Myostatin, follistatin and activin type II receptors are highly expressed in adenomyosis

Carrarelli P, Patrizia Carrarelli, Chih‐Feng Yen, Chih-Fen Yen, Arcuri F, Felice Arcuri, Lucia Funghi, Funghi L, Claudia Tosti, Wang TH, Tzu-Hao Wang, Tzu‐Hao Wang, Huang JS, Joseph S Huang, Joseph Huang, Felice Petraglia
Fertility and sterility · 2015 · vol. 104(3) , pp. 744–752.e1 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.05.032 · PMID:26086422 · W1727196161
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This study found that myostatin, follistatin, and activin type II receptors were highly expressed in adenomyosis tissue.

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the expression pattern of activins and related growth factor messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in adenomyotic nodules and in their endometrium.DesignProspective study.SettingUniversity hospital.Patient(s)Symptomatic premenopausal women scheduled to undergo hysterectomy for adenomyosis.Intervention(s)Samples from adenomyotic nodules and homologous endometria were collected. Endometrial tissue was also obtained from a control group.Main outcome measure(s)Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and immunohistochemical localization of activin-related growth factors (activin A, activin B, and myostatin), binding protein (follistatin), antagonists (inhibin-α, cripto), and receptors (ActRIIa, ActRIIb) were performed.Result(s)Myostatin mRNA levels in adenomyotic nodule were higher than in eutopic endometrium and myostatin, activin A, and follistatin concentrations were higher than in control endometrium. No difference was observed for inhibin-α, activin B, and cripto mRNA levels. Increased mRNA levels of ActRIIa and ActRIIb were observed in adenomyotic nodules compared with eutopic endometrium and control endometrium. Immunofluorescent staining for myostatin and follistatin confirmed higher protein expression in both glands and stroma of patients with adenomyosis than in controls.Conclusion(s)The present study showed for the first time that adenomyotic tissues express high levels of myostatin, follistatin, and activin A (growth factors involved in proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis). Increased expression of their receptors supports the hypothesis of a possible local effect of these growth factors in adenomyosis. The augmented expression of ActRIIa, ActRIIb, and follistatin in the endometrium of these patients may play a role in adenomyosis-related infertility.

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Condition tags

adenomyosis

MeSH descriptors

Activin Receptors, Type II Adenomyosis Endometrium Follistatin Myostatin Activin Receptors, Type II Activin Receptors, Type II Activins Activins Adenomyosis Adenomyosis Adenomyosis Adult Case-Control Studies Endometrium Endometrium Female Follistatin Follistatin Humans

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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