EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF FETOPLACEENTAL INSUFFICIENCY IN ANIMALS (LITERATURE REVIEW AND OWN OBSERVATIONS)

Abstract

This literature review is devoted to experimental models of placental disorders in animals. Today, our knowledge of the structure and function of the placenta during pregnancy is remaining limited. The use of new technologies and imaging methods in animals that can provide safe monitoring of the growth and function of the placenta in vivo requires preclinical studies and trials in appropriately developed animal models that can be easily translated into a clinical setting. All this, of course, requires the use of test animals for modelling placental pathologies. The review considers the positive and negative aspects of various animals and methods of modelling the pathological conditions during pregnancy. In the experiment, models of fetoplacental insufficiency are very often used, arising from oxidative stress and activation of free radical oxidation. To simulate the experimental fetoplacental insufficiency caused by histotoxic hypoxia, the xenobiotic tetrachloromethane is used. Women of very young and mature reproductive age have a high risk of fetoplacental insufficiency. It is not known exactly how placental insufficiency in mothers will affect the sexual development of pubertal offspring. That is why we conducted a comprehensive experimental study on this issue at the base of V. Danilevsky Institute of Endocrine Pathology Problems, NAMS of Ukraine. To solve this problem, our institute has developed and proposed a new pharmaceutical composition that should not only contribute to the correction of placental insufficiency, but also has a certain prophylactic value for maintaining reproductive potential in adulthood. The study was carried out on Wistar rats of two age groups. We modelled experimental fetoplacental insufficiency and then corrected it with this pharmaceutical composition. Our study made it possible to establish that fetoplacental insufficiency has a different effect on the formation of the reproductive system in male and female rats in puberty. Prophylactic adding of the composition to the food for pregnant female rats with modelled placental insufficiency leads to the decrease in reproductive diseases of their offspring in puberty. Research on animal models provides important insight into the molecular and functional mechanisms underlying fetoplacental insufficiency and intrauterine growth retardation, as it enables to carry out studies, which are not possible in pregnant women.