BACKGROUND HIV-1 viral protein Tat partially mediates the neural dysfunction and neuronal cell death associated with HIV-1 induced neurodegeneration and neurocognitive disorders. Soy isoflavones provide protection against various neurotoxic insults to maintain neuronal function and thus help preserve neurocognitive capacity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We demonstrate in primary cortical ce...

Male rat sexual behavior requires aromatization of testosterone (T) to estradiol (E2) in the medial preoptic area (MPO) where estrogen receptors (ER) exist in two isoforms, ERα and ERβ. We hypothesized that E2 acts through estrogen receptor α (ERα) in the MPO to promote male mating behavior. Four groups of male rats were castrated, administered DHT s.c. and bilateral MPO implants delivering eit...

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used and effective anticancer drugs against solid tumors including cerebellar tumor of the childhood, Medulloblastoma. However, cancer cells often develop resistance to cisplatin, which limits therapeutic effectiveness of this otherwise effective genotoxic drug. In this study, we demonstrate that human medulloblastoma cell lines develop acute resistance to ci...

Estrogen influences memory formation and insulin sensitivity. Meanwhile, glucose utilization directly affects learning and memory, which are modulated by insulin signals. Therefore, this study investigated whether or not the effect of estrogen on memory is associated with the regulatory effect of this hormone on glucose metabolism. The relative expression of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and glucos...

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor among adults. Temozolomide (TMZ) is widely used as the first‑line postsurgical drug for malignant glioma. However, the therapeutic efficacy of TMZ remains ineffective as inherited or acquired drug resistance is frequently observed. Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) has emerged as a tumor suppressor and a key regulator of signal transduction in glioma cells....

BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) plays a beneficial role in preventing the development of osteoporosis. However, the effects of FLL on estrogen receptor (ER) α and ERβ expressions remain unknown. Therefore, in the current study we attempted to probe into the effects of FLL on ERα and ERβ expressions in femurs, tibias and uteri of ovariectomized (OVX) ...

Aim: Two oestrogen receptors (ERs) have been identified to date—the “classic” ERα and the more recently described ERβ. Although much is known about ERα at the mRNA and protein levels, our knowledge of the expression and distribution of ERβ protein is much more limited. The aim of this study was to compare the cellular distribution of ERα and ERβ in normal human mammary gland. Methods: Formalin ...

We examined the localization of oestrogen receptor (ER) β mRNA in the human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle using non-radioactive in-situ hybridization with Brigati-tailed oligonucleotides. The findings were compared with those of ERα in order to examine the possible biological significance of ERβ in the human endometrium. Both ERα and ERβ mRNA expression were detected in all major h...

Testosterone, after being converted to estradiol in the brain, acts on estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) and controls the expression of male-type social behavior. Previous studies in male mice have revealed that ERα expressed in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and medial amygdala (MeA) are differently involved in the regulation of sexual and aggressive behaviors by testosterone action at the tim...

Background: Guanxin Danshen formulation (GXDSF) is a traditional Chinese herbal recipe recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopeia since 1995 edition, which consists of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Dalbergiae odoriferae Lignum. Our previous research suggested GXDSF had positive effect on cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucida...