Suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (leuprolide acetate).

Cell proliferation and apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma were investigated during therapy with GnRH agonist (GnRHa). Patients with uterine leiomyomas were injected with 3.75 mg GnRHa (depot leuprolide acetate) at intervals of 4 weeks and underwent hysterectomy or myomectomy at the 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th, or 16th week of GnRHa therapy. Tissue sections of leiomyomas from these patients and from control patients (control patients received no GnRHa therapy) were stained with the Ki-67 antibody or by an in situ DNA 3'-end labeling method, and numbers of Ki-67 immunostained cells and DNA 3'-end-labeled cells per cm2 were examined as indices of cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The number of Ki-67 immunostained cells/cm2 in leiomyomas at the 2nd week of the GnRHa therapy was comparable with that of control patients. However, it decreased to a level less than one forth that of control patients at the 4th week, and it remained at similar low levels at the 8th, 12th, and 16th week. The number of DNA 3'-end-labeled cells/cm2 in leiomyomas of control patients and in leiomyomas at the 2nd, 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks of GnRHa therapy were at low levels but, at the 4th week, was at an extremely high level (about 5 times more than that of control patients). The present results indicate that GnRHa therapy suppresses cell proliferation and causes a transient increase in apoptosis in uterine leiomyomas.