Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of endometrial stem cell (EnSCs) transplantation combined with estrogen in the repair of endometrial injury. A total of 30 patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUA) and 30 healthy individuals were selected. Expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB in endometrial tissue was assessed. Additionally, expression levels of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), cytokeratin (CK), integrin α-6 (CD49f), Thy-1 membrane glycoprotein (THY-1), collagen type 1 (Col I), fibroblast (5B5) and vimentin in EnSCs were detected using western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A rat model of IUA was established and female rats were divided into the control, model, EnSCs, estrogen and estrogen plus EnSCs (E+EnSCs) groups. Blood was extracted at 1 and 5 weeks post-treatment, and serum levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, EGF, 17 β-estradiol (E2) and PDGF-BB were measured using ELISA. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe the pathological changes of endometrial tissue in rats. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of estrogen receptor (ESR1) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in the endometrium. The results revealed that patients with IUA exhibited increased expression levels of EGF and PDGF-BB compared with those in control group. Additionally, EnSCs exhibited significantly increased expression levels of EMA, CD49f, CK, Col I, THY-1, 5B5 and vimentin compared with the remaining groups. An increased number of newly formed glands was observed in the E+EnSCs group compared with that in the EnSCs group. Increased levels of E2, but decreased levels of TGF-β1, EGF, PDGF-BB, ESR1 and MMP-9 were detected in EnSCs and estrogen groups compared with those in E+EnSCs group. These results suggest that EnSCs transplantation combined with estrogen could improve endometrial abnormalities.