Breast cancer 2
Breast cancer 2Scientists have finally found out why MPA medroxyprogesterone, otherwise known as Provera performs just as well in low doses in small children who are dealing with early sex traits, as it does for women in high doses with breast cancer. You may have heard of Provera before as the drug that delivers hormone replacement therapy for women who are going through menopause.
Two scientists, named Lee and Auchus were trying to figure out why Provera is able to treat both early puberty as well as breast cancer. During the pre-teen years a chemical is released in the brain called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In a normal pre-teen body GnRH tells the ovaries and testes when to start making steroids. Low doses of Provera have shown to bind to the receptors in the brain and block GnRH production. There are certain disorders that children can develop- when their GnRH is not released into the brain. For instance, gonadotropin-independent precocity, this is when the Childs ovaries or testes still make steroids even without the release of GnRH.
Since these children are still producing steroids without GnRH being released, low doses of Provera are not effective. For the body to produce steroid hormones it must convert cholesterol into estrogens and other related substances. In order for this process to take place, several steps are involved which are controlled by a certain enzyme. In knowing this, Lee wanted to find out if blocking the action of an enzyme would be reached with high doses of Provera.
What Lee and Auchus found out was that Provera could inhibit certain enzymes, (3HSDII)...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.