title: PP053. The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  PGC-1α is a transcriptional co-activator that drives mitochondrial biogenesis in many tissues, including cardiac. PGC-1α is a powerful regulator of angiogenesis, a process of fundamental importance to the development of a healthy placenta in normal pregnancy. While the angiogenic role of PGC-1α has previously been described in the heart, its function and expression in the placenta is unknown. It may be possible that PGC-1α plays a key role in the imbalance of angiogenic factors observed in the pregnancy specific condition of pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if PGC-1α is expressed in placental tissue and its implications for pathophysiological disorders of pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human placental samples were obtained from normal healthy pregnant women for processing and immunohistochemical analysis using an anti-PGC-1α rabbit polyclonal antibody. In addition, PGC-1α expression was examined in placental tissue from normal pregnant and reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive staining for PGC-1α was noted in both human and rat placental tissue with varying levels of expression. Staining appeared to be localised to the vascular endothelial cells, trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts, with some minor staining in the maternal decidua and stroma. Moreover, intensity of staining for PGC-1α appeared reduced in placental tissue from RUPP rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that PGC-1α strongly localised to endothelial cells in both human and rat placental tissue. Furthermore, our data may implicate PGC-1α in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia, but further research is needed. Future studies could suggest the use of PGC-1α as a future drug target for treatment of complicated pregnancies.
authors.forename: Aoife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delany
authors.forename: Fergus
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kenny