Vascular smooth muscle α-actin distribution around endometrial arterioles during the menstrual cycle: Increased expression during the perimenopause and lack of correlation with menorrhagia

Abstract

Menorrhagia affects ~ 9% of all women, increasing to 20% during the perimenopause. The majority of menstrual loss occurs through the spiral arterioles - specialized endometrial vessels that are intimately involved in controlling menstruation. Our aim was to compare the distribution of vascular smooth muscle α-actin using immunohistochemical techniques in the endometrium of women before and during the perimenopause and with or without menorrhagia. We hypothesized that differences in vessel numbers and types exhibiting a-actin staining would exist between these groups, reflecting structural/functional differences. The results showed that perimenopausal menorrhagic women had significantly more ..