Estrogen Can Directly Affect Genes That Regulate Fatty-Acid Synthesis

Menopause induces many physiologic changes. Now, results indicate that falling postmenopausal estrogen levels can precipitate increases in fatty-acid synthesis and plasma triglyceride levels. Researchers randomly selected 10 women from a larger study group to participate in an investigation of estrogen’s influence on lipogenic gene expression. All the women (mean age, 54; mean BMI, 24.7 kg/m²; mean plasma triglyceride level, 74.3 mg/dL at baseline) had undergone natural menopause and, as part of the larger study, received estrogen (2 mg estradiol valerate daily for 3 months). Before and after treatment, needle biopsies were performed to obtain adipose tissue samples for gene expression analysis with microarray and polymerase chain reaction.…