title: Role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in altering the endothelial metal concentration during preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder connected with endothelial cell dysfunction. In vitro stimulation of preeclamptic placental endothelial cell with Ureaplasma urealyticum will help in understanding its relationship with the host cell. Metals and metal-containing compounds are known to play important roles in many biological processes, including metabolic pathway, inflammation and function of proteins.
  
  
  METHODS
  The variation in expression of various metals was assessed for the first time using FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) with EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) technique in endothelial cells isolated from normotensive and preeclamptic placenta with and without in vitro U. urealyticum stimulation. The results were correlated with the expression of HSP (heat shock protein) 70 in all the 4 endothelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preeclampsia and U. urealyticum infection alters endothelial cell size, HSP70 expression and metal (sodium, potassium, calcium, iron) concentration. There is a significant increase in the concentration of iron and calcium and decrease in HSP70 expression and endothelial cell size in preeclamptic endothelial cell with U. urealyticum stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work is the first step in the identification of metals pertinent to mollicute infection and lays the foundation for future studies concentrating on characterization of these metal associated or containing molecules. The ionic imbalance observed infers that calcium and iron supplementation should be executed with caution both during preeclampsia and U. urealyticum infection in pregnancy. This study also suggests that the HSP70 mediated protection exhibited in endothelial cell during preeclampsia is lost upon U. urealyticum infection which further contributes to the observed endothelial cell damage.
authors.affiliation: P.G. Department of Biochemistry, Bharathi Women's College, Affiliated to University of Madras, Chennai 600108, Tamil Nadu, India. dstpadmini@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padmini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Uthra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D048429:Cell Size; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000150:complications; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007501:Iron; D002118:Calcium