title: Transforming growth factor beta1 exerts an autocrine regulatory effect on human endometrial stromal cell apoptosis, involving the FasL and Bcl-2 apoptotic pathways.
abstract: Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) is expressed in human endometrium. It regulates epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis. The aim of the present work was to examine the role of TGFbeta1 on human endometrial stromal cell apoptosis. Primary cultures of isolated stromal cells were obtained from biopsies of late secretory phase endometrium. We have found the following: (i) TGFbeta1 induced apoptosis of stromal cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner; (ii) blockade of TGFbeta1's autocrine/paracrine effect by TGFbeta1-neutralizing antibodies diminished the basal rate of stromal cell apoptosis; (iii) semi-quantitative Western blot analysis showed that TGFbeta1 caused a rapid but transient elevation of the pro-apoptotic FasL protein, without affecting the levels of Fas receptor; (iv) TGFbeta1 increased the levels of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, while having no significant effects on the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak, suggesting the activation of a transient survival mechanism activated in stromal cells as a parallel rescue response to the apoptosis-inducing FasL protein. In conclusion, our data provide evidence that TGFbeta1 exerts an autocrine pro-apoptotic effect on human endometrial stroma, via the FasL/Fas system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Crete, Heraklion GR-711 10, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chatzaki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kouimtzoglou
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Margioris
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gravanis
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta