Contractile properties of human placental anchoring villi

Farley, Anne E.; Graham, Charles H.; Smith, Graeme N.

doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00222.2004

Cited by 46 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…SMC or myofibroblasts form a clearly-defined, perivascular contractile sheath previously demonstrated in large stem villi [Graf et al, 1994] and anchoring villi [Farley et al, 2004], and it was suggested that the contraction of these cells adjusts the blood flow in fetal vessels and increases the turgor, imparting mechanical stability to the villous tree in the maternal blood stream. Moreover, contraction of longitudinally-arranged myofibroblasts within anchoring villi may influence the length and width of the intervillous space, thus regulating maternal intervillous blood pressure [Graf et al, 1994;Farley et al, 2004]. The stimulus for this type of contraction is not yet established because the placenta is a non-innervated organ.…”

Section: Telocytes and Blood Flow Regulationmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Telocytes in Human Term Placenta: Morphology and Phenotype

Suciu

Popescu²,

Gherghiceanu³

et al. 2010

Cells Tissues Organs

175

184

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In the last few years, a new cell type – interstitial Cajal-like cell (ICLC) – has been described in digestive and extra-digestive organs. The name has recently been changed to telocytes (TC) and their typical thin, long processes have been named telopodes (TP). To support the hypothesis that TC may also be present in human placenta and add to the information already available, we provide evidence on the ultrastructure, immunophenotype, distribution, and interactions with the surrounding stromal cells of TC in the villous core of human term placenta. We used phase-contrast microscopy, light microscopy of semithin sections, transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence of tissue sections or cell cultures, following a pre-established diagnostic algorithm. Transmission electron microscopy showed cells resembling TC, most (∼76%) having 2–3 very thin, longprocesses (tens to hundreds of micrometers), with an uneven calibre(≤0.5 µm thick) and typical branching pattern. The dilations of processes accommodate caveolae, endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, and mitochondria. These TC have close contacts with perivascular SMC in stem villi. In situ, similar cells are positive for c-kit, CD34, vimentin, caveolin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and inducible nitric oxide synathase (iNOS). The c-kit-positive cells inconsistently co-express CD34, CD44, αSMA, S100, neuron-specific enolase, and nestin. Among cells with a morphologic TC profile in cell cultures, about 13% co-express c-kit, vimentin, and caveolin-1; 70% of the c-kit-positive cells co-express CD34 and 12% co-express iNOS or VEGF. In conclusion, this study confirms the presence of TC in human term placenta and provides their ultrastructural and immunophenotypic characterization.

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Section: Telocytes and Blood Flow Regulationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…To ascertain a possible role(s) for TC in the physiology of the placenta, we focused on the distribution of presumed TC in the villous core and on their interaction with surrounding stromal cells and the perivascular contractile sheath [Graf et al, 1995;Farley et al, 2004], a structure involved in fetal blood flow regulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telocytes in Human Term Placenta: Morphology and Phenotype

Suciu

Popescu²,

Gherghiceanu³

et al. 2010

Cells Tissues Organs

175

184

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The second type of contractile system consists of non-muscle structures whose contractile properties appear most often during pathological states, such as in skin after an injury, during repair and healing processes, and in fibrotic diseases. In a physiological state, the normal human placenta consists of non-muscle contractile tissues [2,3]. The non-muscle basic contractile cell is the myofibroblast [4] and the molecular motor is the non-muscle myosin type II (NMII) [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Statistical Mechanics of Muscle and Non-Muscle Contractile Systems: Stationary States of Near-Equilibrium Systems in A Linear Regime

Lecarpentier¹,

Claes

Krokidis³

et al. 2017

Entropy

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Abstract:A. Huxley's equations were used to determine the mechanical properties of muscle myosin II (MII) at the molecular level, as well as the probability of the occurrence of the different stages in the actin-myosin cycle. It was then possible to use the formalism of statistical mechanics with the grand canonical ensemble to calculate numerous thermodynamic parameters such as entropy, internal energy, affinity, thermodynamic flow, thermodynamic force, and entropy production rate. This allows us to compare the thermodynamic parameters of a non-muscle contractile system, such as the normal human placenta, with those of different striated skeletal muscles (soleus and extensor digitalis longus) as well as the heart muscle and smooth muscles (trachea and uterus) in the rat. In the human placental tissues, it was observed that the kinetics of the actin-myosin crossbridges were considerably slow compared with those of smooth and striated muscular systems. The entropy production rate was also particularly low in the human placental tissues, as compared with that observed in smooth and striated muscular systems. This is partly due to the low thermodynamic flow found in the human placental tissues. However, the unitary force of non-muscle myosin (NMII) generated by each crossbridge cycle in the myofibroblasts of the human placental tissues was similar in magnitude to that of MII in the myocytes of both smooth and striated muscle cells. Statistical mechanics represents a powerful tool for studying the thermodynamics of all contractile muscle and non-muscle systems.

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“…In human placental vessels, NO maintains low basal tone and attenuates the vasoconstrictor effects of thromboxane and endothelin, thereby contributing to the adequate transfer of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus (Myatt et al 1992;Farley et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leptin modulates nitric oxide production and lipid metabolism in human placenta

White

González

Capobianco

et al. 2006

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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Leptin has significant effects on appetite, energy expenditure, lipid mobilisation and reproduction. During pregnancy, leptin is produced in the placenta, a tissue in which leptin receptors are highly expressed, suggesting autocrine/paracrine functions for this hormone. In the present study, a putative role of leptin as a regulator of nitric oxide (NO) production and lipid metabolism was evaluated in term human placenta. We demonstrated that leptin enhanced NO production in human placental explants (P < 0.01). Although leptin did not modify the placental levels of cholesteryl esters and phospholipids, leptin decreased levels of triglycerides (P < 0.01) and cholesterol (P < 0.001) in term human placenta. The effect of leptin on lipid mass seems to be independent of the modulation of de novo lipid synthesis because leptin did not modify the incorporation of (14)C-acetate into any of the lipids evaluated. We investigated the effects of leptin on placental lipid catabolism and found that in both term human placental explants and primary cultures of trophoblastic cells, leptin increased glycerol release, an index of the hydrolysis of esterified lipids, in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, we have shown that leptin affects NO production and lipid catabolism in human placenta, providing supportive evidence for a role of leptin in placental functions that would determine the transfer of nutrients to the developing fetus.

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Contractile properties of human placental anchoring villi

Cited by 46 publications

References 12 publications

Telocytes in Human Term Placenta: Morphology and Phenotype

Telocytes in Human Term Placenta: Morphology and Phenotype

Comparative Statistical Mechanics of Muscle and Non-Muscle Contractile Systems: Stationary States of Near-Equilibrium Systems in A Linear Regime

Leptin modulates nitric oxide production and lipid metabolism in human placenta

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