School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain.
Research Department, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 17;24(3):1838. doi: 10.3390/ijms24031838.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and post-menopausal women. PCOS is a multifactorial heterogeneous disorder associated with a variety of etiologies, outcomes, and clinical manifestations. However, the pathophysiology of PCOS is still unclear. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have recently been investigated for their role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. HSPs are a class of proteins that act as molecular chaperones and maintain cellular proteostasis. More recently, their actions beyond that of molecular chaperones have highlighted their pathogenic role in several diseases. In PCOS, different HSP family members show abnormal expression that affects the proliferation and apoptotic rates of ovarian cells as well as immunological processes. HSP dysregulation in the ovaries of PCOS subjects leads to a proliferation/apoptosis imbalance that mechanistically impacts follicle stage development, resulting in polycystic ovaries. Moreover, HSPs may play a role in the pathogenesis of PCOS-associated conditions. Recent studies on HSP activity during therapeutic interventions for PCOS suggest that modulating HSP activity may lead to novel treatment strategies. In this review, we summarize what is currently known regarding the role of HSPs in the pathogenesis of PCOS and their potential role in the treatment of PCOS, and we outline areas for future research.
多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）是育龄期和绝经后妇女中最常见的内分泌疾病。PCOS 是一种多因素异质性疾病，与多种病因、结局和临床表现相关。然而，PCOS 的病理生理学仍不清楚。热休克蛋白（HSPs）最近因其在 PCOS 发病机制中的作用而受到研究。HSPs 是一类作为分子伴侣发挥作用并维持细胞蛋白平衡的蛋白质。最近，它们在分子伴侣作用之外的作用突显了它们在几种疾病中的致病作用。在 PCOS 中，不同的 HSP 家族成员表现出异常表达，影响卵巢细胞的增殖和凋亡率以及免疫过程。PCOS 患者卵巢中 HSP 的失调导致增殖/凋亡失衡，这种机制会影响卵泡阶段的发育，导致多囊卵巢。此外，HSP 可能在 PCOS 相关疾病的发病机制中发挥作用。最近关于 HSP 在 PCOS 治疗干预中的活性的研究表明，调节 HSP 活性可能会导致新的治疗策略。在这篇综述中，我们总结了目前已知的 HSP 在 PCOS 发病机制中的作用及其在 PCOS 治疗中的潜在作用，并概述了未来研究的领域。
