title: Expression of placental serotonin transporter and 5-HT 2A receptor in normal and gestational diabetes mellitus pregnancies.
abstract: Recent studies reveal that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) might play a role in the aetiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The involvement of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and 5-HT(2A) receptor (5-HT(2A)R) in diabetes has also been suggested. However, placental SERT and 5-HT(2A)R have never been studied in GDM-complicated pregnancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of GDM on the expression of both placental SERT and 5-HT(2A)R. First, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of SERT and 5-HT(2A)R proteins in the villous trophoblast and the fetal capillary endothelium of normal term placental tissue. Protein and mRNA expression of SERT and 5-HT(2A)R in the villous cytotrophoblastic and syncytiotrophoblastic cells was further confirmed in primary culture. A significantly (P < 0.05) decreased expression of SERT mRNA (56.3%) and protein (79.7%), and 5-HT(2A)R mRNA (79.1%) and protein (29.1%) was observed in placental tissues from GDM compared with non-GDM pregnancies. These data suggest that SERT and 5-HT(2A)R might be implicated in the aetiology of GDM. Moreover, the presence of SERT and 5-HT(2A)R in villous trophoblastic cells argues in favour of an important role of serotonin in human placental function.
authors.affiliation: INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Laval, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viau
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lafond
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vaillancourt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins