title: Steroid signalling in the ovarian surface epithelium.
abstract: Human ovarian surface epithelium (HOSE) undergoes serial injury-repair with each ovulation, which is probably why most ovarian epithelial cancers arise there. Considering the proposed inflammatory aetiology of ovarian cancer, anti-inflammatory steroid signalling might be vital for HOSE regulation. HOSE cells express hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) enzymes that undertake prereceptor metabolism of bioinert steroidogenic precursors formed elsewhere in the body. Ovulation-associated cytokines activate anti-inflammatory cortisol from precursor cortisone in HOSE cells owing to up-regulation of the gene encoding 11betaHSD type 1 (HSD11B1) in vitro. Cortisol further enhances its own formation and action through augmentation of cytokine-induced HSD11B1 and glucocorticoid receptor gene expression. Understanding this feed-forward signalling process has implications for the improved diagnosis and treatment of inflammation-associated reproductive disease states such as ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Biology, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom EH16 4SB.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rae
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hillier
mesh_terms: D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids