Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS
The presence of abnormal ovarian ratios of myo-inositol (MI) to <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">D</span>-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a recurrent feature in PCOS. Available evidence suggests that MI and DCI may modulate steroid biosynthesis, likely in an opposite manner. Spe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/19/7157 |
| _version_ | 1797552362205741056 |
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| author | Vittorio Unfer Simona Dinicola Antonio Simone Laganà Mariano Bizzarri |
| author_facet | Vittorio Unfer Simona Dinicola Antonio Simone Laganà Mariano Bizzarri |
| author_sort | Vittorio Unfer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of abnormal ovarian ratios of myo-inositol (MI) to <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">D</span>-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a recurrent feature in PCOS. Available evidence suggests that MI and DCI may modulate steroid biosynthesis, likely in an opposite manner. Specifically, MI seems to induce estrogen production, while DCI has a role in the synthesis of androgens. Elevated insulin levels, generally associated with PCOS, alter the physiological MI/DCI ratio, increasing MI-to-DCI conversion through activation of a specific epimerase enzyme. DCI directly increases testosterone biosynthesis in thecal cells and reduces its conversion to estradiol by downregulating aromatase enzyme in granulosa cells. This manuscript reviews the literature that supports the connection between altered MI/DCI ratios and pathological steroidogenesis observed in PCOS women. Furthermore, it discusses the application of inositol-based treatment protocols in managing PCOS symptoms and improving the quality of patients’ life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:59:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98b87d68a72a46ceb4bffccba82a4899 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:59:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-98b87d68a72a46ceb4bffccba82a48992023-11-20T15:23:39ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-09-012119715710.3390/ijms21197157Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOSVittorio Unfer0Simona Dinicola1Antonio Simone Laganà2Mariano Bizzarri3Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Systems Biology Group Lab, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Systems Biology Group Lab, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Systems Biology Group Lab, 00161 Rome, ItalyThe presence of abnormal ovarian ratios of myo-inositol (MI) to <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">D</span>-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a recurrent feature in PCOS. Available evidence suggests that MI and DCI may modulate steroid biosynthesis, likely in an opposite manner. Specifically, MI seems to induce estrogen production, while DCI has a role in the synthesis of androgens. Elevated insulin levels, generally associated with PCOS, alter the physiological MI/DCI ratio, increasing MI-to-DCI conversion through activation of a specific epimerase enzyme. DCI directly increases testosterone biosynthesis in thecal cells and reduces its conversion to estradiol by downregulating aromatase enzyme in granulosa cells. This manuscript reviews the literature that supports the connection between altered MI/DCI ratios and pathological steroidogenesis observed in PCOS women. Furthermore, it discusses the application of inositol-based treatment protocols in managing PCOS symptoms and improving the quality of patients’ life.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/19/7157PCOSmyo-inositol<span style="font-variant: small-caps">D</span>-chiro-inositolsteroidogenesis |
| spellingShingle | Vittorio Unfer Simona Dinicola Antonio Simone Laganà Mariano Bizzarri Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS International Journal of Molecular Sciences PCOS myo-inositol <span style="font-variant: small-caps">D</span>-chiro-inositol steroidogenesis |
| title | Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS |
| title_full | Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS |
| title_fullStr | Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS |
| title_short | Altered Ovarian Inositol Ratios May Account for Pathological Steroidogenesis in PCOS |
| title_sort | altered ovarian inositol ratios may account for pathological steroidogenesis in pcos |
| topic | PCOS myo-inositol <span style="font-variant: small-caps">D</span>-chiro-inositol steroidogenesis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/19/7157 |
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