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MRI of placental polyps.

OBJECTIVE: Placental polyp is intrauterine polypoid placental tissue retained after delivery or abortion and may cause life-threatening bleeding. We studied the value of MRI in diagnosing placental polyps. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two women, 26 and 32 years old, with histologically proven placental polyp were included in this study. These patients were treated with local injections of methotrexate or transcatheter arterial embolization. The MR images before and after these treatments were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: High intensity pedunculated masses of 3-4 cm in size were observed in the expanded uterine cavity on T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted SE images. Bloody contents were observed around the masses. Placental polyps were more intensely enhanced than the myometrium by the contrast media, and the enhanced T1-weighted images indicated the retained placental tissues with an adherent part to the myometrium. Magnetic resonance imaging was also useful in following up the reduction in the size of the lesions and in the blood flow after the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in diagnosing and following up placental polyps.

Adult↗

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-binding protein: reduction in the adrenocorticotropin-releasing activity of placental but not hypothalamic CRH.

This study is the first to use CRH-binding protein (CRH-BP) purified from human plasma to investigate how the CRH-BP affects the physiological activity of CRH. After incubation at 37 C for 15 min, purified CRH-BP reduced the ACTH-releasing activity of synthetic human (h) CRH in a dose-dependent fashion; using hCRH and CRH-BP at concentrations commonly found in late gestational maternal plasma, (1.5 and 100 ng/mL, respectively) an average 76% reduction in ACTH release was obtained. No effect was observed under the same conditions on ACTH release induced by ovine (o) CRH, which does not bind to CRH-BP. Kinetic estimations are presented to show that the extent of binding of CRH to its BP (and, hence, the reduction in its bioactivity) depends on the time available for binding and the concentration of reactants. Equilibrium between CRH and its BP at the concentrations used in the bioactivity studies take place within 400 s. Since long term secretion of placental CRH into the peripheral circulation occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy, we suggest that the presence of circulating CRH BP may partly explain how markedly elevated plasma levels of CRH coexist with normal ACTH levels at this time. We also propose that stress-induced CRH release will not be similarly quenched by the CRH-BP in the hypothalamic portal system, as the concentration of CRH released will be high, and the exposure time before reaching pituitary corticotropes will be low. Using pituitary cells constantly bathed in BP premixed with hCRH or BP alone (to mimic the situations in pregnancy and nonpregnancy, respectively), we show that short concentrated pulses of synthetic CRH (10 ng in 5 s) or rat stalk median eminence extract (one tenth stalk median eminence in 5 s) retain their ability to induce ACTH secretion despite the presence of CRH-BP. It is, thus, possible that CRH can still exert its role as a stress hormone in late gestation.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Removal of heme from preparations of human chorionic somatomammotropin.

The operations involved in the extraction of chorionic somatomammotropin from human placentas cause hemolysis of blood which is present in placental tissue and contamination of crude extract with large amounts of hematic pigments. Most of the pigments are removed by the purification procedure. The portion of purified hCS with high heme content was subjected to treatments with acid acetone and neutral butanone on the basis of procedures generally used for the separation of heme and protein portions in hemoproteins. Both treatments resulted in the removal of heme from hCS; the treatment using butanone was more efficient than the one using acetone. After treatment with both organic solvents, the immunological activity measured with radial immunodiffusion was entirely retained while binding activity on rat ventral prostate particles was slightly decreased.

Acetone↗

Growth suppression of transformed cells by a human placental extract not related to transforming growth factor beta.

We have examined whether human placental extracts contain tumour-growth-inhibitory factors. One fraction (EAP) from such extracts inhibited growth, in soft agar, of Ha-ras-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells and human squamous lung carcinoma A-2182 cells. However, this fraction had no effect on the anchorage-dependent growth of these cells, although there was a slight mitogenic activity on nontransformed cells. These data together with those on plating efficiency indicated no significant cytotoxicity of EAP on transformed cell lines. Although this fraction contained transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), this cannot account for its inhibitory activity, since (a) pure TGF beta does not inhibit anchorage-dependent growth of Ha-ras-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells, (b) EAP retains its inhibitory activity in the presence of antibodies against TGF beta and (c) the inhibitory activity did not copurify with TGF beta. Partial characterization of our inhibitory factor suggests that the inhibitory factor is a new tumour-growth-inhibitory factor.

Animals↗

Studies on receptor binding site of insulin: the hydrophobic B12Val can be substituted by hydrophilic thr.

