URI scientists discover estrogen interaction prevents some pregnant women from expelling bile acids

摘要

KINGSTON – A University of RhodeIsland pharmacy professor has discoveredan interaction involving the hormoneestrogen that occurs in somepregnant women preventing them fromexpelling bile acid, leading to disease intheir fetuses.RUITANG DENG, an associate professorof biomedical sciences in theCollege of Pharmacy, and his researchteam, recently completed a studyfunded by a $1.4 million NationalInstitutes of Health grant. They examinedthe effects of molecular interactionsinvolving estrogen in the latestages of pregnancy that shut down thebile salt export pump, preventing thewoman from expelling bile acids andleading to a condition called intrahepaticcholestasis of pregnancy. The bilesalt export pump is an active transportprotein in humans located on a plasmamembrane.