Decreased CXCL5 expression associated with intrauterine adhesions in a rat model and human endometrial tissues

Abstract

Background Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a consequence of endometrium damage, leading to infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and various complications of pregnancy. IUA usually occurs after an infection or injury-related inflammation of the endometrium. CXCL5, a member of chemokines, is associated with the remodeling of connective tissues, but its roles in the formation of IUA remain uncertain. This study aims to investigate the expression and effect of CXCL5 in the development of IUA. Results CXCL5 protein level in the endometrium of IUA rat is significantly decreased compared with that in normal and sham-operated endometria of rats (P < 0.001). Furthermore, real-time PCR and western blotting assays also show that the CXCL5 expression in endometrial tissues from IUA patients is much lower than that in normal endometrium (P < 0.01), which is consistent with the results based on the rat model. CXCL5 significantly up-regulates MMP9 expression and slightly up-regulates p65 expression in human endometrial cells after CXCL5 overexpression. Conclusions These results show that CXCL5 plays an important role in the inhibition of IUA formation after injury by modulating MMP9 expression and therefore has a protective effect of CXCL5 in the adhesion formation of IUA. These findings provide valuable information for evaluating prognosis and guiding therapy of intrauterine adhesions.