Endometriosis is associated with severe pelvic pain and reduced fertility. Recently, it has been linked to a dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. The functional effect of dysregulated miR-142-3p expression in endometrial stroma cells was investigated. An increased expression of miR-142-3p resulted in a significantly reduced expression of steroid sulfatase and interleukin-6-coreceptor gp130 as well as reduced interleukin-6-mediated activation of the STAT3-pathway, suggesting an effect of miR-142-3p both on steroid hormone- and cytokine-mediated signalling events. At the functional level, miR-142-3p overexpression significantly reduced cell viability (P ≤ 0.01). miR-142-3p regulation emerges as a future therapeutic strategy for endometriosis.
Keywords: STAT3; endometriosis; interleukin; microRNA; pathogenesis; steroid sulfatase.
Copyright © 2015 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.