Related Experiment Videos
[Study on immunoreactive oxytocin in the human placental tissue]
Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai Zasshi
|March 1, 1983
Summary
Human placental tissue contains immunoreactive oxytocin, increasing significantly throughout pregnancy. This suggests the placenta may be a third major source of oxytocin, in addition to the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
Context:
- Oxytocin is a crucial hormone primarily synthesized in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary.
- Its roles in labor, lactation, and social bonding are well-established.
- The potential for other significant sources of oxytocin has remained largely unexplored.
Purpose:
- To investigate the presence and quantify immunoreactive oxytocin within human placental tissue across different trimesters.
- To characterize placental oxytocin using radioimmunoassay and compare its properties with synthetic oxytocin.
Summary:
- Immunoreactive oxytocin was detected and quantified in human placental tissue using radioimmunoassay and carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) column chromatography.
- Placental oxytocin content increased from the first to the third trimester, with concentrations rising significantly from 2.5 ng/gm in the first trimester to 34 ng/gm in the second and third trimesters.
- Both dilution curves and CMC elution profiles of placental oxytocin closely paralleled those of synthetic oxytocin, confirming its identity.
Impact:
- These findings indicate that the human placenta is a significant source of oxytocin, potentially acting as a third major production site.
- This discovery may necessitate a re-evaluation of oxytocin's physiological roles and regulation during pregnancy.
- Further research into placental oxytocin could reveal novel therapeutic targets for pregnancy-related complications.