Table 1 Placental immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved PARP, caspase-3 and cytosolic cytochrome-c (number of positive cells counted) and the ratios of cleaved PARP, caspase-3 and cytosolic cytochrome-c positive cells in the spongy trophoblast layer of tumour-bearing rats or rats injected with ascitic fluid compared to control rats at different stages of pregnancy (16^th, 19^th and 21^st days). Polyclonal antibodies against PARP, caspase-3 and cytochrome-c (all from Santa Cruz Biotechnology; anti PARP and anti-cytochrome-c diluted 1:100; anti-caspase diluted 1:250) were detected with a secondary biotinylated anti-goat antibody (diluted 1:500) and reacted with DAB in the presence of H₂O₂. The cells were counted using Image ProPlus software.

C16

43.1 ± 7.1^a

3.7 ± 0.4^a

3.4 ± 0.3^a

W16

136.7 ± 12.2^b

16.0 ± 1.4^c

4.7 ± 0.3^a

W16/C16

2.89 ± 0.30^a

3.02 ± 0.37^a

1.52 ± 0.11^a

A16

71.7 ± 9.2^c

7.9 ± 0.4^c

6.7 ± 0.4^c

A16/C16

1.41 ± 0.13^b

2.90 ± 0.35^a

2.54 ± 0.25^b

C19

48.0 ± 5.9^a

1.3 ± 0.2^b

4.9 ± 0.3^a

W19

149.2 ± 20.9^b

9.3 ± 0.7^c

13.3 ± 0.7^b

W19/C19

3.40 ± 0.23^a

7.56 ± 0.74^b

3.03 ± 0.20^b

A19

115.9 ± 9.5^b

4.6 ± 0.2^a

15.4 ± 0.4^d

A19/C19

3.00 ± 0.30^a

3.84 ± 0.34^a

3.35 ± 0.21^b

C21

54.8 ± 7.6^a

2.5 ± 0.3^a

4.8 ± 0.3^a

W21

148.0 ± 16.9^b

7.3 ± 0.7^c

12.7 ± 0.6^b

W21/C21

2.99 ± 0.54^a

2.50 ± 0.70^a

3.00 ± 0.22^b

A21

73.4 ± 11.7^c

7.2 ± 0.4^c

10.2 ± 0.6^b

A21/C21

1.67 ± 0.36^b

2.43 ± 0.50^a

2.78 ± 0.29^b