Gonadotropins (GTHs), FSH and LH, play central roles in vertebrate reproduction. Here, we report the production of biologically-active recombinant FSH (r-mtFSH) and LH (r-mtLH) of an endangered salmon species, Manchurian trout (Brachymystax lenok), by baculovirus in silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae. The biological activities of the recombinant hormones were analyzed using COS-7 cell line transient...

Overexpression of Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) related with a role in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis while little is known about the molecular mechanism alteration by HE4 up regulation. Here we reported that overexpressed HE4 promoted ovarian cancer cells proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, human whole genome gene expression profile microarrays revealed that 231 differentiall...

Low levels of expression and sluggish sterol-mediated regulation have been likely reasons for the failure to molecularly characterize a bona fide LDL receptor (LDLR) in egg-laying species to date. The overall structure of the chicken LDLR, delineated here by cDNA cloning, has been conserved in evolution, since hallmark properties of mammalian LDLRs are already present in the avian protein. The ...

Steroid cell tumors of the ovary are extremely rare, accounting for only 0.1% of all ovarian tumors. Of these, steroid cell tumors, not otherwise specified (NOS) constitute about 56% of all steroid cell tumors. Most steroid cell tumors secrete steroid hormones, and only about 10% to 15% of patients are asymptomatic. The morphology of steroid cell tumors, NOS is predominantly reported to be soli...

The etiology of ovarian epithelial cancer is poorly understood, mainly due to the lack of an appropriate experimental model for studying the onset and progression of this disease. We have created a mutant mouse model in which aberrant estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) signaling in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis leads to ovarian epithelial tumorigenesis. In these mice, termed ERαd/d, the ER...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of disorders affecting the adrenal steroid synthesis. The most common form, 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), leads to decreased production of cortisol and aldosterone with increased androgen secretion. In classic CAH, glucocorticoid treatment can be life-saving and serves to bring the symptoms under control. However, the treatment challenge is ...

The mammary gland is a dynamic organ that undergoes cyclic developmental and regressive changes during the lifetime of a female mammal. Mammogenesis begins during embryonic life with the development of the first mammary gland rudiments and ductal system. After birth, during the pre-pubertal period, the ductal growth of the mammary parenchyma occurs through the fat pad. In most of the ruminant s...

Microbial steroid biotransformation have found wide-reaching application for the production of more precious and functionalized compounds due to their high regio-and stereoselectivity. In this study, the possibility of using filamentous fungi Aspergillus brasiliensis cells in the biotransformation of progesterone (I), a C-21 steroid hormone was studied for the first time.The fungal strain was i...

Current hormone replacement therapy may not optimize cardiovascular health in women with premature ovarian failure. We compared the effects of physiological and standard sex steroid replacement regimens on cardiovascular health in these women. In an open-label, randomized, controlled crossover trial, 34 women with premature ovarian failure were randomly assigned to 4-week cycles of physiologica...