The placenta is the physiological bridge between mother and fetus and has life-sustaining functions during pregnancy, including metabolic regulation, fetal protection and hormone secretion. Nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2) is a calcium- and DNA-binding protein and precursor of nesfatin-1, a signalling peptide with multiple functions, including regulation of energy homeostasis and glucose transport. These...

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have been shown to be important in physiological and pathophysiological processes in humans. Several HERVs have been found to be expressed in the placenta-a tissue with special immunomodulatory functions that is responsible for nutrition of the embryo and the ability of the semiallogenic trophoblast to invade. The envelope proteins of HERV-W (also known as ...

We have investigated factors affecting iron distribution in the first-trimester gestational sac, by the measurement of transferrin, non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and pro-hepcidin (Hep) in maternal serum, coelomic fluid (CF) and amniotic fluid (AF) and by immunostaining for Hep in villous and secondary yolk sac biopsies. These samples were obtained from 15 first-trimester pregnancies at 8-11...

In the current study the possible relationship between the Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ratio of human syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes and their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was determined. Syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of placental explants cultured under hypoxia increased their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+) content, diminished their Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, and kept their Mg(2+) ...

Human syncytiotrophoblast cell membranes prepared by differential ultracentrifugation were extracted with 3 M KCl, solubilized in 1% deoxycholate, and chromatographically separated into two peaks by passage through a column of Bio-Gel P-200. Previous reports from this laboratory have shown that the first peak (PI) is serologically the same as a group of trophoblast membrane antigens tentatively...

The objective of the present study was to determine the levels of amino acids in maternal plasma, placental intervillous space and fetal umbilical vein in order to identify the similarities and differences in amino acid levels in these compartments of 15 term newborns from normal pregnancies and deliveries. All amino acids, except tryptophan, were present in at least 186% higher concentrations ...

The cardinal manifestations of the pregnancy-specific disorder preeclampsia, new-onset hypertension, and proteinuria that resolve with placental delivery have been linked to an extracellular protein made by the placenta, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), that injures the maternal vasculature. However, the mechanisms by which sFlt1, which is heavily matrix bound, gain access to the sys...