It is well known that oncostatin M binds and activates leukemia inhibitory factor-specific receptors while leukemia inhibitory factor cannot bind oncostatin M-specific receptors. In this study, the differential effects of oncostatin M and leukemia inhibitory factor on cell survival and decidualization of normal human endometrial stromal cells were investigated by using 8-Br-cAMP-induced decidualization assay. Oncostatin M did not affect the viable cell numbers or the prolactin release of unstimulated stromal cells. However, oncostatin M dose-dependently suppressed prolactin releases from 8-Br-cAMP-stimulating stromal cells but enhanced their viable cell numbers. Although oncostatin M significantly enhanced viable cell numbers of 8-Br-cAMP-stimulated stromal cells, it did not affect prolactin secretion from 8-Br-cAMP-induced decidualized cells. Leukemia inhibitory factor significantly enhanced viable cell numbers of 8-Br-cAMP-stimulating cells in a dose-dependent manner as did oncostatin M, while leukemia inhibitory factor did not show any significant suppression of PRL secretion from 8-Br-cAMP-stimulating cells. These results indicate that oncostatin M inhibits the 8-Br-cAMP-induced decidualization process via oncostatin M-specific receptors and that oncostatin M and leukemia inhibitory factor enhance cell survival of 8-Br-cAMP-stimulated prolactin-non-secreting stromal cells mainly via leukemia inhibitory factor receptors. Thus, oncostatin M may autoregulate human endometrial stromal cell survival and decidualization in a paracrine manner.

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