Apoptosis and Fas expression in human fetal membranes

Apoptosis (i.e. programmed cell death) plays a key role in maintaining reproductive function in the ovary, mammary and prostate glands, uterus, and testis. The purpose of the present report was to determine, based on biochemical and morphological parameters, whether cells in human fetal membranes un...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1998-02, Vol.83 (2), p.660-666
Main Authors: RUNIC, R, LOCKWOOD, C. J, LACHAPELLE, L, DIPASQUALE, B, DEMOPOULOS, R. I, KUMAR, A, GULLER, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amnion - ultrastructure
Apoptosis
Biological and medical sciences
Blotting, Northern
Chorion - ultrastructure
Decidua - ultrastructure
Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology
Epithelium - ultrastructure
Extraembryonic Membranes - immunology
Extraembryonic Membranes - ultrastructure
fas Receptor - analysis
fas Receptor - genetics
Female
Fetal membranes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects. Development. Fetal membranes
Gestational Age
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Labor, Obstetric
Microscopy, Electron
Obstetric Labor, Premature
Pregnancy
RNA, Messenger - analysis
Trophoblasts - ultrastructure
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Summary:Apoptosis (i.e. programmed cell death) plays a key role in maintaining reproductive function in the ovary, mammary and prostate glands, uterus, and testis. The purpose of the present report was to determine, based on biochemical and morphological parameters, whether cells in human fetal membranes undergo apoptosis and express Fas (CD95), a cell surface receptor that mediates apoptosis. Using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxy-UTP-nick end labeling immunohistochemical technique, apoptotic nuclei were identified in amnion epithelial, chorionic trophoblast, and decidua parietalis cell layers of human fetal membranes at term. Electron microscopy of fetal membranes revealed ultrastructural characteristics in amnion epithelium and chorion trophoblast cell layers consistent with apoptosis, including condensation of chromatin along the periphery of the nucleus and nuclear shrinkage. The apoptotic index (percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxy-UTP-nick end labeling-positive nuclei of the total nuclei) ranged from 8-29% in amnion epithelial, chorionic trophoblast, and decidual cell layers from women at 23-30, 31-36, and 37-42 weeks gestation. The apoptotic index was statistically greater in the 37-42 week group than in the 23-30 week group in chorionic trophoblast (P < 0.05) and decidual cell (P < 0.01) layers. In contrast, the apoptotic index in the amnion epithelial cell layer was statistically greater (P < 0.05) in the 23-30 week group than in the 31-36 week group, suggesting that apoptosis may be independently regulated in amnion epithelial, chorionic trophoblast, and decidual cell types. Based on the importance of Fas in mediating apoptosis, we investigated whether Fas was expressed by human fetal membrane cells. Immunohistochemical staining of fetal membranes with anti-Fas antibody localized Fas in amnion epithelial, chorionic trophoblast, and decidua parietalis cell layers. A 266-bp band corresponding to the cytoplasmic domain of Fas was detected in samples of amnion, chorion, decidua, and placenta by RT-PCR. Northern blotting revealed a molecular weight of approximately 1.9 kilobases for Fas messenger ribonucleic acid in amniotic tissue. These data suggest that apoptosis and Fas signaling may play a role in remodeling of fetal membrane architecture across gestation.
ISSN:0021-972X
1945-7197
DOI:10.1210/jc.83.2.660