The Effects of the Trifolium Pratense L. Extract on the Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and its Receptor in The Endometrial Epithelial Cell Line

Abstract

Isoflavones have attracted much notice due to their health advantages; however, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of isoflavones on endometrium biology remains undiscovered. The expression and deficiency of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor (LIFR) has been shown to be involved in multiple implantations failures in female infertility. Mechanisms implicated in the failure of implantations require further researches, thus our aim is to investigate the effect of the Trifolium pratense L. isoflavone extract with abundant formononetin content on implantation through assessing LIF and LIFR expressions. The Ishikawa cells were cultured with 20, 30, and 40 µg/mL concentrations of Trifolium pratense L. isoflavone extracts for 24 h and detected staining intensity of LIF and LIFR by immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence staining using image analysis software. As compared with the control and 20 µg/mL Trifolium pratense L. groups, the staining intensity of LIF and LIFR in 30 and 40 µg/mL Trifolium pratense L. groups were significantly increased ( P < .0001). Our findings suggest that Trifolium pratense L. isoflavone extract may alter the endometrium expression of LIF and LIFR in the human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line.