[B12Thr]human insulin and [B12Leu]human insulin were obtained by means of site-directed random mutagenesis. [B12Thr]human insulin retain total biological activity but [B12Leu]human insulin has much lower biological activity. Receptor binding activities of [B12Thr]human insulin and [B12Leu]human insulin are 56% and 3%, respectively, as that of native porcine insulin. The results suggest that the hydrophobic property of the residue side chain at B12 may not be necessary.

Animals↗

Transformation suppressor activity of C3G is independent of its CDC25-homology domain.

The guanine nucleotide releasing protein C3G was initially identified as a Crk SH3-binding protein and recently shown to exhibit exchange activity on Rap1 proteins. Overexpression in NIH3T3 cells of a full-length C3G cDNA isolated from human placenta markedly reduced the focus forming activity of cotransfected, malignantly activated, ras oncogenes (5-7-fold). C3G also had a reverting effect on sis-mediated transformation, decreasing the number of c-sis-induced foci by a factor of 5-10-fold. The observed inhibitory effect of C3G on focus-forming activity of Ras and Sis was always higher than that observed with Rap1A, a known target of C3G. The inhibition of focus formation observed in the presence of C3G was not due to toxic effects on cell viability, since transfected C3G cells exhibited the same survival and growth rates as untransfected NIH3T3 cells or cells transfected with plasmid vector alone. Surprisingly, as opposed to Rap1A, which has no effect on Raf-1 oncogene-mediated transformation, C3G also reduced dramatically (6-8-fold) the number of v-raf-induced foci in transfected NIH3T3 cells. The inhibitory effect on Raf-induced transformation suggests that C3G has other functional targets in addition to Rap1. A C3G mutant (C3G deltaCat) lacking the catalytic domain (CDC25-H) but retaining the rest of the N-terminal sequences, including the Crk-binding domain, exhibited similar ability than full length C3G to inhibit focus formation. In contrast, a C3G mutant (C3G Cat), containing the catalytic domain only but lacking the rest of the N-terminal sequences, did not have any inhibitory effect on transformation mediated by the oncogenes tested. The C3G-derived gene products overexpressed in our transfected cell lines localized to the cytoplasm and did not change the basal MAPK or JNK activity of those cell lines nor their ability to activate the kinases in response to agonists. Our results suggest that the N-terminal region of C3G, and not its catalytic domain, may be responsible for the inhibitory effects observed.

3T3 Cells↗

Use of immunocytochemical techniques for the localization of human placental lactogen.

The recent claim by Gau and Chard (Br J Obstet Gynaecol 83:876, 1976) that, on theoretical grounds, it may be impossible to demonstrate the presence of human placental lactogen in placental tissue using the immunoperoxidase technique, has been reinvestigated. Placental tissue fragments fixed in Carnoy's fluid retained their morphologic identity compared with tissue fixed in formalin. Using these nonformalin fixed tissues, human placental lactogen was successfully localized within the cytoplasm of the syncytial layer of the placental villus. It is concluded that placental villi at term do in fact contain sufficient human placental lactogen to be demonstrated using the immunoperoxidase technique in contrast to the observation of Gau and Chard.

Female↗

Establishment of a functional ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial cell line with a prolonged life span.

To study mechanisms governing fetoplacental vascular function, we have established a primary ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial (OFPAE) cell line. These OFPAE cells produce nitric oxide (NO), proliferate, and migrate in response to fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). To overcome the senescence crisis that this primary OFPAE cell line will eventually enter, we attempted to establish a functional OFPAE cell line with a prolonged life span by transfecting cells with plasmids containing a neomycin resistance gene and a simian virus 40 gene (SV40) expressing large T (T) and small t (t) antigens. The OFPAE cells at passage 8 were transfected. After neomycin selection, the surviving OFPAE (designated SV40 OFPAE) cells were expanded up to passage 80. Up to passage 30, these SV40 OFPAE cells maintained a morphology similar to untransfected OFPAE cells. Expression of T and t antigens in SV40 OFPAE cells was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. These SV40 OFPAE cells exhibited positive uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL) and positive staining for NO synthase 3 (NOS3) and formed capillary-like tube structures on Matrigel. Up to passages 20-23, these SV40 OFPAE cells proliferated (P < 0.05) and produced (P < 0.05) NO in response to both FGF2 and VEGF. Moreover, this cell proliferation stimulated by FGF2 and VEGF was dose-dependently inhibited (P < 0.05) by PD98059 (a selective mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 and 2 [MAP2K1/2, also termed MEK1/2] inhibitor) or by LY294002 (a selective phosphoinositide 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor). These data indicate that SV40 OFPAE cells, at least at passage 23, retain endothelial phenotypes and functions similar to their parental, untransfected OFPAE cells. Thus, a functional OFPAE cell line with an extended life span has been successfully established, potentially providing a valuable cell model for studying fetoplacental endothelial function.

