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Hormone release by primary amniotic fluid cell cultures.
P Medina-Gómez1, A Espinosa de los Monteros, J Belmont
1Department of Human Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México, D.F.
Journal of Perinatal Medicine
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Amniotic fluid cells, crucial for prenatal diagnosis, show diverse origins and hormone release. This study confirms their heterogeneity and identifies hormones like hCG, suggesting placental cell presence for diagnostic insights.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Cell biology
- Prenatal diagnostics
Background:
- Amniotic fluid cells are vital for prenatal diagnosis but exhibit significant heterogeneity in origin and type.
- Understanding the cellular composition and function of amniotic fluid cells is essential for accurate prenatal assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the karyotype and hormone release (hCG, hCS, E3, PRL, P) of amniotic fluid cells from normal and anencephalic fetuses.
- To investigate the trophoblastic origin of amniotic fluid cells and their potential for differential diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Primary cell cultures of amniotic fluid from six normal and two anencephalic fetuses.
- Karyotype analysis and measurement of hormone release (hCG, hCS, E3, PRL, P) in cultured cells.
Main Results:
- All amniotic fluid samples showed release of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
- Prolactin (PRL) and progesterone (P) were also released, particularly in samples with tetraploid colonies.
- Confirmed heterogeneity in amniotic fluid cell morphology and hormone secretion in culture.
Conclusions:
- The presence of hCG supports a trophoblastic origin for some amniotic fluid cells in both normal and anencephalic fetuses.
- Hormones like PRL and P may aid in differentiating fetal membranes from true fetal karyotypes.
- Amniotic fluid cell cultures provide a method to obtain second-trimester placental cells for hormone studies.