Contractile Activity of Human Decidual Stromal Cells

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2003-02, Vol.88 (2), p.844-849
• Main Authors: Kimatrai, María, Oliver, Carmen, Abadía-Molina, Ana Clara, García-Pacheco, José Marcos, Olivares, Enrique G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion, Spontaneous - physiopathology; Actins - genetics; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Decidua - cytology; Decidua - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Humans; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Stromal Cells - cytology; Stromal Cells - physiology; Uterine Contraction - drug effects; Uterine Contraction - physiology; Vertebrates: reproduction
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2002-021224

We previously demonstrated that human decidual stromal cells (DSC), the main cellular component of the decidua, are similar in antigen phenotype and structure to myofibroblasts, cells with contractile activity. In this work we isolated and maintained DSC in fibroblast medium, in which these cells show a stable phenotype similar to that of DSC in vivo. Flow cytometric observations showed that most DSC expressed α-smooth muscle (α-SM) actin, an intermediate filament that is considered a marker of myofibroblasts and is responsible for the contractile activity of these cells. α-SM actin mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in these cells. The contractile activity of DSC was determined by the gel contraction assay; we found that TGFβ1 and platelet-derived-growth factor, cytokines that are known to be inducers of myofibroblast contractility, also induced contractility of DSC. IL-2, a Th1 cytokine-related with spontaneous abortion, also activated DSC contractility. Our results confirmed that DSC are phenotypically and functionally related with myofibroblast.