Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan.
Placenta. 2011 Jul;32(7):506-10. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2011.04.012. Epub 2011 May 7.
To determine if elephant placenta secretes a lactogenic hormone which may function as the principal luteotrophin to maintain ovarian luteal function throughout gestation.
To label biopsies of endometrium and placenta recovered from African elephant culled professionally throughout gestation with an anti-human prolactin polyclonal antibody in a conventional immunocytochemical staining technique.
All trophoblast cells covering the placental villi and forming 'plugs' in the apical endometrial glands stained strongly and precisely with the anti-human prolactin antiserum throughout gestation.
Elephant trophoblast secretes a placental lactogen (elPL) which may stimulate both the development and secretory function of the large accessory corpora lutea of elephant pregnancy and provide the mitogenic stimulus for placental differentiation and development.
确定大象胎盘是否分泌一种泌乳激素，该激素可能作为主要的促黄体激素，以维持整个妊娠期卵巢黄体的功能。
采用常规免疫细胞化学染色技术，用抗人催乳素多克隆抗体对在整个妊娠期内被专业捕杀的非洲象的子宫内膜和胎盘组织进行活检，并进行标记。
在整个妊娠期内，覆盖胎盘绒毛的所有滋养层细胞以及形成在子宫腺顶端的“塞子”都强烈而准确地与抗人催乳素抗血清染色。
大象的滋养层细胞分泌胎盘催乳素（elPL），可能刺激大象妊娠中大的副黄体的发育和分泌功能，并为胎盘的分化和发育提供有丝分裂刺激。
