In order to investigate the regulatory role of only one endometrial cell type on trophoblastic invasion, we explored the effects of culture medium conditioned by in vitro decidualised stromal cells (DCM) and of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1, the main secretory product of decidual cells) on the trophoblastic secretion of gelatinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1). First trimester cytotrophoblastic cells (CTB) were obtained from abortions and cultured in vitro in presence or absence of DCM or IGFBP-1. Secreted gelatinases were analysed in the culture supernatants by zymography and by measurements of the total gelatinolytic activity. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) was measured by a commercially available immunoassay. DCM inhibited the total gelatinolytic activity of CTB but increased trophoblastic MMP-9 and TIMP-1. In contrast, IGFBP-1 increased the total gelatinolytic activity and TIMP-1 and had no effect on MMP-2 and MMP-9. We conclude that a factor secreted by decidual cells (possibly TGFbeta) inhibits the total gelatinolytic activity of trophoblast by increasing TIMP-1 but other factors, as yet unidentified, increase MMP-2 and MMP-9 to an extent which does not shift the equilibrium between the gelatinases and TIMP-1 in favour of the gelatinases. In contrast to DCM, IGFBP-1 increases the total gelatinolytic activity probably by stimulating another gelatinase (stromelysin-1?) as MMP-2 and MMP 9 are unchanged by IGFBP-1. The possibility of an integrin mediated effect of IGFBP-1 on CTB is discussed.