A study in vitro on differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into endometrial epithelial cells in mice.

Objective: To investigate the differentiation conditions of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into endometrial epithelial cells and to confirm the effect of 17β-estradiol in this process.

Study Design: BMSCs were cultured alone or co-cultured with endometrial stromal cells (EStCs) in control/differentiation medium (17β-estradiol, growth factors) and were co-cultured with EStCs in different concentrations of 17β-estradiol. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were used to identify the isolated cells. Real-time RT-PCR and immunofluorescence were used to test the expression of epithelial cell markers.

Results: The epithelial markers cytokeratin-7, cytokeratin-18, cytokeratin-19, and epithelial membrane antigen were elevated in real-time RT-PCR (P<0.05), and cytokeratin was strongly positive in immunofluorescence analysis in the differentiated BMSCs. Cytokeratin-7 and cytokeratin-19 expression levels were highest in the 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L 17β-estradiol group, as shown in real-time RT-PCR (P<0.05).

Conclusion: BMSCs could be differentiated in the direction of endometrial epithelial cells in appropriate conditions in vitro: 17β-estradiol may play a key role in stimulating BMSCs' epithelial differentiation in the process of endometriosis.

Condensation: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate in the direction of endometrial epithelial cells in a certain microenvironment and appropriate concentration of 17β-E₂ can facilitate this differentiation.