Nadia Alzanati
Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Steroid Horm Sci
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine, reproductive, metabolic and psychological disorder in women of childbearing age, affecting 6-10% of premenopausal women. Hyperandrogenism is the most important biochemical feature of the syndrome, and it responsible on the most clinical features of the disease. The relationship between adipose tissue and pathophysiology of PCOS, in terms of development of hyperandrogenism is still not fully understood. Although ovaries and adrenal glands are the main sources of androgen, it is appear to study the contribution of peripheral steroidogenesis in the pathophysiology of PCOS. Also, to understand the role of adipose tissue in the development of hyperandrogenism, we hypothesised that steroidogenesisrelated enzymes, 17-alpha hydroxylase/17.20-lyase (CYP 17A1) and 17-Beta hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase type 5 (AKR1C3) are expressed in adipose tissue and is responsible for locally-synthesised sex steroid hormones, mainly androgen. Aim: The main aim of this study is to analyse and compare the expression level of steriodogenic enzymes; CYP17A1 and AKR1C3 in adipose tissue of women with and without PCOS. Objective, Methods& Materials: To achieve this objective, methods& materials subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were surgically obtained from women with PCOS (n=8) and from healthy women(n=8), at reproductive age(BMI, 20- 35kg/m2). Total RNA was isolated from whole adipose tissue samples. The expression levels of steroid-converting enzymes transcripts were examined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Results: the expression level of CYP17 gene in the subcutaneous tissue of PCOS women was high, but notsignificantly high, P value =0.5615 (P <0.05). AKR1C3 geneexpression level was highly significant, P value= 0.0003(P <0.05). In conclusion: Our results are highly suggestive of contribution of abdominal adipose tissue in hyperandrogenismin women with PCOS and thus of a significant involvement of peripheral steriodogensis to the high androgen level in PCOS. This may shift our view on PCOS, beyond ovary and adrenal, to the modulation of steriodogensis at this level. In addition, this study was confirmed that subcutaneous adipose tissue synthesis androgen hormone in consisting with several studies
