Pattern of glycosaminoglycan distribution in tissue and blood vessels of human placenta.
The composition of separate crude glycosaminoglycan preparations from placental tissue and corresponding villous blood vessels was investigated in normal human placentas at various stages of maturation and in placentas from diabetic, toxemic and insufficient pregnancies. The crude preparations were separated into individual glycosaminoglycans and identified by means of electrophoresis on cellulose acetate prior or after specific enzymatic or chemical treatments. Relative amounts of individual glycosaminoglycans were estimated by densitometric scanning of the alcian blue-reactive electrophoretic bands. Irrespective of the nature of placenta, the contents of uronic acid and neutral sugar were higher in the preparations derived from blood vessels, as compared to placental tissue. Hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfates, heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate were found in both preparations. The proportion of dermatan sulfate was higher while that of heparan sulfate was lower in the blood vessel preparations, compared to placental tissue. It is suggested that both heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate may function as anticoagulants in their specific locations, namely, the maternal sinuses and the villous fetal blood vessels. The type of the glycosaminoglycan present may also influence the permeability of the tissue.
D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000032:analysis; D004588:Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate; D005260:Female; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000098:blood supply; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000378:metabolism
D006025:Glycosaminoglycans