Gonadotropin releasing hormone and transforming growth factor beta activate mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellularly regulated kinase and differentially regulate fibronectin, type I collagen, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression in leiomyoma and myometrial smooth muscle cells

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5549-57. doi: 10.1210/jc.2004-0161.

Abstract

GnRH analog (GnRHa) and TGF-beta act directly on leiomyoma/myometrial smooth muscle cells (LSMCs and MSMCs) regulating diverse activities resulting in leiomyoma growth and regression. Because GnRH and TGF-beta receptor signaling is in part mediated through the MAPK pathway, we determined whether the contribution of MAPK/ERK and transcriptional activation of c-fos and c-jun, result in differential regulation of type I collagen, fibronectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) gene expression, whose products are known to influence extracellular matrix turnover, which is critical in leiomyoma growth and GnRHa-induced regression. We found that GnRHa and TGF-beta in a dose- and time-dependent manner increased the level of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) in LSMCs and MSMCs. GnRHa and TGF-beta increased ERK1/2 nuclear accumulation resulting in differential regulation of c-fos and c-jun mRNA expression via downstream signaling from MAPK kinase (MEK)1/2, because pretreatment with U0126, a synthetic inhibitor of MEK1/2, abolished basal and GnRHa- and TGF-beta-induced pERK1/2 and the expression of c-fos and c-jun. LSMCs and MSMCs also express fibronectin, type I collagen, and PAI-1 mRNA, and GnRHa and TGF-beta altered their expression in a cell-specific manner through MEK1/2. We concluded that GnRHa and TGF-beta acting through a MAPK/ERK pathway and transcriptional activation of c-fos/c-jun results in differential regulation of specific genes whose products may in part influence the outcome of leiomyoma growth and regression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Collagen Type I / genetics*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Female
  • Fibronectins / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects*
  • Genes, fos
  • Genes, jun
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Leiomyoma / metabolism*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism*
  • Myometrium / metabolism*
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / genetics*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / pharmacology*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / metabolism*

Substances

  • Collagen Type I
  • Fibronectins
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • LHRH, Ala(6)-Gly(10)-ethylamide-
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases