J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol.  2011 Aug;16(2):67-72.

The Growth and Pubertal Development in Female Mice with Tissue-specific Knock out of Estrogen Receptor

• Shim KS

Abstract

The roles of estrogen and its receptors are important for control of puberty, pubertal growth spurt, epiphyseal fusion of long bone, and accretion of bone mineral content in adolescent. But, the mechanism of functions of them is not fully understood. The female mice with tissue-specific knock out (KO) of estrogen receptor (ER) were generated to determine the roles of them in the growth and reproductive axis. The serum levels of growth hormone (GH) were decreased but the body lengths were not in somatotrope-specific ERalpha KO mice compared with wild ones. The onset of puberty was delayed in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron-specific ERalpha KO mice. The reproductive axis was disturbed in gonadotrope-specific ERalpha KO mice. Additional studies are required to evaluate the various roles of estrogen and its receptors in growth and pubertal development. Future works will focus on the phenomes of tissue-specific KO of ERbeta or aromatase in mice, other animal models, and in vitro or vivo studies of ER agonists or antagonists.

Keyword

Estrogen; Receptor; Mice; Knockout; Growth; Puberty

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Animals
Aromatase
Axis, Cervical Vertebra
Bone Density
Estrogen Receptor alpha
Estrogen Receptor beta
Estrogens
Female
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Growth Hormone
Humans
Mice
Models, Animal
Puberty
Aromatase
Estrogen Receptor alpha
Estrogen Receptor beta
Estrogens
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Growth Hormone