| Decidual cells | |
|---|---|
| Anatomical terminology |
Before the fertilizedovum reaches theuterus, themucous membrane of the body of the uterus undergoes important changes and is then known as thedecidua. The thickness and vascularity of the mucous membrane are greatly increased; itsglands are elongated and open on its free surface by funnel-shapedorifices, while their deeper portions are tortuous and dilated into irregular spaces. The interglandular tissue is also increased in quantity, and is crowded with large round, oval, or polygonal cells, termeddecidual cells.[1] Their enlargement is due to glycogen and lipid accumulation in the cytoplasm allowing these cells to provide a rich source of nutrition for the developing embryo. Decidual cells are also thought to control the invasion of the endometrium bytrophoblast cells.[2]
Experimentally, human endometrial stromal cells can be decidualized in culture by using analogs ofcAMP andprogesterone. The cells will exhibit a decidualized phenotype and display upregulation of commondecidualization markers such asprolactin andIGFBP1.[3]
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 59 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
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