Placental leptin correlates with intrauterine fetal growth and development

目的　探讨胎盘肥胖基因及其蛋白表达水平与脐血瘦素和胎儿宫内生长发育的关系。方法　在 4 0例产妇分娩时采集胎盘与脐血 ,采用逆转录聚合酶链反应 (RT PCR)检测胎盘肥胖基因mRNA相对表达水平 ,采用Western Blot检测胎盘肥胖基因蛋白 (瘦素leptin)表达水平 ,采用免疫组化观察胎盘肥胖基因蛋白表达位点 ,采用放射免疫法 (RIA)检测脐血瘦素水平 ,采用Ponderal指数 [PI=10 0×体重 (g) /身长 (cm) 3]估测新生儿营养状态。结果　胎盘组织肥胖基因呈现高效表达 ,在胎盘滋养层细胞浆内肥胖基因蛋白阳性表达。胎盘肥胖基因及其蛋白表达水平与胎儿宫内生长发育状态显著相关 ,13例小于胎龄儿胎盘组织leptin mRNA及其蛋白表达水平显著低于 15例适于胎龄儿 (P =0 .0 0 3和 0 .0 0 8) ,12例大于胎龄儿胎盘组织leptin mRNA及其蛋白表达水平显著高于适于胎龄儿 (P =0 .0 4和 0 .0 2 )。胎盘肥胖基因mRNA及其蛋白表达水平与脐血瘦素水平显著相关 (r =0 .39和0 .4 3,P <0 .0 5) ,与新生儿Ponderal指数 (PI)显著相关 (r=0 .66和 0 .69,P <0 .0 1)。结论　胎盘是脐血瘦素重要来源 ,胎盘瘦素可能对胎儿宫内生长发育有促进作用。     

检测孕妇血浆中的urocortin

目的：研究ｕｒｏｃｏｒｔｉｎ（促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素肽类家族新成员）是否存在于孕妇血循环中及其含量,以证实ｕｒｏｃｏｒｔｉｎ是否能在妊娠中产生并由此调节子宫－胎盘的血管张力。方法：用放射免疫测定法从受孕１６周起检测孕妇血浆中是否含有ｕｒｏｃｏｒｔｉｎ,并用凝胶层析法检测从孕妇血浆中提取的ｕｒｏｃｏｒｔｉｎ是否与人工合成的ｕｒｏｃｏｒｔｉｎ标准品一致。结果：从受孕１６周起孕妇的血浆中即可测得ｕｒｏ     

Placenta growth factor: potential role in pregnancy

PROBLEM: In spite of the known requirement for adequate vascularity during placentation, little is known regarding the regulation of angiogenic growth factor production by trophoblast. Placenta growth factor (PIGF) is a recently discovered angiogenic growth factor whose expression is relatively limited to trophoblast. METHOD OF STUDY: Current literature of PIGF was reviewed, with emphasis on its expression, regulation, role in angiogenesis, and potential function(s) at the maternal-fetal interface. RESULTS: PIGF is abundantly expressed by trophoblast, which implies that it could act in a paracrine manner to modulate vascular development, stability, and/or function within the decidua and placental villi. In addition, expression of the PIGF receptor, fms-like tyrosine kinase (flt-1) receptor, on trophoblast raises the potential for an autocrine role of PIGF in regulating trophoblast growth and/or function. CONCLUSIONS: The potential for PIGF to influence both vascular endothelial cells and trophoblast suggests that aberrant trophoblast production of PIGF could compromise cellular function during gestation and contribute to the vascular and placental pathologies noted in many obstetric complications.     

Immunopathology of the implantation site utilizing monoclonal antibodies to natural killer cells in women with recurrent pregnancy losses

PROBLEM: Placental lesions of 71 women with documented recurrent spontaneous abortions of unknown etiology were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. METHOD OF STUDY: Placental tissue blocks (less than 12 weeks gestation) from prior pregnancy losses were obtained, recut, and analyzed utilizing monoclonal antibody to identify the trophoblast (cytokeratin 8/18) and natural killer (NK) cells (CD57) at the implantation site. The following features were evaluated: trophoblast invasion pattern; syncytium formation; vasculitis and thromboembolism of decidual vessels; decidual inflammation; decidual necrosis; fibrin deposition at the decidual necrosis site; mononuclear-cell infiltration in villi and intervillous space; perivillous fibrin deposition; trophoblast morphology; and quantitation of CD57+ NK cells within the decidual tissue near the implantation site. Controls consisted of 20 healthy women with no history of recurrent pregnancy losses, who had their pregnancies electively terminated. RESULTS: Of the women studied, 29.6% demonstrated elevated CD57+ NK cells at the implantation site (P = 0.030), 54.1% had inadequate cytotrophoblast invasion depth (P = 0.000), 44.1% demonstrated inadequate syncytium formation (P = 0.004), and 33.9% presented thromboembolism in decidual vessels (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Some women with recurrent spontaneous abortions demonstrate abnormal placental lesions at the implantation site. Immunopathologic evaluation of the placental implantation site that terminated in a spontaneous abortion may reveal the immunopathogenesis of previous pregnancy losses.     

