Withdrawal of ovarian steroids stimulates prostaglandin F2alpha production through nuclear factor-kappaB activation via oxygen radicals in human endometrial stromal cells: potential relevance to menstruation.

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether withdrawal of estrogen and progesterone (EP-withdrawal) stimulates prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) production through oxygen radical (ROS)-induced NF-kappaB activation in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC). To study the EP-withdrawal, ESC that had been treated with estradiol (E, 10(-8) M) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10(-6) M) for 12 days were then incubated with or without E+MPA for a further 11 days. PGF2alpha concentrations in the medium and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA levels were significantly increased after EP-withdrawal, while they were unchanged by the continuous treatment with E+MPA.

Differential regulation of apoptosis in the corpus luteum of pregnancy and newly formed corpus luteum after parturition in rats.

Apoptosis contributes to luteal regression in many species. In the postpartum rat, there are two different types of corpora lutea (CL) in the ovary: CL of pregnancy (CLP) and newly formed CL (NCL). To investigate the regulation of apoptosis in the two different types of CL during luteal regression, apoptosis and caspase-3 activity were examined in the CL obtained on Days 7, 15, and 21 of pregnancy and Days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 postpartum.

Nuclear factor-kappa B is required for tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced manganese superoxide dismutase expression in human endometrial stromal cells.

We recently found that manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) is up-regulated by TNF alpha at the transcription level in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC) and that TNF alpha-induced Mn-SOD expression is mediated by protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphorylation. This study was undertaken to investigate whether nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), a transcription factor, is involved in Mn-SOD induction by TNF alpha or PKC in human ESC. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that TNF alpha (1 ng/ml) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA; 0.

Different mechanisms for the induction of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and manganese superoxide dismutase by progesterone in human endometrial stromal cells.

Background: The present study was undertaken to investigate the cAMP-dependent regulation of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) and manganese SOD (Mn-SOD) by ovarian steroids in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC).

Methods And Results: To examine the effect of cAMP on SOD expression, ESC were incubated with dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP, 0.5 mmol/l), forskolin (25 micromol/l), or estradiol (E(2), 10(-8) mol/l) + medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10(-6) mol/l), for 18 days.

Differential regulation of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and manganese superoxide dismutase by progesterone withdrawal in human endometrial stromal cells.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of estrogen and progesterone in the expression of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) and manganese SOD (Mn-SOD) in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC). ESC were incubated with estradiol (10(-8) mol/l), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10(-6) mol/l), or estradiol + MPA for 18 days. MPA significantly increased Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD mRNA levels and enzyme activities as well as the mRNA level of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), a marker for decidualization.