This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 148/11/5433    most recent Author Manuscript (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Girling, J. E. Articles by Rogers, P. A. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Girling, J. E. Articles by Rogers, P. A. W.

Progesterone, But Not Estrogen, Stimulates Vessel Maturation in the Mouse Endometrium

Centre for Women’s Health Research, Monash University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Jane Girling, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. E-mail: jane.girling{at}med.monash.edu.au.

The human endometrium undergoes regular periods of growth and regression, including concomitant changes in the vasculature, and is one of the few adult tissues where significant angiogenesis and vascular maturation occurs on a routine, physiological basis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen and progesterone on endometrial vascular maturation in mice. Endometrial tissues were collected from early pregnant mice (d 1–4) and ovariectomized mice given a single 17β-estradiol (100 ng) injection 24 h before dissection (short-term estrogen regime) or three consecutive daily injections of progesterone (1 mg) with/without estrogen priming (progesterone regime). Experiments were then repeated with the inclusion of mice treated concurrently with progesterone and either RU486 or a vascular endothelial growth factor-A antiserum. Proliferating vascular mural cells (PVMC) were observed on d 3–4 of pregnancy, corresponding with an increase in circulating progesterone. A significant increase in PVMC and -smooth muscle actin (labels mural cells) coverage of vessel profiles were observed in mice treated with progesterone in comparison to controls; no significant change was noted in mice treated with estrogen or with vascular endothelial growth factor antiserum. RU486 treatment did not inhibit the progesterone-induced increases in PVMC and mural cell coverage, although progesterone-induced changes in endothelial and epithelial cell proliferation were inhibited. These results show that progesterone, but not estrogen, stimulates vessel maturation in the mouse endometrium. The work illustrates the relevancy of the mouse model for understanding endometrial vascular remodeling during the menstrual cycle and in response to the clinically important progesterone receptor antagonist RU486.