title: Ovarian vascular endothelial growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor patterns in reproductive aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor (VEGFR) change during corpus luteum formation in reproductive aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult and reproductive aging female rats were given pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and the ovaries and sera were collected at 0, 3, 5, and 7 days after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Induction of corpus luteum formation with PMSG-hCG.
  
  
  METHODS
  Western blot analysis for ovarian VEGF, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and hypoxia-induced factor 1 (HIF1-alpha). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurement of serum VEGF levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For VEGF and VEGFR-1, there was no difference between the adult and the reproductive aging ovaries. For total VEGFR-2 levels, the adult ovaries had a decline during corpus luteum formation. In contrast, the levels of the two forms of phosphorylated VEGFR-2 declined in aging ovaries. There was a decline in HIF1-alpha during corpora lutea formation in the reproductive aging rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reproductive aging corpora lutea have a temporal decline in phosphorylated VEGFR-2 levels but not in the total VEGFR-2 levels. The data suggest that the VEGFR response mechanism is different in the aging ovary.
authors: Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14222, USA. jyeh@buffalo.edu
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Yeh
authors: Beom Su
authors: BS
authors: Kim
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Peresie
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor