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

To identify the miRNAs which regulate endometrial decidualization, we explored differentially expressed miRNAs between untreated NESCs (n=4) and decidualized NESCs (n=4) using miRNA microarray. The miRNA expression profiles of untreated NESCs and decidualized NESCs were obtained, then the miRNAs were filtered by signal intensity (50.0<, at least one out of 8 samples have values within range) and flags (at least 13% of cases have good flags). We established the criteria for regulated genes: ratio ≥2.0-fold for up-regulated genes 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 miRNA microarray analysis was performed. The miRNAs differentially expressed between untreated NESCs and decidualized NESCs were identified, and aberrantly expressed miRNA in NESCs were defined as the decidualization related miRNA.