Growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid expression in leiomyoma and surrounding myometrium. 1995

F I Sharara, and L K Nieman
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

OBJECTIVE Uterine leiomyomas are the most common pelvic tumors, occurring in one of four women, and they represent the single most common indication for hysterectomy. The genesis and growth-promoting factors responsible for their development are poorly understood. We speculate that growth hormone may play a role in the initiation of these tumors; women with acromegaly have a higher incidence of leiomyomas and growth hormone promotes uterine growth in rats, with or without the addition of estradiol. We evaluated the presence of growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid in the human uterus and leiomyomas to investigate whether growth hormone might act directly rather than by hepatic generation of insulin-like growth factor-I. METHODS Paired samples of leiomyomas and adjacent normal myometrium from nine premenopausal women (32 to 52 years old) were collected at surgery. Three patients received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for 3 months before the surgical procedure; six did not receive any adjuvant therapy. We used a digoxigenin-labeled oligoprobe sharing no homology to the growth hormone-binding protein or to the prolactin receptor, to investigate whether growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid was present in tissue sections or amplified complementary deoxyribonucleic acid from leiomyoma and the surrounding myometrium. RESULTS The ratios of growth hormone receptor/reduced glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase in leiomyomas and the surrounding myometrium as assessed by densitometry analysis of polymerase chain reaction products were similar and were not altered by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment. In situ hybridization localized the growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid to the nuclei and cytoplasm of leiomyoma and myometrium. CONCLUSIONS The presence of growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid suggests that the human uterus is a target tissue for growth hormone action. Future investigations are needed to investigate further the role of growth hormone in the development of leiomyomas.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007889 Leiomyoma A benign tumor derived from smooth muscle tissue, also known as a fibroid tumor. They rarely occur outside of the UTERUS and the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT but can occur in the SKIN and SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE, probably arising from the smooth muscle of small blood vessels in these tissues. Fibroid,Fibroid Tumor,Fibroid Uterus,Fibroids, Uterine,Fibroma, Uterine,Fibromyoma,Leiomyoma, Uterine,Fibroid Tumors,Fibroid, Uterine,Fibroids,Fibromas, Uterine,Fibromyomas,Leiomyomas,Tumor, Fibroid,Tumors, Fibroid,Uterine Fibroid,Uterine Fibroids,Uterine Fibroma,Uterine Fibromas,Uterus, Fibroid
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D008969 Molecular Sequence Data Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories. Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009215 Myometrium The smooth muscle coat of the uterus, which forms the main mass of the organ. Uterine Muscle,Muscle, Uterine,Muscles, Uterine,Uterine Muscles
D011986 Receptors, Somatotropin Cell surface proteins that bind GROWTH HORMONE with high affinity and trigger intracellular changes influencing the behavior of cells. Activation of growth hormone receptors regulates amino acid transport through cell membranes, RNA translation to protein, DNA transcription, and protein and amino acid catabolism in many cell types. Many of these effects are mediated indirectly through stimulation of the release of somatomedins. Growth Hormone Receptors,Receptors, Growth Hormone,Somatomammotropin Receptors,Somatotropin Receptors,Growth Hormone Receptor,Receptor, Growth Hormone,Receptors, Somatomammotropin,Somatomammotropin Receptor,Somatotropin Receptor,Hormone Receptor, Growth,Hormone Receptors, Growth
D002467 Cell Nucleus Within a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-limited body which contains chromosomes and one or more nucleoli (CELL NUCLEOLUS). The nuclear membrane consists of a double unit-type membrane which is perforated by a number of pores; the outermost membrane is continuous with the ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM. A cell may contain more than one nucleus. (From Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed) Cell Nuclei,Nuclei, Cell,Nucleus, Cell
D003593 Cytoplasm The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990) Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

Related Publications

F I Sharara, and L K Nieman
September 1998, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology,
F I Sharara, and L K Nieman
February 2000, Journal of animal science,
F I Sharara, and L K Nieman
May 2006, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism,
Copied contents to your clipboard!