Estrogen and progesterone, while regulating uterine functions, also regulate the number of caveolae and the level of caveolin. Large numbers of caveolae, as well as elevated expression of caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 isoforms in the myometrium of ovariectomised (OVX) rats were detected. 17beta-estradiol (E2) has a downregulating effect: the treatment of OVX rats with E2 (5 microg/animal) reduced the formation of caveolae by approx. 90%. Western blots clearly demonstrated the reduction of membrane caveolin-1 and -2 content. Progesterone treatment (2.5 mg/animal) alone did not cause any substantial change, but prevented the effect of estrogen. Control experiments showed that the quantity of Na+/K+-ATPase, a plasma membrane protein excluded from caveolae, was not downregulated by E2. The administration of the pure estrogen receptor (ERalpha) antagonist ICI 182,780 (1 mg/animal) not only compensated for the inhibitory effect of E2, but further increased the level of caveolin-1 in the myometrium of OVX rats and facilitated the formation of caveolae by approximately 70%. In contrast, the partial antagonist tamoxifen (1 mg/animal) mimicked the effect of estrogen. The amount of caveolin also changed during pregnancy. During the first half of pregnancy the expression of caveolin was suppressed, but it gradually increased until delivery. Our results indicate that the formation and number of caveolae are influenced by the physiological state of the uterus in a hormone dependent manner.

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