Detection and distribution of oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in leiomyomata cells

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Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife (2003) J Physiol 548P, P159

Poster Communications: Detection and distribution of oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in leiomyomata cells

F. Valladares*, I. Frías†, C. Alonso‡§, R. Reyes‡, F López¶, L. Díaz-Flores* and A.R. Bello‡

*Department of Anatomy, Pathological Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, †Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, School of Biology and §Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, ¶Department of Pharmacology, Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, USA

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Uterine leiomyomas are the most frequent gynaecology tumours in reproductive age women. However, their pathogenic characterization has not been totally identified.

Clinical data indicate the influence of sexual steroids in its development. The neoplasia transformation of myometrium to leiomyoma looks to involve somatic mutation of the normal myometrium, including complex interaction of the sexual steroids and local growth factors (Reimer et al. 2000). Historically, oestrogens have been considered the inductor of the growth of myoma. However, clinical, biochemical and histological evidence indicates an important role for progesterone (De Leo et al. 2002).

Results from in vitro studies indicate an increase of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PNCA) in progesterone-induced leiomyoma but not in normal myometrium. (Maruo et al. 2000).

In this work, we showed the cellular and subcellular location and distribution of both the progesterone and oestrogen receptors in different myomatoses uterus examples. We employed 10 % buffered formaline-fixed and paraffin-embedded material from biopsy specimens obtained after clinical hysterectomies. Adjacent 3 µm sections cut in order to compare the distribution of different receptors. The results are as follows.

The ER α (oestrogen receptor α) can be detected in all cases assayed: both in muscle, fibroblast and endothelial cells. The ER β (oestrogen receptor β) can be detected only in some muscle cells and ever in a nuclear location. In muscle cells, the ratio PR (progesterone receptor) to ER was, in all the cases assayed, higher than 1. In the case of ER, this ratio showed a variable distribution. PR were, in all the cases, located in the nucleus of any cell type. Histological staining clearly indicates that the nuclei of tumour cells are bigger than normal.

The characterization of PR subtypes and their location in the myoma cells, as well as the relation with the ER, will be a useful way to understand the role of the sexual steroids in the growth and development of this type of tumour. The molecular approach to the molecular bases of these relations will be a valuable tool for the discovery of an efficient and non-aggressive cure.

This work has been supported by grant SAF 2001-3614-C03-01 to R.A.

Where applicable, experiments conform with Society ethical requirements.

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