Arctigenin was previously proven to inhibit Th17 cell differentiation and thereby attenuate colitis in mice by down-regulating the activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). The present study was performed to address its underlying mechanism in view of estrogen receptor (ER). The specific antagonist PHTPP or siRNA of ERβ largely diminished the inhibitory effect of arctige...

Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UT-UC) is rare and treatment options or prognostic markers are limited. There is increasing evidence indicating that urothelial carcinoma may be an endocrine-related cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic effect of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) on the outcome of UT-UC. From 2005 to 2012, this study included 105 patients with pT3 UT-U...

Impaired epithelial barrier function and estrogens are recognized as factors influencing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathology and disease course. Estrogen receptor-β (ERβ) is the most abundant estrogen receptor in the colon and a complete absence of ERβ expression is associated with disrupted tight-junction formation and abnormal colonic architecture. The aim of this study was to determin...

Early clinical studies suggested that infiltrating mast cells could be associated with a poor outcome in bladder cancer (BCa) patients. The mechanisms of how mast cells influence the BCa progression, however, are unclear. Using the human clinical BCa sample survey and in vitro co-culture systems, we found BCa cells could recruit more mast cells than the surrounding non-malignant urothelial cell...

Obesity is associated with a worse breast cancer prognosis, while greater breast tumor estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) expression is correlated with improved therapy response and survival. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of obesity on breast cancer cell ERβ expression, which is currently unknown. We utilized an in vitro model of obesity in which breast cancer cells were exp...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The risk of heart disease is higher in males than in females. However, this advantage of females declines with increasing age, presumably a consequence of decreased estrogen secretion and malfunctioning of the estrogen receptor. We previously demonstrated that 17β-estradiol (E2) prevents cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, autophagy and apoptosis via estrogen receptor α (ERα), but the ef...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) belong to mesenchymal stem cells and may play a potential role as seeding cells in stem cell transplantation. To be able to exploit stem cells as therapeutic tool, their defects in some important cellular functions, such as low survival rate and cellular activity, should be considered. This is especially the case for stem cells that are intended...

BACKGROUND Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widely found in the environment. Estrogen-like activity is attributed to EDCs, such as bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol AF (BPAF), and zearalenone (Zea), but mechanisms of action and diversity of effects are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES We used in vitro models to evaluate the mechanistic actions of BPA, BPAF, and Zea on estrogen receptor (ER) ...

Estrogen action is mediated through several types of receptors (ERs), such as ERα, ERβ and putative membrane ERs. Oxytocin receptor (OTR) and ER expression levels in the rat uterus are regulated by estrogen; however, which types of ERs are involved has not been elucidated. This study examined OTR, ERα and ERβ levels in ovariectomized rats treated with 17β-estradiol (E2), an ERα agonist (PPT), a...

he onset of hypertension occurs earlier in men than in women. Moreover, the magnitude of hypertension is greater in men than in women across diverse mammalian species and experimental models. 1 17β-estradiol (E 2) is implicated in this female protection because ovarian hormone loss is associated with increased arterial pressure while E 2 replacement can prevent this effect. Creation of mice def...