Enhanced Fas/CD95-mediated apoptosis by epidermal growth factor in human endometrial epithelial cells.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been reported to regulate apoptosis in various cell lineages. Throughout the menstrual cycle overexpression of the EGF receptor in the secretory epithelium and constitutive expression of EGF in all types of endometrial cells were identified by immunohistochemical study of normal human endometrial tissues. However, it is not known whether EGF also regulates endometrial apoptosis. This study examined the regulatory functions of EGF in endometrial apoptosis by using a human endometrial epithelial cell line HHUA which is susceptible to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Although EGF alone did not affect the cell growth of HHUA, EGF pretreatment of HHUA enhanced Fas-mediated growth suppression and Fas-mediated DNA fragmentation in the cells. Flowcytometric analyses demonstrated that EGF did not induce Fas expression on the cell surface while expressions of the EGF receptor were down-regulated. These results suggest that EGF may enhance apoptotic susceptibility of the endometrial epithelium, especially in the secretory epithelium.
Tanaka
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Mizuno
K
K
Miyama
M
M
Chang
L
L
Chen
H
H
Ohtaki
S
S
Umesaki
N
N
Ogita
S
S
D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019014:fas Receptor; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors