Binding sites for iodinated endothelin-1, endothelin-2 and endothelin-3 demonstrated on human uterine glandular epithelial cells by quantitative high-resolution autoradiography.

Quantitative in-vitro receptor autoradiography has been used to localize and compare the anatomical distribution of binding sites for iodinated endothelins (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) in human uterus. Binding sites for the three iodinated isoforms had a similar gross anatomical distribution. The density of binding sites was significantly higher in the endometrium compared with the myometrium and greatest at the endometrial-myometrial junction. In cross-competition experiments, unlabelled ET-1, ET-2, ET-3, sarafotoxin S6b and mouse vasoactive intestinal contractor (1 mumol/l) competed for the binding sites of all the iodinated peptides suggesting that ETs may bind to the same receptor. However, preproendothelin(110-130) (endothelin-like peptide) or preproendothelin(124-130) and other non-endothelin vasoactive peptides tested as a concentration of 1 mumol/l did not compete. Micro-autoradiography revealed that high densities of iodinated ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3 binding sites were localized to glandular epithelial cells and blood vessels with lower levels in the myometrium and vascular smooth muscle, suggesting that these potent vasoactive and proliferative agents could play a role in the control of menstruation.