Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus.


Type
Article
Change log
Authors
Gaynor, Louise M 
Abstract

The placenta mediates the exchange of factors such as gases and nutrients between mother and fetus and has specific demands for supply of blood from the maternal circulation. The maternal uterine vasculature needs to adapt to this temporary demand and the success of this arterial remodeling process has implications for fetal growth. Cells of the maternal immune system, especially natural killer (NK) cells, play a critical role in this process. Here we describe a method to assess the degree of remodeling of maternal spiral arteries during mouse pregnancy. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections are scanned and the size of the vessels analysed. As a complementary validation method, we also present a qualitative assessment for the success of the remodeling process by immunohistochemical detection of smooth muscle actin (SMA), which normally disappears from within the arterial vascular media at mid-gestation. Together, these methods enable determination of an important parameter of the pregnancy phenotype. These results can be combined with other endpoints of mouse pregnancy to provide insight into the mechanisms underlying pregnancy-related complications.

Description
Keywords
Actins, Animals, Female, Immunohistochemistry, Killer Cells, Natural, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Animal, Uterine Artery, Uterus, Vascular Remodeling
Journal Title
J Vis Exp
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1940-087X
1940-087X
Volume Title
106
Publisher
MyJove Corporation
Sponsorship
British Heart Foundation (None)
Wellcome Trust (094073/Z/10/Z)
This work was funded by The Wellcome Trust [094073/Z/10/Z], The Centre for Trophoblast Research and The British Heart Foundation.