Effects of periconceptional ethanol ingestion on different collagen types and metalloproteinases in murine implantation sites at midgestation

COLL T; FONTANA V; FAVARO R; CALVO JC; ZORN T; CEBRAL E

San Pablo

Congreso; XV Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Biologia Celular (SBBC); 2010

Sociedade Brasileira de Biologia Celular

Periconceptional alcohol ingestion causes organogenic embryo anomalies, growth restriction and increased early miscarriages. The matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) digests type IV and V collagens and MMP-2 also degrades types I and III, playing a role in remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), decidualization, angiogenesis, trophoblastic migration and invasion of decidua. To evaluate if periconceptional ethanol ingestion alters distribution and deposition of collagens types I, III, IV and V, and MMP-9 in vascular mesometrial decidua (VMD) and trophoblastic (T) tissues, adult CF-1 female mice were treated (TG) with 10% ethanol in drinking water for 17 days previous and during gestation up to day 10 of gestation, and compared to control group (CG). Implantation sites were processed for picrosirius staining for fibrillar collagens, and immunohistochemistry for I, III, IV, V collagens and MMP-9. While in VMD-CG was observed a defined and continuous picrosirius stain in the region of basal membrane of vessel endothelium, the VMD-TG staining was undefined and discontinuous. Collagen I and III had similar immunostain in the VMD-CG and VMD-TG. The immunofluorescence pattern for IV and V collagens was increased in VMD-TG vs VMD-CG. A slight mark of MMP-9 was detected in VMD-CG and T-CG, while the immunoreactivity was significantly reduced in VMD-TG and T-TG. These results suggest that periconceptional alcohol ingestion leads to reduced MMP-9 immunostaining with increased deposition of type IV and V collagens, and diminished picrosirius stain, thus indicating potential structural alterations in the collagen in VMD.