Impact of placental growth factor deficiency on early mouse implant site angiogenesis

• Mouse pregnancy in the absence of maternal and/or conceptus PGF was studied.
• Non-pregnant Pgf−/− uterine lymphatics were abnormal.
• Anti-mesometrial decidual angiogenesis was optimized by conceptus and maternal PGF.
• Optimal mesometrial decidual angiogenesis was dependent on conceptus PGF only.
• PGF is not redundant in early decidual angiogenesis.

Effects of placental growth factor (PGF), an angiokine product of fetal trophoblasts and maternal decidual cells, on early decidual angiogenesis are undefined. We used whole-mount immunofluorescence analyses to compare uterus and gestation day 4.5–9.5 mouse implantation sites that differed genetically in fetal or maternal PGF deficiency. Implant site number and embryonic development were similar in Pgf−/− and Pgf+/+ females although Pgf−/− lymphatic vessels were anomalous. Correct, fine branching angiogenesis of anti-mesometrial vessels required both conceptus and maternal PGF; correct mesometrial branching angiogenesis depended solely upon conceptus PGF. Thus, PGF is non-redundant for optimizing branching angiogenesis in early decidua.