Bone morphogenetic protein-7 from serum of pregnant mice is available to the fetus through placental transfer during early stages of development.
BACKGROUND
BMP-7 is an important mediator of metanephric mesenchyme differentiation during kidney development. Gene knockout studies have shown that BMP-7 null mutation mice die shortly after birth due to renal failure, although the induction of metanephric structures has initially occurred (E11-E13).


METHODS
Iodinated BMP-7 was injected into the tail vein of pregnant mice and its availability to tissues and fetuses was further analyzed by tissue uptake, LM autoradiography and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.


RESULTS
Studies on the distribution of 125I-BMP-7 injected through the tail vein of pregnant mice indicated that 125I-BMP-7 passed across the placenta and localized in developing fetal organs, in particular kidneys, up to day 14 of gestation. At later stages of pregnancy 125I-BMP-7 did not pass the trophoblasts of the placental barrier and did not enter the fetal blood vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of the distribution of 125I-BMP-7 from pregnant mice to fetal organs, in particular the kidney, suggests a cross-over of maternal circulating BMP-7 to the fetus through the placental barrier.
Borovecki
Fran
F
Department of Anatomy, Medical School University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Jelic
Mislav
M
Grgurevic
Lovorka
L
Sampath
Kuber T
KT
Bosukonda
Dattatreyamurty
D
Vukicevic
Slobodan
S
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry; D005865:Gestational Age; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*
D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta