We examined the morphological effects of cyclophosphamide (CPA) on placental development in pregnant rats. CPA was administered as a single dose to rats intraperitoneally at 0 mg/kg (the control group), 25 gestation day (GD) 12 GD 12-treated and 14 14-treated group). The fetal weight decreased CPA-treated groups, complete resorption from 17 onwards group, external malformations group. Histopath...

BACKGROUND Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are the most abundant leukocytes in pre-implantation endometrium and early pregnancy deciduas in humans and rodents. They are associated with structural changes in maternal spiral arteries but regulation of their recruitment and activation is incompletely understood. The major subpopulation of uNK cells in humans expresses CD56, the neural cell adhe...

HLA-G is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex class I molecule selectively expressed on cytotrophoblasts at the feto-maternal interface, where it may play an important role in maternal tolerance of the fetus. We provide direct evidence under physiological conditions that supports the role of HLA-G in protecting cytotrophoblasts against natural killer (NK) cytolysis in 6 semiallogenic...

Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are recruited into the uterus during establishment of the implantation and placentation of the embryo, and are hypothesized to regulate uterine spiral artery remodeling and angiogenesis during the initial stages of pregnancy. Failures in uNK cell activation are linked to diseases associated with pregnancy. However, the manner in which these cells interact with...