The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
In this study we have tracked glycogen and glycoprotein flux associated with nutrient uptake into trophoblast in early deciduochorial and later haemochorial placenta.α-amylase, glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase were immunohistochemically localised in 6–14 week and term placenta and first trimester decidua. Placentae of 4–18 weeks' gestation and term were also stained with 22 biotinylated...
Placental functional impairment in pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) can arise from fetoplacental vascular abnormalities. We aimed to compare the micro and macrovasculature of placentas from normal pregnancies with those showing late onset FGR.Placental arterial casts (n = 12 normal, 6 FGR) were prepared. Chorionic arterial number and inter-branch length were examined. Microvascular...
Methodological study nested within a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of yoga plus usual general practitioner (GP) care vs usual GP care for chronic low back pain.To explore the treatment effects of non-compliance using three approaches in an RCT evaluating yoga for low back pain.A large multicentre RCT using intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis found that participants with chronic low back...
Syncytial nuclear aggregates (SNAs) are increased in pregnancy complications and include ‘true’ syncytial knots and inter-villous bridges. Apparent nuclear overlay caused by sectioning artefacts are frequently counted from single sections. Haematoxylin and eosin stained serial sections were assessed for frequency of SNA subtypes in placentas from normal, preeclamptic and fetal growth restricted (FGR)...
Little is known about the interaction between human placental multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (hPMSC) and trophoblast. We hypothesize that hPMSCs produce hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) which may interact with trophoblasts and regulate their migration during placentation.hPMSCs were isolated from term placentas and conditioned medium was collected after 2 days of culture in hypoxic (<1% O ...
Blood vessel glycosylation at the fetomaternal interface of four near-term specimens of tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, has been examined at days 23–26 of the 26.5 day pregnancy and compared with that of other species.A panel of 23 lectins was used to compare vasculature in tammar with non-mammalian (shark, skink) and eutherian species at early and late gestation (camel, horse and alpaca), and term/near-term...
Syncytial nuclear aggregates (SNAs) are increased in pregnancy complications; however, little is known about their origin or function. This study aimed to characterise SNAs in more detail than has been reported previously.Immunohistochemistry and morphological examination at the light and ultrastructural level were used to determine the nature and structure of SNAs.SNAs comprising bridges and syncytial...
Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are processed from non-functional (pre)-miRNAs by the enzyme Dicer. In this study, manipulation of Dicer level was used to explore the influence of miRNAs on cytotrophoblast proliferation in human placenta. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed Dicer in cytotrophoblast, but not in terminally differentiated syncytiotrophoblast. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Dicer was used to effect...
This study characterises HERV-W (syncytin 1) expression in normal and pathologic placenta and in BeWo cells. HERV-W mRNA levels were higher in the first trimester than at term, and similar patterns were observed with another retrovirally-derived mRNA species, ERV-3. N-glycosylated syncytin 1 precursor (73 kDa) is cleaved to surface-associated (SU) and transmembrane (TM) subunits. Both were evident...
Histiotrophe is now recognized as being an important feature of early human pregnancy, providing nutrients and growth factors to the developing embryo. Our aim was to examine the glycan composition of histiotrophe from first trimester decidua and to compare it with secretions present in endometrial glands from the late secretory phase of the menstrual cycle.Twenty samples of decidua from pregnancies...
Macrophages, known as Hofbauer cells, are most abundant in placental villous stroma in the first and second trimesters. Their functions are not well defined. We have used a combination of in situ and in vitro methods to characterise these cells. Lectin histochemistry and immunohistochemistry were used to identify macrophages in situ. The lectin from Maclura pomifera (MPA) was found to mark cells bearing...
Recent studies show that apoptosis, programmed cell death, plays an important role in the normal development of the human placenta and that an altered balance between proliferation and apoptosis of villous trophoblasts is associated with abnormal pregnancies. The TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a molecule belonging to TNF superfamily. The role of TRAIL and its Death Receptor 5 (DR5)...
Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a heparin-binding protein with multiple activities in cell growth, migration and differentiation mediated through multiple receptors. In mammals, PTN expression in trophoblast is found exclusively in the human and in some of the apes in which an endogenous retrovirus upstream of the first coding exon generates a phylogenetically new trophoblast-specific promoter associated with...
In the placental villus, cells attach to basement membrane via integrin α6β4 and adhere both laterally and apically to their neighbours. The most prominent adhesive specialisation seen using the electron microscope is the desmosome, which connects cytotrophoblast cells (CTB) laterally and also contributes to the attachment of CTB to the overlying syncytium. However, numerous cadherins and other junctional...
At the tips of anchoring villi, cytotrophoblast (CTB) proliferation leads to a process of multilayering in which cells lose their attachment to the villous basement membrane and develop into columns, within which they adhere to one another using desmosomes, with associated intermediate filament bundles. Non-desmosomal cadherins, tight junction proteins and other adhesion molecules are also present,...
Hybridisation occurs rarely in nature and experiments using interspecific transfer of embryos generally result in implantation failure. Here we show that appropriate glycosylation of the apposing surfaces of endometrium and trophoblast probably is an important factor and may play a critical role in pregnancy success. Examination of closely related species shows that each has its own specific pattern...
The use of RNA interference (RNAi) to deplete individual proteins from cells or tissue has revolutionised our ability to characterise gene function. The placenta is an attractive target for studies in which the role of specific proteins can be compared with cell culture models and explanted villous tissue where physiological function can be maintained ex vivo.In this study, we compared a variety of...
To invade the decidua and myometrium, extravillous trophoblast must degrade an assortment of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The uterine wall is rich in heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPG), which interact with collagen, laminin and fibronectin, and bind a variety of growth factors. HSPG are catabolised by heparanase, an enzyme that is highly expressed in the placenta. The aim of this study...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.