Implications in the management of pregnancy: II. Low levels of gene expression but enhanced uptake and accumulation of umbilical cord glycodelin.

OBJECTIVE

We recently reported the presence of glycodelin in the endothelial cells of human umbilical cord. The objective of the current study is to determine whether human umbilical cord endothelial cells synthesize glycodelin.

DESIGN

Controlled clinical study.

SETTING

Healthy women undergoing normal delivery at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia.

PATIENT(S): Healthy women undergoing normal delivery.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Human umbilical cord was collected after full-term delivery and total RNA from endothelial cells was isolated. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed by using primers from glycodelin sequence. Human umbilical cord endothelial cells at passage 3 were incubated with glycodelin-derived peptide or glycodelin-rich amniotic fluid. Immunocytochemical analysis was performed by using purified chicken anti-glycodelin peptide antibody to detect the accumulation of glycodelin in cells.

RESULT(S): Little or no glycodelin message was detectable in the endothelial cells from human umbilical cord vein by RT-PCR and Southern blot analysis. However, these cells readily took up glycodelin protein and glycodelin-derived synthetic peptide from the medium.

CONCLUSION(S): The presence and accumulation of glycodelin in the umbilical cord might indicate their potential role in the survival of fetal tissue in the maternal environment.