Controlling Semi-Invasive Activity of Human Endometrial Stromal  Cells by Inhibiting NF-kB Signaling Pathway Using Aloe-emodin and Aspirin

Nahid  Nasiri; Sara  Babaei; Ashraf  Moini; Poopak  Eftekhari-Yazdi

doi:10.18502/jri.v22i4.7648

Nahid Nasiri Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Sara Babaei Department of Developmental Biology, Factually of Basic Sciences and Advanced Technologies in Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
Ashraf Moini Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Poopak Eftekhari-Yazdi Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jri.v22i4.7648

Keywords: Adhesion, Aspirin, Cell proliferation, Endometrial biopsy, Endometriosis.

Abstract

Background: Inflammation and its master regulator, Nuclear Factor-kB (NF-kB), have been implicated in the development of endometriosis. Inhibition of NF-kB pathway using small molecules ameliorated disease progression and reduced the lesion size; nevertheless, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Therefore, this study, is an attempt to assess whether inhibiting NF-kB signaling by aloe-emodin (AE) or aspirin (Asp), as anti-inflammatory compounds, can suppresses the invasive activity of human endometrial stromal cells at stage IV endometriosis.

Methods: The eutopic and healthy endometrial biopsies from a total of 8 infertile women with confirmed endometriosis and 8 women without endometriosis were digested and the single cells were cultured. Gene and protein markers of proliferation, migration, adhesion, and invasion of eutopic endometrial stromal cells (EuESCs) with and without treatment with AE or Asp, as well as control endometrial stromal cells (CESCs) was analyzed using q-PCR and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Comparison between groups was performed using one-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni post hoc and p≤0.5 was considered statistically significant.

Results: There was an association between NF-kB overexpression and higher proliferation/adhesion capacity in EuESCs. EuESCs (at stage IV endometriosis) displayed no invasive and migratory behaviors. Pre-treatment of EuESCs with AE or Asp significantly attenuated NF-kB expression and reduced proliferative, adhesive, invasive, and migratory activity of endometrial cells (p≤0.5).

Conclusion: Eutopic endometrial stromal cells seem to have a semi-invasive activity which is largely suppressed by AE or Asp. It can be suggested that both Asp and AE (as potent NF-kB inhibitors) can be used as a supplement in conventional endometriosis treatments.