Research from Stanford University has provided new data on angiogenesis
February 23rd, 2009
2009 FEB 23 -- According to recent research from the United States, "Unlike other tissues, endometrial vessels are unique because their functions are primarily orchestrated under the influence of ovarian steroid hormones, estradiol and progesterone. Although there is controversy in the literature on the expression of steroid hormone receptors in endometrial endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, it is believed that the actions of estradiol and progesterone are primarily mediated by paracrine interactions between the vascular and other cells of the endometrium."
"However, the regulatory mechanisms and local factors involved in mediating these paracrine interactions are not fully understood. Numerous angiogenic factors have been identified and implicated in endometrial vascular development and differentiation, but their relative contribution in endometrial angiogenesis is unknown. This review primarily focuses on the current progress in understanding the roles of a prototypical angiogenic factor, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in the primate endometrium. Regulation of VEGF and its receptors in the endometrium appears to be highly complex, regulated by both steroid hormones as well as local factors independent of steroid hormones. The zone-specific and the cell-type specific expression of VEGF and its receptors in the endometrium suggest that steroid hormones likely regulate their expression through local cell-specific regulatory factors, rather than through direct gene transcription. Because VEGF receptors are expressed in both endothelial and nonendothelial cells, VEGF may have a pleiotropic role in this tissue. Recent development of highly potent VEGF inhibitors provides an opportunity to study the roles of VEGF in the primate endometrium," wrote K.P. Chennazhi and colleagues, Stanford University.
The researchers concluded: "It is imperative that future studies focus on understanding specific roles of VEGF using these inhibitors, which is critically, needed for development of new therapeutic strategies for numerous endometrial vascular disorders."
Chennazhi and colleagues published their study in Seminars in Reproductive Medicine (Regulation of Angiogenesis in the Primate Endometrium: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 2009;27(1):80-89).
For additional information, contact N.R. Nayak, Stanford University, Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School Medical, 300 Pasteur Dr., HH-333, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Publisher contact information for the journal Seminars in Reproductive Medicine is: Thieme Medical Publ Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.
