Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6310, USA.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 May 6;354(1-2):34-53. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.09.035. Epub 2011 Oct 8.
The uterus is an essential organ for reproduction in mammals that derives from the Müllerian duct. Despite the importance of the uterus for the fertility and health of women and their offspring, relatively little is known about the hormonal, cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate development of the Müllerian duct and uterus. This review aims to summarize the hormonal, cellular and molecular mechanisms and pathways governing development of the Müllerian duct and uterus as well as highlight developmental programming effects of endocrine disruptor compounds. Organogenesis, morphogenesis, and functional differentiation of the uterus are complex, multifactorial processes. Disruption of uterine development in the fetus and neonate by genetic defects and exposure to endocrine disruptor compounds can cause infertility and cancer in the adult and their offspring via developmental programming. Clear conservation of some factors and pathways are observed between species; therefore, comparative biology is useful to identify candidate genes and pathways underlying congenital abnormalities in humans.
子宫是哺乳动物生殖的重要器官，来源于缪勒管。尽管子宫对女性及其后代的生育能力和健康至关重要，但对于调节缪勒管和子宫发育的激素、细胞和分子机制知之甚少。本综述旨在总结调控缪勒管和子宫发育的激素、细胞和分子机制和途径，并强调内分泌干扰物化合物对发育编程的影响。子宫的器官发生、形态发生和功能分化是复杂的、多因素的过程。胎儿和新生儿的子宫发育因遗传缺陷和暴露于内分泌干扰物而受到干扰，可通过发育编程导致成年及其后代的不孕和癌症。在物种间观察到一些因素和途径的明显保守性；因此，比较生物学对于确定人类先天性异常的候选基因和途径是有用的。
