Progesterone control of human endometrial cells

The coordination of events and cellular interactions within the uterus is vital to the establishment of pregnancy, a process constrained to a narrow window of time within the ovarian cycle. The transformation of the endometrium into decidua is one such event and is considered essential to embryo implantation and to the maintenance of pregnancy. In humans these changes are most dramatic in the stromal compartment and are influenced by progesterone, secreted by the Corpus Luteum (CL). This hormone is believed to be the main factor inducing such differentiation in the oestradiol-primed stroma. However, mediators with the ability to activate the protein kinase A/cAMP pathway, such as Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and relaxin, are potent inducers of decidualisation when administered alongside progesterone in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) in vitro. Uterine Natural Killer (uNK) cells increase in number in secretory phase endometrial stroma, implying the control of progesterone on their expansion. However, they lack the nuclear progesterone receptor and growth and differentiation may depend on interactions with ESCs. uNK cells replicate upon Interleukin-15 (IL-15) administration in vitro and this cytokine is expressed in the epithelial and stromal cells. The aims of this research project have been to investigate in vitro decidualisation of ESCs and regulation of IL-15 and uNK cells in order to extrapolate how ESCs and uNK cells may interact during the secretory phase and early pregnancy.

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Edinburgh

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Dunn, Carolyn Louise

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/33907

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:era.ed.ac.uk:1842/33907