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Elastic fibres in the human placenta
José S Barros1, Carlos A Gonçalves, Vasco A Bairos
1Center for Histophysiology, Experimental Pathology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal. josebarros.3@netc.pt
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics
|February 20, 2003
Summary
Elastic fibers in human placenta villi develop significantly throughout gestation. The microfibrillar component is prominent early, while the amorphous component becomes more frequent in term placentas, indicating advanced villous differentiation.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Developmental Biology
- Histology
Background:
- Recent studies identified elastic fibers in human term placental stem villi.
- The developmental changes of these elastic fiber systems across gestation were not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the changes in the elastic fiber system within the placental villous tree across different human gestational ages.
- To characterize the composition of elastic fibers in relation to villous differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Light microscopy was used to examine elastic fiber distribution in first-trimester, second-trimester, and term human placentas.
- Transmission electron microscopy was employed to analyze the microstructural components of elastic fibers at the ultrastructural level.
Main Results:
- Elastic fibers were observed in the stroma of stem villi and chorionic plate vessels in term placentas.
- A significant variation in microfibrillar component deposition was noted, with abundant material in term placentas compared to minimal amounts in some second-trimester stem villi.
- The amorphous component of elastic fibers was rarely seen in second-trimester placentas but was evident in term placentas (37-42 weeks gestation).
- Stem villi predominantly showed microfibrils with little amorphous component, while mature intermediate villi exhibited both components.
Conclusions:
- Elastic fiber development in the placental villous tree is characterized by increasing complexity and component deposition throughout gestation.
- The villous stroma's elastic fibers are primarily microfibrillar, with the amorphous component becoming more prevalent in later stages of villous differentiation, particularly in term placentas.