Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors That Influence Epigenetics
Cristina Camprubí, Joan Blanco in Epigenetics and Assisted Reproduction, 2018
Timely epigenetic events mediate proper development in organisms and contribute to the formation of healthy individuals. These events are highly plastic, allowing the organism to cope with variations in its surrounding environment. However, such plasticity also implies that developmental windows of increased epigenetic remodeling may be sensitive to the action of environmental exposures that will generate detrimental outcomes. Nutritional factors, EDCs (man-made or natural) or various pharmacological agents are currently known to act on epigenetic processes, thereby interfering with the epigenetic machineries. In parallel, it is important to consider the known detrimental effects EDCs exert on reproduction, such as those generated by exposure to BPA and phytoestrogens. Increasing evidence points toward endocrine signaling, particularly signaling involving sex hormones, as being very sensitive to epigenetic remodeling by extrinsic factors. This is of special concern since sex-hormone signaling is not only needed for the normal functioning of the adult organism but also for its reproductive ability. Future research on the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic epigenetic regulation is therefore warranted.
Emotional Wellness and Stress Resilience
Michelle Tollefson, Nancy Eriksen, Neha Pathak in Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan, 2021
It is particularly important to consider stress within the context of women’s health across the lifespan, as stress is heightened at times of significant hormonal change, such as puberty, childbirth, and menopause.2,3,4 Before the onset of puberty, men and women appear similar in their physiological responses to stress and prevalence of mood disorders.43,44,45,46 During puberty, anatomical and physiologic changes between men and women become pronounced, as each gender expresses different levels of sex steroid hormones.47 In the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis of women, the hypothalamus secretes GnRH in a pulsatile manner, which stimulates the gonadotroph cells of the anterior pituitary to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).48 The FSH and LH then act on the female ovaries to release sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.48 However, the predominant sex hormone in men is testosterone released from the testes.49
Stress and stress management
Dominic Upton in Introducing Psychology for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, 2013
One major hormonal pathway through which stress exerts its effects is the adrenocorti-cotrophic hormone (ACTH). The anterior pituitary produces ACTH when it is stimulated by the hypothalamus. ACTH is released into the bloodstream and acts upon the outer area of the adrenal gland causing it to produce a group of hormones – the corticosteroids. These regulate the blood pressure and hence this demonstrates one mechanism whereby hormonal transmitted stress can exert a negative effect. As well as this, when a number of stress hormones are released in large amounts during times of stress, other hormones are decreased to very low levels. The sex hormones for example are inhibited by the stress hormone which leads to a lowered sex drive and to menstrual irregularities in women.
Role of sex hormones in cervical changes in a cervical excision-related preterm delivery mouse model
Published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2021
Ki Hoon Ahn, Hee Youn Kim, Geum Joon Cho, Soon Cheol Hong, Min Jeong Oh, Hai Joong Kim
Sex hormones play important roles in the reproductive hormone function. The onset of labour is caused by a remarkable reduction in maternal progesterone levels (Mesiano et al. 2002; Yellon et al. 2013; Welsh et al. 2014). The functional antagonism of the progesterone receptor (PR) results in preterm parturition (Yellon et al. 2013). In contrast, oestrogen induces birth by upregulating the genes associated with myometrial contractility and excitability. PR-A and PR-B mediate progesterone effects and determine progesterone responsiveness (Merlino et al. 2007). In guinea pigs, the mechanism underlying functional progesterone withdrawal involves reducing PR-A and PR-B expression in the uterus during late pregnancy and labour (Welsh et al. 2014). These findings indicate that parturition requires the withdrawal of progesterone and the activation of oestrogen (Mesiano et al. 2002). Similarly, in human parturition, functional progesterone withdrawal and oestrogen activation have been observed (Leavitt et al. 1987; Tsai et al. 1998).
Compounding for women’s health: a compounder’s perspective – need, regulations, and future
Published in Climacteric, 2021
Sex hormones, primarily estrogens (estradiol, estriol, estrone), progestin (progesterone), and androgens (testosterone), and prohormones including pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone are bioidentical substances that providers may use to treat men or women8–19. With the advent of pharmaceutical industrialization of drugs, commercial prescription products have entered the market and incorporated these biologically identical hormones. Treatment options using such medicines are made available to prescribers; however, the hurdles for commercial products, including insurance plan coverage, out-of-pocket costs, drug shortages, limited strengths of medications, the presence of allergens such as additives and preservatives, patient allergies and sensitivities, patients who are vegetarian or vegan, limited routes of administration, and patient physical barriers that hamper their use (i.e. limited eyesight, application of product, physical limitations) leading to compliance and therapeutic failure, leave many patients and providers seeking compounding alternatives. Clinics that offer in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination also depend on compounded medications. We are fortunate in the USA, Canada, and Australia to have strong networks of compounding pharmacies and pharmacists that are committed to providing personalized solutions.
Risky Behaviors and Sensation-Seeking in Adolescence: A Descriptive Correlational Study
Published in Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing, 2020
Azade Safa, Sina Valiee, Alireza Fazel Darbandi, Mohammad Aghajani
The current study also showed a significant difference between the overall sensation-seeking scores of male and female students, so that the overall sensation-seeking score was higher in boys than girls. This finding is consistent with results of a study done on American adolescents (10–14 years) by telephone survey (Sargent et al., 2010). In a study of Hansen et al. in Scandinavia, boys score was significantly higher on thrill and adventure seeking and girls score was significantly higher on both new experience seeking and outgoingness, but the sub-scale activity showed no differences between sexes (Hansen & Breivik, 2001). Our results also revealed a gender difference in the areas of experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility. Such differences may be attributed to the differences in the levels of sex hormones such as androgens and estrogen to some extent (Popham et al., 2011). On the other hand, it seems that boys and girls use different strategies to diminish their emotions. Therefore, delinquent behaviors and substance abuse are more prevalent among boys while girls are more comfortable in expressing their emotions, which can deplete them in a positive way.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Biochemical Cascade
- Estrogen
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Nuclear Receptor
- Peptide
- Steroid Hormone
- Steroid Hormone Receptor
- Androgen
- Progestogen
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone