Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on March 11, 2005
Molecular Human Reproduction 2005 11(5):345-349; doi:10.1093/molehr/gah162
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The macrophage stimulating protein/RON system: a potential novel target for prevention and treatment of endometriosis
1Department of Gynecology, Polyclinique de l'Hôtel-Dieu, CHU, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan and 3Department of Pathology, Hôtel-Dieu, CHU, Clermont-Ferrand, France
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Gynecology, Polyclinique de l'Hôtel-Dieu, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Bd. Léon Malfreyt, 63058, Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex 1, France. Email: sachikoma{at}aol.com
| Abstract |
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Our recent DNA microarray analysis using tissue obtained by laser capture microdissection (LCM) identified up-regulation of RON (a tyrosine kinase receptor) during the late secretory phase in eutopic endometrial epithelial cells from patients with deep endometriosis compared with control endometrium from women with macroscopically normal pelvic cavities. In the present study, we further investigated mRNA expression of RON and its ligand, macrophage stimulating protein (MSP), in deep endometriotic lesions, eutopic endometrium from patients with deep endometriosis and control endometrium by using LCM and quantitative real-time RTPCR. MSP mRNA expression in endometrial epithelial cells was significantly up-regulated in endometriosis patients during the late secretory phase compared with expression in controls. Furthermore, we detected up-regulation of MSP mRNA in ectopic endometrial epithelial cells compared with matched eutopic endometrial epithelial cells within the same patients regardless of the menstrual phase. MSP has an intrinsically dual functional nature through its receptor RONit is a trophic cytokine preventing apoptosis and a scatter factor promoting invasion, both of which may be necessary for the initial development and growth of endometriosis. The present findings suggest that the MSP/RON system may be involved in the pathophysiology of endometriosis.
Key words: endometriosis/endometrium/laser capture microdissection/macrophage stimulating protein/RON
| Introduction |
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Our recent DNA microarray analysis using samples obtained by laser capture microdissection (LCM) identified up-regulation of four genesRON, 14-3-3 protein eta, SOS and uPARduring the late secretory phase in eutopic endometrial epithelial cells from patients with deep endometriosis compared with control endometrium from fertile women with macroscopically normal pelvic cavities (unpublished data). Endometriosis is a heterogeneous disease based on location and clinical outcome. The different theories of histogenesis proposed for the different forms of endometriosis are based on location (Nisolle and Donnez, 1997
RON is a receptor tyrosine kinase of the MET family and it is mainly expressed in cells of epithelial origin (Comoglio et al., 1999
; Schlessinger, 2000
; Danilkovitch-Miagkova, 2003
). In vitro RON activation results in epithelial cell dissociation, migration and matrix invasion (Comoglio et al., 1999
; Danilkovitch-Miagkova, 2003
; Wang et al., 2003
). Although in vitro studies have clearly demonstrated that both epithelial and stromal cells attach to and invade intact peritoneum (Witz et al., 2002, 2003
), the specific factors involved in these processes are unknown. We hypothesized that the RON may be one of the factors involved in these processes.
In the present study, we further investigated mRNA expression of RON and its ligand, macrophage stimulating protein (MSP), in tissue samples from deep endometriotic lesions, eutopic endometrium from patients with deep endometriosis and control endometrium from fertile women with macroscopically normal pelvic cavities by using LCM and quantitative real-time RTPCR techniques.
