多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）是妇科常见的生殖内分泌疾病，是导致无排卵性不孕的主要原因。高雄激素血症是大部分PCOS患者的主要临床表现，其发生与机体糖脂代谢异常密切相关。我们前期研究表明，骨形成蛋白家族（BMPs）成员BMP4在调节肥胖发生、维持机体糖脂代谢稳态方面发挥重要作用。新近体外研究也发现，BMP4可能参与调控卵泡发育，并可调节肾上腺皮质癌细胞中脱氢表雄酮的分泌。然而，BMP4能否调控PCOS高雄激素血症的发生仍不清楚。本项目将以BMP4调节PCOS高雄激素血症为主线，明确BMP4在PCOS高雄激素血症个体中的表达变化；阐明BMP4对机体雄激素水平的影响；探索BMP4调控卵巢中雄激素合成的相关机制，挖掘BMP4调控雄激素合成关键基因CYP17A1表达的具体分子机理。本项目的实施可能为临床治疗PCOS高雄激素血症奠定理论基础并提供新的思路。

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder and a main cause of anovulatory sterility in women at reproductive age. Hyperandrogenism is the main clinical manifestation of most patients with PCOS, and is highly related to metabolic syndrome. We have found that bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) involved in the regulation of obesity and metabolic homeostasis. Recent studies have also shown that BMP4 was required for follicle development; and that BMP4 inhibited synthesis of the C19 steroids dehydroepiandrosterone in human adrenocortical cell. However, the effect of BMP4 on hyperandrogenism remains unknown. Therefore, we hypothesize whether BMP4 modulates the occurrence of hyperandrogenism in PCOS. Our project aims to focus on the function of BMP4 in hyperandrogenism development. We plan to detect the expression of BMP4 in hyperandrogenism, investigate the effect of BMP4 in the synthesis of androgen and the expression of the key gene (CYP17A1) for androgen synthesis, and clarify the underlying mechanism. Our study may shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying pathogenesis of hyperandrogenism in PCOS, and provide new strategies for the treatment of hyperandrogenism.