title: Growth characteristics of diabetic rat ectoplacental cones in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the outgrowth of the ectoplacental cone in diabetic rats in vivo and in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (75 mg/kg body weight, n = 15), or with control buffer (n = 27) 3 days before mating. On day 9 (day 1 = copulation plug) decidual swellings were weighed and the volume and mitotic index of the embryo and ectoplacental cone were estimated. Also, ectoplacental cones were cultured either in the presence of decidual cells from pseudopregnant diabetic rats or in high glucose concentration media. Cultures were evaluated by the daily outgrowth and by the proportion of giant cells and proliferating cells on day 5.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In diabetic rats on day 9, the weight of the decidual swellings and the mitotic index in the ectoplacental cone were lower compared with controls (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively). In vitro, control ectoplacental cones in the presence of decidual cells from diabetic rats showed a slight reduction in outgrowth on day 3 and 5 of culture. Outgrowth of diabetic ectoplacental cones in high glucose concentration medium was impaired on day 1 (p < 0.0005) compared with control ectoplacental cones in control medium, and on day 1 and 2 (both p < 0.005) compared with control ectoplacental cones in high glucose concentration medium. In control medium, the outgrowth of diabetic ectoplacental cones was impaired on day 1 (p < 0.05), compared with control ectoplacental cones. Proliferation was stimulated in diabetic ectoplacental cone cultures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that the outgrowth of diabetic ectoplacental cones is impaired by high glucose concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caluwaerts
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pijnenborg
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Van Assche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D003893:Desmin / Q000032:analysis; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008940:Mitotic Index; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000473:pathology*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003893:Desmin; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen