Genomic and non-genomic actions of sex steroids in the growth plate.
Sex steroids, and particularly estrogens, are important regulators of bone growth and bone mass accrual. For a long time, it was thought that these effects were mainly caused by their modulatory effects on the somatotrophic axis. Data gathered in the past years have challenged this view and it is now widely accepted that many of the effects of sex steroids on growth and bone mass accrual are caused by direct effects on target cells in the growth plate and bone. This review summarizes and discusses some of our latest findings on the expression of sex steroid receptors in the growth plate, the source of the ligands activating these receptors, and their putatitive mechanism of action predominantly focusing on observations in the rat.
Karperien
Marcel
M
Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. karperien@lumc.nl
van der Eerden
Bram C J
BC
Wit
Jan Maarten
JM
D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
D004967:Estrogens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones