Hernández-Ochoa Isabel, Karman Bethany N, Flaws Jodi A
Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2009 Feb 15;77(4):547-59. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2008.09.037. Epub 2008 Oct 14.
In recent years, many studies have emphasized how changes in aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)-mediated gene expression result in biological effects, raising interest in this receptor as a regulator of normal biological function. This review focuses on what is known about the role of the AHR in the female reproductive system, which includes the ovaries, Fallopian tubes or oviduct, uterus and vagina. This review also focuses on the role of the AHR in reproductive outcomes such as cyclicity, senescence, and fertility. Specifically, studies using potent AHR ligands, as well as transgenic mice lacking the AHR-signaling pathway are discussed from a viewpoint of understanding the endogenous role of this ligand-activated transcription factor in the female reproductive lifespan. Based on findings highlighted in this paper, it is proposed that the AHR has a role in physiological functions including ovarian function, establishment of an optimum environment for fertilization, nourishing the embryo and maintaining pregnancy, as well as in regulating reproductive lifespan and fertility. The mechanisms by which the AHR regulates female reproduction are poorly understood, but it is anticipated that new models and the ability to generate specific gene deletions will provide powerful experimental tools for better understanding how alterations in AHR pathways result in functional changes in the female reproductive system.
近年来，许多研究强调了芳烃受体（AHR）介导的基因表达变化如何产生生物学效应，引发了人们对该受体作为正常生物学功能调节因子的兴趣。本综述聚焦于已知的AHR在女性生殖系统中的作用，该系统包括卵巢、输卵管、子宫和阴道。本综述还关注AHR在诸如周期性、衰老和生育能力等生殖结果中的作用。具体而言，从理解这种配体激活转录因子在女性生殖寿命中的内源性作用的角度，讨论了使用强效AHR配体的研究以及缺乏AHR信号通路的转基因小鼠的研究。基于本文强调的研究结果，有人提出AHR在生理功能中发挥作用，包括卵巢功能、建立最佳受精环境、滋养胚胎和维持妊娠，以及调节生殖寿命和生育能力。AHR调节女性生殖的机制尚不清楚，但预计新的模型和产生特定基因缺失的能力将为更好地理解AHR通路的改变如何导致女性生殖系统的功能变化提供强大的实验工具。
