Progesterone Enhances Interleukin-15 Production in Human Endometrial Stromal Cells in Vitro1

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 85; no. 12; pp. 4765 - 4770
• Main Authors: Okada, Hidetaka, Nakajima, Tatsuya, Sanezumi, Mayumi, Ikuta, Akiko, Yasuda, Katsuhiko, Kanzaki, Hideharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Endocrine Society 01-12-2000
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jcem.85.12.7023

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a novel cytokine that stimulates lymphocyte
proliferation and migration via a trimeric receptor sharing the β andγ
signal-transducing chains with the IL-2 receptor. It is suggested
that IL-15 is involved in regulating the proliferation and
differentiation of uterine natural killer cells. In the human
endometrium, we have recently reported that IL-15 messenger ribonucleic
acid (mRNA) levels significantly increased during the secretory phase
compared with those during the proliferative phase. In this study we
investigated whether the female sex steroids progesterone (P) and
estradiol (E2) regulate IL-15 messenger RNA (mRNA) and the
secretion in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC) in
vitro. Northern blot analyses revealed a significant increase
in IL-15 mRNA levels in ESC treated with P alone or E2 plus
P compared with vehicle. Furthermore, P is a potent inducer of IL-15
mRNA expression in ESC in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand,
E2 alone did not increase IL-15 mRNA expression. By
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, IL-15 protein secretion was
stimulated by P and further enhanced by combined treatment with
E2 and P, whereas E2 alone was ineffective. It
is suggested that IL-15 is deeply involved in the hormonal control of
the human endometrium by P and E2.