Human Reproduction, Vol. 19, No. 1, 21-29,
January 2004
© 2004 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Menstrual effluent induces epithelialmesenchymal transitions in mesothelial cells
Departments of 1 Obstetrics & Gynaecology and 2 Pathology, 3 Research Institute Growth and Development (GROW), Academisch ziekenhuis Maastricht and Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Pathology, Academic Hospital Maastricht, Peter Debyelaan 25, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands. e-mail: Patrick.Groothuis{at}path.unimaas.nl
BACKGROUND: Menstrual effluent affects mesothelial cell (MC) morphology. We evaluated whether these changes were consistent with epithelialmesenchymal transitions (EMT). METHODS: Monolayer cultures of MC were incubated overnight in conditioned media, prepared from cells isolated form menstrual effluent, with or without kinase and ATP inhibitors. Changes in cell morphology were monitored using time-lapse video microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Effects on the expression of EMT-associated molecules were evaluated using real-time RTPCR and/or Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Incubation in conditioned media disrupted cellcell contacts, and increased MC motility. The changes were reversible. During the changes the distribution of cytokeratins, fibrillar actin and
-tubulin changed. Sodium azide, an inhibitor of ATP production, and Genistein, a general tyrosine kinase inhibitor, antagonized these effects. Wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, and SU6656, an Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor, only partially antagonized the effect. The expression of Snail and vimentin was markedly up-regulated, whereas the expression of E-cadherin was decreased and cytokeratins were altered. CONCLUSIONS: In MC, menstrual effluent initiates a reversible, energy-dependent transition process from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype. Involvement of the (Src) tyrosine kinase signalling pathway and the changes in the expression of cytokeratins, Snail, vimentin and E-cadherin demonstrate that the morphological changes are EMT.
Key words: E-cadherin/endometriosis/mesothelial cells/Snail/vimentin
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