Objective: To investigate the expression of RhoA and Rho kinase in junctional zone (JZ) of adenomyosis and normal myometrium and explore its relationship with severity of dysmenorrheal.
Methods: From Mar. to Dec. 2012, 32 cases with adenomyosis undergoing hysterectomy were enrolled as adenomyosis group including 18 cases with proliferative endometrium and 14 cases with secretory endometrium matched with 29 cases with hysterectomy due to cervical disease and ovarian tumor as control group including 12 cases with proliferative endometrium and 17 cases with secretory endometrium in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University. JZ smooth muscle cells were isolated and cultured immediately after the operation. The expression of mRNA and protein of RhoA and ROCK1 in JZ in two groups were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and western blot.
Results: (1) The mRNA expression of RhoA and ROCK1 in JZ of adenomyosis group did not show cyclic change. In proliferative phase, the expression of RhoA and ROCK1 (1.41 ± 0.16, 1.05 ± 0.15) was not significantly higher than that in secretory phase (1.17 ± 0.25, 0.98 ± 0.10) (P > 0.05). While JZ in control group, it showed obviously cyclic change. The expression level of them in proliferative phase (0.93 ± 0.10, 1.00 ± 0.18) was significantly higher than that in secretory phase (0.48 ± 0.03, 0.55 ± 0.05) (P < 0.05); It also showed that expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 in adenomysis group were significant higher than those in the control (P < 0.05). (2) The mRNA and protein expression of RhoA and ROCK1 was positively correlated in each of two groups(r = 0.48, P < 0.01;r = 0.67, P < 0.01). (3)The expression of RhoA and ROCK1 were 1.66 ± 0.19, 1.32 ± 0.11 in severe dysmenorrheal, 1.28 ± 0.12, 1.09 ± 0.08 in moderate dysmenorrheal and 0.93 ± 0.09,0.81 ± 0.06 in mild dysmenorrheal, it all reached statistical difference when compared the other group. (All P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 in JZ in adenomyosis group were higher than those in control group, and positively correlated with the severity of dysmenorrheal in adenomysis group, but it does not change with the menstrual cycle. High expression of RhoA and ROCK1 might be involved in abnormal contraction of uterine myometrium and correlated with the dysmenorrheal in adenomysis.