Intricate roles of estrogen and estrogen receptors in digestive system cancers:a systematic review

Gender disparities are evident across different types of digestive system cancers,which are typically characterized by a lower incidence and mortality rate in females compared to males.This finding suggests a potential protective role of female steroid hormones,particularly estrogen,in the development of these cancers.Estrogen is a well-known sex hormone that not only regulates the reproductive system but also exerts diverse effects on non-reproductive organs mediated through interactions with estrogen receptors(ERs),including the classic(ERαand ERβ)and non-traditional ERs[G protein-coupled estrogen receptor(GPER)].Recent advances have contributed to our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying ERs in digestive system cancers.In this comprehensive review we summarize the current understanding of the intricate roles played by estrogen and ERs in the major types of digestive system cancers,including hepatocellular,pancreatic,esophageal,gastric,and colorectal carcinoma.Furthermore,we discuss the potential molecular mechanisms underlying ERα,ERβ,and GPER effects,and propose perspectives on innovative therapies and preventive measures targeting the pathways regulated by estrogen and ERs.The roles of estrogen and ERs in digestive system cancers are complicated and depend on the cell type and tissue involved.Additionally,deciphering the intricate roles of estrogen,ERs,and the associated signaling pathways may guide the discovery of novel and tailored therapeutic and preventive strategies for digestive system cancers,eventually improving the care and clinical outcomes for the substantial number of individuals worldwide affected by these malignancies.

Comprehensive Analysis of Estrogen Receptor 1 Dysregulation in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications for Prognosis and Therapeutic Targeting - A Secondary Publication

The study investigates the expression pattern and regulatory mechanisms of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Utilizing UALCAN and GEPIA2 databases, significant down-regulation of ESR1 expression is observed in LIHC samples compared to normal controls, indicating its potential role in tumor progression. Further analysis reveals consistent down-regulation across different clinical variables including patient age, gender, race, and various stages of LIHC, affirming the regulatory role of ESR1 in tumor development and progression. Additionally, promoter methylation analysis demonstrates hypermethylation of ESR1 in LIHC samples, negatively correlating with its expression. This association persists across different clinical parameters, emphasizing the inverse relationship between ESR1 methylation and expression levels. Survival analysis indicates that up- regulation of ESR1 is associated with better overall survival, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker in LIHC. Furthermore, genetic mutation analysis using cBioPortal reveals a spectrum of alterations in ESR1, including amplification, missense mutation, deep deletion, splice mutation, and truncating mutation, highlighting the genetic complexity of ESR1 in LIHC. These findings collectively contribute to a deeper understanding of ESR1 dysregulation in LIHC and its clinical implications as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker.

Clinicopathological Features and Long-Term Prognostic Role of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 Low Expression in Chinese Patients with Early Breast Cancer:A Single-Institution Study

Objective This study aimed to comprehensively analyze and compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis of Chinese patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-low early breast cancer(BC)and HER2-IHC0 BC.Methods Patients diagnosed with HER2-negative BC(N=999)at our institution between January2011 and December 2015 formed our study population.Clinicopathological characteristics,association between estrogen receptor(ER)expression and HER2-low,and evolution of HER2 immunohistochemical(IHC)score were assessed.Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the long-term survival outcomes(5-year follow-up)between the HER2-IHC0 and HER2-low groups.Results HER2-low BC group tended to demonstrate high expression of ER and more progesterone receptor(PgR)positivity than HER2-IHC0 BC group(P<0.001).The rate of HER2-low status increased with increasing ER expression levels(Mantel-Haenszelχ^(2)test,P<0.001,Pearson’s R=0.159,P<0.001).Survival analysis revealed a significantly longer overall survival(OS)in HER2-low BC group than in HER2-IHC0 group(P=0.007)in the whole cohort and the hormone receptor(HR)-negative group.There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of disease-free survival(DFS).The discordance rate of HER2 IHC scores between primary and metastatic sites was 36.84%.Conclusion HER2-low BC may not be regarded as a unique BC group in this population-based study due to similar clinicopathological features and prognostic roles.

Changes of Estrogen in Serum and Estrogen Receptor β in the Relevant Brain Regions Following Mating Behavior of the Male Mandarin Vole Microtus mandarinus

In order to investigate the estrogen and estrogen receptor β changes after mating behavior of male mandarin vole （Microtus mandarinus）, the radioimmunoassay （RIA） and immunohistochemistry methods were used to investigate changes of the serum estrogen （E） concentrations, estrogen immunoreactive neurons （E-IRs） and estrogen receptor β immunoreactive neurons （ERβ-IRs） in the relevant brain regions following mating behavior. Fifteen sexually matured male voles were randomly divided into three groups and treated differently： （1） control group： voles were exposed to clean hard-wood shavings （n=5）, （2） exposure group： voles were exposed to the soiled bedding for more than 24h on which estrous females had been placed （n=5）, and （3） mating group： voles were placed with an estrous female for more than 24h （n=5）. The results showed circulating serum E concentrations were significantly higher in the mating group than in the exposure group and the control group, and there were no significant difference between the exposure group and the control group. E-IRs and ERβ-IRs were detected in the following brain regions related to mating behavior： the arcuate nucleus （ARC）, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis （BST）, lateral septal nucleus （LS）, medial amygdaloid nucleus （ME）, medial preoptic area （MPO） and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus （VMH）. The results showed that there were significantly more E-IRs in the six brain regions in the mating group than in the control group and the exposure group, and there were no significant difference between the exposure group and the control group except for LS. There was no significant difference in ERβ-IRs in the six brain regions among the three groups, and there were some lighter -stained ERβ-IRs in these brain regions. The results suggested that estrogen affect mating activity of male mandarin voles, but ERβ might not play an important role in mating behavior of male mandarin voles. Instead, it might be through other receptors.

The expression of estrogen receptors in thyroid cancer and its significance

Objective The study aimed to detect the expression of estrogen receptors(ERs) in thyroid cancer and investigate the correlation between their expression and clinical features and different pathological types.Methods The expression of ERs in 56 samples of thyroid cancer tissues was detected by an immunochemical approach. The expression of ERs in thyroid cancer tissues and different pathological types were analyzed using the χ~2 test. Results The number of cases with positive expression of ER in thyroid cancer tissues was 36. The number of papillary thyroid cancers(PTCs) was 48, with positive expression of ERs in 32 cases. The number of follicular thyroid cancers was 4, with positive expression of ERs in 2 cases. The number of medullary thyroid cancers was 4, with negative expression of ERs in all cases. The difference between the expression and different pathological types showed statistical significance. The expression of ERs showed no correlation with sex, age, or TNM stage, with no statistical significance. However, the expression of ERs was correlated with metastasis of lymph nodes, which had statistical significance. The expression of ERs was negatively correlated with pathological types and metastasis of lymph nodes. The correlated coefficient index was –0.313 and –0.334, respectively. Conclusion The expression of ERs showed no correlation with sex, age, or TNM stage, but was negatively correlated with pathological types and metastasis of lymph nodes.

柴胡四物汤对围绝经期综合征模型大鼠血清E_(2)水平、子宫形态及ERα表达的影响

目的:通过观察柴胡四物汤对围绝经期综合征模型大鼠血清E_(2)水平、子宫形态及子宫、下丘脑ERα表达的影响,初步探讨柴胡四物汤治疗围绝经期综合征的作用机制。方法:将75只雌性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、西药组、柴胡四物汤高、中、低剂量组,采用双侧卵巢切除法造模,选取符合条件的60只大鼠纳入实验,每组10只。从术后第14天开始,连续给药28 d。给药结束后,观察各组大鼠子宫指数及形态学的改变;采用ELISA法检测血清E_(2)水平;采用RT-PCR法及Western Blot法检测子宫、下丘脑ERα的表达水平。结果:与假手术组比较,模型组血清E_(2)水平明显下降(P<0.01),子宫湿重、子宫指数显著下降(P<0.01),子宫体积明显缩小,宫腔变窄,腺体数量较少,内膜及肌层萎缩,子宫ERαmRNA及蛋白的表达水平明显下降(P<0.01),下丘脑ERαmRNA及蛋白的表达水平显著升高(P<0.01)。与模型组比较,西药组、柴胡四物汤高、中剂量组血清E_(2)水平明显升高(P<0.01),西药组、柴胡四物汤高、中、低剂量组的子宫指数明显上升(P<0.01),子宫腺体数量增加,内膜及肌层的萎缩程度有所缓解,西药组、柴胡四物汤高、中剂量组子宫ERαmRNA表达水平增加(P<0.01),西药组、柴胡四物汤高剂量组子宫ERα蛋白表达水平增加(P<0.01),西药组、柴胡四物汤高、中、低剂量组下丘脑ERαmRNA及蛋白的表达水平降低(P<0.01)。结论:柴胡四物汤可改善围绝经期的各类症状,其作用机制可能与升高围绝经期综合征模型大鼠血清E_(2)水平,改善子宫指数及萎缩程度,提高子宫ERα的表达并同时下调下丘脑ERα的表达有关。

