Physiological concentrations of Cimicifuga racemosa extract do not affect expression of genes involved in estrogen biosynthesis and action in endometrial and ovarian cell lines

Sinreih, Maša (author), Gregorič, Klara (author), Gajser, Kristina (author), Lanišnik-Rižner, Tea (author)

In postmenopausal women, estrogen levels exclusively depend on local formation from the steroid precursors dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and estrone sulfate (E1-S). Reduced estrogen levels are associated with menopausal symptoms. To mitigate these symptoms, more women nowadays choose medicine of natural origin, e.g., Cimicifuga racemosa (CR), instead of hormone replacement therapy, which is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. Although CR treatment is considered safe, little is known about its effects on healthy endometrial and ovarian tissue and hormone-dependent malignancies, e.g., endometrial and ovarian cancers that arise during menopause. The aim of our study was to examine the effects of CR on the expression of genes encoding E1-S transporters and estrogen-related enzymes in control and cancerous endometrial and ovarian cell lines. CR affected the expression of genes encoding E1-S transporters and estrogen-related enzymes only at very high concentrations, whereas no changes were observed at physiological concentrations of CR. This suggests that CR does not exert estrogenic effects in endometrial and ovarian tissues and probably does not affect postmenopausal women’s risks of endometrial or ovarian cancer or the outcomes of endometrial and ovarian cancer patients.

• Language: English
• Keywords: endometrial cancer, Cimicifuga racemosa, ovarian cancer, steroid transporters
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 4, art. 545
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-137449
• UDC: 616-006
• ISSN on article: 2218-273X
• DOI: 10.3390/biom12040545
• COBISS.SI-ID: 104049411
• Publication date in RUL: 17.06.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Biomolecules
• Shortened title: Biomolecules
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2218-273X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519952921

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 05.04.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: rak endometrija, Cimicifuga racemosa, rak jajčnikov

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J3-8212
• Name: Vloga intrakrinega delovanja estrogenov pri hormonsko odvisnih boleznih – pomen za zdravljenje

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J3-2535
• Name: Vloga androgenov pri hormonsko odvisnih boleznih: pomen za diagnostiko in zdravljenje