Abstract:
The exchange of substances between
mother and fetus via the placenta plays a vital role during
development. A number of developmental disorders
in the fetus and placenta are observed during diabetic
pregnancies. Diabetes, together with placental apoptosis,
can lead to developmental and functional disorders.
Aims: Histological, ultrastructural and apoptotic
changes were investigated in the placenta of streptozotocin
(STZ) induced diabetic rats.
Study Design: Animal experimentation.
Methods: In this study, a total of 12 female Wistar Albino
rats (control (n=6) and diabetic (n=6)) were used.
Rats in the diabetic group, following the administration
of a single dose of STZ, showed blood glucose levels
higher than 200 mg/dL after 72 hours. When pregnancy
was detected after the rats were bred, two pieces
of placenta and the fetuses were collected on the 20th
day of pregnancy by cesarean incision under ketamine/
xylazine anesthesia from in four rats from the control
and diabetic groups. Placenta tissues were processed
for light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy
(TEM). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and periodic
acid Schiff-diastase (PAS-D) staining for light microscopic
and caspase-3 staining for immunohistochemical
investigations were performed for each placenta.
Electron microscopy was performed on thin sections
contrasted with uranyl acetate and lead nitrate.
Results: Weight gain in the placenta and fetuses of diabetic
rats and thinning of the decidual layer, thickening
of the hemal membrane, apoptotic bodies, congestion
in intervillous spaces, increased PAS-D staining in decidual
cells and caspase-3 immunoreactivity were observed
in the diabetic group. After the ultrastructural
examination, the apoptotic appearance of the nuclei of
trophoblastic cells, edema and intracytoplasmic vacuolization,
glycogen accumulation, dilation of the endoplasmic
reticulum and myelin figures were observed.
In addition, capillary basement membrane thickening,
capillary endothelial cells chromatin condensation in
the nucleus and corrugation of the nucleus were found.
Conclusion: Diabetes causes histomorphometric, ultrastructural
and apoptotic changes in rat placenta.
