HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gruslin, A. Articles by Tsang, B. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gruslin, A. Articles by Tsang, B. K. Agricola Articles by Gruslin, A. Articles by Tsang, B. K.

Influence of Maternal Smoking on Trophoblast Apoptosis Throughout Development: Possible Involvement of Xiap Regulation¹

^a Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ^b Reproductive Biology Unit, ^c Division of Reproductive Medicine, ^d Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa/The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Health Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L6

ABSTRACT

Maternal smoking is associated with severe perinatal complications and significant placental pathologies with underlying ultrastructural changes. In this study, we examined the influence of maternal smoking on trophoblast apoptosis throughout development and correlated those findings with changes in expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (Xiap) as well as Fas and Fas ligand (FasL). Trophoblast apoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation and TUNEL. Protein expression was assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Maternal smoking was associated with increased trophoblast apoptosis in the first trimester but decreased trophoblast apoptosis near term. Placental Xiap levels decreased significantly throughout development in nonsmokers (P < 0.05) but remained elevated in smokers. Fas and FasL levels did not vary significantly throughout development nor between groups. However, procaspase-3 levels were significantly increased in smokers at term. Our results suggest that maternal smoking has different effects at different stages of trophoblast differentiation and that this is regulated in part through modulations in placental Xiap expression.

FOOTNOTES

First decision: 27 February 2001.

¹ This work was supported by a grant from the Physician Services Inc. (PSI).

² Correspondence: Andrée Gruslin, Division Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Room 8420, The Ottawa Hospital-General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6. FAX: 613 737 8470; agruslin{at}ottawahospital.on.ca

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Wang, P. U. Rippstein, and B. K. Tsang Role and Gonadotrophic Regulation of X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein Expression During Rat Ovarian Follicular Development In Vitro Biol Reprod, February 1, 2003; 68(2): 610 - 619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]