Endocrine Abstracts

In the human endometrium, the postovulatory rise in ovarian progesterone results in the influx of distinct local immune cells and induces the coordinated expression of certain gene sets that initially define a limited period of uterine receptivity and subsequently control differentiation of the stromal compartment (decidualisation). Decidualisation is critical for trophoblast invasion and the formation of a haemochorial placenta. Pathologically, a spectrum of reproductive diso...

Rapid activation of diverse signal transduction pathways is thought to play an integral role in the cellular responses to many steroid hormones, including progesterone. This sex steroid is essential for normal reproduction in nearly all species. The recent cloning of a G-protein coupled receptor with the properties of a membrane progestin receptor (mPR) in fish and the subsequent identification of three mammalian homologues (mPR-alpha, -beta, and -gamma) raised the possibility...

Introduction: Decidualisation of the endometrial stromal cell (ESC) is pivotal for successful implantation and is initiated in response to increasing progesterone levels. Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGFβ-1), a potent cytokine involved in many diverse cellular responses, is activated from the latent form in the mid-late secretory phase. Previous reports suggest that TGFβ-1 might oppose the action of progesterone, although no mechanism has been proposed. We hav...

Prolactin is expressed in lymphoid cells and differentiating (decidualised) endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) under the control of an alternative upstream promoter, distinct from the pituitary-specific promoter. Local prolactin action may have immunomodulatory effects. Th1/Th2 imbalance may be an important cause of habitual abortions in man but the mechanism is unknown. Recently, we characterised a G/T SNP at position -1149 that altered prolactin production by lymphocytes, and ...