State Key Laboratory of the Agro-Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2010 Feb;16(2):80-6. doi: 10.1093/molehr/gap070. Epub 2009 Sep 2.
In recent years the emerging importance of estrogen signaling in males in addition to its major role in the female reproductive system became highlighted. Aromatase is the key enzyme for synthesis of estrogens from androgens and is responsible for controlling the androgen/estrogen ratio. Inhibition of aromatase gene expression can be achieved in different ways and is important for the treatment of several estrogen-dependent diseases, such as breast cancer in females or gynecomastia/breast cancer in males, or for non-tumorigenic conditions like precocious puberty and the induction of ovulation. The inhibition of aromatase could also serve as a tool for studying the role of estrogens during development or adulthood. Using transgenic models, we are able to analyze in more detail the involvement of aromatase in the molecular mechanisms underlying the essential balance of the androgen/estrogen ratio. In this review we focus on male phenotype characterization in the aromatase overexpressing transgenic murine models and how these models can further serve as a tool for aromatase inhibitor research.
近年来，雌激素信号在男性中的重要性不断凸显，除了其在女性生殖系统中的主要作用外。芳香酶是雄激素转化为雌激素的关键酶，负责控制雄激素/雌激素比值。芳香酶基因表达的抑制可以通过不同的方式实现，对于治疗几种雌激素依赖性疾病非常重要，如女性乳腺癌或男性乳腺发育/乳腺癌，或对于非肿瘤性疾病，如性早熟和排卵诱导。芳香酶的抑制也可以作为研究雌激素在发育或成年期作用的工具。利用转基因模型，我们能够更详细地分析芳香酶在雄激素/雌激素比值的基本平衡的分子机制中的作用。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了在过表达芳香酶的转基因小鼠模型中雄性表型的特征，以及这些模型如何进一步作为芳香酶抑制剂研究的工具。
