Steroids receptors involvement in the pathogenesis of the abnormal persistence of ovarian follicular cysts.

ORTEGA, H.H.; ALFARO, N.S.; VELÁZQUEZ, MML; REY, F.; STANGAFERRO, M.L .; MARELLI, B.; SALVETTI, N.R

Steroids: Biosynthesis, Functions and Health Implications

Nova Science Publishers, Inc

Año: 2012;

Steroid receptors have been demonstrated to be important intraovarian regulators offollicular development and ovulatory processes. Several hypotheses have been proposed about thepathogenesis of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in woman; polycystic ovaries (PCO) inexperimental models and cystic ovarian disease (COD) in cattle. Although all thesediseases/syndromes differ in metabolic and clinical aspects, they share as common sign, thepresence of persistent follicular cystic structures.At present, intraovarian alterations, as causes that contribute to the follicular persistence,have not been clearly established. In this sense, several experimental models have been developedin the rat and other species in order to study this syndrome, contributing to understand specificaspect related to the pathogenesis of cystic ovaries. As been demonstrated that ovaries of rats,woman, ewes and cattle with cystic follicles exhibited an altered steroid receptor expression andsubtype balance, increased expression of steroidogenic enzymes and changes in related proteins.This review examines the evidence for role of an altered steroid signalling system in theovary with cystic structures and suggests that changes in the expression of steroid hormonereceptors could play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of theses diseases. Alterationsdescribed may be caused by structural and functional modifications occurring in the follicular cellsand could be related to hormonal changes. These observations indicate that cystogenesis ischaracterized by changes in numerous cellular components that may be essential to a suitableovarian functioning, in agreement with similar modifications reported in women with PCOS andanimals with COD.