Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, galectin-9, vimentin, desmin and α-actin expression in decidualized stromal cells from canine and feline placental labyrinth

R. HERNANDEZ; GAREIS, N.; STASSI A.; S.M. BLOIS; P. FERNANDEZ ; C. ZANUZZI ; F. REY ; C. BARBEITO ; M. DIESSLER

Puerto Varas

Congreso; Joint Meeting 2017 Latin American Society for Maternal Fetal Interaction and Placenta (SLIMP) Sociedad Chilena de Ciencias Fisiológicas (SCHCF); 2017

Latin American Society for Maternal Fetal Interaction and Placenta (SLIMP) Sociedad Chilena de Ciencias Fisiológicas (SCHCF)

In endotheliochorial barriers the syncytium directly faces maternal endothelium. However, in cats and dogs some mesenchymal maternal cells persist and differentiate into a decidualized phenotype. Feline decidual giant cells (FDGC) have been partially characterized. Presence of a canine homologous cell population, once controversial, was recently confirmed.Objectives: The aims of the present study were to further characterize FDGC regarding a decidual marker as insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP1), galectin-9 and cytoskeletal proteins, and to contribute to describe the mesenchymal/vimentin+ cells in canine labyrinth.Methods: Canine and feline placental samples (n = 5 each) were evaluated by indirect immunohistochemistry with anti-vimentin, desmin, α-actin, IGFBP-1 antibodies. Anti-galectin-9 was analysed in canine samples. Methodological variations were introduced according to the antibody used.Results: IGFBP-1 was highly expressed in the cytoplasm of FDGC. Remarkably, expression was also detected in endometrial fibroblasts closer to the compact wall of decidualized cells, between the spongy zone and labyrinth. In canine labyrinth, scattered large vimentin and desmin positive cells were found; they also were galectin-9 positive, as we reported in FDGC (Conrad et al., Am J Reprod Immunol. 75:317-325, 2016). IGFBP-1 was strongly expressed in canine maternal endothelia, and α-actin in close cells.Conclusions: Results suggest that feline decidualizing cells express IGFBP-1 before morphological differentiation occurs, and that canine stromal cells also express this decidualizing marker. Desmin expression in canine labyrinth was in accordance to that in mice and humans placenta. Contrary to results reported in baboons, which stated an inversely proportional association between IGFBP-1 and α-actin, stromal canine cells co-expressed both markers.