Stav Sapoznik1, Vicki Plaks1, Elina Berkovitz2, Rebecca Haffner-Krausz2, Michal Neeman1
1Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Israel; 2Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
The importance of the placental circulation has long been recognized and is exemplified by the correlation of fetal weight with placental size and blood flow. In the current study we applied macromolecular contrast-enhanced MRI for in utero assessment of placental function along pregnancy in mice. We were able to assess placental blood volume fraction, rate of contrast material enhancement, placental volume and fetal length. We evaluated normal placentas at different developmental stages, as well as strain specific differences. Additionally, we studied placental function during fetal resorption and the function of tetraploid placenta in complementation rescue of genetically modified mice.