The concept of the direct involvement of gonadotrophins in tumorigenesis has been around for a long time. First, because the gonads are direct targets of gonadotrophin action, their tumours have been proposed to be gonadotrophin-dependent. Second, the recent findings of gonadotrophin receptors in extragonadal tissues has prompted the hypothesis that some extragonadal tumours (e.g. breast, uterus, prostate, pituitary and adrenal) could also be under the direct regulatory action of gonadotrophins. However, although supported by numerousin vitroexperiments and experimental animal models, the clinical evidence for a direct tumorigenic role of gonadotrophins remains weak. The purpose of this brief review is to present a critical evaluation of current information, both clinical and experimental, about the involvement of gonadotrophins in the induction and growth of gonadal and extragonadal tumours.
Review of experimental animal models of acute pancreatitis
