Decidual natural killer cells regulate vessel stability: implications for impaired spiral artery remodelling

The human uterus undergoes extensive vascular remodelling. Before implantation, angiogenic events occur in the endometrium, as part of the decidualisation process. Following implantation, specialised fetally derived cells of the placenta, the extravillous trophoblast (EVT), invade the decidua and remodel the maternal uterine arteries by removing and replacing the vascular cells that line the arteries (Pijnenborg et al., 2006). During early pregnancy, the uterine spiral arteries are remodelled into larger diameter, higher flow vessels, allowing a 10-fold increase in blood supply into the intervillous space for placental uptake.
Source: Journal of Reproductive Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research