Activin A increases invasiveness of endometrial cells in an in vitro model of human peritoneum

The aim of this study was to investigate whether activin A has an effect on the attachment and/or invasion of endometrial cells in a modeled peritoneum in vitro. Cultured endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) and endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) were treated with activin A (6.25–50 ng/ml) and with activin A (25 ng/ml) with and without inhibin A or follistatin. Fluorescent labeled cells were added to confluent peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) and to a monolayer of confluent PMCs grown in a Matrigel™ invasion assay. The rate of endometrial cell attachment and invasion through PMCs was assessed. The expression of cell adhesion proteins N- and E-cadherin was evaluated with real-time RT–PCR. Activin A (25 ng/ml) promoted invasion of the endometrial cells through the modeled peritoneum (>2-fold versus control) and this effect was partially reversed by inhibin A and follistatin. Activin A had no effect on the rate of attachment of the endometrial cells to the PMCs or in the rate of proliferation. In addition, activin A induced a decreased mRNA expression of E-cadherin in cultured EECs. In conclusion, activin A increases invasion of EECs and ESCs into modeled peritoneum. In EECs, this effect may be related to down-regulation of E-cadherin expression. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the role of activin-A in the genesis of the endometriotic lesion.