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Abstract

The functional roles of 11 β-HSD1: Vascular tissue, testis and brain (HTML) 
Morris,David J.; Brem,Andrew S.; Ge,Renshan; Jellinck,P.Harry; Sakai,Randall R.; Hardy,Matthew P.
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 203(1-2): 1-12
Publication date: 2003

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Glucocorticoid hormones bind both glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) exerting a broad spectrum of actions in various tissues. The concentrations of glucocorticoid hormones in the target cells are regulated by 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases, type 1 (11ß-HSD1) and type 2 (11ß-HSD2). 11ß-HSD2 is a unidirectional dehydrogenase, which inactivates biologically active glucocorticoid into inert metabolite, while 11ß-HSD1 is a bi-directional oxidoreductase, which either inactivates biologically active glucocorticoid or activates inert metabolite into active forms. GRs and MRs are present in various tissues and mediate a broad spectrum of physiological actions. The co-existence of 11ß-HSD1 with these two types of receptors plays an important role in regulation of glucocorticoid actions. This review examines the roles of 11ß-HSD1 in vascular tissues, testis, brain and other tissues such as placental, retinal and adipose tissues.

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