Objective: To investigate the influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) on the expression mRNA of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptors (TrkA and P75NTR) in normal and eutopic endometrial stromal cells (ESC).
Methods: From January to April 2009, 3 patients with endometriosis undergoing surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were obtained eutopic endometrium as study group matched with eutopic endometrium from 3 patients with teratoma as control group. ESC were incubated with different concentration of GnRH-a (0, 5×10⁻¹¹, 5×10⁻¹⁰, 5×10⁻⁹, 5×10⁻⁸, 5×10⁻⁷ g/ml). The expression of mRNA of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR were measured by real-time-PCR.
Results: At concentration of 0 g/ml, the levels of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA in ESC were 6.32, 8.55, 8.08 in study group, which were significantly higher than 0.94, 0.67, 1.08 in control group (P < 0.05). Treated by the following concentration of GnRH-a (5×10⁻¹¹, 5×10⁻¹⁰, 5×10⁻⁹, 5×10⁻⁸, 5×10⁻⁷ g/ml), the median expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA was 1.00, 0.96, 1.05; 1.09, 0.82, 1.27; 1.04, 0.52, 0.81;1.00, 0.55, 0.64; 0.78, 0.49, 1.02 in study group. Compared with the expressions of those untreated by GnRH-a in study group, they showed significantly lower trends (P < 0.05). In control group, the median expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA was 0.98, 0.37, 0.92; 0.70, 0.45, 1.15; 1.55, 0.80, 1.35; 1.09, 0.41, 1.35; 0.90, 0.82, 1.18. Compared with the expressions of those untreated by GnRH-a in control group, there were no statistically differences (P > 0.05). And treated by the same concentration of GnRH-a, the expressions of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA did not show statistically difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA were suppressed by GnRH-a.