Signalization of Akt/PKB in the placenta, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of preeclampsia patients.
Preeclampsia (PE) is a significant cause of fetal and maternal mortality around the world and there is evidence that insulin resistance has been implicated in the pathophysiology of PE. The Akt/PKB pathway is stimulated by insulin and performs several vital functions relative to growth, survival and cellular metabolism.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the basal expression of Akt/PKB, HSP90 expression, proteins that regulate Akt/PKB activity and substrate in the placenta, skeletal muscle and adipocytes of normal and PE parturient.


METHODS
Samples were collected from 17 normal patients and 17 PE patients, and analyzed by Western blot to quantify the protein expression involved in signaling cascade of Akt/PKB.


RESULTS
Total Akt/PKB expression for normal placentas was 1.85 (1.07-3.12) and 1.53 (1.27-3.08) in PE (p = 1.00); in the adipose tissue of normal placentas it was 1.10 (0.53-1.73) and 1.66 (0.83-2.00) in PE (p = 0.37).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no difference in the Akt/PKB pathway, in basal state, in placentas and skeletal muscle of normal and PE patients. However, defects in this signaling pathway as pathophysiology of PE cannot be excluded because it is necessary to analyze this pathway during stimulation.
Orcy
Rafael Bueno
RB
Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Laboratório de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Schroeder
Sabrina
S
Martins-Costa
Sérgio Hofmeister
SH
Ramos
José Geraldo Lopes
JG
Schechinger
Wolfgang
W
Klein
Harald
H
Brum
Ilma Simoni
IS
von Eye Corleta
Helena
H
Capp
Edison
E
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000201:enzymology*; D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt