Li X F, Gregory J, Ahmed A
Centre for Clinical Research in Immunology and Signalling, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK.
Growth Factors. 1994;11(4):277-82. doi: 10.3109/08977199409011000.
Angiogenesis is an essential component of endometrial regeneration after menses in preparation for implantation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a secreted angiogenic peptide with mitogenic activity specific for endothelial and trophoblast cells. VEGF-immunoreactivity was detected in glandular epithelium throughout the menstrual cycle by immunohistochemistry, but, showed cyclic variation in the stroma and the blood vessels. During the early proliferative phase, strong staining was seen in the glandular epithelial cells while staining in the stroma was confined to a subpopulation of stromal cells and endometrial blood vessels appeared negative. In contrast, very intense staining of the endometrial stromal cells was seen in the mid proliferative endometrium possibly due to increased synthesis of VEGF by oestrogen. In the late proliferative endometrium, staining was seen in the endothelial cells and the perivascular stromal cells around the endometrial blood vessels. The greatest degree of immunostaining of stromal cells was observed in the mid to late proliferative endometrium. Throughout the secretory phase no staining was seen around the endometrial blood vessels and staining of endometrial stromal cells was confined to early secretory endometrium. In the late secretory endometrium only the glands were positive to VEGF antibody. The observed increase in the immunostaining of stroma suggests increased production of VEGF from early to mid and late proliferative endometrium which parallels the increase in the oestradiol levels in the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. It is proposed that VEGF may serve as a paracrine mediator of the effects of ovarian steroids on endometrial vascular development.
血管生成是月经后子宫内膜再生以准备着床的重要组成部分。血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）是一种分泌型血管生成肽，对内皮细胞和滋养层细胞具有特异性的促有丝分裂活性。通过免疫组织化学在整个月经周期的腺上皮中检测到VEGF免疫反应性，但在基质和血管中显示出周期性变化。在增殖早期，腺上皮细胞中可见强染色，而基质中的染色局限于基质细胞亚群，子宫内膜血管呈阴性。相反，在增殖中期的子宫内膜中可见子宫内膜基质细胞的非常强烈的染色，这可能是由于雌激素导致VEGF合成增加。在增殖晚期，在内膜血管周围的内皮细胞和血管周围基质细胞中可见染色。在增殖中期至晚期的子宫内膜中观察到基质细胞的免疫染色程度最高。在整个分泌期，子宫内膜血管周围未见染色，子宫内膜基质细胞的染色局限于分泌早期的子宫内膜。在分泌晚期，只有腺体对VEGF抗体呈阳性。观察到的基质免疫染色增加表明，从增殖早期到中期和晚期，VEGF的产生增加，这与月经周期增殖期雌二醇水平的增加平行。有人提出，VEGF可能作为卵巢类固醇对子宫内膜血管发育影响的旁分泌介质。
