Apoptose na maturaçáo placentária de vacas em diferentes estágios de gestação: Evidenciação imuno-histoquímica e bioquímica

Abstract

Apoptosis is important for placental homeostasis maintenance, and a misbalance in this, process may compromise the success of pregnancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate apoptosis, in bovine placental samples at different stages of pregnancy. Placentome samples from 15 healthy, cows, at gestational ages of 4 (n=5), 6 (n=5) and 9 (n=5) months were collected and routinely, processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis, and for DNA isolation., Histopathology sections were stained with HE. Others were submitted to immunohistochemistry,, using pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and Bax protein, and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 specific, antibodies. Isolated DNAs were processed for electrophoresis in agarose gel, for detection of, internucleosomal fragmentation. Histomorphometry results demonstrated that apoptotic cells, gradually increase with the advance of the gestation. Also, the DNA ladder pattern was observed, in all groups. In addition, caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 were all expressed in the three different, gestation periods. However, caspase-3 presented a higher expression in all groups, in comparison, to Bcl-2 and Bax. These results confirm the importance of the apoptosis in the placental, maturation. Also, these results indicated that caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax are involved in apoptotic, activation mechanisms by mitochondrial intrinsic pathway during placental maturation,, contributing for physiological cellularity and cellular turn over balance in bovine placenta.