| Research Abstract |
The analysis of the expression of sex steroid receptors (ER and PR) and cell proliferation antigens such as Ki-67 and cyclin families (cyclin A,B1, D1, E and cdc2, cdk2) in the tissues of female genital tract (endometrial gland and stroma, myometrial smooth muscle, tubal epithelium, cervical glandular epithelium, cervical squamous epithelium, granulosa cells of the ovary) revealed that the respective tissues/cells in the female genital have tract respective sex-steroid receptor regulatory mechanisms. The classical concept of sex-steroid receptor regulatory mechanism, that estrogen up-regulates both ER and PR inducing cell-proliferation and progesterone down-regulates both ER and PR inducing cell-differentiation, was only applied on the endometrial glands in the functional layr of the endometrium. This concept could not explain the expression of sex-steroid receptors and cell proliferation antigens during the menstrual cycle in the endometrial stromal cells, myometrial smooth muscle cel
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ls, and the glands in the basal layr of the endometrium. In addition, the tubal epithelium, cervical glandular epithelium and cervical squamous spithelium constantly expressed sex-steroid receptors during the menstrual cycle with sporadic cell-proliferations-antigen-positive cells irrespective of the menstrual phase. Moreover, the granulosa cells of the ovary showed the induction of PR under the influence of gonadotropin (LH) . Consequently, it is likely to say that the tissues/cells in the female genital tract have respective sex-steroid receptor regulatory mechanisms. Under the same influence of circulatory sex-steroid hormones, the tissues/cells in the femal genital tract respond differently in order to perform respective functions in the female genital tract. In order to accomplish these different responses to the circulatory sex-steroid, an introduction of the action of various factors in and/or around the respective tissues/cells seem to be necessary. In the endometrium, hear shock protein (HSP) 70 was revealed to act as one of factors controlling different response to the circulatory sex-steroids Moreover, ATL-derived factor (ADF : human thioredoxin) , epidermal growth factor receptors, and c-erb-B2 protein were also suggested as candidates of these factors. In future, through the studies of various growth factors, cytokines, and gonadotropins in the female genital tracts, we might getan important cell biological phenomenon on sex-steroid receptor activating mechanisms which are operating in the respective tissues/cells of the female genital tract. Less
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