Focal cellular origin and regulation of interstitial collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1) are related to menstrual breakdown in the human endometrium

Isabelle Kokorine, Étienne Marbaix, Patrick Henriet, Yasunori Okada, Jacques Donnez, Yves Eeckhout, Pierre J. Courtoy
In: Journal of Cell Science · 1996 · vol. 109(8) , pp. 2151–2160 · doi:10.1242/jcs.109.8.2151 · PMID:8856511 · W2113625077
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 33 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) is focally expressed in stromal cells of the endometrium, particularly where steroid receptors are absent and tissue breakdown occurs, indicating its role in menstruation.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) is an essential enzyme in the early events leading to menstruation. This study analyses its cellular origin, regulation and relation to extracellular matrix breakdown in the human endometrium, both in cultured and non-cultured samples. The source of MMP-1 was identified by in situ hybridization and by immunohistochemistry on serial sections. This was compared with the immunolocalization of other MMPs, steroid receptors, macrophages, and laminin. In non-cultured endometrium, MMP-1 was only expressed during the perimenstrual period. It was either restricted to superficial foci of stromal cells or extended towards the entire functional layer. MMP-1 expression remarkably correlated with matrix breakdown, as assessed by silver staining, and was prominent at the periphery of shedding fragments and along some arterioles. In cultured non-menstrual explants, MMP-1 expression was induced within two days after deprivation of sex steroids. Both in cultured and non-cultured samples, progesterone receptors were not detectable in epithelial cells at foci of MMP-1 expression. The same stromal cells could synthesize MMP-1, MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-3 (stromelysin-1), as well as laminin, and did not correspond to macrophages. In conclusion, MMP-1 is focally expressed in stromal cells of the functional layer of the endometrium, when and where steroid receptors disappear, and especially where tissue breakdown is prominent. These observations point to an essential role for MMP-1 in the early stages of menstruation.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Citation neighborhood

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.

References (54)

Cited by (33)

Source provenance

openalex
last seen: 2026-06-04T00:00:01.174412+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK