Apoptosis in human term placenta : A morphological and gene expression study

• Published in: Gynecologic and obstetric investigation Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 88 - 91
• Main Authors: THIET, M.-P, SUWANVANICHKIJ, V, HASSELBLATT, K, YEH, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Karger 01.01.2000; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cesarean Section; Clusterin; DNA Fragmentation; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational Age; Glycoproteins - genetics; Humans; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Labor, Obstetric; Molecular Chaperones; Mother. Fetoplacental unit. Mammary gland. Milk; Placenta - chemistry; Placenta - cytology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Vertebrates: reproduction; Human; Healthy subject; Gene expression; Normal; Polymerase chain reaction; Placenta; Messenger RNA; Term pregnancy; DNA; Morphological analysis; Female; Molecular biology; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0378-7346; 1423-002X
• DOI: 10.1159/000010288

The objective of this study was to examine placentas after delivery from normal, healthy patients at term gestation. The placentas were from elective cesarean sections (n = 10, prior to the onset of labor) and spontaneous vaginal delivery (n = 10, after labor). We found that deoxyribonucleic acid laddering was present in all placentas and consistent with the pattern found in tissues that undergo apoptosis. Paraffin-embedded sections of placental villi stained by the in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated biotinylated dUTP nick end labeling method revealed positive apoptotic nuclei in the placental villi. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated expression of messenger RNA for testosterone-repressed prostate message 2 and B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 in the placenta. Our data demonstrate that apoptosis occurs in human term placenta.