Animals↗

Susceptibility of human placental syncytiotrophoblastic mitochondria to oxygen-mediated damage in relation to gestational age.

When maintaining first trimester placental villi in organ culture under conventional normoxic conditions, we have observed widespread degeneration of the syncytiotrophoblast within 24 h despite excellent viability for the cytotrophoblastic and stromal cell types. Here we identify loss of mitochondrial activity as an early event in this process. In the light of proposals that the early part of gestation occurs in a low oxygen environment and also reported associations between mitochondrial disruption and oxidative stress, we cultured first trimester villi under low oxygen conditions (2.5%). Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) localization and activity at different gestational ages were also determined. It was found that syncytiotrophoblastic and mitochondrial morphology improved, and mitochondrial activity was retained for 6 h and more if 8- to 10-week-old tissue was placed into a low oxygen environment immediately after removal from the uterus. The effect of oxygen concentration was less marked when using tissue of 14 weeks or more gestational age, which showed good survival and retention of mitochondrial activity under both low and ambient oxygen conditions. This correlated with our finding that placental MnSOD activity increased significantly between 8 and 14 weeks of gestation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that at 11 weeks; MnSOD was localized predominantly within the cytotrophoblast cells, whereas by 16 weeks it was found in the syncytiotrophoblast also. These results indicate an acute sensitivity of first trimester placenta syncytiotrophoblast to oxygen-mediated damage.

Culture Techniques↗

Isolation of circulating megakaryocytes in man.

Recovery of the small numbers of megakaryocytes (MKs) known to be present in normal blood is difficult because of their low frequency. Isolation of circulating MKs was achieved using a modified filtration system in which untreated blood was passed through 5 microns polycarbonate membranes. MKs were retained while most other blood cells passed through the membranes. Four groups of MKs were identified in May Grünwald-Giemsa stained filters of blood from peripheral, central and umbilical veins and umbilical arteries. Type 1 MKs were nuclei with no visible cytoplasm. Types 2, 3 and 4 were nuclei with increasing amounts of cytoplasm. Type 4 MKs, possessing copious cytoplasm, were rarely isolated from peripheral venous blood but were more regularly encountered in central venous and cord blood. Filtration of whole blood through polycarbonate membranes is a useful technique for the isolation of circulating MKs, which are a normal physiological occurrence. Their presence is consistent with the production of platelets in the placenta during intra-uterine life, and subsequently in the pulmonary circulation.

Hemofiltration↗

A plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-2) circulates in two molecular forms during pregnancy.

During normal pregnancy maternal haemostasis alters to protect against bleeding with a rise in plasma clotting factor levels and increased inhibition of fibrinolysis. The latter is due in part to increased levels of the 48 kDa plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) present in the plasma of non-pregnant individuals. A second plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-2) occurs in placenta and in a cultured histiocytic lymphoma cell line. We report here the identification by SDS-PAGE and zymography of PAI-2 in plasma during normal pregnancy. PAI-2 was present in two molecular forms of about 75 and 130 kDa, which were detectable at 12 weeks gestation and which persisted in the maternal circulation for up to 7 days after delivery. These forms of PAI-2 appear to be distinct from purified PAI-2, which has a molecular mass of 47-60 kDa and which is not normally detectable in this zymographic system, since it is sensitive to denaturants. The novel forms of PAI-2 may represent complexes or aggregates that retain activity after SDS-PAGE.

Female↗

Chromatography of human immunoglobulin G on immobilized drimarene rubine R/K-5BL. Study of mild, efficient elution procedures.

A range of substances were screened to find eluents for human immunoglobulin G (IgG) which are retained with a strong affinity by immobilized Drimarene Rubine R/K-5BL. The strong affinity of IgG for the dye is partly due to the presence of copper in the dye. This was suggested by the effect of substances able to make coordination bonds with metals that elute the IgG and also the effect of metal stripping from the immobilized dye. Several mobile phase conditions were found that allowed desorption of retained IgG on immobilized Drimarene Rubine R/K-5BL without using a protein denaturant. A procedure was also devised for separating IgG2 from other IgG subclasses using chromatography on immobilized Rubine R/K-5BL and column development with an AMP gradient.

Amines↗

Inhibition of epithelial chloride channels by cytosol.

