Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Génétique Reproduction et Développement, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2013 Jan;36(1):55-60. doi: 10.3275/8765. Epub 2012 Nov 27.
The role of cholesterol in female reproductive physiology has been suspected for a long time, while the molecular bases were unknown. Cholesterol is the precursor of ovarian steroid biosynthesis and is also essential for fertility. In the uterus, cholesterol is essential to achieve correct contractions at term, but an excessive uterine cholesterol concentration has been associated with contractility defects. Liver X Receptor (LXR) α and LXR β are nuclear receptors activated by oxysterols, oxidized derivatives of cholesterol. Since their discovery, the role of LXR in the control of cholesterol homeostasis has been widely described. Beyond their cholesterol-lowering role, more recent data have linked these nuclear receptors to various physiological processes. In particular, they control ovarian endocrine and exocrine functions, as well as uterine contractility. Their contribution to female reproductive cancers will also be discussed. This review will try to enlighten on the LXR as a molecular link between dietary cholesterol and reproductive diseases in women. In the future, a better comprehension of the various physiological processes regulated by the LXR will help to develop new ligands to prevent or to cure these pathologies in women.
胆固醇在女性生殖生理学中的作用早已被怀疑，但分子基础尚不清楚。胆固醇是卵巢类固醇生物合成的前体，也是生育所必需的。在子宫中，胆固醇对于足月时的正确收缩至关重要，但过多的子宫胆固醇浓度与收缩性缺陷有关。肝 X 受体（LXR）α和 LXRβ是被氧化固醇激活的核受体，胆固醇的氧化衍生物。自发现以来，LXR 在控制胆固醇稳态中的作用已被广泛描述。除了降低胆固醇的作用外，最近的数据还将这些核受体与各种生理过程联系起来。特别是，它们控制卵巢内分泌和外分泌功能以及子宫收缩性。它们对女性生殖系统癌症的贡献也将进行讨论。这篇综述将尝试阐明 LXR 作为饮食胆固醇与女性生殖系统疾病之间的分子联系。将来，对 LXR 调节的各种生理过程的更好理解将有助于开发新的配体来预防或治疗女性的这些疾病。
