Open AccessDihydrotestosterone potentiates insulin to up‐regulate prokineticin‐1 in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells
Author(s) -
Ujvari Dorina,
Graells Brugalla Carlota,
Hirschberg Angelica Lindén
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/jcmm.14923
Subject(s) - dihydrotestosterone , endocrinology , medicine , stromal cell , insulin , testosterone (patch) , androgen , biology , hormone
Abstract Prokineticin 1 (PROK1) is a key regulator of embryo implantation and placentation, and its dysregulation is associated with pregnancy complications, such as pre‐eclampsia and foetal growth restriction. We have previously shown that insulin strongly enhances the expression of PROK1 in human decidualizing stromal cells. Here, we demonstrate that dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but not testosterone, potentiates insulin to up‐regulate PROK1 in these cells. However, the androgens alone do not influence the expression of PROK1. Our findings suggest that insulin and androgens both are involved in the regulation of PROK1 that could have implications for normal and pathological pregnancies.