PROSTAGLANDIN E(2) PRODUCTION BY UTERINE STROMAL CELL-LINE U-III - REGULATION BY ESTRADIOL AND EVIDENCE OF AN ETHANOL ACTION

We have recently established a uterine stromal cell line (U-III). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether these cells have retained the ability to produce and release prostaglandins after seve ral passages and whether this production was regulated. U-III cells, g rown in basal conditions, released a very low amount (40.6 +/- 2.9 pg/ 24h/10(6) cells) of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) though cellular conten t was more elevated (192 +/- 23 pg/10(6) cells). Ethanol increased the cellular content but decreased the release of PGE(2), whereas estradi ol 17 beta (E(2)) increased it in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on the cellular content. The PGE(2) release by cells grown in m edium containing 10 mu M arachidonate (AA) reached 1.39 +/- 0.05 ng/24 h/10(6) cells, and was further increased to 2.1 +/- 0.1 ng/24 h/10(6) cells by the addition of ethanol. Under the latter condition, E(2) was ineffective. This study also showed that U-III cells expressed an imm unoreactive pancreatic type 14 kD PLA(2). A substantial increased 24 k D PLA(2) expression was observed in ethanol-treated cells, suggesting that ethanol-effect on prostaglandin production might be partly mediat ed by PLA(2) increase. Medium supplementation with arachidonate also r esulted in a significant increase of intracellular 14 kD PLA(2) expres sion. The present results showed that uterine stromal U-III cells have retained the enzymatic machinery to produce PGE(2). Moreover these da ta demonstrate that ethanol and E(2) affect differently uterine PGE(2) production.