TY - JOUR
T1 - Expression of GnRH receptor gene in human ectopic endometrial cells and inhibition of their proliferation by leuprolide acetate
AU - Borroni, Raffaella
AU - Di Blasio, Anna Maria
AU - Gaffuri, Barbara
AU - Santorsola, Roberta
AU - Busacca, Mauro
AU - Viganò, Paola
AU - Vignali, Mario
PY - 2000/1/25
Y1 - 2000/1/25
N2 - The present study was conducted to investigate whether GnRH-receptor (GnRH-R) gene is expressed in endometriosis ovarian implants and whether a GnRH-analogue (GnRH-a) may exert an effect on endometriosis cell proliferation in vitro. The presence of GnRH-R transcripts in ovarian endometriosis cells was assessed by reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and further confirmed by Southern blot analysis. GnRH-R mRNA was detected in all the 13 samples examined. In contrast, GnRH-R transcripts were not detectable in endometriosis-free peritoneal tissue. In the second part of the study, endometriosis cells were cultured for 9 days with different doses of leuprolide acetate (ranging from 0 to 10-5 M). In 4 out of 13 cases, a significant anti-proliferative effect was observed at doses of leuprolide acetate ranging from 10-9 to 10-5 M. In one case, a significant inhibition of cell proliferation was observed only at 10-5 M leuprolide acetate concentration. In contrast, the GnRH-a did not affect cell growth, regardless of the expression of GnRH-R transcripts and the given doses, in the remaining 8 experiments. To date, this is the first evidence indicating that GnRH-R mRNA is expressed in human ovarian endometriomas. Moreover, the inhibition of endometriosis cell proliferation induced by the GnRH-a in vitro suggests that, at least in some cases, this compound might exert a direct effect on endometriosis lesions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
AB - The present study was conducted to investigate whether GnRH-receptor (GnRH-R) gene is expressed in endometriosis ovarian implants and whether a GnRH-analogue (GnRH-a) may exert an effect on endometriosis cell proliferation in vitro. The presence of GnRH-R transcripts in ovarian endometriosis cells was assessed by reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and further confirmed by Southern blot analysis. GnRH-R mRNA was detected in all the 13 samples examined. In contrast, GnRH-R transcripts were not detectable in endometriosis-free peritoneal tissue. In the second part of the study, endometriosis cells were cultured for 9 days with different doses of leuprolide acetate (ranging from 0 to 10-5 M). In 4 out of 13 cases, a significant anti-proliferative effect was observed at doses of leuprolide acetate ranging from 10-9 to 10-5 M. In one case, a significant inhibition of cell proliferation was observed only at 10-5 M leuprolide acetate concentration. In contrast, the GnRH-a did not affect cell growth, regardless of the expression of GnRH-R transcripts and the given doses, in the remaining 8 experiments. To date, this is the first evidence indicating that GnRH-R mRNA is expressed in human ovarian endometriomas. Moreover, the inhibition of endometriosis cell proliferation induced by the GnRH-a in vitro suggests that, at least in some cases, this compound might exert a direct effect on endometriosis lesions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
KW - GnRH-analogues
KW - GnRH-receptor
KW - Leuprolide acetate
KW - Ovarian endometriosis
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U2 - 10.1016/S0303-7207(99)00199-9
DO - 10.1016/S0303-7207(99)00199-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 10687850
AN - SCOPUS:0033958986
VL - 159
SP - 37
EP - 43
JO - Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
JF - Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
SN - 0303-7207
IS - 1-2
ER -