Distribution of cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and cytosolic phospholipase A2 in the luteal phase human endometrium and ovary

Objective: To identify the distribution of the enzymes cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) in the human ovary and endometrium. Design: Prospective clinical study. Setting: Hospital-based unit for reproductive health and research laboratories. Patient(s): Twenty-nine healthy fertile women with normal menstrual cycles. Intervention(s): Endometrial and ovarian biopsy samples were obtained from healthy, fertile women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle or during caesarean section. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pinopode formation and immunohistochemical staining of cPLA(2), COX-1, and COX-2. Result(s): In the endometrium, the immunostaining of cPLA(2) was most intense in the luminal epithelium when pinopodes were present. The staining of both COX-1 and COX-2 was most intense in the epithelial cells, with the stroma staining positive only for COX-2. The endometrial vessels expressed COX-2 but not COX-1. The staining of COX-1 and COX-2 was intense on the surface epithelial cells on the outer lining of the ovary. Conclusion(s): This study details the distribution of these prostaglandin synthase enzymes and emphasizes their importance for the functions of both the endometrium and the ovary. (C)2005 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.