Role of sex hormone estrogen in prevention of lipid disorder

Natural selection clearly favours the accumulation and storage of lipids in humans predisposing women to store excess fat in gluteal regions for reproduction and male in visceral region that allows specific intermittent activities typical for men. In addition, gender differences are reported in the concentration of circulating lipids and lipoproteins, with lower concentrations of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol in premenopausal women than in men. This latter evidence renders the gender differences in fat distribution and whole-body lipid metabolism of particular interest in the area of incidence and prevalence of human diseases. Although the mechanisms underlying gender-related differences in body fat distribution and lipid homeostasis remain to be fully determined, the differences reported appear to principally reflect the actions of the sex steroid hormone estrogens on whole-body lipid metabolism. In the present review, we dissect the role played by 17β-estradiol, the most active between estrogens, and by its receptors in regulating lipid homeostasis in adipose tissue, liver, and brain evaluating the potential impact of this hormone in preventing lipid abnormalities.