Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Increase in short telomeres during the third trimester in human placenta.

PloS one·2022
Same author

Modulation of IL10 and Its Receptor Subunits in Normal and Progesterone-Prolonged Gestation in the Mouse.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)·2020
Same author

Cell-Free DNA Release by Mouse Fetal Membranes.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)·2018
Same author

The Effect of Maternal Obesity on Placental Cell-Free DNA Release in a Mouse Model.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)·2018
Same author

Fetal and Placental DNA Stimulation of TLR9: A Mechanism Possibly Contributing to the Pro-inflammatory Events During Parturition.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)·2017
Same author

Estradiol and progesterone influence on influenza infection and immune response in a mouse model.

American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989)·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
05:31

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.4K

Cell-free DNA release by mouse placental explants.

Mark Phillippe1, Sharareh Adeli1

  • 1Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

Plos One
|June 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Placental tissue releases cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) through apoptosis, with fragments similar in size to those in maternal plasma. This cfDNA can trigger a proinflammatory response, suggesting a role in parturition onset.

More Related Videos

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation
07:39

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation

Published on: April 14, 2023

3.8K
Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program
11:00

Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program

Published on: December 16, 2016

7.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
05:31

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.4K
Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation
07:39

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation

Published on: April 14, 2023

3.8K
Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program
11:00

Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program

Published on: December 16, 2016

7.7K

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology and immunology
  • Molecular and cellular biology
  • Genetics and epigenetics

Background:

  • The precise origin of cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) in maternal circulation remains incompletely understood.
  • Existing hypotheses suggest trophoblast cells as the source of fetal cfDNA.
  • The functional implications of fetal cfDNA, particularly its role in parturition, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate that placental tissue releases cfDNA in parallel with cellular death.
  • To characterize the size of placental cfDNA fragments and compare them to maternal plasma cfDNA.
  • To investigate the capacity of placental cfDNA to stimulate a proinflammatory cytokine response.

Main Methods:

  • Harvesting and culturing near-term pregnant mouse placentas under varying oxygen conditions (8% and 21% O2).
  • Quantifying cfDNA in culture media via DNA spectrophotometry and fragment sizing using gel electrophoresis.
  • Assessing cell death (LDH assay), apoptosis markers (caspase activity, BAX expression), and IL6 stimulation in macrophages.

Main Results:

  • Significant cfDNA release was observed from cultured placental explants, independent of oxygen levels.
  • Placental cfDNA fragments ranged from <100 to <400 bp, consistent with maternal plasma cfDNA.
  • cfDNA release correlated with cell death and apoptosis markers, and stimulated IL6 production in macrophages.

Conclusions:

  • Placental tissue actively releases cfDNA, a process partly mediated by apoptosis.
  • The size and proinflammatory potential of released cfDNA suggest a functional role.
  • These findings support the hypothesis that placental cfDNA contributes mechanistically to parturition onset.