胎盘组织中解脲脲原体感染的检测与分型

应用扩增解脲脲原体（Ｕｕ）ＭＢ抗原基因的ＰＣＲ方法与培养法对照检测了３２例新鲜胎盘组织,结果ＰＣＲ扩增阳性８例,其中属于生物Ⅰ型Ｕｕ５例,生物Ⅱ型３例,ＰＣＲ扩增阳性的新生儿出生时体重平均比扩增阴性的新生儿低０６２ｋｇ,且以感染Ｕｕ生物Ⅰ型者更为显著,培养法检出Ｕｕ阳性５例。结果提示胎盘组织中Ｕｕ检出率,ＰＣＲ法显著高于培养法,感染胎盘的Ｕｕ可引起新生儿体重降低,可能与Ｕｕ生物Ⅰ型有关。     

安替比林的体外人胎盘灌流

以安替比林为参照物,建立体外人胎盘灌流技术,采用局部胎盘小叶的开放及封闭灌流方法。开放灌充安替比林消除率与时间、母体循环中的浓度无显著相关性,只随流速比的增大而增大,二者之间有显著相关性（ｒ＝０９０６）。封闭灌流两个方向的灌流,供体面安替比林浓度逐渐降低,且都符合指数函数Ｃ（ｔ）＝Ｃｏ×ｅ－ｋｔ,受体面浓度逐渐升高。两个方面的清除率分别为０４１ｍｌ／ｍｉｎ,０５２ｍｌ／ｍｉｎ,两者间无显著差异,提取效率母体面到胎儿面方向略低（Ｐ＜００５）,分别是６８３％,２８９％。以上结果与相关资料一致,说明本室体外人胎盘灌流设备、技术均已完备,结果可靠。     

Establishment and characterization of a cytotrophoblast cell line from normal placenta of human origin

A cell line has been established from human placentae at thefirst trimester of normal pregnancy. The cell line was obtainedby culture of purified cytotrophoblast cells in serum-free mediumsupplemented with epidermal growth factor, insulin, dexamethasoneand 0.1% bovine serum albumin. The cells can be subculturedfor >30 passages in one to three splits. All the cells weremononuclear epithelial-like cells positive to cytokeratin 18,gonadotrophin-releasing . hormone (GnRH), neuropeptide Y, neurotensin,leucine-enkephalin, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine inununo-cytochemicalstaining. The cells secreted GnRH, progesterone and oestradiol(in the presence of testosterone) but little human chorionicgonadotrophin and no -endorphin. The cell line showed humankaryotypes and had a population doubling time of 48 h in serum-freemedium. However, the cells would stop growing in the mediumcontaining fetal bovine serum. A normal cytotrophoblast cellline established in serum-free medium will be particularly usefulin the study of cytotrophoblast cell proliferation and differentiation.     

Basement membrane thickening in the placentae from diabetic women

A light microscopy study was carried out on 48 placentae. Seventeen placentae were obtained from non-diabetic mothers while the other 31 placentae were from both women with controlled diabetes and women who had an abnormality of the glucose tolerance test. All the women delivered at 38-40 weeks of gestation. Placentae from diabetic patients showed immaturity of the villi, hypertrophy of the capillaries and thickening of the basement membrane of the trophoblastic villi (3.2 +/- 0.35 microns) and the amniotic membrane (1.8 +/- 0.3 microns). Focal fibrinoid necrosis, an increase in the number of Hofbauer cells and dilatation of villi capillaries were also commonly observed in placentae from diabetic mothers, and the normal cuboidal cells lining the amniotic membrane tended to become tall columnar (17.6 +/- 6.3 microns) with distally located nuclei. Similar findings were observed in patients who had a potentially abnormal glucose tolerance test, which suggests the possibility of primary lesion in origin. Therefore, control of hyperglycemia may only partially prevent the development of placental abnormalities.     

Placental transfer of lead,mercury and cadmium in women living in a rural area

Summary The influence of the lead content of drinking water on the transplacental transfer of lead was investigated in 70 pregnant women living in a rural area of Belgium. The mothers were divided into 2 groups: group A: morning water lead below 50 g/liter; group B: morning water lead above this value. In group A, the mean lead content of water was 11.8 g/liter and in group B it amounted to 247.4 g/liter.The difference in the mean lead concentration between the two groups were for maternal blood: 3.2 g/100 ml, for umbilical cord blood: 3.3 g/100 ml, and for placenta: 3.6 g/100 g. These differences are statistically significant.There were significant correlations between water lead and lead concentration in blood (mother, newborn) or placenta. An increment of water lead concentration from 50 to 500 g/liter increases blood lead concentration in mother and in newborn by about 3 g/100 ml and in placenta by about 2.5 g/100 g (wet weight).