Androgen-Induced Activation of
Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding
Proteins (SREBPs) & Enhanced
Lipogenesis in Tumor Cells
By Hannelore Heemers
December 2003
Leuven University Press
ISBN: 90-5867-336-7
167 pages, Illustrated, 6 ¼" x 9 ½"
$67.50 Paper Original
This is a Ph.D. dissertation. Androgens are male sex hormones, produced by the testes and to a lesser extent by the adrenals. Apart from their essential role in the development of the male phenotype, androgens are absolutely required for the maintenance of male reproductive function and behavior. As such, their ultimate biological significance is related to the survival of the species rather than to the survival of the individual. Nonetheless, when they are present and active, androgens affect not only reproductive tissues but virtually every organ and system in the body. As a consequence, the spectrum of androgen-related pathology is very broad. Androgen-related pathology may result from either inappropriate (excessive or insufficient) production of androgens or defects in androgen action. Perturbation of the normal mechanism of androgen action is a particularly important feature of common prostatic diseases such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate cancer is currently the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among western males.
Contents include: Introduction, Materials & Methods, Androgen-induction of lipogenic gene expression is a common event in prostate cancer cells and involves activation of the SREBP pathway, SREBP-mediated lipogenic effects of androgens are not restricted to LNCaP cells, but can be generalized to other androgen-responsive prostate cancer cell lines, Androgens induce SCAP expression in LNCaP cells by stimulation of SCAP gene transcription through a DNA domain located within intron 8, Insig-2: a novel player in the androgen activation of the SREBP pathway, Androgens and progestins increase expression of the putative lipogenic mediator "Spot 14" in T47D breast tumor cells, Androgens stimulate coordinated lipogenic gene expression in normal target tissues in vivo, General conclusions and perspectives.
Oncology
Acta Biomedica Lovaniensia No. 297
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