glycogen and Hydatidiform-Mole

Pre-eclampsia is a placental disorder, but until now, biochemical details of dysfunction have been lacking. During an analysis of the oligosaccharide content of syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles purified from the placental chorionic villi of 10 primigravid women with proteinuric pre-eclampsia, we found an excess of glycogen breakdown products. Further investigation revealed a 10-fold increase in glycogen content (223 +/- 117 micrograms glycogen/mg protein), when compared with controls matched for gestational age at delivery (23 +/- 18 micrograms glycogen/mg protein) (P < 0.01). This was confirmed by examination of electron micrographs of chorionic villous tissue stained for glycogen. The increase in glycogen content was associated with 16 times more glycogen synthase (1,323 +/- 1,013 relative to 83 +/- 96 pmol glucose/mg protein per min) (P < 0.001), and a threefold increase in glycogen phosphorylase activity (2,280 +/- 1,360 relative to 700 +/- 540 pmol glucose/mg protein per min; P < 0.05). Similar changes in glycogen metabolism were found in trophoblast microvesicles derived from hydatidiform moles. Glycogen accumulation in villous syncytiotrophoblast may be a metabolic marker of immaturity of this cell which is unable to divide. The implications of these findings with regard to the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia are discussed.

Topics: Adult; Chorion; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Glucose; Glycogen; Glycogen Synthase; Glycoproteins; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Oligosaccharides; Phosphorylases; Placenta; Polysaccharides; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Trophoblasts

Glycogen content, glycogen synthetase, and glycogen phosphorylase were studied in placental tissue of normal pregnancy and in vesicles of hydatidiform mole. The glycogen content of placental tissue of normal pregnancy decreased significantly with increased gestational age: 6 to 10 weeks, 716.6 +/- 55.7 mg/100 gm wet weight (mean +/- standard error of the mean); 15 to 20 weeks, 216.1 +/- 11.2 mg/100 gm; and 37 to 41 weeks, 176.1 +/- 18.1 mg/100 gm. The decrease in placental glycogen content was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the placental glycogen synthetase enzyme levels, whereas no remarkable change was found in the glycogen phosphorylase enzyme levels. The glycogen content of hydatidiform mole tissue from 10 patients (13 to 20 weeks of gestation) was 507.0 +/- 58.0 mg/100 gm and was significantly (P less than 0.005) higher than that of normal placental tissue with a corresponding period of gestation. A possible cause of this phenomenon may be the marked decrease in the glycogen phosphorylase enzyme level in hydatidiform mole tissue, which was about one-third that of the normal placental tissue.

Topics: Female; Gestational Age; Glycogen; Glycogen Synthase; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Phosphorylases; Placenta; Pregnancy; Uterine Neoplasms

Topics: Cell Nucleus; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cytoplasm; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Female; Glycogen; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Lipids; Pregnancy; Trophoblasts; Ultrasonography

Topics: Cell Nucleus; Cilia; Collagen; Cytoplasm; Decidua; Endometrium; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Epithelial Cells; Female; Glycogen; Golgi Apparatus; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Lysosomes; Microscopy, Electron; Mitochondria; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Trophoblasts

Topics: Animals; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Female; Fibrin; Glycogen; Glycoproteins; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Kidney; Obstetric Labor Complications; Placenta; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Rats; Staining and Labeling

Topics: Choriocarcinoma; DNA, Neoplasm; Female; Glycogen; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Neoplasm Proteins; Pregnancy; RNA, Neoplasm; Staining and Labeling

Topics: Choriocarcinoma; Female; Glycogen; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Mucins; Neoplasm Proteins; Pregnancy; RNA, Neoplasm; Trophoblastic Neoplasms

Topics: Choriocarcinoma; Coloring Agents; Female; Glycogen; Glycoproteins; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Hydatidiform Mole; Hydatidiform Mole, Invasive; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Metabolism; Oxidoreductases; Pathology; Periodic Acid; Pregnancy; Staining and Labeling; Uterine Neoplasms