MORPHOLOGICAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF HUMAN TROPHOBLAST CHORIOCARCINOMA, BEWO CELLS

MR CANTERO, AJ RAMOS, P ZHANG, MK RAYCHOWDHURY, A GREEN, D MACPHEE, AND CANTIELLO HF

Los Cocos, Córdoba, Argentina

Congreso; III Latin American Symposium on Maternal-Fetal Interaction and Placenta: Basic & Clinical Research; 2007

  The syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta arises from fusion of stem cells called cytotrophoblasts. The early mechanisms associated with the cAMP-induced cell fusion and syncytialization of these cells is still unknown. In the present study, we used the whole-cell and single channel patch clamping techniques to assess the electrical properties of BeWo cells under quiescent conditions and after cAMP stimulation. A pleiotropic array of electrical phenotypes was observed suggesting that some BeWo cells displayed electrical activity consistent with the presence of voltage-activated cation channels. Most BeWo cells had, however, a low, slightly outwardly rectifying basal whole cell conductance. Acute addition of a cAMP cocktail increased the whole cell conductance. The correlation between the whole cell conductance and its reversal potential suggest that cAMP elicits both, a decrease in the voltage-gated conductance, and an increase in a ‘‘leak’’ pathway consistent with the activation of non-selective cation channels, but not with a major change in morphological features. Several cation channel proteins associated with epithelial ion transport, including aENaC and polycystin-2, expressed in human term syncytiotrophoblast, were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization. were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization. were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization. were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization. were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization. aENaC and polycystin-2, expressed in human term syncytiotrophoblast, were immunocytochemically observed, but found non-functional in the quiescent BeWo cells. These data suggest the presence and regulation of cation channel activity associated with both salt and signaling in cytotrophoblastic cells prior to syncytialization.