Oestrogens, including the natural hormones oestrone and oestradiol, induce various tumours in laboratory animals and have been recognized to be carcinogens in humans, raising the risk for breast and uterine cancer. As part of the search for the mechanism of hormone-induced carcinogenesis, various types of DNA damage have been detected which have been induced by oestrogens in cell-free systems, ...

Mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) cause familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH), but the penetrance is reduced and females are significantly overrepresented. In addition, gene expression data implicating the oestrogen-metabolising enzyme CYP1B1 suggests a detrimental role of oestrogens or oestrogen metabolites. We examined genetic and metabolic markers of a...

Gonadal sex steroids modulate GH synthesis and secretion with effects on both the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary. In the post-pubertal animal, androgens and oestrogens modulate hypothalamic somatostatin (SS) and GHRH synthesis respectively. These effects may be direct as SS neurons express the androgen receptor and many GHRH neurons are oestrogen receptor positive. The neonatal steroid env...

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional regulator of cellular growth and differentiation in many cell types and has a growth inhibitory effect on mammary epithelial cells. The TGF-beta 2 isoform has been shown to be present in high concentrations in breast cyst fluid and might have a protective role in breast cancer. In addition, oestrogens play an important role in brea...

Oligonucleotide microarrays were used to analyse gene expression profiles in human ZR75-1 breast cancer cells in the presence of 17beta-oestradiol and oestrogen antagonists. Differential gene expression of a number of genes was confirmed by quantitative RNA analysis. In addition to known oestrogen-responsive genes, an appreciable number of novel targets were identified, including growth factors...

Prostate cancer is the primary cancer in males, with increasing global incidence rates making this malignancy a significant healthcare burden. Androgens not only promote normal prostate maturity but also influence the development and progression of prostate cancer. Intriguingly, evidence now suggests endogenous and exogenous oestrogens, in the form of phytoestrogens, may be equally as relevant ...