mRNA expression profiles in decidualized and non-decidualized normal endometrial stromal cells (NESCs).

To identify the mRNAs which regulate endomrtial decidualization, we explored differentially expressed mRNAs between untreated NESCs (n=4) and decidualized NESCs (n=4) using gene expression microarray. The mRNA expression profiles of untreated in NESCs and decidualized NESCs were obtained, then the mRNAs were filtered by signal intensity (50.0<, at least one out of 8 samples have values within range) and flags (at least 43% of cases have good flags). We established the criteria for regulated genes: Z-score ≥2.0 and ratio ≥2.0-fold for up-regulated genes, and Z-score ≤–2.0 and ratio ≤0.5 for down-regulated genes. The primary culture of untreated NESCs and decidualized NESCs were utilized. Decidualization of cultured NESCs was induced by 12 days-culture with a combination of 0.5 mM of dibutyryl-cAMP and 100 nM of dienogest in the presence of 10% charcoal-stripped heat-inactivated FBS. Total RNA was extracted from these samples, and gene expression microarray analysis was performed. The mRNAs differentially expressed between untreated NESCs and decidualized NESCs were identified, and aberrantly expressed mRNA in NESCs were defined as the decidualization related mRNA.