Zhu Xiaoxiong, Li Yan, Zhou Rongmiao, Wang Na, Kang Shan
Department of Gynecology, Fourth Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Jiankang Street 12, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hebei Cancer Institute, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2018 Jan;297(1):117-123. doi: 10.1007/s00404-017-4560-0. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
E-cadherin, a transmembrane glycoprotein mediating Ca-independent homotypic cell-cell adhesion in epithelial cell, plays an essential role in metastasis. It has been postulated that E-cadherin downregulation is a crucial mechanism in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. To evaluate the effect on the cell behavior after knockdown of E-cadherin gene (CDH1) in cultured human endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) isolated from normal endometrium.
EECs were isolated from the endometrial tissues of fertile woman who underwent total hysterectomy due to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III. CDH1 expression was knocked down by small hairpin RNA. The EECs transfected with empty vector served as control. Transwell assay was used to test EECs migration or invasion. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein levels.
The results showed that knockdown of E-cadherin expression can increase cell migration and invasion, and up-regulate mRNA and protein levels of β-catenin, cyclinD1, and c-myc.
Down-regulation of E-cadherin expression may activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in endometrial cells, which may together participate in the occurrence of endometriosis.
E-钙黏蛋白是一种介导上皮细胞中不依赖钙的同型细胞间黏附的跨膜糖蛋白，在转移过程中起重要作用。据推测，E-钙黏蛋白下调是子宫内膜异位症发病机制中的关键机制。本研究旨在评估敲低从正常子宫内膜分离的培养人子宫内膜上皮细胞（EECs）中E-钙黏蛋白基因（CDH1）后对细胞行为的影响。
从因宫颈上皮内瘤变III而行全子宫切除术的有生育能力女性的子宫内膜组织中分离EECs。通过小发夹RNA敲低CDH1表达。转染空载体的EECs作为对照。采用Transwell实验检测EECs的迁移或侵袭能力。采用qRT-PCR和蛋白质印迹法检测mRNA和蛋白质水平。
结果显示，敲低E-钙黏蛋白表达可增加细胞迁移和侵袭能力，并上调β-连环蛋白、细胞周期蛋白D1和c-myc的mRNA和蛋白质水平。
E-钙黏蛋白表达下调可能激活子宫内膜细胞中的Wnt/β-连环蛋白通路，二者可能共同参与子宫内膜异位症的发生。
