Endocrinology and paracrinology: The presence of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor in human endometrium and its characteristic expression during the menstrual cycle and early gestational period

Decidualized tissues are characterized by the intensive outgrowthof the microvasculature. Several angiogenic factors are assumedto be involved during the drastic change in the vasculatureoccurring in the process of decidualization. We examined thepossible role of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor(PD-ECGF), a known angiogenic factor, during the process ofearly decidualization in humans. The expression of PD-ECGF inhuman endometrium was demonstrated by Western blot analysis,a marked increase being found in decidualized endometrium. Immunohistochemicalstaining showed that PD-ECGF immunoreactivity was present mainlyin decidualized endometrial stromal cells. We established aprimary cell culture of human endometrial stromal cells whichwere differentiated into decidualized cells in vitro by theaddition of progesterone. In this cell culture system, progesteroneaugmented the expression of PD-ECGF in a dose-dependent fashion.The addition of progesterone also resulted in an increased releaseof prolactin, a well-known marker for decidualization. Thesefindings suggest that PD-ECGF may play a physiological roleas a possible angiogenic factor in the process of decidualizationof human endometrium.