In many mammals placental development involves the invasion of the uterine mucosa by trophoblast, until the chorion has become intimately associated with the maternal blood supply for the purposes of physiological exchange. At present the factors which control trophoblastic growth and differentiation are incompletely understood. One major objective of this research will be to further elucidate the apparent role of maternal vascular components (particularly endothelial cells) in controlling trophoblastic development in at least some mammals. Two species of neotropical bats (Carollia and Molossus) in which interactions between the trophoblast and maternal blood vessels are unusually intimate and important will be used as the animal models. Trophoblast-maternal vascular interactions will be examined in lab-bred bats with histological, cytochemical and ultrastructural techniques in an effort to identify more precisely which uterine components may have a role in directing trophoblastic growth and differentiation. The other major goal of this research will be to develop Carollia as a small, convenient, and inexpensive animal model for studies of both implantation and placentation with relevance to humans. Like our own species, Carollia exhibits true menstruation, interstitial implantation which usually occurs preferentially within a restricted portion of a simplex uterus, highly invasive cytotrophoblast that rapidly penetrates the myometrium and probably induces physiologically important changes in the maternal blood supply to the placenta, a discoidal hemochorial placenta, and gives birth to a single well-developed infant after a long gestation period. For reasons which are not yet understood (in part because of the lack of appropriate animal models) trophoblast-vascular interactions are frequently abnormal in human pregnancies ending as spontaneous abortions or complicated by preeclampsia, other hypertensive disorders and/or fetal growth retardation. Studies presently in progress have established that some lab-bred Carollia also spontaneously exhibit retarded conceptus growth. In order to develop this bat as a model for further studies on implantation and placental development relevant to humans, these processes will be thoroughly characterized in lab-bred animals utilizing histological and ultrastructural approaches. Pregnant bats will also be maintained under different environmental conditions to determine if developmental delays can be experimentally induced or eliminated.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD028592-04
Application #
2201186
Study Section
Human Embryology and Development Subcommittee 1 (HED)
Project Start
1993-08-01
Project End
1998-07-31
Budget Start
1996-08-01
Budget End
1998-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1996
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Department
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
201373169
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10065
Rasweiler 4th, J J; Badwaik, N K; Salame, G et al. (2011) Endothelial cell hyperproliferation and stratification in uteroplacental blood vessels of the black mastiff bat, Molossus rufus. Placenta 32:633-644
Rasweiler 4th, John J; Badwaik, Nilima K; Mechineni, Kiranmayi V (2011) Ovulation, fertilization, and early embryonic development in the menstruating fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 294:506-19
Rasweiler 4th, John J; Badwaik, Nilima K; Mechineni, Kiranmayi V (2010) Selectivity in the transport of spermatozoa to oviductal reservoirs in the menstruating fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata. Reproduction 140:743-57
Cretekos, Chris J; Weatherbee, Scott D; Chen, Chih-Hsin et al. (2005) Embryonic staging system for the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, a model organism for the mammalian order Chiroptera, based upon timed pregnancies in captive-bred animals. Dev Dyn 233:721-38
Rasweiler 4th, John J; Oliveira, Sergio F; Badwaik, Nilima K (2002) An ultrastructural study of interstitial implantation in captive-bred, short-tailed fruit bats, Carollia perspicillata: trophoblastic adhesion and penetration of the uterine epithelium. Anat Embryol (Berl) 205:371-91
Badwaik, N K; Rasweiler 4th, J J (2001) Altered trophoblastic differentiation and increased trophoblastic invasiveness during delayed development in the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata. Placenta 22:124-44
Rasweiler 4th, J J; Badwaik, N K; Sugarbaker, T A (2000) Unusual patterns of intermediate filament protein expression by the trophoblast and decidual cells of the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata. Placenta 21:853-69
Oliveira, S F; Rasweiler 4th, J J; Badwaik, N K (2000) Advanced oviductal development, transport to the preferred implantation site, and attachment of the blastocyst in captive-bred, short-tailed fruit bats, Carollia perspicillata. Anat Embryol (Berl) 201:357-81
Rasweiler 4th, J J; Badwaik, N K (1999) Relationships between orientation of the blastocyst during implantation, position of the chorioallantoic placenta, and vascularization of the uterus in the noctilionoid bats Carollia perspicillata and Noctilio sp. Placenta 20:241-55
Badwaik, N K; Rasweiler 4th, J J; Muradali, F (1998) Co-expression of cytokeratins and vimentin by highly invasive trophoblast in the white-winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi, and the black mastiff bat, Molossus ater, with observations on intermediate filament proteins in the decidua and intraplacental trop J Reprod Fertil 114:307-25

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