title: Possible angiogenic roles of insulin-like growth factor II and its receptors in uterine vascular adaptation to pregnancy.
abstract: Adaptation of the maternal uterine vasculature is essential for normal fetal and placental development in which angiogenesis is considered one of the most critical adaptive changes during pregnancy. Highly expressed in cytotrophoblasts and maternal endothelial cells during pregnancy, IGF-II promotes cell migration and regulates fetal and placental growth. We hypothesized that IGF-II regulates uterine angiogenesis during pregnancy. Both uterine vasculature and isolated uterine microvascular endothelial cells expressed high levels of IGF-II and IGF-II/mannose-6 phosphate receptor mRNA as shown by in situ hybridization. Physiological concentrations of IGF-II significantly increased vessel formation, as shown by a three-dimensional angiogenesis assay in vitro or a chicken chorionallantoic membrane assay in vivo. The angiogenic response of IGF-II could be reversed by the addition of beta-galactosidase or rabbit-antihuman IGF-II/M6P receptor antiserum, whereas blocking antibodies against IGF-I receptor or insulin receptor influenced IGF-II-induced sprout formation. IGF-II promoted migration of endothelial cells (10-250 ng/ml) tested in a modified Boyden chamber, but no stimulating effect on proliferation was observed. The application of several intracellular signal transduction molecules and their inhibitors indicated that protein kinase C and G(i) protein might play a role in the IGF-II-induced angiogenesis. Our results suggest an important angiogenic role of IGF-II in the vascular adaptation to pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, D-35385 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: Olin D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Klaus T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Preissner
authors.forename: Victor K M
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zygmunt
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II