Skip Navigation


Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on September 11, 2007
Human Reproduction 2007 22(11):2981-2991; doi:10.1093/humrep/dem269
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
22/11/2981    most recent
dem269v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Vani, S.
Right arrow Articles by Critchley, H. O.D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vani, S.
Right arrow Articles by Critchley, H. O.D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Mid-luteal endometrial intracrinology following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation involving use of a gonadotrophin releasing hormone antagonist

Susheel Vani1, Sarah E. McDonald1, Alistair R.W. Williams2, J. Ian Mason1, K. Joo Thong3 and Hilary O.D. Critchley1,4

1 Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Centre for Reproductive Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK 2 Department of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA 3 Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA

4 Correspondence address. Tel: +44(0)131-242 6858; Fax: +44(0)131-242-6441; E-mail: hilary.critchley{at}ed.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: There are concerns of reduced pregnancy rates with the use of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonists (GnRH antagonists) in IVF/ICSI cycles. Sex steroids and their metabolizing enzymes in the endometrium may play a vital role in embryo implantation. This study has evaluated the levels and localization of sex-steroid receptors and metabolizing enzymes, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3βHSD) and selected 17β-HSD (17βHSD), in mid-luteal endometrium of women treated with GnRH antagonist (Cetrorelix) and recombinant FSH (rFSH; Gonal-F) with luteal phase progesterone supplementation.

METHODS: Mid-luteal phase endometrial biopsies were obtained from oocyte donors undergoing ovarian stimulation and from control women with regular periods. Immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative–polymerase chain reaction (QRT–PCR) were used to compare protein and mRNA expression of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor {alpha} (ER{alpha}), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), androgen receptor (AR), 3βHSD1, 3βHSD2, 17βHSD2 and 17βHSD5.

RESULTS: Cetrorelix–rFSH treatment caused a mid-luteal suppression of PR protein expression in the endometrial stroma, surface epithelium and glands, although expression in the glands of control samples was variable. In contrast, the treatment caused an increase in PR staining in perivascular cells. No other significant differences in protein expression were observed between the two groups. mRNA levels of AR, ER{alpha}, 3βHSD1 and 17βHSD2 were significantly reduced in the treatment group. PR mRNA levels were also reduced by GnRH antagonist–rFSH treatment, but the difference was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the expression of sex-steroid receptors and metabolizing enzymes may lead to alterations in the activity and intracellular availability of estrogens, progestogens and androgens in endometrium of women treated with Cetrorelix and rFSH. Their impact on embryo implantation merits further evaluation.

Key words: endometrium/GnRH antagonists/recombinant FSH/sex-steroid receptors/steroid metabolizing enzymes

Submitted on February 22, 2007; resubmitted on May 23, 2007; accepted on July 11, 2007.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.