Targeted Interruption Of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway By Sirna Inhibits The Expression Of Vegf And Mmp-9 In Eutopic Endometrium Stroma Cells Of Women With Endometriosis

Objective: Endometriosis is a polygenic disease with a complex and multifactorial aetiology and a common and frequently encountered disease of women of reproductive age. We tested the hypothesis that Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway plays a role on pathogenesis of endometriosis through detecting expression ofβ-catenin in endometrial stromal cells from eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and down-stream target gene VEGF, MMP-9 after silencingβ-catenin gene.Methods: Endometrial stromal cells from eutopic endometrium of 24 women with endometrisis(diagnosed by pathology eventually) were divided into 3 subgroups at random: blank subgroup(n=8), negative subgroup(transfection by negative fluorescien control siRNA, n=8) and siRNA interference subgroup(transfection byβ-catenin siRNA, n=8). Then levels ofβ-catenin, VEGF and MMP-9 were determined by Real time RT-PCR and western blot. Endometrial stromal cells from 10 women without endometriosis were as controls.Results: Blank subgroup were found to have higher levels ofβ-catenin than controls(P﹤0.05). In a subgroup analysis of blank, negative and siRNA subgroup, significant differences were found in levels ofβ-catenin, VEGF and MMP-9. Levels ofβ-catenin, VEGF and MMP-9 were significantly lower in siRNA interference subgroup(P﹤0.05), however, there were no differences between blank and negative subgroup(P>0.05).Conclusion:β-catenin expression in endometrial stromal cells from eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis is increased significantly compared with women withou endometriosis. After blockage of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway, expression of down-stream target gene VEGF and MMP-9 are suppressed dramaticlly. So, the results of the present study suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway plays an important role on pathogenesis of endometriosis.