Vascular morphogenesis in the ovary

Vascular morphogenesis through mechanisms of vasculogenesis, angiogenesis and intussusception is associated primarily with embryonic and fetal development and is down-regulated in the healthy adult. Physiological angiogenesis in the adult is restricted to the female reproductive system where it occurs cyclically in the ovary and the uterus as well as pregnancy-associated in the placenta and in the mammary gland. Of all the different organs, the cyclic corpus luteum of the ovary is the organ site with the strongest physiological angiogenesis. The hormonally regulated cyclic processes in the corpus luteum are characterized by discrete phases of blood vessel growth, vessel maturation and vessel regression. This chapter discusses the morphological changes of the vasculature in the cyclic corpus luteum in relation to the regulating molecular mechanisms. These data establish the dynamic processes in the ovarian corpus luteum as a unique system for studying all steps of the angiogenic cascade, including vessel maturation and vessel regression. Inhibition of angiogenesis impairs the normal ovarian cycle, reflecting that angiogenesis is rate-limiting for ovulation and growth of the corpus luteum and may, thus, be a potential target for therapeutic intervention in the reproductive function.