Estrogen activates migration potential of endometrial cancer cells through basement membrane.

The migration potential through a basement membrane in an endometrial cancer cell line, such as Ishikawa, HEC-1-A or HHUA cell, in terms of strength, was enhanced by estradiol, but not modified by progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), danazol or tamoxifen alone, by which estradiol-enhanced migration potential was inhibited. The order of the level of estrogen receptor was Ishikawa > HEC-1-A > HHUA cells. Therefore, it is suggested that the invasiveness of endometrial cancer cells might be activated by estradiol via estrogen receptors, but inactivated by progesterone, MPA, danazol or tamoxifen as an antiestrogen action, and that endometrial cancer cells could become invasive in the estrogen-predominant milieu, and the antiestrogenic agents could protect it.