Effect of spermidine on autophagy and inflammatory cytokine expression in human endometrial stromal cells
Objective:To investigate damaging effects of clomifene citrate(CC)on endometrial stromal cells(hEndoSCs),and to study effects of spermidine on autophagy and inflammatory cytokine expression in damaged endometrial stromal cells.Methods:Groups were firstly divided into control group,spermidine group,clomiphene group(CC group),CC+Spermidine group.MTT assay was used to detect cell survival rate of hEndoSCs after co-incubation with different concentrations of CC or Spermidine for 24 h.Con-tent of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and level of apoptosis in cells of the 4 groups were detected by flow cytometry tech-nique.Western blot was used to detect expressions of autophagy pathway-related proteins ULK1,p-ULK1,LC-3Ⅱ,and apoptosis-re-lated proteins Bax,Bcl-2,Cleaved-caspase 3.RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA expressions of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α.Results:Compared with control group,CC group showed decreased cell survival,increased apoptosis rate,ROS content,Bax,Cleaved-cas-pase 3 expressions,decreased Bcl-2 expression,decreased levels of autophagy-related proteins p-ULK1 and LC-3Ⅱ/Ⅰ,and elevated expressions of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA(P<0.01).There was no significant changes viability of cells in spermidine group compared with control group(P>0.05).Compared with CC group,cell survival rate in CC+spermidine group was sig-nificantly increased,apoptosis rate,ROS content,Bax and Cleaved-caspase 3 expressions were decreased,Bcl-2 expression was in-creased,expressions of autophagy-related proteins p-ULK1 and LC-3Ⅱ/Ⅰ were elevated,while expressions of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA were decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion:CC can inhibit endometrial stromal cell proliferation,promote apoptosis,and increase the transcript levels of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α.Spermidine can reduce intracellular ROS in clomiphene-injured endometrial stromal cells by activating cellular autophagy,increase cell survival,and inhibit the expressions of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α.