title: Increased autophagy in the placental territory of selective intrauterine growth-restricted monochorionic twins.
abstract: METHODS
  This study investigates the placental autophagic activity in growth-restricted fetuses in the monochorionic (MC) twin model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty MC twins were prospectively enrolled in this study, including 21 with and 19 without selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), defined as birth weight below the tenth percentile. The sIUGR group was subdivided on the basis of present versus absent or reversed umbilical artery end-diastolic flow at Doppler. Placenta samples were taken after delivery from each twin placenta territories. After protein extraction, Western blot was used to determine light chain 3 (LC3)-II placental protein expression in sIUGR and appropriately grown (appropriate-for-gestational age, AGA) twins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LC3-II was significantly higher in the sIUGR twin placental territory than in their AGA counterparts. In the sIUGR group, LC3-II fold change was significantly increased compared with that in the AGA cotwins (2.28 vs 1.04, p < 0.05). Placental LC3-II protein expression was particularly stimulated in the MC sIUGR group with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler flow compared with AGA controls (p < 0.05, one-way analysis of variance test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In MC twins, the placental autophagic activity is different between sIUGR and AGA cotwins. The placenta territory with the least blood flow perfusion has the highest autophagic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yao-Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tzu-Hao
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuenn-Dyh
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: An-Shine
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Peter C C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chao-Nin
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001343:Autophagy; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins