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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo
Published on: August 2, 2017
Endoplasmic reticulum stress is induced in the human placenta during labour
J H W Veerbeek1, M C Tissot Van Patot2, G J Burton2
1Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK; University Medical Center Utrecht, Division of Perinatology, Department of Obstetrics, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Placental endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been postulated in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but its activation remains elusive. Oxidative stress induced by ischaemia/hypoxia-reoxygenation activates ER stress in vitro. Here, we explored whether exposure to labour represents an in vivo model for the study of acute placental ER stress. ER stress markers, GRP78, P-eIF2α and XBP-1, were significantly higher in laboured placentas than in Caesarean-delivered controls localised mainly in the syncytiotrophoblast. The similarities to changes observed in PE/IUGR placentas suggest exposure to labour can be used to investigate induction of ER stress in pathological placentas.
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