Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Semin Reprod Med. 2013 Jan;31(1):77-81. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1331801. Epub 2013 Jan 17.
The human uterus mainly consists of two layers: an inner endometrium and an outer layer, the myometrium, made of smooth muscle. The uterus is characterized by its unique capacity for regeneration. This capacity permits cyclical regeneration and remodeling of the tissue over the course of a woman's reproductive life. During each menstrual cycle, the endometrium regenerates, and the uterus enlarges to make room for fetal growth. This cyclic physiologic pattern suggests that myometrial stem/progenitor cells are present in the tissue and play a role in myometrial functions. Our group (and others) recently characterized and isolated putative stem/progenitor cells in the myometrium. These findings are permitting a better understanding of myometrial physiology and pathology. We review current studies of myometrial stem/progenitor cells and suggestions that, in combination with hypoxia, these cells may contribute to uterine remodeling during pregnancy and the formation of myomas.
内层子宫内膜和外层由平滑肌组成的子宫肌层。子宫具有独特的再生能力。这种能力允许女性生殖生命过程中组织的周期性再生和重塑。在每个月经周期中，子宫内膜会再生，子宫会扩大以容纳胎儿的生长。这种周期性的生理模式表明，子宫平滑肌中存在干细胞/祖细胞，并在子宫平滑肌功能中发挥作用。我们的研究小组（和其他小组）最近对子宫平滑肌中的假定干细胞/祖细胞进行了特征描述和分离。这些发现使我们能够更好地理解子宫平滑肌的生理学和病理学。我们综述了目前对子宫平滑肌干细胞/祖细胞的研究，并提出这些细胞可能与缺氧一起，有助于妊娠期间子宫重塑和子宫肌瘤的形成。
