Interleukin-1β regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone messenger ribonucleic acid in cultured human endometrial stromal cells

Objective: To investigate the role of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in regulating GnRH mRNA expression in cultured human endometrial stromal cells using a modified semiquantitative competitive reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Design: A controlled study. Setting: Clinical and academic research setting in a university medical center. Patient(s): Women undergoing hysterectomy for nonmalignant indications. Intervention(s): Confluent stromal cell cultures treated with steroid hormones were stimulated with IL-1beta and attenuated by anti-IL-1beta antibody or IL-1 receptor antagonist. Main Outcome Measure(s): The human endometrial stromal cell expression of GnRH and its receptor were determined by PCR. Interleukin-1beta-mediated regulation of stromal cell GnRH mRNA expression was determined by quantitative competitive PCR. Result(s): The GnRH and GnRH receptor mRNA expression were amplified in cultured stromal cells by PCR and two rounds of nested PCR, respectively. Treatment with IL-1beta stimulated stromal cell GnRH mRNA expression at concentrations of IL-1beta above 10 IU/mL. Recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist and anti-IL-1beta antibody attenuated the increase of gene expression of GnRH initiated by IL-1beta. Conclusion(s): These results provide indirect evidence that IL-1beta may play a crucial role at the level of embryo-maternal interaction by regulating stromal cell expression of GnRH and its receptor, both known to be important in mediating trophoblast invasion and placental hormone regulation. (C) 2003 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.