Chloride channels that have an intermediate conductance and are outwardly rectifying were studied by the patch-clamp technique in cell-excised membrane patches from respiratory epithelial cells in primary culture (REC) of normal and cystic fibrosis tissue, HT29 and T84 human colon carcinoma cells and placenta trophoblast cells (PTC). Chloride channels were immediately activated by the exposure of the cytosolic side of the patch to a Ringer-type solution, which lacked cytosolic components normally inhibiting chloride channels in the "on" cell configuration. Tentatively, we labelled the cytosolic component (or components) responsible for this inhibition cytosolic inhibitor (CI). The presence of CI in cytosol derived from HT29 cells was shown by assaying crude cytosol extracts from these cells on Cl- channels from HT29 cells (n = 2) and REC from normal subjects and cystic fibrosis patients (n = 4). In order to examine CI further, PTC were used as a source of cytosol. The cytosol of PTC inhibited HT29 Cl- channels in a dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal inhibition observed at a 1:6 dilution (n = 11) of the native cytosol. CI from PTC was heat-stable (10 min at 100 degrees C, n = 8). When cytosol extract was partitioned into a chloroform phase, Cl- channel inhibition was shown for the lipophilic extract (n = 12) as well as for the aqueous phase (n = 10). The inhibitory potency of the lipid extract was slightly larger than that of the aqueous phase. Several separation procedures were used to determine the molecular size of CI. When CI was filtered through 30-kDa filters at 6000 rpm for 45 min, inhibitory potency was observed in the filtrate and the retained fraction (n = 3). The same was observed with 10-kDa filters (n = 6). When CI was dialysed through a 12-kDa membrane, inhibitory capacity was recovered from the dialysate. Similarly, gel filtration indicated that CI was less than 5 kDa (n = 13) and probably less than 1.5 kDa (n = 11), but greater than 700 kDa (n = 9). CI was exposed to bead-coupled hydrolysing enzymes (trypsin, non-specific protease, lipase, alpha-amylase, nucleotidase), but none of the enzymes used destroyed the inhibitory potency of CI. These data indicate that CI is present in HT29 as well as in PTC. It inhibits reversibly intermediate-conductance outwardly rectifying Cl- channels in REC, HT29, and PTC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Chloride Channels↗

Two thromboxane A2 receptor isoforms in human platelets. Opposite coupling to adenylyl cyclase with different sensitivity to Arg60 to Leu mutation.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor is a key molecule in hemostasis as its abnormality leads to bleeding disorders. Two isoforms of the human TXA2 receptor have been cloned; one from placenta and the other from endothelium, here referred to as TXR alpha and TXR beta, respectively. These isoforms differ only in their carboxyl-terminal tails. We report that both isoforms are present in human platelets. The two isoforms expressed in cultured cells show similar ligand binding characteristics and phospholipase C (PLC) activation but oppositely regulate adenylyl cyclase activity; TXR alpha activates adenylyl cyclase, while TXR beta inhibits it. The Arg60 to Leu mutant of TXR alpha, which has been shown to impair PLC activation (Hirata, T., A. Kakizuka, F. Ushikubi, I. Fuse, M. Okuma, and S. Narumiya. 1994. J. Clin. Invest. 94: 1662-1667), also impairs adenylyl cyclase stimulation, whereas that of TXR beta retains its activity to inhibit adenylyl cyclase. These findings suggest that the pathway linked to adenylyl cyclase inhibition might be involved in some of the TXA2-induced platelet responses such as shape change and phospholipase A2 activation which remain unaffected in the patients with this mutation.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Studies of antigenic components of the human syncytiotrophoblast membrane.

In order to initiate characterization of potentially immunogenic moieties on the human trophoblast membrane, antisera to native and detergent-solubilized normal trophoblast membranes were prepared in rabbits. By indirect immunofluorescence, these antisera reacted strongly with all villous structures in normal placentae and also with a panel of normal adult human tissues. Specificities to normal human serum components were then removed by solid-phase immunoabsorption. However, the resultant antisera still reacted weakly with differentiated, normal adult tissues, and additional absorption with normal adult liver homogenate was necessary to remove cross-reactivity completely. Such absorbed antisera gave undiminished and specific fluorescence of the syncytiotrophoblast plasma membrane, and specifically precipitated two protein species with approximate relative molecular masses of 148,000 and 62,000. However, they also reacted with PHA-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes, in addition to Chang liver and HeLa cell lines. These results indicate that, even after extensive absorption, trophoblast membrane antisera may retain reactivity for determinants shared with normal and transformed adult cells.

Animals↗

Internalization of the Hm1 muscarinic cholinergic receptor involves the third cytoplasmic loop.

