Endocrine Abstracts

Theca cells are indispensable for female reproduction being the source of androgens required for follicular oestrogen synthesis and also for interacting with androgen receptors in the ovary and other somatic tissues. Differentiated theca interna cells acquire responsiveness to LH and other endocrine signals, including insulin, that upregulate the steroidogenic pathway leading to androgen biosynthesis. In addition, numerous intraovarian factors of thecal, granulosal and/or oocy...

The luteinising hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) plays an essential role in ovarian follicular function, mediating the action of LH on theca cell steroidogenesis and, in the preovulatory follicle, on granulosa cell (GC) steroid production and the ovulatory cascade. Following ovulation, LH (and CG) are responsible for maintenance and function of the corpus luteum. Arrested antral follicle development in PCOS is characterised by premature responsiveness of GCs to ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder, affecting 5 – 10% of women of reproductive age, and is the major cause of anovulatory infertility. The mechanisms of reproductive dysfunction in PCOS remain to be clarified. Members of the TGF-β and IGF signalling pathway have been suggested to be involved in aberrant follicle development in women with PCOS. This talk will focus on previous and ongoing research that we carried out in Denmark and the Un...