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. 2017 Feb 23;7:42941. doi: 10.1038/srep42941

Figure 6. Blocking differentiation of cytotrophoblast preserves their high metabolic rate.

Figure 6

(A–C) The natural course of metabolic suppression during differentiation can be circumvented by employing an inhibitor of the p38 MAPK pathway (10 μM SB203580, SB) coupled with EGF stimulation. (A) Confocal micrograph of CTB treated with EGF and SB203580 for 72 h, the time point when normal cytotrophoblast cells have fused, and stained with Mitotracker (green) and (wheat germ agglutinin, magenta). Cell fusion does not occur under these conditions, and all cells have active mitochondria. CTB fusion was blocked with this combined treatment and active mitochondria can be observed in all cells. (B) ECAR and (C) OCR, are elevated and maintained between 8 and 72 h when treated with the combination EGF and SB203580. Scale Bar: 5 μm. Data are Mean ± SEM, n = 6 placentas.