The impact of estrogen exposure in preventing or treating cardiovascular disease is controversial. But it is clear that estrogen has important effects on vascular physiology and pathophysiology, with potential therapeutic implications. Therefore, the goal of this review is to summarize, using an integrated approach, current knowledge of the vascular effects of estrogen, both in humans and in ex...

Estrogens are eliminated from the body by metabolic conversion to estrogenically inactive metabolites that are excreted in the urine and/or feces. The first step in the metabolism of estrogens is the hydroxylation catalyzed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Since most CYP isoforms are abundantly expressed in liver, the metabolism of estrogens mainly occurs in the liver. A major metabolite of es...

Kunovac Kallak, T. 2015. Hormonal Regulation of Vaginal Mucosa. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1076. 65 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-554-9181-9. Vaginal atrophy symptoms such as dryness, irritation, and itching, are common after menopause. Vaginal estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment but not appropria...

Numerous epidemiological studies clearly suggest that estrogen is one of the main driving forces in breast tumorigenesis, but precise mechanisms of cancer promotion by estrogen remain poorly understood. Classically, tumorigenic effects of estrogen have been attributed to its ability to directly promote the proliferation of breast cancer cells. In addition to abnormal proliferation, interactions...

Estrogens have long been known as important regulators of the female reproductive functions; however, our understanding of the role estrogens play in the human body has changed significantly over the past years. It is now commonly accepted that estrogens and androgens have important functions in both female and male physiology and pathology. This is in part due to the local synthesis and action...

Aims: Breast and ovarian cancers are frequently associated with mutations in genes involved DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR). Risk factors for breast cancer often linked to estrogen-related pathways. Here, we studied the crosslink between estrogen HR pathway. Methods: We analyzed, using online annotation tolls, enrichment of candidate estrogen-upregulated am...

Estrogens are classically viewed as hormones that bind to intracellular receptors, which then act as transcription factors to modulate gene expression; however, they also affect many aspects of neuronal functioning by rapid nongenomic actions. Brain estrogen production can be regulated within minutes by changes in aromatase (estrogen synthase) activity as a result of calcium-dependent phosphory...

Cytochrome P450 enzymes that metabolize estrogens are expressed in the mammary gland, uterus, brain and other target tissues for estrogen action, and this results in the formation of hydroxylated estrogens in these tissues. Estradiol metabolites formed in target tissues at or near estrogen receptors may either be inactive or have important biological effects, and changes in the activities of es...

BACKGROUND Labial adhesions are common in young girls and menopausal women. Topical estrogen is the first line of therapy for these adhesions. Based on a systematic literature review, postpartum labial adhesions are uncommon in clinical practice. They are not painful but can prevent patients from resuming normal sexual activity. Topical estrogen therapy is an ineffective treatment option for ad...

Although it has been known for many years that estrogen administration has deleterious effects on male fertility, data from transgenic mice deficient in estrogen receptors or aromatase point to an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the localization of estrogen receptors and aromatase in the testis in an effort to understa...