The investigation of the effects of placental hemodynamics on placental morphology and nutrient transport function

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10198
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: Shibata Eiji 産業医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90419838)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 胎盤 / 血流 / ３Dパワードップラー / Glycocalyx / 栄養素輸送 / sFlt-1 / PlGF / sEng

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fetal growth restriction is closely related to not only maternal body composition, nutrient intake, and utero-placental circulatory dynamics but also placental own functional changes. In this study, we used a new ultrasonic 3D power Doppler analysis to measure the hemodynamics in the placental parenchyma which used to be technically difficult to evaluate. We looked at if the values measured by ultrasonic 3D power Doppler analysis is a useful marker of the abnormal placental functions such as abnormal histological structures, abnormal nutrient transport functions, and alteration of angiogenetic factors. As a result, we found the positive correlation between the placental glycocalyx expression and the flow index measured by the 3D power Doppler analysis. However, 3D power Doppler method was not useful for predicting abnormal nutrient transport function, abnormal antigenic factors in maternal blood, and other histological abnormality during pregnancy.

Free Research Field

周産期医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

胎児発育制限は出生児の予後に悪影響及ぼすが、低栄養環境で発育した児は、将来のメタボリック症候群発症のリスクが高いことも報告されている。しかしながら、このようなBaker仮説の根本である栄養素輸送などの胎盤機能には未解決な部分が多く、胎児発育制限に対する根本的治療戦略がないのが現状である。今回、３Dパワードプラ法により胎盤血流動態と様々な胎盤機能の関連を調べたところ、３Dパワードプラ法は胎盤のGCX発現量を予測し得る可能性が示唆された。この研究成果は、GCX損傷に起因する子宮内環境の悪化を妊娠早期に診断し、胎児発育制限に対する新たな根本的治療戦略を開発することに貢献できる可能性がある。