Abstract:

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that estrogen and progestogen regulate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by the estrogen and progestagen receptors expressed in them. The high concentrations of estrogen and progestogen in placenta may also have effects on human placental mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the estrogen and progestagen receptors expression of human placental MSCs.
METHODS: Human placental MSCs were isolated and cultured in vitro. The cell surface markers were determined by flow cytometry. These cells were also induced to osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The expression of estrogen and progestagen receptors was detected by fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical method.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Human placental MSCs were positive for CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105 and HLA-ABC, but negative for CD34, CD45, CD14 and HLA-DR. Placental MSCs could be induced to osteoblasts and adipocytes. PCR results showed that the amplification efficiency of estrogen receptor β-mRNA was even lower than it (△Ct: 25.2±0.71), while amplification efficiency of estrogen receptor α-mRNA was low (△Ct: 20.64±2.27). The progestagen receptor had better amplification efficiency  (△Ct: 16.11±1.9). The immunohistochemical results exhibited that positive rate of progestagen receptor was (18.81±9.16)%, but no estrogen receptor was detected in all samples. These data indicate that parts of human placental MSCs expressed progestagen receptor, and human placental MSCs expressed low level estrogen receptor α and no estrogen receptor β.