Ewha Med J.  2008 Jun;31(1):15-20. 10.12771/emj.2008.31.1.15.

Effects of Hypoxia on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Fibroblast Growth Factor Expression in Eutopic Endometrium with Endometriosis

• Jeong KA
• Chun SH
• Yoon JM

• KMID: 1973944
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2008.31.1.15

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was performed to investigate the functional roles of hypoxia and HIF-1 alpha, leading to expression of VEGF and FGF in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
METHODS
From September 2005 to february 2006, endometrial stromal cells were obtained from the patients with or without endometrosis at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ewha Womans University Dongdaemun Hospital. These cells were cultured and treated with 100uM desferrioxamine (DFO) for 0hr and 2hr. After the extraction of total RNA, RT-PCR was performed and the expression level of HIF-1 alpha, VEGF and FGF mRNA were measured by beta-actin as 1. Statistical analysis was performed by Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test (SPSS 12.0 version). A p value of 0.05 was considered as the limit for statistical significance.
RESULTS
Chemical hypoxia condition with DFO in normal endometrium results m the up-regulation of HIF-1 alpha, but it was significantly decreased in the eutopic endometrium of the patients with endometriosis. The expression of VEGF in normal control group was not changed, but it was increased in endometriosis group under chemical hypoxia. Hypoxia with DFO induced the overexpression of FGF in endometriosis group, compared that it was slightly decreased in normal endometrium.
CONCLUSION
Hypoxia and subsequent production of HIF-1 alpha might regulate angiogenesis by the expression of VEGF and FGF, that is related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. However, further studies are warranted to confirm.

Keyword

Hypoxia; Hypoxia inducible factor(HIF)-1alpha; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Fibroblast growth Factor; Endometriosis

MeSH Terms

Actins
Anoxia*
Deferoxamine
Endometriosis*
Endometrium*
Female
Fibroblast Growth Factors*
Gynecology
Humans
Obstetrics
RNA
RNA, Messenger
Stromal Cells
Up-Regulation
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*
Actins
Deferoxamine
Fibroblast Growth Factors
RNA
RNA, Messenger
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A