Fig. 2

Primary cilia of hCV-MSCs from PE placentas are shortened. A, B Placental tissue sections from control and PE placentas were stained for Arl13b (red), acetylated α-tubulin (green), and DNA (DAPI, blue) or cytokeratin 7 (green) and Arl13b (red). The cilium length and the percentage of ciliated stroma cells within villi from early control (early con)/early-onset PE (early PE) placentas (gestational age < 37 weeks) and late control (late con)/term PE (term PE) placentas (gestational age ≥ 37 weeks) were evaluated by using the acetylated α-tubulin signal. A (left plot) The percentage of ciliated cells are presented as median ± min/max whiskers in box plots (n = 700 cells, pooled from seven different placentas for each group) and (A, right plot). The results of the cilium length are presented as scatter plot showing the mean ± SEM (n = 158–359 cilia, pooled from seven different placentas for each group). Unpaired Mann-Whitney U test was used in A and B. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗∗p < 0.001. B Representative images of early control placental tissue and early-onset PE placental tissue (B, left panel), and term control placental tissue and term PE placental tissue (B, right panel) are shown. Scale: 20 μm. Inset scale: 10 μm. C–F Isolated hCV-MSCs from 1st trimester, term control and term PE placentas, non-treated or starved, were stained for Arl13b (red), acetylated α-tubulin (green), and DNA (DAPI, blue). The percentage of ciliated hCV-MSCs (C, left plot) and the cilium length (C, right plot) were evaluated. C The results of the ciliated cells in percentage (n = 15 fields of vision, pooled from three hCV-MSCs isolations for each group) and of the cilium length (n = 300 cilia, pooled from three hCV-MSCs isolations for each group) are presented as scatter plots showing mean ± SEM. D hCV-MSCs from 1st trimester, term control or term PE placentas formed the spheroids, which were non-treated or starved. The cilium length was evaluated and the results are presented as scatter plots showing mean ± SEM (n = 300 cilia, pooled from three hCV-MSCs isolations for each group). Unpaired Mann-Whitney U test was used in C and D. ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001. Representatives of stained hCV-MSCs, non-treated or starved in 2D and 3D culture, are shown (E and F). E Scale: 10 μm. Inset scale: 10 μm. F Scale: 50 μm. Inset scale: 10 μm. Smaller inset scale: 5 μm