TY - JOUR
T1 - Paracrine regulation of endometrial function
T2 - Interaction between progesterone and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and activin A
AU - Florio, Pasquale
AU - Rossi, Marco
AU - Sigurdardottir, Matthildur
AU - Ciarmela, Pasquapina
AU - Luisi, Stefano
AU - Viganò, Paola
AU - Grasso, Daniela
AU - Fiore, Giovina
AU - Cobellis, Luigi
AU - Di Blasio, Anna Maria
AU - Petraglia, Felice
PY - 2003/11
Y1 - 2003/11
N2 - Under the influence of ovarian steroid hormones, endometrial cells are able to produce a wide variety of growth factors and peptide hormones that are believed to promote: (1) physiological growth and differentiation during the endometrial cycle; (2) decidualization, an essential preparative event for establishment of pregnancy; and (3) pathological growth and differentiation in endometriosis and cancer. Among the local factors produced by the human endometrium, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and activin A have been evaluated in terms of localization and effects. CRF is a neuropeptide expressed by the epithelial and stromal cells of the human endometrium in increasing amounts from the endometrial proliferative to the secretory phase. CRF expression also increases in the pregnant endometrium, from early in the pregnancy until term. CRF-type 1 receptor mRNA is only expressed by stromal cells. Progesterone induces CRF gene expression and release from decidualized cells and CRF decidualizes cultured stromal endometrial cells. Urocortin, a CRF-related peptide, has been identified in endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and its function is still under investigation. Activin A is a growth factor expressed in increasing amounts throughout endometrial phases by both epithelial and stromal cells. This growth factor is secreted into the uterine cavity with higher levels in the secretory phase. Maternal decidua expresses activin A mRNA in increasing amounts from early pregnancy until term. Human endometrium also expresses activin-A receptors and follistatin, its binding protein. Activin A decidualizes cultured human endometrial stromal cells (an effect reversed by follistatin) and modulates embryonic trophoblast differentiation and adhesion. Activin A is expressed in endometriosis and endometrial adenocarcinoma.
AB - Under the influence of ovarian steroid hormones, endometrial cells are able to produce a wide variety of growth factors and peptide hormones that are believed to promote: (1) physiological growth and differentiation during the endometrial cycle; (2) decidualization, an essential preparative event for establishment of pregnancy; and (3) pathological growth and differentiation in endometriosis and cancer. Among the local factors produced by the human endometrium, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and activin A have been evaluated in terms of localization and effects. CRF is a neuropeptide expressed by the epithelial and stromal cells of the human endometrium in increasing amounts from the endometrial proliferative to the secretory phase. CRF expression also increases in the pregnant endometrium, from early in the pregnancy until term. CRF-type 1 receptor mRNA is only expressed by stromal cells. Progesterone induces CRF gene expression and release from decidualized cells and CRF decidualizes cultured stromal endometrial cells. Urocortin, a CRF-related peptide, has been identified in endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and its function is still under investigation. Activin A is a growth factor expressed in increasing amounts throughout endometrial phases by both epithelial and stromal cells. This growth factor is secreted into the uterine cavity with higher levels in the secretory phase. Maternal decidua expresses activin A mRNA in increasing amounts from early pregnancy until term. Human endometrium also expresses activin-A receptors and follistatin, its binding protein. Activin A decidualizes cultured human endometrial stromal cells (an effect reversed by follistatin) and modulates embryonic trophoblast differentiation and adhesion. Activin A is expressed in endometriosis and endometrial adenocarcinoma.
KW - Decidualization
KW - Endometrial cancer
KW - Endometriosis
KW - Endometrium
KW - Implantation
KW - Placenta
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U2 - 10.1016/S0039-128X(03)00137-5
DO - 10.1016/S0039-128X(03)00137-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 14667971
AN - SCOPUS:0346366917
VL - 68
SP - 801
EP - 807
JO - Steroids
JF - Steroids
SN - 0039-128X
IS - 10-13
ER -