Estrogen induces endometrial cancer cell proliferation and invasion by regulating the fat mass and obesity-associated gene via PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways.

Obesity is generally acknowledged as a risk factor for endometrial cancer, as accumulated adipocytes partly contribute to the increased production of estrogen which is involved in dysregulated cell growth and metastasis in early endometrial carcinogenesis. Thus we evaluated in this study expression of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene in endometrial tumor tissues and further explored its role in β-estradiol (E2)-induced endometrial cancer cell proliferation and invasion. IHC staining showed that FTO overexpressed in endometrial carcinoma. Additionally, E2-induced FTO via activation of the PI3K/AKT and MPAK signal pathways contributed to enhanced proliferation and invasion. Therefore, this study provides a new insight on the mechanisms of E2-induced proliferation and invasion and the link between obesity and endometrial cancer, implying the possibility of using FTO as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of endometrial cancer.