Ectopic and eutopic stromal endometriotic cells have a damaged ceramide signaling pathway to apoptosis
Received 27 July 2004; received in revised form 21 August 2008; accepted 4 September 2008. published online 18 November 2008.
Objective
To investigate whether sphingosine analogues, which activate the ceramide signaling pathway to apoptosis, can cause the death of ectopic (EEC) and eutopic stromal endometriotic cells (EEU), as well as healthy eutopic stromal endometrial cells (HEU).
Design
The EEC, EEU, and HEU isolated from fertile and infertile women with endometriosis were cultured for 48 hours in RPMI medium with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and with 2.5–10 μM sphingosine analogues.
Setting
A clinic for the treatment of endometriosis and basic research laboratories.
Patient(s)
Nineteen women with follicular cyst and 16 women with endometriosis.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
The percentage of proliferating cells was determined by 93-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) Calibur flow cytometer.
Result(s)
The viability of EEC after exposure to 10 μM sphingosine analogues was 59.5% ± 9.7% for D-sphingosine and 77.65 ± 9.7% for DL-erythro-sphingosine, the viability of EEU was 69.2% ± 14.2% and 42.0% ± 15.5%, whereas the viability of comparative HEU was 9.0% ± 4.8% and 18.8% ± 8.3%, respectively. The differences were significant using the Mann-Whitney test. The apoptotic level of the cells treated with 10 μM sphingosine analogues for comparative HEU was 42.8% ± 7.5% for D-sphingosine and 42.5% ± 10.5% for DL-erythro-sphingosine, whereas for EEC this was 16.7% ± 5.5% for D-sphingosine and 14.1% ± 4.4% for DL-erythro-sphingosine and for EEU this was 14.3% ± 4.7% and 22.9% ± 8.9%, respectively.
Conclusion(s)
Ectopic and eutopic stromal endometrial cells from women with endometriosis have a damaged ceramide-downstream pathway to apoptosis.
aFaculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
bLaboratory of Reproductive Immunology, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
cSecond Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
dFirst Department Of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
eDepartment of Gynecology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
Reprint requests: Agnieszka Chrobak, Ph.D., Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland (FAX: 48-71-3752608).
A.C. has nothing to disclose. U.S. has nothing to disclose. R.S. has nothing to disclose. A.C.-S. has nothing to disclose. M.G. has nothing to disclose. M.J. has nothing to disclose.
Supported by grant No. 2 P05E 176 22 and “POL-POSTDOC II” No. PBZ/MEiN/01/2006/23 from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Dr. Chrobak was the prize-winner of The Foundation for Polish Science for the most promising young research workers 2005 and 2006.
ABSTRACT