Effect of air pollution exposition: morphologic study of junctional zone of mouse placenta and mecanisms envolved in weight gain

• Grant number: 10/19342-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2011
• End date: February 29, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva
• Grantee: Juliana Tognetti de Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Air pollution is demonstrably associated with injuries to several diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Reproductive alterations have been reported to decrease the number of pups per litter, and changes of placenta showing morphofunctional changes that lead to undesirable reproductive outcomes such as low birth weight, higher incidence of prematurity, among others. This study aims to evaluate the morphology of the placenta junctional zone of mice exposed to air pollution before and / or during pregnancy with a focus on the cells of glycogen. These cells, although not yet well defined function, have an important role in glycogen storage, a large source of energy, and endocrine function in fetal and placental development. Thus be used for animals exposed to air pollution and euthanized on day 18 of gestation (term). Stereological analysis will be conducted to estimate the total volume of glycogen cells, mean cell volume and cell number of glycogen.