[Apoptosis and expression of relative genes in early pregnant chorionic villi and decidua].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of mifepristone on apoptosis and expression of relative genes in early pregnant chorionic villi and decidua. METHODS: The specimen of early pregnant chorionic villi and decidua obtained from 10 cases of requesting termination of pregnancy by curettage, 20 cases of mifepriston contragestation. The paraffin sections were used to determine apoptotic cells by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method, to identify bcl-2, bax, fas, fasL and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by immunohistochemistry, to demonstrate fas and fasL mRNA by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: In normal early pregnant specimens, apoptotic cells were mainly observed in syncytiotrophoblast, but not in cytotrophoblast cells, occasionally seen in decidua cells. The antigen of bax, fas, fasL were present in syncytiotrophoblast cells and decidua with lower amount. While bcl-2 antigen staining was strong in cytotrophoblastic cells and in decidua. PCNA protein was present in cytotrophoblastic and decidual cells only. In the specimens treated with mifepristone, apoptotic cells were increased in syncytiotrophoblastic cells of villi and visualized in decidua cells. The expression of fas, fasL and bax was also higher than that of normal. CONCLUSIONS: Mifepristone increased apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblastic and decidua cells, but had no effect on the expression of bcl-2 and PCNA.