Elastic fibres are an essential component of human placental stem villous stroma and an integrated part of the perivascular contractile sheath |
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Authors: | R Graf H Neudeck R Gossrau K Vetter |
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Institution: | Department of Anatomy, Universit?tsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universit?t Berlin, K?nigin-Luise-Strasse 15, D-14195 Berlin, Germany, DE Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Krankenhaus Neuk?lln, Mariendorfer Weg 28, D-12051 Berlin, Germany, DE
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Abstract: | The stroma of human placental stem villi is believed to consist only of reticular and collagen fibres. In the present study
we were able to show for the first time by light (orcein staining) and electron microscopy large amounts of elastic fibres
in the stem villous stroma. Electron microscopically, homogeneous elastin was found alone or in association with microfibrils.
In addition, microfibrils were observed forming long bands. These three structures, generally known to form elastic connective
tissue, were seen in close connection with placental extravascular smooth muscle cells, which belong to the perivascular contractile
sheath (PVCS) of stem villi. Elastin was associated with these smooth muscle cells and connected to collagen fibres via microfibrils.
Collagen fibres were additionally interconnected by spike-like structures. Extravascular smooth muscle cells revealed numerous
adhesion plaques which occupied conspicuously long cytoplasmic faces of the plasma membrane. In cryostat sections, immunoreactivity
of talin, an attachment protein of adhesion plaques linking intracellular α-actin filaments with extracellular fibronectin,
was detected in extravascular and vascular (media) smooth muscle cells. The arrangement of placental extravascular smooth
muscle cells, elastic and collagen fibres suggests a functional myofibroelastic unit within the PVCS, which surrounds the
large foetal blood vessels possibly contributing to elasticity and supporting tensile and/or contracting forces within the
stem villi.
Received: 2 May 1995 / Accepted: 7 August 1995 |
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Keywords: | : Elastic fibres Placental stem villi Extravascular smooth muscle cells Adhesion plaques Talin immunoreactivity Human |
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