Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be propagated in vitro on feeder layers of mouse STO fibroblast cells. The STO cells secrete several cytokines that are essential for ESCs to maintain their undifferentiated state. In this study, we found significant growth inhibition of mouse ESCs (mESCs) cultured on STO cells infected with adenovirus containing a dominant-negative mutant form of IkappaB (rAd-dnIkappaB). This blockage of the NF-kappaB signal pathway in STO cells led to a significant decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation and colony formation of mESCs. Expression profile of cytokines secreted from the STO cells revealed an increase in the bone morphogenetic protein4 (BMP4) transcript level in the STO cells infected with adenoviral vector encoding dominant negative IkappaB (rAd-dnIkappaB). These results suggested that the NF-kappaB signaling pathway represses expression of BMP4 in STO feeder cells. Conditioned medium from the rAd-dnIkappaB-infected STO cells also significantly reduced the colony size of mESCs. Addition of BMP4 prevented colony formation of mESCs cultured in the conditioned medium. Our finding suggested that an excess of BMP4 in the conditioned medium also inhibits proliferation of mESCs.
Animals ; *Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4/genetics/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; *Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology/metabolism ; *Feeder Cells/cytology/metabolism ; *Fibroblasts/cytology/metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation/genetics ; *I-kappa B Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Mice ; Mutation ; NF-kappa B/genetics/metabolism ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVE: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical and pathological characteristics of immature teratoma of the ovary. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2003, 26 patients with immature teratoma of the ovary treated in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea were identified, and reviewed retrospectively for patient profiles, International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) disease stage, mode of therapy, and length of survival. RESULTS: The mean and median age at diagnosis was 27.0 and 25.5 years (range 11-58 years), respectively. Tumors were 73.1% (19/26) stage I, 3.8% (1/26) stage II, 19.2% (5/26) stage III, and 3.8% (1/26) stage IV. Eighteen patients (69.2%) had pathologic grade 2 or 3. Twenty of 26 patients underwent the conservative surgery including unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, unilateral oophorectomy or cystectomy, and other patients were performed the total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. All except five patients received adjuvant combination chemotherapy. Second look operation following combination chemotherapy was done in nine cases. Two patients who had grade III tumors died. Follow-up was available for all the patients, with a mean duration of 43.9 months. No recurrence was observed during this period. CONCLUSION: Immature teratoma of the ovary is a potentially curable disease in today's practice. Low stage and low grade tumors have an excellent prognosis and conservative surgery and preservation of fertility is warranted in those cases.
Cystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Korea ; Obstetrics ; Ovariectomy ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Teratoma*