G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (GPER) Expression in Normal Myometrium and Uterine Leiomyoma

Authors: Fernandez LH, Rodríguez del Rio M, Reyes R* and Bello AR

DOI: 10.23880/cclsj-16000164

Volume 6, Issue 2

Abstract

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign smooth muscle tumours of the female reproductive system. Their pathogenesis is unclear but they are known to be sensitive to sex hormones, estrogens and progesterone, which influence their behaviour and evolution. The action of estrogens depends on the presence of certain receptors in the cell, including G-protein-coupled estrogen membrane receptor, GPER. In this work, using immunohistochemical techniques, we studied the presence of GPER in samples of typical uterine leiomyomas and paired myometrium as well as in fast-growing leiomyomas. The results show the presence of GPER in both uterine tissues with a different subcellular distribution, being the most frequent nucleic location in myometrium, and the most frequent cytoplasmic location in leiomyoma. Likewise, we observed that in fastgrowing leiomyomas, the cytoplasmic location is even more abundant than in typical leiomyomas. In conclusion, these data seem to suggest that GPER could be involved in certain actions of estrogens related to the pathogenesis and behaviour of these tumours.

Keywords: Leiomyoma; Myometrium; GPER; Estrogens; Nucleus; Cytoplasm

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