To determine whether prolactin affects both luteal and follicular production of testosterone and oestradiol, pseudopregnant rats, either intact or hypophysectomized on day 8, were injected daily between days 8 and 9 with 1.5 i.u. human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), 250 micrograms prolactin or a combination of both. Control rats were given vehicle. On day 9, blood was obtained from the ovarian ...

This study determined effects of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) alone and in combination with tumour necrosis factor (TNF), on granulosa cells from small (5-10 mm diameter) and large (>10-25 mm) follicles during follicular and luteal phases of the cycle and during periods of acyclicity. Granulosa cells were collected from ovaries of premenopausal women undergoing oophorectomy. The cells wer...

The present studies were undertaken to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the regulation of ovarian progesterone and oestradiol secretion in rats. Immature female Sprague-Dawley rats at 27 days of age were injected s.c. with 4 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and were killed 72 h after the injection. The ovaries were collected, weighed and cultured in Dulbecco's mod...

Mouse embryos collected before implantation were incubated in vitro for 24 h with fluid rinsed from the uteri of ovariectomized female mice injected with progesterone, oestradiol-17 beta + progesterone, oestradiol-17 beta + progesterone, or oestradiol-17 beta alone. Although none of the zonae was completely dissolved, those incubated in fluid from animals treated with oestradiol + progesterone ...

The crossbred gilts studied were aged 80 days (prepubertal), 180 days (prepubertal or postpubertal) and 260 days (postpubertal or pregnant). Estimates of metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of oestradiol and progesterone were consistently less (21 and 27%) in plasma than in blood, and these differences were not influenced by age of gilt. The MCR (1/day per kg body weight) for oestradiol and progeste...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Significant telomere shortening of hepatocytes is associated with replicative senescence and a non-dividing state in chronic liver disease, resulting in end stage liver failure and/or development of hepatocellular carcinoma. To prevent critical telomere shortening in hepatocytes, we have focused on oestrogen dependent transactivation of the human telomerase reverse transcript...

Testosterone produced by the foetal testis is converted by male neurons to oestradiol, which masculinizes neuronal morphology. Female neurons are known to synthesize oestradiol in absence of exogenous testosterone. However, the role of neuronal oestradiol on the differentiation of foetal female neurons is unknown. Here we show that, due to endogenous neuronal oestradiol synthesis, female hippoc...

Oestradiol is a potent anorectic agent that reduces both food intake and body weight. Since leptin is known to reduce food intake, we first analysed if the anorectic effect of oestradiol is driven by an increased leptin concentration in either cerebrospinal fluid or plasma. Oestradiol also reduces body weight and fat mass. Accordingly, a decrease in plasma leptin concentration can also be expec...

In order to describe the relationships between endogenous sex hormones and bone mineral density in healthy postmenopausal women, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 90 community-based women, all at least one year since their last menstrual period (mean 9.6 +/- 4.9 years, range 1-22) and with a serum oestradiol level less than 100 pmol/l. None was currently using hormone replacement therap...

BACKGROUND In the post-Women's Health Initiative Study era few post-menopausal women complete long term hormonal treatment (HT). OBJECTIVE To analyse metabolic/hormonal parameters and frequency of the metabolic syndrome (METS) in post-menopausal women after 10 years of HT. METHODS Retrospective data from parallel cohorts of post-menopausal women receiving HT for 10 years was analysed. Regim...