Fetal and gestational pathology, seen with cloning and in vitro fertilization techniques, led us to hypothesize abnormal placental development in these pregnancies, impaired by deferred mRNA expression of angiogenic and growth factors. Collection of placental membranes of bovine cloned (N=4) and control (N=6) pregnancies were performed non-surgically (transcervically) at day 45 of gestation and surgically (hysterectomy) at 75 days of gestation (cloned: N=4+2 about to be collected and control: N=5). Day 45 intercotyledonary and cotyledonary tissue is being evaluated for VEGF, PIGF, GH and bPL expression by Northern Blots. The amount of placental tissue collected at day 75 will allow us to evaluate the above mentioned genes as well as the insulin-like growth factor family genes, which will be evaluated by ribonuclease protection assays. IGF expression will also be quantified in fetal liver. Preliminary interpretations of measurements on day 75 cloned pregnancies indicate high fetal attrition (90%), an abnormal fetal liver/brain index, and an abnormal cotyledon/caruncle ratio.