Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevailing pathological status, that is extensively observed in 80% of infertile women. (1) It exhibits a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations such as amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, acne, dyslipidemia, and polycystic ovarian morphology and is associated with oxidative stress and metabolic factors such as inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes.(2–5)
Oxidative stress is the imbalance between production of free radicals called oxidants and the ability of to defend their harmful effects. (6) Overproduction of free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) or failure in antioxidant defense system result in oxidative stress which is involved in several conditions. (4)
The steroidogenic function of theca cells is regulated by LH and local factors. (7) Most attention is paid to the hypersecretion of LH and insulin resistance as well as hyperinsulinemia. The oldest theory emphasized the relationship between thecal cells stimulation with LH and the consequent androgen overproduction. (8) Accordingly, increased LH and enhanced insulin levels amplify the inherent impairment of steroidogenesis in theca cells.(9–11)
In addition to hyperandrogenism symptoms, follicle stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones upregulation, as well as estrogen and progesterone reduction levels have been reported in PCOS patients. (8, 11)
Estrogens play a significant role in the development and function of the reproduction system. The main mediators of estrogen action are two specific high affinity receptors, the estrogen receptor α (ERα) and estrogen receptor β (ERβ), both of which are members of nuclear receptor superfamily and are necessary for the proper functioning of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis. Furthermore, while both ERα and ERβ are expressed in the human ovary, ERβ is the main type of receptor and its activation enhances folliculogenesis and ovulation. (12, 13)
It is reported that in rodents, ERα is expressed exclusively in theca cells, whereas ERβ is expressed especially in granulosa cells (GCs). (14) Studies in knockout mice have revealed that the absence of ERα leads to the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotype with elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and ovaries characterized by the presence of multiple hemorrhagic and cystic follicles, while the ERβ knockout mice have abnormal follicular development with early atretic follicles and are subfertile. (15–17)
Furthermore, its demonstrated that the expression of ERβ is lower in follicles derived from women with PCOS compared with healthy women, while ERα expression is markedly increased in theca cells of polycystic ovaries, causing alteration in the ERα/ERβ ratio in PCOS and possibly abnormal follicular development. (15) Actually, ERβ knockout (βERKO) mice ovaries appear normal, exhibiting follicles at all stages of development. Meanwhile, these mice represent fewer corpora lutea, resulting in mild subfertility problems. (18)
Moreover, failed responses to exogenous gonadotropins as well as a severe deficiency in response to the LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) ovulatory stimulus have been reported in βERKO mice ovaries. (19) It’s been observed in mice lacking ERα to be insulin resistant with impaired glucose tolerance and increased white adipose tissue, indicating that abnormalities in estrogen signaling may have relevant metabolic effects. (20)
Flavonoids, the so-called phytoestrogens, are well known as natural estrogen analogues and are found in abundance in roots, flowers, fruits, and stems of plants. (21–24) Naringenin is an important flavanone that can be derived from grapefruit, but is widely present in the plant kingdom and has been isolated from several plant species that exhibits antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-atherogenic and metal chelating activities.(25–27)
It has been reported to cause a reduction in the activity of the steroidogenic enzymes 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3b-HSD) and 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17b-HSD) in the PCO rat model. This finding might be due to the presence of the B ring of the Naringenin molecule. (28) Among several mechanisms proposed for Nar-induced anti-proliferative effects (i.e., antioxidant activities, kinase and glucose uptake inhibition) (29–32), the ability of Nar to hamper cell proliferation via estrogen receptor (ER) binding is particularly intriguing. It is well known that different flavonoids, Nar inclusive, bind both ERα and ERβ (i.e., greater affinity to ERβ than to ERα (33, 34), thus modulating the 17b-estradiol (E2)-induced gene transcription. However, the involvement of ERα or ERβ signaling in the molecular mechanisms of Nar-induced anti-proliferative effects in human cancer cells remains to be investigated. (35)
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of Naringenin as an anti- proliferative and anti-apoptotic factor on ER alpha and ER beta in PCOS patients and to determine whether there are significant differences, compared with healthy women.