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Increased type III and V collagen expression in human corpora lutea in early pregnancy.

Iwahashi M, Muragaki Y, Ooshima A, Umesaki N

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan. masaaki@wakayama-med.ac.jp <masaaki@wakayama-med.ac.jp>

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible involvement of collagen in the characteristic structure and function of human corpora lutea (CL), type V collagen expression was determined in the CL tissues during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy. DESIGN: In vitro experiment. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan. PATIENT(S): Regulatory cycling women and pregnant women with ovarian tumor and ectopic pregnancy who underwent adnexectomy. INTERVENTION(S): Composition of the various types of collagen in human CL was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Expression of type V collagen. RESULT(S): The ratios of type III to type I collagen and the ratios of type V to type I collagen in the CL tissues were significantly increased in early pregnancy compared with those in the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest that alterations in composition of collagen might play an important role in determining the physiology and structure of the CL during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.

Published 1 January 2007 in Fertil Steril, 87(1): 178-81.
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