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Apoptosis and Bcl‐2 Protein Expression in Human Placenta over the Course of Normal Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Soni S.,
Rath G.,
Prasad C. P.,
Salhan S.,
Saxena S.,
Jain A. K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
anatomia, histologia, embryologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1439-0264
pISSN - 0340-2096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2010.01012.x
Subject(s) - apoptosis , pregnancy , placenta , human placenta , protein expression , expression (computer science) , microbiology and biotechnology , course (navigation) , biology , andrology , genetics , gene , medicine , computer science , fetus , physics , astronomy , programming language
With 2 figures and 2 tables Summary Apoptosis plays a central role in organ development, homeostasis and immune defence in multicellular organisms and is strictly controlled in part by members of Bcl‐2 family. The Bcl‐2 is a pro‐survival molecule identified through its involvement in B‐cell lymphomas. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of apoptosis in the human placenta at different stages of pregnancy and to correlate it further with Bcl‐2 expression. A total of 96 placental samples from first trimester, mid‐trimester and uncomplicated term pregnancies were collected ( n = 32 + 32 + 32). M30 cyto death monoclonal antibody was used to identify apoptotic cells. The apoptosis index of first trimester placentae was 2.33 ± 1.70, mid‐ trimester was 1.77 ± 1.36 and term placenta was 1.15 ± 0.21. Bcl‐2 protein was found immunolocalized in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. Apoptosis index was significantly reduced in term cases as compared with first trimester ( P < 0.002) and mid‐trimester placentae ( P = 0.01). On the contrary, Bcl‐2 expression was significantly higher at term cases than in first trimester ( P < 0.0001) and mid‐trimester cases ( P < 0.001). The present study divulges the importance of apoptosis in permitting normal physiological turnover of villous trophoblast and also exhibits the contribution of bcl‐2 in maintaining syncytial integrity throughout normal pregnancy.