TY - JOUR
T1 - Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the ovaries of healthy women and those with polycystic ovary syndrome
AU - Kahsar-Miller, Melissa D.
AU - Conway-Myers, Barbara A.
AU - Boots, Larry R.
AU - Azziz, Ricardo
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of oligo-ovulation, affecting ∼4% of women. A primary defect of steroidogenesis resulting in increased ovarian and adrenal androgen production may be responsible for polycystic ovary syndrome, at least in some patients. Because the action of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) initiates the process of steroidogenesis, we proceeded to test the hypothesis that increased production or concentration of StAR may result in the abnormality of steroidogenesis found in polycystic ovary syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the ovaries from 10 healthy women and 7 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, determining the relative concentration of StAR in total protein extracts by use of Western blotting, and the overall distribution and staining intensity of StAR in prepared tissue sections. RESULTS: Overall the ovaries of healthy women and women with polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated a similar prevalence and size of follicular cysts, although the ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome had a greater mean number of follicular cysts. In general, the distribution of StAR immunoreactivity within most of the ovarian structures was not different in the ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared to those of the healthy ovaries. However, the ovaries from the cases demonstrated a significantly greater number of follicular cysts with staining for StAR immunoreactivity in the thecal cells than did the ovaries from healthy women (100% vs 38%, P < .05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the exaggeration in androgen biosynthesis in the ovaries of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome may be occurring at its earliest step (ie, that involving StAR), such that an increased amount of cholesterol is made available for androgen biosynthesis in the polycystic ovary.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of oligo-ovulation, affecting ∼4% of women. A primary defect of steroidogenesis resulting in increased ovarian and adrenal androgen production may be responsible for polycystic ovary syndrome, at least in some patients. Because the action of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) initiates the process of steroidogenesis, we proceeded to test the hypothesis that increased production or concentration of StAR may result in the abnormality of steroidogenesis found in polycystic ovary syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the ovaries from 10 healthy women and 7 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, determining the relative concentration of StAR in total protein extracts by use of Western blotting, and the overall distribution and staining intensity of StAR in prepared tissue sections. RESULTS: Overall the ovaries of healthy women and women with polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated a similar prevalence and size of follicular cysts, although the ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome had a greater mean number of follicular cysts. In general, the distribution of StAR immunoreactivity within most of the ovarian structures was not different in the ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared to those of the healthy ovaries. However, the ovaries from the cases demonstrated a significantly greater number of follicular cysts with staining for StAR immunoreactivity in the thecal cells than did the ovaries from healthy women (100% vs 38%, P < .05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the exaggeration in androgen biosynthesis in the ovaries of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome may be occurring at its earliest step (ie, that involving StAR), such that an increased amount of cholesterol is made available for androgen biosynthesis in the polycystic ovary.
KW - Androgen
KW - Ovary
KW - Polycystic ovary syndrome/androgen biosynthesis
KW - Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein
KW - Theca
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U2 - 10.1067/mob.2001.118656
DO - 10.1067/mob.2001.118656
M3 - Article
C2 - 11744913
AN - SCOPUS:0035210970
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 185
SP - 1381
EP - 1387
JO - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
JF - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
IS - 6
ER -