By Alfred J. Plechner, D.V.M.
Aromatase is a naturally occurring enzyme that is present in various tissues in the body.
Aromatase is found in tissues like the brain, fatty tissue, testicles, ovaries, the lining of the uterus, skin, bones, the walls of blood vessels, and in the placenta.
Aromatase is found in elevated amounts in disorders like uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine and breast cancer.
Aromatase is responsible for turning female androgen and male testosterone into estrogen.
Its main function may be to keep a balance between active amounts of cortisol and active amounts of estrogen that the body produces in order to regulate immune system.
It appears that with an increase in fatty tissue, an increase in Aromatase follows.
This increases the chance for normal amounts of androgen and testosterone to be turned into excess estrogen that has been incriminated in the development of chronic catastrophic diseases like cancer and autoimmunity.
Considering poor eating habits, stress and lack of exercise we are seeing a weight gain including a probable increase in the amount of the enzyme Aromatase.
Even though programs for better nutrition, more exercise and less stress have been implemented, many humans and animals still suffer from a Metabolic Hypothyroidism which is causing an uncontrollable weight gain and probable increase in Aromatase and therefore an increase in total estrogen that is produced in the body.
The definition of a Metabolic Hypothyroidism comes from other abnormal hormones being produced by the body that stop the use of thyroid hormone even when normal thyroid hormone levels are present.
This state of Metabolic Hypothyroidism occurs due to the middle layer adrenal cortex production of a decreased, bound or defective cortisol that cannot fund the negative feedback mechanism to the pituitary gland.
When this occurs, the inner layer adrenal cortex responds to the pituitary production of ACTH and produces excess estrogen and androgen.
This excess estrogen can bind the thyroid receptor sites.
This causes the body not utilize thyroid hormones even when the thyroid hormones produced and measured are in normal amounts.
This binding of the thyroid receptor sites reduces the metabolism of the body including the breakdown of estrogen by the liver and excretion by the kidneys.
This appears to be a protective mechanism for the elevated estrogen to remain elevated.
When this occurs, the fat content of the body increases as does the Aromatase, and this may be one of the reasons why we are seeing an increase in cancer here in the United States.
We know that better diagnostics are now available for early cancer detection, but what about the development of Metabolic Hypothyroidism causing this problem?
These are only my thoughts.
Copyright ©2012
