Estrogen Receptor Alpha ERa

Conventionally, the variants are characterized by coamplification with wild-type sequences using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, this approach focuses on small regions of the known wild-type mRNA. Because of this threshold detection, spliced transcripts expressed at low levels may fall below the threshold of detection. To avoid this and other limitations of the conventional RT-PCR technique, the targeted amplification method can be used (Poola et al., 2000). This method involves the targeted amplification of the alternatively spliced molecules as separate gene populations using specific primers designed for the alternative splice junctions, without coamplification of wild-type molecules. 

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Dupont S, Krust A, Gansmuller A, Dierich A, Chambon P, Mark M (2000) Effect of single and compound knockouts of estrogen receptors alpha (ERa) and ( > (FR/f) on muse reproductive phenotypes. Development 127 4277-4291... 

Estrogens induced cardioprotection seems to involve the ERa receptor. In fact, hearts from estrogens receptor-alpha knock out mice were sensitive to ischemia and reperfusion injury". Furthermore, estrogens receptor modulators which lack some of the estrogens side effects are shown to be cardioprotective raloxifene limited infarct size and incidence of ventricular fibrillation in an in vivo canine model of coronary occlusion and reperfusion. This effect was attenuated by the inhibition of NO synthase (NOS) or calcium activated potassium channels and completely abolished by both blocking NOS and Ca2+-activated K+ channels. Ischemia and reperfusion induced p38 MAPK activation was also attenuated in raloxifene treated hearts.12... 

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