Angiogenesis occurs by vessel elongation in proliferative phase human endometrium

Abstract

Background: Angiogenesis occurs by at least three mechanisms: sprouting, intussusception and elongation. Studies to date have failed to identify the mechanisms or timing of endometrial angiogenesis during the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to determine if vessel elongation plays a role in human endometrial angiogenesis. Methods: Forty-nine full thickness endometrial sections from 27 hysterectomy samples were immunostained for CD34 to identify blood vessels, and analysed using an interactive computerized stereological program. Based on counts from 9746 individual microscope fields, blood vessel length density (Lv), branch point density (Nv) and mean vessel length per branch point ..