They are also known as spiral arteries.

The spiral arteries are converted for uteroplacental blood flow during pregnancy, involving:

Spiral arteries in decidua are remodeled so that they become less convoluted and their diameter is increased.

IFNγ dilates and thins the walls of maternal spiral arteries to enhance blood flow to the implantation site.

Failure of the physiological conversion of the spiral arteries can cause a number of complications, including intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia.

Spiral arteries are small arteries which temporarily supply blood to endometrium of the uterus during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

Simple tubular uterine glands reach from the endometrial surface through to the base of the stroma, which also carries a rich blood supply of spiral arteries.

Spiral arteries in the secretory endometrium constrict, resulting in ischemia to the secretory endometrium.

"The spiral arteries constrict and kill off the tissue," said Ms. Profet, "and then dilate again to force the necrotic tissue off."

It is characterized by a failure of the cytotrophoblast to invade the uterus and its vasculature, specifically the spiral arteries that the endovascular cytotrophoblast should invade.

The relatively high pressure as the maternal blood fills intervillous space through these spiral arteries bathes the fetal villi in blood, allowing an exchange of gases to take place.

Some of these trophoblast even replace the endothelial cells in the uterine spiral arteries as they remodel these vessels into wide bore conduits that are independent of maternal vasoconstriction.

Studying physiology, she learned that a distinctive type of artery known as a spiral artery opens to the uterus and orchestrates menstruation by first sharply closing and then rapidly dilating.

Endovascular Cytotrophoblast The primary function of the endovascular cytotrophoblast is to penetrate maternal spiral arteries and route the blood flow through the placenta for the growing embryo to use.

They have also been called helicine branches of the uterus (or helicine arterioles), as they are spiral-shaped, but they should not be confused with the spiral arteries that penetrate the endometrium in the inner uterus.

Initial maternal rejection of the placental cytotrophoblasts may be the cause of the inadequately remodeled spiral arteries in those cases of preeclampsia associated with shallow implantation, leading to downstream hypoxia and the appearance of maternal symptoms in response to upregulated sFlt-1 and sEng.

IL11 has been expressed to have a role during implantation of the blastocyst in the endometrium of the uterus; as the blastocyst is imbedded within the endometrium, the extravillous trophoblasts will invade the maternal spiral arteries for stability and the transfer of essential life-sustaining elements via the maternal and fetal circulatory systems.