Regulation of mouse trophoblast giant cell nucleus development in hatched mouse blastocysts by cyclic cytidine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cCMP)

Summary The dibutyryl analog of cCMP enlarged the nuclei of trophoblast gian cells and promoted blastocyst development. The result suggests that cCMP has a trophic effect on embryonic development, specifically by altering the size of the trophoblast cell nucleus but does not enhance trophoblast cell proliferation processes.     

Regulation of mouse trophoblast giant cell nucleus development in hatched mouse blastocysts by cyclic cytidine 3',5'-monophosphate (cCMP)

The dibutyryl analog of cCMP enlarged the nuclei of trophoblast giant cells and promoted blastocyst development. The result suggests that cCMP has a trophic effect on embryonic development, specifically by altering the size of the trophoblast cell nucleus but does not enhance trophoblast cell proliferation processes.     

Elevated glucose levels influence in vitro hatching,attachment, trophoblast outgrowth and differentiation of the mouse blastocyst

Summary A glucose concentration of 3.5 mg/ml is optimal for in vitro embryo attachment and trophoblastic cell outgrowth. Raising the concentration above 3.5 mg/ml does not improve embryo culture and can at certain concentrations be detrimental to embryo development.     

Response of neonatal mouse lung in organ culture to silica

Summary Short term organ cultures of lung fragments from neonatal mice maintain their normal architecture. Cultures exposed to silica flour in varying concentrations show effects resembling those seen in chronic silicosis produced by inoculation and inhalation methods.     

Early incorporation of labelled palmitate into mouse lung

Résumé Le taux d'incorporation de l'acide palmitique marqué à l'hydrogène 3 dans les cellules des bronchioles terminales et des alvéoles du poumon de la souris, suggère que le surfactan pulmonaire est sécrété par les cellules deClara dans les bronchioles terminales.     

Formation of lung colonies by mouse ascitic teratocarcinomas.

Intravenous transplantation of teratocarcinomas resulted in the formation of colonies only in the lung. The lung colony system would be advantageous for the quantitative studies of differentiation of teratocarcinoma stem cells.     

Some new aspects in human trophoblast cultures

Résumé L'évolution morphologique des cellules trophoblastiques humaines, ainsi que leur potentiel de sécrétion hormonale, in vitro, ont été examinés pendant plus de 2 mois, à l'aide d'une technique simplifiée de culture de placenta. La signification des cellules dites «géantes» l'aspect fibroblastique des trophoblastes dans les cultures agées, et le développement des vrais fibroblastes dans ces cultures, sont discutés.

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Acknowledgments: We thank Mr.I. Ofek and MissTechila Kehati for technical assistance.     

Giant sex chromatin in endopolyploid trophoblast nuclei of the rat

Zusammenfassung Der DNA-Gehalt und die Chromatinstruktur der hoch endopolyploiden Zellkerne des Rattentrophoblasten wurden untersucht. Cytophotometrische Messungen des Feulgen-DNA-Gehalts weisen auf Polyploidiegrade bis zu 4.096n. Die Riesenkerne von weiblichen Embryonen weien einen grossen heterochromatischen Körper auf, der als Sex-Chromatin, gebildet durch einige Hundert oder Tausend inaktivierteX-Chromosomen, gedeutet wird.

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Acknowledgment. I thank Dr.W. Schnedl, Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Vienna, for kindly supplying us with fixed material and with stained sections.     

Peculiar ruthenium red staining pattern of the human early trophoblast

Summary This paper describes the ruthenium red staining (RRS) pattern observed on the 2 sides, maternal and fetal, of the human early trophoblast. The possibility of a different plasma membrane composition of the 2 sides of the human early trophoblast is discussed.     

Growth inhibitory effects of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate on mouse leukemia L-5178-Y-R cells in culture

Résumé La croissance des cellules leucémie murine L-5178-Y-R gène le cycle AMP dans les cultures. Le taux des syntèses décroit d'une manière significative après 4 et 6 h pour le RNA et après 8 h pour la protéine. Le taux de la syntèse de DNA décroit quelque peu entre 1 et 6 h et d'une façon accentuée après 8 h.     

Interaction and interrelation of P2X7 and P2X4 receptor complexes in mouse lung epithelial cells

P2X4 and P2X7 receptors are ATP-gated ion channels that are co-expressed in alveolar epithelial type I cells. Both receptors are localized to the plasma membrane and partly associated with lipid rafts. Here we report on our study in an alveolar epithelial cell line of the molecular organization of P2X7R and P2X4R receptors and the effect of their knockdown. Native gel electrophoresis reveals three P2X7R complexes of ~430, ~580 and ~760 kDa. The latter two correspond exactly in size to signals of Cav-1, the structural protein of caveolae. Interestingly knockdown of P2rx7 affects protein levels, the intracellular distribution and the supramolecular organization of Cav-1 as well as of P2X4R, which is mainly detected in a complex of ~430 kDa. Our data suggest upregulation of P2X4R as a compensatory mechanism of P2X7R depletion.     

The importance of HLA-G expression in embryos,trophoblast cells,and embryonic stem cells

The nonclassical HLA-G molecule is a trophoblast-specific molecule present in almost every pregnancy. It differs from classical HLA class I molecules by the low degree of allelic variants and the high diversity of protein structures. HLA-G is reported to be a tolerogenic molecule that acts on cells of both innate and adaptive immunity. At the maternal–fetal interface HLA-G seems to be responsible largely for the reprogramming of local maternal immune response. This review will focus on the HLA-G gene expression profile in pregnancy, in preimplantation embryos, and in human embryonic stem cells with emphasis on the structural diversity of the HLA-G protein and its potential functional and diagnostic implications.     

Progesterone-induced blocking factor differentially regulates trophoblast and tumor invasion by altering matrix metalloproteinase activity

Invasiveness is a common feature of trophoblast and tumors; however, while tumor invasion is uncontrolled, trophoblast invasion is strictly regulated. Both trophoblast and tumor cells express high levels of the immunomodulatory progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF), therefore, we aimed to test the possibility that PIBF might be involved in invasion. To this aim, we used PIBF-silenced or PIBF-treated trophoblast (HTR8/Svneo, and primary trophoblast) and tumor (HT-1080, A549, HCT116, PC3) cell lines. Silencing of PIBF increased invasiveness as well as MMP-2,-9 secretion of HTR8/SVneo, and decreased those of HT-1080 cells. PIBF induced immediate STAT6 activation in both cell lines. Silencing of IL-4Rα abrogated all the above effects of PIBF, suggesting that invasion-related signaling by PIBF is initiated through the IL-4Rα/PIBF-receptor complex. In HTR-8/SVneo, PIBF induced fast, but transient Akt and ERK phosphorylation, whereas in tumor cells, PIBF triggered sustained Akt, ERK, and late STAT3 activation. The late signaling events might be due to indirect action of PIBF. PIBF induced the expression of EGF and HB-EGF in HT-1080 cells. The STAT3-activating effect of PIBF was reduced in HB-EGF-deficient HT-1080 cells, suggesting that PIBF-induced HB-EGF contributes to late STAT3 activation. PIBF binds to the promoters of IL-6, EGF, and HB-EGF; however, the protein profile of the protein/DNA complex is different in the two cell lines. We conclude that in tumor cells, PIBF induces proteins, which activate invasion signaling, while—based on our previous data—PIBF might control trophoblast invasion by suppressing proinvasive genes.