亮丙瑞林对ER阳性绝经前乳腺癌化疗患者卵巢功能及骨密度的影响

目的:探讨亮丙瑞林对雌激素受体(ER)阳性绝经前乳腺癌化疗患者卵巢功能及骨密度(BMD)的影响。方法:选取2020年1月—2022年8月丰城市人民医院收治的82例ER阳性绝经前乳腺癌患者的病历资料进行回顾性分析,根据治疗方式分为化疗组(n=41)和亮丙瑞林组(n=41)。化疗组患者予以AC-T辅助化疗,亮丙瑞林组在化疗组的基础上联合亮丙瑞林治疗。比较两组患者疗效、卵巢功能、BMD及月经情况。结果:亮丙瑞林组的总有效率高于化疗组(P<0.05)。治疗后,两组血清雌二醇(E2)水平均明显降低,血清促黄体生成素(LH)、卵泡刺激素(FSH)水平均明显升高(P<0.05);亮丙瑞林组患者的血清LH、FSH水平均明显高于化疗组,血清E2水平明显低于化疗组(P<0.05)。治疗后,两组左髋部、腰椎的BMD水平均明显降低(P<0.05);两组比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。亮丙瑞林组的闭经时间、月经恢复正常时间均较化疗组短,月经复潮率较化疗组高(P<0.05)。结论:亮丙瑞林可保护ER阳性绝经前乳腺癌化疗患者卵巢功能,可有效提高疗效,但可能会导致患者BMD下降,需要在治疗期间注意监测BMD变化,降低骨质疏松发生风险。

ER、PR、HER-2及Ki-67表达与乳腺癌患者新辅助化疗后病理完全缓解的相关性分析

目的:分析雌激素受体(estrogen receptor,ER)、孕激素受体(progesterone receptor,PR)、人表皮生长因子受体-2(human epidermal growth factor receptor-2,HER-2)及Ki67抗原(Ki-67)表达与乳腺癌患者新辅助化疗后病理完全缓解(pathologic complete response,pCR)的相关性。方法:回顾性分析2022年1月—2023年12月在江西省肿瘤医院行新辅助化疗的200例乳腺癌患者的临床资料,根据化疗后手术病理标本,分为pCR组68例和非pCR组132例,比较两组临床资料和ER、PR、HER-2及Ki-67表达,多因素logistic回归分析ER、PR、HER-2及Ki-67表达与pCR的相关性。结果:单因素分析显示,pCR组临床分期Ⅱ期比例高于非pCR组,ER、PR阴性比例均高于非pCR组,HER-2阳性比例高于非pCR组,Ki-67≥20%比例高于非pCR组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。多因素logistic回归分析显示,临床分期Ⅲ期、ER阳性、PR阳性、HER-2阴性、Ki-67<20%是乳腺癌新辅助化疗后pCR的危险因素(P<0.05)。结论:ER、PR、HER-2及Ki-67表达是乳腺癌患者新辅助化疗后pCR的影响因素,可为临床治疗提供依据。

