Morphometric analysis of the histology of spontaneous fetal resorption in a murine pregnancy.
Immunopathology of the spontaneous resorption phenomenon in the CBA x DBA/J murine model was explored using morphometric analysis. Accompanying the previously reported presence of natural killer (NK) cells in resorptive feto-placental units we find major changes in tissue morphology indicating that early infiltration of the feto-placental unit by maternal leukocytes plays a direct role with NK cells in fetal demise. Total number of cell nuclei per field and total nuclear area per field were significantly elevated in feto-placental units containing abnormally increased NK cell presence before detectable resorption as early as day 7 of gestation. This difference persisted throughout all stages of early gestation up to and including the final resorption event at day 10 to 12. Increases in cell density were also detected in areas of the embryonic unit not associated with NK infiltration. These results demonstrate that the spontaneous resorption phenomenon in this model involves: (i) Early (day 7-8) cellular infiltration of the decidual-ectoplacental cone junction associated with the presence in this area of NK cells. (ii) Late (day 8-9) cellular infiltration of the ectoplacental cone.
Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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RL
Gendron
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MG
Baines
D000818:Animals; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary*; D005327:Fetal Resorption / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy