the improved chick chorioallantoic membrane assay was used to measure the activity of whole human endometrium and separated endometrial gland and stromal cell products from normal women in order to research possible sites of angiogenic factor synthesis in normal endometrium. The angiogenic activity of whole endometrium, endometrial gland and endometrial stromal cell preparations obtained from women enduring natural product libraries from dysfunctional uterine bleeding was also measured to research the likelihood that some instances of dysfunctional uterine bleeding are due to major disturbances in local angiogenic. Endometrial curretings were obtained from 51 pre-menopausal women under-going curettage at King George V Hospital, Camperdown. Informed consent was received from all individuals and ethical approval obtained. In 41 of the 51 women curettage was performed in conjunction with laparoscopic sterilization. There was no history of irregular menstrual bleeding, malignancy, intrauterine device use nor dental contraceptive use within the previous 3 months. A portion of each one of the curettings was repeatedly sent to a healthcare facility pathology department of dating and Metastatic carcinoma histopathology. Just endometria found to be histologically normal were contained in this study. By histological dating the endometrial curettings from these normal women were divided into proliferative phase, secretory phase or menstrual phase specimens. The secretory phase specimens were further subdivided in to early secretory phase, midsecretory phase or late secretory phase specimens. The remaining 10 women under-went curettage for dysfunctional uterine bleeding. There clearly was no recognisable pel398 Exp Toxic Patho147 5 vic or generalised medical condition. There was no history of pregnancy, malignancy, intra-uterine device use or common contraceptive use in the preceding 3 months. Each women had a brief history of heavy menstrual bleeding including problems of flooding and multiple sanitary pad use. Most of the women who’d objective menstrual blood loss measurement were found to possess menstrual blood losses PF299804 exceeding 80 ml. A portion of each of the curretings was routinely sent to the hospital pathology department for dating and histopathology. Again just endometria found to be histologically normal were included in this study. By histological dating the endometrial curettings from this group were divided into phase or secretory phase. The secretory phase specimens included 1 late secretory phase specimens, 3 midsecretory phase and 1 early secretory phase. A chick chorioallantoic membrane assay of 40-60 fertile hen eggs was carried out for each one of the 51 endometrial specimens collected. The assay used was similar to that previously described.