STUDY QUESTION Does inhibition of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) increase the sensitivity of trophoblasts to TRAIL-induced apoptosis? SUMMARY ANSWER Inhibition of DDAH1, but not DDAH2, increases the sensitivity of trophoblasts to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Successful human pregnancy is dependent on adequate trophoblast invasion and remodelling of the mate...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between oxygen sensitivity of trophoblast and hypoxia in preeclamptic placenta by the study on the expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase (PHD) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in placentas from normal pregnant women and patients with pre-eclampsia. METHODS Subjects were chosen from the in-patients or the out-patients from May ...

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Mash2, has been shown to be necessary for the development of the spongiotrophoblast of the mature chorioallantoic placenta of the mouse. Here we show that Mash2 is transcribed during oogenesis and expressed throughout preimplantation development, only becoming restricted to the diploid trophoblast around the time of implantation. This expression ...

Understanding of ruminant placental structure and function is essential for veterinarians and researchers. The ruminant placenta is classified as cotyledonary and synepitheliochorial on the bases of its gross anatomical features and histological characteristics respectively. The richly vascularized embryonic chorioallantois is lined on its outer surface by cells of the trophectodermal epitheliu...

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of immunoglobulin G obtained from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) on in-vitro models of trophoblast invasiveness and differentiation. We tested the binding of affinity-purified immunoglobulin G to human primary trophoblast cells. These antibodies affected the invasiveness and differentiation of cytotrophoblast cells after b...

Trophoblastic tissues grown under different conditions in vitro display distinct patterns of cellular growth. Thus, trophoblast cultured on 'bacteriological grade' plastic surfaces remained in suspension culture as rounded tissue fragments. Such tissues maintained numerous cell contacts and remained, in turn, largely diploid. Trophoblast explanted on a 'tissue-culture grade' substrate formed mo...

During human pregnancy, the production of 17-beta-estradiol (E2) rises steadily to eighty fold at term, and placenta has been found to specifically bind estrogens. We have recently demonstrated the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) protein in human placenta and its localization in villous cytotrophoblast (CT), vascular pericytes, and amniotic fibroblasts. In vitro, E2 stimulated ...

By using complementary in vitro and ex vivo approaches, we show that the risk allele (Y153H) of the pre-eclampsia susceptibility gene STOX1 negatively regulates trophoblast invasion by upregulation of the cell-cell adhesion protein alpha-T-catenin (CTNNA3). This is effectuated at the crucial epithelial-mesenchymal transition of proliferative into invasive extravillous trophoblast. This STOX1-CT...

Trophoblast invasion is a key process during human placentation. This event constitutes the basis of the conversion of the uterine spiral arteries, a process which allows an adequate vascular connection between the intervillous space and the maternal blood flow. Trophoblast invasion is transient, with stringent spatial and temporal control. Preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and fetal mo...

The initial events in embryo implantation invol ve an interaction of two epithelia, trophoblast and uterine epithelium, via their apical cell poles, resulting in ·adhesion, followed (in invasive types of implantation) by penetration of the trophoblast through the uterine epithelium into the endometrial stroma. Acquisition of mutual adhesiveness of apical plasma membranes of trophoblast and uter...