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Oestradiol, Aging Theory, Women/LGBT Difficulties and Motivation
Published in Debarshi Kar Mahapatra, Cristóbal Noé Aguilar, A. K. Haghi, Natural Products Pharmacology and Phytochemicals for Health Care, 2021
Francisco Torrens, Gloria Castellano
The female sex hormone estradiol is the most important one, along with estrone and estriol, which are less potent (cf. Figure 12.3) [11]. They are all based on the standard four-ring steroid structure (four rooms and a bathroom), with just minor differences inside groups, which includes testosterone. It is quite amazing that all the differences between males and females come down to something as trivial as the side group of a molecule! Although it can be produced by many cells in the body [e.g., fat cells, in the brain, artery walls (in males and females)], most estradiol is synthesized in the ovaries from compounds derived from cholesterol (CHOL). Estradiol helps a woman prepare for pregnancy, supporting the reproductive organs, keeping the eggs healthy in the ovaries, and instigating the monthly ovulation and menstrual cycle. It is responsible for the development of the female secondary sex characteristics, which begin at puberty and decline after the menopause; for example, estradiol initiates the development of breasts and alters the fat distribution in a woman’s body to make her curvier. It helps strengthen bones and joints.
The effect of sex hormones on skeletal muscle adaptation in females
Published in European Journal of Sport Science, 2022
Sarah E. Alexander, Alexander C. Pollock, Séverine Lamon
Estrogens and progestogens are the major female hormones. Estrogens are produced by the corpus luteum of the ovary, the placenta and to a lesser extent by adipose and other peripheral tissues, and are responsible for the development, regulation and maintenance of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics (Cui, Shen, & Li, 2013). The major bioactive estrogens are estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) (Cui et al., 2013). Progestogens, including the most abundant form progesterone, are primarily produced by the corpus luteum of the ovary and regulate the female menstrual cycle and pregnancy (Taraborrelli, 2015). The specific receptors for estrogens (ER) and progestogens (PR) are also expressed in human skeletal muscle (Ekenros et al., 2017). Unlike androgens and progestogens, which have a single receptor (the AR and the PR), there are multiple ERs found in both the cytosol (ERα and ERβ) and the sarcolemma of myocytes, including the g-protein coupled estrogen receptors (GPER), estrogen receptor-X (ER-X) and Gq-coupled membrane estrogen receptor (Gq-mER). These receptors act together to facilitate the function of female sex hormones in the regulation of muscle mass and contractility. The reason for multiple estrogen receptors in skeletal muscle is unclear but may stem from evolution.