title: Expression of autotaxin, an ectoenzyme that produces lysophosphatidic acid, in human placenta.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid mediator and thought to play an important role in pregnancy. Plasma LPA is produced by autotaxin (ATX), and ATX activity in plasma increases during pregnancy paralleled with gestational weeks and decreases to near the non-pregnant level soon after delivery. However, the source of increased ATX during pregnancy is still uncertain. We hypothesized that the source of increased ATX might be placenta.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the protein and mRNA expression of ATX in human placenta using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At all 3 gestational trimesters, immunohistochemical staining for placenta tissues revealed the most marked positive staining of ATX protein in trophoblasts. Real-time PCR revealed that mRNA amounts of ATX in placenta tissues paralleled with gestational weeks, i.e. ATX level in plasma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that trophoblasts might produce ATX and its bioactive resultant substance, LPA, paralleled with gestational weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwasawa
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagamatsu
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawana
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okudaira
authors.forename: Shiho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomio
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hyodo
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozuma
authors.forename: Junken
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yatomi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taketani
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D043264:Phosphodiesterase I / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters / Q000378:metabolism; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000201:enzymology; D000099189:Lysophospholipase D
chemical_list: D008246:Lysophospholipids; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D043264:Phosphodiesterase I; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D011755:Pyrophosphatases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000099189:Lysophospholipase D; C032881:lysophosphatidic acid