Uterine anormalities and PTEN expression in PCOS rat model.

BRACHO GS; LUQUE EH; ACOSTA MV; KASS L; ALTAMIRANO GA; BOSQUIAZZO VL

modalidad virtual

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias 2021: SAIC, SAI, AAFE, NANOMED-ar; 2021

Women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk for developing endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. Previously, we demonstrated in the PCOS rat uterus an increase in epithelial height, gland density and thickness of subepithelial stroma and myometrium. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate 3-phosphatase (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene. Mutation or changes in PTEN expression is a frequent event in endometrial cancers. The aims of this study were to investigate the presence of uterine abnormalities and to evaluate whether uterine PTEN expression was altered in PCOS rat model. Female rats were injected subcutaneously with sesame oil (Control group) or dehydroepiandrosterone (6mg/100g body weight, PCOS group) from 21 to 40 days of age. At day 41 the uterine horns were collected. Uterine abnormalities were studied on histological sections counterstained with hematoxylin-eosin or picrosirius-hematoxylin. PTEN expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Uterine morphology showed stratification of luminal epithelium (more than 3 layers of cells), intraepithelial lumens, intraepithelial glands and polyps in treated rats. Also, different morphological types of uterine glands were identified: cystic, dilated and/or tortuous, with squamous metaplasia, with cellular atypia and conglomerates of glands. The incidence of epithelial and glandular abnormalities increased in PCOS rats (Control: 28.6 % vs PCOS: 100%, Control: 0 % vs PCOS: 90.9%, respectively). In this group of rats, PTEN expression was not modified in the glandular epithelium, whereas decreased in the luminal epithelium, subepithelial stroma and myometrium (p