The effects of β-naphthoflavone on rat placental development

The morphological effects of β-naphthoflavone (β-NF) on placental development in pregnant rats were examined. β-NF, administered to pregnant rats intraperitoneally at 15 mg/kg bw from gestation day (GD) 9 to GD 14, had no effect on maternal body weight gain, mortality, or clinical sign. In the β-NF-exposed rats, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) rates increased on GDs 17 and 21, although there was no effect on fetal mortality rate, fetal or placental weight, or external fetal abnormality. Histopathologically, β-NF induced apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation of the trophoblastic septa in the labyrinth zone, resulting in its poor development. In the basal zone, β-NF induced spongiotrophoblast apoptosis and delayed glycogen islet regression, resulting in their cystic degeneration. β-NF-induced CYP1A1 expression was detected in the endothelial cells of the fetal capillaries in the labyrinth zone and in the endothelial cells of the spiral arteries in the metrial gland, but not in any trophoblasts. This indicates that CYP1A1 is inducible in the endothelial cells of the fetal capillaries in the labyrinth zone, and that these cells have an important role in metabolizing CYP1A1 inducers crossing the placental barrier.