Hormonal regulation of stromelysin-3 in human endometrial tissues.

基质分解素3(ST-3)是一种金属蛋白酶，在乳腺癌细胞周围的基质细胞中产生。ST-3目前被认为在癌细胞的侵袭中发挥重要作用，但其生物学功能尚不完全清楚。在这个项目中，为了阐明ST-3表达的激素调节，我们检测了人月经期子宫内膜组织中ST-3的表达，发现ST-3在子宫内膜增殖期中晚期和周期的早期分泌期特异表达。使用子宫内膜间质和腺体的一部分进行Northern印迹分析和原位杂交表明，ST-3主要在间质细胞中表达，而不是在腺上皮中表达。为了证实从手术切除的材料中获得的结果，对基质细胞的培养用黄体酮或雌激素处理。孕酮以剂量依赖的方式下调培养的基质细胞ST-3的表达。这些结果提示，ST-3的表达可能与孕酮对子宫内膜癌的抗侵袭作用有关。

Stromelysin 3 (ST-3)a metalloproteinase, is produced in stromal cells surrounding breast cancer cells. ST-3 is now considered to play an important role in the invasion of cancer cells, through its biological functions are not completely known. In this project, toclarify the hormonal regulation of ST-3 expression, we examined ST-3 expression in human endometrial tissues during the menstrual period, and discovered that ST-3 was expressed specifically during the mid-to late proliferative phase and the early secretary phase of the cycle. Northern blot analysis using fractions of the endometrial stroma and glands and in situ hybridization show that ST-3 is expressed more predominantly in the stromal cells rather than in glandular epithelium. To confirm the results obtained from surgically resected materials, cultures of the stromal cells were treated with either progesterone or estrogen. ST-3 expression on the cultured stromal cells is down-regulated by progesterone in a dose-dependent manner. From these findings, we suggest that the expression of ST-3 may be related to the anti-invasional effect of progesterone on endometrial cancer.