Smith S C, Baker P N, Symonds E M
University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1997 Dec;177(6):1395-401. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(97)70081-4.
Our purpose was to investigate a possible role for apoptosis in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of intrauterine growth restriction.
Placental samples were obtained from 43 uncomplicated third-trimester pregnancies and from 26 pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction. The definition used to identify cases of intrauterine growth restriction depended on three criteria: clinical evidence of suboptimal growth, ultrasonographic evidence of deviation from an appropriate growth percentile, and individualized birth weight ratios <10th percentile. Light microscopy was used to quantify the incidence of apoptosis. Electron microscopy and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling) staining were used to confirm the occurrence of apoptosis.
Quantification of apoptosis (medians and interquartile ranges) resulted in the following values: normal third trimester (n = 43) 0.14% of cells (0.08% to 0.20%) and intrauterine growth restriction third trimester (n = 26) 0.24% of cells (0.16% to 0.29%). The incidence of apoptosis was significantly higher in placentas from pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction compared with normal third-trimester placentas (p < 0.01, Mann Whitney U test).
These results suggest that apoptosis may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of intrauterine growth restriction.
我们的目的是研究细胞凋亡在胎儿生长受限病理生理机制中可能发挥的作用。
从43例无并发症的孕晚期妊娠及26例合并胎儿生长受限的妊娠中获取胎盘样本。用于识别胎儿生长受限病例的定义取决于三个标准：生长欠佳的临床证据、偏离适当生长百分位数的超声证据以及个体化出生体重比<第10百分位数。采用光学显微镜对细胞凋亡发生率进行定量。通过电子显微镜和TUNEL（末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导的dUTP缺口末端标记）染色来确认细胞凋亡的发生。
细胞凋亡定量（中位数和四分位数间距）得出以下数值：正常孕晚期（n = 43）为0.14%的细胞（0.08%至0.20%），胎儿生长受限孕晚期（n = 26）为0.24%的细胞（0.16%至0.29%）。与正常孕晚期胎盘相比，胎儿生长受限妊娠胎盘的细胞凋亡发生率显著更高（p < 0.01，Mann-Whitney U检验）。
这些结果表明细胞凋亡可能在胎儿生长受限的病理生理机制中发挥作用。
