leptin and Myoma

To test if treatment with GnRH analogue, which leads to a significant reduction in myoma volume, changes expression of leptin genes and gene coding leptin receptor isoforms in uterine myomas and in the surrounding unaltered myometrium.. Using RT-PCR, expression of leptin genes and leptin receptor genes was studied in myomas and in the surrounding myometrium in women with uterine myomas, untreated or treated with GnRH analogue. In the randomly selected cases presence of leptin protein and of leptin receptor proteins was examined also by Western blotting.. Expression of leptin genes was demonstrated both in myomas and in the surrounding myometrium, and a similar pattern of expression was found for leptin receptor isoforms. The results of RT-PCR were confirmed by Western blotting, which documented the identical distribution of leptin proteins and leptin receptor proteins in studied tissues. Treatment with GnRH analogue had no effect on the expression pattern of studied genes.. The results of the present study on the administration of GnRH analogue to females with myomas suggest that no direct or immediate inter-relationship exists between expression of leptin genes in uterine myomas on one hand and estrogen, progesterone and leptin levels in the blood on the other. Expression seems to be of a more durable nature but factors that induce such expression remain unknown.

Topics: Adult; Blotting, Western; Case-Control Studies; DNA Primers; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Leiomyoma; Leptin; Middle Aged; Myoma; Myometrium; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Leptin; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Uterine Neoplasms

To explore the roles of leptin, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the peritoneal fluid (PF) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis-associated infertility.. Leptin, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels in the PF from 28 infertile women with endometriosis (study group), 23 women with fallopian-associated infertility (controls), and 24 women with myoma (controls) were determined by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. Leptin and TNF-α levels in the PF showed no significant difference among three groups. The MCP-1 level in patients with endometriosis was higher than those in fallopian-associated infertility group and myoma group (P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between leptin and MCP-1 levels in the PF of patients with endometriosis (P < 0.05).. Peritoneal leptin and MCP-1 play important roles in the pathogenesis of infertility in the early stage of endometriosis.

Topics: Adult; Ascitic Fluid; Chemokine CCL2; Endometriosis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Humans; Infertility, Female; Leptin; Myoma; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Leptin, the product of the obesity (ob) gene, along with its receptors (Ob-Rs), is expressed in several tissues and organs. Evidence has been provided that leptin, in addition to being involved in obesity development, plays a role in the regulation of the female reproductive system, angiogenesis and tumor growth. Uterine myoma is a rather common disease that develops more frequently in obese than lean women, where plasma leptin concentrations are elevated. RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that leptin was expressed, as mRNA and protein, in several uterine myomas but not in normal myometrium, while leptin receptors were expressed in both tissues. Immunocytochemistry indicated that leptin-immunoreactivity was located in both myometrial cells and blood-vessel walls of uterine myomas. Leptin(22-56), at concentrations of 10(-7) and 10(-6) M, enhanced the proliferative activity of both the normal myometrium and myoma cells in primary culture. Taken together, our findings allow us to suggest that leptin, acting through autocrine-paracrine mechanism(s), may be involved in the development of uterine myomas.

Topics: Blotting, Western; Cell Proliferation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Gene Expression; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Leptin; Myoma; Myometrium; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Leptin; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Uterine Neoplasms