NDRG2调控IRE1α-XBP1介导内质网应激逆转ER+乳腺癌他莫昔芬耐药

他莫昔芬(tamoxifen,TAM)作为雌激素受体阳性(estrogen receptor,ER+)乳腺癌的一线化疗药物使大多数患者受益,但原发性和继发性耐药问题严重影响临床治疗效果。深入研究ER+乳腺癌TAM耐药机制,改善治疗效果是当前亟待解决的问题。抑癌因子NDRG2(N-myc downstream regulated gene 2,NDRG2)在肿瘤发生发展中发挥重要作用,但是否参与ER+乳腺癌TAM耐药尚不清楚。本研究旨在探明NDRG2在ER+乳腺癌TAM耐药中发挥的作用和机制。通过RT-PCR与免疫印迹分析对比TAM敏感型和耐药型ER+乳腺癌细胞发现,NDRG 2的mRNA转录水平和蛋白质翻译水平在TAM耐药细胞中表达显著下调,且与耐药能力负相关(P<0.001);CCK-8细胞毒性实验和软琼脂克隆形成实验证实,在耐药细胞中过表达NDRG2可显著降低TAM药物半抑制浓度IC 50和软琼脂克隆形成率(P<0.001),逆转耐药表型。分子机制上,X-box结合蛋白1(X-box binding protein 1,XBP1)mRNA剪切实验与内质网相关降解(endoplasmic-reticulum associated degradation,ERAD)报告蛋白的结果显示,过表达NDRG2可增强耐药细胞中剪切型XBP1s mRNA转录与ERAD报告蛋白CD3ε-YFP表达(P<0.001),引发耐药细胞内质网强应激反应;免疫印迹检测结果显示,过表达NDRG2可显著提高耐药细胞中内质网应激感受器肌醇需要激酶1α(inositol requiring enzyme 1,IRE1α)的磷酸化水平及其下游因子,例如内质网EIP辅助因子(endoplasmic reticulum-localized DnaJ 4,ERdj4)、PKR蛋白激酶的细胞抑制剂(cellular Inhibitor of the PKR protein kinase,P58 IPK)、α甘露糖苷酶样应激蛋白(er degradation enhancingαmannosidase likeprotein,EDEM)和蛋白质二硫键异构酶家族A成员5(protein disulfide isomerase family a member 5,PDIA5)的表达水平(P<0.001)。小鼠异种移植瘤研究进一步证实,在耐药细胞中过表达NDRG2可增强TAM治疗效果,显著抑制耐药移植瘤生长(P<0.001)。以上研究结果表明,通过提高耐药细胞中NDRG2表达,增强TAM治疗引发的内质网强烈应激,可逆转ER+乳腺癌细胞耐药性,改善TAM治疗效果。研究结果为解决ER+乳腺癌TAM耐药问题提供了新的思路和有价值的潜在药物靶点。

乳腺癌ER、AR表达与术前MRI征象的相关性分析

目的探讨乳腺癌ER、AR表达与术前MRI征象的相关性。方法收集甘肃省妇幼保健院2019年1月至2022年1月乳腺癌患者共计234例,依据术后免疫组化将其分为ER、AR双表达组、共计155例,ER、AR非双表达组、共计79例,采用Sperman及两独立样本t检验对ER、AR双表达与术前MRI征象进行单因素相关性分析,筛选存在统计学意义的MRI征象并进行多因素Logistic相关性分析。结果乳腺癌AR、ER表达与肿瘤形态之间差异无统计学意义(均P>0.05),与瘤体直径、环形强化及瘤周水肿之间差异具有统计学意义(均P<0.05),乳腺癌AR、ER双表达者肿瘤直径更小,环形强化及瘤周水肿更少见,二元Logistic回归分析表明环形强化(OR=0.421,P=0.041),瘤周水肿(OR=0.505,P=0.025)与乳腺癌AR、ER双表达相关。结论术前MRI征象与乳腺癌AR、ER双表达有较好的相关性,乳腺癌AR、ER双表达者瘤周水肿、环形强化少见,肿瘤组织学分级低,侵袭性弱。

Estrogen receptors in gastric cancer:Advances and perspectives

Worldwide, gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies with high mortality. Various aspects of thedevelopment and progression of gastric cancer continue to be extensively investigated in order to further our understanding and provide more effective means for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. Estrogen receptors(ERs) are steroid hormone receptors that regulate cellular activities in many physiological and pathological processes in different tissues. There are two distinct forms of ERs, namely ERα and ERβ, with several alternative-splicing isoforms for each. They show distinct tissue distribution patterns and exert different biological functions. Dysregulation of ERs has been found to be associated closely with many diseases, including cancer. A number of studies have been conducted to investigate the role of ERs in gastric cancer, the possible mechanisms underlying these roles, and the clinical relevance of deregulated ERs in gastric cancer patients. To date, inconsistent associations of different ERs with gastric cancer have been reported. These inconsistencies may be caused by variations in in vitro cell models and clinical samples, including assay conditions and protocols with regard to different forms of ERs. Given the potential of the deregulated ERs as diagnostic/prognostic markers or therapeutic targets for gastric cancer, it will be important to identify/confirm the association of each ER isoform with gastric cancer, to determine the specific roles and interactions that these individual ER isoforms play under specific conditions in the development and/or progression of gastric cancer, and to elucidate precisely these mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the achievements from early ER studies in gastric cancer to the most up-to-date discoveries, with an effort to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of ERs roles in gastric cancer and its possible mechanisms. Furthermore, we propose directions for future investigations.

