Summary
As an early response to hormones of pregnancy the uterine stroma undergoes a complex set of changes known as decidual reaction, leading to the formation of a nodular deciduoma in rodents or a decidual membrane in humans. Decidualization leads to striking changes in the size and shape of stromal uterine cells, accompanied by changes in their function and synthetic profile. The decidual cells synthesize and deposit in the extracellular spaces laminin, collagen type IV, heparan sulfate proteoglycan and entactin which are assembled into morphologically distinct pericellular basement membranes. It is proposed that the pericellular basement membranes in the decidua serve multiple functions and among others mediate the implantation of the embryo, provide the substrate for the early embryogenesis and at the same time form a membrane delimiting the embryo from the maternal organism.
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© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Damjanov, I., Wewer, U.M. (1991). Uterine Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Pregnancy. In: Lavia, L.A. (eds) Cellular Signals Controlling Uterine Function. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3724-3_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3724-3_8
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