Project description:The aim was to examine changes in gene expression of the endometrium exposed to long-term tamoxifen treatment in comparison to age matched controls. To achieve this, endometrial tissues were obtained from women receiving tamoxifen treatment who were undergoing a hysterectomy. Using cDNA microarrays, gene expression changes in the postmenopausal endometrium of these women was compared with that in endometrium of age matched women not receiving tamoxifen. Keywords: Gene expression changes in the postmenopausal endometrium of women following tamoxifen treatment
Project description:Objective: Bromocriptine treatment has been shown to reduce menstrual bleeding and pain in women with adenomyosis in a pilot clinical trial. The underlying mechanism contributing to the treatment effect is however unknown. This study was to explore the effect of bromocriptine on the proliferation and migration properties of the endometrium in women with adenomyosis, by assessing cellular and molecular changes after six months of vaginal bromocriptine treatment. Methods: Endometrial specimens were collected during the proliferative phase from women with adenomyosis (n=6) before (baseline) and after six months of vaginal bromocriptine treatment. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine changes in the protein expression of Ki67 in the endometrium. Primary endometrial stromal cells isolated at baseline were expanded in vitro and exposed to different doses of bromocriptine to determine the optimal half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) using CellTiter-Blue® Cell Viability Assay. Cell proliferation was assessed by bromodeoxyuridine ELISA assay and Ki67 gene expression was checked by real-time PCR. The migratory ability of endometrial stromal cells was determined by wound healing and transwell migration assays. Small RNA sequencing was applied on tissues collected from women with adenomyosis before and after bromocriptine treatment to identify differentially expressed micro RNAs. Bioinformatic methods were used for target gene prediction and the identification of biological pathways. Results: Vaginal bromocriptine treatment reduced the Ki67 protein expression in the endometrium of women with adenomyosis and did not change the prolactin mRNA expression and protein concentration of prolactin in endometrial tissues. Bromocriptine significantly inhibited the proliferative and migrative abilities of endometrial stromal cells derived from women with adenomyosis in vitro. Moreover, small RNA sequencing revealed 27 differentially expressed micro RNAs (miRNAs) between the endometrium of women with adenomyosis before and after six months of vaginal bromocriptine treatment. KEGG pathway analysis on targeted genes of 27 miRNAs showed that several signaling pathways associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis were enriched after treatment. Conclusion: Bromocriptine treatment exhibits an anti-proliferative effect in the endometrium of women with adenomyosis in vivo and in vitro. Bromocriptine might inhibit the proliferation of endometrial tissue in adenomyosis in part through the regulation of dysregulated microRNAs and proliferation-associated signaling pathways.
Project description:The aim was to examine changes in gene expression of the endometrium exposed to long-term tamoxifen treatment in comparison to age matched controls. To achieve this, endometrial tissues were obtained from women receiving tamoxifen treatment who were undergoing a hysterectomy. Using cDNA microarrays, gene expression changes in the postmenopausal endometrium of these women was compared with that in endometrium of age matched women not receiving tamoxifen. Endometrial tissue from post-menopausal women was obtained following ethical approval from the Leicester NHS Trust. None of the women had received any hormonal treatment for two months prior to the procurement of the specimens. Tissues were taken from untreated women (n=6) or those treated for 4 to 5 years with tamoxifen (20mg/day) (n=4), aged 58-82 (65 ± 9.1, mean ± SD). Total RNA was extracted. Controls were pooled. RNA labelling, hybridisation and analysis of fluorescence was carried out as described by Turton et al (2001). Cy3/Cy5 Dye swap labelling was carried out on samples from each patient. Reference: Turton NJ et. al. (Oncogene (2001) 20, 1300-1306
Project description:To examine the possibility that biochemical or molecular signatures of endometrium may prove to be more useful, we have investigated whole genome molecular phenotyping (54,600 genes/ESTs) of this tissue sampled across the cycle in 28 normo-ovulatory women, using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. The results demonstrate that endometrial samples obtained by two different sampling techniques (biopsy and curetting hysterectomy specimens) from subjects who are as normal as possible in a human study and 4 including those with unknown histology, can be classified by their molecular signatures and correspond to known phases of the menstrual cycle with identical results using two independent analytical methods. Also, the results enable global identification of biological processes and molecular mechanisms that occur dynamically in the endometrium in the changing steroid hormone milieu across the menstrual cycle in normo-ovulatory women. The results underscore the potential of gene expression profiling for developing molecular diagnostics of endometrial normalcy and abnormalities and identifying molecular targets for therapeutic purposes in endometrial disorders. Keywords: Gene expression arrays human endometrium
Project description:To examine the possibility that biochemical,or molecular signatures of endometrium may prove to be more useful, we have investigated,whole genome molecular phenotyping (54,600 genes/ESTs) of this tissue sampled across the,cycle in 28 normo-ovulatory women, using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. The results demonstrate,that endometrial samples obtained by two different sampling techniques (biopsy and curetting,hysterectomy specimens) from subjects who are as normal as possible in a human study and,4,including those with unknown histology, can be classified by their molecular signatures and,correspond to known phases of the menstrual cycle with identical results using two independent,analytical methods. Also, the results enable global identification of biological processes and,molecular mechanisms that occur dynamically in the endometrium in the changing steroid,hormone milieu across the menstrual cycle in normo-ovulatory women. The results underscore,the potential of gene expression profiling for developing molecular diagnostics of endometrial,normalcy and abnormalities and identifying molecular targets for therapeutic purposes in,endometrial disorders.
Project description:Research question: What are the proteomic and phosphoproteomic differences between the endometrium of women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and healthy control women during the proliferative (P) and secretory (S) phases of the menstrual cycle? Design: The present study collected a total of 54 endometrial samples during either P or S phases from women with RPL (n = 28) or healthy control (n = 26). Comprehensive proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses were conducted using label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (n = 44) and verified through western blotting (n = 10). Three comparison groups were established, including the total RPL endometrium compared to the total control (R/C), proliferating endometrium compared to control (RP/CP), and secretory endometrium compared to control (RS/CS). Results: Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and differentially phosphorylated proteins (DPPs) were respectively identified in the three comparison groups. Combining pathway enrichment, network analysis, and soft clustering analysis, we identified the insulin/cyclic nucleotide signaling pathway and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway as the major contributors to the aberration of RPL endometrium. Western blotting verified altered expression of four proteins, including PRKAR1B, ADCY3, PRKAA2, and LPIN2.Conclusions: This exploratory study provides insights into the differentiated protein expression and phosphorylation profiles of RPL endometrium in both P and S phases. The results highlight potential proteins associated with RPL pathogenesis that may serve as potential indicators for RPL. The findings contribute to the identification of potential targets for RPL treatment as well as the pathogenesis of RPL.
Project description:Human NK cells from the decidua basalis of gravid uteri (dNK) and from cycling endometrium (eNK) of women undergoing hysterectomy were isolated and compared by gene expression profiling using Affymetrix microarrays with probes representing ~47,400 transcripts. Substantial differences indicate that these two types of NK cells represent distinct subsets. Freshly isolated NK cells were obtained by FACS sorting. 4 dNK and 5 eNK samples were obtained form independent donors. dNK cells were isolated from the decidua basalis of first trimester placentas and sorted as CD3-, CD16-, CD56+ cells. eNK cells were obtained from non-affected regions of cycling endometrium of donor women undergoing hysterectomy and were sorted as CD45+, CD56+, CD3- cells . The preliminary patient diagnoses included genital prolapse, fibroids, cervical dysplasia, or menorrhagia. All cycling endometrium samples were from the secretory phase of the cycle with exception of sample eNK_S6 that was from the proliferative phase.
Project description:Maternal obesity is becoming a major health consideration for successful pregnancy outcomes. There is growing proof that maternal obesity has a negative influence on placental development and function, thereby adversely influencing offspring programming and health outcomes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are so far poorly understood. We set out to analyse term placenta whole transcriptome in obese (n=5) and normoweight women (n=5), using Affymetrix microarray platform compromising of 50,000 probe sets. Our analysis shows that the placental transcriptome differs between normoweight and obese women. Different processes and pathways among placenta from obese women were dysregulated, including inflammation and immune responses, lipid metabolism, cell death and survival and cancer pathways, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway. Together, this global gene expression profiling approach demonstrates and confirms that maternal obesity creates a unique in utero environment that impairs placental transcriptome.
Project description:Although somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning is more efficient in bovine than in all other species tested so far, there is a high rate of pregnancy failure that has been linked to structural and functional abnormalities of the placenta. We tested the hypothesis that these changes may originate from disturbed embryo-maternal interactions in the pre-implantation period. Therefore, we evaluated the transcriptome response of the endometrium to SCNT embryos (produced from five different donor cell cultures) as compared to embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF). SCNT embryos and IVF embryos were cultured under identical conditions to the blastocyst stage (Day 8) and transferred to recipients. The recipients were slaughtered at day 18 of pregnancy and the uterus was recovered. Pregnancy was verified by the presence of at least one normally developed embryo. Transcriptome profiling of endometrium samples using a custom cDNA microarray covering transcripts expressed in the endometrium and/or oviduct epithelium revealed 58 transcripts that were differently abundant between endometrium samples from SCNT vs. IVF pregnancies. Prominent examples are NR2F2 (encoding the orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII) and GJA1 (encoding connexin 43). Both transcripts are known to play important roles in placentation and were significantly less abundant in endometrium from SCNT vs. IVF pregnancies. These findings suggest that placental failure in bovine clone pregnancies may originate from abnormal embryo-maternal communication already in the pre- or peri-implantation period. Endometrium transcriptome profiles may serve as a novel readout to evaluate SCNT embryos for their ability to induce pregnancy with a functional placenta. Keywords: response to different embryos
Project description:Transcriptome profile of receptive phase endometrium among infertile women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) in two different endometrial preparation protocols for FET was analyzed: natural cycle (NC-FET) vs. artificial cycle (AC-FET). Fifteen endometrial biopsy samples were obtained: women with unexplained RIF (n = 5) in natural cycles for FET (NC-FET), women with unexplained RIF undergoing artificial endometrial preparation (n = 5) for FET (AC-FET), and healthy women (n = 5) with proven fertility in natural cycles (NC-FC) (Control group). All endometrial biopsies were obtained during the mid-secretory phase, at the time of ‘window of implantation’.