Major mouse placental compartments revealed by diffusion-weighted MRI, contrast-enhanced MRI, and fluorescence imaging
Abstract
Fluid motion measurements can provide valuable insight regarding the structure and function of developing placentas. This study presents to our knowledge the first MRI characterization of multicompartmental diffusion and incoherent flow in pregnant mice at different gestation stages, made possible by methods herein introduced for the single-scan acquisition of diffusion-encoded images in the challenging environment associated with in vivo embryonic studies. These methods were combined with a customized contrast agent to reveal a freely diffusive maternal blood pool, a strongly perfused fetal blood flow, and an intermediate behavior for the trophoblastic labyrinth cell layer. Structural features associated with these dynamics were corroborated with ex vivo fluorescence microscopy and are discussed within the context of the anatomical structure of developing mouse placentas.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- July 2014
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2014PNAS..11110353S