Examination of distinct fetal and maternal molecular pathways suggests a mechanism for the development of preeclampsia.

In pregnancy, the maternal spiral arteries must widen to nourish the growing fetus. It is this critical step in placental development that is commonly defective in the pathology of preeclampsia. Other features often observed in the placental pathology of preeclampsia include fewer invasive trophoblasts, shallow trophoblast invasion and placental thrombosis and atherotic-like changes.

Expression and regulation of Sprouty-2 in the granulosa-lutein cells of the corpus luteum.

Growth factor signalling has important modulatory roles in the process of human follicular growth, oocyte maturation and corpus luteum (CL) formation. Recently, Sprouty-2, an inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signalling pathway was advocated as a marker of oocyte competence in the bovine ovary. We sought to study Sprouty-2 expression and regulation in the human ovary.

Spatiotemporal expression of heparanase during human and rodent ovarian folliculogenesis.

Heparanase (HPSE) is an endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), major components of the basement membrane (BM) and extracellular matrix (ECM). Heparanase activity results in release of HSPG-bound molecules, including basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2). Structural and functional development of the corpus luteum (CL) involves tissue remodeling, active angiogenesis, and steroid production.

Localization of heparanase in normal and pathological human placenta.

Degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components is critical for invasion. Heparan sulphate proteoglycans are abundant in the ECM of the placenta and the decidua, hence their degradation may disassemble the matrix and facilitate placentation and trophoblast invasion. This study investigates the expression of heparanase in normal and pathological placentation using RT-PCR, in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analysis to detect heparanase in specific cells of the placenta and at the fetal-maternal interface throughout pregnancy.