No abstract available.
Hepatocyte Growth Factor* ; Hepatocytes* ; Placenta* ; Pre-Eclampsia*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the hypoxic condition influences on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA in the cultured human trophoblast. METHODS: Trophoblasts were isolated from the normal placenta in early pregnancy (6-10 weeks in gestation). Isolated trophoblasts were cultured under normoxic (5% CO2, 95% humid air in incubator) and hypoxic (MERCK, 1% O2, 99% CO2) conditions for 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured trophoblasts in each culture condition. The expressions of VEGF and bFGF mRNA were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: The expression of VEGF189 mRNA was significantly increased in the hypoxic condition compared to the normoxic condition and control after 24 hours (p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively). The expression of VEGF206 mRNA was also significantly increased in the hypoxic condition compared to the normoxic condition and control after 48 hours (p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between the normoxic and hypoxic conditions in the expression of VEGF121 and VEGF165 mRNA. The expression of bFGF mRNA was significantly increased in the hypoxic condition compared to the normoxic condition and control at 24 hours and 48 hours (p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively). bFGF mRNA was more expressed than VEGF mRNA in the hypoxic condition. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the hypoxic condition may stimulates the expression of bFGF and VEGF mRNA, and besides bFGF may be a more potent inducer of angiogenesis rather than VEGF in early human gestation.
Anoxia* ; Blotting, Northern ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2* ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Trophoblasts* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

BACKGRUOND: Several angiogenic factors such as bFGF and VEGF have been shown angiogenesis of placenta. PGE2 and PGI2 may be important in successful establishment of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: We studied to investigate whether PGE2 and PGI2 regulate expression of VEGF and bFGF gene in the cultured human trophoblast cells. METHODS: Human trophoblasts were isolated from the placenta of early gestation (6-12 weeks). Isolated trophoblasts were cultured in the different concentration of PGE2 and PGI2 and according to the different cultured time of PGE2 and PGI2, respectively. Total RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed. RESULT: Expression of bFGF was increased in 10-7M and 10-6M of PGE2 and was always increased in the all different concentration of PGI2. Four isoforms (VEGF121, VEGF165, VEGF189, VEGF206) were always expressed in the all different PGE2 and PGI2 concentration compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in the all different PGE2 and PGI2 concentration. In both PGE2 and PGI2 treatment group, expression of bFGF was decreased at 60 min compared to the control group and was gradually increased in time-dependent pattern. At 180 min, its expression was similar to the control group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the expression of bFGF gene is influenced by cultured time and concentration of PGE2 and PGI2, although the expression of VEGF gene is not influenced.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Dinoprostone* ; Epoprostenol* ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2* ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Protein Isoforms ; RNA ; Trophoblasts* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

BACKGROUND: Rosa damascena, a type of herb, has been used for wound healing in Eastern folk medicine. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of rose placenta from R. damascena in a full-thickness wound model in mice. METHODS: Sixty six-week-old C57BL/6N mice were used. Full-thickness wounds were made with an 8-mm diameter punch. Two wounds were made on each side of the back, and wounds were assigned randomly to the control and experimental groups. Rose placenta (250 microg) was injected in the experimental group, and normal saline was injected in the control group. Wound sizes were measured with digital photography, and specimens were harvested. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), and CD31. Vessel density was measured. Quantitative analysis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for EGF was performed. All evaluations were performed on postoperative days 0, 2, 4, 7, and 10. Statistical analyses were performed using the paired t-test. RESULTS: On days 4, 7, and 10, the wounds treated with rose placenta were significantly smaller. On day 2, VEGF and EGF expression increased in the experimental group. On days 7 and 10, TGF-beta1 expression decreased in the experimental group. On day 10, vessel density increased in the experimental group. The increase in EGF on day 2 was confirmed with ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: Rose placenta was found to be associated with improved wound healing in a mouse full-thickness wound model via increased EGF release. Rose placenta may potentially be a novel drug candidate for enhancing wound healing.
Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mice* ; Photography ; Placenta* ; Rosa ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

OBJECTIVE: To determine that preeclampsia is associated with differential expression of death domain receptor-3(DDR-3), caspase-10, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3). METHODS: Placenta were collected from 10 preeclampsias and from 15 normal pregnancies and the samples were immediately frozen and stored at -70degrees C. Total mRNA was extracted from placental tissue and then analysis of the expressions of DDR-3, caspase-10, and IGFBP-3 were performed by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated significantly increased DDR-3 and caspase-10 expression levels and significantly decreased IGFBP-3 expression level in the placenta of preeclampsia compared with normal pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Placental apoptosis is associated with DDR-3, caspase-10, and IGFBP-3. These results may be one of possible mechanisms in the placental apoptosis of preeclampsia.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 10* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Placenta* ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger

