Stromal-epithelial interactions modulate the effect of ovarian steroids on goat uterine epithelial cell interleukin-18 release

• Published in: Domestic animal endocrinology 2012-05, Vol.42 (4), p.210-219
• Main Authors: Qi, X.F., Nan, Z.C., Jin, Y.P., Qu, Y.Y., Zhao, X.J., Wang, A.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Blotting, Western - veterinary; Cell Communication - drug effects; Cell Communication - physiology; Cell Line; Coculture Techniques - veterinary; Endometrium; Endometrium - cytology; Endometrium - drug effects; Endometrium - metabolism; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Epithelial Cells - cytology; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Estradiol - pharmacology; Female; Goat; Goats - physiology; Interleukin-18; Interleukin-18 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-18 - genetics; Interleukin-18 - metabolism; Ovarian steroid; Progesterone - pharmacology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Stromal Cells - cytology; Stromal Cells - drug effects
• ISSN: 0739-7240; 1879-0054
• DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2011.12.004

A primary role of epithelial-stromal interactions in mediating steroid hormone action in the uterus has been established. The present study was undertaken to determine the mode of ovarian steroid action in regulating IL-18 release by goat endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in the presence and absence of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). Primary and telomerase-immortalized goat EECs grown alone or cocultured with ESCs were treated with two ovarian steroids, 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). The IL-18 mRNA and protein expression in EECs were studied by reverse transcript (RT) PCR, ELISA, and Western blot assay. The E2 and/or P4 treatment of EECs led to a significant increase in both IL-18 mRNA and protein expression either in the primary or in the immortalized EECs compared with that in EECs without the steroid treatment. However, in the presence of ESCs, IL-18 expression by EECs treated with steroids was significantly decreased compared with cells untreated with E2 and/or P4. In addition, significantly high abundance of IL-18 mRNA and protein expression by primary and telomerase-immortalized goat EECs was observed in the presence of ESCs compared with those cells without ESCs. These findings suggest that steroids are important for the control of IL-18 expression in goat EECs. Underlying ESCs are needed to mediate the inhibitory effects of steroids on the IL-18 secretory activity of goat EECs in vitro. The IL-18 abundance expressed by goat EECs in vitro are enhanced by underlying ESCs without the treatment of E2 and/or P4.