Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (Flt1) and apoptosis in the preeclamptic placenta and effects of in vivo anti-hypertensive exposure.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (Flt1) is negatively correlated with apoptosis in preeclampsia placentae, and to examine the effects of antihypertensive medication on apoptosis.


METHODS
Flt1 and TUNEL immunoreactivity were quantitatively compared in the stromal decidual cells, villous trophoblasts, and endothelial cells of placentae from uncomplicated pregnancies (NP, n = 34) to those in patients with preeclampsia (PE, n = 30), and those in patients with preeclampsia with superimposed intrauterine growth restriction (PE + IUGR, n = 7). Further analyses determined any correlations with the antepartum use of the antihypertensives clonidine and hydralazine.


RESULTS
There was no difference in either Flt1 or TUNEL when comparing PE placentae (with or without IUGR) with NP. There were no correlations with the use of the antihypertensives.


CONCLUSIONS
Apoptotic levels do not correlate with Flt1 in preeclampsia placentae and are not regulated by in vivo exposure to the antihypertensives clonidine and hydralazine.
Machaalani
Rita
R
Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Makris
Angela
A
Thornton
Charlene
C
Hennessy
Annemarie
A
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006830:Hydralazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000378:metabolism*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D006830:Hydralazine; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D003000:Clonidine