Patterns of expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X-L in the implantation site in rat during pregnancy

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2005

Authors

Correia da Silva, G (Author) FFUP; Bell, SC (Author) Other; Pringle, JH (Author) Other; Teixeira, NA (Author) FFUP

Journal

Title: Placenta

Vol. 26

Pages: 796-806

ISSN: 0143-4004

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 13 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Clinical medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-0T7

DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2004.09.008

Abstract (EN): The uterine endometrium responds to blastocyst implantation with extensive proliferation and differentiation of stromal cells into decidual cells, forming the antimesometrial and mesometrial decidua. These undergo regression by apoptosis but as this process occurs at different time periods suggest that there is spatially dependent temporal control of apoptosis in these specific regions. To elucidate the role of the mitochondrion-dependent signalling pathway in tissue regression, we investigated the spatial and temporal pattern of expression of the Bcl-2 family members in uterine tissues of the implantation site, from the post-implantation period to parturition. Furthermore, the activities of the initiator caspases-8 and -9, and of the executioner caspase-3 were determined. Overall Bax and Bcl-2 were expressed from day 8 till day 19, whilst BCI-X-L was extinguished by day 16. In the antimesometrial and in the inesometrial decidua both Bcl-2 and Bax declined from days 10 to 12. In the latter Bcl-2 immunoreactivity decreased till the end of pregnancy, whilst for Bax a constant level remained thereafter. The pattern of variation of enzymatic activities throughout pregnancy for all the enzymes was similar, increasing from days 10 to 14 and decreasing towards the end of pregnancy. The increased levels of active caspase-9 correlated with Bax/Bcl-2 and BCI-XL expression suggesting that the apoptotic mitochondrion-dependent pathway is involved in decidual regression during pregnancy progression.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11