Overexpressed progesterone receptor form B inhibit invasive activity suppressing matrix metalloproteinases in endometrial carcinoma cells

In this study, we focused on the influence of progesterone and its receptor in invasion and MMPs on endometrial carcinoma cells. The growth of Ishikawa cells, to which an progesterone receptor form B (PR-B) expressing vector was transfected, was inhibited by progesterone as was the inhibition of the expression of cyclin D1. By invasion assay, in conditions with progesterone, the invasiveness of Ishikawa cells was inhibited as well as the expression of (metalloproteinase) MMP-1, -2, -7 and -9 and Ets-1 decreased. These results suggest that activation of PR-B by progesterone results in tumor suppression by inhibiting cell growth and invasiveness via suppression of the expression of MMPs.