title: Apoptosis and related proteins during parturition in prostaglandin F receptor-deficient mice.
abstract: This study investigated whether apoptosis and related proteins are involved in parturition by comparative observation of FP-deficient mice without labor and wild type mice with vaginal delivery. We examined the expression of apoptosis, Fas, FasL, active caspase-3 and bcl-2 proteins in the amnion, placenta and decidua. DNA laddering in the amnion, placenta and decidua tissue did not significantly differ between FP-deficient and wild type mice on day 18 of pregnancy. Similar TUNEL staining results were found in all tissues of FP-deficient mice compared with those of wild type mice. A higher intensity of apoptotic cells was found in the decidua basalis. The index of TUNEL-positive cells were not significantly different in the amnion, placenta and decidua of FP-deficient mice compared with that of wild type mice on day 18 of pregnancy. Specific bands for Fas were clearly observed in the amnion, placenta and decidua tissue. FasL specific bands were observed in the placenta and decidua, but a few in amnion tissue. A great number of active caspase-3 specific bands were detected in decidua, while a few such bands were detected in the placenta and few bands in the amniotic tissue. Bands for bcl-2 were detected in the amnion, placenta and decidua tissue. The weakest band was in decidual tissue. Fas, FasL, active caspase-3, and bcl-2 specific bands did not show any significant differences between the two groups. These findings demonstrate that apoptosis, Fas, FasL, caspase-3, and Bcl-2 occur in mouse term placenta that is not involved in parturition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. mujunwu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Junwu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
authors.forename: Xiaoe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomimatsu
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosono
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin; D019014:fas Receptor; C034671:prostaglandin F2alpha receptor; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases