Cervical epithelia cells play central roles in cervical remodeling (CR) including mounting physical and immunological barriers, proliferation and differentiation, maintenance of fluid balance and likely in withstanding the mechanical force exerted by the growing fetus prior to term. We have previously characterized the cellular localization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its receptor, and signaling molecules in the cervix of rodents. These earlier studies reveal that VEGF and its associated molecules largely target and are localized in the cervical epithelial cells. In the present study, we attempt to decipher the specific roles of VEGF in Human cervical epithelial cells by delineating VEGF signature genes using RNA sequencing. Following optimization of dosage and incubation time, Human cervical epithelial cells were treated with either vehicle only or with 50 ng of exogenous VEGF protein using an in vitro model. Using RNA sequencing, 25,000 genes were screened, of which 162 genes were found to be differentially expressed. Twelve genes were found to be statistically significantly differentially expressed. We conclude that VEGF plays a key role in CR by altering the expression of genes that regulate proliferation, immune response, energy metabolism and cell structure, biological processes that are essential to CR
