Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth factor/cytokine secretion by a permanent human endometrial cell line with embryotrophic properties

  • Clinical Assisted Reproduction
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: Our goal was to identify and quantitate growth factors and cytokines actively secreted by a permanent human endometrial cell line with embryotrophic properties and to determine if cell lines enhancing embryo development secrete common growth factors and/or cytokines.

Design: Culture medium conditioned by this human endometrial cell line was screened for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Comparisons were made to the African Green monkey kidney epithelial cell line (Vero), which has been well documented to be embryotrophic.

Setting: This study was conducted in a university-based research laboratory associated with a clinical IVF program.

Results: The monkey Vero cell line and our permanent human endometrial cell line produced several common growth factors and cytokines, such as IL-6, PDGF, and LIF. IL-6 was secreted in substantial amounts by both Vero cells (400 pg/ml per 100,000 cells) and endometrial cells (100 pg/ml). PDGF levels in culture supernatant were measured to be 72 and 35 pg/ml, respectively, for Vero and endometrial cells. LIF could not be assayed in our human cell line by ELISA but its presence was evidenced by immunocytochemistry. EGF and active TGF-β were not detectable in conditioned medium from either cell line.

Conclusions: The two embryotrophic cell lines analyzed in this investigation synthesized several common growth factors and cytokines. Identification of factors being secreted by cell lines which positively influence embryo development may aid us in understanding the basic growth requirements of the preimplantation embryo.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rappolee DA, Brenner CA, Schultz RC, Mark D, Werb Z: Developmental expression of PDGF, TGF-alph, and TGF-beta genes in preimplantation mouse embryos. Science. 1988;241:1823–1825

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Watson AJ, Hogan A, Hahnel A, Weimer KE, Schultz GA: Expression of growth factor ligand and receptor genes in the preimplantation bovine embryo. Mol Reprod Dev 1992;31:87–95

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Watson AJ, Watson PH, Arcellana-Panlilio M, Warnes D, Walker SK, Schultz GA, Armstrong DT, Seamark RF: A growth factor phenotype map for ovine preimplantation development. Biol Reprod 1994;50:725–733

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Schultz GA, Heyner S: Growth factors in preimplantation mammalian embryos. Oxford-Rev Reprod Biol 1993;15:43–81

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hardy K, Handyside AH, Winston RML: The human blastocyst: Cell number, death and allocation during late preimplantation development in vitro. Development 1989;107:597–604

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bongso A, Ng SC, Ratnam S: Co-cultures: Their relevance to assisted reproduction. Hum Reprod 1990;5:893–900

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Menezo YJ, Guerin JF, Czyba JC: Improvement of human early embryo development in vitro by co-culture on monolayer of Vero cells. Biol Reprod 1990;42:301–306

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Weimer KE, Hoffman DI, Maxson WS, Eager S, Muhlenberger B, Fiore I,et al.: Embryonic morphology and rate of implantation of human embryos following co-culture on bovine oviductal epithelial cells. Hum Reprod 1993;8:97–101

    Google Scholar 

  9. Papaxanthos-Roche A, Taupin JL, Mayer G, Daniel JY, Moreau JF: Human interleukin for DA cells or leukemia inhibitory factor is released by Vero cells in human embryo co-culture. Fertil Steril 1994;63(3):648–650

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kauma SW, Matt DW: Co-culture cells that express leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) enhance mouse blastocyst development in vitro. J Assist Reprod Genet 1995;12(2):153–156

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Desai NN, Kennard EA, Kniss DA, Friedman CF: Novel human endometrial cell line promotes blastocyst development. Fertil Steril 1994;760–766

  12. Stewart CL, Kaspar P, Brunet P, Bhatt LS, Gadi I, Kontgen F, Abbondanzo SJ: Blastocyst implantation depends on maternal expression of leukemia inhibitory factor. Nature 1992;354:76–79

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bhatt H, Brunet LJ, Stewart CL: Uterine expression of leukemia inhibitory factor coincides with the onset of blastocyst implantation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991;88:11408–11412

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Charnok-Jones DS, Sharkey AM, Fenwick P, Smith SK: Leukemia inhibitory factor mRNA concentration peaks in human endometrium at the time of implantation and the blastocyst containing mRNA for the receptor at this time. J Reprod Fertil 1994;101:421–426

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Chen DB, Hilsenrath R, Yang ZM, Le SP, Kim SR, Chuong CJ, Poindexter AN, Harper MJK: Leukemia inhibitory factor in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle: Cellular origin and action on production of glandular epithelial cell prostaglandin in vitro. Hum Reprod 1995;10(4):911–918

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Murray R, Lee F, Chiu CP: The genes for leukemia inhibitory factor and interleukin-6 are expressed in mouse blastocyst prior to the onset of hemopoiesis. Mol Cell Biol 1990;10:4953–4956

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Fry RC, Batt PA, Fairclough RJ, Parr RA: Human leukemia inhibitory factor improves the viability of cultural ovine embryos. Biol Reprod 1992;46:470–474

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Robertson SA, Lavranos TC, Seamark RF: In Vitro models of the maternal fetal interface.In TG Wegman, E Nisbett-Brown, TJ Gill (eds), The Molecular and Cellular Immunology of the Maternal-Fetal Interface, 1990, Vol 111, pp 191–206

  19. Jurisicova A, Ben-Chetrit A, Varmuzu S, Casper R: Recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factory does not enhance in human blastocyst formation. Fertil Steril 1995;64(5):999–1002

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hilton D: LIF: Lots of interesting functions. TIBS 1992;17:72–76

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Gearing DP, Comeau MR, Frerd DS, Gimpel SD, Thut CJ, McGourty J, Bresher KU, Kirg JA, Gillis S, Mosley B, Ziegler SF, Cosman D: The IC-6 signal transducer, gp 130: An oncostatin M receptor and affinity converter for the LIF receptor. Science 1992;255:1434–1437

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Bavister B: Co-culture for embryo development: Is it really necessary? Hum Reprod 1992;7(10):1339–1341

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Leppens G, Sakkas D: Differential effect of epithelial cell-conditioned medium fractions on preimplantation mouse embryo development. Hum Reprod 1995;10(5):1178–1183

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Eyestone WH, First NL: Co-culture of early cattle embryos to the blastocyst stage with oviductal tissue or in conditioned medium. J Reprod Fertil 1984;85:715–720

    Google Scholar 

  25. Rexroad CE, Powell AM: Co-culture of ovine eggs with oviductal cells and trophoblastic vesicles. Theriogenology 1988;29: 387–397

    Google Scholar 

  26. Paria BC, Dey SK: Preimplantation embryo development in vitro: Cooperative interactions among embryos and role of growth factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1990;87:4756–4760

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Dardik A, Smith RM, Schultz RM: Colocalization of transforming growth factor-alpha and a functional epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to the inner cell mass and preferential localization of the EGFR on the basolateral surface of the trophectoderm of the mouse blastocyst. Dev Biol 1992;154:396–409

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Larson RC, Ignotz GG, Currie WB: Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates development of bovine embryos during the fourth cell cycle. Development 1992;115:821–826

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Piekos MW, Frasor J, Mack S, Binor Z, Soltes B, Molo MW, Radwanska E, Rawlins G: Evaluation of co-culture and alternative culture systems for promoting in-vitro development of mouse embryos. Hum Reprod 1995;10(6):1486–1491

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Harvey MB, Leco KJ, Arcellana-Panlilio MY, Zhang X, Edwards DR, Schultz GA: Roles of growth factors during periimplantation development. Mol Hum Reprod 1995;10(3):712–718

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University MacDonald Women's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, 44106, Cleveland, Ohio

    Nina N. Desai & James M. Goldfarb

Authors
  1. Nina N. Desai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James M. Goldfarb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Desai, N.N., Goldfarb, J.M. Growth factor/cytokine secretion by a permanent human endometrial cell line with embryotrophic properties. J Assist Reprod Genet 13, 546–550 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02066606

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02066606

Key words

Search

Navigation