title: Ultrastructure of Placenta of Gravidas with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.
abstract: Objectives. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) leads to an abnormal placental environment which may cause some structural alterations of placenta and affect placental development and function. In this study, the ultrastructural appearances of term placentas from women with GDM and normal pregnancy were meticulously compared. Materials and Methods. The placenta tissues of term birth from 10 women with GDM and 10 women with normal pregnancy were applied with the signed informed consent. The morphology of fetomaternal interface of placenta was examined using light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results. On LM, the following morphological changes in villous tissues were found in the GDM placentas when compared with the control placentas: edematous stroma, apparent increase in the number of syncytial knots, and perivillous fibrin deposition. On TEM, the distinct ultrastructural alterations indicating the degeneration of terminal villi were found in the GDM placentas as follows: thickening of the basal membrane (BM) of vasculosyncytial membrane (VSM) and the VSM itself, significantly fewer or even absent syncytiotrophoblastic microvilli, swollen or completely destroyed mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, and syncytiotrophoblasts with multiple vacuoles. Conclusion. Ultrastructural differences exist between GDM and control placentas. The differences of placenta ultrastructure are likely responsible for the impairment of placental barrier and function in GDM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Lianyungang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Lianyungang 222000, China ; The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Lianyungang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Lianyungang 222000, China.
authors.forename: Xiucui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Lianyungang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Lianyungang 222000, China.
authors.forename: Yingping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Lianyungang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Lianyungang 222000, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Jiayin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Yugui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui