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

Objective: To investigate the role of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) 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-1β and attenuated by anti-IL-1β 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-1β-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-1β stimulated stromal cell GnRH mRNA expression at concentrations of IL-1β above 10 IU/mL. Recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist and anti-IL-1β antibody attenuated the increase of gene expression of GnRH initiated by IL-1β. Conclusion(s): These results provide indirect evidence that IL-1β 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.