Epidermal growth factor and sex steroids dynamically regulate a marker of endometrial receptivity in Ishikawa cells

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1997-07, Vol.82 (7), p.2192-2197
• Main Authors: SOMKUTI, S. G, YUAN, L, FRITZ, M. A, LESSEY, B. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; Blotting, Northern; Cytokines - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endometrial Neoplasms - metabolism; Epidermal Growth Factor - pharmacology; Estrogens - pharmacology; Female; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Mother. Fetoplacental unit. Mammary gland. Milk; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Progesterone - pharmacology; Receptors, Vitronectin - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vertebrates: reproduction
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.82.7.2192

The factors regulating human endometrial receptivity remain poorly understood. The alpha v beta 3 integrin cell adhesion molecule appears to be regulated in the human endometrium, appearing on postovulatory days 5-6, corresponding to the time of initial embryo attachment. This integrin has been extensively studied as a potential marker of endometrial receptivity and is aberrantly expressed in the endometrial epithelium of some infertile women. Ishikawa cells are a well differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line that maintain functional estrogen and progesterone receptors and are a useful model to study steroid-mediated events in human endometrial epithelium. This cell line expresses most of the normal endometrial epithelial integrins, including the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor. The regulation of this integrin was studied with fluorescence immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and Northern blot analysis. Estrogen with or without progesterone treatment down-regulates alpha v beta 3 in this cell line. Several growth factors, including epidermal growth factor and the closely related transforming growth factor-alpha significantly increase the expression of this integrin. We conclude that endometrial differentiation is influenced by both steroid hormones and growth factors. The alpha v beta 3 integrin appears to be an excellent marker to study the molecular events leading to the establishment of uterine receptivity and successful implantation.