雄激素受体(androgen receptor,AR)是核受体超家族的成员,主要通过与配体(雄激素)结合的方式发挥其生物学功能。AR在调节男性精子生成和发育,维持男性第二性征等方面起重要作用。此外,AR在前列腺癌、肝癌等疾病的发生发展中起重要作用。更有趣的是,近来研究发现,AR及其介导的靶基因转录在抵抗肥胖,抑制机体产生胰岛素抵抗中也发挥着不可忽视的作用。AR的辅助调节因子参与调控AR介导的基因转录,通过不同的分子机制影响着AR的活性,并且影响机体能量代谢活动。现就AR结构与功能、AR的辅助调节因子的作用机制及其对脂代谢、胰岛素抵抗等影响进行综述。
Androgen receptor (AR) is a member of nuclear receptor superfamily, and mainly exerts its biological function in a ligand-dependent manner. AR plays an important role in regulating the male sperm production and development, maintaining male secondary sex characteristics, and so on. Furthermore, AR is implicated in the progression of prostate cancer, liver cancer, and other diseases. More interestingly, recent studies have found that AR and its target gene play important roles which cannot be ignored on mediating against obesity, inhibiting the body's resistance to insulin. Cofactors of AR are capable to regulate the transcription of genes, which are mediated by AR, affect the activity of AR by the different molecular mechanisms, and affect the body's metabolic activity. We reveiw the structure and the function of AR, the mechanism of cofactor action and its effects on the lipid metabolism, insulin resistance and so on.