Endometriosis is a heterogeneous disease that occurs in three main forms: peritoneal, ovarian, and deep endometriosis. Therefore, models that retain the characteristics of the tissue of origin are important for investigating its cellular and molecular features. The aim of this master’s thesis was to establish and characterize primary stromal cell cultures from peritoneal endometriotic lesions and to assess their suitability as an in vitro model. From 13 samples obtained from 12 patients, we successfully established 11 proliferating primary cultures following mechanical and enzymatic digestion. In the primary cultures, we assessed proliferation, migration and senescence, the expression of stromal and epithelial markers, the expression of estrogen-responsive genes, and the cellular response to progesterone (P4), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and estradiol (E2). Marked variability among cultures from individual donors was observed in proliferation, migration, senescence, the expression of steroid hormone receptors (ESR1, ESR2, GPER, and PGR), and the response to P4, MPA, and E2. All primary cultures expressed vimentin but not cytokeratin, confirming their stromal phenotype. The expression of ESR1 and PGR was lower in all analyzed primary cultures than in normal endometrium, whereas ESR2 and GPER showed heterogeneous expression. The menstrual phase at the time of tissue collection was not significantly associated with population doubling time, migration, or the expression of the analyzed genes. The established primary stromal cultures represent a useful in vitro model for further investigation of peritoneal endometriosis and reflect pronounced interindividual heterogeneity.
|
