Elastic fibres in the human placenta.

Abstract

Recent studies described the presence of elastic fibres within stem villi of human term placenta. This particular study focuses on changes of the elastic fibre system in placental villous tree from placentas of different gestational ages. The presence of elastic fibres was researched by light and electron microscopy in first-, second-trimester and term human placentas. Light microscopic analysis revealed elastic fibres in the stroma of main stem villi and in large vessels present in the chorionic plate of term placentas. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a wide variation in microfibrillar component deposition in placentas from all the gestational ages studied. Although minimal amount of the microfibrillar component was observed only in some main stem villi of second-trimester placentas, abundant microfibrillar material was present in all types of placental villi in placental sections from term pregnancies. The amorphous component was only occasionally identified in sections from the chorionic plate of second trimester placentas. In ultra-thin sections from placental tissues from the 37th to the 42nd weeks of gestation, we can observe the amorphous component of the elastic fibres. Bundles of microfibrils with scanty participation of the amorphous component of the elastic fibres can be observed in stem villi. In mature intermediate villi, cells and their processes with distinct plasma membranes were seen close to some bundles of microfibrillar component, at times with small spots of the amorphous component. This study shows that elastic fibres of the villous stroma, are mainly composed of the microfibrillar component, while the amorphous component appears more frequently in advanced stages of villous differentiation of term placentas.