VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR (VEGF) MESSENGER-RIBONUCLEIC-ACID (MESSENGER-RNA) EXPRESSION IN LUTEINIZED HUMAN GRANULOSA-CELLS IN-VITRO

Vascularization is a prerequisit for corpus Luteum formation. Angiogen esis is supposed to be regulated by vascular growth factors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces specifically endothelial cell proliferation as well as angiogenesis and increases capillary permeab ility. With this study we demonstrate far the first time the presence of VEGF-mRNA in human Luteinized granulosa cells by Northern blot tech nique. Granulosa cells were obtained from ii individual patients under going ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization procedure. Two tr anscripts of VEGF-mRNA at 3.9Kb and at 4.3Kb could be detected in each case. Specific transcripts were expressed in different amounts. These results indicate that VEGF may promote at Least in part vascularizati on of the human corpus luteum.