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ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF INTERCELLULAR CANALICULAR SYSTEMS IN THE PARIETAL FETAL MEMBRANES
Author(s) -
Minh HoangNgoc,
Smadja A.,
Maur P. P.,
Orcel L.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1981.tb01762.x
Subject(s) - decidua , cytotrophoblast , amnion , anatomy , amniotic fluid , basal lamina , connective tissue , medicine , electron microscope , placenta , fetus , biology , ultrastructure , pathology , pregnancy , optics , physics , genetics
Summary An electron microscopic study of the amnion and the chorionic cytotrophoblast has demonstrated the existence of intercellular channels running between the lateral sides of the cells with typical junctional complexes sealing their proximal ends. In the amnion these channels open through the basal lamina into the connective tissue, and in the chorionic cytotrophoblast they open in the direction of the decidua. This situation seems to indicate that fluid emerges from the open mouth of the amniotic intercellular channels and then continues to flow into the channels of the cytotrophoblast, across its podocytic processes, to be discharged into the decidua, and finally drained by maternal decidual vessels. This morphological study suggests that parietal fetal membranes might be an important route for transport of solute and fluid from the amniotic fluid to the maternal circulation.