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Ultrasonographic and histological characterization of the placenta of somatic nuclear transfer-derived pregnancies in dairy cattle.
- Source :
-
Theriogenology [Theriogenology] 2008 Jan 15; Vol. 69 (2), pp. 218-30. Date of Electronic Publication: 2007 Nov 05. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- The high incidence of pregnancy loss and prenatal morbidity and mortality in cloned animals may be due to placental insufficiency, thereby compromising fetal survival. Our objective was to characterize morphological changes in fetal membranes of cloned bovine pregnancies. Two groups of cows with cloned fetuses, produced by two cloning techniques, a commercial group (n=16) and a hand-made group (n=4), and control fetuses derived from traditional embryo transfer (n=6) or AI (n=6), were compared at various stages of gestation (Days 80, 120, 150, 180, 210, and 240; Day 0=estrus). Thickness and shape of the amniotic membrane, placentome shape and length, umbilical cord shape and diameter, and fetal fluid echodensities were assessed by ultrasonography, and the placenta was evaluated histologically. Only eight (40%) of cloned pregnancies reached term and seven calves (35%) were alive at birth. Both placentome length and umbilical cord diameter were larger (P<0.05) in clones than in normal fetuses at all stages of gestation. Amniotic membrane abnormalities (Day 120) including focal edema and the presence of a series of nodules were detected in 38% of the clones and were always accompanied by hyper-echodense spikes or irregularities (detected ultrasonographically) around the umbilical cord. Histopathology revealed degenerate inflammatory cells, edematous chorioallantoic membranes, and decreased epithelial thickness. We inferred that these morphological anomalies of placentomes compromised fetal development, and we concluded that ultrasonographic monitoring of pregnancies enabled characterization of changes in the placentae and may be useful to assess fetal well-being.
- Subjects :
- Amnion diagnostic imaging
Amnion pathology
Amnion physiology
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Cloning, Organism
Female
Histocytochemistry veterinary
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Placenta diagnostic imaging
Placenta pathology
Pregnancy
Ultrasonography, Prenatal veterinary
Umbilical Cord diagnostic imaging
Umbilical Cord pathology
Cattle physiology
Fetal Development physiology
Nuclear Transfer Techniques veterinary
Placenta physiology
Umbilical Cord physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0093-691X
- Volume :
- 69
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Theriogenology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 17983647
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.09.028