Electrical potential difference between mother and conceptus in the mouse

This study aimed to determine whether there is a maternofetal potential difference (PD) in the mouse. The mean (± SEM) in vivo electrical potential difference (PD sa) between saline filled catheters in the maternal subcutaneous space (s) and the fetal amniotic sac (a) measured, according to strict c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Placenta (Eastbourne) 2005-04, Vol.26 (4), p.349-352
Main Authors: Ward, B.S., Sibley, C.P., Boyd, R.D.H., Husain, S.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amniotic Fluid - physiology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology
Female
Fetus - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Membrane Potentials - physiology
Mice
Pregnancy
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Summary:This study aimed to determine whether there is a maternofetal potential difference (PD) in the mouse. The mean (± SEM) in vivo electrical potential difference (PD sa) between saline filled catheters in the maternal subcutaneous space (s) and the fetal amniotic sac (a) measured, according to strict criteria, in anaesthetised MF1 mice at a gestational age of 18–20 (term 20) days was 3.9 ± 0.5 mV (significantly different from zero P < 0.0001) in 16 conceptuses from 11 mice with the amniotic sac positive with respect to the maternal catheter. The PD sv between maternal tail vein (v) and maternal subcutaneous space was −0.8 ± 0.4 mV ( n = 3: not significantly different from zero). Measurement of PD between two different maternal subcutaneous catheters ( n = 4) was ≤0.5 mV. This study shows that there is a maternofetal PD in the mouse and provides the foundation for studies addressing its mechanism of generation in this species.
ISSN:0143-4004
1532-3102
DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2004.06.009