Background Estrogens biosynthesis in ejaculated spermatozoa is an autonomous process that may influence sperm functions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the expression of aromatase, sperm quality and seminal neutral α–glucosidase marker in semen of Tunisian infertile men. MaterialsAndMethods Fifty seven men were investigated: they were composed of two groups: ...

Leptin, like estrogen, is one of the endo/paracrine factors, which are synthesized in and secreted from mature adipocytes. The roles of the mammary fat pad and mammary adipocytes in the initiation of lactation are not clear. In this study, we showed that combination of prolactin, leptin and estrogen elevated the expression of the milk protein beta-lactoglobulin. We also showed that after prolac...

Sex hormones play an active role in inflammatory responses, with androgens being anti-inflammatory, whereas estrogens have both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, low levels of androgens and high levels of estrone are found in the synovial fluid. Aromatase is the key enzyme for the conversion of androgens into estrogens. Proinflammatory cytokines stimulat...

The production of activin by Sertoli cells isolated from 21-day-old rats was studied using the mesoderm-inducing activity of activin on Xenopus laevis animal cap explants, immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. Furthermore, the effects of recombinant bovine activin-A on rat Sertoli cell aromatase activity and FSH and androgen receptor gene expression were examined. Animal cap explants from X...

Background The aim of this study was the ex vivo expansion of Umbilical Cord Blood hematopoietic stem cells on biocompatible nanofiber scaffolds. Materials and Methods CD133+ hematopoietic stem cells were separated from umbilical cord blood using MidiMacs (positive selection) system by means of monocolonal antibody CD133 (microbeads) subsequently, flowcytometry method was done to asses...

Aromatase is the enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen. Our laboratory has proposed and demonstrated that aromatase is an important target of some environmental chemicals. We have found that some of these compounds inhibit aromatase activity, resulting in a decrease in the level of estrogen or an increase in the level of androgen in cells. Environmental chemicals can also modify the express...

The effects of two steroidal (4-hydroxyandrostenedione and atamestane) and three non-steroidal (fadrozole, vorozole, and pentrozole) aromatase inhibitors on the levels of aromatase mRNA and protein were examined in vitro and in vivo. Immunocytochemistry revealed increased quantities of immunoreactive aromatase in human choriocarcinoma-derived JEG-3 cells in response to pretreatment with the non...

The strategy of using estrogen suppression to treat breast cancer led to the development of aromatase inhibitors, including the third-generation nonsteroidal compounds anastrozole and letrozole, and the steroidal compound exemestane. Aromatase inhibitors potently inhibit aromatase activity and also suppress estrogen levels in plasma and tissue. In clinical studies in postmenopausal women with b...

Aromatase inhibitors have been widely used for the endocrine treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal patients. However, clinicopathological studies of aromatase have been limited due to unsatisfactory specificity and/or restricted availability of anti-aromatase antibodies. Here, we have generated a polyclonal antiserum with high affinity and specificity for human aromata...

BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits steroidogenesis via a cGMP-independent process, by inhibiting P450 aromatase activity in porcine granulosa cells (PGCs) derived from medium-sized (3--5 mm) ovarian follicles (M-PGC). OBJECTIVE To determine whether the NO/NO synthase (NOS) system exerts any significant effects on steroidogenesis in PGCs derived from sma...