Am. Diblasio et al., EXPRESSION OF CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE AND ITS R1 RECEPTOR IN HUMAN ENDOMETRIAL STROMAL CELLS, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 82(5), 1997, pp. 1594-1597
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide t
hat has been identified also in several peripheral tissues, including
organs of the reproductive system. In man, CRH is synthesized and rele
ased by the gonads, the placenta, maternal decidua, and the epithelial
endometrium. So far, CRH has been demonstrated in endometrial stromal
cells only after decidualization. The aim of this study was to seek e
vidence of the production and secretion of CRH by endometrial stromal
cells in different phases of the menstrual cycle and to look for gene
expression of the recently identified CRH receptor R1. Total RNA was e
xtracted from stromal cells monolayers established from endometrial sa
mples collected during both proliferative and secretive phases. After
reverse transcription, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification w
as carried out using primers specific to CRH and to CRH receptor R1, r
esulting in the expected bands, respectively 233 bp for CRH and 274 bp
for CRH-R1. The identity of the obtained CRH PCR product was confirme
d by restriction enzyme analysis and by Southern blotting. Purificatio
n by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of stromal cell cul
ture medium revealed a major peak of CRH immunoreactivity coeluting wi
th the standard CRH(1-41), thus indicating the secretion of the mature
peptide. Our study demonstrates the synthesis and secretion of CRH by
endometrial stromal cells at all phases of the menstrual cycle, me al
so demonstrate the expression of the CRH receptor R1 gene. It can be h
ypothesized that CRH contributes via autocrine/paracrine mechanisms to
endometrial physiology.