title: Impaired estrogen receptor action in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome.
abstract: Considering the current trends in life expectancy, women in the modern era are challenged with facing menopausal symptoms as well as heightened disease risk associated with increasing adiposity and metabolic dysfunction for up to three decades of life. Treatment strategies to combat metabolic dysfunction and associated pathologies have been hampered by our lack of understanding regarding the biological underpinnings of these clinical conditions and our incomplete understanding of the effects of estrogens and the tissue-specific functions and molecular actions of its receptors. In this review we provide evidence supporting a critical and protective role for the estrogen receptor α specific form in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Studies identifying the ER-regulated pathways required for disease prevention will lay the important foundation for the rational design of targeted therapeutics to improve women's health while limiting complications that have plagued traditional hormone replacement interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, David Geffen School of Medicine, Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's Health Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: ahevener@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hevener
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine Tulane University, Health Science Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mauvais-Jarvis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D009043:Motor Activity; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha
keywords: Estrogen action; Insulin resistance; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity