Objective    To explore the different influences of ectopic and normal endometrial stromal cells on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in endometrial epithelial cells in vitro.     Methods    The epithelial and stromal cells were isolated and purified from samples including 24 endometriotic tissues located in ovaries and 30 normal endometria. The model of epithelial cells cultured alone and the model of endometrial epithelial cells cocultured with endometrial stromal cells were established in vitro. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was applied to determine the functions of GJIC in epithelial cells among different groups by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP).     Results    The purity of epithelial and stromal cells was 92%

95% in ectopic endometrial group respectively

and was 95%

98% in control group respectively. No significant difference was found on GJIC between ectopic endometrial epithelial cells cultured alone and normal endometrial epithelial cells cultured alone (P0.05). GJIC was up-regulated in epithelial cells cocultured with control endometrial stromal cells

but not in the epithelial cells cocultured with ectopic endometrial stromal cells.     Conclusion    That ectopic endometrial stromal cells lost ability to regulate GJIC in endometrial epithelial cells may be related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis.