ABSTRACT
This study investigated the role of netrin-1 in placental vascular development.In vitro rat aortic ring assay and in vivo Matrigel plug assay were conducted to exmaine the effect of netrin-1 on angiogenesis.Human placental microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were isolated and cultured and their viability,migration and tubular formation were studied,in order to examine the effects of netrin-1.The results showed that netrin-1 potently stimulated neovascularization in a mouse Matrigel plug in vivo and the sprouting of endothelial cells in rat aortic rings in vitro.In addition,netrin-1 enhanced the viability,migration and tube formation of HPMECs.Our study suggested that netrin-1 could significantly promote the formation of blood vessels of human placenta and may be a potential target for developing new therapeutic strategies for placental vasculature-related diseases.