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- Volume 13 (1994)
- Number 1 - Proceedings of the sixth European congr...
- Morphometric analysis of the vascularization of the terminal villi in normal and diabetic placenta
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Morphometric analysis of the vascularization of the terminal villi in normal and diabetic placenta
Abstract
Samples from 5 placentas of healthy mothers and from 5 placentas of mothers with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were assessed quantitatively with respect to the vascularization of the terminal villi. Tissue blocks were taken from the central parabasal region of the placenta. The fixed and plastic resin embedded samples were cut into 2-4 µm thick sections. After staining the sections were submitted for evaluation to an image analyzer. On 250 transverse sections of the terminal villi from both the normal and diabetic placentas the following ratios were calculated: total area of capillaries / total area of villus (Ac/Av). The values of the Ac/Av ratio were found significantly higher in healthy mothers (0.243 +/- 0.102) as compared to diabetic mothers (0.212 +/- 0.105). The levels of mean Ac/Av ratios multiplied with the weight of individual placentas were not significantly different in the control (183.20 +/- 20.84) and the diabetic group (179.14 +/- 27.90). The smaller development of the capillary bed in the terminal placental villi under diabetic conditions is probably compensated with the increased formation of new villi manifested in higher placental weight.