Purpose: To explore the mechanism of levonorgestrel (LNG)-ameliorating adenomyosis through long non-coding RNA H19 (lncRNA H19)/miR-17/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway.
Patients and Methods: A total of 71 cases of adenomyosis and 54 cases of normal endometrium were sampled. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was employed to quantify lncRNA H19, miR-17, and TLR4 mRNA, while Western blot (WB) was used to quantify TLR4 protein. Effects of LNG on normal endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) were evaluated. Suppression/over-expression vectors of lncRNA H19, miR-17, and TLR4 were constructed to observe their effects on ESCs.
Results: MiR-17 and TLR4 mRNA were up-regulated and lncRNA H19 was down-regulated in adenomyosis. After LNG treatment, lncRNA H19 was up-regulated while miR-17 and TLR4 were down-regulated. LNG, up-regulation of lncRNA H19, and down-regulation of miR-17 and TLR4 portend increased apoptosis, G1-arrested cells, as well as inhibited inflammation. Dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay conformed the targeting relation of lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4 pathway.
Conclusion: LNG ameliorates adenomyosis via lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4 pathway.

Keywords: adenomyosis, levonorgestrel, lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4 pathway


中文翻译：

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左炔诺孕酮通过 lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4 通路改善子宫腺肌症。

目的：探讨左炔诺孕酮（LNG）通过长链非编码RNA H19（lncRNA H19）/miR-17/Toll样受体4（TLR4）通路改善子宫腺肌症的机制。
患者与方法：共抽取子宫腺肌症71例和正常子宫内膜54例。定量聚合酶链反应 (qPCR) 用于定量 lncRNA H19、miR-17 和 TLR4 mRNA，而蛋白质印迹 (WB) 用于定量 TLR4 蛋白。评估了 LNG 对正常子宫内膜基质细胞 (ESC) 的影响。构建 lncRNA H19、miR-17 和 TLR4 的抑制/过表达载体以观察它们对 ESCs 的影响。
结果：在子宫腺肌病中，MiR-17 和 TLR4 mRNA 上调，lncRNA H19 下调。LNG处理后，lncRNA H19上调，而miR-17和TLR4下调。LNG、lncRNA H19 的上调以及 miR-17 和 TLR4 的下调预示着细胞凋亡增加、G1 期阻滞细胞以及炎症抑制。双荧光素酶报告基因（DLR）检测符合lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4通路的靶向关系。
结论： LNG通过lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4通路改善子宫腺肌症。

关键词：子宫腺肌病，左炔诺孕酮，lncRNA H19/miR-17/TLR4通路