| Materials and methods |
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Patients
Patients undergoing laparoscopy and/or laparotomy for deep endometriosis were recruited for this study that began in May, 2001 in the Polyclinique de l'Hôtel Dieu, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France. As control samples, endometrial tissues were obtained from fertile women with macroscopically normal pelvic cavities who underwent laparoscopic tubal ligation or reversal of tubal sterilization. None of the patients received hormonal treatments such as gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist or sex steroids, and none used intrauterine contraception for at least 6 months prior to surgery. Any patients with anti-inflammatory/antibiotics treatment were excluded in the present study. Recruited patients had regular menstrual cycles (between 26 and 32 days) with confirmed menstrual history, and serum 17ß estradiol and progesterone levels were measured. The endometrial dating criteria, as described by Noyes et al. (1950)
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LCM
From each fresh frozen tissue sample, 8 µm thick frozen sections were prepared for endometriotic tissues and 10 µm thick frozen sections were prepared for the matched eutopic endometrium. During our preliminary studies we found that it was more difficult to microdissect endometriotic tissues than endometrial tissues. Therefore, 8 µm thick frozen sections were prepared for endometriotic tissues. Sections were mounted on positively charged slides (Super frost Plus, Menzel GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany). Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining on frozen sections was performed by using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) protocol (http://cgap-mf.nih.gov/Protocols/index.html) with some minor modifications as previously described (Matsuzaki et al., 2004
Briefly, slides were fixed in 70% ethanol for 15 s and stained with H&E, followed by dehydration in two 15 s washes in 95% ethanol, two 60 s washes in 100% ethanol and two final washes in xylene for 3 min each. Slides were air-dried for 5 min and stored in a dessicator for no more than 1 h. Glandular epithelial cells and stromal cells from endometrial or endometriotic tissues were isolated from the slides by using the PixCell II LCM System (Arcturus, Plaisir, France) according to the manufacturer's instructions. A 7.5 and 15 µm beam diameter was utilized for epithelial cells and for stromal cells, respectively. Microdissected cells were collected on optically transparent LCM Macro caps for endometrium and LCM HS caps for endometriosis (Arcturus).
RNA extraction and quantification
After LCM, RNA extraction was performed by using the Picopure RNA extraction kit (Arcturus). The caps were placed in microcentrifuge tubes (Eppendorff, le Pecq, France) containing lysis buffer and incubated at 42°C for 30 min. After centrifugation, the caps were removed and RNA was isolated by using the Picopure RNA extraction protocol. To eliminate potential genomic DNA contamination, RNA samples were treated with DNaseI (15 U; DNaseI, Courtaboef, Qiagen, France) at room temperature for 15 min. Finally, total RNA was resuspended in 11 µl RNase-free water and was kept at 80°C until needed. RNA quantities were measured with the Ribo-Green RNA Quantitation Kit (Molecular Probes Europe BV, Leiden, The Netherlands). All procedures were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Quantitative real-time RTPCR with a Light cycler
Quantitative real-time RTPCR with a Light cycler was performed on non-amplified total RNA from microdissected tissues. Total RNA (10 ng) was subjected to an RT reaction by using Superscript II Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed in a Light Cycler System by using the Fast Start DNA master SYBR green I kit as recommended by the manufacturer (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). In a total volume of 20 µl, each reaction contained 2 µl SYBR green I reaction mix (consisting of Taq DNA polymerase reaction buffer, dNTP mix, SYBR green I, MgCl2 and Taq DNA polymerase), 0.30.5 µM of each primer, 34 mM MgCl2 and 2 µl cDNA, standard or nuclease free water as a negative control. Primer sets are shown in Table II. Quantification of the targets in the unknown samples was performed by using a relative quantification method with external standards. The target concentration is expressed relative to the concentration of a reference housekeeping gene, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). After each run, melting curve analysis was performed to verify the specificity of the PCR reaction.
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Statistical analysis
The Statview 4.5 program (Abacus concepts, Inc., Berkeley, CA, USA) was used for statistical analysis. The MannWhitney U-test or KruskalWallis test was applied to compare the results from different groups. The Wilcoxon sign rank test was performed to compare the differences in paired eutopic and ectopic endometrial samples. Statistical significance was defined as a P value of less than 0.05.
| Results |
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Eutopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis versus control endometrium
Results are shown in Figure 1. During the late secretory phase, MSP mRNA expression was significantly higher in endometrial glandular epithelial cells from patients with deep endometriosis than in those from control endometrium (P<0.02). There was no significant difference in RON and MSP mRNA expression in stromal cells between patients with and without endometriosis at different points of the menstrual cycle. There was no significant cyclical difference in MSP and RON expression levels both in epithelial (RON, unpublished data) and stromal cells from the two different populations.
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Ectopic versus matched eutopic endometrium
Results are shown in Figure 2. Expression of MSP mRNA in glandular epithelial cells of deep endometriotic tissue was significantly higher than that in matched eutopic endometrium during the proliferative (P<0.03) and secretory phases (P<0.02), whereas no significant difference was detected in stromal cells. There was no significant difference in RON mRNA expression in glandular epithelial and stromal cells between deep endometriotic tissue and matched eutopic endometrium during the proliferative and secretory phases. There was no significant cyclical difference in RON and MSP mRNA expression in epithelial and stromal cells within deep endometriotic tissue.
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| Discussion |
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The present study, together with our previous study (unpublished data), demonstrates that both RON and its ligand MSP are up-regulated in endometrial epithelial cells from patients with endometriosis compared with those of controls during the premenstrual phase. MSP has an intrinsically dual functional nature through its receptor RONit is a trophic cytokine preventing apoptosis and a scatter factor promoting invasion (Iwama et al., 1996
Furthermore, RON can be activated both in an MSP-dependent and MSP-independent manner (Danilkovitch-Miagkova et al., 2000
). Adhesion of RON-expressing epithelial cells to extracellular matrix (ECM) via integrins causes ligand-independent phosphorylation and activation of RON (Danilkovitch-Miagkova et al., 2000
). In the presence of nanomolar concentrations of MSP, RON induces cell scattering and ECM invasion (Medico et al., 1996
). Addition of MSP to collagen-adherent cells causes higher levels of RON phosphorylation and kinase activity than either MSP or collagen alone (Danilkovitch-Miagkova et al., 2000
). We hypothesized that surviving RON-expressing endometrial epithelial cells in the pelvic cavity may initially invade peritoneal ECM in an MSP-dependent manner. After adhesion to ECM, MSP-dependent and/or MSP-independent phosphorylation and activation of RON may occur, leading to further invasive growth of endometrial epithelial cells into peritoneum. An in vitro study demonstrated that the initial adhesion of endometrial cells to mesothelium is not mediated by beta 1 integrins, whereas beta 1 integrins may be involved in transmesothelial invasion of endometrial cells (Witz et al., 2002a
). These findings may partly support our hypothesis. In vitro studies demonstrated that proliferative, secretory and menstrual-phase endometrium both from patients with and without endometriosis can equally adhere to intact peritoneal mesothelium (Debrock et al., 2002
; Witz et al., 2002b
). Although these in vitro models are lacking in quantitative evaluations, one of the reasons why endometrium has a similar potential to implant into peritoneum may be that MSP and RON mRNA expressed both in eutopic endometrium from patients with and without endometriosis (regardless of menstrual phases) results in the invasive phenotype of endometrial cells throughout the menstrual cycle. However, in the present study, we did not include endometrial tissues during menstrual, early and mid-proliferative phases. Further studies, especially on menstrual-phase endometrium, should be necessary.
The present study also detected a significant up-regulation of MSP in ectopic endometrial epithelial cells compared with matched eutopic endometrial epithelial cells within the same patients without regard to menstrual cycle phase. Although endometriosis is a benign disease, clinical observations and in vitro experiments imply that the endometriotic cells are invasive and able to metastasize (Gaetje et al., 1995
; Zeitvogel et al., 2001
). Apoptosis levels of ectopic endometrium are significantly lower than those of matched eutopic endometrium (Gebel et al., 1998
). After development of endometriotic lesions, both anti-apoptotic/survival and invasive/growth activities of MSP in ectopic endometrial epithelial cells may be required to sustain endometriotic lesions.
Although further studies to clarify molecular regulatory mechanisms for MSP/RON and the functional roles of MSP and RON genes both in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis are necessary, the present study suggests that the MSP/RON system may be involved in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. However, because we selected only patients with deep endometriosis in the present study, it is necessary to investigate if the present findings are constant for any type of endometriotic lesion (Nisolle and Donnez, 1997
) or are specific to deep endometriosis.
| Acknowledgements |
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We are grateful to all the staff at the Polyclinique, l'Hôtel Dieu, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, particularly to all the residents and staff in the operating room. We are indebted to all the staff in the Department of Pathology, l'Hôtel Dieu, CHU Clermont-Ferrand. This study was supported in part by grants PHRC 2002 and PHRC 2003 of CHU Clermont-Ferrand.
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Submitted on September 27, 2004; accepted on November 9, 2004.
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