Estrogen receptor (ER) and ER-related receptor expression in normal and atrophic human vagina.
OBJECTIVE
The estrogen level decline in menopausal status is involved in physiological alterations of different human tissues including vaginal mucosa. In this study, we have evaluated the estrogen receptor (ER) and estrogen receptor-related receptor (ERR) expression in tissue samples of posterior vaginal wall obtained from pre- and post-menopausal women.


METHODS
The nuclear receptor expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).


RESULTS
The qPCR results showed the presence of the three isoforms of the ERR family (ERRalpha, ERRbeta and ERRgamma) that were coexpressed with ERs in all vaginal tissue samples examined. The ERRalpha and ERRgamma mRNA levels decreased from normal vagina of the pre-menopausal women to atrophic vaginal tissue in post-menopausal women. This trend was also observed for the ERbeta subtype.


CONCLUSIONS
The ERRs, such as ERs, are present in human vagina at the mRNA level and the cessation of ovarian estrogen secretion, that is the key event during the post-menopause, may be linked to ERbeta, ERRalpha and ERRgamma mRNA decline in human vaginal mucosa. These findings may provide a biological rationale for the clinical susceptibility of the post-menopausal vagina to local estrogen treatment.
Cavallini
Aldo
A
Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Institute for Digestive Diseases, I.R.C.C.S. Saverio de Bellis Via Della Resistenza - 70013 Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy.
Dinaro
Edoardo
E
Giocolano
Alessandra
A
Caringella
Anna Maria
AM
Ferreri
Roberto
R
Tutino
Valeria
V
Loverro
Giuseppe
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor; C490918:ESRRB protein, human; C490917:ESRRG protein, human