Cyclic changes in the expression of p57 kip2 in human endometrium and its regulation by steroid hormones in endometrial stromal cells in vitro

摘要

We investigated the expressions of p57kip2 and p27kip and its regulation by steroids in the normal and abnormal human endometrium. Endometrial p27kip1 and p57kip2 messenger RNA (mRNA) were markedly increased in the secretory phase. P57kip2 protein was absent in proliferative phase but appeared in glandular epithelium together with early- to mid-secretory phase stromal cells. During the late secretory phase, strong P57kip2 protein immunoreactivity was found in the stromal cells. In both endometrial hyperplasia and cancer, the expression of P57kip2 protein was low. In cultured human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), p27kip1 mRNA levels were increased together with the decidual marker prolactin (prl), following treatment with 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). At 1 nmol/L, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist dexamethasone (DEX) induced prl, p57kip2, and p27kip1 mRNA in ESCs. Taken together, upregulation of p57kip2 may play an important role in the decidual differentiation by P4 and growth inhibition of malignant cells in human endometrium.