Effects of thalidomide on vascular endothelial growth factors expression in endometrial stromal cells of endometriosis in vitro

To observe the effects of thalidomide ThD on cell proliferation and vascular endothelial growth factors VEGF expression in endometrial stromal cell of endometriosis in vitro. Human endometrial tissue was obtained from patients with endometriosis. The stromal cells were isolated and identified by immunohistochemical staining with vimentin antibody. The influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha TNF-#alpha# and ThD on proliferation of endometrial stromal cells was observed. The effects of different concentration of ThD on VEGF expression in endometrial stromal cells were analyzed by real-time PCR, Western Blot and ELISA. TNF-#alpha# could promote the proliferation of endometrial stromal cell and the secretion of VEGF, while ThD could inhibit the proliferation of endometrial stromal cell and reverse the up-regulation of VEGF expression by TNF-#alpha#. ThD could inhibit the proliferation of endometrial stromal cell and expression and secretion of VEGF in vitro, which suggested that ThD might have therapeutic effect on endometriosis.