title: Metabolic pathways involved in 2-methoxyestradiol synthesis and their role in preeclampsia.
abstract: Preeclampsia (PE) remains a major cause of maternal/fetal morbidity-mortality worldwide. The first stage of PE is characterized by placental hypoxia due to a relative reduction in uteroplacental blood flow, resulting from restricted trophoblast invasion. However, hypoxia is also an essential element for the success of invasion. Under hypoxic conditions, 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) could induce the differentiation of cytotrophoblast cells into an invasive phenotype in culture. 2-Methoxyestradiol is generated by catechol-O-methyltransferase, an enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway of estrogens. During pregnancy, circulating 2-ME levels increase significantly when compared to the menstrual cycle. Interestingly, plasma levels of 2-ME are lower in women with PE than in controls, and these differences are apparent weeks or even months before the clinical manifestations of the disease. This article reviews the metabolic pathways involved in 2-ME synthesis and discusses the roles of these pathways in normal and abnormal pregnancies, with particular emphasis on PE.
authors: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile.
authors: Alejandra
authors: A
authors: Perez-Sepulveda
authors: Pedro P
authors: PP
authors: España-Perrot
authors: Errol R
authors: ER
authors: Norwitz
authors: Sebastián E
authors: SE
authors: Illanes
mesh_terms: D000077584:2-Methoxyestradiol; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004958:Estradiol; D000077584:2-Methoxyestradiol; D001141:Aromatase; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase
keywords: 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME); aromatase; hypoxia; methionine–homocysteine metabolism; preeclampsia