Endometrial Endothelial Cells Express Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors and Exhibit a Tissue Specific Response to Angiogenic Growth Factors

Objective:To develop a reliable method for the isolation and longterm culture of microvessel endothelial cells from human endometrium and to evaluate their response to angiogenic growth factors and steroid hormones in comparison to endothelial cells derived from other organs. Methods:Endometrial tissue from hysterectomy specimens were digested sequentially with collagenase and trypsin, cultured for 24 h, then selected by adhesion to anti-CD-34 coated magnetic beads. Alternatively, anti-CD-34-coated beads could also be substituted by Ulex europaeusagglutinin-1, anti-PECAM, or anti-E-selectin-coated beads. Characterization of the isolated cultures included expression of endothelial cell markers, regulation of E-selectin in response to TNF-α, proliferative response to angiogenic growth factors, and expression of progesterone and estrogen receptors. We also analyzed the relative binding affinity of VEGF on endometrial endothelial cells in comparison to other endothelial cell types. Results:Selection on anti-C...