Y-27632 enhances differentiation of blastocyst like cystic human embryoid bodies to endocrinologically active trophoblast cells on a biomimetic platform

J Biomed Sci. 2009 Sep 22;16(1):88. doi: 10.1186/1423-0127-16-88.

Abstract

Trophoblast differentiation and formation of the placenta are important events linked to post-implantation embryonic development. Models mimicking the biology of trophoblast differentiation in a post-implantation maternal microenvironment are needed for understanding disorders like placental-ischemia or for applications in drug-screening, and would help in overcoming the ethical impasse on using human embryos for such research. Here we attempt to create such a model by using embryoid bodies (EBs) and a biomimetic platform composed of a bilayer of fibronectin and gelatin on top of low-melting agarose. Using this model we test the hypothesis that cystic-EBs (day 30) that resemble blastocysts morphologically, are better sources as compared to noncytic EBs (day 10), for functional trophoblast differentiation; and that the Rho kinases inhibitor Y27632 can enhance this differentiation. Non/cytic EBs with/out Y27632 were grown on this platform for 28 days, and screened from secretion and expression of trophoblast and other lineage markers using ECLIA, RT-PCR, and Immunofluorescence. All EBs attached on this surface and rapidly proliferated into hCG and progesterone (P2) secreting functional trophoblast cells. However, the cells derived from cytic-EBs and cytic-EBs+ Y27632 showed the maximum secretion of these hormones and expressed IGF2, supporting our hypothesis. Also Y27632 reduced extraembryonic endoderm and trophoblast lineage differentiation from early noncystic-EBs, whereas, it specifically enhanced the induction of trophoblast and multinucleated syncitiotrophoblast differentiation from late cystic-EBs. In vivo trophoblast differentiation can be replicated in fibronectin based biomaterials, using cytic-EBs and by maneuvering the Rho-ROCK pathways. Response of EBs to a compound may vary temporally, and determination of their right stage is crucial for applications in directed-differentiation or drug-screening.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amides / pharmacology*
  • Blastocyst / cytology
  • Blastocyst / drug effects*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line / drug effects
  • Cell Lineage
  • Cell Polarity / drug effects
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / metabolism
  • Culture Media / pharmacology*
  • Embryonic Development / drug effects
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Endoderm / drug effects
  • Fibronectins
  • Gelatin
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Organoids / cytology
  • Organoids / drug effects*
  • Progesterone / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Sepharose
  • Trophoblasts / cytology*
  • alpha-Fetoproteins / metabolism
  • rho-Associated Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Amides
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin
  • Culture Media
  • Fibronectins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • alpha-Fetoproteins
  • Y 27632
  • Progesterone
  • Gelatin
  • Sepharose
  • rho-Associated Kinases