title: Role of epidermal growth factor in pathogenesis of uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the pathogenesis of uterine leiomyomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human myometrial smooth muscle cells (HM-SMCs) and smooth muscle cells of human uterine leiomyomas (HL-SMCs) were separated from patients' specimens and cultured. After processed by EGF or PD98059 (inhibitor of MKK/MEK) +EGF, the proliferation rate of both SMCs was detected by BrdU method and the phosphorylation level of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was determined by Western-blot. After different processing time by EGF, the phosphorylation levels of p44/42 MAPK and AKT and p27 expression level in both SMCs were detected by Western-blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGF could significantly promote HL-SMCs proliferation and PD98059 could inhibit this effect (P<0.05); besides, PD98059 could inhibit the increase of the phosphorylation level of p44/42 MAPK in both SMCs induced by EGF. When the processing time by EGF was over 15min, the phosphorylation levels of p44/42 MAPK and AKT in both SMCs decreased sharply and were close to zero; p27 expression in HM-SMCs raised significantly while the upregulation in HL-SMCs was little.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGF could not cause activation of EGFR because of the dephosphorylation of p44/42 MAPK and AKT in HL-SMCs, which caused p27 expression insufficiently and cell cycle dysregulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Kangfu Qian Street No. 3, 450052, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Jianshe Dong Street No.1, 450052, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Kangfu Qian Street No. 7, 450052, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China. Electronic address: lip2006@163.com.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Epidermal growth factor; HL-SMCs; HM-SMCs; Uterine leiomyoma