title: Expression of Bcl-2 and p53 at the fetal-maternal interface of rhesus monkey.
abstract: To study the apoptosis and its mechanism at the fetal-maternal interface of early gestation, localization of apoptotic cells in the implantation sites of the rhesus monkey on day 17, 19, 28 and 34 of pregnancy were first examine by using the TUNEL technique. The expression of Ki67, a molecular marker of proliferating cells, and two apoptotic proteins, B cell lymphoma/leukaemia-2 (Bcl-2) and P53, were then studied by immunohistochemistry. Apoptotic nuclei were observed mainly in the syncytiotrophoblast. Ki67 was confined almost exclusively to cytotrophoblasts. The localization of Bcl-2 protein follows that of the apoptotic nuclei and its expression level increased as the development of the placenta progressed on. P53 was detected to some extent in cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblast covering the basal feet of the anchoring villi during the late stage of placentation. Based on these observations, it might be suggested that Bcl-2 could be possible to play an interesting role in limiting degree of nuclear degradation and sustaining cell survival in the multi-nucleated syncytiotrophoblast cells during early pregnancy, and P53 could also be essential in regulating the trophoblastic homeostasis by controlling its proliferation or apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China. liuyx@panda.ioz.ac.cn
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xue-Sen
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhao-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chun-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yi-Xun
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006706:Homeostasis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53