Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai zasshi最新文献

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between NK activity and TG-beta in the immune system in endometriosis. We investigated (1) the changes in the NK activity and concentration of TGF-beta in human peritoneal fluid (HPF), and (2) the effects of HPF and TGF-beta on the development of early mice embryos. In a rat model of experimental endometriosis, we observed the effects of tissue culture supernatants of peritoneum on NK activity in rat spleen cells, and obtained the following results. (1) NK activity of peripheral lymphocytes in healthy women was significantly suppressed in the presence of HPF of endometriosis. (2) The concentrations of TGF-beta was significantly higher in HPF of endometriosis than in HPF of healthy women. (3) Both HPF of endometriosis and TGF-beta significantly inhibited the development of early mice embryos. (4) The supernatants prepared from the intact peritoneum of the rat model showed marked inhibition of NK activity compared to control rats, although the peritoneum was obtained from a region distant from the implanted endometrium. These results suggest that ectopic endometrial tissues may cause a change in the cell-mediated immune system and subsequently exert an adverse effect on human reproduction.

The effect of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on superoxide radical production by macrophages was studied in pseudopregnant rats. Peritoneal macrophages prepared on day 7 or 13 of pseudopregnancy (psp) were incubated with various doses of PGF2 alpha for 90 min, and the production of superoxide radical was measured by the cytochrome C reduction method. PGF2 alpha significantly stimulated superoxide radical production by macrophages on day 13 of psp, but not on day 7 of psp. The pretreatment of macrophages with an inhibitor of protein kinase C (H7), Ca2+ channel blocker (Verapamil), Ca2+ chelators (EGTA, BAPTA), and an inhibitor of GTP-binding protein (pertussis toxin) prevented the stimulatory effects of PGF2 alpha on superoxide radical production. In conclusion, PGF2 alpha stimulated superoxide radical production by macrophages through the intracellular signal transduction pathway including activation of protein kinase C through the GTP-binding protein and Ca2+ influx, which would play important roles in the luteolytic process in psp rats.

The etiology and the pathogenesis of adenomyosis, which is a benign disease featuring ectopic proliferation and invasion of the endometrial stromas and glands into the myometrium, as seen with malignant tumor cells, are still unknown. Adenomyosis induced in mice by intrauterine pituitary isografts was analyzed to study the relationship between adenomyosis and matrix metalloproteinase. Under zymography, adenomyosis showed a gelatiolytic band of 20-30kDa, which was inhibited by EDTA. We then compared matrix metalloproteinase, which is a small protein, with the known pump-1 (MMP7) utilizing RT-PCR and southern blotting hybridization. The PCR product from pump-1 mRNA was clearly detected in both adenomyosis and normal uterus, as in postpartum uterus and kidney in which pump-1 is expressed. These results were confirmed by southern blotting hybridization, and closely resembled the results obtained with RT-PCR. Our study suggests that the small molecular weight matrix metalloproteinase, which is virtually identical to pump-1, may play important roles in adenomyosis at the level of gene transcription, activation, inhibition or otherwise.

We clinicopathologically reviewed cases of clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the endometrium and adenocarcinoma of the endometrial type mixed with a clear cell component (AMC). 1. Among 1,152 cases of endometrial carcinoma, CCA and AMC were found in 16 (1.4%) and 21 (1.8%) cases, respectively. 2. As revealed by cumulative survival rates based on the Kaplan-Meier method, the prognosis was significantly poorer in CCA and AMC than in endometrial carcinoma (p < 0.001). 3. As for the subtype of CCA, 5 (31%), 9 (56%) and 2 (13%) cases were papillary, solid, and tubulocystic, respectively. 4. The frequency of epithelial hyaline body, bizarre nucleus, psammoma body, necrosis, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, lymphatic invasion, vessel invasion, and atypical hyperplasia among cases of CCA was 8 (50%), 7 (44%), 5 (31%), 6 (38%), 8 (50%), 5 (36%), 4 (29%) and 1 (7%) cases, respectively. Histologically, lymphoplasmacytic response was the most closely correlated with the prognosis. 5. Among the cases of AMC, there were 6 cases of metastasis and recurrence. In 5 (83%) of these, the clear component increased markedly in metastatic and recurrent lesions although the component was very minor in the primary lesions.

The initial site of infection with female chlamydia trachomatis (CT) genital infection is known to be the cervix. CT can often be detected in vaginal discharge, urethral swabs and urinary sediment. In order to determine the distribution of CT around the cervix, CT detection by Chlamydiazyme was performed on specimens other than cervical swabs, obtained from females whose cervical swabs were positive for CT. Positive rates and mean reaction values for Chlamydiazyme were 97.4% and 0.762 +/- 0.570 for cervical discharge, 75.4% and 0.503 +/- 0.536 for vaginal wall swab, 72.1% and 0.489 +/- 0.516 for vaginal swab, 62.7% and 0.696 +/- 0.760 for urethral swab and 43.8% and 0.228 +/- 0.328 for urinary sediment. Both the positive rate and the mean reactive value were revealed to be in the order: vaginal wall = vestbule swab < vaginal discharge < cervical swab. The results are consistent with the assumption that CT was contained in discharge in the infected area in the cervix and spread to other areas. Both a high positive rate and high reactive value for vaginal discharge sustain the assumption that CT rectal infection could mainly be caused by direct contamination by cervical discharge, not by rectal intercourse.

The enhancement of the in vitro invasive ability and the morphological changes caused by anti-E-cadherin antibody HECD-1 were investigated by in vitro invasion assay and electron microscopy in three human endometrial carcinoma cell lines. The cell lines were NUE-1 (E-cadherin negative and high in vitro invasive ability), HEC-1BE and HEC-108 (E-cadherin positive and low in vitro invasive ability). In NUE-1 invasive ability was not enhanced by HECD-1, but in HEC-1BE and HEC-108 invasive ability was enhanced to 223 +/- 41.2% and 307 +/- 173% by 5 micrograms/ml HECD-1. Morphologically NUE-1 invaded the extracellular matrix (Matrigel) with a long micro villis. But in HEC-1BE and HEC-108 the villis did not invade the Matrigel, the whole cell invaded it. Together with HECD-1, HEC-1BE and HEC-108 were changed to become similar to the NUE-1 cell line with high invasive ability and the micro villis invaded the Matrigel.

Shakuyaku-kanzo-to (SK), a Chinese herb medicine consisting of Shakuyaku (Paeoniae Radix) and Kanzo (Glycyrrhizae Radix) has been used for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. It is reported that prostaglandin (PG) production increased during menstruation in uterine myometrium. To know the effect of SK on PG production in the uterine myometrium, the following in vitro study was undertaken. Human uterine myometrium was obtained from patients who underwent hysterectomy. 1. Myometrial cells were cultured and, SK, Shakuyaku (S), Kanzo (K), or glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), which is the major component of K, were added to the culture medium. Concentrations of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and 6-ketoPGF1 alpha in the medium measured by RIA were significantly decreased by the addition of SK, K or GA but no effect was observed when S. 2. [3H]-arachidonic acid (AA) was added to culture medium and incorporated into the Sn-2 of phospholipids. [3H]-AA release and PG production in the medium were determined. PG were extracted and the radioactivity of PG was measured. The production of PGE2, PGE2 alpha and 6-ketoPGF1 alpha from labeled cells was significantly reduced by the addition of SK, K and GA. 3. Phosphatidylcholine containing [14C]-AA in Sn-2 (150,000 dpm) was incubated with cytosol of uterine myometrium and the amounts of [14C]-AA released were calculated as Phospholipase A2 activity. The amount of [14C]-AA release was inhibited dose-dependently by SK, K and GA. It is the first time that SK has been shown to suppress PG production in the myometrium by inhibiting cPLA2 activity.