title: DHEA improves the antioxidant capacity of endometrial stromal cells and improves endometrium receptivity via androgen receptor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on mouse decidual endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) and to explore mechanisms regulating endometrial receptivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mouse ESCs were incubated with increasing concentrations of DHEA during decidualization. Treatment with flutamide (FLU), a specific androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, was also performed. Flow cytometry was used to measure intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Real time-PCR was used to determine mRNA expression of decidual PRL-related protein (dPRP), AR, and HomeoboxA10 (HOXA10). Protein levels of AR and HOXA10 were measured by western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DHEA significantly inhibited ESC proliferation at concentrations ≥1×10(-6)M. DHEA treatment reduced intracellular ROS in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of dPRP was minimally affected by DHEA at concentrations of 1 to 100nM. However, DHEA (100nM) significantly increased the expression of HOXA10 at both the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.01). Importantly, this DHEA-mediated increase in HOXA10 was attenuated by treatment with FLU. Finally, neither DHEA nor FLU influenced expression of AR mRNA or protein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low concentration of DHEA improves the antioxidant capacity of decidual ESCs. DHEA treatment may also improve endometrium receptivity via AR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Electronic address: apqin2001@sina.com.
authors.forename: Aiping
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jinchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yufu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Lingyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Fuhua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005485:Flutamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D000080905:Homeobox A10 Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000502:physiology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C410798:AR protein, human; D000080905:Homeobox A10 Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; C092119:Hoxa10 protein, mouse; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D005485:Flutamide
keywords: Androgen receptor; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Endometrial stromal cells; Endometrium