A synergistic negative effect of gestational smoke-exposure and small litter size on rat placental efficiency, vascularisation and angiogenic factors mRNA expression.

ABSTRACT: Smoking increases the risk of pregnancy complications such as spontaneous abortion and low birth weight (LBW). By cigarette smoke exposure (gestational day, GD3-17), normal-litter-size pregnancy with low birth weight (NP-LBW) and small-litter-size pregnancy with normal birth weight (SP-NBW) in rats were induced. The placental weight in SP-NBW was twice the weight of the normal in contrast with the smaller placenta in NP-LBW. Compared with the normal, placental efficiency (expressed as fetus-to-placenta weight ratio) and placental vascularisation were significantly decreased in smoke exposed placentas with more obvious decrease in SP-NBW. For NP-LBW, decreased placental vascularisation was due to decreased labyrinth vascularisation which was caused by both decreased number density and diame

SUBMITTER: Chen ZY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5515421 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature