Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on December 22, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dei454
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1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. BACKGROUND: Akt is activated by phosphorylation and plays an important role in cell survival and maintenance of structure. METHODS: We investigated whether phosphorylated Akt was characteristically expressed in human endometrium in vivo and whether insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) can activate Akt using cultured decidualized human stromal cells in vitro, using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The levels of phosphorylated Akt protein increased markedly in the decidual tissues from ectopic pregnancy. The expression of phosphorylated Akt protein in stromal cells increased with the decidualization. The decidual cells showed strong cytoplasmic staining for phosphorylated Akt. However, cultured decidualized human stromal cells diminished phos-phorylated Akt expression compared to control cells. IGF-I administration to decidualized human stromal cells significantly recovered pAkt expression. The effect of IGF-I on decidualized human stromal cells was blocked by an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) (LY294,002). These results suggest that IGF-I may activate Akt via PI3K in human endometrium and decidua. The expression of phosphorylated Akt in stromal cells was only detected in the functional layer, where tissue remodelling occurs during menstruation or implantation. CONCLUSIONS: Akt activation may be involved in cell survival and extracellular matrix remodelling in human endometrium and decidua.
Received August 1, 2005
Revised October 22, 2005
Accepted November 22, 2005
Article
Cyclic and characteristic expression of phosphorylated Akt in human endometrium and decidual cells in vivo and in vitro
Aya Toyofuku 1,
Tetsuaki Hara 1 *,
Takashi Taguchi 2,
Yuki Katsura 3,
Koso Ohama 1,
and
Yoshiki Kudo 1
2 Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), Tokyo, Japan; Present address: Biomedical Research Laboratories, Sankyo Co., 2-58 Hiromachi 1-chome, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan
3 Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), Tokyo, Japan
Tetsuaki Hara, E-mail: tetsuaki{at}hiroshima-u.ac.jp
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