ArticleReproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E2007
Human type 2 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA and protein distribution in placental villi at mid and term pregnancy.
Article in Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advanced multi-modal mass spectrometry imaging reveals functional differences of placental villous compartments at microscale resolution.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Expression of Key Steroidogenic Enzymes in Human Placenta and Associated Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.Maternal-fetal medicine (Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.) · 2023Article
- Establishment of Adenomyosis Organoids as a Preclinical Model to Study Infertility.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
- Prenatal sex hormones and behavioral outcomes in children.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2020Article
- Hormonal Changes Associated With Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction: Impact on the Developing Brain and Future Neurodevelopment.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2019Review
- Physiology and Pathophysiology of Steroid Biosynthesis, Transport and Metabolism in the Human Placenta.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2018Review
- The human placental proteome is affected by maternal smoking.Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) · 2016Article
- Local estrogen metabolism in epithelial ovarian cancer suggests novel targets for therapy.The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology · 2015Article
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- Steroidogenic enzyme and key decidualization marker dysregulation in endometrial stromal cells from women with versus without endometriosis.Biology of reproduction · 2009Article
- Effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on estrogen metabolism and endometrial cells: potential physiological and pathological relevance.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2009Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDuring human pregnancy, the placental villi produces high amounts of estradiol. This steroid is secreted by the syncytium, which is directly in contact with maternal blood. Estradiol has to cross placental foetal vessels to reach foetal circulation. The enzyme 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17beta-HSD2) was detected in placental endothelial cells of foetal vessels inside the villi. This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of estradiol to estrone, and of testosterone to androstenedione. It was proposed that estradiol level into foetal circulation could be regulated by 17beta-HSD2.
methodsWe obtained placentas from 10 to 26 6/7 weeks of pregnancy from women undergoing voluntary termination of pregnancy, term placentas were collected after normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries. We quantified 17beta-HSD2 mRNA levels in mid-gestation and term human placenta by RT-QPCR. We produced a new anti-17beta-HSD2 antibody to study its spatio-temporal expression by immunohistochemistry. We also compared steroid levels (testosterone, estrone and estradiol) and 17beta-HSD2 mRNA and protein levels between term placenta and endometrium.
resultsHigh 17beta-HSD2 mRNA and protein levels were found in both mid-gestation and term placentas. However, we showed that 17beta-HSD2 mRNA levels increase by 2.27 fold between mid-gestation and term. This period coincides with a transitional phase in the development of the villous vasculature. In mid-gestation placenta, high levels of 17beta-HSD2 were found in mesenchymal villi and immature intermediate villi, more precisely in endothelial cells of the stromal channel. At term, high levels of 17beta-HSD2 were found in the numerous sinusoidal capillaries of terminal villi. 17beta-HSD2 mRNA and protein levels in term placentas were respectively 25.4 fold and 30 to 60 fold higher than in the endometrium. Steroid levels were also significantly higher in term placenta than in the endometrium.
conclusionThe spatial and temporal expression of 17beta-HSD2 in the placenta during pregnancy and the comparison of 17beta-HSD2 expression and steroid levels between placental villi and endometrium are compatible with a role in the modulation of active and inactive forms of estrogens. Our observations strongly support the hypothesis that 17beta-HSD2 acts as a barrier decreasing estradiol secretion rates in the foetal circulation.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.