Morphological and phenotypic analyses of the human placenta using whole mount immunofluorescence.

ABSTRACT: The human placenta performs multiple essential functions required for successful pregnancy. Alterations in the placental vasculature have been implicated in severe complications of pregnancy. Despite the importance of placental vascular function during pregnancy, there are gaps in our knowledge regarding the molecular pathways that control vessel development. Furthermore, there are limited tools available to simultaneously examine the morphology, phenotype, and spatial arrangement of cells within intact placental structures. To overcome these limitations, we developed whole mount immunofluorescence (WMIF) of the human placenta. Morphological analyses using WMIF revealed that blood vessel structures were consistent with an immature, angiogenic morphology in first-trimester placentas and mat

SUBMITTER: Bushway ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4076371 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature