Treatment of human endometrial stromal cells with chorionic gonadotropin promotes their morphological and functional differentiation into decidua

Human endometrial stromal cells contain luteinizing hormone (LH)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptors and treatment with highly purified hCG results in an up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression and increased production of prostaglandin (PG) E-2. Since PGE(2) promotes the differentiation of endometrial stromal cells into decidua, we tested the hypothesis that LH and hCG themselves may promote this process. The results revealed that these hormones can promote morphological as well as functional differentiation. While their action on morphological differentiation did not require the presence of estradiol (E-2) and progesterone (P-4), they did require them for the functional differentiation. The hCG effect was mimicked by LH, but not by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) or alpha and beta subunits of hCG, suggesting that the hCG action was hormone specific and requires the conformation of native hormone. The hCG treatment also increased the steady state PRL mRNA levels. This increase was due to an increase in the transcription rate of the gene rather than a decrease in the degradation of PRL transcripts. In summary, we conclude that hCG and LH can increase the morphological as well as functional differentiation of human endometrial stromal cells into decidua. This is one of the newly discovered actions of LH and hCG that may be important for the implantation of blastocyst and maintenance of pregnancy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.