F. Pekonen et al., DECREASED EXPRESSION OF MESSENGER-RNAS ENCODING ENDOTHELIN RECEPTORS AND NEUTRAL ENDOPEPTIDASE-24.11 IN ENDOMETRIAL-CANCER, British Journal of Cancer, 71(1), 1995, pp. 59-63
In this study, we used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
(RT-PCR) to compare the expression of mRNAs encoding endothelin-1 (ET
-1), endothelin receptors type A (ET(A)-R) and type B (ET(B)-R) and ET
-1-degrading enzyme neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) in 15 endometria
l cancer tissues and 13 normal endometrial tissues. The relative level
s of ET-1 mRNA in endometrial cancer tissues did not differ from those
in normal endometrium. Both ET(A)-R and ET(B)-R mRNA levels were sign
ificantly lower in endometrial cancer tissue than in normal endometriu
m (P < 0.001). The complete lack of NEP mRNA in endometrial cancer tis
sues was in marked contrast to results from normal endometrium (P < 0.
001). In conclusion, differential expression of mRNAs encoding ET-R an
d NEP in normal endometrium and endometrial cancer suggests that ET ac
tion is altered in endometrial cancer compared with normal endometrium
.