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Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
Heparanase expression and function during early pregnancy in mice.
Sonia S D'Souza1, Takiko Daikoku, Mary C Farach-Carson
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
Biology of Reproduction
|May 18, 2007
Summary
Heparanase (HPSE) is crucial for embryo implantation, as its expression and activity significantly increase during early pregnancy in mice. Inhibiting HPSE severely hinders implantation, highlighting its essential role in this process.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Embryo implantation involves complex interactions between the blastocyst and uterus, mediated by heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans.
- Heparanase (HPSE) is an enzyme that cleaves HS and can also function independently as an adhesion molecule, suggesting a role in implantation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression pattern and activity of heparanase (HPSE) during mouse embryo implantation.
- To determine the functional significance of HPSE in the implantation process.
Main Methods:
- Real-time RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze uterine HPSE expression.
- HPSE activity was measured in pregnant mouse uteri.
- The effect of an HPSE inhibitor (PI-88) on embryo implantation in vivo was assessed.
Main Results:
- Uterine HPSE expression, including mRNA and protein, significantly increased during early pregnancy, primarily in the decidua at the implantation site.
- Uterine HPSE activity demonstrated a >40-fold increase during early pregnancy.
- Inhibition of HPSE with PI-88 severely impaired embryo implantation in mice.
Conclusions:
- Heparanase (HPSE) plays a critical role in successful embryo implantation.
- HPSE activity and expression are dynamically regulated during early pregnancy, supporting HS-dependent processes essential for implantation.
