Regulation of Human Placental Development by Oxygen Tension

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 277; no. 5332; pp. 1669 - 1672
• Main Authors: Genbacev, Olga, Zhou, Yan, Ludlow, John W., Fisher, Susan J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 12.09.1997; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens, CD - biosynthesis; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cell cycle; Cell Differentiation; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell Division; Cell Hypoxia; Cell physiology; Cell research; Cellular biology; Chorionic Villi - growth & development; Cultured cells; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; Cyclins - biosynthesis; Cytological research; Female; Fetuses; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hypoxia; Individualized Instruction; Integrin alpha1; Integrins; Methods; Mitosis; Molecular and cellular biology; Organ Culture Techniques; Oxygen; Oxygen - physiology; Oxygen partial pressure; Placenta; Placenta - blood supply; Placenta - cytology; Placental Lactogen - analysis; Placentation; Pregnancy; S Phase; Stem cells; Trophoblasts; Trophoblasts - cytology; Trophoblasts - metabolism; Uterus; Human; Cell proliferation; Trophoblaste; Cell culture; Oxygen; Placenta; Development; Hypoxia; Cell differentiation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5332.1669

Cytotrophoblasts, specialized placental cells, proliferate early in pregnancy and then differentiate into tumor-like cells that establish blood flow to the placenta by invading the uterus and its vasculature. In this study, cytotrophoblasts cultured under hypoxic conditions (2 percent oxygen), mimicking the environment near the uterine surface before 10 weeks of gestation, continued proliferating and differentiated poorly. When cultured in 20 percent oxygen, mimicking the environment near uterine arterioles, the cells stopped proliferating and differentiated normally. Thus, oxygen tension determines whether cytotrophoblasts proliferate or invade, thereby regulating placental growth and cellular architecture.