Figure 3

Bar diagram showing fold increase in protein and transcript levels from cells treated in vitro with and without hCG. Fold increase in protein levels between cultures treated without or with rhCG (100 IU/ml) in conditioned media (grey bar) and relative abundance of transcripts (black bar) in cultured (A) endometrial epithelial cells, (B) endometrial stromal cells, and (C) endometrial mixed cells are shown. The pattern of regulation by hCG depending on cell type and cytokine is evident. For example, the protein level of CCL2 is high but shows very little change at the transcript level, whereas levels of IL-6 at both the protein and transcript level are high following rhCG treatment only in epithelial cells (A). Similarly, the protein levels of FGF2 and GMCSF are high but show very little change at the transcript level in stromal cells (B), whereas both protein and transcript levels are high in the mixed cells (C); these cytokines were unaffected in epithelial cells following hCG treatment. The pattern of changes in IFNG gene expression and protein secretion is very similar between endometrial stromal cells (B) and endometrial mixed cells (C) following administration of hCG.