Epidermal growth factor and sex steroids dynamically regulate a marker of endometrial receptivity in Ishikawa cells.
The factors regulating human endometrial receptivity remain poorly understood. The alpha v beta 3 integrin cell adhesion molecule appears to be regulated in the human endometrium, appearing on postovulatory days 5-6, corresponding to the time of initial embryo attachment. This integrin has been extensively studied as a potential marker of endometrial receptivity and is aberrantly expressed in the endometrial epithelium of some infertile women. Ishikawa cells are a well differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line that maintain functional estrogen and progesterone receptors and are a useful model to study steroid-mediated events in human endometrial epithelium. This cell line expresses most of the normal endometrial epithelial integrins, including the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor. The regulation of this integrin was studied with fluorescence immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and Northern blot analysis. Estrogen with or without progesterone treatment down-regulates alpha v beta 3 in this cell line. Several growth factors, including epidermal growth factor and the closely related transforming growth factor-alpha significantly increase the expression of this integrin. We conclude that endometrial differentiation is influenced by both steroid hormones and growth factors. The alpha v beta 3 integrin appears to be an excellent marker to study the molecular events leading to the establishment of uterine receptivity and successful implantation.
Somkuti
S G
SG
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7570, USA.
Yuan
L
L
Fritz
M A
MA
Lessey
B A
BA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019030:Receptors, Vitronectin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D004967:Estrogens; D019030:Receptors, Vitronectin; D011374:Progesterone; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor