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Objective:To investigate the effect of steroid hormones on distribution of uterine natural killer(uNK)cells in the mouse uterus.Methods:A unique uNK cell marker, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin(DBA)lectin was used to localize uNK cells in the ovariectomized and ovarian steroid hormone-treated mouse uterus by immunohistochemical staining.Results: After estrogen(E_2)was administered in the ovariectomized mice, uNK cells were distributed in the stroma of uterine mesometrial pole,as round, immature and small lymphocyte-like cells.With the progesterone(P_4)administered, the immunostaining results showed that DAB-lectin staining were mainly distributed in the vascular endothelial cells.With the combination of E_2 and P_4, DAB-lectin staining was distributed in the matrix of the uterus,seen as a number of small round uNK cells or some as vascular endothelial cells.The effects could be completely abolished by specific antagonists of their nuclear receptors(estrogen and progesterone receptor).Conclusion: The distribution of uNK cells in mouse uteri is collaboratively regulated by estrogen and progesterone.The endometrial uNK cells may be involved in the mechanism of the fetal protective immune reaction during pregnancy.
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BACKGROUND: Body mass index(BMI)is a commonly used phenotype for obesity,which is determined by multiple genetic factors.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether osteocalcin(also known as bone Gla protein,BGP)Hind Ⅲ genetic polymorphism is associated with BMI variation.METHODS: A total of 390 premenopausal women from a local population of Nanchang City were selected.Body weight and height were measured.All participants were genotyped at the BGP Hind Ⅲ locus using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP).RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The BGP genotype frequencies of HH,Hh and hh were 0.077,0.408 and 0.515,respectively.The distribution of BGP Hind Ⅲ genotypes was consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium(P > 0.05).The BGP Hind Ⅲ were significantly associated with BMI(P=0.002),which could explain about 5.47% of BMI variation.On average,BMI of individuals with HH genotype was the highest[(22.81±0.73)kg/m2],individuals with Hh genotype was intermediate[(21.50±0.53)kg/m2],while individuals with hh genotype was the lowest[(20.23±0.63)kg/m2].Therefore,carriers of HH and Hh genotypes had,respectively,approximately 12.75% and 6.28% higher BMI than carriers of the hh genotype.To our best knowledge,this is the first study reporting the association of BGP Hind Ⅲ genetic polymorphism and BMI in healthy premenopausal women.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Obesity is serious complex disease determined by multiple genetic factors. Body mass index (BMI) is a common phenotype for obesity. Although some candidate genes have been shown to be related with BMI variation, the underlying substantial relationship remains poorly understood.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) Pvull genetic polymorphism is associated with BMI variation.METHODS: In total 390 premenopausal women from a local population of Nanchang City in Jiangxi Province People's Hospital.Body weight and height were measured. All participants were genotyped at the ER-α Pvull locus using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The ER-α Pvull genotype frequencies of PP, Pp and pp were 0.133, 0.485 and 0.382,respectively. The distribution of ER-Pvull genotypes was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P ＞ 0.05).There was no significant correlation between ER-α Pvull genetic polymorphism and BMI variation (P = 0.338). These findings indicate that ER-α Pvull genetic polymorphism does not greatly affect BMI variation of premenopausal women in Nanchang region.