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. 2015 Mar 27;30(6):1290–1301. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dev067

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Summary: Regulation of endometrial function in early pregnancy. Stromal cells and uNK cells interact with endometrial arterioles to promote vascular remodelling. 1. In the decidua, stromal cells secrete estrogens such as E1 and E2. 2. E2 increases uNK cell motility and migration both directly and by increasing the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4. This action of E2 may promote localization/recruitment of uNK cells in the perivascular niche. 3. E2 acts directly on uNK cells to promote secretion of pro-angiogenic factors including CCL2. 4. ER-dependent secretion of CCL2 promotes endothelial cell angiogenesis and modulation of vascular function.