INTRODUCTION: Activins, which belong to the Transforming Growth Factor-beta/ Bone Morphogenetic Protein (TGF/BMP) superfamily, are circulating cytokines involved in the process of inflammation of various tissues [1]. Follistatin is an endogeneous extracellular inhibitor for activins which binds and interfere the interaction between activins and their receptors. Jones et al showed that administ...

Follistatin (FST) and FST-like-3 (FSTL3) are structurally related proteins that bind and neutralize activin and closely related members of the TGFbeta superfamily. Three FST isoforms (FST288, FST303, and FST315) are produced from the Fst gene that are primarily secreted proteins. FSTL3 is secreted, but is also observed within the nucleus of most cells. We used pulse-chase (35)S labeling to exam...

Activins are growth and differentiation factors which have been shown to have proliferative and antiproliferative actions in many tissues. In addition, they have been implicated in tumourigenesis in reproductive tissues. Although activin and inhibin are present in rat ventral prostate, inhibin beta, but not alpha, subunit proteins have been detected in the human prostate epithelial tumour cell ...

The timed secretion of the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from pituitary gonadotrophs during the estrous cycle is crucial for normal reproductive functioning. The release of LH and FSH is stimulated by gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) secreted by hypothalamic GnRH neurons. It is controlled by the frequency of the GnRH signal that varies during the estrous c...

BACKGROUND Activins, members of the TGF-β superfamily, are key drivers of inflammation and are thought to play a significant role in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a process inherent to renal transplantation that negatively impacts early and late allograft function. Follistatin (FS) is a protein that binds activin and inhibits its activity. This study examined the response of activin A and ...