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bioRxiv · 10.1101/330647

Clarification and confocal imaging of the non-human primate placental micro-anatomy

Sargent, J.·Roberts, V.·Gaffney, J.·Frias, A.
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Abstract

Placental function is essential for the development of the fetus, and is - in part - related to the 3D arrangement of the villous and vascular geometry. Recent advances in tissue clarification techniques allow for deep high-resolution imaging with confocal microscopy without altering the spatial characteristics of the tissue. These image stacks can be analyzed quantitatively to provide insights regarding the villous and vascular micro-anatomy as well as the interrelationships between the two. However, such analyses require optimization of the tissue preparation, immuno-labeling, and clarification protocol in order to provide reliable results suitable for the detection of subtle differences in pathologic pregnancies. Placental and fetal development are similar between human and non-human primate pregnancies, with the latter serving as a reliable, validated, highly-controlled, well-characterized translational model for the former.\n\nWe present a protocol for the preparation, immuno-labeling, and clarification of the non-human primate placenta optimized for confocal microscopy and subsequent quantification of the micro-anatomic structures.

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Sargent, J., Roberts, V., Gaffney, J., Frias, A.. 2018-05-24. Clarification and confocal imaging of the non-human primate placental micro-anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1101/330647

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