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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Mar 19.
Published in final edited form as: Physiol Genomics. 2008 May 13;34(2):193–204. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00220.2007

Figure 4. Glycogen cell islets in the junctional zone and the labyrinth of Pcdh12−/− placentas.

Figure 4

PAS staining and hematoxylin counterstaining of wild type (A,C) and Pcdh12−/− (B,D,E) placenta sections. Glycogen cells are stained in deep purple by PAS because of their high glycogen contents. (A,B) E12.5 placenta section images are focused on the junctional zone. Glycogen cell islets are circled and indicated with (*). Note that glycogen cells appear partially empty because of glycogen solubilization occuring during section preparation. (C,D) E17.5 total placenta sections are shown. At this age, the labyrinth constitutes the major part of the placenta; the junctional zone and the decidua form a cap at the placenta margin. (E) is an enlargement of (D) showing that junctional zone islets (circled) are composed of both cell types. Sp, spongiotrophoblast; GC, glycogen cells. (F) The number of islets (pegs) was averaged in sections from wild type (n = 9) and Pcdh12−/− (n = 12) placentas. The error bars represent the SE.