Premium
Hormone Regulation and Hormone Antagonist Effects on Protein Patterns of Human Endometrial Secretion during Receptivity a
Author(s) -
BEIERHELLWIG KARIN,
STERZIK KARL,
BONN BARBARA,
HILMES ULRIKE,
BYGDEMAN MARC,
GEMZELLDANIELSSON KRISTINA,
BEIER HENNING M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb21742.x
Subject(s) - obstetrics and gynaecology , reproductive biology , medicine , annals , reproductive endocrinology , gynecology , biology , hormone , classics , art , pregnancy , genetics , lactation
Endometrial receptivity is a particular stage of maturation during the luteal phase to permit implantation. We have studied endometrial protein secretion and its patterns evaluated by SDS-PAGE, laser densitometry and Western blots. Uterine secretion electrophoresis (USE) permits highly sophisticated analyses of the intrauterine milieu and allows clinical determination of the receptive stage of the endometrium. This technique reveals direct parameters by patterns of numerous individual protein bands, mainly resolved between 68.0 and 6.5 kD. Characteristic bands appear during the typical functional states of the menstrual cycle presenting evidence on the diagnostic capacity of this method to identify stages of adequate (= normal) or inadequate (= defective) luteal phase maturation. Several individual protein bands appear as characteristic markers for the receptive stage of the luteal phase. We have isolated and molecularly identified several of these proteins: histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. In order to identify the endocrine dependency of the protein bands, which significantly contribute to the "receptive stage pattern," patients were treated with the progesterone antagonist RU 486 at day LH +2. The assessment 4 days later revealed deficient USE patterns, particularly diminished and missing bands of the H2A-, H2B-, and H3-histones. These results demonstrate progesterone-dependent components of the endometrium at the receptive stage, which can be used as useful markers for an improved precision in luteal phase diagnostics. On the other hand, essential parts of the protein pattern may serve as new targets for successful contraceptive interventions ("endometrial contraception").