title: Cultured human trophoblast cells reproduce the initial events of placental biology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine whether cultured trophoblast cells shared the same morphological and biological properties observed in trophoblast, in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trophoblast cells from human term placenta were cultured, morphologically, biochemically and immunochemically monitored for as long as 30 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Single cells progressively aggregated and fused into a syncytio, the Ca2+ and the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity drooped, and the 72 kDa collagenase (MMP-2) was consistently expressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Term placenta trophoblast cultures can be viewed and used as a model system mimicking morphological and biochemical events of placenta biology and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Histology and General Embriology, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbisa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onisto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tranquilli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pugnaloni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cester
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romanini
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000502:physiology; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D018093:Gelatinases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D002118:Calcium