Interleukin-10 may participate in regulating trophoblast invasion in human placentae throughout gestation.
OBJECTIVE
A successful human pregnancy requires cytotrophoblasts from the fetal portion of the placenta to adopt tumor-like properties. But unlike tumor metastasis, cytotrophoblast invasion is highly regulated both spatially and temporally. The mechanisms that regulate human trophoblast invasion are understood poorly.


METHODS
With a view to obtain some findings on the mechanisms that regulate human trophoblast invasion, we applied the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method to compare the expression of invasion-associated genes in cytotrophoblasts isolated from first- and third-trimester placental tissues.


RESULTS
In trophoblast cells of first-trimester pregnancy, the mRNA contents of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) were higher than that in the third-trimester cytotrophoblasts, while no difference of MMP-2 mRNA expression level was found between trophoblastic cells of different gestational ages. The expression level of plasminogen activator inhibitors-1 mRNA in first-trimester cytotrophoblasts was shown to be much lower than that in trophoblast cells prepared from third-trimester placental tissues. Furthermore, expression of both tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 in cytotrophoblasts were significantly up-regulated in third-trimester when compared with the first-trimester of pregnancy. To further investigate the factors that caused the change of invasion-associated genes expression in trophoblast cells, we found that interleukin-10 (IL-10) could decrease the content of MMP-9 mRNA in cytotrophoblasts of first-trimester gestation, and the magnitude of suppression increased with increasing IL-10 concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
The gradually reduced trophoblast invasion with gestational weeks might be on account of the change of proteolytic enzymes/activator/inhibitor genes expression. IL-10 could be one of the factors participating in the regulation of trophoblast invasion during gestational process.
Pang
Zhan-Jun
ZJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. zjpang2006@126.com
Zhou
Jun-Gui
JG
Huang
Li-Ping
LP
D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010920:Placenta; D010929:Placentation / Q000502:physiology*; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis
D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C051321:SERPINE1 protein, human; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9