OBJECTIVES: This study have demonstrated that transforming growth factor TGF-beta s(TGF-beta 1 and TGF beta 2) may play an important role in implantation and also to determinethe defferences of in the decidua and placenta between normal pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, and missedabortion. METHODS: We have studied the expression of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 byimmunohistochemical staining method in the decidua trophoblasts of normal early pregnancy, ectopicpregnancy, and missed abortion. RESULTS: In the epithelial cells and decidua, TFG-beta 1 was moderately expressed in thenormal pregnancy and weakly expressed in the ectopic pregnancy. But TGF-beta 1 was notexpressed in missed abortion. In contrast, the epithelial expression of TGF-beta 2 was moderatelyin all groups and there are no differences among the groups. And in the decidua, TFG-beta 2 wasmoderately expressed in the normal pregnancy and missed abortion and was weakly expressed in theectopic pregnancy. In the trophoblasts, TFG-beta 1 was weakly expressed in all groups andTGF-beta 2 was moderately expressed in all groups that are no differences among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that TGF-beta 2 may have an important role in deciduaduring pregnancy, especially normal pregnancy. These could indicate that the presence oftroplablast and/or hormonal milieu of normal pregnancy resulted in the expression of TGF-beta s,particularly TGF-beta 1.
Abortion, Missed* ; Decidua ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Placenta ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Trophoblasts

Placenta is an important organ to maintain fetal growth, metabolism, maternal and fetal physiologic balance. Angiogenesis is a critical factor in placental development involved in fetal blood circulation and vascular changes in the endometrium and placenta. Angiogenesis is closely related to angiogenesis factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor and placenta growth factor. Fetal growth restriction threats the fetal health in gestation and also increases the long-term likeliness of several diseases. In this review, the authors summarize the findings in current studies of the relationship between angiogenesis factors and fetal growth restriction.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; metabolism ; Endometrium ; blood supply ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Placenta ; blood supply ; Placenta Growth Factor ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Proteins ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) in placenta from pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancies. METHODS: Placental tissues were obtained from 10 normotensive pregnancies (control group) and 20 severe preeclamptic pregnancies (preeclamptic group). Immunohistochemical staining of placental tissue was used to determine tissue expression of VEGF, PDGF and ICAM-1. The intensity of staining was evaluated by scoring as 0, 1, 2 and 3. RESULTS: Immunolocalization of VEGF and PDGF was significantly observed in the syncytotrophoblast with less intense staining in intravillous stromal cells and intravillous endothelial cells of fetal vessels in preeclamptic group. There were no differences in immunolocalization of staining in control group. Intensity of VEGF and PDGF immunostaining in syncytotrophoblast was significantly increased in preeclamptic group. However, immunolocalization and the intensity of ICAM-1 staining were not significantly different in both groups. CONCLUSION: The expression of VEGF and PDGF in the syncytotrophoblast was significantly up-regulated in severe preeclamptic placenta. These up-regulation of VEGF and PDGF might reflect that placental ischemia and hypoxic state in severe preeclampsia induce VEGF and PDGF in the syncytotrophoblasts of placenta. However the unchanged pattern of ICAM-1 expression in severe preeclampsia suggests that ICAM-1 is unlikely to be a factor by which the adverse pregnancy outcome arises in severe preeclampsia.
Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Ischemia ; Placenta* ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor* ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Stromal Cells ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

The expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in placental tissue of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and the relationship between the level of expression of TGF-beta1 and the amount of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in serum was studied. Immunohistochemistry ABC was used to detect the expression and distribution of TGF-beta1 in placental tissues in 40 PIH women and 20 normal pregnancy women. High resolution pathological image analysis system was used to determine the quality of TGF-beta1. The VCAM-1 in serum was examined by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that TGF-beta1 could be express in syncytiotrophoblast. The levels of TGF-beta1 expression in placental tissues of the patients with moderate and severe PIH were significantly higher (P < 0.05), while the serum VCAM-1 was significantly lower than in normal group (P < 0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between the expression of TGF-beta1 in placental tissues and the serum VCAM-1 (r = 0.969, P < 0.01). It was concluded that the level of TGF-beta1 expression in PIH was increased and was positively correlated with the amount of serum VCAM-1, indicating that they might be involved in the pathogenesis of PIH.
Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced/*metabolism ; Placenta/metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/*metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/*blood

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to compare VEGF protein expression in placentae and serum from women with preeclampsia and normal pregnancy. METHODS: We have performed western blot analysis for VEGF using placental tissue homogenates. We also measured the serum VEGF concentration in both groups with competitive enzyme immunoassay (CEIA). RESULTS: Two distinct bands were obtained on Western blots. The molecular weight of the weak bands appears to correspond to that of the human recombinant VEGF 165 homodimers (42 kDa) under non-reducing conditions and the other strong bands represent alternative post-translational modification of the VEGF 165. The relative intensities of the two bands demonstrated no significant difference in placentae from preeclampsia and normal pregnancy group (p=0.130, p=0.154, respectively). On the contrary, the serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group (median 18.2 ng/ml, range 4.6-101.6 ng/ml) than the control group (median 4.9ng/ml, range 2.3-9.1 ng/ml, p<0.005). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that placenta may not be not the origin of the increased circulating VEGF in preeclampsia and there may be other potential site of VEGF synthesis in preeclampsia.
Blotting, Western ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Molecular Weight ; Placenta ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*