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Endometrial Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone: Expression, Regulation, and Potential Physiological Implications a
Author(s) -
MAKRIGIANNAKIS A.,
PSYCHOYOS A.,
ZOUMAKIS E.,
MARGIORIS A. N.,
STOURNARAS C.,
GRAVANIS A.
Publication year - 1997
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.1749-6632.1997.tb52135.x
Subject(s) - corticotropin releasing hormone , hormone , expression (computer science) , endocrinology , medicine , biology , computer science , programming language
Our findings show that human and rat uterus express the CRH gene. Epithelial cells of both species are the main source of endometrial CRH, while stroma does not seem to express it, unless it differentiates to decidua. Immunoreactive CRH, produced by endometrial cells, has the chromatographic characteristics of authentic hypothalamic CRH, while the size of its mRNA in both human and rat uterus is similar to or identical with its counterpart, present in placenta and hypothalamus (1.3 kb). Estrogens and glucocorticoids inhibit and prostaglandin E2 stimulates the promoter of human CRH gene in transfected human endometrial cells, suggesting that endometrial CRH gene expression is under the control of these agents. Moreover, in rats, endometrial CRH expression is significantly higher at implantation sites, compared to that at interimplantation uterine regions. Given the proinflammatory/vasoregulatory properties of CRH, we hypothesize that endometrial CRH may participate in the regulation of intrauterine phenomena, such as blastocyst implantation, endometrial vascularization, and myometrial contractility.