Endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor is expressed in human peri-implantation endometrium, but not in endometrial carcinoma.
Endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF) is a newly identified angiogenic and permeability-enhancing factor, predominantly expressed in steroidogenic tissues. Recently, we found that EG-VEGF is also expressed in the normal peri-implantation endometrial samples from patients of reproductive ages (80%). Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that EG-VEGF is predominantly expressed in the glandular epithelial cells and its expression is dynamic during the menstrual cycle with a peak expression at the mid-luteal phase. We also found that EG-VEGF transcripts are up-regulated in all the peri-implantation endometrial samples from the patients after the ovulating dose of human chorionic gonadotropin in gonadotropin-stimulated cycles and patients receiving hormone replacement therapy. In in vitro endometrial cell culture, EG-VEGF mRNA was detected in endometrial cells only in the presence of steroids, suggesting that EG-VEGF expression is highly dependent on the steroid hormones. Subsequent expression analyses on the EG-VEGF receptors showed that hPK-R1 and hPK-R2 are differentially expressed in human endometrium, but show no significant correlation with the hormonal treatments. On the other hand, EG-VEGF transcript was rarely detected in the endometrial samples from the postmenopausal patients and patients with endometrial carcinoma. It may imply that EG-VEGF may only play a role in vascular function of peri-implantation endometrium, but is unlikely to be associated with the etiology of endometrial cancer development.
Ngan
Elly S W
ES
Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Faculty of Medicine Building, Hong Kong, SAR, China. engan@hkucc.hku.hk
Lee
K Y
KY
Yeung
William S B
WS
Ngan
Hextan Y S
HY
Ng
Ernest H Y
EH
Ho
P C
PC
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived / Q000235:genetics*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived