Cited by 45Pregnancy and preeclampsia studiesNeurological Complications and SyndromesReproductive System and Pregnancy

Activation of villous trophoblastic p38 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways in preterm preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome

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Szabo, Szilvia, Mody, Meera, Romero, Roberto, Xu, Yi, Karaszi, Katalin, Mihalik, Noemi, Xu, Zhonghui, Bhatti, Gaurav +10 more·2015·Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Preterm preeclampsia is associated with the failure of trophoblast invasion, placental hypoxic/ischemic injury and the release of toxic substances, which promote the terminal pathway of preeclampsia. In term preeclampsia, factors yet unknown trigger the placenta to induce the terminal pathway. The contribution of the villous trophoblast to these pathologic events has not been fully elucidated. Here we aimed to study how stress and signaling pathways influence trophoblastic functions in various subforms of preeclampsia. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed from placentas obtained from pregnant women in the following groups: 1-2) preterm preeclampsia with (n = 8) or without (n = 7) HELLP syndrome; 3) late-onset preeclampsia (n = 8); 4-5) preterm (n = 5) and term (n = 9) controls. TMA slides were stained for phosphorylated Akt-1, ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 kinases, and trophoblastic immunostainings were semi-quantitatively evaluated. BeWo cells were kept in various stress conditions, and the expression of FLT1, GCM1, LEP, and PGF was profiled by qRT-PCR, while Akt-1, ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 kinase activities were measured with phospho-kinase immunoassays. We found that: 1) Placental LEP and FLT1 expression was up-regulated in preterm preeclampsia with or without HELLP syndrome compared to controls; 2) Mean pp38 immunoscore was higher in preterm preeclampsia, especially in cases with HELLP syndrome, than in controls. 3) Mean pERK1/2 immunoscore was higher in preterm preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome than in controls. 4) In BeWo cells, ischemia up-regulated LEP expression, and it increased JNK and decreased ERK1/2 activity. 5) Hypoxia up-regulated FLT1 and down-regulated PGF expression, and it increased ERK1/2, JNK and p38 activity. 6) IL-1β treatment down-regulated PGF expression, and it increased JNK and p38 activity. 7) The p38 signaling pathway had the most impact on LEP, FLT1 and PGF expression. In conclusion, hypoxic and ischemic stress, along with unknown factors, activates trophoblastic p38 signaling, which has a key role in villous trophoblastic functional changes in preterm preeclampsia. The activation of ERK1/2 signaling may induce additional trophoblastic functional changes in HELLP syndrome, while distinct mechanisms may promote late-onset preeclampsia.

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Authors
Szabo, S., Mody, M., Romero, R., Xu, Y., Karaszi, K., Mihalik, N., Xu, Z., Bhatti, G., Fule, T., Hupuczi, P., Krenacs, T., Rigo, J., Tarca, A. L., Hassan, S. S., Chaiworapongsa, T., Kovalszky, I., Papp, Z., & Than, N. G.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • Semmelweis University (HU)
Corresponding author
  • Romero, Roberto
  • Kovalszky, Ilona
Venue
Pathology & Oncology Research
Published
2015-01-13
Volume
21
Issue
3
Pages
659-668
ISSN
  • 1219-4956 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-2807
OpenAlex
W2029273918
Cited by
45
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3
FWCI
4.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Pathology & Oncology Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) (acceptedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Semmelweis University Repository (Semmelweis University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HHSN275201300006C, ZIAHD002400)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Neurological Complications and Syndromes
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
Keywords
preterm preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, villous trophoblast, p38 MAPK signaling, ERK signaling, JNK, placental ischemia, placental hypoxia, leptin, Flt-1, placental growth factor, IL-1β, trophoblast invasion, placental insufficiency, BeWo cells
MeSH terms
Hypoxia, Cells, Cultured, Chorionic Villi, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Infant, Newborn, Ischemia, Placenta, Pre-Eclampsia, Pregnancy, RNA, Messenger, Trophoblasts, Biomarkers, Tumor, HELLP Syndrome, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, MAP Kinase Signaling System, Tissue Array Analysis, Premature Birth, p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

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