Research Paper on:
Mammalian Hepatic Estrogen Receptor Function and Expression

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
birth control, or for controlling the effects of osteoporosis. However, the research and follow-up on the effects of long term estrogen usage have been sketchy at best. Now, the technology  exists to actually see how the body manufactures estrogen and how it metabolizes such a substance via the liver. Definition of Hepatic Estrogen The reproductive organs and the adrenal  glands are the primary sources of estrogen in the female body, though estrogen does occur in minute amounts in males. The major type of estrogen secreted by the ovary is  called, Estriol, which is also the principal estrogen formed by the placenta during pregnancy(Flouriot, 1998). There are at least three common compounds which are responsible for the estrogenic activity in  humans. They are 17-estradiol, estrone, and estriol(Flouriot, 1998). When 17-estriol is secreted into the bloodstream, it becomes estrone, then estriol, which is easier for the body to metabolize and  for the receptors in the liver to grab onto. Though there are three common types of estrogen, nearly six types have been identified in women. Hepatic estrogen, then, is  estrogen that is being processed for elimination or absorption into the bodys systems. However, problems can arise when the liver is not able to filter out the hormones. A build  up of hormone levels in the liver can lead to serious side effects, it can be stated. In fact, there is some evidence to show that over a period of  time, specific and irreversible damage is done to the organ. Several of the receptors have been identified on the cellular level and determined to belong to the "superfamily of steroid/thyroid,  hormone/retinoic acid receptors whose members act as ligand-inducible transcriptional factors"(Flouriot, Griffin, et al, 1998). According to experts in the field, there are a limited number of hepatic liver receptors,