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Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
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Fetal cell microchimerism in the maternal mouse spinal cord
Guohui Zhang1, Yunan Zhao, Xin-Min Li
1Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, 075000, China.
Neuroscience Bulletin
|December 19, 2013
Summary
Fetal cells persist in maternal spinal cords after pregnancy, a phenomenon known as fetal cell microchimerism. This study confirms fetal cell presence in mouse spinal cords, with increased detection after multiple pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Fetal cell microchimerism, the presence of fetal cells in maternal tissues, is documented in various organs.
- Its occurrence in the maternal spinal cord remains largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and characteristics of fetal cell microchimerism in the maternal spinal cord.
- To determine if pregnancy history influences fetal cell detection in the spinal cord.
Main Methods:
- Utilized C57BL/6 female mice crossed with GFP transgenic males.
- Employed fluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and PCR to detect GFP-positive fetal cells and DNA in maternal spinal cords.
- Examined spinal cords after first and third deliveries.
Main Results:
- Detected GFP-positive fetal cells and DNA in the majority of maternal spinal cords.
- Fetal cell detection rates were higher in mice with three pregnancies (80%) compared to those with one (20%).
- Identified fetal cells expressing NeuN, a neuronal marker, suggesting potential neuronal differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Fetal cells migrate to and persist in the maternal spinal cord during and after pregnancy.
- The frequency of fetal cell microchimerism in the spinal cord increases with parity.
- Fetal cells in the maternal spinal cord may differentiate into neurons.
