'Receptors? Sherri

[Guest guest]

HI Sherri glad you've got the E & T hon.. here's something I sent before on the receptors..*smile* Hope it helps.

hugs

Dee~

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Hi all,

Gosh to explain those receptors It can get so technical that one can easily get lost in the myriad of jargon, but from what I've researched and found and it's from reading hundreds of thousands of articles (literally over the yrs) and then journals I receive daily with a paragraph from one or a sentence from another ranging from immunology, biology, genetics, clincial pathology, endocrine and hormones, to cellular microbiology journals etc.etc.etc.and on and on 'ad nauseum' ; ) (like now LOL *sorry* )

So all of this is my opinion and what I've gleaned from my own research for what it's worth. I'll 'try' to make some sense of those receptors and hope I've got it right. It's really hard to try to explain and I doubt I'm doing it any justice so forgive me, it's one of those how you know but tough to say things.

I'll mainly use Estrogen as only one idea in talking about 'receptors'. But we've many many steroids-hormones constantly flowing through the body and thank goodness under it's own control and they all act the same way. Lock and Key in effect.

We have cells and inside those cells is a 'receptor', (wish I had a drawing pen here) the receptors are a 'protein' molecule (along with DNA molecules) and when the right 'key' is used they are then activated or turned on and then bind with our DNA so that gene does what it's supposed to do. (VERY simplified) It's what keeps us female and healthy our hair, skin, bones, brain, heart, etc..

Those E. receptors contain a specific site (keyhole) to which estrogens (or closely related molecules) (keys) can bind or fit in.

The target tissues affected by these estrogen molecules contain estrogen 'receptors', and they can be all over the body and other organs and tissues in the body do not have those 'specific' ones, they each know where they're supposed to go autonomically, self controlling and independent of our thought. TG.

Therefore, when estrogen molecules circulate in the bloodstream and move throughout the body, they exert effects only on the cells that contain estrogen 'receptors' and the same for Testosterone and it's receptors. (In most normal healthy cases) Maybe think of it like a magnet?

Or in otherwords it's exactly like a lock and key that fit together to open the door so that a cell can function correctly and be beneficial and do it's job.

If the 'key' is a near fit but not exactly (say in the instance of Premarin or phytochemicals or progestins or soy) it's so similiar that the lock will it allow it in, but it's not an 'exact' fit where Estrace (estradiol 17b) is. But Premarin and other things may also give other side effects we don't want as they are just 'mimics' of the real stuff as for instance Estrace is. (why it's certainly my choice for estrogen at least) Same with the T since it too is the bioidentical T (from what I know)

Or say someone has breast cancer and they use a chemo drug.. that drug goes into those 'receptors' too but it's purpose as a key is to block 'other' keys from getting in. (like the estrogen) That would be for women who have Estrogen 'receptor' positive cancer and that person would not want the estrogen to be more stimulated or active.

Soy or birth control (mainly made up of progestins) or progesterone (P) might be another 'key' that goes into our estrogen receptors but those too are not the estrogen so it 'block's' or 'plugs' or inhibits those receptors from receiving legitimate estrogen or testosterone. But that can be normal and cyclical too and natural as with our periods (speaking about P).

But apparently there are many other things that in a way seem to be 'lost' or misguided (say toxic environments etc.) or perhaps a genetic mutation (auto immune) that we're born with that might get in there, but others can be used to an advantage say in cancer with a drug that's induced like Tamoxifen, where you DO want to block estrogen (breast cancer ER positive) or say birth control with a progestin to prevent pregnancy but they can be disadvantagious and a mutation of nature sort of too. Going where they shouldn't be.

Anti-estrogens work by binding to (or blocking) estrogen receptors, in other words blocking estrogen from binding to these receptors. This also blocks estrogen from 'activating' those genes for specific growth-promoting proteins for good or ill. (such as the cancer genes which are overactive in order to block 'more' tumor growth)

Cancer is a cell that's growing exponentially and out of control so we try to block what might be feeding it and causing it to grow even more. But in most cases we 'do' want those genes working to keep us healthy and not blocked in a typical healthy individual.

(just as an aside) ......Cancer also loves Histamine and feeds on it, if you recall me mentioning Histamine is part and parcel of inflammation and why we want to halt that ASAP and how the anti-histamines (and even aspirin or steroids) come into play to help reduce inflammation as a benefit not only for vulvar pain but many recent studies are now indicating that almost 'all' diseases start with inflammation as a basis.

I do believe that myself. It's the original 'cause' of that inflammation that has biologists etc. stumped and much research is going on in those areas.

And what is it that 'causes' the blockage of those receptors in the first place? Ahhh that is the unknown, at least I've not run across anything that says specifically why. It's possibly autoimmune or genetic in many cases or environmental like toxins, or maybe something induced into the body from an external source like drugs and chemicals, probably many others I just can't think of right now.

Of course one might say foods (or side effects of it) too as Arline suggests with glutens but who knows? But then food might be only one of the 'trigger's' just as other drugs or environment are, because one might have that malfunctioning gene (inborn & genetic) in the first place, so it still doesn't explain why that 'gene' itself malfunctions with food (or gluten) OR the environment etc....

Even the term 'Atopic Dermatitis' means it's most likely inborn. Atopic itself means an allergic reaction with strong family tendencies, inherited or genetic. *note the word is different than Atropic which is related to atrophy.

Not sure if any of this answers your questions hon and gotta scoot, Basically receptors are the lock and the proper keys are the normal natural bio-identical hormones we mention. (many more but what 'we' talk about)

Take care and I'll probably re-read this and go DUH....*chuckle* sorry.

Dee~