title: Effect of normal endometrial stroma on growth and differentiation in Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells.
abstract: Endometrial cancer is characterized by alterations in the stromal cells and the supporting extracellular matrix in addition to the intrinsic alterations of the malignant epithelial cells. We have developed a cell culture model that demonstrates the role of stromal cells in the regulation of proliferation, hormone responsiveness, and differentiation of an endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (Ishikawa). Conditioned medium (CM) was collected from normal primary human endometrial stromal cells grown on plastic or within the basement membrane extract, Matrigel. The CM produced by stromal cells cultured in contact with Matrigel markedly inhibited Ishikawa cell proliferation compared with CM from stromal cells cultured on plastic. Ishikawa cell proliferation varied with steroid hormone treatment in the presence of CM from stromal cells embedded in Matrigel. When the Ishikawa cells were placed in coculture in contact with stromal cells in Matrigel, production of a differentiated epithelial secretory product, glycodelin, was induced. Gene expression of stromal cell hormone receptors, growth factors, and integrins was analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR in the presence of Matrigel to determine the potential factors involved in stromal regulatory function. These combined studies imply that the phenotype of the Ishikawa cells can be induced to differentiate to more closely resemble normal endometrial epithelium by reintroduction of stromal factors and appropriate extracellular matrix. Additionally, the study shows that basement membrane proteins influence the regulatory function of stromal cells as they mediate epithelial cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Pathology and Medicine, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. jarnold@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Julia T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lessey
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seppälä
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003094:Collagen; D003470:Culture Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011509:Proteoglycans; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007797:Laminin; C045246:PAEP protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D014020:Tissue Extracts; C059485:matrigel; D015735:Mifepristone; D011374:Progesterone; D003094:Collagen