Fluorescent microscopic study of epithalon binding in maternal and fetal rabbit tissues in health and under conditions of placental insufficiency.

Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine2005PMID: 16224563

Animal StudyEpitalon

Plain Language Summary

Fluorescently labeled Epitalon was found to penetrate all tissues and organs of pregnant rabbits, including crossing the placenta into fetal organs. Notably, uptake was higher in placentas of fetuses developing under conditions of placental insufficiency, suggesting the peptide may have a natural affinity for stressed tissues.

Abstract

Epithalon (regulatory tetrapeptide) labeled with dansil (fluorescent stain) easily penetrates into all tissues and organs of pregnant rabbit females and through the placenta into fetal organs. Incorporation of labeled epithalon in placental tissues is more often observed in fetuses developing under conditions of placental insufficiency than in normal fetuses.

Authors

Lapina, E A; Nazarova, L A; Petrova, O P; Sibarov, D A; Zubzhitskaya, L B; Pavlova, N G; Konstantinova, N N; Konovalov, Ya S; Kvetnoi, I M; Arutyunyan, A V; Grigorev, E I