background: polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos) is one of the most common endocrine women’s disorders in reproductive age. hyperandrogenism has a critical role in the etiology of pcos and it can cause fault in steroidogenesis process. during steroidogenesis, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star) seems to increase the delivery of cholesterol through mitochondrial membrane. therefore, polymo...

Organophosphate pesticides are considered as endocrine disruptors that interfere with reproductive functions. The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland that produces progesterone, a crucial hormone for a successful beginning and maintenance of pregnancy. Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) facilitates the rate-limiting transfer of cholesterol from the outer mitochondrial m...

Organophosphate pesticides are considered as endocrine disruptors that interfere with reproductive functions. The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland that produces progesterone, a crucial hormone for a successful beginning and maintenance of pregnancy. Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) facilitates the rate-limiting transfer of cholesterol from the outer mitochondrial m...

background:   objective: this study was designed to evaluate effects of lithium chloride on the release of steroid hormones and steroidogenic enzymes in gonadotropin-stimulated rats.   materials and methods: immature 23 days old wistar rats were divided into 10 groups; each group comprised of 8 rats, and induced with single injection of pregnant mare’s serum gonadotrophin (pmsg) and followed by...

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) delivers cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane, where the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme carries out the first committed step in steroid hormone biosynthesis. StAR expression is restricted to steroidogenic cells and is rapidly induced by treatment with trophic hormones or cAMP. We analyzed the 5'-flanking region of the mouse StAR g...

VIP is a peptide hormone capable of activating the cAMP/PKA pathway and modifying gonadal steroidogenic capacity. Less is known about the molecular mechanisms of VIP-mediated steroidogenesis and its role in regulating the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR). We examined the impact of VIP on STAR expression and function in immortalized (KK1) and primary mouse granulosa cells, where VIP...

Aims Mutations in Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein (StAR) cause congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (lipoid CAH), characterized by absent steroidogenesis, potentially lethal salt loss, 46,XY sex reversal and massively enlarged adrenals engorged with cholesterol esters. Nonclassic lipoid CAH is a recently recognized disorder caused by StAR mutations that retain partial function. We aim t...

Liver X receptors (LXRs) broadly limit cholesterol accumulation by regulating expression of genes involved in cholesterol efflux and storage. In this issue of the JCI, Cummins et al. report that LXRalpha is involved in similar regulation in the adrenal cortex, but it also substantially modulates glucocorticoid synthesis (see the related article beginning on page 1902). LXRalpha deletion in mice...

Using a mouse Leydig tumor cell line, we explored the mechanisms involved in thyroid hormone-induced steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein gene expression, and steroidogenesis. Triiodothyronine (T3) induced a approximately 3.6-fold increase in the steady-state level of StAR mRNA which paralleled with those of the acute steroid response ( approximately 4.0-fold), as monitored by quantita...