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Low-dose mifepristone increased angiogenesis in a manner involving AQP1

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the molecular mechanisms governing aquaporin-1 (AQP1)-mediated, mifepristone-induced angiogenesis and improve the understanding of low-dose mifepristone serving as an anti-implantation contraceptive drug.

Methods

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to explore the effects of different concentrations of mifepristone (0, 65, and 200 nmol/L) on the activity of angiogenesis. Forty-five pregnant mice during the “window of implantation” were treated with different concentrations of mifepristone. HUVECs’ proliferation was examined using a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The microvessel density (MVD) and the expression of AQP1 in endometrium were determined with immunohistochemical methods.

Results

The MVD and the expression of AQP1 were significantly higher than controls. Mifepristone at 200 nmol/L significantly affected HUVECs’ proliferation during culture over 12 h, and pretreatment with AQP1-specific siRNA significantly inhibited the mifepristone-enhanced cell proliferation.

Conclusions

Low-dose mifepristone increased angiogenesis in a manner involving AQP1. This affords a new insight into the molecular mechanism underpinning the angiogenic effects of low-dose mifepristone.

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Funding

This work was supported by the program for National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81701502).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Feng Zhou

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Zhida Qian & Lili Huang

Authors
  1. Feng Zhou
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  2. Zhida Qian
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  3. Lili Huang
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Contributions

All authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; ZF and QZ involved in drafting the manuscript and revising it critically for important intellectual content; HL gave final approval to the version to be published. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lili Huang.

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Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The procedures of this study were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) and were in accordance with the university’s guidelines for animal research.

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Cite this article

Zhou, F., Qian, Z. & Huang, L. Low-dose mifepristone increased angiogenesis in a manner involving AQP1. Arch Gynecol Obstet 299, 579–584 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4989-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4989-9

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