Expression of Aromatase Protein in Abdominal Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Pregnant Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the hormonal disorders in women. The PCOS may be due to decreased aromatase activity in adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the expression of aromatase protein in adipose tissue of pregnant women with and without PCOS. Methods: In this case-control study, aromatase protein expression were compared in subcutaneous adipose tissue of 11 pregnant women with and 11 without PCOS who were matched with each other in terms of weight characteristics before pregnancy and age. A subcutaneous adipose tissue samples (3-4 grams) was obtained during cesarean section. The expression of aromatase protein in adipose tissue was assessed using Western blotting method. All obtained data were statistically analyzed using SAS software. Findings: According to the analysis and quantification of the results, it was shown that the expression of aromatase protein in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the abdomen of the group with PCOS decreased significantly compared to the non-PCOS group (P = 0.006). In other words, the expression of aromatase protein was about one-third lower in the adipose tissue of women with PCOS than in women without it. Conclusion: The current study shows that the expression of aromatase protein in the adipose tissue of women with PCOS is reduced. This finding could confirm the key role of adipose tissue in the development of symptoms of this syndrome.

Keywords

• abdominal fat
• subcutaneous fat
• aromatase
• polycystic ovarian syndrome