Expression of follicle-stimulation hormone receptor (FSHR) is confined
to gonads and at low levels to some extragonadal tissues like human
umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). FSH-FSHR signaling was shown
to promote HUVEC angiogenesis and thereafter suggested to have an
influential role in pregnancy. We revisited hereby the expression and
functionality of FSHR in HUVECs angiogenesis, and were unable to
reproduce the FSHR expression in human umbilical cord, HUVECs or
immortalized HUVECs (HUV-ST). Positive controls as granulosa cells and
HEK293 cells stably transfected with human FSHR cDNA expressed FSHR
signal. In contrast to positive control VEGF, FSH treatment showed no
effects on tube formation, nitric oxide production, wound healing or
cell proliferation in HUVEC/HUV-ST. Thus, it remains open whether the
FSH-FSHR activation has a direct regulatory role in the angiogenesis of
HUVECs.