Vascular development and heparin-binding growth factors in the XXXX corpus luteum at several stages of the estrous cycle.

@entity5994 @entity21349 @entity291 @entity12270
Immunolocalization of @entity5994 (a specific endothelial cell marker) and @entity21349 and @entity12270 , along with quantitative image analysis, were used to evaluate vascular development and distribution of HBGF in the @entity291 corpus luteum (CL) at three stages (early, middle, and late) of the estrous cycle. Luteal vascularity increased from the early to the middle stage and then declined to the late stage. During the early stage, most of the microvessels were present in the cores of the tissue infoldings (presumably thecal-derived areas), but numerous capillary sprouts could be seen invading the parenchymal areas. During the middle stage, capillary density was so great that most parenchymal cells were in contact with one or more capillaries. At the late stage, relatively few capillaries were present in the parenchymal areas, whereas larger microvessels were prominent throughout the CL. Throughout the estrous cycle, @entity21349 and @entity12270 were present primarily in the cytoplasm of large and small luteal cells. For each stage of the estrous cycle, @entity12270 staining was greater than that of @entity21349 . Relatively high levels of @entity12270 , but not @entity21349 , were also present in connective tissue tracts. In addition, @entity21349 and @entity12270 appeared to co-localize in some luteal cells. Although the distribution of @entity21349 was homogeneous throughout the CI, that of @entity12270 was heterogeneous. For @entity21349 , staining increased from the early to the middle stage but remained unchanged from the middle to the late stage. In contrast, @entity12270 staining was greatest in the middle stage and similar in the early and late stages. These data are the first report of @entity21349 and @entity12270 immunolocalization in @entity291 luteal tissues throughout the estrous cycle, and demonstrate that @entity12270 staining follows a pattern similar to that of luteal vascular development.
