Abstract
In this study, evidence was obtained that endothelin-1 (ET-1) is produced by an established endometrial cancer (HEC-1A) cell line. PreproET-1 mRNA is present in HEC-1A cells, and immunoreactive endothelin is secreted into the medium of these cells maintained in culture. Cycloheximide treatment of these cells caused superinduction of preproET-1 mRNA. Transforming growth factor-β acts in these cells to increase the levels of preproET-1 mRNA. This effect of transforming growth factor-β on preproET-1 mRNA accumulation was accompanied by an increase in the amount of immunoreactive endothelin secreted into the culture medium. ET-1, added to the culture medium, did not act as a mitogen in HEC-1A cells. We speculate that ET-1 (which is known to stimulate fibroblast proliferation) produced by endometrial adenocarcinoma cells may participate in the angiogenic process that occurs during the establishment of this carcinoma in vivo.
Footnotes
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↵1 This investigation was supported, in part, by USPHS Grant 5-P50-HD11149.
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↵2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at The Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75235-9051.
- Received August 9, 1991.
- Accepted November 11, 1991.
- ©1992 American Association for Cancer Research.
Volume 52, Issue 3
