Patrón de glicosilación glandular y vascular de la placenta porcina

Abstract

Since porcine placenta is epitheliochorial and non invasive, maternal and fetal blood flows are separated by six tissue layers. Therefore, the interchange of nutrients between mother and fetuses results indispensable for the success of pregnancy. The glycoconjugates participate in several biological processes, nevertheless their involvement in the materno-fetal interchange that takes place in the placenta is still unclear. The objective was to investigate the glycosilated residues of endometrial glands and blood vessels in placentas of different gestational periods. Crossbred swines from slaughterhouses located in Río Cuarto, Argentina, were used. Samples from placentas of: 28 (n=5), 55 (n=5), 60 (n=5), 70 (n=5) and 114 days of pregnancy (n=5) were obtained. Lectin-histochemistry using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins were employed. Sialic acid residues were detected with low intensity in blood vessels and uterine glands. Variable intensity was found for galactosilated residues, with the lowest intensity for ß-gal (1,3) galNAc residues of PNA binding. However, blood vessels staining was higher than that of glands. The highest staining for glucose and mannose was found in vessels with Con-A lectin, and in glands with VFA. The present results indicate that changes in the glycosilation pattern of glandular and vascular epithelia are related with placental remodeling along gestation. Moreover, the saccharide residues found in vascular and glandular secretions would be part of the nutritional substances provided to the embryos/fetuses during pregnancy.