Transcriptional response of endometrial cells to Insulin, cultured using microfluidics

• Published in: Reproduction & fertility 2023-05, Vol.4 (2), p.1-19
• Main Authors: Baik, Soo Young, Maini, Alisha, Tinning, Haidee, Wang, Dapeng, Adlam, Daman, Ruane, Peter T, Forde, Niamh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: endocrinology of reproduction; insulin; microfluidics; transcriptomics; uterus
• ISSN: 2633-8386; 2633-8386
• DOI: 10.1530/RAF-21-0120

Obesity is a rapidly growing public health issue among women of reproductive age associated with decreased reproductive function including implantation failure. This can result from a myriad of factors including impaired gametes and endometrial dysfunction. The mechanisms of how obesity-related hyperinsulinaemia disrupts endometrial function are poorly understood. We investigated potential mechanisms by which insulin alters endometrial transcript expression. Ishikawa cells were seeded into a microfluidics device attached to a syringe pump to deliver a constant flow rate of 1uL/min of the following: 1) control 2) vehicle control (acetic acid) or, 3) Insulin (10 ng/ml) for 24 hours (n=3 biological replicates). Insulin-induced transcriptomic response of endometrial epithelial cells was determined via RNA sequencing, and DAVID and Webgestalt to identify Gene Ontology (GO) terms and signalling pathways. A Total of 29 transcripts showed differential expression levels across two comparison groups (control v vehicle control; vehicle control v insulin). Nine transcripts were differentially expressed in vehicle control v insulin comparison (p