title: Impact of placental growth factor deficiency on early mouse implant site angiogenesis.
abstract: Effects of placental growth factor (PGF), an angiokine product of fetal trophoblasts and maternal decidual cells, on early decidual angiogenesis are undefined. We used whole-mount immunofluorescence analyses to compare uterus and gestation day 4.5-9.5 mouse implantation sites that differed genetically in fetal or maternal PGF deficiency. Implant site number and embryonic development were similar in Pgf(-/-) and Pgf(+/+) females although Pgf(-/-) lymphatic vessels were anomalous. Correct, fine branching angiogenesis of anti-mesometrial vessels required both conceptus and maternal PGF; correct mesometrial branching angiogenesis depended solely upon conceptus PGF. Thus, PGF is non-redundant for optimizing branching angiogenesis in early decidua.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. Electronic address: m.ratsep@queensu.ca.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rätsep
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Neurovascular Link, Vesalius Research Center, Department of Oncology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carmeliet
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Croy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000172:deficiency*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*
chemical_list: C000608037:Pgf protein, mouse; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor
keywords: Decidua; Mouse pregnancy; Ultrastructure; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Whole mount in situ immunohistochemistry