Open AccessERα and ERK1/2 MAP kinase expression in microdissected stromal and epithelial endometrial cells
Author(s) -
Said Abu Alkhair Mohamed,
Ihab Shafek Atta,
Brian G. Rowan,
Mohamed Mokhtar Desouki
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of egyptian national cancer institute/journal of the egyptian national cancer institute
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.398
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2589-0409
pISSN - 1110-0362
DOI - 10.1016/j.jnci.2013.09.001
Subject(s) - stromal cell , laser capture microdissection , epithelium , stroma , endometrium , mapk/erk pathway , blot , kinase , biology , microdissection , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , immunohistochemistry , pathology , endocrinology , gene expression , biochemistry , gene
Our previous published data detected higher expression of total and active mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the epithelial vs. stromal cells of the endometrium. In the present work we compared the expression of ERK1/2 MAPK and estrogen receptor α (ERα) in epithelial versus stromal cells in benign human endometrial tissues. Laser capture microdissection was used to separate glandular epithelium and stromal cells from six frozen, proliferative phase endometrial specimens. Total and phosphorylated levels for ERK1/2 and ERα were measured by quantitation of signals from Western blots using specific antibodies against the active and total forms of ERK1/2 and against ERα. When the level of the proteins was quantitated and normalized to β actin from microdissected stroma and epithelium, no significant difference was detected in the levels of these proteins between the two tissue compartments. There was a trend toward higher expression in the stroma vs. epithelium, respectively (active ERK1/2 0.45 ± 0.17 vs. 0.2 ± 0.65; total ERK1/2 0.54 ± 0.35 vs. 0.28 ± 0.23; ERα 0.82 ± 0.28 vs. 0.54 ± 0.18; n=6). These data demonstrate that there are comparable levels of ERα (P=0.41), total ERK1/2 (P=0.18) and active ERK1/2 (P=0.13) in the stroma and epithelium of proliferative phase endometrium with a trend toward higher expression of these proteins in the stromal compartment.