To investigate possible effects of implantation on apoptosis, we examined the cleavage of DNA in human chorionic villi and decidua in intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy. Very limited but detectable cleavage of DNA was recognized in the chorionic villi and decidua in normal pregnancy. A ladder pattern, characteristic of the apoptotic breakdown of DNA, was present in the villi in tubal pregnancy....

Pregnancy is characterized by the infiltration of leukocytes in the reproductive tissues and at the maternal-fetal interface (decidua basalis and decidua parietalis). This interface is the anatomical site of contact between maternal and fetal tissues; therefore, it is an immunological site of action during pregnancy. Infiltrating leukocytes at the maternal-fetal interface play a central role in...

The ultrastructure of the human decidua in all three trimesters of normal pregnancy, in the tube in a case of ectopic pregnancy, and in hydatidiform mole is described. By Day 25 of the menstrual cycle, most of the ultrastructural characteristics associated with pregnancy have begun to appear: The morphologic manifestations of cellular activity in the true decidua are maximal by Day 70 of pregna...

The role of progesterone (P4) in the regulation of inflammatory mediators interleukin-8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and in the recruitment of leukocyte subpopulations in the endometrium has been examined, by employing a model of P4 withdrawal and maintenance in vivo. Messenger RNA and protein expression have been investigated in endometrial biopsies:...

BACKGROUND There are more and more women with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The mechanism of RSA is still unclear. Immunological factors have been postulated to play a role in the etiology of RSA. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells in the immune system, and the decidual DCs may take part in the occurrence of RSA. The difference in maturity status of decid...

Capparis decidua is one of the traditional remedies used for various medicinal treatments in Pakistan. This study presents the determination of proximate composition, amino acids, fatty acids, tocopherols, sterols, glucosinolate and phenolic content in extracts obtained from different aerial parts of C. decidua, as well as their antidiabetic and antioxidant activity. All examined extracts were ...

Intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) can imprint environmental conditions within the growing season and most of the research on IADFs has been focused on their climatic signal. However, to our knowledge, the genetic influence on the frequency and type of IADFs has not been evaluated. To understand if the genotype can affect the formation of IADFs we have used a common garden experiment usi...

Embryo implantation is a complex process involving continuous molecular cross-talk between the embryo and the decidua. One of the key molecules during this process is human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG effectively modulates several metabolic pathways within the decidua contributing to endometrial receptivity. Herein, a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms regulated by HCG is presente...

Analysis of gene expression patterns during early stages of mammalian embryonic development can provide important clues about gene function, cell-cell interaction and signaling mechanisms that guide embryonic patterning. However, dissection of the mouse embryo from the decidua shortly after implantation can be a challenging procedure, and detailed step-by-step documentation of this process is l...