PROGESTERONE ENHANCES MACROPHAGE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR PRODUCTIONIN HUMAN ENDOMETRIAL STROMAL CELLS IN-VITRO

Increasing evidence suggests that macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is produced in the uterine endometrium and that it plays an i mportant role in the reproductive process. In the present study, using an in vitro decidualization model and human endometrium, we investiga ted M-CSF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC) by Northern blotting and in situ hybridization. The secre ted M-CSF in the culture medium of ESC was measured by enzyme-linked i mmunosorbent assay. ESC were cultured in the presence of progesterone (P) or estrogen. After a B-day culture with P, when in vitro deciduali zation was confirmed by the production of PRL, M-CSF mRNA and protein levels were 3.1 +/- 0.5- and 3.2 +/- 0.8-fold (mean +/- SEM) higher, r espectively, than those in cultures without P (P < 0.01). The P-induce d increase was dose dependent. On the other hand, estrogen did not inc rease M-CSF mRNA expression. M-CSF mRNA expression in the first trimes ter deciduae that expressed PRL mRNA was higher than that in the endom etria. By in situ hybridization, ESC as well as epithelial cells were shown to express M-CSF both in. vitro and in vivo. These findings indi cate that human ESC (decidua cells) express M-CSF mRNA and suggest tha t they secrete M-CSF in a P-dependent manner during the process of dec idualization.