The m1 muscarinic receptor was previously shown to stimulate phosphatidyl inositol (PI) turnover and to internalize rapidly upon agonist activation. Three receptor mutants with large deletions of the third cytoplasmic loop (i3) of human Hm1, leaving only 11 and 8 amino acids at the amino and carboxy terminal junctions of i3, respectively, retained full ability to stimulate PI turnover, when expressed in U293 cells, but receptor internalization was greatly reduced in two mutants with deletions reaching close to the NH2 terminal of i3. We propose that a receptor domain located toward the amino terminal junction of i3 plays a role in Hm1 internalization.

Carbachol↗

Placental transfer and pharmacokinetics of a single dermal dose of [14C]methyl parathion in rats.

The pharmacokinetics and placental transfer of a single dermal 10.0 mg (10microCi)/kg dose of uniformly phenyl-labeled [14C] methyl parathion (0,0-dimethyl 0-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate) were investigated in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats at 14-18 days of gestation. Three rats were killed at each time interval: 1, 2, 4, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after dosing. Radioactivity disappeared biexponentially from the administration sites, which retained 50% and 3% of the dose after 1 h and 96 h, respectively. Most of the absorbed radioactivity was excreted in the urine (91%). Only 3% of the 14C was recovered in the feces. One h after the administration, radioactivity was detected in all tissues, including fetal tissue. The peak maternal plasma concentration of radioactivity (ng methyl parathion equivalent/ml) was 1005 at 2 h, compared to 318 ng for fetal plasma at 12 h. The maximum concentrations of radioactivity (ng methyl parathion equivalent/g), detected in most tissues within 12 h of dosing, were, in descending order: adipose tissue (67,532), kidney (1,571), spleen (1,256), spinal cord (1,004), heart (729), liver (706), brain (546), placenta (389), and fetus (256). The metabolism studies showed that methyl parathion, detected by HPLC, was the major compound identified in plasma and tissues. The maximum concentration detected was in plasma, at 513 ng/ml, and in the following tissues (ng/g fresh tissue): kidney (819), fetus (668), placenta (394), liver (375), and brain (282). The metabolite methyl paraoxon was detected in maternal brain and liver at maximum concentrations (ng/g fresh tissue) of 135 and 64 after 12 h and 4 h respectively, while p-nitrophenol was only detected in liver at a maximum concentration of 21 ng/g 72 h after dosing. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that methyl parathion disappeared monoexponentially from plasma and tissues. The half-life of elimination of methyl parathion from plasma was 11 h corresponding to a constant rate value of 0.06 h(-1). The results indicate that skin and placenta are poor barriers against methyl parathion permeability, resulting in a rapid and extensive dermal absorption of this insecticide and extensive placental transfer. This is indicated by the relative residence (R(R)) of methyl parathion in the plasma, which was largest in the placenta followed by the fetus. This study suggests that pregnant women and fetuses may be at risk of cholinergic toxicity following dermal exposure to methyl parathion.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

In oculo transplants of myometrium from postpartum guinea pigs fail to support sympathetic reinnervation.

Sympathetic nerves to the enlarged fetus-containing region of the uterus undergo degenerative changes during late pregnancy and show slow regrowth after parturition. It is not known whether this unusual response of sympathetic nerves to smooth muscle hypertrophy is due to the sensitivity of short adrenergic neurons to hormonal changes, or whether the nerves respond to changes in the neurotrophic capacity of the target. We have investigated this question using in oculo transplantation. Small pieces of myometrium from the uterine horn of virgin guinea pigs, or from the region previously occupied by the placenta and fetus in postpartum guinea pigs, were transplanted into the anterior eye chamber. After 3 wk in oculo, the pattern of reinnervation of the transplants was assessed on whole mount stretch preparations stained for tyrosine hydroxylase. The histology of the transplants was examined in toluidine blue-stained semithin sections. Myometrial transplants from virgin donors and uterine artery transplants from both virgin and postpartum donors became organotypically reinnervated by sympathetic fibres from the host iris. In contrast, sympathetic nerves did not reinnervate myometrial transplants from postpartum donors, although they approached the transplants and became distributed in the surrounding connective tissue. All transplanted tissues showed a normal histological appearance. Both the myometrium and uterine artery from postpartum donors retained a hypertrophic appearance after 3 wk in oculo. We interpret these results to indicate that the degeneration of sympathetic nerves in late pregnancy, as well as their slow regrowth to the uterus after delivery, may be due to changes in uterine smooth muscle rather than a particular sensitivity of short adrenergic neurons to hormonal changes.

Animals↗