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Expression of Nuclear Receptors and Cofactors in Human Endometrium and Myometrium

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The Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation: JSGI Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To study the expression of nuclear receptors and cofactors in human endometrium and myometrium in proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle.

Methods

Multiprobe ribonuclease protection assay and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were used to quantitate mRNA levels of steroid receptors, vitamin D receptor (VDR), retinoic acid receptors (RAR), and cofactors AIB1 (amplified in breast cancer-1), CBP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein), pCAF (p300/CBP-associated factor), TIF2 (transcription intermediary factor-2), N-CoR (nuclear receptor corepressor), and SMRT (silencing mediator of repressed transcription). Cyclin A expression was analyzed to determine the proliferation status of the tissues. p ]Results: The expression of androgen receptor, estrogen receptors α and β, progesterone receptor, and RARα followed cyclin A expression. There was more abundant expression in the proliferative phase endometrium than in the secretory phase endometrium. Glucocorticoid receptor, VDR, RARβ, and RARγ were stably expressed during the menstrual cycle in both endometrium and myometrium. Cofactors N-CoR, SMRT, pCAF, CBP, TIF2, AIB1, and p300 mRNAs were expressed in all samples in both endometrium and myometrium. N-CoR, pCAF, AIB1, and p300 appeared not to be regulated when comparing proliferative and secretory phases of the cycle. Individual differences were found in the expression levels of both nuclear receptors and cofactors.

Conclusion

The menstrual cycle-dependent regulation of nuclear receptor expression was more apparent in the endometrium than in the myometrium, whereas cofactor expression was not cycle dependent. There were individual differences in the expression levels of different receptors and cofactors. In hormonal therapy these differences might result in different responses, depending on the patient as well as the ligand used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, Medical School, FIN-33014 University of Tampere, Finland

    Annika Vienonen MS, Susanna Miettinen MS, Merja Bläuer PhD, Paula M. Martikainen MD, PhD, Eija Tomás MD, PhD, Pentti K. Heinonen MD, PhD & Timo Ylikomi MD, PhD

  2. Departments of Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Clinical Chemistry, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    Annika Vienonen MS, Susanna Miettinen MS, Merja Bläuer PhD, Paula M. Martikainen MD, PhD, Eija Tomás MD, PhD, Pentti K. Heinonen MD, PhD & Timo Ylikomi MD, PhD

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  1. Annika Vienonen MS
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  2. Susanna Miettinen MS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annika Vienonen MS.

Additional information

This study was supported by grants from Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital, the European Community PL 963433, TEKES Drug 2000, and the Pirkanmaa Cancer Society.

The authors thank Tarja Arvela. Taina Eskola, and Hilkka Mäkinen for excellent technical assistance and Heini Huhtala for statistical advice; Dr. H. Gronemeyer and coworkers for providing the VDR/RAR and cofactor RPA probe sets. The cofactor RPA kit is a proprietary development of the laboratory of Dr. H. Gronemeyer (lGHMe. Department ofCelJ Biology and Signal Transduction, Illkirch. France), who also provided plasmids encoding human RARα, RARβ, RARγ, TIF2, and ERα; and Dr. E. Enmark (Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute. Huddinge, Sweden) for the plasmid encoding human ERβ

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Vienonen, A., Miettinen, S., Bläuer, M. et al. Expression of Nuclear Receptors and Cofactors in Human Endometrium and Myometrium. Reprod. Sci. 11, 104–112 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsgi.2003.09.003

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsgi.2003.09.003

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