has been informed by studies on human tissues and cells, which have employed immunohistochemistry as well as a wide range of molecular and genetic methods to identify which processes are dependent steroid ligand activation. The development of mice with targeted deletions of each of these receptors has provided complementary data that has extended our appreciation of cell-cell interactions in the fine tuning of reproductive tissue function. This large body of work has formed the basis of new and improved therapeutics to treat conditions such as infertility.

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Acknowledgements

Studies exploring the role(s) of steroid hormone receptors on reproductive function conducted in the senior author’s laboratory have been funded by grants from the UK Medical Research Council (MR/N024524/1; G1100356/1).

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  1. Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Kevin K. W. Kuan & Philippa T. K. Saunders

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Correspondence to Philippa T. K. Saunders .

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  1. College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Moray J. Campbell

  2. Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Charlotte L. Bevan

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Kuan, K.K.W., Saunders, P.T.K. (2022). Female Reproductive Systems: Hormone Dependence and Receptor Expression. In: Campbell, M.J., Bevan, C.L. (eds) Nuclear Receptors in Human Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1390. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_2

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