title: Preeclampsia does not alter vascular growth and expression of CD31 and vascular endothelial cadherin in human placentas.
abstract: Preeclampsia is characterized by maternal endothelial dysfunction (e.g., increased maternal vascular permeability caused by the disassembly of endothelial junction proteins). However, it is unclear if preeclampsia is associated with impaired vascular growth and expression of endothelial junction proteins in human placentas. Herein, we examined vascular growth in placentas from women with normal term (NT) and preeclamptic (PE) pregnancies using two endothelial junction proteins as endothelial markers: CD31 and vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-Cad). We also compared protein and mRNA expression of CD31 and VE-Cad between NT and PE placentas, and determined the alternatively spliced expression of CD31 using PCR. We found that CD31 and VE-Cad were immunolocalized predominantly in villous endothelial cells. However, capillary number density (total capillary number per unit villous area) and capillary area density (total capillary lumen area per unit villous area) as well as CD31 and VE-Cad protein and mRNA levels were similar between NT and PE placentas. PCR in combination with sequence analysis revealed a single, full-length CD31, suggesting that there are no alternatively spliced isoform of CD31 expressed in placentas. These data indicate that preeclampsia does not significantly affect vascular growth or the expression of endothelial junction proteins in human placentas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (YL, YJZ, QYZ, CZ, JZ)
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (YL, YJZ, QYZ, CZ, JZ)|Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China (YJZ)
authors.forename: Ying-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (YL, YJZ, QYZ, CZ, JZ)
authors.forename: Qing-Yun
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (KZ)
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (YMW, KW)
authors.forename: Yan-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (YL, YJZ, QYZ, CZ, JZ)
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (YMW, KW)
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (YL, YJZ, QYZ, CZ, JZ)|Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, P.R. China (JZ)
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000099152:Cadherin 5
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000099152:Cadherin 5
keywords: CD31; VE-cadherin; placenta; preeclampsia; vasculature