Regulation of iron metabolism in HEC-1A endometrium cells by macrophage-derived factors and fractalkine

Macrophages in the endometrium promote receptivity and implantation by secreting proinflammatory cytokines and other factors like fractalkine (FKN). Macrophages are closely linked to regulating iron homeostasis and can modulate iron availability in the tissue microenvironment. It has been revealed that the iron metabolism of the mother is crucial in fertility. Iron metabolism is strictly controlled by hepcidin, the principal iron regulatory protein. The inflammatory cytokines can modulate hepcidin synthesis and, therefore, the iron metabolism of the endometrium. It was proven recently that FKN, a unique chemokine, is implicated in maternal-fetal communication and may contribute to endometrial receptivity and implantation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of activated THP-1 macrophages and FKN on the iron metabolism of the HEC-1A endometrial cells. We established a noncontact coculture with or without recombinant human FKN supplementation to study the impact of the macrophage-derived factors and FKN on the regulation of hepcidin synthesis and iron release and storage of endometrial cells. Based on our findings, the conditioned medium of the activated macrophages could modify hepcidin synthesis via the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and the transferrin receptor 2/bone morphogenetic protein 6/suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic 1/5/8 signaling pathways, and FKN could alter this effect on the endometrial cells. It was also revealed that the conditioned macrophage medium and FKN modulated the iron release and storage of HEC-1A cells. FKN signaling may be involved in the management of iron trafficking of the endometrium by the regulation of hepcidin. It can contribute to the iron supply for fetal development at the early stage of the pregnancy.