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

ORTEGA HH; ALFARO NS; VELAZQUEZ MML; REY F; STANGAFERRO ML; MARELLI B; SALVETTI NR

Steroids: Biosynthesis, Functions and Health Implications

Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Lugar: Nueva York; Año: 2012; p. 129 - 147

Steroid receptors have been demonstrated to be important intraovarian regulators of follicular development and ovulatory processes. Several hypotheses have been proposed about the pathogenesis of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in woman; polycystic ovaries (PCO) in experimental models and cystic ovarian disease (COD) in cattle. Although all these diseases/syndromes differ in metabolic and clinical aspects, they share as common sign, the presence 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 developed in the rat and other species in order to study this syndrome, contributing to understand specific aspect 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 and subtype 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 the ovary with cystic structures and suggests that changes in the expression of steroid hormone receptors could play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Alterations described may be caused by structural and functional modifications occurring in the follicular cells and could be related to hormonal changes. These observations indicate that cystogenesis is characterized by changes in numerous cellular components that may be essential to a suitable ovarian functioning, in agreement with similar modifications reported in women with PCOS and animals with COD.