Research On The Expression Of Rho/Rock1 In Ectopic And Eutopic Endometrium From Women With Endometriosis And Its Biological Significances

Background:Endometriosis(EMs), a common gynecologic disorder, has still an undetermined etiology. Rho/Rock I is a normal signal path in human bodies that can not only modulate the activities of cytoskeleton, but also plays an important role in cell migration. It has been proved that Rho/Rock I signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the regulation of numerous cellular functions associated with malignant transformation and metastasis. It indicates that EMs, which has the similar nature of malignant tumor, may be related with Rho/Rock I signaling pathway.Objective:To detect the expression and distribution of RhoA,RhoC,Rock I proteins in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues from women with endometriosis and to investigate the pathogenesis of endometriosis.Meterials and Methods:The ectopic endometrial tissues (ectopic endometrium group, ECE group) were collected from the patients withâ…¢,â…£stage ovarian endometrioma who were undergoing laparoscopic or transabdominal surgery, and the matched eupotic endometrial tissues (eupotic endometrium group, EUE group) were obtained by undergoing hysterectomy among those patients. The control endometrial tissues (control endometrium group, CE group) were collected from the cases of hysteromyoma except for endometriosis who were undergoing hysterectomy. The diagnosis of all the patients was confirmed by pathological examination after operation in our hospital. The expression levels and distribution of RhoA, RhoC and Rockâ… proteins in ectopic, eupotic and control endometrial tissues were detected by immunohistochemical methods and image analysis and western blot analysis.Results:1. Immunohistochemical methods:RhoA and Rockâ… were mainly expressed in endochylema and cytomembrane of glandular and luminal epithelium cells, and diffused in the stroma such as fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells. However there are significant differences among ectopic, eupotic and control endometrium group. The expression levels of RhoA and Rockâ… proteins in ectopic endometrium groups were significantly higher than those in the eupotic and normal endometrium group (P<0.05), and the expression levels of RhoA and Rockâ… proteins in eupotic endometrium groups were significantly higher than those in the control endometrium group(P<0.05). For these three groups, the expression of RhoA and Rockâ… proteins were not significant different between secretory and proliferative phase(P>0.05).2. Western blot analysis:The expression levels of RhoA, RhoC and Rockâ… proteins in ectopic endometrium groups were significantly higher than those in the eupotic and control endometrium group (P<0.05), and the expression levels of RhoA RhoC and Rockâ… proteins in eupotic endometrium groups were significantly higher than those in the control endometrium group(P<0.05). Conclusions:RhoA,RhoC and Rock I are expressed on the ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissues from the woman with endometriosis and the control endometrial tissues from the woman without endometriosis.Expression levels of RhoA RhoC and Rock I proteins are increased in ectopic endometrial group, and higher than those in eupotic and control endometrial tissues. RhoA, RhoC and Rock I signal transduction system may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and be involved in the aggressivity of endometrium.