Prognostic implications of estrogen receptor 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor A expression in primary gallbladder carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the prognostic significance of estrogen receptor 1(ER1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A) expression in primary gallbladder carcinoma(GBC) to identify new prognostic markers for this malignancy.METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated ER1 and VEGF-A expression in 78 GBC and 78 cholelithiasis(CS) tissues. The results were correlated with clinicopathological features. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between ER1 and VEGF-A expression and patients' prognosis. Further Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was also performed. RESULTS: ER1 and VEGF-A expression was significantly higher in GBC compared with CS(47/78 vs 28/78, P < 0.05; 51/78 vs 33/78, P < 0.05). ER1 expression was correlated with gender(P < 0.05) and VEGF-A expression was correlated with tumor differentiation in GBC patients(P < 0.05). In univariate analysis, age and tumor node metastasis(TNM) stage were factors associated with GBC prognosis(P < 0.05). Although there was no statistical difference between the expression of ER1 or VEGF-A and overall survival, the high expression of ER1 combined with VEGF-A predicted a poor prognosis for GBC patients(16.30 ± 1.87 vs 24.97 ± 2.09, log-rank P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, combined expression of ER1 and VEGF-A and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for GBC patients(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Combined expression of ER1 and VEGF-A is a potential prognostic marker for GBC patients. Clinical detection of ER1 and VEGF-A in surgically resected GBC tissues would provide animportant reference for decision-making of postoperative treatment programs.

Estrogen, estrogen receptors, and hepatocellular carcinoma: Are we there yet?

A protective role of the sex steroid hormone estrogenin hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) was suggested a few decades ago according to clinical data showing higher HCC morbidity and mortality among males. Several recent studies further confirmed the anti-cancer effects of estrogen in the liver. However, it remains to be identified how to exploit estrogen signalling within clinical settings for HCC treatment. There are several unresolved issues related to the estrogen pathway in liver cells. The main problems include the absence of a clear understanding of which estrogen receptor(ER) isoform is predominantly expressed in normal and malignant liver cells, the ER isoform expression difference between males and females, and which ER isoform should be targeted when designing HCC therapy. Some of those questions were recently addressed by Iyer and coauthors. The current editorial review critically analyses the study by Iyer et al(WJG, 2017) that investigated the expression of ER subtypes in liver samples collected from patients with a healthy liver, hepatitis C virus cirrhosis, and HCC. ER presence was evaluated in association with gender, intracellular localization, inflammation marker NF-kB, and proliferation-related effector cyclin D1. The study limitations and advantages are discussed in light of recent advances in the HCC and estrogen signalling areas.

The Relationship of CyclinD1 and Estrogen Receptor Expression in the Process of Proliferation and Metastasis in Breast Neoplasm

The role of CyclinD1 and estrogen receptor (ER) in the process of proliferation and metastasis of breast neoplasm and their relationship were studied. The expression levels of CyclinD1 and ER in the tissue samples were detected by using flow cytometry and L SAB immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. The results showed that CyclinD1 and ER expression levels in breast cancer were significantly higher than in benign breast neoplasm (P<0.05). The CyclinD1 expression levels in stage I was much lower than in stages Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ (P<0.05). The positive rate of ER was not related with tumor size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P>0.05), but the CyclinD1 expression level in ER (+) group was significantly higher than in ER (-) group (P<0.05). It was concluded that CyclinD1 expression level might be obviously related with the proliferation and metastasis of breast neoplasm and ER.

17β-Estradiol Regulates Cultured Immature Boar Sertoli Cell Proliferation via the cAMP-ERK1/2 Pathway and the Estrogen Receptor β

Estrogen plays an important role in regulating Sertoli cell number in the testis. The objective of the study was to identify whether 17β-estradiol affected the proliferation of cultured, immature boar Sertoli cells via the estrogen receptor β （ERβ） and the cAMP-extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK1/2） pathway. Low levels （10-10-10-8 mol L-1） of 17β-estradiol increased cell number, but high levels （10-7-10-6 mol L-1） decreased it （P〈0.05）. Sertoli cell number began to recover for an additional 24 h in the medium without 17β-estradiol （10-6 mol L-l） （P〉0.05）. The effects of 17β-estradiol （10-9 mol L-1） peaked at the first 24 h （P〈0.05）. 17β-estradiol activated ERK1/2 from 5 min to 24 h, but the activiy of ERK1/2 began to decrease after 4 h. Both PD98059 and U0126, two ERK inhibitors, blocked cell division （P〈0.05）. 17β-estradiol （10-10-10-6 mol L-1） dose-dependently increased cAMP production （P 〈 0.05）, and both 17β-estradiol （10-9 mol L-1） and forskolin, which increases cAMP levels, induced cell proliferation and activated ERK1/2 （P〈 0.05）. Rp-cAMP, an antagonist of cAMP, blocked this 17β-estradiol activity （P〈 0.05）. Two estrogen receptor antagonists, ICI 182780 and ERβ antagonist （ERβAnt）, reduced Sertoli cell number, cAMP production and ERK1/2 activation （P〈 0.05）, but ERaAnt did not （P〉 0.05）. Therefore, 17β- estradiol mainly promotes pig Sertoli cell proliferation via ERβ to induce cAMP production and ERK activation to promote cell proliferation.

Role of estrogen receptor β selective agonist in ameliorating portal hypertension in rats with CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis

AIM: To investigate the role of diarylpropionitrile(DPN), a selective agonist of estrogen receptor β(ERβ), in liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension(PHT) and isolated hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized(OVX), and liver cirrhosis with PHT was induced by CCl4 injection. DPN and PHTPP, the selective ERβ agonist and antagonist, were used as drug interventions. Liver fibrosis was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) and Masson's trichrome staining and by analyzing smooth muscle actin expression. Hemodynamic parameters were determined in vivo using colored microspheres technique. Protein expression and phosphorylation were determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. Messenger RNA levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR). Collagengel contraction assay was performed using gel lattices containing HSCs treated with DPN, PHTPP, or Y-27632 prior to ET-1 addition. RESULTS: Treatment with DPN in vivo greatly lowered portal pressure and improved hemodynamic parameters without affecting mean arterial pressure, which was associated with the attenuation of liver fibrosis and intrahepatic vascular resistance(IHVR). In CCl4-treated rat livers, DPN significantly decreased the expression of Rho A and ROCK Ⅱ, and even suppressed ROCK Ⅱ activity. Moreover, DPN remarkedly increased the levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase(e NOS) and phosphorylated e NOS, and promoted the activities of protein kinase G(PKG), which is an NO effector in the liver. Furthermore, DPN reduced the contractility of activated HSCs in the 3-dimensional stress-relaxed collagen lattices, and decreased the ROCK Ⅱ activity in activated HSCs. Finally, in vivo /in vitro experiments demonstrated that MLC activity was inhibited by DPN.CONCLUSION: For OVX rats with liver cirrhosis, DPN suppressed liver Rho A/ROCK signal, facilitated NO/PKG pathways, and decreased IHVR, giving rise to reduced portal pressure. Therefore, DPN represents a relevant treatment choice against PHT in cirrhotic patients, especially postmenopausal women.

Current medical treatment of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

Approximately 80% of breast cancers(BC) are estrogen receptor(ER)-positive and thus endocrine therapy(ET) should be considered complementary to surgery in the majority of patients. The advantages of oophorectomy, adrenalectomy and hypophysectomy in women with advanced BC have been demonstrated many years ago, and currently ET consist of(1) ovarian function suppression(OFS), usually obtained using gonadotropinreleasing hormone agonists(Gn RHa);(2) selective estrogen receptor modulators or down-regulators(SERMs or SERDs); and(3) aromatase inhibitors(AIs), or a combination of two or more drugs. For patients aged less than 50 years and ER+ BC, there is no conclusive evidence that the combination of OFS and SERMs(i.e., tamoxifen) or chemotherapy is superior to OFS alone. Tamoxifen users exhibit a reduced risk of BC, both invasive and in situ, especially during the first 5 years of therapy, and extending the treatment to 10 years further reduced the risk of recurrences. SERDs(i.e., fulvestrant) are especially useful in the neoadjuvant treatment of advanced BC, alone or in combination with either cytotoxic agents or AIs. There are two types of AIs: type Ⅰ are permanent steroidal inhibitors of aromatase, while type Ⅱ are reversible nonsteroidal inhibitors. Several studies demonstrated the superiority of the third-generation AIs(i.e., anastrozole and letrozole) compared with tamoxifen, and adjuvant therapy with AIs reduces the recurrence risk especially in patients with advanced BC. Unfortunately, some cancers are or became ET-resistant, and thus other drugs have been suggested in combination with SERMs or AIs, including cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors(palbociclib) and mammalian target of rapamycin(m TOR) inhibitors, such as everolimus. Further studies are required to confirm their real usefulness.

The Effect of GnRHa Induced Superovulation on Endometrial Morphology and Estrogen Receptor and Progesterone Receptor in Mouse

To evaluate the effect of GnRHa induced superovulation protocol on endometrial morphology and function. Material & Methods Forty ICR mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups, among them, 2 experimental groups were injected with GnRHa+HMG+hCG, another 2 groups were given saline of same volume as control group. The uterine tissues were investigated at 24 h and 48 h after administration (experimental group) or ovulation (control group).The endometrial thickness, the size of gland and glandular lumen, the total area of glandular cells, the average height of glandular epithelium were measured from routine histological slides using computerized image analysis. The SP immunohistochemistry techniques with monoclonal antibodies were employed to semi quantitatively analize the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in glandular cells. Results The endometrial thickness was not significantly different between experimental groups and control groups at 24 h and 48 h (P>0.05).The average area, perimeter, maximal diameter of single gland and glandular lumen, the total area, average height of glandular epithelium in experimental groups were significantly smaller than those of in control groups at equivalent time stages (all P<0.01). The asynchronous development of gland epithelium and stroma cells, namely, pesudostratified glandular epithelium and predecidual changes of stroma cells were seen at same time in experimental groups. The positive percentage (%) and expression intense of ER and PR in glandular epithelium cells were significantly lower in experimental groups than in control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion The protocol with GnRHa had a negative effect on endometrial histological structure and down regulated the express of ER and PR, suggesting that this protocol effect on the endometrial morphology and function and could not facilitate the formation of a physiologic endometrium completely, which may be one of the causes of low pregnancy rates.

The Relationship of the Expression of Estrogen Receptor in Cartilage Cell and Osteoarthritis Induced by Bilateral Ovariectomy in Guinea Pig

To investigate the estrogen receptor（ER） expression in cartilage cell in the development of oste0arthritis induced by bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig and to find their relationship. 30 two-month-old female guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups （n=15 each） ： sham operation （control）group and ovariectomized group （OVX）; Scanning electorne microscope （SEM） and transmission electron microscope （TEM） were obtained to analysis the cartilage degeneration of the hind limb knee joint after 6 and 12 weeks of ovariectomy. Dextran-Coated-Charcoal （DCC） was taken to quantitively detect the expression of ER. The serum levels of estrogen and gestone were detected by immune contest assay. The results showed that ER do exist in the cartilages of the guinea pigs, with higher expression in the control group than in OVX group at the same time point （P〈0. 05）. It was increased also at 12 th week after operation than that of preoperation. The blood serum levels of estrogen and gestone showed a similar tendency to the expression of ER. Joint cartilage degeneration detected by SEM and TEM could be found at 6 th week, but severe degenerative lesions at 12 th week in the OVX group compared with the control group （P〈0.01）. The data suggested that bilateral ovariectomy in guinea pig lead to severe os.teoarthritis which mighgt be related to the lower serum level of estrogen and the downregulation of the expression of ER in the cartilage also.

Estrogen receptors as the novel therapeutic biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer

Although a wide range of studies have addressed the relationship between estrogen receptor(ER) expression and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), that relationship remains controversial. This is in large part because there is no consensus on the rate of ER expression in NSCLC or on the intracellular distribution of ER expression. This suggests that establishing the relationship between ER expression and prognosis will require standardization of the antibodies used as well as the definition of a positive response. For example, it is supposed from previous studies that ERs in the cytoplasm and nucleus have different relationships to prognosis than ERs in the cytoplasm. Moreover, ER signaling in NSCLC is known to be affected by aromatase, progesterone receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor mutation. However, there has been little functional analysis these mutants and subtypes. This review will focus on what is known about the role of ERs in NSCLC and whether ER can be a useful prognostic marker or therapeutic target in NSCLC.