College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2012 Feb;295(2):338-46. doi: 10.1002/ar.21494. Epub 2011 Nov 18.
Angiogenesis is crucial to successful implantation and decidualization, however, as an important angiogenic growth factor, the effect of Ang-2 in the process of implantation and decidualization is still unknown. This study is to investigate the differential expression of Ang-2 in mouse uterus during early pregnancy and its regulation by steroid hormones using in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. There is no detectable Ang-2 mRNA signal on days 1-5 of pregnancy by in situ hybridization. On days 6-8, Ang-2 mRNA is mainly expressed in the primary decidua of mesometrial side, and the expression gradually increases. By RT-PCR, a significantly higher level of Ang-2 expression is observed on day 8 of pregnancy, although Ang-2 expression can be found through days 1-8. Similarly, Ang-2 is highly expressed in decidualized cells under artificial decidualization. In the ovariectomized mouse uterus, Ang-2 expression gradually increases after estrogen injection and with peak levels at 12 hr, while progesterone injection can cause a decline in uterine Ang-2 mRNA level, which reaches a nadir at 12 hr. These results suggest that Ang-2 may play a key role in the process of mouse decidualization. Estrogen can induce the expression of Ang-2 while progesterone can inhibit its expression in the ovariectomized mouse uterus.
血管生成对于成功的着床和蜕膜化至关重要，然而，作为一种重要的血管生成生长因子，Ang-2 在着床和蜕膜化过程中的作用尚不清楚。本研究采用原位杂交和 RT-PCR 技术，探讨了 Ang-2 在小鼠妊娠早期子宫中的差异表达及其受类固醇激素的调节。通过原位杂交，在妊娠的第 1-5 天未检测到 Ang-2 mRNA 信号。在第 6-8 天，Ang-2 mRNA 主要在子宫系膜侧的初级蜕膜中表达，并且表达逐渐增加。通过 RT-PCR 分析，在妊娠第 8 天观察到 Ang-2 表达水平显著升高，尽管在第 1-8 天均可检测到 Ang-2 表达。同样，在人工蜕膜化下，Ang-2 在蜕膜化细胞中高度表达。在卵巢切除的小鼠子宫中，雌激素注射后 Ang-2 表达逐渐增加，在 12 小时达到峰值，而孕酮注射可导致子宫 Ang-2 mRNA 水平下降，在 12 小时达到最低点。这些结果表明，Ang-2 可能在小鼠蜕膜化过程中发挥关键作用。在卵巢切除的小鼠子宫中，雌激素可以诱导 Ang-2 的表达，而孕酮可以抑制其表达。
