Immunohistological localization of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 in primary implantation sites and trauma-induced deciduomal tissues of the rhesus monkey.

We have earlier demonstrated that there is a close similarity in the temporo-spatial pattern in the onset of oedema, epithelial-plaque transformation, stromal decidualization and influx of granulated lymphocytes in artificially trauma-induced deciduomal endometrium with such events in maternal endometrium at the primary implantation site during early stages of pregnancy in the rhesus monkey. In the present study, we have immunohistochemically examined whether the pattern of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1) protein expression in conceptus tissue and maternal endometrium during lacunae and villous placenta stages of gestation in the rhesus monkey is developmental stage-specific and whether a discernible difference exists in the temporo-spatial characteristics of IGFBP-1 protein expression between conceptus associated implantation-decidualization and trauma induced deciduoma in the rhesus monkey. Trophoblast cells failed to exhibit IGFBP-1 immunopositive staining at any stage of implantation-placentation studied. Epithelial cells in plaque acini, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle also did not show any immunopositive staining for IGFBP-1 in samples of primary implantation sites and trauma-induced deciduoma. Maternal endometrial epithelial and stromal-decidual cells however exhibited a temporal and spatial pattern of IGFBP-1 expression in cell-type specific manner and clear distinctions were observed between conception and deciduoma samples. Our results suggest that IGFBP-1 expression is highly tissue and development-specific and that conceptus-derived signals are necessary to initiate the glandular expression of IGFBP-1 during the early stage of gestation.