Confocal laser scanning microscope study of terminal villi vessels in normal term and pre-eclamptic placentas.
The aim of this study was to compare immunocytochemical confocal scanning laser microscopy measures of villus capillarization in control placentas with pre-eclamptic ones. Accordingly, placentas from normal term pregnancies (n=3) and cases of late-onset pre-eclampsia without intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) featuring normal uterine artery Doppler (n=3) were analyzed by confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM), which is a powerful technique for obtaining three-dimensional reconstructions of any kind of blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries). A laser light beam is used in order to detect CD34 antibody-related immunofluorescence, which is a marker of endothelial cells. Villus capillarization was assessed by estimating the following parameters: number of pixels, mean, maximum and minimum immunofluorescence amplitude. Our results show a significant hyper-ramification of the capillary loop in pre-eclamptic placentas, featuring irregular profile and narrow lumina. Such findings support the hypothesis that several agents causing angiogenesis and vasoconstriction affect villus vessels in pre-eclamptic placentas, thus promoting a lasting condition of fetal hypoxia by decreasing endothelial surface and materno-fetal exchanges.
Resta
L
L
DAPEG - Dipartimento di Anatomia Patologica e di Genetica, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy. lresta@anatopat.uniba.it
Capobianco
C
C
Marzullo
A
A
Piscitelli
D
D
Sanguedolce
F
F
Schena
F P
FP
Gesualdo
L
L
D000328:Adult; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002196:Capillaries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007834:Lasers; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D021041:Placental Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers