title: Retinoic acid has the potential to suppress endometriosis development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite endometriosis is common estrogen dependent disease afflicting women in reproductive age, the pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Retinoic acid has various functions in cells as biologic modulator, and aberrant retinoid metabolism seems to be involved in the lesions of endometriosis. In order to evaluate the potential of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for therapeutic treatment, a transcriptome analysis and estradiol measurements in cultured endometriotic cells and tissues were conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mRNA expression levels in ATRA-treated endometriotic stromal cells (ESC) isolated from ovarian endometrial cysts (OEC) were investigated. Estradiol production in OEC tissues was also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the isolated ESC culture supplemented with ATRA for four days, total RNA was extracted followed by a transcriptome analysis using GeneChip. Forty-nine genes were upregulated and four genes were down-regulated by the ATRA treatment. Many upregulated genes were associated with the negative regulation of cellular proliferation. In addition, ATRA treatment decreased the mRNA expression of 17-beta-dehydrogenase 2 (HSD17B2) which converts estradiol into estrone in a dose-dependent manner, and the ELISA measurements indicated that estradiol production in the OEC tissue was inhibited by ATRA treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retinoic acid has the potential to suppress endometriosis development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan. yymgt@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shinagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Lifa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taketani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000235:genetics; D004960:Estradiol Dehydrogenases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004958:Estradiol; D014212:Tretinoin; D004960:Estradiol Dehydrogenases; C523763:HSD17B2 protein, human